100 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Rhoades is also a member of the executive committee of the International Council of Religious Education. He is author of the book, "The Master Purpose of Jesus." Mr. Rhoades said : "It has always been my theory of life that as a man came to have a margin above his immediate needs he owed a certain proportion of his time and service to the promotion of public welfare, and that in the promotion of public welfare he would do much better to select some one line rather than to scatter his efforts into all lines of life. For myself I have chosen to concentrate a large portion of my time which I could devote to public good for church and Christian service. During the past several years approximately a day to a day and a half of week day time has been consumed in such voluntary Christian service." EARL KENT SOLETHER In the front rank of the able and successful lawyers of Wood county stands Earl K. Solether, of Bowling Green, who has been engaged in the active practice of his profession here for over twenty years and has long been regarded as a trustworthy and dependable attorney. Mr. Solether was born at Jerry City, Wood county, Ohio, on the 14th of October, 1883, and is a son of Cyrus Wilson and Lizzie (Weaver) Solether, both of whom are living. The father was born January 14, 1857, in Bloom township, Wood county, and is a son of Charles and Sarah (Miller) Solether, the former a native of Germany. He received a good education, attending Oberlin College one year, after which he devoted his attention to farming, eventually becoming one of the large land owners of Bloom and Portage townships. He is an active republican in politics and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On December 22, 1882, he married Miss Lizzie Weaver, a daughter of Philip Weaver, a farmer of Muskingum county, Ohio. To them were born seven children, Earl K., Ralph B., Glenn E., Alta F., Clyde V., Vida E., and Donald. Earl K. Solether attended the public schools of his home locality, the high school at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Oberlin TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 101 Academy. He then entered the law school of the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1907. Admitted to the Ohio bar, he immediately entered upon the practice of his profession in Bowling Green and has been identified with many of the most important cases tried in the courts of this and neighboring counties, proving a capable and resourceful trial lawyer, while as an office counselor he is sound and safe. He commands an extensive practice, has been successful in his material affairs and is a director of the Mutual Savings & Loan Company and the Cygnet Savings Bank, of Cygnet, Wood county. He was prosecuting attorney of Wood county from 1915 to 1918 inclusive and during the World war was a government representative on the local draft board. On November 29, 1908, Mr. Solether was united in marriage to Miss Mildred Meeker, of Bowling Green, daughter of Asa and Martha (Grover) Meeker, and they are the parents of two daughters, Helen S. and Lois L. The republican party receives Mr. Solether's political support, while his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, of which he is a trustee. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is an extremely popular member of the circles in which he moves. He has been a consistent supporter of those things which are calculated to promote the public welfare and to a marked degree commands the respect of his fellowmen. FRED J. PUCK Alert, efficient and well poised, Fred J. Puck is ably following in the business footsteps of his father and successfully administers the affairs of The Western Manufacturing Company, one of Toledo's pioneer commercial institutions. He was born in this city in 1873, a son of John H. and Anna (Westerhouse) Puck, and represents one of Toledo's old and prominent families. The father was born in Wood county, Ohio, in 1842, and carne to Toledo in 1859. For a time he was a clerk in a store and in 1861 obtained work in a sash 102 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY and door factory. Soon afterward he enlisted in the Union army and served for three years. He started with General Sherman on the memorable march from Atlanta to the sea but was wounded at Jonesboro, Georgia, and was unable to participate further in that memorable advance. In 1865 he was honorably discharged and returned to Toledo during the latter part of that year. For a few years he was employed in the factory of H. A. Boyd and in 1870 joined his brother, Frederick Puck, F. E. Witker, J. J. Baird, Henry Lyman and James Lyman in organizing The Western Manufacturing Company, which was incorporated at that time. About 1872 Henry and James Lyman and J. J. Baird left the organization and in 1886 F. E. Witker sold his stock in the company, of which Frederick Schulty became president, thus serving until 1925, when he resigned because of illness. He was succeeded by Fred J. Puck, and C. C. F. Sieving was elected vice president at that time. John H. Puck was a director of the company for many years and stood high in business circles of Toledo. In politics he was a democrat and during the administration of Grover Cleveland was appointed collector of customs. During the early '80s he was a member of the board of education of Toledo and also made an enviable record as a legislator, representing his district in the sixty-seventh general assembly of Ohio. He was greatly interested in the activities of the Grand Army of the Republic and served as commander of the post at Toledo. His wife was born in Germany in 1844 and spent her early life in that country. She left Hamburg in a sailing vessel which was six weeks in making the voyage to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she secured passage on a boat bound for St. Louis, Missouri, and was four weeks in completing the trip. Afterward she came to Toledo and was married here in November, 1865. She was called to her final rest in 1923, when she had reached the seventy-ninth milestone on life's journey, and Mr. Puck passed away in 1926 at the venerable age of eighty-four years. They were the parents of five children. Of their two sons, one died in infancy. The daughters are: Mrs. Caroline Kuehn, who was born in 1866 and is living in Denver, Colorado; Mrs. Margaret Jaspersen, who was born in 1880 and makes her home TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 103 in St. Mary's Ohio; and Almeda Puck, who was born in 1886 and resides in Toledo. The surviving son, Fred J. Puck, received a grammar school education and in June, 1889, when a youth of sixteen, entered the employ of The Western Manufacturing. Company, with which he has been identified for nearly forty years, devoting the best efforts of his life to its service. A diligent and capable worker, he advanced through the various departments, gradually assuming heavier responsibilities, and for four years has been president of the corporation. The other officers are : C. C. F. Sieving, vice president; O. M. E. Schick, secretary; Henry Kuhlman, treasurer; and J. W. Peschel, sales manager and superintendent of the plant. This is the oldest concern of the kind in Toledo and the surrounding territory. The business was started at the corner of Water and Jackson streets in a frame building one story in height, containing about two thousand square feet of floor space. In 1874 removal was made to the present location at the intersection of Water and Walnut street and a brick building was erected on the half block of leased ground. Later they purchased the entire property, which is one block wide and a half block deep, comprising about thirty thousand square feet of land. Subsequently they bought another block north of the plant and there established the warehouse. In 1880 they opened retail and wholesale lumber yards. During the early days most of their lumber was obtained from the forests in Michigan but now it is shipped from all parts of the United States. The firm is a member of the Ohio Lumber Dealers Association and also of the national organization. At the present time about seventy-five men are employed by the company, which owns five delivery trucks, operating within a radius of about sixty miles. The firm specializes in high class mill work and handles all kinds of building material in the wood line. Established upon, the solid foundation of honor, quality, service and strength, the business has endured for fifty-nine years and throughout that period it has been conducted under the and name. During the last fifteen years the industry has expanded rapidly, keeping pace with the growth of Toledo, and today it is generally regarded as the leading institution of the kind in this 104 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY part of the country. Mr. Puck is the possessor of executive ability of a high order and also has an unusual capacity for detail. He is vice president of the Metropolitan Mortgage Company, and a director of the Lumbermen's Mortgage Company, of which Mr. Sieving is the president, while the latter is likewise a director of the Lumbermen's Savings Association. In 1896 Mr. Puck was united in marriage to Miss Louise Stamm, who was born in Toledo in 1875. Her parents, Michael and Louise Stamm, were natives of Switzerland and came to the United States in 1870, settling in Toledo. The father was a dealer in meat and engaged in the business for many years with gratifying success, retiring in 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Puck adhere to the Lutheran faith and are zealous church workers. Mr. Puck loyally supports every project destined to prove of benefit to Toledo and is a native son whose record reflects credit and honor upon the city. CHARLES A. STRAUCH For forty-three years a member of the Fostoria bar, Charles A. Strauch has aided materially in upholding its prestige, at the same time achieving success as a legal practitioner, and is also active in public affairs. A native of Morrow county, Ohio, he was born January 20, 1860, and his parents were the Rev. Henry T. and Lydia (Fogt) Strauch, both now deceased. He received a public school education and when a young man began the study of law under the direction of Nelson B. Lutes and Porter H. Jane of Tiffin. In 1886 Mr. Strauch was admitted to the bar and has practiced in Fostoria since July 5th of that year. He has never lost the attitude of a student toward his profession and time has ripened his ability. His cases are prepared with thoroughness, precision and skill and presented with clearness, logic and force. He is accorded a large and important clientele and is a director of the Commercial Bank and of the Fostoria & Fremont Railroad Company. On the 18th of May, 1887, Mr. Strauch was united in marriage to Miss Martha E. Weimer, of Pickaway county, TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 105 Ohio, and for more than forty years they have journeyed together through life. Mr. Strauch is a supporter of the republican party and for eight years was city solicitor, filling the office with marked ability. For a number of terms he has been a councilman, working at all times for the best interest of the city. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and was the first exalted ruler of the Fostoria Lodge. He is the oldest member of the Fostoria bar, is a member of the County and State Bar Associations and enjoys the esteem of his professional colleagues and those with whom he has been associated in other walks of life, for at all points in his career he has been guided by high standards. HENRY F. AUFDERHEIDE As an enterprising merchant Henry F. Aufderheide was long an important factor in the business life of Toledo and throughout his career was animated by the spirit of progress, regarding no position as final but rather as a point from which he could climb to greater heights. He was born in this city, September 16, 1872, and was a son of Henry F. and Mary (Martin) Aufderheide, natives of Germany. When a young man the father sought the opportunities of the United States, settling in Toledo, and for several years he was connected with the C. H. Schroeder Company, sash and blind manufacturers, of which he was president for a number of years before his death. In the family were seven sons, of whom two died in infancy, while William died when a young man, and three, John, Louis and Frank, are now living and all residing in Toledo. Henry F. Aufderheide, Jr., the seventh son, was a pupil in the public schools of Toledo and also a business college, and during vacation periods worked for H. E. Kuhlman & Company, thus gaining his first knowledge of the hardware trade. On completing his commercial course he was advanced to the position of bookkeeper, later acquiring a few shares of the stock of Kuhlman & Company, in which he eventually purchased a half interest. After W. A. Kuhlman 7-VOL. 3 106 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY had purchased the interest of H. E. Kuhlman, the style was then changed to W. A. Kuhlman & Company. This copartnership existed for several years and at the end of that time Mr. Aufderheide became sole owner of the business, which he controlled until his death on the 25th of January, 1926. He carried a complete line of shelf and heavy hardware, closely studied trade conditions and was ever ready to supply the needs of customers. Through courteous, efficient service and honest dealing he retained their patronage and under his progressive management the business constantly expanded. Mr. Aufderheide was married February 5, 1896, in Toledo to Miss Edith V. Wolf, the only daughter of Philip and Mary Magdalena (Scharer) Wolf, natives of Switzerland. Her father was called to his final rest in 1888, and her mother passed away in 1897. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Aufderheide was a most congenial one, their home life being ideal. Mr. Aufderheide loved fine driving horses and had the best procurable. Thoroughly appreciative of fine music, he attended many concerts and was deeply interested in all movements for the advancement of his city along cultural as well as material lines. He was a charter member of the Crescent Club and one of the early members of the Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Y. M. C. A.; director of the Retail Hardware Club and treasurer for a number of years until his death; and member of the Ohio Hardware Association, which he served as a director. His political allegiance was given to the republican party, while his religious views were in harmony with the doctrines of the First Reformed church, whose services he regularly attended, and was a liberal contributor toward its support. During the World war he served on various committees, doing all in his power to aid his country in its time of need. A model citizen and a business man of high standing, Mr. Aufderheide exerted a potent influence for good in his community and his passing was deeply regretted by all who enjoyed the privilege of knowing him. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Aufderheide has given her personal attention to the  management of the business, of which she is the sole owner, and also acts as distrib- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 107 utor of the products of the Ohio Varnish Company throughout northwestern Ohio. In the conduct of her affairs she brings to bear broad vision and keen sagacity and under her able management the continued growth of the business is assured. It is housed in two structures, occupying the ground floor and second story of the building at 618-20 South St. Clair street, while the stock is stored in a large warehouse. Seven men are employed in the store, which is one of the oldest and largest hardware institutions in Toledo and has been maintained at the one location from the time the business was started. Mrs. Aufderheide resides at 418 Kenilworth avenue, where she has made her home for a period of ten years. She has long been active in the affairs of the Educational Club and the Woman's Club of Toledo and is also an earnest, helpful member of the First Reformed church. A firm believer in the doctrine of work, Mrs. Aufderheide has thoroughly demonstrated her capacity as a business woman and has also found time to foster those projects which make for civic growth and betterment. KENNETH P. FOX Kenneth P. Fox, who is engaged in the practice of law in Bellevue, is one of the best known men of the community in which he has spent his entire life, and because of his ability and sterling personal qualities is deservedly held in high esteem. He was born in Bellevue, December 7, 1898, and is a son of Clifford S. and Nellie G. (Van Gorder) Fox, of whom the former is engaged in railroad service. Mr. Fox received his early education in the public schools of this city, graduating from high school in 1916. He entered Ohio State University, in which he pursued first the classical course and then the course of the law school, being graduated in June, 1924. Admitted to the bar in July of the same year, he at once entered upon the practice of his profession in Bellevue and has met with very gratifying success. He was elected city solicitor, serving two terms, from 1926 to 1929, in a very capable manner, and was a candidate for the office of prosecuting attorney of Huron county. Mr. 108 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Fox is well grounded in the basic principles of jurisprudence, is careful and painstaking in the preparation of his cases and determined and resourceful in their prosecution, so that he has won the confidence of all who are familiar with his record. He is a member of the Huron County and Sandusky County Bar Associations and he commands the respect of his colleagues by reason of his close conformity to professional ethics. Mr. Fox was married January 31, 1929, to Miss Audrey M. Fowler, daughter of R. E. and Clara Fowler, of Sandusky, Ohio. During the World war he served in the United States Reserves and is now a member of Liberty Post, No. 46, American Legion; and the Huron County Voiture, Forty Hommes et Eight Chevaux. He belongs to the Masonic order, is a member of Delta Theta Phi and attends the Baptist church. He supports the republican party and gives thoughtful attention to all matters which in any way affect the public welfare, because of which he is regarded as one of Bellevue's dependable citizens. JOHN BARTLEY Commercial development in Toledo has been stimulated by the well directed efforts of John Bartley, who is one of its wholesale grocers and substantial business men. He was born in Lucas county, December 27, 1865, a son of Gebhardt and Julia (Rittenburger) Bartley, natives respectively of Wurtemberg and Saxony, Germany. Gebhardt Bartley was one of twelve children who were separated after the death of their parents in Germany. In that country he followed the trade of a baker until 1853, when he came to the United States in company with his wife and three children, Gebhardt, Ferdinand and Rudolph A., all now deceased. He settled in the Maumee valley of Ohio and engaged in farming near Perrysburg for a number of years, subsequently removing to Toledo. He was a devout member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church and gave his political support to the republican party.. His demise occurred in this city in February, 1889, when he had reached the seventieth milestone on TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 109 life's journey, and his wife attained the venerable age of eighty-four years. They are survived by six children : Elizabeth, the wife of Isadore Momelee of Toledo; Rose, who is Mrs. Peter Burnor, of Toledo; Julia, the wife of Napoleon Cousinor ; John ; Joseph, who married Miss Emma Leroux; and Henry, whose wife was a Miss Herman. All are residents of Toledo. John Bartley attended the public schools of Momencetown, Ohio, and aided his father in tilling the soil, remaining at home until he reached the age of nineteen. In 1884 he located in Toledo and for two years worked as a clerk for his brother, Rudolph A. Bartley, a retail grocer. When the latter opened a wholesale establishment at the corner of Summit and Cherry streets John Bartley was promoted to the position of stockman, which he filled for ten years, and was next a salesman in the office. In 1908 the building was destroyed by fire and the next morning the business was established at the corner of St. Clair and Monroe streets, where it was conducted for eight years. During that time John Bartley continued as a salesman and was also a buyer for the house. In 1916 a seven-story brick building was erected at the corner of Washington and Ontario streets for the use of the firm, which still occupies this substantial structure. In 1921 the business was incorporated as The R. A. Bartley Company, of which R. A. Bartley was elected president, and John Bartley was made vice president and treasurer. Following the death of R. A. Bartley on March 8, 1927, Charles W. Peckinpaugh assumed the duties of president and E. E. Kirby became secretary of the company. John Bartley still fills the offices of vice presi- dent and treasurer and has devoted his life to the upbuilding of the business, which extends throughout Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The principles of honor and integrity have been determining factors in its growth, and seasoned in experience and service, the firm remains young in spirit and ever new in outlook, always fresh in response to progress. Without doubt there is no similar house in the city that enjoys more advantageous trade relations and certainly none which offers more substantial inducements to patrons. On November 12, 1891, Mr. Bartley was married in St. Mary's Roman Catholic church of Toledo to Miss Julia Schnei- 110 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY der, who was born April 17, 1868, in this city and attended St. Mary's parochial school. Her father, George Schneider, followed the trade of a printer and set in motion the first press operated by steam power in Toledo. Mr. and Mrs. Bartley have five children : Lawrence R., who is a salesman for the R. A. Bartley Company and who married Miss Ruby Albert of Toledo; Grace Mary, a nun in the Ursuline convent of this city; Loretta B., the wife of Louis Malone, of Detroit, Michigan; Ethel B., who was united in marriage to Dr. Martin De Thelm, of Toledo; and Virginia, at home. During the World war Mr. Bartley promoted the sale of Liberty bonds and also furthered the success of other drives promulgated by the government at that time. In politics he is an independent voter and stands for progress, reform and improvement in public affairs. He adheres to the Roman Catholic faith and is connected with the Knights of Columbus. A sagacious, farsighted business man, he is keenly alive to every new avenue opened in the natural ramifications of the grocery trade and is always prepared for a possible emergency. His outlook upon life is broad, and the firmness, frankness and strength of his character have won for him a secure place in the esteem of Toledo's citizens, who speak of him in terms of admiration and respect. JOHN H. HOUSHOLDER John H. Housholder, treasurer of the Electric Auto-Lite Company, is one of Toledo's able and experienced business men, being financially interested in a number of important organizations, and he has met with a very satisfactory measure of success. He was born near New Rochester, Wood county, Ohio, on the 28th of November, 1866, a son of Louis and Samantha (McCreary) Housholder. He comes of an old Ohio family, his great-grandfather, Adam Housholder, having been a native of Jefferson county, this state. He followed, farming throughout his active life and died at Scotch Ridge, Wood county. He married Phoebe Corbett, who also was a native of Jefferson county and died at Scotch Ridge at the age of ninety-four years. They were the parents of John TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 113 Housholder, who was born in Jefferson county; followed farming, and died near Bowling Green, Wood county. He married Rebecca Lowry, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, and died in Indiana at the age of ninety-four years. Among the children born to them was Louis Housholder, father of John H. He was born in Jefferson county, September 5, 1835; was a farmer by occupation, and was a veteran of the Civil war, serving