HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 275 charged with being a spy. He was found guilty and hung on Governor's Island, on the 24th of February, 1865. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD For twenty years prior to the Civil War, anti-slavery sentiment was strong throughout Northwest Ohio. The people did not approve of the fugitive slave acts by which runaway slaves must be returned to their owners. Ohio offered the shortest route from the slave states south of the Ohio River to Canada, where the institution of slavery was not recognized. As a result, our state became traversed by secret highways over which escaping slaves sought freedom. There were several routes across Northwest Ohio. Leesville and Tiro, in Crawford County, were both stations on the line. Many were taken northward to the outh of the Maumee, and a number of prominent Toledo citizens aided in their escape ; others secured freedom through the port of Sandusky. Maumee and Sylvania figured prominently in the work of the underground railroad. A commoner route was farther east. Delaware, Oberlin, and other towns, where the sentiment in favor of the blacks was strongest, attracted most. It is difficult if not impossible to find a record of any slave being returned to his master in this entire section, although hundreds of the black race passed through it. Many negroes were successfully conducted on their way to freedom by varied and devious routes. Several of the underground routes, according to the Marion County History, ran through Marion County. Joseph Morris, Allen McNeal, and Thomas J. Anderson each conducted a station. The method of operation was to receive the escaped slave into their homes, conceal him during the day, and carry him to the next station in the following night. Sometimes it was necessary to conceal the slave several days at a time. Joseph Morris was a Quaker, and both his basement and attic contained small apartments so cunningly devised that strangers searching the place could not find them. Allen McNeal was a noted abolitionist of that day. The most noted incident in Marion County was the celebrated trial involving the liberty of Black Bill, alias Mitchell, alias Anderson, an alleged slave. He came to the county in the fall of 1838, working as a butcher, barber, and common laborer and, by his ability to play the fiddle and banjo, and "call" at dances, soon made himself indispensable in the village. About the middle of July, 1839, eight citizens of Kanawha Court House, Virginia, appeared in Marion and claimed Black Bill as the runaway slave of Adnah Van Bibber. He was arrested under the Ohio statute, as a "fugitive from service or labor," on a warrant issued by John Vartran, justice of the peace. He was committed to jail to await trial ; but Black Bill had many sympathizers. The case was called to bar on August 26th before Ozias Bowen, the presiding judge, and Thomas J. Anderson and George Gray, his associates. The courtroom was filled to overflowing. The Virginians were armed with bowie-knives and pistols, which they flourished in order to intimidate the negro's friends. General Rowe represented the plaintiff, while Cooper K. Watson and James H. Godman defended the prisoner. The negro himself was not permitted. to testify. A newspaper of that day gives the following account: " Tuesday evening last (August 27th) presented a scene of confusion and excitement never before witnessed in our peaceful village. It appears that a negro, well known to our citizens by the name of Bill, was sometime since taken up as a runaway slave from Virginia, and lodged in the jail of this county for trial. On Monday, the day set for his trial, we discovered an unusual number of persons assembled to hear the result. The house was crowded to overflowing. The witnesses were 276 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO examined and counsel heard. The judge, however, reserved his decision till the following morning. A great mass of people assembled. At ten o'clock A. M., the court was called (the house was literally crowded) to hear the decision of the judge which occupied at least 40 minutes in delivering, during which the greatest order prevailed, but as soon as the Hon. O. Bowen had finished, by declaring the prisoner free, all was confusion, riot and disorder. As soon as the decision was ended the pretended owners seized the prisoner ; the bystanders resisted, and endeavored to rescue him, declaring him to be free, and desiring them to let him run at large. But the Virginians still maintained their possession by force, and presented pistols, bowie-knives, dirks etc., threatening the lives of all those who would lay hands on them, or the negro—and all this in open court. Our citizens, and friends from the country, stood out in defense of their trampled and insulted laws, which were thus set at defiance. "In this scene of confusion, the negro was taken down stairs, and dragged by his captors through the streets. Those who forced him onward were armed with pistols, bowie-knives and daggers. At this unusual and horrible sight, the populace became enraged, and attacked them with stones, and whatever missiles they could get hold of. They at length succeeded in getting him into one of our justice's offices (the office of John Bartram, J. P.) and there guarded him as stated for a new trial. Before the door of the office, the excited multitude assembled, demanding justice and the negro, but all of no avail. The entrance was guarded with pistols and bowie-knives. At this time the sheriff arrived and begged to be heard and requested the mob to disperse, but this also was of no effect. At length a cry for the public arms was heard, the arsenal was broken open and the arms obtained, which presented a horrible spectacle. The excited populace under arms still demanded entrance, which was refused. All the orders of the sheriff and the court to restore order seemed to be of no effect. Pistols and bowie-knives were all the law." The testimony revealed that Black Bill had once been owned by John Lewis, a cousin of the plaintiff; hence the court held that ownership had not been proved. The negro escaped, however, and spent his first night in the swamp, near Marion, when he made his way to the house of Reuben Benedict and was secreted in his garret. His next stopping place was a Quaker settlement, two miles north of Fredericktown ; his third halt was at the Quaker town of Greenwich. He finally reached Oberlin, from whence he was escorted to Canada. The court caused the arrest of the citizens for contempt of court. Each of the parties was released upon giving bond in the sum of $600, except Van Bibber and Francis Bower. Van Bibber was kept in confinement only a few hours, but Bower was held for almost a week. Four of the men were found guilty of contempt, and fined $15 and costs, but the fine was remitted on the payment of costs which amounted to 40 cents for the quartette. SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR When President McKinley, on April 23, 1898, issued his proclamation calling for volunteers to the number of 125,000, Ohio im immediately sprang to the front and offered more than her full quota. Excitement ran supreme throughout Northwest Ohio, and in all the towns where companies of the National Guard were located enthusiasm was high. The enlisted men were all anxious to get into the service, and wanted to be sent immediately to Cuba in order to bring peace and freedom to that sorely distracted country. It revealed that the spirit of patriotism which, animated HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 277 the fathers and grandfathers of the present generation had not lessened or abated in the slightest degree. Eleven of the twelve companies of the Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with headquarters at Cincinnati, were enlisted from Northwest Ohio. It was mustered into service for the War with Spain, on the 10th of May, 1898. Its strength for the war was 50 officers, 1,284 enlisted men, and the regiment was commanded by Colonel Julius A. Kuert during war operations. It was stationed at Chickamauga, Georgia ; Knoxville, Tennessee ; and Macon, Georgia. The casualties during the entire campaign were the death of fourteen men. It was mustered out of service at Macon, Georgia, on February 10, 1899, but did not see any foreign service. Of this regiment Company A came from Findlay, and the local designation was the Findlay Guard. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, it was mustered in at Columbus as Company A, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Tillman S. Lafferty was the captain. Company B was enlisted at Upper Sandusky, and it entered service with James W. Marston as captain. Company C of the same regiment came from Lima, and had long been known as the Melancthon Light Guards, and afterwards as the Lima City Guard. Its cap-was Frank M. Bell. Company D was nized early in 1898 at Van Wert. Ed-rd S. Mathias was the captain of this company, Robert Webster was first lieutenant, and Elias W. March, second lieutenant. Company E was organized in Tiffin. At the time it was mustered into national service, Lorenzo D. Gasser was the captain. Companies G and I were both enlisted from Kenton. J. Guy Deming was captain of the former, and Henry J. Hay of the latter. Captain May was afterwards succeeded by Albert S. Clucker. Bloomdale was the home of Company H, with Archie M. Fassig as the captain. Company K hailed from North Baltimore, and was under the command of W. J. White. Company L of this regiment was organized at Wapakoneta, and was mustered into service under this designation. Of this company John G. Hoegner was the captain, Charles 0. Brokaw the first lieutenant, and Roy E. Layton was the second lieutenant. Paulding was the home of Company M, with Samuel W. Ennis as its captain. The headquarters of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry were at Toledo. Four companies of this regiment were located in Toledo, and the others were scattered throughout other counties in this section of the state. Only one company, B, of Sandusky, was outside this territory. It had heretofore been known as the Sixteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, but was mustered into service as the Sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, on the 25th of April, 1898, and was mustered into the war with Spain on the 12th of May, following. The strength of the regiment for the war was 49 officers and l,299 enlisted men. During the entire war operations, it