DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 225 cess in this line would entitle him to mention as one of the representative business men of Dayton, but in other fields he has also proved his capability and resourcefulness, being now vice president of the Peckham Coal & Ice Company, operating artificial ice plants at Piqua and Troy, Ohio. In 1898 in Dayton, Mr. Peckham was united in marriage to Miss Bess May Finch, a (laughter of the late Milton H. Finch, and they have one child, Phyllis They hold membership in and support the First Baptist church. Mr. Peckham is also prominent in Masonry, holding membership in Dayton Lodge, No. 147, A. F. & A. M., of which he is a past master ; Reese Council No. 9, R. & S. M., of which he is a past illustrious master ; and Reed Commandery, K. T., of which he is a past eminent commander. He has also taken the degrees of the Scottish Rite, and is a member of the Mystic Shrine. The craft finds in him a worthy exemplar, who is loyal to its beneficent spirit and its teachings concerning the brotherhood of mankind. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and though he does not seek nor desire political office he is never remiss in the duties of citizenship and gives loyal support to those movements and measures which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride. WILLIAM H. THIES. William H. Thies, a general farmer and stock raiser of Mad River township, is the owner of one hundred and thirty acres of rich and productive land on the Troy pike, about three miles from the courthouse. His birth occurred on the old Thies homestead, which is located on the Brandt pike in Mad River township, his natal day being August 17, 1856. His parents were Theodore and Elizabeth (Brandenburg) Thies. The paternal grandparents, John and Mary (Pfoutz) Thies, spent their entire lives in Germany. On attaining man's estate Theodore Thies, the father of our subject, emigrated from Germany to the United States and, making his way at once to Montgomery county, Ohio, became a prominent pioneer citizen of Dayton. He was a successful contractor, built most of the pikes in Mad River township and also assisted in the construction, of the Erie canal, thus contributing in large measure to the early development and upbuilding of this section of the state. In his youthful years William H. Thies attended the schools of this county in the acquirement of an education and also worked at farm labor, thus early becoming familiar with the varied duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. Since starting out in business life on his own account his time and energies have been devoted to farming and he is now the owner of a valuable tract of land in Mad River township, comprising one hundred and thirty acres. In addition to cultivating the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he is also engaged in stock raising to some extent and in all of his undertakings has met with that measure of success which is ever the reward of untiring, persistent and well directed labor. On the 8th of October, 1885, Mr. Thies was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Koehler, a (laughter of Fred and Tracy (Wasmut) Koehler, of Mad River town- 226 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY ship. By this union there have been born six children, namely : Lewis, who is employed in Dayton; Clement, who has completed his education and now assists his father in the work of the home farm ; Rosella, at home ; Clara, who is attending school ; Edward, who passed away in. his nineteenth year, his remains being interred in Calvary cemetery ; and George, who died when five years of age and was likewise laid to rest in Calvary cemetery. Mr. Thies is a member of lodge No. 225 of the Knights of St. John and also belongs to Holy Rosary church, in which he has served as a trustee. The other members of his family also take an active and helpful part in the work of the church, doing all in their power to promote its growth and extend its influence. Throughout his entire life Mr. Thies has been a resident of Montgomery county and is well known and highly esteemed as one of its successful and representative agriculturists and public-spirited citizens. FREDERICK P. BEAVER. The history of Frederick P. Beaver is that of a man whose intelligent appreciation and utilization of opportunities carried him into important business relations, while today as a retired capitalist he has a wide acquaintance among the leading business men and financiers of the city with whom his word carries. weight in the 'consideration of business and financial problems. There were no unusual circumstances or esoteric chapters in the life record of Mr. Beaver, his success Coming to him as the logical sequence of carefully directed labor, close application and unfaltering diligence; combined with the ability to coordinate forces into .a unified and resultant whole. His birth occurred in Dayton, November 29, 1845, his parents being J. N. F. and Caroline (Snyder) Beaver, natives Of Pennsylvania and of French Huguenot and Prussian ancestry respectively. The father was born near Chambersburg and the mother near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but in their youthful days they came to Ohio, J. N. F. Beaver arriving in this state in 1835. Nine years later he was married in Dayton to Miss Caroline Snyder, who had been a resident of the state since 1819. They began their domestic life in this city and for a number of years Mr. Beaver figured prominently in commercial and industrial circles and also as an advocate of those interests which uphold the legal, political and moral status of the community. He first engaged in the manufacture of candy and later turned his attention to the coal and coke business. Subsequently he entered the wholesale notion business as junior partner in the firm of Coffman & Beaver, the senior partner being Jacob Coffman: This relation was maintained uninterruptedly until the death of ,Mr. Beaver in August, 1856. He held membership in the Baptist church in which he served as deacon, and his political views in the closing years of his life were in harmony with the principles of the newly organized republican party. His widow survived him five years and passed away in March, 1861. