TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 51 judge of the court of common pleas, whereupon he was given the unanimous support of the judicial convention and was elected to the office, overcoming a democratic majority of more than eight hundred which placed nearly all of the democratic nominees in office. Judge Doyle made a most commendable record on the common pleas bench, serving to the satisfaction of all until 1883, when he was called upon for still higher judicial service, being chosen judge of the .supreme court, having the honor of being the youngest man who ever sat upon that bench. He soon proved himself a peer of the ablest members who sat in the court of last resort. He fully met the highest expectations of his friends and won a reputation that has caused his name to go down in history as one of the most profound and brilliant jurists Ohio has ever produced. His decisions were models of judicial soundness and by virtue of his splendid service he became known not only throughout the length and breadth of the state but over a wide territory. With his retirement from the bench Judge Doyle returned to Toledo, where he resumed the private practice of law as senior partner in the firm of Doyle, Scott & Lewis, no change in the partnership relations occurring until the death of Mr. Scott, which led to the adoption of the firm name ,of Doyle & Lewis. In this connection Judge Doyle continued to practice up to the time f his demise and he was seldom absent from his office for a single day. His services were in great demand and he figured prominently in most of the important cases tried in the courts of Toledo throughout the period. His ideas and opinions always carried weight in legal counsel and it was seldom that any member of the profession ever seriously questioned the statements that he made. On the 6th of October, 1886, Judge Doyle was married to Miss Alice Fuller Skinner, a descendant of Governor Roger Wolcott of Connecticut and of Oliver Wolcott, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Her father was Dr. Samuel Wolcott Skinner, a veteran of the Civil war, who for four and a half years served as a surgeon in the Union army. He married Dorianna Fuller and both he and his wife were natives of Connecticut. Their ancestors came to America on the historic Mayflower and representatives of the family have remained on this side of the Atlantic. Mrs. Doyle has long been one of Toledo's most active and influential women, taking a prominent part in the club and social life of the city. She has membership with the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Colonial Dames and the descendants of Colonial Governors and is eligible to the Mayflower Society. She has long been prominent in these organizations throughout the state. To Judge and Mrs. Doyle were born six children. Those living are : Mrs. Elizabeth D. Bentley ; Mrs. Grace D. Graves and Mrs. Helen Genevieve Pratt. Three sons : Frederick Ellsworth, John H. and Roger Wolcott, have passed away. The family circle was again broken by the hand of death when on the 24th of March, 1919, Judge Doyle departed this life after a brief illness at Florence Villa, Florida, being then seventy-five years of age. He was very fond of travel and with his wife had visited many European countries as well as all sections of America. His religious faith was manifest in his membership in the First Congregational church of Toledo, in the work of which he took active and helpful part, generously supporting the church and laboring earnestly for its advancement in every possible way. For a number of years he served as president of its board of trustees and was trustee emeritus at the time of his death. That Judge Doyle was a man of very high intellectual attainment is shadowed forth between the lines of this review. He was not only a close student of his profession but was familiar with the world's best literature and spent many of his 52 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY most pleasant hours in the companionship of the men of master minds that constituted his library. He himself possessed considerable ability as a writer and in early manhood he had organized the literary society known as the New Century Club. He was a recognized authority upon the history of northwestern Ohio and wrote voluminously and entertainingly concerning this. One of his last activities was the organization of the Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio, of which he was elected the first president. He is the author f a valuable work entitled "A Story of Early Toledo," containing historical facts and incidents of pioneer times in this city and section of the state. This was issued in book form in 1919, being prepared at the suggestion of the Commerce Club of Toledo and was first published serially in the Commerce Club News. Judge Doyle was not only a writer but also an orator of ability. He possessed a splendid voice and had the personality and magnetism to hold an audience spellbound. He was constantly in demand as a speaker on public occasions and he delivered many important addresses. There was one phase of his nature of which the public knew comparatively little, for in this he shrank from observation and at all times from ostentation or display, yet there are many who benefited by his bounty and knew him as a kindly and most generous benefactor. In club circles he was widely known, belonging to the Lawyers' Club, the Union Club of Cleveland, the Toledo, the Toledo Commerce, the Country Clubs and the Toledo Yacht Club, also to the Ohio Society of New York. He enjoyed pleasant associations with his fellow club members and his influence was strongly felt among all such. His attitude toward the public was that of strong championship of every plan or measure for the general good and he took an important part in promoting and bringing big enterprises to Toledo and thus advancing the material welfare, growth and prosperity of the city. When he passed away the Bar Association held a memorial meeting, in which high tribute was paid to Judge Doyle as a man, as a citizen, as a lawyer and as a jurist. One of the eminent representatives of the bar said on that occasion : "This long, useful and extremely interesting life does not readily lend itself to the necessary limits of this report. Your committee, taking its average experience, have known Judge Doyle as a lawyer for about forty-five years and realize that his reputation rests not upon brilliant results of a few occasions but upon the uniformly extraordinarily high excellence of his professional work, his honest-mindedness and his exalted character. It would take that dryest of all recitals, the story of the thousands of lawsuits, already dust of the ages, to which he gave through the long, long years the force of his intellect, his quickness of wit and unflagging industry, should we attempt to convey our impression of the work of this great lawyer as it grew in our minds during the years we knew and loved him. Judge Doyle was primarily a lawyer with all the ancient standard of his profession. Whatever else he did it was but a vacation or interlude that he might return refreshed and reinvigorated to his labors of love upon the bench or at the bar. To stand as he did for more than forty years as the unchallenged leader of the bar of Lucas county, required more than mere industry and facility. While no one questioned the fact, we sometimes sought to account for his leadership. His superb manner and