History of Conklin, (Broome County) New York United States of America

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Amos Jay Cummings, representative, was born in Conkling, Broome county, N.Y., May 15, 1841; son of the Rev. Moses Cummings, editor of the Christian Herald and Messenger. Amos became a printer, and as an itinerant compositor, visited the principal cities of the United States east of the Missouri river. When in Mobile, Ala., he joined the Walker expedition in October, 1858, and was captured on board the Quaker City. On reaching New York he found employment on the New York Tribune. In 1862 he joined the 26th New Jersey volunteers and became sergeant-major of the regiment. He was officially mentioned for gallantry at Fredericksburg, Va. In 1864 he was placed in charge of the Weekly Tribune and in 1866 was made night editor of the daily edition. Subsequently he was ' city editor and political editor. In January, 1869, he became managing editor of the New York Sun, which position he resigned in 1873, going to Florida for his health. He remained there five winters writing newspaper letters over the signature of "Ziska." In March, 1876, he became managing editor of the New York Express, having charge of the paper five months and still retaining his connection with the Sun. He reported several notable murder trials between the years 1877 and 1886. He also reported the national presidential conventions of 1880, 1884 and 1888. He was elected in November, 1886, a representative from the 6th New York district in the 50th congress and on March 17, 1887, began the editing of the Evening Sun, which before December had reached a circulation of 100,000 copies. He declined renomination in 1888 for pecuniary reasons, went to the Black Hills to investigate tin mines recently discovered, and on the death of Representative S. S. Cox he was elected almost unanimously to fill the vacancy in the 51st congress. He supported a shipping bounty bill and an international copyright bill and opposed the force bill in a notable speech. He was re-elected to the 52d and 53d congresses. In the 52d congress Speaker Crisp appointed him chairman of the committee on the library and third on the committee on naval affairs. In November, 1894, he was appointed subway commissioner. He was elected to the 54th congress to fill a vacancy caused in the 10th N.Y. district and was re-elected to the 55th, 56th and 57th congresses. He published: Horace Greeley Campaign Songster (1872); Sayings of Uncle Rufus (1880); and Ziska Letters. He died in Baltimore, Md. May 2, 1902.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Conklin, (Broome County) New York

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