was commanded by colonel (now general) William V. McMaken. Sanford B. Stanbery, George P. Parker, and William E. Gillett were the majors, and Park L. Myers was surgeon, with the rank of major. The late Thomas J. Harbaugh was the chaplain. The regiment was first stationed at Chickamauga, Georgia, then at Knoxville, Tennessee, and afterwards at Charleston, South Carolina. It was finally dispatched to the district of Santa Clara, Cuba, but did not arrive there until after the declaration of peace. The casualties during the campaign were the death of twenty-one men. It was mustered out of service at Augusta, Georgia, on the 12th of May, 1899. The companies, their location, and captains were as follows : A of Toledo, Jacob M. Weir ; C of Toledo, John A. Gekle ; D of Fostoria, Franklin P. Culp ; E of Bryan, Charles L. Langel ; F of Napoleon, Joseph A. Musser; G of Wauseon, John A. Weier ; H of Toledo, 278 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO Lloyd W. Howard ; I of Clyde, William E. Gillett and afterwards Edward W. Rydman ; K of Fremont, Louis E. Foulke ; L of Toledo, Frank I. Howells ; M. of Defiance, James F. Crandall. One company of the Eighth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, was located within Northwest Ohio. This was Company A, of Bucyrus ; Marquis A. Charlton was captain. This regiment had its headquarters at Wooster. It was mustered into service for the war with Spain, on the 13th of May, 1898, as the Eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Its strength for the war was 49 officers and 1,288 enlisted men. It was commanded during all the war operations by Col. Curtis V. Hard. Edward Vollrath, of Bucyrus, was one of the majors.. During the war it was stationed for a time at Camp Alger, Virginia. It was among the regiments dispatched to Cuba, and reached Santiago just too late to take part in the siege, but performed duty at various places in Cuba until its return to Montauk Point, Long Island, in a greatly enfeebled condition, owing to disease. During its service four officers and sixty-eight men died. The regiment was mustered out at Wooster, on the 21st of November, 1898. The headquarters of the Fourth Regiment were at Columbus. It was formerly the Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guard. Its strength for the war was 49 officers and 1,319 enlisted men. It was commanded by Colonel Alonzo B. Coit during the war operations. It was first stationed at Chickamauga and afterwards at Porto Rico, where it engaged in some of the skirmishes incidental to that invasion. The regiment lost twenty-six men, and was mustered out of service January 20, 1899. Company G, with Fred W. Peters as its captain, came from Marion. Companies D, G, and H, of the Tenth Regiment, came from Toledo. Company D was made up of the First Ohio Light Artillery. Companies G and H formerly were the first and second division of the naval reserves. Finding no opportunity to enter the service either as artillery or in the naval branch, these companies enlisted as infantry. Company D was commanded by Hazen B. Norton, Company G by Myer Geleerd, and Company H by Arthur W. S. Irvine. Arlington U. Betts, of Toledo, was one of the majors. The strength of the regiment was 46 officers and 1,280 enlisted men. It was first stationed at Camp Meade, Pennsylvania, and afterwards at Camp Mackenzie, Georgia. Its casualties were twenty-three men until mustered out at Augusta, Georgia, on the 23d of March, 1899. Webb C. Hayes served as major in Roosevelt's Regiment of Rough Riders during the entire war. In the cemetery at Clyde, not far from the remains of General McPherson, lies all that is mortal of George Burton Meek, who was the first American-born sailor to die in the war which had for its object the freeing of Cuba. He was a sailor on board the torpedo boat Winslow, and was killed in action at Cardenas, Cuba, on the 11th of May, 1898. The father received the following letter in 1898 : "Washington, D. C., August 24. "John Meek, Esq. : "Dear Sir : Some months ago a Cuban gentleman, who signs himself Cambreis, from the City of Mexico, sent General Tomas Estrado Palma, of New York, an order for $100.00 to be given to the wife, children or parents of the first American-born sailor who should die in the war to free Cuba. I have just now been informed that your son, George B. Meek, fireman of the first class on board the torpedo boat Winslow, was the first hero to shed his blood for the independence of our unfortunate and downtrodden people. " I beg to enclose you the check, entrusted to my care, this a proof of the gratitude of the Cubans for their friends and allies, the Americans. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 279 "Please acknowledge receipt of the same in duplicate. "Yours very respectfully, GONZALO DE QUESADO, "Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Cuba." It was felt, that a suitable monument should be erected over the grave of George Burton Meek, and the Ohio Legislature made an appropriation for this purpose. This monument, which is surmounted by a full length figure, was unveiled on the 11th of May, 1916, the eighteenth anniversary of his deathing Governor Willis and his staff, the Sixth Ohio Infantry, and many patriotic organizations took part in the impressive ceremonies. Lucas County furnished to the nation one of the most heroic figures of the Spanish-American War, as well as of the Philippine war, in the person of Henry W. Lawton. He was born in Lucas County, on the 17th of March, 1843, and served with credit during the Civil War, after which he entered the regular army. He was commissioned a brigadier-general, in May, 1898, and commanded the second division of the Fifth Army Corps in Cuba, where he served in the first battle of the war at El Caney. He was promoted to major-general, and was in command at Santiago after the surrender. In December, 1898, he was transferred to the command of an army corps in the Philippines. On these islands he greatly distinguished himself in a number of engagements, until killed in the battle at San Mateo, Luzon, on the 19th of December, 1899. As an evidence of the regard in which he was held by the public at large, the sum of $100,000 was raised by public subscription and presented to his widow. CHAPTER XXIV NORTHWEST OHIO IN THE STATE AND NATION Northwest Ohio has produced many men who have become eminent in the political life of both the state and the nation. At the head of this list must be placed the name of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, the nineteenth president of the United States. Morrison Remick Waite became the seventh chief justice of our nation, a position second in importance under our form of government to the presidency alone. Two United States senators have been chosen from this section of the state—Calvin Stewart Brice and Warren G. Harding. Of the long line of governors of Ohio, Northwest. Ohio has sent three of her sons to Columbus. The first of these was Rutherford Birchard Hayes, and he has been followed by Charles Foster and Frank B. Willis. After a term as governor of Ohio, Jacob D. Cox made his home for several years in Toledo, and represented that district in Congress for a term. Robert Kingston Scott lived the greater part of his adult life in Henry County. After the Civil War he was sent to South Carolina, of which state he became a resident. He served two terms as governor of the state and then returned to Napoleon. James M. Ashley, long active in public affairs, was appointed territorial governor of Montana. Of the many residents of this section who have distinguished themselves as state officials, members of Congress, and other positions of trust, it is impossible to make mention in this chapter, for the reason that they are so numerous, but an account will be found in the various county chapters. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES Northwest Ohio contributed to the nation its nineteenth President, in the person of Rutherford Birchard Hayes. This chief executive of the United States was born on the 4th of October, 1822, at Delaware, Ohio. The father had died before the birth of Rutherford, so that the mother was left with a small family upon her hands and a very meager income to support them. Through the kindness of an uncle, this ambitious youth was enabled to secure a college education, which he greatly desired. From his earliest youth he had an aptitude for books and learning that was unusual. At the age of sixteen he entered Kenyon College, from which he graduated with the highest honors, although the youngest in the class. He was marked among his associates, according to a college mate, "for great common sense in his personal conduct, never uttered a profane word, and behaved always like a considerate, mature man." After graduating from Kenyon, Mr. Hayes studied law in a law office for a time, and also attended the Harvard Law College, after which he was admitted to the Ohio bar before the Supreme Court. of the state, then sitting at Marietta. Rutherford B. Hayes opened an office at Fremont for the practice of the law in 1845, and thus became a resident of this section of the state for the first time. He formed a partnership with Ralph P. Buckland, which continued until the removal of Mr. Hayes to Cincinnati, in the year 1849, where, he antici- - 280 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 281 pated an enlarged field of usefulness. It was not long until the new addition to the Cincinnati bar attracted attention as a lawyer in that growing city. He was chosen city solicitor by the City. Council of Cincinnati, in April, 1859, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the regularly elected incumbent. In the following spring he was elected to that position, and filled the office of corporation counsel for three years, during which time he discharged his duties with rare honesty and fidelity. From the formation of the republican party, Mr. Hayes was one of its ardent followers. His opposition to slavery was very marked, and he so expressed himself in vigorous terms in many speeches and writings. The Civil War had scarcely broken out when Mr. Hayes enlisted, and he was promptly made major of the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Shortly afterwards he was appointed by General Rosecrans as judge advocate of the Department of Ohio, and was again promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the same year of his enlistment. As a soldier Colonel Hayes proved himself to be a gallant as well as a model