586 SUGDEN. SULLIVAN. of the common council, and was elected mayor of that city in 1883, and re-elected in 1884. He also represented his district in the Legislature in 1885. During his official relation as mayor of the city he had the pleasure of entertain- ing many distinguished guests at his hos- pitable and artistic home. SUGDEN, RICHARD, was born in an obscure village near Bradford, England, March 26, 1815. His parents were of humble origin and circumstances, and he struggled hard from boyhood to early manhood to over- come these embarrassing conditions of birth. He gave his daily labor for his board alone, while his scanty clothing was obtained from hours of over-work. Al- though he was deprived of the privilege of an ordinary education, yet in a small way he was able to gratify a longing for books and the current literature of the day. There were but two libraries in the neighborhood in which he lived — one containing three volumes, viz.: the Bible, "Baxter's Saints' Rest," and "Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress." The other was the treasure of an old Welsh cobbler, consist- ing of about sixty volumes, carefully secured in a box beside his bench. He became a confidant of this man, and in consequence was privileged to take once a week a book for perusal from this primi- tive library. His method of procuring a newspaper was novel and business-like ; fourteen pence per copy were required to purchase one paper each week, and he, with six comrades, formed a club, at a cost of two pence each per week, he in this way obtaining the coveted prize. This ardent love for literature followed him to manhood. Works of history and autobiographies of self-made men were his favorite reading. Blessed with a re- tentive memory, and being an intelligent reader, he to-day possesses a fund of knowledge which renders him an enter- taining companion and a man of authority on a multitude of topics. At twenty-eight years of age he em- barked in an emigrant ship to America, and after a voyage of twenty-seven days, landed in New York, March 29, 1845. During the passage he formed the acquaint- ance of a young Scotchman, whose brother in America had sent him a small hand- book, descriptive of the manufacturing towns in Massachusetts. From this Mr. Sugden learned that wire was manufac- tured in Spencer, and card clothing in Leicester. Wire-working being his. partic- ular trade, he decided to make one of these two points his first stopping place. Reach- ing the latter, he applied for and obtained work of H. A. Denny in a small wire-draw- ing mill in Cherry Valley, Leicester. Two years later he and a fellow-workman, Na- thaniel Myrick, came to Spencer and pur- chased the small wire-works owned by Roswell Bisco. In 1850 they purchased the machinery of a mill in Cherry Vallev, RICHARD SUGDEN in which H. G. Henshaw was interested, and moving it to Spencer, admitted Mr. Henshaw to the firm. The business was expanding quite rapidly, but the feeble health of Mr. Henshaw made this a part- nership of short duration. The firm again became Myrick & Sugden, and so con- tinued until Mr. Myrick retired, in 1870. Harry H., son of Mr. Sugden, was now admitted, but in a few years the firm was dissolved by his death. In 1876 Mr. Sug- den purchased the large works of J. R. & J. E. Prouty, in the Lower Wire Village, and converted the combined business into a new corporation called the Spencer Wire Company, of which he is president and general manager. SULLIVAN, JEREMIAH F., son of Mor- timer and Mary Sullivan, was born in Dursey Island, county Cork, Ireland, Feb- ruary 14. 1840.