presence, at once impressive and charming, furnished us some shelter of excuse, his wonderful combination of quickness of thought and unending persistence (you remember he carried the contest to enforce the lien of an Ohio judgment against the Wabash Railway federal court title to successful issue in some thirty years) gave us some explanation, but' after all we were driven to the admission that his greatness and power were the result of his combined qualities. It would not TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 53 have been difficult to find lawyers who would have done one or more things better than he, but impossible to have found one among our members who could do so many things of the different kinds of a lawyer's work supremely well. It shocks us to hear Judge Doyle referred to as a self-made man. It is true that he treated himself fairly, trained himself with industry and determination to win and never wasted his powers by weakness, sin or malice, but God and his great mother made John Doyle. His sturdy health, his impressiveness and charm, his quickness and honesty of mind, his perfect speaking voice and unusual faculty of clear statement, needed only training and opportunity to produce the fine gentleman and great lawyer we knew. Some would say that his schooling was short, but he ranked among the best educated men of his time and community. The streets, labor and the schools taught him elementary knowledge and wisdom of folks and opened to him the learning of the ages. His beautiful and rapid handwriting, which enabled him with pleasure to the last to put his briefs and important papers in long hand, was learned as a copyist in the recorder's office of Lucas county and he had an opportunity to see politics as it is while he served as secretary to the Hon. James M. Ashley in* the fierce campaign of 1864. Admitted to practice at twenty-one, he had the great good fortune to receive his early training under the prince of technical lawyers, Edward Bissell, and was very soon, as a member of the firm of Bissell & Gorrill, thrown into very active court practice, where under the thorough, if not always agreeable, tutelage of Charles Kent, Charles Dodge, Charles Pratt and Judge J. M. Ritchie, he was taught the practice of law. After his novitiate as judge of the common pleas and of the supreme court he lived for thirty years in close business and professional relations with many of the most highly trained business geniuses of the country and was constantly in the trial of important cases, involving the fundamental questions of our governmental and business life. If any one among us has received a higher or better education he has occasion to rejoice. No man can be the model for another but we may well be proud to have counted among our members so accomplished a lawyer and so amiable a gentleman as- John H. Doyle and to have had the advantage of his example in the courtesies and amenities of our profession." JOSEPH L. BICK Joseph L. Bick, a member of one of the old families of Lucas county, is recognized as an enterprising and successful business man and is now serving as president of the Toledo Battery Company, which is the outgrowth of his carefully formulated plans and initiative spirit. He was born at Richfield Center, Lucas county, Ohio, June 14, 1881, and his parents, Adam W. and Mary Ann (Raab) Bick, were also natives of that county, in which the father was engaged in the occupation of farming until 1919. . He is now living retired in Toledo but the mother is deceased. Seven children were born to their union : Frank J. ; Nora, now the wife of Don Tunison ; William W., who died June 11, 1919 ; Harvey ; Arthur P.; Beatrice ; and Joseph L., who is the eldest in the family. In the grammar and high schools of Richfield Center, Ohio, Joseph L. Bick obtained his education and on starting out in life for himself he embarked in the grocery business at Swanton, Ohio, where he resided for three years. He then disposed of his interests there and came to Toledo. In 1905 he became a traveling 54 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY salesman for the J. B. Ford Company of Wyandotte, Michigan, and later represented Berdan & Company of Toledo, traveling in the interests of that firm far seven years. After severing his connections with that concern he established himself in business independently, organizing the Toledo Battery Company in 1913, and he has since filled the office of president. Their plant is equipped for the manufacture of Old Master galvanic batteries and batteries for automobiles, also the handling of all kinds of electrical repair work on automobiles, and as the years have passed the high quality of their work has won for them a well established position in industrial circles of the city, their business now being one of large volume. On the 15th of January, 1918, Mr. Bick was united. in marriage to Miss Eva D. Kneeland, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kneeland, prominent residents of this city. Mr. Bick gives his political support to the republican party, for he deems that its policy best conserves national progress, and he is a member of the Toledo Golf Club and the Toledo Automobile Club. He has made good use of his opportunities and has steadily progressed since his initial step was made in the business world. He is energetic, straightforward and honorably ambitious and measures up to the highest standards of personal honor and present-day business ethics. WILLIAM L. MILNER From obscurity men have risen to greatness. From modest beginnings they have advanced to wealth and their progress often has marked a new era in the development of the community with which they have been identified. Such was the career of W. L. Milner, who rose to a commanding position in mercantile circles, not only in Toledo, but also in Detroit. In both cities he was recognized as one of the greatest department store organizers and developers in the entire country. For thirty years he was associated with the commercial interests of Toledo and not only built up his own fortune but contributed also in notable measure to the growth and prosperity of the city. There was no plan or project for the city's good for which his aid was sought in vain. William L. Milner was born at Atlanta, Illinois, where he received public and high school education. At the age of eighteen years he located at Hartford, Kansas, and began clerking at twenty-one he started in business for himself with a small general store. His success was immediate, and he soon became the leading merchant, winning a very substantial measure of prosperity through the conduct of the business. In 1888, while in Hartford, Kansas, Mr. Milner was married to Miss Anna Johnston and to them were born a son, John W., who died at the age of sixteen, and a daughter, Mary, who is the wife of Edgar R. Thom of Detroit. Desiring a larger field for operations Mr. Milner came to Toledo and soon acquired an interest in the Toledo branch store of Burnham Stoepel & Company of Detroit. A short time later he purchased the interests of his partners and organized W. L. Milner & Company. With honest dealing as his ideal, he soon began to be known in the trade as an expert in department store development. However, not until he acquired complete control of what is now the business bearing his name, did his resourcefulness, his TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 57 vision, and keen business judgement have full play. The remarkable development