officer, and was a leader who not only inspired the confidence, but also the friendship and love of his men. One of his men said of him : "A braver or better man was not in the army. He had an abundance of grit. If he had a fault, it was that in a battle he was too eager. On a long dusty march, I could always tell Colonel Hayes' horse, as it was always loaded with the guns and knapsacks of the boys who were giving out, the Colonel himself walking by its side, no matter how great the heat." No emergencies ever came upon him that he was not equal to. West Point graduates looked upon him as one of the very best officers in the volunteer service. At South Mountain, Cloud Mountain, Winchester, Berryville, Fisher's Hill, and at Cedar Creek, he exhibited unusual power of military skill, as well as the highest bravery. After General Sheridan had observed his work on the field of Cedar Creek, he rushed up to the modest colonel of the Twenty-third, and, grasping him by the hand, said : "Colonel from this day forward you will be a Brigadier-General." Ten days later the commission arrived. In 1865 he was brevetted a major-general for "gallant and distinguished services." He was four times wounded in battle, and from the effects of one wound he never fully recovered. The work of General Hayes upon the battlefield directed the attention of the people of his home district towards him, so that he was nominated for the position of member of Congress. He did not take any part in the campaign, for he was still in active service, but accepted the call of his citizens as a duty that could not be overlooked. The result of the campaign was his triumphant election. He took his seat on the 4th of December, 1865. During the long struggle over the 282 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO momentous question of reconstruction between Congress and President Johnson, Hayes voted with his own party from first to last, because he conscientiously believed it to be in the right. He was elected to a second term by a still larger majority than at the first election. This term had not been ended when he was nominated for the high office of governor of Ohio by the republican state convention. This nomination was promptly accepted, and General Hayes resigned from his seat in Congress in order to make a vigorous campaign. For two months the contest was waged with rousing enthusiasm. He traveled over a great part of the state making speeches. The effectiveness of his canvass was shown by his election, although by a comparatively small plurality. The Legislature chosen had a democratic majority, which shows the general trend of political sentiment at the time. He was inaugurated governor of Ohio on January 13, 1868. At the end of his first term he was unanimously renominated as his own successor, and once more elected. He was an ardent advocate of the bill to grant freedom to the negro. The platform on which he was elected favored negro suffrage "on the broad platform of impartial manhood suffrage." At the opening of the campaign this proposition was very unpopular, and it was defeated at the election by a decisive vote. The passing of the Fifteenth Amendment gave him great pleasure. Only his own vigorous endorsement forced a ratification by a majority of one in the Senate and of two in the House. Few governors have left behind a record of more faithful service to the state than did Governor Hayes. At the end of his second term as governor, Mr. Hayes was renominated by his old con-. stituents for Congress, but the reaction against the republicans was so strong that he was defeated. Then it was that he returned to his old home at Fremont because of the death of his uncle, Sardis Birchard, who had made him heir to a considerable fortune. When the republican state convention met at Columbus, in 1875, it was felt that an unusually strong man must be nominated for the head of the ticket. All eyes were soon turned toward Fremont, where General Hayes was living in quiet retirement. He did not encourage the use of his name, but, when the convention assembled, almost three-fourths of the members were for the ex-governor. His nomination was then made unanimously amidst great excitement, despite his protests and refusals by. wire. The campaign was filled with unusual excitement, because of the agitation over the money question. In spite of the demand for increased greenback currency, General Hayes made his campaign upon the basis of sound currency. He refused to yield his ideas in this respect, in spite of the urgent requests of many of the politicians, who had become greatly alarmed. When the votes were counted, it was found that he had carried the state by a safe majority over all candidates. This contest made him a national character. At various stages in his career, the name of General Hayes had been suggested for the presidency. At each mention he invariably replied that he was not a candidate for any office, and that he preferred to retire at the expiration of his gubernatorial term. The state convention of the republicans for 1876 pledged its support to Rutherford B. Hayes, and presented his name as a candidate for the nomination for president. It was found that Governor Hayes was the first choice of nearly every delegate in the other states for the second place, and was their second choice for the first place at the national convention. His dignified attitude won for him many friends. His name was presented by ex-Governor Noyes. On the first ballot he received only sixty-one votes.. During the succeeding ballots, there was a slow but sure advance in favor of Ohio's favorite son. On the sixth he stood second to James G. Blaine. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 283 The seventh ballot gave him the coveted prize. His nomination was received amidst great excitement with joy and delight. The democrats named Samuel J. Tilden, of New York. The campaign and its results have become one of the most noted incidents in the history of our country. Tilden made no pretensions to oratory, and declined to go upon the stump. His consummate political skill was applied to the personal direction of his own campaign. When the press reports began to come in of the election, it became the general belief that Mr. Tilden had been elected. Then it was that Senator Zachariah Chandler sent over the land the famous despatch, which has become historic : "Rutherford B. Hayes has received 185 electoral votes and is elected." He claimed South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida for Hayes. These three states became the pivotal points in the determination of the election. There was scarcely a newspaper that did not take sides, and general business was practically suspended. The returning boards reported that the electoral votes of these three states had been legally given to Hayes and Wheeler. The matter was placed. before Congress for decision, and the famous Electoral Commission, consisting of five members of the House of Representatives, five members of the Senate, and five of the Supreme Court Justices, was .appointed. These men rendered their decision by a vote of eight to seven in favor of the republican candidate. The division was on strict party lines. The report was not made until March 1st, only three days before the expiration of the term of office of President Grant. During the long days of suspense Governor Hayes remained at Columbus, quietly attending to his duties as governor of the state. He did and said nothing that. could be considered in any way an attempt. to influence the decision of the tribunal. When he left Columbus for Washington, on March 1st, he said : "I understand very well the uncertainty of public affairs at. Washington. I understand very well that possibly next week I may be with you again to resume my place in the Governor's office and as your fellow-citizen. But I also understand that it is my duty to be at Washington prepared to assume another position, higher and more responsible and with more difficult duties." The inauguration occurred on Monday, March 5th, the 4th having fallen on Sunday. As a matter of precaution General Hayes received the oath of office from Chief Justice Waite on Sunday, in order to avoid any possible legal conflictions that might be attempted because of the excitement that prevailed. He was the first president elected from Ohio since William Henry Harrison, in 1840. From the very beginning of the administration of President Hayes, it became evident that the new chief executive was determined to change the policy of his predecessor in some respects. This was particularly true with reference to the states lately in rebellion. He had decided to withdraw from the south military protection to the colored people, and to place the white population of the reconstructed states upon their good faith and their honor as to the political rights of all citizens. He entered into office under great embarrassment, because of the bitter personal opposition of all the democrats. The republicans were not yet ready to endorse his liberal attitude toward the South, and as a result. many of them became lukewarm. The result of his policy, however, in the permanent pacification of the Southern States, showed itself in after years as one of the very wisest of the policies pursued by President Hayes. His termination of military control in that section was an act of patriotism that did much to unite the country and eradicate the distinction between North and South. The cabinet appointed by President. Hayes was a creditable one, and was noted for the few changes that occurred in it. The money ques- 284 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO tion also came up for legislation, and upon this subject President Hayes took a most determined stand. Likewise the question of the restriction of Chinese immigration arose, and the restriction bill as passed by Congress was vetoed by the President. Whatever question came up, it was found that President Hayes had firm convictions, and was conscientious in the way by which he reached his conclusions. When accepting the nomination for the presidency, Governor Hayes had stated that he would not under any circumstances be a candidate for a second term. This pledge was carried out, and no effort was made either by himself or his friends to secure the election of delegates pledged to him. When the convention met at Chicago, in 1880, President Hayes was not among the avowed candidates, and his name was not presented for nomination. The convention, however, passed the following