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Snyder who, coming to Ohio in pioneer times, remained residents of Dayton until called to the DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 227 home beyond. Her father was for a time proprietor of the hotel where the present Cooper House now stands. The children of Mr. and Mrs. J. N. F. Beaver were five in number ; Edward C., a resident of Frankfort, Indiana, who is in the insurance business ; Hattie A., the widow of J. A. Crebs and a resident of Dayton ; Charles H., who died in infancy ; Ida A., the wife of Edward Canby of Dayton ; and Frederick P. The public schools of Dayton afforded Frederick P. Beaver his educational opportunities and when sixteen years of age he was earning his own livelihood as a paper carrier. Realizing the benefits that would come from special preparation for the duties of a business career, he pursued a commercial course and in 1863 accepted a position as bookkeeper with the firm of Chamberlain & Parker. His business career was interrupted, however, by his service in the Civil war, for in response to the country's call for men he served for one hundred days, enlisting on the 12th of May, 1864, when a youth of but eighteen years. On the expiration of his term of enlistment he reentered the employ of Chamberlain & Parker in Dayton and continued with that house until 1869. He was then Sent to Toledo and under his own name conducted their branch store in that place for two years. Each step in his business career was a forward one, marking his growing powers, and when he left the firm of Chamberlain & Parker it was to engage in business on his own account as a member of the firm of Brownell, Orr & Company at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where they operated a planing mill. After spending a year in that city, however, Mr. Beaver returned to Dayton and purchased the interest of Edward Sweet in the firm of Chadwick & Sweet, furniture dealers, remaining for five years as the junior partner in the firm of Chadwick & Beaver. Into other channels he then directed his energies, organizing the Silver Star baking powder business, but that venture proved unprofitable and after a few months he closed out the business with considerable loss. With undaunted courage, however, he began in another. direction, establishing the Beaver Soap Company, which under his capable control was developed and extended until the business became one of the foremost productive industries in this city. It had its beginning in 1879 in a little one-story frame building on Commercial street near Fifth. The output for the initial year was small but the excellence of their product was demonstrated to the trade and from time to time the growth of the business demanded enlarged quarters, necessitating four different removals. The plant in this way became an extensive one, scarcely exceeded in size by any of the large manufacturing establishments of Dayton. Several different brands of soap were placed upon the market and in the course of time found a ready and continuous sale. The growth of the business caused Mr. Beaver in 1883 to take Robert Marsh into partnership and in 1885 W. D. Chamberlain also became a member of the firm under the name of Beaver & Company. In September, 1893, the business was incorporated under the style of the Beaver Soap Company with F. P. Beaver as president ; W. D. Chamberlin, vice president and C. F. Snyder, secretary and treasurer. Throughout his business life Mr. Beaver has displayed an aptitude for successful management, wisely discriminating between the essential and nonessential, knowing that at all times success may be obtained by persistent, earnest effort combined with an understanding of the conditions that bear upon the different lines of activity. 228 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY In the development of an extensive and important industry he closely studied the market, demanded that the product of the house should be a fair equivalent for the purchase money received and, moreover, surrounded himself by an able corps of assistants in the management of the office interests of the business. All of these features combined to gain for him the present position which he now occupies as a retired capitalist whose name is an honored one on commercial paper. On the 29th of November, 1893, Mr. Beaver was united in marriage. to Miss Emma J. Thompson, a daughter of Ralph and Mary J. Thompson, of Terre Haute, Indiana. She died in January, 1900, and in February 1902, he married Miss Mary M. Fresher. Mr. Beaver is a member of the First Baptist church and resides at the northeast corner of Second and Perry streets. Throughout the years of his residence in Dayton, covering almost his entire life, he has been deeply interested in everything pertaining to its welfare and has given the weight of his influence to every important and progressive measure. He stands today a strong man, strong in his honor and his good name, in his ability to plan and perform, and equally strong in his purposes and in his