of W. L. Milner & Company was one of the results of his constructive forethought and concentration. He made this one of the leading mercantile establishments in Toledo and this section of the state. Later he became associated with Joseph J. Crowley of Detroit, formerly with Burnham Stoepel & Company, but subsequently a wholesale dry goods merchant of that city. They established what has grown to be one of the largest department stores in Detroit, operating under the name of Crowley, Milner & Company. Mr. Milner was president of both corporations and a member of the Detroit Board of Commerce. While his business interests called him often to Detroit, he manifested a genuine devotion to Toledo as the place of his residence, was always ambitious for the city's development, and as the years passed did much important civic work. In 1907 he accepted the presidency of the Chamber of Commerce and under his courageous leadership a reorganization was effected under the name of Toledo Commerce Club, with enlarged influence and efficiency. Mr. Milner was ever actuated by a most progressive spirit and in the accomplishment of his purposes employed very practical and resultant methods. He was instrumental in bringing to Toledo the late George B. Storer, for the position of secretary of the revitalized Toledo Commerce Club, and it soon became a power in civic affairs. When the street car franchise problem, which had been the great issue in many political campaigns, reached a crisis, Mr. Milner, as chairman of the commission appointed by Judge Killits (of the U. S. district court) developed what is known as the service-at-cost franchise. In the campaign for the passage of the ordinance, Mr. Milner personally addressed many groups of citizens in behalf of a clear, intelligent understanding of the plan, and a settlement for all time of Toledo's street car problem. After its acceptance by the voters Mr. Milner was appointed by the City Sinking Fund Commission as the city's representative on the board of directors of the Community Traction Company, in recognition of his splendid work in its behalf. By reason of his marked ability and resourcefulness Mr. Milner was called upon to cooperate in many important business and commercial organizations which have largely shaped the commercial history of Toledo. For many years he was a member of the board of directors of the Northern National Bank and served with the same quiet effectiveness which characterized all his activities. While devoting long hours to business and community interests, he also had time for much needed relaxation, and was a member of the leading clubs of both cities, and for several years prior to his death was president of the Country Club of Toledo. The most recent evidence of Mr. Milner's civic spirit was his activity in behalf of the Willys-Overland Company, when it seemed almost certain the great plant would be lost to Toledo and removed to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Mr. Milner, with other Toledo civic and financial leaders, was called upon to assist in keeping the plant in Toledo. He became a member of the board of directors of the company, and devoted a large part of his time and ability to the solution of its complex problems. Mr. Milner's death occurred early in September of 1922, following an automobile accident the middle of August, and the news of his death came as a great sorrow to his friends and the community as well. While driving from Detroit to Toledo, he was forced into a ditch in an effort to avoid collision with another car, his car overturned, and he received severe injuries, which resulted fatally two weeks later. 58 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY The commanding position which Mr. Milner held in business, his civic leadership and worthy achievements were recognized in many fine tributes to his memory by his associates and the press. At this time Mayor Brough said : "In the death of W. L. Milner, Toledo loses an able, aggressive civic leader, a progressive business man and a good citizen. His interest and devotion to the community which made his success possible has never waned and his passing marks the contribution of a lifetime spent in furtherance of the ideal of making Toledo a bigger and better place to live in." The Toledo Blade spoke of him as one of Toledo's finest civic leaders, and said in part : "In his long residence in Toledo, W. L. Milner has established a reputation not only as one of the financial magnates of the city but as one of the strongest, most constructive civic leaders this city has known. His more than thirty years in Toledo have been marked not only by personal success but also by constructive direction in civic affairs of practically every kind." Further tribute to Mr. Milner as a business man was paid by Thomas A. De Vilbiss, president of the Toledo Commerce Club, who said : "I am deeply shocked by the death of Mr. Milner and almost at a loss for words to express my admiration for this splendid citizen and remarkable business man, who was always behind every movement that had for its purpose the upbuilding of Toledo, no matter in what field. He felt a deep and lasting pride in his home city and never hesitated to express his affection for it and his belief in its great future. He will be sadly missed in the circles in which he moved and the absence of his guiding hand and influence in countless other Toledo activities will be felt for years to come. Toledo can ill afford to lose such a noble, sterling citizen, merchant' and civic worker as W. L. Milner. His untimely death is a distinct blow to the entire community." While under the caption "Detroit loses with Toledo," the Detroit Times said editorially : "William L. Milner was a builder. He was not content with the successes he personally attained—he shared them with the communities which contributed to his achievement. His death is a loss to the city. As one of the founders of Crowley, Milner & Company, Mr. Milner established relationships here that made him as much a citizen of Detroit as of Toledo. He felt the obligations of that citizenship and contributed his thought and energy to the solution of public problems. To his last resting place today Detroit sends its tribute to his memory." The Willys-Overland Company, through one of the executives, said : "Toledo in general and the Willys-Overland Company in particular will feel keenly the loss of Mr. Milner. Since he became associated with the Overland as a member of its board of directors and executive committee last February, his keen business judgment and high sense of business integrity have been of immense value to us. Mr. Milner never missed an Overland board or committee meeting, not-withstanding that his only reward was the strengthening of the Willys-Overland plant. But he saw in that much for Toledo. He made other business trips, including even his frequent trips to his large interests in Detroit, subservient to Overland meetings. Toledo has lost a sound, aggressive and constructive business and civic leader." Quoting from the News Bee : "It would seem that the tragic death of W. L. Milner belongs to that class which we call 'untimely.' It seems untimely for Mr. Milner himself, taken suddenly when in the prime of his life and in the proper enjoyment of well earned success. It seems untimely for this city, de- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 59 prived of a citizen who had broad ideas of civic usefulness and had arrived at a period where