John E. Gable's History of Cambria County, V.II, p.782

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History of Cambria County, V.2

782 HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY

Hon. John E. Evans and Hon. Webster Griffith, urged the formation of a company to manufacture in Ebensburg the machine Clyde Gardner had invented and known as "The Gardner Calculator." Agreements covering the new organization were drawn up and a charter applied for in March, 11923. Before the charter arrived, Clyde Gardner was taken ill and was seriously ill when he was elected president and general manager of the Gardner Calculator Company on April 19, 1923; two days later he died-a sad, tragic ending, just as he was about to realize his ambition to place at the disposal of the public the fruits of this inventive genius.

    Valentine S. Barker was born in Lovell, Maine, August 15, 1843, the eldest child of the Hon. Abraham A. and Orsina P. (Little) Barker. On both sides he came of Revolutionary stock-and Valentine S. Barker throughout his life exhibited those sturdy qualities for which the sons of the Pine Tree State have been noted.
    In 1854 Mr. Barker's father moved to Cambria County, Pa., and Valentine and three younger brothers were educated and grew to manhood in Pennsylvania.
    In 1860 A. A. Barker was a delegate to the convention that nominated Lincoln at Chicago, and it was only natural that three of this sons later served their country-the fourth was to young. Valentine enlisted in Company F, One hundred Thirty-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, organized at Ebensburg by Capt. John M. Jones. At Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862, Captain Jones and First Lieutenant Scott, of Company F, were killed and the company lost heavily. After this engagement Valentine was appointed regimental postmaster and remained in service until the regiment was mustered out.
    Following the was Mr. Barker looked after this father's business, while Mr. Barker, Sr., was a member of Congress; later Valentine engaged in business on his won account and organized the firm of Barker Bros. at Ebensburg. His youngest brother, Constantine H., was his partner in this business, which in addition to a general store included lumbering and mining operations. The firm was very successful, and in 1880 another brother, Florentine H., joined the firm.
    Mr. Barker, like his father, was a Republican, but never took an active interest in party politics. The Hon. A. A. Barker was a strong temperance advocate, one of the pioneers in this movement, and Valentine

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782	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY
Hon. John E. Evans and Hon. Webster Griffith, urged the formation of a company to manufacture in Ebensburg the machine Clyde Gardner had invented and known as "The Gardner Calculator." Agreements covering the new organization were drawn up and a charter applied for in March, 11923. Before the charter arrived, Clyde Gardner was taken ill and was seriously ill when he was elected president and general manager of the Gardner Calculator Company on April 19, 1923; two days later he died-a sad, tragic ending, just as he was about to realize his ambition to place at the disposal of the public the fruits of this inventive genius. Valentine S. Barker was born in Lovell, Maine, August 15, 1843, the eldest child of the Hon. Abraham A. and Orsina P. (Little) Barker. On both sides he came of Revolutionary stock-and Valentine S. Barker throughout his life exhibited those sturdy qualities for which the sons of the Pine Tree State have been noted. In 1854 Mr. Barker's father moved to Cambria County, Pa., and Valentine and three younger brothers were educated and grew to manhood in Pennsylvania. In 1860 A. A. Barker was a delegate to the convention that nominated Lincoln at Chicago, and it was only natural that three of this sons later served their country-the fourth was to young. Valentine enlisted in Company F, One hundred Thirty-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, organized at Ebensburg by Capt. John M. Jones. At Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862, Captain Jones and First Lieutenant Scott, of Company F, were killed and the company lost heavily. After this engagement Valentine was appointed regimental postmaster and remained in service until the regiment was mustered out. Following the was Mr. Barker looked after this father's business, while Mr. Barker, Sr., was a member of Congress; later Valentine engaged in business on his won account and organized the firm of Barker Bros. at Ebensburg. His youngest brother, Constantine H., was his partner in this business, which in addition to a general store included lumbering and mining operations. The firm was very successful, and in 1880 another brother, Florentine H., joined the firm. Mr. Barker, like his father, was a Republican, but never took an active interest in party politics. The Hon. A. A. Barker was a strong temperance advocate, one of the pioneers in this movement, and Valentine