endorsement of his administration : "That the purity and patriotism which characterized the earlier career of Rutherford B. Hayes in peace and war, and which guided the thoughts of our immediate predecessors to him for a Presidential candidate, have continued to inspire him in his career as chief executive, and that history will accord to his administration the honors which are due an efficient, just and courteous discharge of the public business, and will honor his interposition between the people and proposed partisan laws." Upon the inauguration of General Garfield as President, Rutherford Birchard Hayes gladly and quietly relinquished the office, and retired to his home in Fremont, Ohio. He had married, in 1852, Lucy W. Webb, a daughter of a physician living in Chillicothe. She was a woman of unusual character and strength of mind, and made a lasting impression upon the country as the first lady of the land. Her strength of character was shown in the fact that she banished wine from the table of the White House, something that has never been done before or since. Ex-President S Hayes declined many opportunities for the exercise of public trusts, and accepted only such matters of religious or educational nature, or of public interest, as appealed to his sympathies. He served as a trustee tee for colleges from a sense of public duty, and took a deep interest in the local affairs of his home and neighborhood. He absolutely avoided all suggestions looking toward his taking any part in politics. He passed away on the 17th of January, 1893, at his home in Fremont, which has since been turned over to the state by his son, Webb C. Hayes. MORRISON REMICK WAITE Toledo and Northwestern Ohio take a pardonable pride in their distinguished contribution to the Supreme Court of the United States. Of all the men who have reached the position of Chief Justice, none deserve a higher position in the annals of the nation than does Morrison Remick Waite, the seventh in succession. Mr. Waite was descended from a line of distinguished ancestry. His father, Henry Matson Waite, was a graduate of Yale, and, after filling several other political positions, was appointed associate judge of the Supreme Court. of Errors of Connecticut. He was afterward unanimously elected by the Legislature of that state to the chief justice-ship of the state. This position he held until he reached the constitutional age limit of seventy years, when he retired. Morrison R. Waite was born at Lyme, Connecticut, on the 29th of November, 1816. He graduated at Yale University, in the class of 1837, and among his classmates were enumerated several men who afterwards achieved national reputation, including William M.. Evarts and Samuel J. Tilden. After his graduation he selected the law as his life profession. He commenced the reading of law HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 285 in his father's office, but, accepting the view then so prevalent in the eastern states, that a wider and more hopeful field of activity presented itself in the "far West," he left his home town in October, 1838, with the Maumee Valley as his destination. He settled in Maumee City, then the most prominent town in that valley, and renewed his law studies in the office of Samuel M. Young, who had preceded him by a few years to that promising village. Upon his admission to the bar, in 1839, the firm of Young and Waite was immediately formed, in which the junior member took upon himself his full share of the work of the firm. This included much travel by horseback, and other severe labor in attendance upon courts in the inland counties, and in the collection of claims against debtors, who were widely scattered throughout the backwood settlements, and the other miscellaneous business which naturally fell to a legal firm in a sparsely settled country. Mr. Waite continued the practice of law in Maumee City until the county seat was removed to Toledo, when the firm opened up an office in that town. He continued the practice of the law with Mr. Young, until his partner retired in 1856, at which time he admitted into partnership his brother Richard, and the firm of M. R. and R. Waite was formed which continued for a period of eighteen years. That Mr. Waite was not negligent in the duties that befell him, either in the political or civil life of the community, is conclusively shown by the records which have been preserved for us. From early life he had clear and positive conviction upon public questions. As early as 1844 we find that he was selected as one of the speakers for the whigs, who inserted a notice in the papers expressing their willingness and readiness upon proper notice to meet the champions of the democratic party in public discussion. A couple of years. earlier we find his name signed as a member of the Whig Central Committee to a circular attacking the "gerrymander," which had just been foisted upon the community by a democratic legislative body. He followed the fortunes and vicissitudes of the whig party until it was finally merged with the republican party in 1856. In 1846 he was the nominee of that party for Congress, having been nominated at a county convention held at Swanton. Although he polled a large vote in his own county, he failed in the election. Three years later, however, he was elected to the Ohio Legislature, where he served with distinction. That Mr. Waite was not overly ambitious politically, but was willing to serve his community even in smaller ways, is demonstrated by the fact that we find him in 1852 as a member of the Board of Aldermen. On August 11th of that year, Alderman M. R. Waite introduced "an ordinance requiring each place in which liquors were sold to be closed on Sunday," which 286 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO regulation was unanimously passed by that body. In 1862 occurred one of the most memorable political campaigns in Northwestern Ohio. This was in the second year of the Rebellion, and the chief cause of special interest was a division in sentiment in regard to the war policy of the government with respect to slavery. One aggressive faction advocated that the abolition of slavery should be made an end to be sought in the prosecution of the war. The other faction, composed of republicans and war democrats, believed that the only proper aim should be to defend the Union from disintegration by the suppression of the Rebellion, leaving slavery to take its chances with the political exigencies and natural results of the war. As an exponent of the latter view, Mr. Waite accepted the nomination in opposition to James M. Ashley, who was elected over him. In Toledo, Mr. Waite received a large majority of the votes, and in the county his plurality was considerable, so that he was given a large popular endorsement. Upon the refusal of Hocking H. Hunter, who had been nominated for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Bench in 1863, to accept the tender, Governor Brough offered the position to Mr. Waite, by whom it was also declined. The reputation of Morrison R. Waite as a sound and able lawyer, as well as a conscientious and conservative citizen, had reached far beyond his own section of the state. When President Grant, in December, 1871, selected him as one of the counsel for the United States in the arbitration at Geneva, Switzerland, which was called to settle what was known as the "Alabama Claims" of this government against Great Britain, Mr. Waite was far less known than his associates. Because of his special qualities of unwearying industry and unusual ability, in research and argument, his presentations of the question of Great Britain's liability in permitting Confederate war steamers to obtain supplies in British ports for hostilities against American shipping commanded such marked attention, both from that tribunal and from the world, that the close of this trial found his reputation second to none. He returned to Toledo with honors and distinction, but quietly resumed the practice of the law. He was elected without opposition as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1873, and upon the assembling of that body was chosen as its president. It was while this deliberative body was in session at Cincinnati, in January, 1874, that. the name of Mr. Waite was sent to the United States Senate by President Grant, naming him for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to succeed Salmon P. Chase. A couple of other names had been rejected by that body, but his nomination was unanimously approved. This happened just a year after his own admission to the practice in that distinguished tribunal. His assignment was received by the members of the convention and by the citizens of Toledo with marks of unusual approval, both the bar and laity of his home city expressing their gratification at his selection. He left Toledo on the 13th of February, and assumed his office on the 4th of March following, after taking the prescribed oath. The excessive labor demanded by his position in research and study of authorities and principles was met by him with energy and ability, and his services received general approbation. The words of a member of that court, after his own resignation from that tribunal, are herewith quoted : "From the day of his entrance into office as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he has been indefatigable in the discharge of its great duties ; patient, industrious, and able. His administrative ability is remarkable. None of his predecessors more steadily and wisely superintended the Court, or more carefully observed all that is necessary to its working. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 287 Nothing under his administration has been neglected or overlooked. He has written many of the most important decisions of the Court." At one time Chief Justice Waite was talked of for the presidency, but he discouraged all such suggestions. He preferred the atmosphere of the court, and gave to it the most conscientious devotion possible. He served as Chief Justice a little more than fourteen years, and died at Washington on the 23d of March, 1888, almost a half century after his admission to the bar of Ohio. His religious convictions were clear and positive, and for more than forty years he had been an active vestryman in the Protestant Episcopal Churching His interest in whatever concerned the moral and material well-being of his fellowmen was shown on many occasions. His private character was pure and noble. CALVIN STEWART BRICE The career of United States Senator Brice is another illustration of the fallacy of the saying that ministers' sons seldom turn out well. Calvin Stewart Brice was the son of William Kirkpatrick Brice, a Presbyterian minister. For many years he was prominent in the state and nation as a lawyer, a railroad promoter, and political leader. He was born at Denmark, Ohio, on the 17th of September, 1845. Three year later the family removed to Columbus Grove, where the youth spent his boyhood up to his early teens, under the home care of his mother, a woman of much intellectual force and charm of character, and under the scholarly instruction of his father. He then entered the preparatory academy of Miami University, situated at Oxford, Ohio. