Husband Hon. P. Gray Meek 1
Born: 12 Jul 1842 - Patton Twp, Centre Co, PA 1
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: Reuben H. Meek (1801-1873) 2 3
Mother: Mary Ann Gray ( -1873) 2 3
Marriage:
Wife Susan M. Meek 4
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: George W. Meek ( - ) 4
Mother: Rachel Barron (1801- ) 5
Children
General Notes: Husband - Hon. P. Gray Meek
His education was limited to that afforded by the common schools, and he began life as a school-teacher at Lumber City, Clearfield Co., in the winter of 1855-56. The next year he was a clerk, then worked on a farm, and followed what he could find to do that would permit an honest livelihood until May, 1861. He then became junior editor of the Democratic Watchman.
Being too radically Democratic to suit the Republicans and the owners of the paper (it was in August of that year presented by a grand jury composed of twenty-one Republicans and two Democrats for publishing "treasonable matter")-under the pretext of saving the paper from being excluded from the mails, Mr. Meek was requested by the proprietors to resign his position and to take the responsibility for the radical tone of the paper during his connection with it, which he did.
Mr. Meek then returned to his father's farm, where he worked until the following July, when he purchased a half-interest in the Watchman and assumed editorial control of it. In 1863 he was arrested and taken before Squire Weaver on the charge of high treason and bound over, Samuel Gilliland, Esq., becoming his bondsman. That a justice of the peace had jurisdiction in a case of high treason, or how he could be guilty of such an offense in the publication of a newspaper only, or by what authority bonds could be required, Mr. Meek was never able to discover. The case was never called.
It was very difficult to keep the paper up. Without money when he made the purchase, the paper itself small, with a limited patronage, the most influential men of the party denouncing it as too radical and outspoken, the merchants of the place refusing to give it their patronage, Mr. Meek was running against popular public opinion, nevertheless he gained a reputation for consistency and plainness of speech which eventually secured his paper success and made his reputation as an editor.
During the year 1864 he was twice arrested for the publication of political articles that grated harshly upon the ears of those who opposed freedom of speech and the Democratic party; but both cases were discontinued at the expense of the prosecutors. In March, 1865, he was arrested in his office by a company of United States troops, taken to Harrisburg, and imprisoned in what was known as the cotton-factory barracks. Mr. Meek could never ascertain what the charge was upon which he was arrested, and was released, after six days' incarceration, upon taking an oath to report for trial when called on, and as he was never called on he remained, in his own judgment, a paroled prisoner.
In May of the same year he was arrested by a United States marshal named Hartshorn, upon the oath of a Clearfield postmaster named Franke, charged with having published articles discouraging enlistments, taken to Pittsburgh, and bound over for trial. When that time came Hartshorn offered to have the case withdrawn for three hundred dollars.
This Mr. Meek refused to give, demanded a trial, whereupon a nolle prosequi was entered, and he was discharged.
In 1867 and 1868, Mr. Meek was nominated by the Democratic County Convention by acclamation for member of the Legislature and elected by large majorities, and in 1870 and 1871 again elected, serving four years in all. While in the House he was instrumental in having the acts known as the railroad fence law and the lumberman's lien act passed, which added to his popularity with the farmers and workingmen of the county. In 1872 he was secretary of the Democratic State Committee, and 1873, 1875, and 1876 received the indorsement of the County Convention for State senator, and was beaten by ex-Governor Curtin for the nomination for Congress in 1878 in the county by two votes in the convention. In 1882 he accepted the position of editorial secretary of the Democratic State Committee, and prepared the greater part of the documents for the campaign of 1882.