adherence to the rules which govern honorable, upright manhood. CHARLES E. BUTTS. Charles E. Butts, a market gardener of Mad River township, owns a fine truck farm of six acres on the old Troy pike, about three miles from the courthouse. His birth occurred in Harshman, Ohio, on the 21st of May, 1860, his parents being Nelson and Mary (Broadstone) Butts. The paternal grandfather of our subject was William Butts. In early manhood Nelson Butts made his way from Virginia to Montgomery county, this state, becoming one of the pioneer settlers here, and as the years went by he became widely recognized as a successful and enterprising agriculturist. Charles E. Butts spent his time in his youthful years as a student in the schools of his native village and as an assistant on his father's farm. After attaining years of maturity he took up his abode in Dayton, where he was employed by the National Cash Register Company for about eighteen years, his long retention in the position being ample proof of his capability and trustworthiness. He is now devoting his time and energies to market gardening on his farm of six acres in Mad River township and in this line of activity has met with gratifying and well merited measure of prosperity. On the 9th of February, 1882, Mr. Butts was united in marriage to Miss Carolire Shoettledryer, a daughter of Fred and Henrietta (Hoffman) Shoettledryer. Her paternal grandparents were Fred and Sophia Shoettledryer and the grandfather was the first representative of the name in Montgomery county, becoming one of the early settlers here. Fred Shoettledryer, the father of Mrs. Butts, was about nineteen years of age when he accompanied his parents on their emigration from Germany to the United States, the family home being es- DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 229 tablished on the Troy pike, near Chambersburg. There he owned a valuable farm and reared his family of four children, as follows : Fred, who is now deceased; Sophia ; Gussie ; and Mrs. Butts. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Butts have been born four children, but the first two, William and Naomi, have passed away. Grace Irene is a graduate of the Dayton grammar schools and also attended the Steele high school for one year. Eva, like her sister Grace, has completed her education. For three years Mr. Butts served as constable of Harrison township, proving a most efficient officer. Fraternally he is connected with Gem City Lodge, No. 3225, M. W. A., and in religious faith is a Lutheran, belonging to the church of that denomination in Dayton and taking an active and helpful part in its work. He is highly esteemed throughout the county in which his entire life has been spent, his many good qualities of heart and mind having won for him a large number of friends. In his business life he made good use of his opportunities, has utilized his possibilities to the best advantage and as the years have passed by he has gained a place among the honored self-made men who owe their prosperity entirely to their energy, their integrity and their labors. SOL FLATAU. Sol Flatau, although practicing at the Dayton bar for only seven years, has already gained gratifying patronage and his alert and keen mental activity will insure continued progress in the path of his chosen profession. He was born at Filehne, Germany, April 21, 1865, and came to America in 1879 when a youth of fourteen years. The journey was made in company with his parents who located in Athens, Georgia, where he resided until 1901, and in that city corn, pleted his education as a student in the University of Georgia. Having largely mastered the principles of law and successfully passed the required examination, Mr. Flatau was admitted to the bar in 1892, after which ne located for practice in Athens, remaining a representative of the legal fraternity there for nine years. He met with good success, but wishing to enjoy the broader field of labor offered in the city he came to Dayton and has since practiced in the courts of this district. Ready at almost a moment's notice to quote a legal principle or precedent, readily seeing the related value of points in a case and at all times cognizant of the salient points upon which the decision of every case eventually turns, lawyers and judges listen to him with attention and respect and as the years pass he is gaining a growing practice. Mr. Flatau has made a specialty of commercial law and is considered an expert, having been called to take charge of some of the most important cases in the country. He has incorporated over forty firms in Montgomery county and it is unique inasmuch as all of the businesses are still successful. In Chicago, on the loth of January, 1897, Mr. Flatau was married to Miss Henrietta Wolf and they have a daughter, Hortense, who was born in Athens, Georgia, January 29, 1899. Mr. Flatau was vice president of the Garfield Club of Dayton for two years and still retains his membership, and belongs 230 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY to the city and county executive committee of the republican party. He puts forth every effort in his power to promote the growth and secure the adoption of republican principles and keeps well informed concerning the questions of the day,. He holds membership with the Masonic lodge, the Knights of Pythias, the Royal Arcanum, and the Tribe of Ben Hur, and is a past president of the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith, which he has represented as a delegate to the grand lodge, and is a member of the constitution grand lodge. He is a member of the Standard Club and also the Dayton Bicycle Club. HUGH M. WILSON. Dayton