he could give time and service to his city. The best thing that can favor any community is to have men and women with ideals of real community service and with ability and opportunity to follow their ideals. They serve and stimulate both by their work and their example. Mr. Milner had battled his, way up from the bottom to financial success. His affairs had been so adjusted that he was able to enjoy wholesome leisure and still have time to do something for his city and his fellow citizens. He had been for many years a student and a wide reader along social and sociological lines. He knew the radical and the conservative viewpoints and judged them with the native shrewdness and good sense that guided his business affairs. He seemed to be a man who would for another generation be of great use in the community. Suddenly the success that he had fairly won and the leisure and opportunity to enjoy it were taken from him. Suddenly and tragically the city was deprived of a good citizen, a constructive and farseeing servitor. When men die, wearied and ready for rest, at the end of the allotted threescore years and ten, it seems fitting and timely. But the passing of an active, enterprising, honorable, useful citizen in the prime Of his manhood belongs to the class of 'untimely deaths.' " The board of directors of the Northern National Bank gave expression to the following : "In the untimely death of W. L. Milner, who has been a loyal and valued member of the board of directors of the Northern National Bank for the past twelve years, this bank and the entire business community have suffered an irreparable loss. To know him was to respect and love him. He was a strong, resourceful man, who never evaded any responsibility. The quiet, effective manner in which he discharged his many duties will ever be an inspiration to his associates. He walked the path of life confidently and courageously, with eyes fixed upon the highest ideals. He gave unstintingly of his service to our city in whose future he had unbounded faith. His influence in this community will long endure. Coming to Toledo from the west as a young man without influential friends or capital, but with a large vision and a determination to succeed, he built up a splendid business that he leaves as a monument to his untiring efforts. In the deepest sorrow we pay this tribute to his memory and extend to his bereaved family the assurance of our sincerest sympathy." He was not only a successful merchant, but a man of high ideals whose personal worth was recognized by all, and throughout his life he stood for those things which have real value as constructive elements in the world's work. GRIER BERNARD CORRY Grier Bernard Corry, vice president and general manager of the Lion Store, one of Toledo's foremost mercantile houses, has been prominently identified with the city's business interests for more than fifteen years. A native of Georgia, Mr. Corry was born in Greensboro, September 17, 1879, a son of John Alexander and Mary (Waller) Corry. The father was a wholesale merchant carrying on business in the south for many years. Grier B. Corry obtained his education in public and private schools and started out in the business world as a clerk in a dry goods store in Augusta, Georgia. The beginning was modest, but he applied himself faithfully and steadily worked 60 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY his way upward, learning valuable lessons in the school of experience and thus broadening his efficiency and power as a factor in commercial circles. In 1908 he came to Toledo, where he entered into active association with the Lion Store. Acquiring interests therein, he has since become vice president and general manager. The Lion Store organization has a chain of twenty-nine stores and is thus in control of an immense business, covering a wide territory. The business is thoroughly systematized in every particular, a splendid organization having been built up. On the 14th of February, 1909, Mr. Corry was married to Miss Emily Bailie of Augusta, Georgia, whose death occurred February 27, 1919, leaving many friends whose kindly regard she had won during her residence in Toledo. Mr. Corry was chosen as the mercantile representative for the Rotary Club, in which he now holds membership. He is also a member of the Toledo Club, Commerce Club, and the Inverness Club. In his life are the elements of greatness because of the use he has made of his talents and his opportunities. In his business life he has been a persistent, resolute and energetic worker, and strictly conscientious in his dealings with debtor, creditor, or employe alike. Mr. Corry is one of Toledo's most prominent merchants and valued citizens. JAMES M. ASHLEY James M. Ashley, a resident of Toledo, Ohio, from 1851 to his death in 1896, a member of congress from the Toledo district from 1859 to 1869 and afterward governor of Montana and builder of the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railroad, was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the 24th of November, 1822, and was a son of John Clinton and Mary Ann (Kirkpatrick) Ashley. His grandfather, Rev. Benjamin Ashley, was for many years a prominent minister of the Baptist church of Norfolk, Virginia. It is supposed that the direct lineage traces back to Captain John Ashley, who was one of the signers of the second Virginia charter. One William Ashley, in all probability the great-grandfather of the subject of this memoir, was master's mate in the Virginia navy during the Revolutionary war. Therefore, it seems that James M. Ashley derived from his father a southern and English strain and from the distaff side derived a Celtic strain, as the family name of his mother fully indicates. James M. Ashley was but four years old when, in 1826, his parents removed from the old Keystone state to Ohio and established their residence at Portsmouth, Scioto county, where the father established a bookbinding business, having served in Pittsburgh a thorough apprenticeship to the bookbinders' trade when he was a youth. At Portsmouth James M. Ashley received his early educational discipline, which was necessarily meager, as school facilities in the pioneer locality and period were very limited. His parents were folk of deep religious convictions and it was the earnest desire of his father, who himself entered the ministry about 1840, that James should become a preacher of the gospel, but for some cause the youth refused, and when about fourteen years of age ran away from home. The adventurous and self-reliant lad soon found employment as a cabin boy on one of the packet-boats plying the Ohio river, and later he was promoted to the office of clerk on one of these early steamboats. For several years thereafter he followed a roving life, wandering through a number of states and working first at one thing and then another. During TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 63 his service on the Ohio river Mr. Ashley, like Abraham Lincoln when similarly engaged in his earlier years, was a witness of the darkest side of the slave traffic and, like the great emancipator, early developed an abhorrence for the entire system, with the result that he resolved to do all in his power to aid in stamping out the obnoxious institution whenever opportunity presented. He often assisted runaway slaves—a criminal offense and an extremely dangerous operation in a then pro-slavery region —and he became in this way a component part of the great and historic "underground railway," through the medium of which so many fugitive slaves were assisted on their way to freedom. Mr. Ashley finally returned to Portsmouth, Ohio, where he learned the printer's trade and where he later instituted the publication of a newspaper, the democratic "Enquirer," which he was soon compelled to sell, by reason of lack of adequate capital. In 1851 he removed to Toledo, where he established a wholesale drug business in a building at the corner of Summit and Jefferson streets. In 1854 he took an active part in establishing in the Toledo district the newly founded republican party, this having been effected by a convention that was assembled in the village of Maumee, Lucas county. Later he attended an important convention, composed of many of the leaders of the new party, that assembled in the city of Pittsburgh, early in the year 1856. In the summer of the same year he was chosen delegate to the national republican convention, held in Philadelphia, to nominate its first candidates for president and vice president of the United States and to draft a party platform. At first Mr. Ashley supported Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, for presidential nomination, but later he cast his ballot for General John C. Fremont, who finally became the official standard-bearer of the republican party in the election of that year. Somewhat later Mr. Ashley delivered before a vast assemblage at Montpelier, Ohio, an address which marked him as a radical anti-slavery man and placed him in the front ranks of the abolitionists. In this speech he said : "Conspirators are at this very hour laying broad and deep the conditions which are certain to ultimate in a revolution of fire and blood that must either result in the destruction of this Union and government or in the abolition of slavery." This prophetic dictum was substantially the same as that given by President Lincoln in 1858, when he said : "This nation cannot endure permanently half slave and half free." In 1858 Mr. Ashley was nominated and elected to congress as a republican, from the Toledo district, and in the lower house of the national legislature he served ten years. At Washington he soon became recognized as a leader in republican councils and as an uncompromising abolitionist. In the first session of congress after the election of President Lincoln, Mr. Ashley introduced a bill for the total abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, but this bill, by reason of its radical features, met with little support. In company with Hon. Lot Morrill of Maine, he drafted another bill, of less drastic nature, which made provision for the appropriation of one million dollars to compensate the slave owners of the District of Columbia for the loss of their slaves, and this bill was passed April 11, 1862. On the 14th of December, 1863, Mr. Ashley introduced a proposition to amend the constitution of the United States by abolishing slavery. On June 15, 1864, this measure, not securing the necessary two-thirds vote, was defeated in the house of representatives. Seeing that the measure had failed to pass Mr. Ashley changed his vote to the negative so that he might have the power under the rules of the house to move a reconsideration. A few days after this he was asked in the house by Holman of Indiana, whether he intended to call up the reconsideration at the pending session. He replied that he (lid not, adding emphatically, "The issue is now made up and will go to the 64 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY people of the country at the election in November. When they decide in its favor, as I believe they will, I trust this house will then reconsider the measure and pass it." These events placed Mr. Ashley in parliamentary control of the measure and his management of it was characterized by unusual skill, tact and earnestness. In the then existing house of representatives the republicans had only a small majority over the democrats, and to get a two-thirds vote in favor of the amendment required the conversion of a large number of democrats and border statesmen. This was a matter of extreme delicacy, as it was generally, believed (and indeed turned out to be the fact), that any democrat or border state man who voted in favor of the amendment would thereby bring about his own political death. In the endeavor to find members of the opposition who would support the amendment, Mr. Ashley was assisted by Henry Winter Davis of Maryland and others. Time, however, was working in favor of the measure. The success of the armies of the north became more evident as time wore on, and after Sherman's march through Georgia and Hood's defeat at Nashville, was no longer in doubt. The question which the democrats of the house and the country in general had then to decide was whether the war should end without the decisive disposal of the question which had caused it—whether slavery should continue to be an agitating cause of disorder in the country or should be abolished. Mr. Ashley received such assurance of support that he called up his motion to reconsider on the 6th of January, 1865, making an exceedingly earnest and eloquent speech appealing to the patriotic feelings of the members of the house, saying in conclusion : "Pass this resolution and no such rebellion will ever be possible again. I feel as if no member of this house will ever live to witness an hour more memorable in our history than the one in which each for himself shall make a record on the question now before us. I implore gentlemen to forget party and remember that we are making a record not only for ourselves individually but for the nation and the cause of free government throughout the world." The measure came to a vote on January 31, 1865, amid greater excitement than had ever been seen in the house of representatives. The result was uncertain until almost the last moment, and when the speaker declared the measure carried, and the disorder had partially abated, Ernest Ingersoll of Illinois said : "Mr. Speaker, in honor of this immortal and sublime event, I move this house do now adjourn." The motion was carried and thus ended the most important episode in the life of Mr. Ashley, as it was also one of the most important things in human history ; for thereafter it was provided in the language of the thirteenth amendment of the national constitution that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been dully convicted, shall exist in the United States, or in any place subject to their jurisdiction." When the measure was pending in congress certain gentlemen in Philadelphia raised a large sum of money and put it in the hands of Mr. Ashley, saying in effect, "We realize the tremendous importance of an early passage of this measure before the southern states are again represented in congress and are able to impede its passage. Considering that some democrats and border state men who wish to vote for the measure might be deterred by reason of the personal disaster it might bring upon them, we think best to give you this money for use among them in necessary and proper cases." None of the money was, however, in fact used and it was all returned through the channels by which it came. Thomas A. Scott, afterward presi-dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was cognizant of these circumstances which probably had a material influence in inducing him to assist Mr. Ashley at a later time of his life when building the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railway. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 65 He commenced the impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson, in 1867, by charging the chief executive with usurpation of power and violation of the laws of the United States, by corruptly using the appointing, pardoning and veto powers, and about the same time he offered an amendment to the constitution of the United States, providing for the election of the president by direct vote of the people. As chairman of the congressional committee on territories, Mr. Ashley rendered effective service in establishing, naming and organizing Idaho, Arizona and Montana. In 1868 he was defeated for reelection to congress, and in the following year he was appointed territorial governor of Montana, but he was removed from office at the end of a year, owing to a disagreement with President Grant. This vitally marked his retirement from the political arena and his return to private life. He was at this time financially a poor man, but, observing that a railroad extending northwest from Toledo across the peninsula of Michigan would serve as an outlet for a valuable and productive territory that was then largely without such facilities, he soon took steps to construct such a line. Mr. Ashley went to the east, where he interested capitalists in the project and secured valuable terminal facilities in Toledo from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, at a figure far below their real value. With his -eldest son, James M., Jr., he constructed the proposed road, which became known as the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railroad, and they also established and operated a fleet of train-carrying ferryboats between the terminal of the above railroad on the shores of Lake Michigan and Gladstone, Michigan, on the upper peninsula of the state and on the opposite shore of the lake. The new railway soon became one of the important transportation lines of the northwest and enabled Mr. Ashley to retrieve his shattered fortune. On the line of the railroad thus developed by him was established, in Gratiot county, Michigan, a town that was named Ashley in his honor and the same is now a thriving village. In 1890 Mr. Ashley reentered politics and again secured the republican nomination for congress in the Toledo district, but he failed to gain the support of all of the party leaders in the district and was defeated at the polls. In 1892 he was again the republican nominee for the same office, but he was again unsuccessful. Mr. Ashley died at Alma, Michigan, on the 16th of September, 1896, leaving a widow and four children. In the year 1851 Mr. Ashley was married to Miss Emma J. Smith of Portsmouth, Ohio, and the four children born of this union are : James M., who died in November, 1919 ; Henry W. ; Charles S. ; and Mary, who is the wife of Edward R. Hewitt of New York city. JOSEPH FRIEDMAN Joseph Friedman, who was identified with one of the large cloak manufacturing concerns of Toledo and in fact was very active in the upbuilding and development of the business until it reached its present extensive proportions, came to this city from Illinois but was a native of Hungary, his parents being Herman and Betty Friedman of Kassa, Hungary, where the family for generations was engaged in the manufacture of soap. Representatives of the name continue the business there and the present plant is one of the finest in that country. The family is one of liberal education and culture. Joseph Friedman was educated in the schools of his native country and in 66 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY early life came to America, making his way first to Chicago, where he joined relatives who had preceded him to the new world. In that city he started upon his business career, being first employed as an errand boy. He worked with a cloak manufacturing concern and there gained an intimate and accurate knowledge of the business, his experience there proving the practice ground for his later success when he turned his attention to activity of that character in Toledo. However, in the meantime, when twenty-one years of age, he went to Mendota, Illinois, where he began business on his own account but was unfortunate in his choice of a partner and the experience proved a disastrous one, Mr. Friedman losing all that he had. Undiscouraged, he attempted to make another start and came to Toledo. Here he became associated with the cloak manufacturing firm of Cohen, Friedlander & Martin. Theirs was a small concern, then on Huron street, now located on Erie street. Mr. Friedman began as a cutter but soon demonstrated his capability to the firm and was admitted to a partnership. He became the buyer for the house and took a prominent and active part in the upbuilding of the business, which became one of the prosperous concerns of this character in the city. He was constantly reaching out alone broadening lines and his activity proved a resultant force in the development of the trade. He remained with the business until his sudden demise on the 9th of April, 1919. Eighteen years prior to this time Joseph Friedman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Holt, the wedding being celebrated on the 9th of October, 1901. She was a daughter of Charles and Laura Holt and her father was a dry goods merchant who conducted an extensive business. Mr. and Mrs. Friedman became the parents of two children ; Bessie and Herbert Charles. Mr. Friedman belonged to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he also had membership with the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith and with Collingwood Temple B'nai Israel. He was a man of pleasing personality, of kindly heart and charitable disposition. He gave generously to others but always unostentatiously and was extremely kind and considerate of his employes. The same sterling qualities characterized his connection with all with whom he came into contact. He found his recreation and joy at his own fireside and was devoted to the welfare and happiness of his wife and children. Though several years have passed since he was called to the home beyond, his family constantly hear stories of his generosity and kindly deeds. He was esteemed by Jew and Gentile, by old and young, by rich and poor, and he left to his family not only a substantial competence as the reward of his persistent and earnest labor but also the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. WILLIAM SPOONER WALBRIDGE William Spooner Walbridge, vice president of the Owens Bottle Machine Company of Toledo and connected also with other prominent manufacturing and commercial interests of the city, which establishes his position as one of the foremost representatives of business activity and advancement here, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, September 19, 1854, and is descended in both the paternal and maternal lines from notable New England families. He is a son of Levi and Isabel Clarissa (Lovering) Walbridge. The ancestry in the paternal line is traced back to Henry Walbridge, who married Anna Ames of Norwich, Connecticut, early in the year 1681. Both were descendants of English settlers. The branch of the family TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 69 from which William Spooner Walbridge is descended, migrated as early settlers to Hartford, Vermont, and later to Randolph, Vermont, where his father, Levi Walbridge, was born. The latter wedded Isabel Clarissa Lovering, a