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War, in which he made three separate enlistments. One of these was shortly after entering college, when he joined a university company, which was stationed for a time at Camp Jackson, near Columbus. He returned to college in the fall, and then enlisted in Company A, Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which one of his professors was captain, and spent a summer in campaigning in West Virginia. He returned to the university and graduated in June, 1863. After teaching for a few months in the public schools of Lima, and clerking for a time in the auditor's office of the county, he recruited a company in July, 1864, and received a commission as captain of Company E, One Hundred Eightieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. With this company he served until the end of the war, and was then promoted for meritorious service to the rank of lieutenant colonel, although never mustered in. In the fall of 1865, young Brice went to Ann Arbor, where he pursued his law studies in the University of Michigan, and, in the following year, was admitted to practice at the bar of Ohio and in the Federal courts. He formed a partnership with James Irvine, of 288 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO Lima, and followed his vocation in that town for a dozen years with very marked success. Had he continued in the legal profession, he would undoubtedly have become one of the foremost lawyers of a state noted for its legal ability. His natural ability and devotion to the interests of his clients would certainly have met with their natural and merited reward. The call of business seemed to outweigh the lure of law in Calvin S. Brice, and his activities were gradually turned into that channel. It was through his law connections that he first became interested in the railroad business. He entered the legal department of the old Lake Erie & Louisville Railroad, which afterwards became the Lake Erie and Western. He became a stockholder in this railroad, and played a prominent part in its development. His success in this undertaking led him into a still greater enterprise, which was the promotion of the great Nickel Plate Railroad. He carried through this project so successfully that it made him a man of wealth, as well as a figure of national importance and interest. From that time he became connected with numerous other railroads, and was for several years active in the development of the iron highways of the Southern states. His railway interest did not prevent him from taking a part in other fields of investment and development in his home town, as well as being active in its social life. He became connected with banking interests, organized and managed the gas light company, and had many other investments in Lima. He was also active in the management of financial institutions in our eastern metropolis, where, in the midst of the nation's greatest financiers, the opinion of Lima's financier and statesman was greatly sought after. During the visit of Li Hung Chang, the eminent Chinese statesman, to the United States, Mr. Brice became interested in the Orient. Mr. Chang is said to have become attracted to Mr. Brice, because he was able to answer his questions, which were very many indeed, in a clearer and more concise way than anybody else. As a matter of fact, Senator Brice is said to have been one of the best informed men about localities that could be found anywhere. As a result, the Chinese sought to interest him in railway enterprise in China, and Mr. Brice did attempt to organize a syndicate of fifty persons, each of whom should subscribe $5,000 for the purpose of a preliminary survey for a railroad in China. It was not long until the project was oversubscribed, and Mr. Brice was able to select his own associates. It was one of the wealthiest syndicates ever gathered together for any business enterprise. Both London and Paris bankers were included in its personnel. Had these two men lived, a great Chinese railroad might have been the outcome of the negotiations, but both of them died before there was time to realize their comprehensive plans. Mr. Brice was always an ardent and earnest democrat in politics, and for many years was conspicuous and influential in the councils of his party. In 1888 he was a delegate at large from Ohio to the Democratic National Convention, and, as chairman of the campaign committee, conducted the party campaign of that year. In the following year he was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee. It was only natural that his prominence in politics and business made Mr. Brice the logical choice of his party for the office of United States Senator for Ohio. He was duly elected by the Ohio Legislature, and served one full term in the United States Senate, covering the period from 1891 to 1897. In that office he exerted unusual influence among his associates, and served on a number of important committees. He was a member of the "steering committee," one of the very important committees of that great body. His business experience and the keen quality of his mind, as well as his caution and con- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 289 servatism, made his judgment highly prized and his advice much sought after. Calvin S. Brice commenced life as a poor boy, with only a sound constitution, and perhaps an extra supply of the American grit as his inheritance. He was not an orator, but he had a habit of direct speaking, in which he could express a great deal of sound ,common sense and logic in a few words. It is said that he never failed to answer a letter promptly and with directness. This habit made and kept for him many friends, and he never forgot a friend. His scholarship and interest in education made him a trustee of Miami University, and an evidence of his generosity can be seen on its campus today. Brice Hall, named in his honor, was largely a result of his own benefactions. He died in New York, on the 15th of December, 1898. WARREN G. HARDING The second United States Senator furnished by Northwest Ohio to the state and the nation Warren G. Harding, of Marion. Senator Harding was born in Corsica, Morrow County, Ohio, on the 2d of November, 1865. He never had the advantage of a thorough college education, but received his advanced schooling at the Ohio Central College, of Iberia. Anyone who has ever heard Senator Harding speak, or has read his writings, would know that he has imbibed a very thorough education in the practical affairs of life. He is a product of the newspaper office, in which business he became engaged at the early age of nineteen. In 1884, in company with a couple of his associates, he purchased the Marion Star, a publication which up to that time had never been a profitable enterprise. The partners soon retired, but Mr. Harding remained with the paper until the yearly balance was placed upon the credit side of the ledger. During all the succeeding years, he has remained as the head of the Star, and has made Vol I-19 it one of the most important and influential newspapers published in the smaller cities of the state. He has always conducted it as a vigorous Republican organ. It was only natural that Mr. Harding should gradually drift into politics, as has been the case with so many editors. His first public office was an election to the Ohio Senate, in the year 1900. His record was unusually conspicuous in that legislative body, and he was always found on the practical side of the important matters that were brought up for discussion and action. In 1902 he was reelected to the same body, serving four years in all as a state senator. So conspicuous was his service to the state and to the party, that he was nominated in 1903 for the office of lieutenant-governor of Ohio. At the election following, he was duly elected, and served one term in this position. In 1910, he was named as the republican standard-bearer for the high office of governor of the state, for which position he made a vigorous campaign. The trend 290 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO of the state, however, was against the republican candidates, and he went down to defeat with all of his associates. With this defeat, however, Mr. Harding did not disappear from public life. He remained active in the councils of his party, and his name was frequently mentioned for positions of influence and power. When the problem of electing a new senator from Ohio presented itself to the Legislature, the name of Warren G. Harding met with little opposition. By the vote of that body, he was chosen as one of the two United States senators for the term beginning in 1915, and extending to 1921. He early took an advanced position in the conservative Senate, and had unusual attention shown to him for a new member of that body. His counsel was sought and his advice received with due consideration by members who had seen much longer service. The esteem in which he is held by the leaders of the republican party is shown when he was chosen as the presiding officer of the Republican National Convention, held at Chicago, in June, 1916. This position he filled with great dignity, and his speech before the convention was recognized as one of the strongest utterances of that heated political meeting. CHARLES FOSTER One of the most prominent men in public life in Ohio for many years was Charles Foster, of Fostoria. He was the son of Charles W. Foster, one of the founders of that thriving city. The future chief executive of the state was born near Tiffin, Ohio, on the 12th of April, 1828. His education was derived from the common schools of his home neighborood, and at the academy of Norwalk. He early entered business life for, at the age of twenty, we find him associated with his father under the firm name of Charles