recently received an addition to her business circles when Hugh M. Wilson entered upon active association with the Barney & Smith Car Company as vice president and director. For a considerable period he was president of The Wilson Company, Chicago, publishers of The Railway Age and the Electric Railway Review, and he is especially fitted for the duties of his present position because of his wide acquaintance with railroad men and his understanding of matters pertaining to railway administration and operation. Mr. Wilson was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, June 29, 1866, and is a son of Hugh and Isabella (Smith) Wilson, both of whom were natives of Scotland. He attended the public schools of Jacksonville and in 1882 he entered Illinois College, located in his native town, from which he was graduated in 1887 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He was active in the student life of his college, was associate editor and business manager of the college paper and was orator of his class. He is a trustee of his alma mater and in 1904 on the occasion of the celebration of its seventy-fifth anniversary the college conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. Hugh M. Wilson received his early business training under the direction of his father, who was an architect, contractor and builder and also conducted a planing mill, door, sash and blind factory. The son gained varied experience by doing many kinds of work about the factory and the office, acting for a time as bookkeeper, and he also attended a business college, so that he received the training in fundamentals which qualified him for business life. He spent a year in his father's business between his sophomore and junior years in college. It was his intention at that time to study law but a disastrous fire, which destroyed his father's business, so limited the financial resources of the family that it was necessary for him to provide for his own support. He secured the position of city editor of the Jacksonville Daily journal. In March, 1888, Mr. Wilson went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and became a. reporter on the Minneapolis Evening Star. A year later he became associated with the Mississippi Valley Lumberman, a weekly commercial journal, at Minneapolis. It was during his residence there that Mr. Wilson was married on the 9th of October, 1890, to Miss Olive Mary Williams, of Red Wing, Minnesota, In May, 1891, he became associate editor on the Northwestern Railroader at Minneapolis. During his business career up to this time his energies were divided DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 233 between editorial work and business management. Even in his college days he was both associate editor and business manager of the college paper. The tendency he early manifested to gravitate from editorial to business life has continued up to the present. Within two weeks after he went to the Northwestern Railroader as associate editor he was in the business department straightening out the company's books. Although Mr. Wilson spent a good many years in successful editorial work he has always been more of a business man than an editor. He attended the conventions of the Master Car Builders' and Master Mechanics' Associations for the first time at Cape May, New Jersey, in June, 1891. On the 15th of September of that year he moved to Chicago, for at that time the Northwestern Railroader was consolidated with the Railway Age, and he continued with the consolidated company as secretary-treasurer. He handled not only the office work of the business department but also a great deal of the news of the paper, especially that relating to equipment and supplies. He subsequently became manager and associate editor, still retaining the title and duties of secretary-treasurer. He was elected president of the Railway Age Company in 1899. In 1905 that company published a daily at the International Railway Congress in Washington, which was the official journal of the congress. This daily was printed in both French and English and was considered by railway officials of many nations to be a considerable undertaking. For the successful issuance of this journal, Mr. Wilson was decorated Chevalier of the Order of Leopold by the King of Belgium. In May, 1906, The Wilson Company was organized with Mr. Wilson as president. This company continued to publish The Railway Age and also bought the Electric Railway Review, which it changed from a monthly to a weekly. Mr. Wilson's active and energetic work for years in behalf of the railway supply interests is well known. He was secretary of the Railway Supply Manufacturers' Association from 1893 until 1897, inclusive, and thus the greater part of his experiences up to the present time was such as to qualify him for the duties of the position which he has recently assumed—that of vice president of the Barney & Smith Car Company. Mr. Wilson is not unknown in social life. In fact, he is a popular member of the Union League Club of Chicago, the Chicago Athletic Club, the Chicago Engineers Club, the City Club, the Caxton Club and the Glenview Country Club, all of Chicago. Already he has a somewhat extended acquaintance in Dayton, his reputation having insured him a warm reception in the business circles of the city. SIMON S. MUMMA. Simon S. Mumma, who is successfully engaged in market gardening in Harrison township, has a well improved farm of sixty acres on the Salem pike, about two and a half miles from Dayton. His birth occurred February 2, 1857, on the old Mumma homestead in Harrison township, his parents being Jacob and Susan (Klepinger) Mumma, the former