as a sergeant in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He belonged to the Baptist church and was an active supporter of the republican party, serving as township supervisor and a member of the school board. He died in Sandusky county, Ohio, October 30, 1881, as a result of exposure received in army service. His wife was born in Morrow county, this state, October 5, 1839, and is still living in Toledo at the age of ninety years. She is a daughter of George W. and Mary (Hayden) McCreary. Her father was born in this state, July 4, 1812, and died at the age of eighty-nine years. He was a farmer, cabinetmaker, contractor and builder, and was of an inventive turn of mind, having taken out a patent on the first threshing machine separator. He was a son of James and Margaret (Holt) McCreary, the former of whom was a farmer and a veteran of the War of 1812, in which he was wounded in the leg at Fort Miami. His wife was born in Morrow county, Ohio, and died at Cardington, this state. John H. Housholder received his education in the public schools of Sandusky county and took a commercial course in Davis Business College of Toledo. For about a year he was employed as a clerk by the Gendron Wheel Company of Toledo, after which he was production manager of the St. Louis Refrigerator & Wooden Cutter Company at St. Louis for two years. Returning to Toledo in 1895, he became treasurer of the Colton Cycle Company, of Toledo, which position he held until 1900. From 1900 to 1909 he was one of the owners of the Union Firearms Company of Toledo and then for two years was a traveling salesman for Dr. Denton's mills, maker of children's underwear. In 1912 he became associated with the Willys-Overland Company and the Electric Auto-Lite Company, of Toledo, and has been treasurer of the latter organization from 1912 to the present time. He is also a direc- 114 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY for of the Burt Foundry Company, the Ohio Savings Association and the Metropolitan Mortgage Company; treasurer of the DeJon Electric Company;, and secretary and treasurer of the American Enameled Electric Magnet Wire Company of Muskegon, Michigan, and the Fostoria Machine & Tool Company, of Fostoria, Ohio. On February 17, 1903, in Toledo, Mr. Housholder was united in marriage to Miss Jessie M. Dixon, a native of Toledo and a daughter of Thornton and Caroline (Coy) Dixon, both of whom are deceased. Mrs. Housholder is a graduate of the Toledo high school and is a member of the Epworth Methodist Episcopal church and the Toledo Women's Club., Mr. Housholder is a member of Damascus Lodge, No. 643, F. & A. M.; Toledo Chapter, No. 161, R. A. M.; Toledo Council, No. 33, R. & S. M.; St. Omer Commandery, No. 59, K. T.; Toledo Consistory and Zenobia Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He was chosen president of the class of May, 1929, A. A. Scottish Rite. He is also a member of Anthony Wayne Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, the Sylvania Golf Club and the Catawba Cliffs Beach Club. He is a republican in politics and has always maintained a good citizen's interest in those things which affect the welfare of his city and county. A lover of outdoor life, he enjoys horseback riding, hunting and fishing. He possesses a forceful personality, is a man of ripe judgment in practical matters and is numbered among the progressive, capable and successful business men of Toledo. Mr. Housholder's residence is at No. 3565 Brookside road, Ottawa Hills. WILLIAM A. GABEL Among the prominent and influential citizens of Sandusky county, none is more highly esteemed than William A. Gabel, who for over a third of a century has been identified with the First National Bank of Fremont, of which he has been cashier for the past nineteen years and one of the important factors in its splendid growth and success. Mr. Gabel was born in Jackson township, Sandusky county, Ohio, in TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 115 1870, and is a son of Jacob and Magdalene (Darr) Gabel. His father was a pioneer of this locality, having come to Fremont in 1835, and was highly respected throughout the community. William A. Gabel attended the public schools and St. .Joseph's high school, after which he entered Ohio Normal University, at Ada, from which he was graduated in 1886. In March, 1887, he entered the employ of the Thomas & Grund Drug Company as clerk and bookkeeper, remaining with that concern until 1892, when he became bookkeeper in the First National Bank. He has remained with the bank continuously since, during which period he has held various positions, having been made assistant cashier in 1903 and cashier in 1910, which position he still holds. He has been a director of the bank for the past twenty-five years and is regarded as possessing high qualifications for the banking business, being a man of sound and conservative methods and clearheaded judgment, and all who have been associated with him have found him dependable under all circumstances. He is also a director and the president of the H. B. Smith Building and Loan Company, secretary of the Fremont Home Telephone Company, a director of the Fremont Manufacturing Company, and treasurer of the Sandusky County Agricultural Society. In 1895 Mr. Gabel was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Hodes, of Fremont, daughter of Andrew and Anna (Gottron) Hodes, and they are the parents of six children; William A., Jr., of Fremont; Rev. Richard J. Gabel, D. D.; Dorothy, who married Walter Cronin; Emerence, who married Francis Wurzel; Clarence J., of Fremont; and Ambrose B., of Fremont. Mrs. Gabel is a member of St. Joseph's church. Mr. Gabel has been actively interested in the public affairs of his city and county and is rendering effective service as a jury commissioner and as a member of the county sinking fund commission. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, of which he has been treasurer for thirty-five years, and belongs also to the Knights of Columbus, the Kiwanis Club and the Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the board of trustees of the Birchard public library. His religious connection is with the 116 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY St. Joseph Roman Catholic church, and, deeply interested in music, he has been a member of St. Joseph's choir for the past forty years. A man of wide general information and broad views, he holds well defined opinions on the questions of the day and is regarded as one of Fremont's progressive, public-spirited and trustworthy citizens, commanding the uniform confidence and respect of all who know him. HOMER METZGAR Homer Metzgar, who for nearly a third of a century has been actively engaged in the practice of law in Clyde, is numbered among the ablest and most successful members of the Sandusky county bar and commands the uniform respect of his fellowmen. He was born in Seneca county, Ohio, in 1867„ and is the scion of one of the old and prominent families of that locality. His paternal great-grandfather, Henry Metzgar, who was a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, moved to Seneca county in 1829 and acquired a farm, which has remained in the family to the present time, having been owned successively by his son, Daniel (Homer Metzgar's grandfather) and grandson, Henry V., and later by his great-grandson, Jacob. Homer Metzgar acquired his early education in the district schools of his native county and entered Heidelberg College, at Tiffin, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1890. He engaged in teaching school prior to the completion of his college course and after leaving college became professor of mathematics in Ozark College, Missouri, thence returning to Clyde. In 1896 he was admitted to the bar of Ohio, having previously applied himself intensively to the study of law, and has engaged in the practice of that profession in Clyde to the present time. He has given much attention to corporation law, in which he is regarded as an expert, and formerly had a large amount of business in that line outside of this locality. He has appeared as counsel in many of the most important cases tried in the courts of this county and has enjoyed a well merited reputation for his acumen, determination and resourcefulness in handling causes entrusted to his TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 117 care. He has been successful and is now preparing to retire from active professional work. He is an honored member of the Sandusky County Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association. In 1890 Mr. Metzgar was united in marriage to Miss Eleanor Hoeltzel, a native of Seneca county and a daughter of Henry and Adelia (Neikirk) Hoeltzel. Mr. Metzgar was for many years very active in his support of the republican party, having served as delegate to various local, state and national conventions. He was a delegate from the Thirteenth Congressional District of Ohio at the republican national convention at Chicago in 1908. He is now independent in politics, voting according to the dictates of his judgment as to men and measures. He has served as city solicitor, and also as superintendent of schools. He is a member of Monticello Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and Clyde Lodge, No. 126, Knights of Pythias. In former years he took an active interest in the promotion of the independent telephone companies and was influential in the construction of laws governing their operation. He is a great lover of outdoor life, fishing being his favorite form of recreation, and for this purpose he owns a place in northern Wisconsin, to which he makes annual trips. He is a man of sterling personal qualities and earnest purpose and during all the years of his residence in Clyde he has commanded the confidence of his fellow citizens. He has labored consistently for the advancement of the community's best interests and is regarded as one of its leading citizens. C. VICTOR BECK Earning his first money when a boy of eight by delivering newspapers, C. Victor Beck has continued throughout life an earnest, systematic and tireless worker and is now numbered among the successful business men and foremost realtors of Toledo. He was born in this city on the 4th of June, 1889, a son of Joseph A. and Catherine (Klentsche) Beck. His paternal grandfather was a native of Germany and migrated to Indiana early in the '60s, casting in his lot with the pio- 118 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY neer settlers of Peru. Joseph A. Beck was born in that town and received his education in the Hoosier state. About 1888 he removed to Toledo and remained here until his death in 1894. He was a prominent architect and designed many public buildings and private residences. Among his last contributions toward the city's architectural adornment were Liberty Hall and St. Anthony's church. His wife was also born in Indiana and still resides in Toledo. Her father was a native of Alsace, France, and her mother was born in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Beck were the parents of five children, of whom four survive. C. Victor Beck, the third in order of birth, attended parochial schools of Toledo and on completing his education secured a position in the office of the Ashley Realty Company. He remained with the firm for a number of years, acquiring a knowledge of all branches of the business, and in 1911 he entered the field independently. He prospered from the start and is now one of the largest operators in the city. The business is a specialized real estate service and includes property management, appraisals and acquisition work. Mr. Beck has studied the real estate business from every angle and is considered an expert in placing valuations upon property. On October 16, 1912, Mr. Beck was united in marriage to Miss Helen McCarty, a native of Toledo and a daughter of George M. and Margaret (Kreiter) McCarty, prominent residents of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Beck have become the parents of four children : Margaret H., who was born October 27, 1913; Kathryn E., born October 12, 1915; Victor, Jr., born December 15, 1916; and Robert M., born August 21, 1922. The residence of the