W. Foster & Company. This firm were merchants, but banking was also a specialty with them. From that time until the end of his life, we find Charles Foster prominently associated in the business life of Fostoria, and, until financial disaster overtook him in his later years, he participated in almost every business enterprise of practically every nature in that growing town. This was particularly true after the gas and oil discoveries in that vicinity. The initial entrance of Charles Foster into political life was in the year 1870, when he was elected a member 'of the Forty-secon Congress by a good majority. The fact that he was chosen from a strong democratic district brought this new member from the Buckeye State into prominence immediately in that distinguished legislative body. He soon occupied a much more prominent position than many who had been members for several terms. His natural political sagacity and shrewd political sense enabled him to fill with noteworthy ability positions upon some of the most important committees in the House. So satisfactory were his services to his constituents, that he was re-elected to the Forty-third, HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 291 Forty-fourth, and Forty-fifth congresses. Although the outlines of his district were changed, he was still able to win these successive elections from his constituents. He was finally defeated as a candidate for the fifth term. This reversal ended his membership in the National House of Representatives, but it did not close his political career. In 1879 the republican leaders determined to prosecute a vigorous effort to wrest Ohio from the democrats. For a decade the elections had been extremely close, and the democratic state ticket had been successful three times. In at least two of the other elections the republican majorities were very meager. The democratic convention declined to renominate Governor Bishop, and named as its candidate Gen. James Ewing, of Lancaster, a member of a very distinguished family in the state. The republicans named Charles Foster, the Fostoria merchant. His opponents in derision spoke of him as "Calico Charlie," but the republicans welcomed this appellation. It had a real democratic and popular ring to it. Ladies even donned calico dresses in order to ow their preference. In this campaign Mr. oster applied all the practical business principles for which he had become noted. Not an rator in any sense of the word, his addresses ere nevertheless direct and appealed to the verage man. Nothing was overlooked in the mpaign, and every section of the state was visited. He was a gifted master of details, and introduced into the political campaign the stem of polling the voters before election, in order to get an estimate of the probabilities of the outcome. He was a firm believer in organization, and introduced practical business methods into the entire work of his political campaign. His forces were organized almost like an army, and workers were hired in the closer precincts in order to do effective work. To Mr. Foster politics was a business, and he applied to it the same methods as he would to a mercantile enterprise. The result of the election of 1879 was that Charles Foster was chosen governor by a substantial majority. During his two terms as chief executive of Ohio, Governor Foster brought to bear upon state affairs the same business rules and integrity that he exercised in his private enterprises. The result was that his administration was noted for its economical management and honest dealing, all of which reflected great credit upon the governor. He was the first executive of the state to urge and secure the taxing of the liquor traffic in Ohio, and through his efforts the Pond Law was passed. The liquor problem was generally considered a very unsafe question to attack at that time, but Governor Foster believed that it should be, and was able to force through legislation on the subject. The opposition was well entrenched, and bold in its demands, and it required considerable courage to thus openly attack it. But courage was a quality with which Charles Foster was abundantly supplied. Governor Foster had a very prominent part in the convention that nominated James A. Garfield for the presidency, in 1880. It was generally believed at the time that he would be given one of the cabinet positions, but political expediency did not seem to warrant this. In March, 1891, he was named as secretary of the treasury by President Benjamin Harrison, and successfully administered the arduous demands of that office until the end of the Harrison administration. He was gifted with strong common sense and a personal generosity, and his intuition was quick to recognize the expediency of political measures and the strength of political parties. With a genial and democratic disposition, he was popular with all who knew him, both in his own party and among those of the opposition. After retiring from the office of secretary of the treasury, Governor Foster held no further political position. It was during that period that business reverses overtook him during a 292 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO severe financial panic. He continued to busy himself with business affairs until his death on the 9th day of January, 1904. FRANK B. WILLIS The election of Frank B. Willis to the office of governor of Ohio, completed the trio of worthy chief executives of the great State of Ohio that have been contributed by the northwestern section of the commonwealth. Mr. Willis was born at Lewis Center, Ohio, on the 28th of December, 1871. He was educated at the Ohio Northern University, of Ada, from which he graduated. The year following his graduation, he became a member of the faculty of that institution, holding the chair of history and economics. He filled this position for a dozen years, but, after his admission to the bar in 1906, he became a professor of law in the same institution. Governor Willis has always been a republican, as were his two predecessors from this section of Ohio. He was always interested in politics, and his first opportunity for a political career came when he was elected as a delegate to the county convention. Although not a candidate for any office, the delegates to that convention insisted upon nominating him for the Legislature. Although the county was democratic, Mr. Willis determined to make every possible effort to win the election. Success crowned his efforts, and he served two terms in the Ohio HoIlse of Representatives. His record in the Legislature was excellent. Although a party man, he would not yield to questionable bossism. Up to this time he had been satisfied to follow the profession of teaching, but the political field seemed to open up a wider opportunity. Thus it was that he finally became a candidate for the congressional nomination from his home district. Undaunted by one defeat in an attempt to secure the coveted prize, he continued, and after three unsuccessful efforts finally became the nominee of his party for Congress at the first congressional primary. At the election following, he was easily elected. His first term in Congress ingratiated him among his constituents, and he was elected to the second term, serving in both the Sixty-second and Sixty-third congresses from the Eighth Ohio District. He was one of the two republicans elected from Ohio to the last named Congress. He took an active part in Congress, and was placed on a number of very important committees. It was while still a member of Congress that the call came to lead what seemed to be a hopeless fight for a republican victory in Ohio. Always a fighter, Mr. Willis conducted an aggressive campaign, and visited within four weeks eighty-one of the eighty-eight counties of the state, making an average of a dozen speeches a day. The campaign of 1914 will long be remembered as an intensely bitter one. The strong hand of his predecessor in shaping legislation, and in practically changing the administration of the affairs of the state, added to the intensity of the feeling. The result of the election was the choice of Frank B. Willis as governor by the electors. Governor Willis brought into the office a strong and vigorous personality, a mind filled with honest and pure motives, and a natural ability that measures up with his distinguished predecessors. It is too early, and is not wise, to pass judgment on an administration that is so recent, and about which opinion is sure to be divided because of the varying party affiliations. Governor Willis has become a national character, and is recognized as one of the ablest men of the state. His powers as an orator are recognized everyhere, and he is considered one of the most effective public speakers in the state. He is gifted with a commanding presence, and a voice that fills the largest hall. As a man he is exceedingly democratic in manner, and delights to mingle with the people. At the Republican National Convention of 1916, he presented the name of HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 293 Senator Theodore E. Burton for the office of president in a masterly address. In the November election of that year, he was defeated for a second term in the presidential landslide, but came within a few thousand votes of the coveted prize. It was only the overwhelming presidential vote that carried his opponent to victory. ROBERT KINGSTON SCOTT Robert Kingston Scott was for many years one of Henry County 's most conspicuous and prominent citizens. As a .pioneer, physician, soldier, and statesman, he won success and high honors, and no man has ever shed more luster and renown upon the community than did he. Governor Scott was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, on the 8th of July, 1826. His first years were passed under the parental roof, and his early education was acquired in the public schools. In 1841 he joined a sister, then living in Stark County, Ohio. After pursuing his studies for a time in the common schools, he began teaching. At this time he took up the reading of medicine, and later attended Starling Medical College, at Columbus. He was drawn to California during the gold excitement, and spent a year in seeking for the precious metal on that coast. On his return trip, he visited many places of interest in Mexico and South America. While passing through Henry County, Doctor Scott was prevailed upon by friends to locate in the Village of Florida, where he began the active practice of medicine. During the following five years he met with distinct success, and clearly demonstrated his talent and skill in the treatment of diseases. At the end of that period, however, he engaged in merchandising, and, in 1860, he removed to Napoleon. At the breaking out of the Civil War, Doctor Scott disposed of his business interests, devoting all of his time and a considerable portion of his means in recruiting and sending to the front several companies of soldiers. In the organization of both the Fourteenth and Thirty-eighth regiments he bore an active part. He traveled throughout the county and vicinity, recruiting men and perfecting the organization. Later he began recruiting the Sixty-eighth Regiment, which was composed mainly of Henry County men. In this work he was acting under orders from Governor Dennison. Upon the organization of the regiment, he was offered a commission as colonel of the same, but declined, accepting, however, a commission as lieutenant-colonel. Soon afterwards Colonel Scott succeeded to the command of the regiment, continuing as such until the fall of Vicksburg. He had now earned and received a commission as brigadier-general of volunteers, the commission bearing date of December 12, 1863. In March, 1865, he was brevetted major-general. In December, 1865, General Scott was ordered by the secretary of war to report to Gen. 0. 