Ia faaauau pea le suʻesuʻega o lenei palakalafa - Na fanau Benjamin F. Meyers i New Centerville, Pennsylvania. Na auai o ia i le Somerset Academy ma le Jefferson College i Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (lea ua avea nei ma Washington ma le Jefferson College i Washington, Pennsylvania). Na ia aʻoaʻoina le tulafono, ma taliaina i le lōia ma amata ona galue i le 1855. Na avea o ia ma sui o le Pennsylvania State House of Representatives i le 1864. Sa avea o ia ma sui o le Democratic National Conventions o le 1864, 1880
, 1884, 1888, 1892, 1896, ma le 1900. Na avea o ia ma faatonu o le "Bedford Gazette" ma i le 1868 o le "Harrisburg Daily Patriot".