"Benjamin Franklin, the only child to reach maturity of John andElizab eth (Van Gundy) Schweyer, was born in Mifflintown, Juniatacounty, Penn sylvania, July 2, 1838. His education was acquired in thepublic and pr ivate schools of Mifflintown, and at an early
age he commenced his career as a contributor to the pages of thecounty p apers. In 1870 he became the editor and proprietor of theJuniata Senti nel, a Whig paper, established December 9, 1846, whichwas originally a W hig sheet, but was at the time of Mr. Schweyer's
purchase a Republican paper, and he very naturally took up the causeof t he Republican party upon becoming the owner. He Ijecame the ownerin 18 73 of the Juniata Republican, a stock paper that was defected byPresid ent Andrew Johnson's movement. Mr. Schweycr consolidated thetwo papers u nder the name of the Juniata Sentinel and Republican, andcontinued as o wner up to the time of his death, April 7, 1913. It hasalways been the m ain Republican paper of Juniata county, and hasnever wavered in its al legiance to the Republican party. While hisinfluence was an important f actor to be reckoned with, Mr. Schweyernever desired nor accepted pulj lic office. He was a member of thePennsylvania Reserves during the civ il war, and was present at thebattle of Antietam. His religious affili ations were with thePresbyterian church. Mr. Schweyer married, in Faye tte township,Juniata county, Pennsylvania, January 8, 1863, Evaline Ro bison, bornin Fermanagh township, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, April 1 8, 1842,died in 1904. She was the daughter of John and Margaret (David son)Robison; granddaughter of Captain David Davidson, a soldier during the American revolution: and a great-granddaughter of AlexanderRobison, o f Scotch-Irish descent, who was born in the Cumberlandvalley, Pennsylv ania, in 1732, and located as a land owner in what isn(iw Juniata coun ty, in 1767. He was a soldier under Braddock in theexpedition against t he French and Indians at Fort Pitt, and a soldierunder Colonel Bouquet i n the expedition against the Pontiac Indianconspiracy in 1764. Mr. and M rs. Schweyer had children: JohnFranklin: Will^erforce, see forward: .\ nnie E., died February 9,1903: Elizabeth, deceased: Mary Evaline, marr ied Andrew C. Ellison,of Mif-
fiintown: Isabella, married Albert M. Robinson, of Philadelphia."