0. Howard, at Washington, and he was thence sent to relieve General Saxton at Charleston, South Carolina, as commissioner of freedmen, refugees, and abandoned lands. He entered upon the discharge of these duties on the first day of the year 1866, and discharged these important responsibilities with the highest credit to himself. He succeeded in winning the good will and genuine respect of both whites and blacks. At the request of the people generally of the Palmetto State, General Scott was not mustered out of the service at the time determined upon by the Washington authorities, but was continued in his position until July, 1868, when he resigned. Having gained a residence in the state by reason of his prolonged stay there on official business, General Scott was, in 1868, placed in nomination by the republican state convention for the office of governor, and, at the ensuing election, he was chosen to that office by a large majority. In 1870 he was 294 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO re-elected to the same high position. For a period of six years after retiring from the gubernatorial chair, General Scott continued to reside in South Carolina, but in 1878 he returned with his family to Napoleon, Ohio, and took up the management of his large real estate interests. Governor Scott's death occurred in Napoleon on the 12th of August, 1900. JAMES MANSFIELD ASHLEY For many years James Mansfield Ashley was one of the most prominent citizens of Toledo and, in fact, of all Northwest Ohio. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the 24th of November, 1822. Soon afterwards the family removed to Portsmouth, Ohio, where the boyhood days of Mr. Ashley were spent. When only fourteen years of age he ran away from home, and secured employment as a cabin boy, and later as clerk, upon an Ohio River steamboat. During the time on the river, which was at the formative period of his life, he witnessed the darkest side of the slave traffic, and developed then an utter abhorrence for the entire iniquitous system. So strong was this feeling that he resolved to do all in his power to stamp out this curse at the earliest. possible moment. He often used to assist runaway slaves in escaping from their bondage, which at that time was a criminal offense, and an extremely dangerous one in a pro-slavery region. When a young man Mr. Ashley began the publication of a newspaper at Portsmouth, called the Democratic Enquirer, which he was obliged to dispose of for lack of necessary capital. In 1851 he removed to Toledo, where he established a wholesale drug store. His interest in politics at this time was intense. In 1854 he assisted in the establishment of the republican party in the Toledo district, and attended an important convention called by the leaders of this party at Pittsburgh, a couple of years later. He was a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Philadelphia, at which John C. Fremont was nominated as the standard bearer. In a speech during this campaign, he said : " Conspirators are at this very hour laying broad and deep the conditions which are certain to ultimate in a revolution of fire and blood that must either result in the destruction of this union and government or in the abolition of slavery." James Mansfield Ashley first entered political life as the republican candidate for Congress from the Toledo District, in 1858. He was elected and served in this legislative body for ten successive years. He soon became recognized as a leader in republican councils, and as an uncompromising abolitionist. His voice was ever heard on behalf of the downtrodden black man. During the first session of Congress, after the election of President Lincoln, he introduced a bill providing for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, but this bill, because of its extremely radical features, met with little support. In the following year, he assisted in drawing and introducing another bill less drastic in its provisions, which was passed. On December 14, 1862, he introduced a proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States by abolishing slave This measure was finally passed on June 15, 1864, and largely through the persistent efforts of .Mr. Ashley in securing support from the representatives. He began the impeachment proceedings against President Johnson, in 1867, by charging him with usurpation of power and violation of the laws of the United States by corruptly using the appointing, pardoning, and veto power of the executive. He also at that time introduced an amendment to the Constitution, providing for the election of the President by the direct vote of the people. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 295 As chairman of the Congressional Committee on Territories, Mr. Ashley rendered effective service in establishing, naming, and organizing the territories of Idaho, Arizona, and Montana. He was defeated for re-election. to Congress in 1868 and, in the following year, was made territorial governor of Montana by President Grant, being the third governor of that territory. Owing to a dis- agreement with the President, Mr. Ashley was removed within a year. This virtually marked his retirement from political life, and he devoted his later years to the promotion of a railway, which was successfully accomplished. Although a candidate for Congress afterwards, he was not successful in being elected. He died on the 16th of September, 1896, at Toledo. CHAPTER XXV NORTHWEST OHIO IN LITERATURE It cannot, be said that Northwest Ohio has contributed any distinctive literature to the nation, for it requires some striking physical characteristics or a peculiar population to bring out such a form of writing. In other words, it has not produced a Bret Harte, or a writer of his type. Mountainous districts, such as those of Tennessee and Kentucky, some peculiar regions bordering on the sea, such as the Labrador coast, and even the monotonous prairie will frequently bring out a class of writers who are inspired by some endemic idea which is suggested by their surroundings. Northwest Ohio has none of these singular and distinctive characteristics, and yet it has produced writers who have contributed noteworthy productions to the literary wealth of the nation. They have been interpreters of life in its deepest and most universal aspects. Their writings have not been in any one particular line, but have ranged from the humorous to the serious, from philosophy to fiction, and from history to romance. In Northwest Ohio there has been a mass of material printed. Every county has had its writer, and almost every community has had a citizen who has published a story, a poem, a religious or political document; in either pamphlet or book form. Many of these have considerable merit, but their field of circulation has been limited. It has been utterly impossible to attempt to gather a complete list of these publications. The aim has been in so far as possible to note those writers whose productions have gained more than local recognition, and which might fairly be classed as literature in the broad sense. Of the writings and writers of the early days, little is known. Their works have generally disappeared, or they are represented only by a few scattered copies here and there. The fame of the writers has been covered by the cobwebs of a half century or more, and it is almost impossible at this time to gather up the broken threads and treat of the matter intelligently. Northwest Ohio cannot lay claim to any great poet, and yet much poetry, or at least rhyme, has been produced. One of our earliest writers was the Rev. Leonard B. Gurley, a pioneer poet and preacher. He was the presiding elder of the Maumee District, Michigan Conference, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is credited with the authorship of the first original poem that was published in this section of the state. His wo is scarcely known today but, in the early days, his verse was much read and admired. He lived at times in several of the counties of this section, and a few of his effusions reveal a real poetic genius. "Count" Andrew Coffinberry published, in 1842, "The Forest Rangers," a tale of the northwest wilderness of 1794. It recounts the march of Anthony Wayne in his campaign through Northwest Ohio and his famous victory over the Indians at Fallen Timbers. Although the poem cannot claim high rank for its versification, it is permeated with the aroma of the rivers and forests, and the wild free life of that day. It is divided into seven - 296 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 297 cantos, as follows : "The Capture, The Narration, The March, The Hazard, The Rescue, The Preparation, and The Conclusion." The principal character is a typical forest ranger of that period, who is seeking a captive maid. This gives a basis for the romance that runs through the long poem. Very few copies of this poem are known to exist. Mr. Coffinberry was a famous lawyer of those days, and lived for many years at Perrysburg, afterwards removing to Findlay. Kate Brownlee Sherwood penned some poems that reflect real genius. She had a distinctive literary turn of mind. For years she was the editor of the woman's department