family is at No. 327 Islington street and Mr. Beck's office is located on the second floor of the Spitzer building. In politics he is a republican, and his religious views are in harmony with the doctrines of the Catholic church. On December 15, 1928, he was elected president of the Toledo Real Estate Board. Formerly he was vice president of the local board and is also a member of the National Real Estate Exchange, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Toledo Club and the Sylvania Golf Club. He also enjoys fishing and is an enthusiastic sportsman. A shrewd, farsighted busi- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 119 ness man, he is fully alive to conditions in the modern commercial world and possesses the energy, aggressiveness and resourcefulness necessary to cope with them. His activities have been of direct benefit to Toledo, as well as a source of individual prosperity, and the firmness, frankness and strength of his character are well known to his fellow citizens, who entertain for him the highest regard. PAUL H. CHAPMAN Paul H. Chapman, one of the soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force, is now the executive head of The Barker, Frost & Chapman Company, a pioneer insurance firm of Toledo. He is successfully following in the business footsteps of his father and ably sustains the high reputation which has ever been borne by the family. He was born February 3, 1890, and is one of Toledo's loyal sons. His father, Louis L. D. Chapman, was born in Lenawee county, Michigan, August 16, 1860. He was reared and educated in his native state and in 1866 settled in Toledo, where he spent the remainder of his life. For thirty-five years he was engaged in the insurance business and at the time of his death was president of The Barker, Frost & Chapman Company, successfully administering its affairs. He was also vice president of the Toledo Transfer Company and a director of the General Fireproof Storage Company. Mr. Chapman was a business man of high standing and also manifested a deep and helpful interest in civic affairs. His political support was given to the republican party and in religious faith he was a Roman Catholic. He attained the age of sixty-seven years, passing away March 22, 1927. His wife, Catherine (Wall) Chapman, was a native of Toledo and a daughter of Edward and Alice (Ryan) Wall. Paul H. Chapman, an only child, was a pupil in district school No. 5 of Toledo and next attended St. John's College, from which he won the A. B. degree in 1910. Later he was a student in the agricultural college of the University of Wisconsin, completing his scientific course in 1912, and for four years thereafter was engaged in the manufacture of electrical 120 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY supplies under the name of the National Electrical Specialty Company. He then entered his father's insurance office, continuing as an employe until 1919, when he became a stockholder of The Barker, Frost & Chapman Company, and was made its secretary in 1922. In 1927 he succeeded his father in the office of president and is ably guiding the destiny of the company, of which John J. Lovett, Alfred J. Kaltenbach and Clarence J. Mallory are also officers. The business is located at No. 1120 Madison street and ranks with the largest of the kind in the city. It was founded in 1878 and has a record of fifty years of complete insurance service. On September 25, 1920, Mr. Chapman was married in Toledo to Elizabeth M. Griffith, a native of this city and a daughter of Ellsworth L. and Marie (Osthaus) Griffith, the latter now deceased. The Griffiths came from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and in the maternal line Mrs. Chapman is of English and German lineage. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman reside at No. 2582 Monroe street and have one child, Sarah Jane, who was born December 23, 1924. Mr. Chapman has a military record, which constitutes an important chapter in his life history. On the 17th of May, 1917, he enlisted at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, joining the Eighth provisional training regiment, and remained there until August of that year, when he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the field artillery. He was then ordered overseas and sailed from Hoboken in the early part of September. The transport took him first to Liverpool, England, and then to La Havre, France. After intensive training in the French field artillery school at Saumur he was assigned to Battery D of the One Hundred and Third Regiment of Field Artillery, attached to the Fifty-first Brigade of the Twenty-sixth Division. This was composed of men from New England and known as the "Y. D." or Yankee Division. Mr. Chapman joined the organization January 1, 1918, at Cuoetquidan camp, known as one of Napoleon's camps. He was in active service on three sectors, the Chemin des Dames, La Reine and Boucq and Chateau Thierry. In August Mr. Chapman was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant and ordered to return to America. He sailed from Brest, France, arriving at North Fork, Virginia, in Septem- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 121 ber, 1918, and was honorably discharged at Camp Knox, Kentucky, in January, 1919. In 1926 he was chairman of Lucas County Council of the American Legion and in 1924 was made commander of Toledo Post, No. 335. He also belongs to the Forty and Eight, the social branch of the Legion, and to the Knights of Columbus, the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, the University Club and the Heather Downs Country Club. A Roman Catholic in religious faith, he attends services at Toledo cathedral. He is allied with the republican party; is a member of the Toledo commission of publicity and efficiency, through appointment of the mayor, and tries to exert his best efforts in behalf of the city. FRANK NAGEL One of the most distinctive and widely known industries of northwestern Ohio is that conducted by the Crescent Manufacturing Company of Fremont, of which Frank Nagel is the owner. In the making of fine edged tools, chiefly surgical knives; this concern stands in the front rank in this country and enjoys a more than national reputation for the superiority of its products. Mr. Nagel, a native of Sandusky county, was born in 1870. His father, Frank Nagel, Sr., who was one of the earliest settlers in this locality, was long engaged in the wood-turning business. Frank Nagel acquired his education in the public schools and started to work in young boyhood. He learned the trade of toolmaking with the Herbrand Company, with which he remained for eight years. In 1899, with three others he organized the Crescent Manufacturing Company at Fremont and engaged in the manufacture of surgical knives and some other cutlery, practically all of which is razor edged. In the course of time Mr. Nagel bought the interests of his partners and is now the owner of the business, which, under his capable management has grown to large proportions. The well equipped plant is located at 624 East State street, where' it has remained from the time of its inception, and it is thoroughly modern in every respect. Seventy-five men and two women are employed, practically all of whom are highly 122 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY skilled, and in this plant is produced a large per cent of the surgical knives used in this country, while the firm also has a large export trade to England and Canada, where the goods have a well established reputation. Mr. Nagel takes a justifiable pride in the high quality of his products and is regarded as one of Fremont's leading business men. In addition to his manufacturing interests, he is a director of the Liberty Bank and president of the Fremont Metal Body Company. In 1900 Mr. Nagel was united in marriage to Miss Mary Brown of Fremont, daughter of Jacob Brown. She is a Lutheran in her religious faith and has long been active in the social affairs of this city. Mr. Nagel is a member of Brainard Lodge, No. 336, F. and A. M. ; Fremont Chapter, No. 64, R. A. M. ; Fremont Council, No. 64, R. & S. M.; Fremont Commandery, No. 56, K. T.; and Toledo Consistory, A. A. S. R. He also belongs to Fremont Lodge, No. 169, B. P. 0. E. He is a member of the Manufacturers Association of Ohio and gives his political support to the democratic party. Keenly interested in the affairs of his community, no measure for the advancement of the public welfare has lacked for his earnest support. Because of his business ability and success and his splendid personal qualities he is regarded as one of Fremont's best citizens and well worthy of the high place which he holds in public regard. JAMES E. AITKEN The door of opportunity is ever open to the alert and the rewards of victory are for those who dare. Endowed with the requisite courage and initiative and the equally essential qualities of energy and determination, James E. Aitken has passed far beyond the ranks of the many, taking his place among the successful few, and is the executive head of a large radio corporation of Toledo, while he also has business interests in other cities. A native of Canada, he was born on Prince Edward Island, February 28, 1891, a son of George William and Damaris (Westway) Aitken. The father has passed away but the mother still resides in the Dominion. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 123 James E. Aitken attended the public schools of Montague and Charlottetown, Canada, and also had the advantage of a course in a business college. His start in life was gained as a clerk in a fishing station on Prince Edward Island and for two seasons he filled that position, afterward working on ranches in the province of Saskatchewan for a year. In 1909, when eighteen years of age, he crossed the United States border and located in Boston. While in that city he became identified with the paint business, gaining experience it its various phases, and his work included much traveling. When the radio was established on a stable commercial basis he became interested in the business and invested his savings therein. In May, 1922, he organized the Aitken Radio Corporation, which was incorporated under that name in 1926, and in addition to the Toledo institution he has three similar establishments, located in Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio, and in Detroit, Michigan. He has kept not only in line with his competitors but ahead of them and has developed one of the leading radio firms of the country, manifesting notable sagacity and marked executive ability in the conduct of his affairs. He is national representative to the Boy Scouts of America from the Toledo area. While in his native land Mr. Aitken joined the Canadian militia. During the World war he spent a year in overseas service, being attached to the Three Hundred and Twenty-fifth Supply Company, United States Army. He is now a member of the Reserve Officers Association and vice commander of Toledo Post of the American Legion. He is chairman of the aeronautical committee of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Toledo Aviation Club, the Toledo Advertising Club, the Yacht Club, the local Rotary Club, the Toledo Club, the Inverness Club, the Toledo Zoological Society, the Young Men's Christian Association and president of the Toledo Safety Council. Mr. Aitken is the organizer, president and treasurer of the Radio Securities, Inc., for financing radio sales, and a director of the National Radio Wholesalers Association. A Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, he holds the thirty-second degree in the order and is also identified with the Knights of Pythias. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is active in civic 8-VOL. 3 124 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY movements and charitable enterprises. Mr. Aitken is deeply attached to the country of his adoption and manifests an unselfish devotion to the general good. A tireless, systematic worker, he has accomplished much for one of his years and is esteemed for the qualities to which he owes his success. CHARLES OSCAR CUMMINGS One of Wood county's capable and popular officials is Charles Oscar Cummings, who is rendering a high type of service as county auditor. He has long been actively identified with local public affairs and is regarded as one of the county's best citizens. Mr. Cummings was born at Tontogany, Wood county, on the 5th of August, 1875, a son of George W. and Margaret (Hannah) Cummings. He comes of a long line of American ancestors, his paternal great-grandfather having been Josiah Cummings, who was born in New England, June 1, 1795. On November 24, 1821, he married Miss Lucy Churchill, who was born in Massachusetts, April 6, 1797, and they became the parents of four children : Walter, Mary Ann, Abner and Clark. Walter Cummings was born July 12, 1924, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and after living in Summit county, Ohio, for a short time, was brought by his parents to Wood county, this state, when eight years old. Here he was reared on a farm. On May 1, 1851, he married Miss Olive Barlow, who was born on the Maumee river, January 8, 1826, and they became the parents of seven children : George W., Mrs. M. Augusta Gregg, Hattie S., Edwin, Josiah, Melvin B. and Mrs. Lucy Creswell. The mother died August 21, 1877, and subsequently Mr. Cummings married her sister, Miss Mary Barlow. His death occurred June 26, 1888. George W. Cummings was born at Tontogany, Ohio, February 1, 1852, and was reared on his father's farm. He received his education in the district school and later taught school, but devoted the major portion of his life to agricultural pursuits, being known as one of the efficient and successful farmers of Wood county. He was married on March 26, 1874, to Miss Sarah Margaret Hannah, a daughter of TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 127 W. P. and Elizabeth Hannah, farming people of Grand Rapids township, Wood county. To this union were born five children, of whom two grew to maturity: Charles 0. and Edith. The wife and mother died in 1891, at the age of forty-five years, and later the father married Mrs. Jane Ketchum. Charles O. Cummings received his educational training in the district and high schools at Tontogany, after which he took special work at Columbus, Ohio, and Olivet, Michigan. He attended Davis Business College in Toledo, Ohio, and was subsequently employed in that city for a short time. For about a year he was connected with a correspondence school of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and then returned to the home farm at Tontogany, to the operation of which he devoted his attention until 1925. During this time he served two terms as trustee of Washington township. In 1916 he was elected a member of the board of county commissioners and was afterward reelected, serving two years, while later he served two terms as deputy county auditor. In 1926 he was nominated by the republican party for county auditor and was elected, being the present incumbent of that responsible position. He is giving his close attention to the duties of his office, for which he is in every way well qualified, having shown himself a faithful and conscientious public official. On April 25, 1900, Mr. Cummings was united in marriage to Miss Hattie C. Irwin, of Tontogany, a daughter of Samuel L. and Ida (Clark) Irwin, of Tontogany, both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Cummings are the parents of a daughter, Olive M. In his political affiliation Mr. Cummings has always been a republican and has shown a helpful interest in everything pertaining to the progress and prosperity of his city and county. Besides the offices above referred to he served as a member of the board of education of the Tontogany special school district for several years and was its president in 1913-14. He was also a member of the county board of tax revision in 1914. He is doing effective work as a member, trustee and director of the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club. Courteous and accommodating in his relations with the public and genial and affable in his social relations, he has won 128 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY a large circle of loyal friends and all who know him regard him highly for his sterling qualities of character and his successful public record. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and president of the official board. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and with the Masonic order, belonging to the following bodies: Tontogany Lodge, No. 451, F. & A. M., of which he is past master; Crystal Chapter, No. 157, R. A. M., of Bowling Green; and Bowling Green Council, No. 124, R. & S. M., of which he is past thrice illustrious master. JUDGE JAMES HARVEY PLATT Judge James H. Platt, a distinguished member of Tiffin's legal fraternity, has been the recipient of many important trusts and in every instance he has acquitted himself with dignity, fidelity and honor. He is judge of the court of common pleas, over which he has presided for fourteen years, establishing an enviable record as a jurist. A native of Columbiana county, Ohio, he was born August 22, 1854, and his parents were George and Eva M. (Faulk) Platt. The father was born in England but spent much of his life in the United States. For many years he followed the trade of a millwright and his demise occurred at Findlay, Ohio, in 1867. James H. Platt attended the public schools of his native state and completed a course in Heidelberg University in 1875. Previous to his graduation he had taught school for one term and after receiving his diploma he continued as an educator for four years. In 1879 he began the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1881. Locating in Tiffin, he became a partner of Judge Harrison Noble and in 1883 was made city solicitor. He served until 1887 and after an interval of two years was recalled to that office, which he filled until 1893. From 1903 to 1909 he was prosecuting attorney for Seneca county and during that period secured a large number of convictions. In 1914 he was called to the common pleas bench and was re-elected in 1920 and 1926. His decisions indicate breadth of mind, careful analysis and a thor- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 129 ough knowledge of the law, and the justice of his rulings proves his moral worth. Judge Platt was married July 31, 1883, to Miss Rosa M. Warner, who was a daughter of Jacob Warner and died September 6, 1912. She had become the mother of two children : Nevin E., who resides in Tiffin ; and George R., of Barberton, Ohio. Judge Platt is a member of the Seneca County and Ohio State Bar Associations. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Masons, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He was a member of the county board of school examiners for six years and of the city board for three years. He is one of the trustees of Heidelberg College and a strong advocate of the cause of education. Judge Platt has never courted popularity, caring more for the approval of his own conscience than for the applause of the public, and through his example and efforts he has inculcated among men high regard for the law and respect for its observance. RUDOLPH A. BARTLEY Beginning his commercial career at an early age, Rudolph A. Bartley rose from a humble position to one of power and influence through tireless effort and the force of his personality, and was long a recognized leader of the wholesale grocery trade in Toledo. He was a business man of exceptional ability and a citizen who would have been a valuable acquisition to any community. A native of Wittenberg, Germany, he was born in 1851 and when a child of two came to America with his parents, who established their home in Perrysburg, Wood county, Ohio, removing two years later to a tract of wild land in Oregon township, in the Big Ditch district. When Rudolph A. Bartley was but eight years old his mother died, leaving him and two other children to the care of their father, a sturdy German who believed in work. By precept and example habits of industry were taught young Bartley during those years of early toil in the Black swamp. Although his only schooling was such as he obtained in the 130 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY district school when there was no work on the farm to keep him home, his mind was constantly set upon a mercantile calling. When sixteen years of age he was offered a position in Toledo, overcoming his father's objections to his leaving home by agreeing to pay him the sum of fifteen dollars every month until he became of age. In the summer of 1867 R. A. Bartley arrived in Toledo with a cash capital of fifty cents and carrying a small bundle of clothing, which contained all of his worldly possessions. He had made the trip from the Big Ditch district on a load of hay and before night was installed as errand boy in the general store of H. & F. Barnes at St. Clair and Adams streets. His first salary was eight dollars per month and board. His worth was soon recognized and his salary was increased to fifteen dollars per month. A year later he was receiving a monthly stipend of twenty-five dollars from J. A. Spyer, the proprietor of a general store at Summit and Orange streets, and later his employer increased his salary to thirty-five dollars per month. Through the exercise of thrift and self-denial Mr. Bartley accumulated a capital of two hundred dollars and by 1872 had paid his father in full. Securing a loan of one hundred dollars from B. F. Richardson, a friend, he embarked in business with a capital of three hundred dollars when a young man of twenty and in partnership with Enos Cousino opened a grocery store in Toledo. They occupied a small two-story building at 310 Summit street and saved expenses by sleeping in the store at night. They did all of the work themselves and delivered their goods in an old red push cart, lettered "Cousino Si Bartley, Grocers." While their capital was limited, the young men had an abudance of energy and many friends. They prospered in the undertaking and during the ten years of their association their sales steadily increased. In 1882 Mr. Bartley took over his partner's interest, thus acquiring control of the business. During the same year he became the proprietor of the retail grocery store of the J. C. Wuerfel Company and moved most of his stock to the Wuerfel building, a large double brick structure next door, utilizing the old storeroom as a warehouse. Meanwhile he had ventured into the wholesale field, which he found so profitable TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 131 that in 1887 he discontinued his retail activities, and in the same year secured more commodious quarters, occupying the Messinger building, a five-story edifice at the corner of Summit and Lynn streets. In 1897 a two-story warehouse was constructed adjoining the larger building and a year later a five-story structure was erected at the other end, so that the group of buildings covered the entire block from Lynn to Cherry streets on Summit. They were destroyed by fire in 1908 and for a while the business was conducted in temporary quarters at Monroe and St. Clair streets. In the interval Mr. Bartley had been searching for a suitable location, finally selecting the corner of Washington and Ontario streets, the highest point of land in the business district of Toledo. On this site he erected a seven-story and basement fireproof structure, one hundred and forty by one hundred and twenty feet, with a total floor space of more than five and a half acres, meeting every requirement of a large and growing trade. His annual sales exceeded two and one-half million dollars, and his became recognized as the largest individually owned wholesale grocery in the, middle west. Mr. Bartley had a genius for successful administration, and his intuitive knowledge of the possibilities, opportunities and difficulties of a business situation enabled him to carefully avoid the latter while improving the former to the fullest extent. The business was incorporated in 1921 under the name of the R. A. Bartley Company, of which he became president, filling that office until his death on the 8th of March, 1927, at the age of seventy-five years. By his own example Mr. Bartley demonstrated that a large employer of labor can be