daughter of Major John Lovering, a soldier of the War of 1812. This marriage was celebrated at South Newmarket, New Hampshire, and later Levi Walbridge removed with his wife to Boston, Massachusetts, where the immediate subject of this review was born. On both sides the family was typically New England, living in four of the New England. states—Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts—and both families were identified with the French and Indian war, the Colonial wars, the Revolutionary war, the War of 1812, the Mexican and the Civil war, manifesting the utmost loyalty to the country through all periods of military strife. William S. Walbridge acquired his early education in the public schools of Boston and when still quite young entered the employ of the firm of Brooks & Walbridge Brothers, of which his father was a partner. Later the business was taken over by the Walbridge brothers and William S. Walbridge finally succeeded to an interest in the business, under the name of Walbridge & Briggs, as senior partner. All of these different concerns were engaged in the furniture business in Boston and through this connection William S. Walbridge rose to prominence as a representative of the mercantile interests of his native city. In 1898, however, he disposed of his business to his partner, Mr. Briggs, for one dollar and accepted the position of treasurer of the Toledo Glass Company. He was then forty-three years of age and yet at that time he began business over again. This position opened up to him an interest in the glass industry which obtains to the present day and has been followed through the many developments projected by the Toledo company, which in effect have revolutionized the glass industry of the world. The Toledo interests at this time were developing the inventions of Michael J. Owens in the manufacture of table tumblers and later of lamp chimneys and following the sale of these inventions they took up the manufacture of bottles, automatically culminating in the Owens Bottle Machine Company, with which Mr. Walbridge is still associated as the vice president. The history of the Owens Company is well known as a most important chapter in the business interests of Toledo. The business is a monument to Edward Drummond Libbey and Michael J. Owens, as well as to others early associated with the company. It has long figured as one of the most important features in the business development of Toledo and the initiative, enterprise and inventive genius of those behind the corporation have led to the notable development of the glass industry in America. In addition to his connection with the Owens Bottle Machine Company, Mr. Walbridge is also president of the Kent-Owens Company of Toledo, manufacturers of special automatic machinery, principally the machines used by the Owens Bottle Company, the LibbeyOwens Sheet Glass Company and the Westlake Machine Company. In fact, theirs is one of the largest and best equipped plants in Ohio for the manufacture of all kinds of automatic machinery. Mr. Walbridge is furthermore associated with the Northern National Bank as a director and is the vice president of the Citizens Safe Deposit & Banking Company and of the Collin-Norton Company, while with various Toledo industries he is financially connected. His cooperation is considered a most valuable asset in connection with the capable management of important business affairs and he is a most prominent representative of corporate interests in this city. Mr. Walbridge was united in marriage to Miss Alice Langdon Libbey, a sister 70 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY of Edward D. Libbey of Toledo, and their children are : Marie, the wife of Colonel George P. Greenhalgh of Toledo ; and Edward Langdon, vice president of the Kent-Owens Machine Company. Mr. Walbridge maintains his home "Stonecroft," at Perrysburg, having developed a splendid estate on the banks of the Maumee river, opposite the site of Fort Miami. His summer residence, "Dunworkin" is at Lake Tarleton Club, Pike, New Hampshire. At the presenith, although connected wvvith the various interests referred to above, Mr. Walbridge is not actively engaged in the management of these, for like other successful business men after years of activity, he believes that he is entitled to enjoy a respite from labor during his remaining days and benefit by the fruits of his former toil. He belongs to the Toledo Club, the Commerce Club, the Country Club, and the Anthony Wayne chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. His career is typical of the virility of the American character that readily adapts itself to situations and untrammeled by custom or tradition makes adequate use of advantage and opportunity. With an ancestry back of him that is honorable and distinguished, his lines of life have been cast in harmony therewith and his successful accomplishment represents the forcefulness of individual character as applied to the highest standards of commercial life. BARTON SMITH Prominent among the distinguished representatives of the Toledo bar is Barton Smith, who completed his law course in the University of Michigan in 1875 and has since devoted his attention to active practice. His. birthplace was a farm at Channahon, Will county, Illinois, and his natal day June 2, 1852. He was the eldest in a family of ten children whose parents were Charles Claibourne and Corinza (Burr) Smith, the father being a farmer and stock raiser of Will county, Illinois, where he passed away in 1892. The mother, a native of Indiana, had be-come a resident of Will county, in 1832 and at the time of her demise was the oldest continuous resident of that county. She was a descendant of the well known Burr family of Hartford, Connecticut, whose ancestors were established on American soil in 1630. Liberal educational advantages were accorded Barton Smith, who supplemented his early public school training by study in the University of Michigan, there completing his literary course with the class of 1872, at which time the Bachelor of Science degree was conferred upon him with commencement honors for scholarship. The succeeding year was spent on his father's farm and in that period he became thoroughly convinced that he desired to enter upon a professional career. Accordingly he returned to Ann Arbor and there pursued his law course to his graduation in 1875, receiving his LL. B. degree. It was upon the advice of Judge Cooley, one of the most eminent American lawyers and jurists and formerly an instructor in the University of Michigan, that Mr. Smith came to Toledo immediately after the completion of his law course. Here he entered into partnership with Frederick L. Geddes and when that firm was dissolved in July, 1881, he became a partner in the firm of Baker, Smith & Baker, the association being maintained until the death of the senior partner, William Baker, in November, 1894. The practice was then continued by Barton Smith and Rufus H. Baker under the style of Smith & Baker until 1914, when they were joined by Erwin R. Effier and Maurice Allen, and later TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 73 LeRoy E. Eastman was admitted to partnership under the present style of Smith, Baker, Elfler, Allen & Eastman, recognized as one of the leading law firms of Ohio. At an early period of his professional career Mr. Smith became attracted by real estate law, in which he specialized, his marked ability soon obtaining for him a substantial degree of