in The National Tribune. In addition to many occasional poems, published in periodicals, she was the author of two published volumes. "Camp Fire and Memorial Poems" received wide recognition. A later volume was entitled "Dreams of the Ages, A Poem of Columbia, 1893." Lucy Elliott Keeler is a native of Fremont, and received her education in the public schools of that city. She is gifted as a writer, and has furnished many contributions to the leading magazines of the country. For years she was an editorial writer for the Youth's Companion. In 1904 she published "If I Were a Girl Again," which ran through several editions, and a few years later she published "If I Were a Boy." In addition she has written several monographs of local history, and numerous contributions to the Ohio Archeological and Historical Journal. Estelle Avery Sharpe, also of Fremont, is the author of a work in three volumes, which is entitled "Foundation Stones of a Successful Career; Conversational Lessons on Social Ethics for Home and School." Emily St. John Bouton is one of the best known women writers of this section of the state. For many years she was the household editor of the Toledo Blade, also contributing to magazines. She is the author of "Health and Beauty," "Social Etiquette," "Life's Gateways," and "The Life Joyful." Wilbur G. Ziegler first engaged in the practice of law, but exhibited considerable ability in literature. He was first associated in the editorial work of a "History of Sandusky County," published in 1882. Mr. Ziegler was also the joint author of a work entitled "The Heart of the Alleghenies," which was published in 1883. Soon afterwards he removed to San Francisco, and has written several books since that time. The most successful of his publications has been " The Story of the Great Disaster," published in 1906, which was an account of the memorable earthquake at San Francisco. Alfred H. Welch was a native of Fostoria, who died while a professor of English literature at the Ohio State University. He was the author of a series of school books and other publications. Besides the series of school text books, he wrote "The Conflict of the Ages," "The Development of English Literature and Language," and "Man and His Relations." He was ever a great lover of nature, and this taste is revealed in his writings. Horace Newton Allen, for many years a resident of Korea, and United States Minister to that country from 1901 to 1905, is a leading authority upon that ancient kingdom. He has written several volumes dealing with the history or life of Korea and the Koreans. The first of these published works was "Korean Tales," which appeared in 1889. This was followed by "Chronological Index of Foreign Relations of Korea, from Beginning of Christian Era to Twentieth Century." "Korea—Fact and Fiction," and "Things Korean" are the two latest volumes from the pen of Doctor Allen. H. S. Knapp was well known a few decades ago throughout all the Maumee Valley. He was engaged in newspaper work in a number of different towns in this part of our state, 298 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO and assisted in the preparation of several county histories. His most important work was a "History of the Maumee Valley," which is one of the standard works treating of that historical and romantic region. One of the best known and most popular writers of children's stories in the United States today is Josephine Scribner Gates, of Toledo. Her productions have been unusually well received, and through the urgent demands of the publishers one book after another has been issued from the press. The titles of her numerous books are as follows: "The Story of Live Dolls," "More About Live Dolls," "Story of the Lost Doll," "Story of Three Dolls," "Live Dolls' House Party," "Little Red, White and Blue," "Live Dolls' Busy Days," "Live Dolls' Play Days," "The April Pool Doll," "The Live Dolls' Party Days," "Sunshine Annie,'' "Little Girl Blue," "Tommy Sweet Tooth," "Live Dolls in Fairyland," "Live Dolls in Wonderland," "Little Girl Blue Plays 'I Spy'," "One Day in Betty's Life," "The Land of Delight," "Nanette and the Bad Monkey," "Nanette Goes to Visit Her Grandmother," "Captain Billie Leads the War to the Land of I, Don't Want To." DAVID ROSS LOCKE The most noted writer that Northwest Ohio has produced, and one whose name was known all over the civilized world, wherever the English language is read, during and after • the Civil War, was David Ross Locke. There are many today who are familiar with his writings, but who would not recognize this name. They know him only by the famous pen name assumed by him, as Petroleum V. Nasby. Mr. Locke was born in the State of New York in 1833. From his father he had inherited a strong sense of liberty, and a determined opposition to eveverythinghat savored of shackles. His experience in early life was a varied one. Learning the trade of a printer, he became one of the wandering members of that profession. During this time he visited practically every large city in the country, earning his living at times as a printer, and on other occasions as a reporter or writer upon the newspapers. His reward was in experience rather than in money remuneration, but this experience was of incalculable value to him in the after years. During these wanderings he traveled over the Southern States, and his experiences there only deepened the anti-slavery sentiments inherited from his father. He learned to hate everything connected with that institution. Mr. Locke's first experience in practical business was when he and a partner established the Advertiser, at Plymouth, Ohio. This enterprise was a success, and four years afterwards he removed to Bucyrus, taking charge of the Journal in that city. It was here that he initiated the reputation which later made him one of the leading literary lights of the country. He wrote a series of weekly stories for six years, some of which were weird and pathetic, while others were tragic and startling. All of them, however, illustrated certain social phases of life. The scenes were laid in and around Bucyrus, with realistic descriptions of scenery and sometimes of personages. The Confederate Cross (X) Roads, which soon became so well known, was originally located in a small village a few miles north of Bucyrus. These stories were widely copied, and many of them found their way into the leading newspapers of the day. Some strayed to England, and were also translated into French and German. It is believed that Tennyson secured his plot of Enoch Arden from one of Locke's sketches. The beginning of the Civil War found him the editor and proprietor of a weekly paper published at Findlay, called the Jeffersonian. Here it was that he received the inspiration for the famous Nasby letters, which made HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 299 him not only a national but an international character. He wished to enlist in the war, but the governor told him he could do more at home fighting with his pen than upon the field. The popularity of the Nasby letters created a demand for the presence of the author upon the lecture platform, and he lectured in all the principal, cities of the North, where he never failed to draw a crowded house and to evoke prolonged applause. He exercised much influence in moulding public opinion in upholding the hands of President Lincoln. He afterwards attacked the policy of President Johnson just as strongly as he had sustained that of the martyred president. President Lincoln offered Mr. Locke any position that he might name, but he refused the offer. President Grant tendered him an attractive diplomatic appointment, which he again declined, not having the slightest desire for public office of any kind. In 1865 he removed to Toledo, and took charge of the Toledo Blade. He then built up the weekly Blade, which acquired a 'circulation from coast to coast. His literary productions included several successful stories, a number of books and pamphlets, and many poems, all of which were more or less popular with the reading public. The famous Nasby letters were issued in book form under the title of "Divers Views, Opinions and Prophecies of Yours Truly." Among his books were "Eckoes from Kentucky," "The Morals of Abou Ben Adhem," "The Struggles of Petroleum V. Nasby," "Moral History of America's Life Struggle," "Swinging Round the Circle," "Paper City," and "Hannah Jane." In the spring of 1881 Mr. Locke went to Europe and traveled for two years, during which time he visited many of the countries of that continent. His impressions were published in a book which he called "Nasby in Exile." This work has been classed with the famous volume of Mark Twain, entitled "Innocents Abroad." It is filled with shrewd observations, and running through it is a splendid vein of humor. He died in Toledo in the year 1888. BRAND WHITLOCK The name of Brand Whitlock as an author and public character has extended far beyond the boundaries of the United States. He is also a product of the newspaper offices, as his early training was in the position of a reporter on Toledo newspapers. Upon arriving at his majority he went to Chicago, where he became a reporter and political writer for the Chicago Herald. As a part of his duties he reported political meetings and the proceedings of the Illinois Legislature, and in that way was introduced into political life. His first position was in the office of the Secretary of State, at Springfield. During this time he read law and returned to Toledo after admission to the bar, where he engaged in the practice of that profession. The literary instinct, however, could not be downed, so that Mr. Whitlock continued writing articles for newspapers and short stories for the magazines. His first book, " The Thirteenth District," made its appearance in 1902, and was one of the very successful political novels of that period. The reputation created by this book brought other demands for the work of his pen. Hence it was that the premier volume was followed by "Her Infinite Variety" and "The Happy Average," both of these works being published in the year 1904. These novels were widely read, but the "Turn of the Balance," which followed, created somewhat of a sensation in certain circles, because of its attacks upon certain established institutions, and especially the treatment of criminals in prisons. It is a strong indictment of the legal procedure in the American courts in the punishment of crime. Always a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Whitlock