tremendously successful and yet so conduct himself toward his employes as to win and hold their respect, affection and devoted service. In fifteen years but two men were discharged from his employ. He was always just and considerate in his treatment of those in his service and was one of the first business men in Toledo to give his employes the benefit of the profit-sharing plan. This he inaugurated in 1903 and in 1921 gave each employe ten shares of stock in the R. A. Bartley Company. He had deep sympathy for the workingman and his democratic spirit inspired in his subordinates a warm feeling of comradeship 132 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY and an earnest desire to further the success of the company. At his home he fitted up a hall where from time to time his employes and their families gathered for social meetings as one great family. He was always the first to visit his men in sickness and adversity and showed his deep interest in their welfare in countless ways. By destroying the line usually drawn between employer and employe and by meeting his men with mutual confidence upon a plane of absolute equality Mr. Bartley solved the labor question, so far as his own establishment was concerned. He also found time for financial affairs, serving on the directorates of the Continental Savings Bank & Trust Company and the National Bank of Commerce. In early manhood Mr. Bartley married Mrs. Hattie Josephine (Barnes) Dutton, of Adrian, Michigan, a daughter of Dr. L. B. and Olive Leaf (Evans) Barnes. Her father was a well known physician and surgeon of southern Michigan and northern Indiana and Ohio. During the latter part of his life he resided on a farm in Calhoun county, Michigan, near Union City, where both he and his wife passed away. Mrs. Bartley was born in Steuben county, New York, and was graduated from the high school at Coldwater, Michigan, afterward attending a college conducted by Professor Taylor in Lansing, that state. By her first marriage she had a son, Charles E., who now bears the name of Bartley and is living in Chicago, Illinois. His daughter, Virginia, was reared by Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Bartley and completed her studies in the Miss Mason School for Girls at Tarrytown, New York. She became the wife of Charles West Peckinpaugh of Toledo and the mother of three children : Charles West, Jr., Richard Bartley and David William. Having a great love for children, Mr. and Mrs. Bartley decided to adopt a boy and on visiting the Franklin County Orphans' Home they found a little lad named Harry, upon whom their first choice fell. As they were unwilling to separate him from his brothers, Frank and David, who were also inmates of the institution, they took the three boys into their home and educated them as their own children. Mrs. Bartley died December 3, 1928. Of Mr. Bartley's public life the people of Toledo are well informed. In 1899 he first became active in local politics TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 133 as a member of the nonpartisan campaign committee, organized to secure the re-election of the late Mayor S. M. Jones. An intimate personal friendship existed between these two men to the end of Mayor Jones' life. Both came from the people and were beloved for their great-heartedness. Mr. Bartley served for five years on the board of education, of which he was president for two terms, and in 1907 was a candidate for the office of mayor in opposition to Brand Whitlock. For two terms Mr. Bartley was president of the Toledo Business Men's Chamber of Commerce, during which time he labored incessantly for the betterment of municipal conditions and for the material growth of the city. As a director of the Toledo Humane Society his time and means were freely given to the practical work of that organization. For a considerable period he was at the head of the Adams Street Mission, also accomplishing much good in that connection. He was likewise identified with the Masonic order, the Toledo Club and the Toledo Yacht Club. Mr. Bartley was greatly attached to his city and did all in his power to further its progress. He was ever influenced by an earnest desire to do right, and his genial disposition and unstinted generosity made him a citizen beloved by all who knew him. In 1907 Frank L. Mulholland wrote as follows of his character and achievements : "For forty years R. A. Bartley's life has been an open book in Toledo. His modesty, his many acts of charity and his courteous treatment of all with whom he comes in contact have won him a place in the hearts of his fellow citizens. His success in every line of endeavor attests his ability as well as his integrity. A practical student of municipal affairs, he has ever been upon the side of the people and deserves any honor they may bestow upon him." JOHN P. NORTON One of Fremont's outstanding industries is The Christy Company, manufacturers of high grade cutlery, of which John P. Norton is the capable and efficient superintendent. He has been identified with this concern for thirty-seven years and has been a large factor in the successful conduct of 134 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY the business, which has grown to enormous proportions. Mr. Norton was born in Fremont, Ohio, in 1873, and is a son of F. I. and Mariah (Elderkin) Norton, the former now making his home with his son, the mother having died in 1915. The paternal grandfather, Faulkner Isaac Norton, was successfully engaged in the manufacture of wagon hubs and spokes for many years and was active and prominent in matters affecting the early growth and development of his community. The maternal grandfather, John P. Elderkin, also was influential in public affairs, having served a number of terms as county treasurer. He formerly lived at Woodville, but later came to Fremont and engaged in the contracting business. John P. Norton received his education in the public schools of his home city, and was first regularly employed by the National Carbon Company, with which he served his apprenticeship as a machinist. Later he worked for the Kilby manufacturing Company in Cleveland until 1891, when he returned to Fremont and entered the employ of the Christy Company, with which he has been connected continuously since. The Christy Company was organized about 1889 or 1890 by Russ J. Christy, father of the present head of the business. It has always been engaged in the manufacture of cutlery, chiefly safety razor blades, which are sold through jobbers and retailed through the company's own sales force. The original plant was a modest affair, in which but six men were employed, but during the passing years the business has steadily grown until today between three hundred and four hundred men are employed, and last year an addition, eighty by eighty feet in dimensions and two stories in height, was built to the plant. Mr. Norton's first position with this company was that of a machinist, and by his loyal and efficient service he won deserved promotions, until in 1906 he was made superintendent of the plant and assistant manager of the business, in which dual capacity he is still serving. On November 28, 1894, Mr. Norton was united in mar riage to Miss Cora Fought, of Kingsway, Ohio, daughter of Allen and Elizabeth (Artz) Fought, the father now deceased, Mrs. Norton is a member of the Evangelical church and be- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 135 longs to several clubs and other local organizations. Mr. Norton is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Though he does not take a very active part in political affairs, he maintains a keen interest in everything affecting the progress and improvement of his community and is regarded as one of its solid and dependable citizens, commanding the sincere respect of all who know him. HERMAN G. PFAENDER A master craftsman, Herman G. Pfaender left the deep impress of his individuality upon his work and for many years was an influential factor in Toledo's upbuilding. Diligence and determination constituted the foundation upon which he reared the superstructure of success, and having accomplished something worth while, he is spending the sunset period of life in ease and comfort. He was born in Dundee, Michigan, June 14, 1861, a son of John George and Sophia Pfaender. The father was a native of Bavaria, Germany, and left that country when a youth of sixteen. Coming to the United States early in the '40s, he located in Monroe county, Michigan, where he was later married, and in 1872 migrated with his family to Lucas county, Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a carpenter and also followed the trade of a sawyer. His wife, who was born in Monroe county, Michigan, of German parentage, passed away in 1866. They had a family of three children and two are now living, Herman G. and Christian F. Herman G. Pfaender obtained his early instruction in his native town and continued his studies in the public schools of Lucas county. At the age of fourteen he began his apprenticeship as a carpenter and his first earnings were seventy-five cents a day. While thus employed he attended night school and furthered his education. He followed his trade as a journeyman until 1893, when he combined his capital with that of Christian F. Pfaender, and they embarked in the general contracting business under the name of Pfaender Brothers. Starting on a small scale, they soon established 136 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY the business on a paying basis and eventually became recognized as one of the foremost contracting firms of Toledo. They excelled as home builders, and their handiwork is exemplified in many of the city's fine residences. They also erected several large churches and did much to improve and beautify Toledo. The partnership was dissolved in 1919, at which time Herman G. Pfaender retired from business, and he now lives in Lulu, Michigan. Mr. Pfaender was married January 14, 1893, in Lambertville, Michigan, to Miss Elizabeth Masters, who was born near Samaria, that state, and passed away July 7, 1907, in Toledo. She was a daughter of William and Julia Masters, natives of England, and was the mother of two children, Vernon H. and Norman W. In 1922 Vernon H. Pfaender reestablished the business in which his father engaged for so many years and in the intervening period the organization has regained the place of prominence it so long enjoyed under the control of Pfaender Brothers. The firm has always been noted for high class work and the name is synonymous with enterprise and integrity in business circles of Toledo. Vernon H. Pfaender maintains an office on the fourth floor of the Security building in Toledo and his residence is in Ottawa Hills. Herman G. Pfaender is now affiliated with the First Methodist Episcopal church of Lulu, Michigan, and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party. Although not an active factor in his son's business, he is deeply interested in the enterprise and has furthered its growth and prosperity through his wisdom, experience and advice. He lends the weight of his support to all worthy public projects, and an exemplary life has won for him a high place in the esteem of his fellowmen. GEORGE J. MUNGER George J. Munger, who was for nearly a quarter of a century engaged in the meat and grocery business in Perrysburg and for the past three years has devoted his attention to the insurance and real estate business, has spent his entire TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 137 life in this locality, where he is widely known and highly esteemed. He was born at Perrysburg on the 29th of August, 1882, a son of George and Elizabeth (Amon) Munger. His paternal grandparents were George and Elizabeth Munger, who were born in Bavaria and came to the United States in 1844 and 1845 respectively. The grandfather died in 1867, and his wife in 1887. Their son, George Munger, was born in Perrysburg, Ohio, November 27, 1854, and received a good education, graduating from high school, after which for several years he devoted his attention to farming. In 1879, in partnership with his brother John, he engaged in the wholesale meat and retail grocery business, with which he remained identifiefid until about three years ago, when he retired. He is president of the Citizens Banking Company of Perrysburg and vice president of the Perrysburg Tile & Brick Company. He is a democrat in politics and has served as a member of the city council. In his religious faith he is a Roman Catholic and belongs to the Knights of Columbus and the Exchange Club. He married Miss Elizabeth Amon on November 10, 1881, and they are the parents of four children, George J., Frank Clarence, Harold Henry and Marie Elizabeth. George J. Munger received his early education in a parochial school and was graduated from the Perrysburg high school in 1900, after which he took a course in the Davis Business College in Toledo. He then became associated with his father in the meat and grocery business, to which he devoted his attention until they withdrew from that business in 1925, when he opened an insurance office in Perrysburg and has built a very satisfactory business. He is also secretary of the Steel Wool Products Company and a director of the Citizens Banking Company. On October 7, 1907, Mr. Munger was united in marriage to Miss Minnie A. Rossbach, of Perrysburg, and they are the parents of three children, Elizabeth Mary, Cyril George and Paul Frank. Mr. Munger has always supported the democratic party and has been active in local political affairs, having served for twenty-four years as a member of the county committee. He is now, under appointment by Governor Donahey, a mem- 138 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY ber of the Fort Meigs memorial commission. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus, the Woodmen of the World and the Exchange Club and is secretary of the Ohio Affiliated Exchange Clubs and treasurer of the Maumee River Scenic and Historic Highway Association. He possesses marked business ability, being a man of ripe and dependable judgment in practical matters, and throughout this community he is regarded as one of its solid and substantial citizens, well worthy of the respect and esteem in which he is uniformly held. HOMER H. HEATH, M. D. Dr. Homer H. Heath, one of Toledo's able and successful surgeons, is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth having occurred in Whitehouse, August 14, 1877. From pioneer times the family has been represented in this state. His father, Dr. Francis Marion Heath, was born at Heath's Corners, Ohio, a son of Nehemiah Heath, who resided at Heath's Corners, Roxbury, Massachusetts, prior to his removal to Ohio, at which time he settled on land that afterward became known as Heath's Corners. He was of English and Welsh descent, the ancestral line being traced back to Nathan Heath, who came to America from England in 1648 and settled in Trenton, New Jersey. One of his descendants, Captain William Heath, won his military title by service in the Revolutionary war, being numbered among those who participated in the battle of Bunker Hill and other important engagements which led up to the victory that ultimately crowned the American arms. Nehemiah Heath removed from Heath's Corners, Ohio, to Colton, this state. He married Miss Betsy Davis, a representative of an old New England family, and they became the parents of Francis Marion Heath, who won distinction in connection with the practice of medicine at Whitehouse, Ohio. He was reared in Colton, where he pursued his early education, and afterward attended Oberlin College, while in preparation for a professional career he studied in the Northwestern Ohio Medical College. In early life he taught school at Whitehouse and after completing his medical course he returned to that place, TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 141 where he continued in active and successful practice throughout his remaining days save for the period of his service in the Civil war. He enlisted in the Sixty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was wounded at the battle of Fort Donelson. After his recovery he reenlisted as a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was with that command until the cessation of hostilities. He married Abigail Kimber, who was born at Whitehouse, Ohio, and whose mother, Mrs. Harriet (Mullen) Kimber, was the first white woman to settle near Aetna, Ohio, whence she removed to Whitehouse. Harvey Kimber, the grandfather of Dr. Heath in the maternal line, made the trip to California in 1849, following the discovery of gold, and had started to return to his home when death overtook him near Sacramento, California. He had made his way to Ohio on the first canal boat that was brought into the state. His daughter, Mrs. Abigail Heath, spent her entire life in this state, and, like her husband, has passed away. The death of Dr. Heath, following a long life of usefulness and service to his fellowmen, occurred at Whitehouse, June 26, 1896, while his wife. survived him for thirty years, passing away in Toledo, April 12, 1926, at the age of seventy-six years. Dr. Homer H. Heath, who was an only child, began his education in the public schools of Whitehouse, also studied at Liberty Center and later in Toledo before entering the preparatory school of Hiram College, from which in due course of time he was graduated with the A. B. degree as a member of the class of 1899. The following year he took up the study of medicine, reading. under the direction of Dr. George W. Crile of Cleveland, Ohio, and also pursuing the regular medical course in the Western Reserve University of Cleveland, from which he was graduated in 1903, the M. D. degree being at that time conferred upon him. On the 6th of June, 1904, he opened an office in Toledo, where he has since built up a large practice in surgery, confining his efforts to major operations. He is particularly 'skillful and at all times keeps in touch with the latest scientific researches and discoveries. His ability is attested by his colleagues and contemporaries in the profession as well as by the general public and his professional duties make constant demand upon his time. True 142 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY to the strain of patriotism which has always characterized the family, Dr. Heath served in the Spanish-American war in 1898, enlisting in the Sixth United States Regulars, serving as a pharmacist at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, in the United States General Hospital. During the World war he represented the United States surgeon general in charge of the nitrate plant at Toledo and of other war industries. With the exception of these periods of public service he has given his attention almost entirely to surgical practice in Toledo. Since coming to Toledo he has been a member of the staff of St. Vincent's Hospital and of Flower Hospital, chief of staff at the Toledo Hospital, chief of the surgical division of the Lucas County Hospital and chief surgeon at the Woman's and Children's Hospital. He was associated with Dr. George W. Crile in the publication of a work entitled "Blood Pressure in Surgery" and he has also written many articles for publication in medical journals and for the various medical societies to which he belongs. He has membership with the Lucas County, Ohio State and American Medical Associations and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. On the 1st of March, 1905, Dr. Heath was married in Waterville, Ohio, to Miss Pamelia Pray, a daughter of John L. and Pamelia (Hall) Pray, both representatives of old and well known families of Lucas county and descendants of early colonial ancestry. The grandfather of Mrs. Heath conducted the old historic grist mill at Waterville. Mrs. Heath is a native of Lucas county and by her marriage has become the mother of two children. Catherine A., the elder, born June 21, 1907, was graduated from Scott high school and completed her education in France. She is now technician at Lucas County Hospital. Frank L. Heath, who was born June 10, 1911, is a member of the class of 1930 at St. John's Military Academy of Delafield, Wisconsin. Mrs. Pamelia Heath is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, the New England Women's Association, the Daughters of American Colonists and Daughters of the War of 1812. During her residence in Waterville she served through all the chairs of the local chapter of the Eastern Star and is now affiliated with Palestine Chapter at Toledo. The family re- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 143 sides at 923 Prospect street and the Doctor has his office at 316 Michigan street. He finds his diversion in sailing and fishing and he also enjoys the social activities afforded in the Toledo Club, the Torch Club and the Toledo Yacht Club. He has membership in the Chamber of Commerce and in the Rotary Club and gives his political allegiance to the republican party. He is a loyal follower of Masonic teachings, belonging to Rubicon Lodge, F. & A. M. He has ever recognized the duties and obligations as well as the privileges of citizenship and his cooperation is an asset in the support of progressive public measures. He has, however, comparatively little time for outside interests, owing to the continuous demand made upon him for professional service ; and to this he gives the best that is in him, and that best is acknowledged of superior order by all who know aught of his effective activities in the field of surgery. JAMES HARRINGTON BOYD, B. A., M. A., D. Sc. James Harrington Boyd, an active and successful representative of the legal profession in Toledo during the past quarter of a century, has won merited distinction as the author and leading promoter of the Ohio workmen's compensation law, on which he is a noted authority. For the following interesting record of his career we are largely indebted to biographies appearing in "Ryan's History of Ohio," published in 1913, and "Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio," which was published in 1923. Mr. Boyd was the chairman of the notable commission appointed by Governor Harmon under the legislative act in 1910, "to inquire into the question of employers' liability and other matters." As the result of the hearings and investigations of the commission, he drafted the original bill creating the State Liability Board of Awards, which became a law in June, 1911; and he was special counsel for the state in a case brought before the supreme court to test the validity of the act and unanimously decided by that tribunal in the state's favor (1912). Mr. Boyd is probably the most conspicuous American advocate of the distinctive policy of state com- 144 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY pulsory insurance for the protection and benefit of workmen and their dependents, and has devoted much of his time and energy to the promotion of this cause throughout the United States generally and also in Canada. He is the author of the standard book on the subject of workmen's compensation systems. He was born in Keene, near Coshocton, Coshocton county, Ohio, December 7, 1862, son of James and Mary (Ross) Boyd. On his father's side he is of Scotch-Irish descent. His paternal grandparents were early settlers in Coshocton county, and his father was a lifelong resident there, successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, active and prominent in the church, a justice of the peace, and altogether a respected and useful citizen. The grandmother of Mr. Boyd was a native of Kentucky and was a grandniece (maternally) of the renowned pioneer, Daniel Boone. Reared on the home farm, James Harrington Boyd received a district and village school education until the age of sixteen and was then a student in Coshocton high school. After teaching country school for one year he prepared for college in the Wooster (Ohio) University from 1881 until 1883 and then entered Princeton College, from which he was graduated as Bachelor of Arts in 1886. During the year 1886-87 he held the mathematical fellowship of that institution, and in 1888 the Master of Arts degree was conferred upon him. In the year 1927 he was honored by his alma mater with membership in the scholastic fraternity Phi Beta Kappa, which was not in existence at Princeton when he graduated. He was professor of mathematics in Macalester College at