He was born in
Washington, Pennsylvania on September 19, 1855, son of Alexander W. and Jane (Wishart) Acheson. He attended the public schools there, and then went on to
Washington & Jefferson College in 1875. He was an honorary graduate of Washington and Jefferson College in 1875; studied law with M. C. Acheson at Washington, Pennsylvania, was admitted to the bar in 1877 and practiced law there until 1879. He purchased the newspaper
Washington Weekly Observer, of which he was editor. In 1889, he established a daily edition of the same paper. He received the honorary degree of
A.M., from Washington and Jefferson College in 1889. On November 22, 1882, he was married to Jannie B., daughter of Galbraith Stewart. He was elected as a
Republican to the
United States House of Representatives in
1894, and continued to serve until 1909, having been an unsuccessful candidate for the nomination in
1908. Acheson was served in the 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th and 58th congresses. He became president of the Pennsylvania editorial association in January 1893, and
recording secretary of the
National Editorial Association in June 1893. In 1909, he returned to editorial work until his retirement in 1912. He died in Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1917. ==References==