success. Regarding Mr. Smith's professional experience and character, the well known Judge John H. Doyle said : "He possesses the clearest and most analytical mind of any man of his age that I have met. He is great in the solution of intricate legal questions involving philosophical study. He has a peculiarly logical mind and is a great student of the authorities. He is very popular and successful. He is an intense man, earnest, self-sacrificing in his duties ; thorough, working out every detail and examining every authority, even at the sacrifice of his health. .He is very strong before a jury, a fascinating speaker—logical, clear, pointed and impressive, always courteous toward opposing counsel. He is a man of spotless character. I know no man who is his superior in personal integrity and none who has a higher sense of professional honor." Possessed of these qualities, it is not remarkable that Mr. Smith has so long maintained a most honored and honorable position as a representative of the legal profession in Ohio. He has long specialized in corporation law and with this branch of jurisprudence is notably familiar. He has represented some of the most important business interests operating in the state, including the Connecticut Mutual Insurance Company, the Milburn Wagon Company, the Toledo Blade Company and the Sun Oil Company. Mr. Smith has been identified with the Toledo Blade Company since 1879, became a director in 1883 and in 1920 was made president of the corporation. He has conducted much important litigation in behalf of the city, winning success for Toledo in the memorable case that arose out of the City Pipe Line litigation. He was also instrumental in sustaining the validity of the legislation under which the present splendid filtration plant of Toledo was constructed. He became attorney for the street railway companies upon their consolidation and for thirty-two years occupied the position of corporation lawyer with the street railway interests, promoting in a measure much of the development of the line, leading ultimately to the present organization. Aside from his profession Mr. Smith has rendered most active service in behalf of public welfare along many lines. Such is the public regard for his opinion that his endorsement of a measure is sure to secure for it a strong following. He has always given his political allegiance to the democratic party and has been a thorough and discriminating student of the important issues that have divided the two great parties. He served as a delegate to the democratic national convention. in Chicago, where he opposed bimetallism. He has never consented to serve in political office, however, and has held no positions of public preferment save that of member of the school board, the cause of education finding in him a stalwart champion and one whose labors have been indeed far-reaching and beneficial. In May, 1921, Mr. Smith was appointed by President Harding representative of the United States on the arbitral commission for the determination of the claim of Landreau against the republic of Peru and sat at the hearing and determination of the commission at London, England, in October, 1922. On Christmas day of 1877, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss May Searles, a native of Kendall county, Illinois, and they became parents of a son and a daughter. The former, Clifford Charles, was graduated from the Toledo high school in 1897 and afterward became a .student in the University of Michigan but near the close of his freshman year was drowned, on the 6th of June, 1899, 74 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY when but twenty years of age. A young man of splendid prospects, strong intellectual powers and most pleasing personality, his death was deeply deplored. The daughter, Mildred Barton, was graduated from Sead Seminary in Toledo, studied for a year at Geneva, Switzerland, and is now the wife of Maurice Allen, who is one of her father's law partners. Mr. Smith is very prominent in Masonic circles, having joined Sanford L. Collins Lodge, No. 396, F. & A. M., in 1876. He at once began to study the great basic principles upon which the order is founded and they called forth his keenest endorsement. He was soon elected to a minor position in the craft and since that time has steadily advanced until he is one of the most widely known Masons in the entire country. When a contest was on between the Masonic bodies and the spurious branch known as Cerneauism he was employed to conduct the litigation and was the constant adviser of the grand master in this particular. He won victory in the contest in both the grand lodge and in the courts. His valuable service to the fraternity is indicated in the fact that in 1887 ,the honorary thirty-third degree was conferred upon him and in 1894 he was crowned an active member of the Supreme Council thirty-third degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U. S. A. Two years later he was made grand master of the grand lodge and grand commander of the grand commandery of Ohio, filling both positions at the same time with marked capability. In 1907 he was a delegate to the Conference of Supreme Councils of the World in Brussels and was vice president of this conference, which met at Washington three years later and again at Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1922. He was deputy for Ohio from January, 1906, until appointed puissant grand lieutenant commander in 1909. In September, 1910, he was called to the highest office—that of most puissant sovereign grand commander, continuing therein until September, 1921. In fact, Mr. Smith has filled every office within the gift of the Masonic order and some of his other honors in this connection are as follows : He was made an honorary member of Detroit Commandery, No. 1, K. T., in 1881 ; honorary member of the Supreme Council for France in May, 1912 ; honorary member of the Supreme. Council for Mexico, November 27, 1912; honorary member of the Supreme Council for Greece in December, 1912 ; honorary member of Delaware Consistory, Wilmington, Delaware, May 23, 1913 ; honorary member of the Supreme Council for Canada, October 23, 1913 ; honorary member of the Masonic Veterans Association of Illinois in 1915; honorary life member of Ohio Consistory, Cincinnati, Ohio, February 25, 1916 ; honorary member of the American Consistory Club, organized from members of the soldier class from Camp Meigs at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in November, 1917; honorary member of the Barton Smith National Defense Class, organized from class of three hundred and thirty-seven members of the Officers' Training Camp at Plattsburg, New York, November 24, 1917 ; honorary member of the Supreme Council for England, Wales and the Dependencies of the British Crown, May 16, 1918 ; and honorary member of the American Masonic Club, U. S. A , P. 0. 708, A. E. F., June 1, 1918. This is a club of Master Masons, representing about one hundred and seventy-five blue lodges throughout the United States. He was likewise made an honorary member of the Scottish Rite Association of Norwalk, Ohio, in February, 1919 ; honorary sovereign grand commander .of the Supreme Council of Italy, April 30, 1919 ; honorary president of the Masonic Committee of the Jubilee at Rome, September 20, 1920; and honorary member of the Supreme Council of Colon for Cuba, March 12, 1921. He is an honorary member of Barton Smith Lodge, No. 613, F. & A. M., of Toledo, named in his honor,