St. Paul, Minnesota, for some two years, when he went abroad, and from 1890 to 1893 pursued advanced studies in mathematics and physics at the University of Gottingen, Germany. In 1892 he received the degree of Doctor of Science from Princeton. Becoming connected with the teaching staff of the University of Chicago in 1893, he served as tutor of mathematics until 1895 and as instructor of mathematics from 1895 to 1902. While there he was president of Lincoln House three years and treasurer of the Quadrangle Club in 1900-01. Resigning his position in the university, he entered the Harvard Law School, where he took a TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 145 special course in 1902-03, and was then admitted to the bar. Since the year 1904 he has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in Toledo. He represented the Ohio Bar Association at the annual convention of the American Bar Association held in Portland, Maine, in August, 1907; and he was a member of the committee on judicial administration and legal reform of the Ohio Bar Association in 1909. At the election of 1908 he was the democratic candidate for judge of the circuit court in the sixth judicial district. While studying in Germany in 1903, Mr. Boyd became interested in the principles and operations of the workmen's industrial insurance system of that country, instituted in 1883 as a government policy by the influence of Prince Bismarck. He afterward familiarized himself with the workings of the German system from year to year and with the results following the adoption of similar measures in other countries. At the Ohio legislative session of 1910 an act was passed (senate bill No. 250) which provided for the creation of a so-called Employers' Liability Commission to "inquire into the question of employers' liability and other matters." The commission was appointed in June of that year by Governor Harmon and consisted of five members : James Harrington Boyd of Toledo; J. W. Perks of Springfield; W. J. Rohr of Cincinnati ; W. J. Winans of Galion; and J. P. Smith of Cleveland. Mr. Boyd was elected chairman. From September to the early part of December twenty-seven hearings were held in the cities of Dayton, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus. Under the direction of the commission a special investigation was made by experts, at a cost of seven thousand dollars, concerning the economic effects of industrial accidents in Cuyahoga county during the years 190510 upon married and single men and their dependents. In the month of November, 1910, Mr. Boyd was in attendance at the notable Chicago conference of employers' and workmen's compensation commissions, in which ideas were exchanged by representatives of the United States government and various states, and he took an active part in its proceedings. The Ohio commission continued its sessions in Columbus 146 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY from December, 1910, until the latter part of April, 1911. An elaborate report, embodying its transactions and findings, was compiled and submitted to the twenty-ninth general assembly, together with a bill (house bill No. 282, introduced by Mr. Black) , which comprehended its conclusions. The report was quite distinctively the personal work of Chairman Boyd, and the bill was drawn by him. After being debated and passed with various amendments in the two houses, the measure was agreed to in its final form by conference committee, repassed almost unanimously, and approved by the governor on the 15th of June, 1911. Upon the completion of its labors the commission went out of existence, having devoted nearly a year of continuous work to its important duties. The cost of its services to the state—including the Cleveland investigation and the publication of ten thousand copies of its report—was some sixteen thousand dollars for incidental expenses. It was stipulated that the act should take effect on the 1st of January, 1912, but owing to the tendency in the supreme court at the time of the case to test the question of constitutionality, it did not come effectively into operation until the following March. As already noticed, Mr. Boyd represented the state as special counsel in the test case, which was unanimously decided in favor of the state (January 12, 1912). An adaptation of his very able brief on that occasion, embodying both the economic and legal basis of compulsory industrial insurance for workmen, was published in the Michigan Law Review for March and April, 1912, and has since been reprinted in pamphlet form. Without attempting an analysis of the somewhat elaborate act of 1911 (which is readily accessible to all interested readers), its principal provisions may be summarized as follows: 1. A State Liability Board of Awards (consisting of three members) was created, which was charged with the administration of the act. 2. Classification of employments with respect to hazard was directed, as a basis for fixing rates of premium. 3. Every employer having in his service five or more workmen regularly was, upon payment into the state insurance fund of the required premiums, exempted from liability for damages at common law or by statute on TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 147 account of the death or injury of any employe, except that the right of court proceedings was reserved to employes or dependents in certain limited cases. 4. Every employe or surviving dependent applying to the state board for an award, was declared to have waived the right of court proceedings; and conversely every such person exercising the option of court proceedings was debarred from receiving a state award. 5. Ninety per cent of the assessed premium in every case was required to be paid into the state insurance fund by the employer, and ten per cent by his employes. 6. All awards on account of injury or death were made calculable on the basis of sixty-six and two-thirds per cent of the earning capacity of the individual concerned, payments to continue not exceeding six years and not to exceed in any case more than twelve dollars a week or a maximum of three thousand, four hundred dollars. It will be observed that the essential feature of the act of 1911 was its substantially compulsory character. However, in its compulsory arrangements it fell somewhat short of the recommendations of the commission. On the other hand, the commissioner's bill fixed a maximum of only sixty per cent of average earnings as the basis of awards—whereas the legislature allowed sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. On the whole, the legislature quite satisfactorily and thoroughly met the expectations of Mr. Boyd and his associates; and when the new law, fully sustained by the supreme court, went into comprehensive operation at the beginning of March, 1912, it was regarded by the advocates of state compulsory industrial insurance as one of the most advanced measures of its kind. The underlying incentives and motives of this and similar legislation elsewhere have been most forcibly and completely presented by Mr. Boyd in many formal addresses, as well as in his important published work, which will presently be referred to. A study of carefully compiled statistics, both in this country and abroad, demonstrates (to quote from Mr. Boyd) "Not only that the common (and liability) law remedy in its present form does not furnish compensation of any kind in to exceed twelve per cent of the cases of injury to employes, and even in those cases in which compensation is paid, the compensation paid does not on the average exceed 148 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY one-fifth of what is regarded as adequate compensation—but also that no modification of the common law remedy can be made whereby these results will be materially improved; hence the old common law remedy must be abandoned and a new remedy substituted therefor." An examination of the detailed facts in support of these remarkable statements is exceedingly interesting, and shows beyond question the utter inability of the average workman and his dependents to recover substantially for injuries by any process unassisted or unguaranteed by the state. The imperative obligation of society to assume the responsibility for compensation for injuries and fatalities in the industries is evidenced by statistics which prove that only about twenty-eight per cent of such injuries and fatalities is occasioned by the exclusive fault of the workman, whereas the remaining seventy-two per cent is attributable in largest part to the inevitable risk of the industries and in minor but still very appreciable degree to the direct fault of the employer, or of employer and workmen jointly. The foregoing is of course only a very brief and imperfect indication of the economic basis of state compulsory industrial insurance, but it expresses the elements of the subject, from which has been evolved the present extensive movement. The Ohio act of 1911 was very considerably amended by an act passed by the eightieth general assembly and approved by Governor Cox on the 14th day of March, 1913. This measure retained the sixty-six and two-thirds percentage of average earnings as the basis of awards; extended the benefits of the law to all employes of the state, county and local governments; abrogated the requirement for a payment of ten per cent of the premium by employes and required the entire premium to be paid by employers; and noticeably intensified the compulsory spirit and effect of the system. On the other hand, it introduced an innovation by extending to employers of certain financial standings the option of making direct compensation for injuries and deaths among their own employes, and thus withdrawing as contributors to the state insurance fund—subject, however, to the satisfaction and supervision of the State Liability Board of Awards. Altogether, the tendency of the amendments of 1913 is more fully TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 149 to put into effect the recommendations of the original commission headed by Mr. Boyd. Among the noteworthy addresses delivered by Mr. Boyd at various times on the subject of compulsory industrial state insurance to compensate workmen or their dependents for injuries or fatalities the following may be mentioned : before the Ohio State Board of Commerce at Columbus, November 17, 1910 (see Legislative Reference Department, Ohio State Library) ; before the National Civic Federation in New York, December 18, 1910 (see Proceedings of National Civic Federation, 1911) ; before the Ohio State Bar Association at Cedar Point, July 12, 1911 (see Proceedings of same, 1911) ; before the Employers' Liability and Workmen's Compensation Commission of the United States at Chicago, October 17, 1911 (see Hearings of same for 1911, page 717) ; before Sir William Ralph Meredith, C. J., C. P., sole commissioner on workmen's compensation of Ontario, at Toronto, January 15, 1912 (see Interim Report, Workmen's .Compensation Commission of Ontario, 1912) ; before the Manufacturers' Association of Central Canada at Berlin, Ontario, February 15, 1912 (see the Berlin News Record, February 17, 1912) ; before the committee on judiciary of the house of representatives, sixty-second congress at Washington, March 15, 1912 (see Hearings of same on H. R. 20,487, S. 5,382, March 15 and 26, 1912, page 4) ; and before the Pennsylvania Accident Commission at Pittsburgh, April 15, 1912 (see Report of same) . In the year 1913 Mr. Boyd published an exhaustive work entitled "A Treatise on the Law of Compensation for Injuries to Workmen under Modern Industrial Statutes" (two volumes, 1,670 pages; Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis). This is the first complete presentation of the subject and embodies the history of development in the United States and foreign countries, complete texts of all state acts, every construction placed upon each state act, all foreign acts and schedules, all the procedure, law and forms, etc. During his early career Mr. Boyd wrote and published several valuable contributions to mathematical literature, including Boyd's "College Algebra," a translation of Bricot and Bouquet's "Geometrie Analytique," and various mathemati-