also a native of this county. Jacob Mumma, a retired agriculturist, is one of the best known men in Montgomery county and 234 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY one of the oldest citizens of Harrison township. Unto him and his wife were born eleven children. Simon S. Mumma received his education in the schools of his native township and when not busy with his studies he aided his father in the cultivation of the home farm. Since attaining man's estate he has devoted his time and energies to truck farming on his place of sixty acres and also raises some stock, meeting with a highly gratifying and most commendable measure of success in his undertakings. He has erected a large and substantial barn, while his residence is one of the most attractive and commodious in the entire county, containing eleven rooms and being up-to-date and modern in every particular. His reputation for business integrity is unassailable and his methods have ever been such as would bear close investigation and scrutiny. On the 28th of September, 1882, Mr. Mumma was united in marriage to Miss Nannie M. Studebaker, a daughter of James and Beliah (Sweitzer) Studebaker, who came to this county from Pennsylvania. Unto our subject and his wife have been born four children, namely : Earl M. ; Myrtle M., the wife of Harold Wampler ; Ethel M. ; and Orphia. Mr. Mumma belongs to the First Reformed church and his life has ever been in harmony with his professions as a member thereof. He has always lived in this county and his interest in its welfare and upbuilding is deep and sincere, as is manifest by his active cooperation in many movements for the public good. WILLIAM J. BURKHARDT. William J. Burkhardt is a splendid representative of the German-American citizenship in Dayton. The Teutonic race has had much to do with the civilization of the world and with its continued progress in later years. The great German empire is continually sending forth its sons, who carry with them into new regions the spirit of persistency and determination which has ever characterized the people of that land. To this class belong William J. Burkhardt, now well known in Dayton as a manufacturer of jewelry. He was born in Pforzheim, Baden, on the 9th of March, 1870, and is a son of Christian Burkhardt, whose birth occurred in Knittlingen, Germany, in 1834. Crossing the Atlantic to America in 1858, the father located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked for Duhme & Company until after the outbreak of the Civil war. He was one of those who volunteered for the defense of Cincinnati against the threatened invasion of the Confederates under General Kirby Smith in 1863. As- he was not at that time a naturalized citizen of the United States, he could not regularly enlist in the Federal army but defended the interests of his country as stated. He was always most loyal to America, her people and her institutions, having a deep attachment for his adopted country. He was connected with one of the military organizations of this state for eighteen months. In 1863, however, he returned to Germany and spent the remainder of his days in his native land, passing away there in 1897. He was married in that country, in the year of his return, to Miss Catharine Karcher and unto them were born eleven DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 235 children, eight of whom died in infancy, while three are yet living, namely : Henry E., of Cincinnati, Ohio ; William J., of this review ; and Albert, who is also a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. As indicated, the surviving sons have all become residents of the new world and are still living in Ohio. The mother died in Germany in December, 1907, having survived her husband for about a decade. William J. Burkhardt was reared in the land of his birth, remaining there to the age of eighteen years, when the favorable reports which he had heard concerning America and its business conditions awakened in him the desire to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic. Accordingly he bade adieu to home and kindred and sailed for New York city, there remaining for two years. In 1890 he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and entered the employ of Duhme & Company, jewelers, with whom he continued for five years. In 1898 he removed to Dayton and opened his present store, having since engaged in business here as a manufacturer of and dealer in jewelry. The business has had a healthful and substantial growth, increasing year by year until it is now a profitable enterprise, while the owner is regarded as a valuable asset in the business circles of his adopted city. In 1899 Mr. Burkhardt was united in marriage in Dayton to Miss Katie Hoffritz and they have four children : Carl William, Elsa Frieda, Emma K. and Herman Frederick. The family belong to the Lutheran church and Mr. Burkhardt is also a member of St. Luke's Society, the German Turngemeinde, the Deutsche Eiche Lodge and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He occupies a prominent position among the German-American residents of Dayton, nor is his acquaintance by any means limited to those of his own nationality. He is a true American citizen in thought, interests and purpose, having a sincere attachment for the stars and stripes. He has found here a congenial atmosphere, while its business conditions have been favorable, as they always are if one has industry, energy and determination. In this land, where labor is unhampered by caste or class, success depends upon the individual and, realizing this fact, William J. Burkhardt has made steady progress. KEPPELE HALL. Keppele Hall, a contracting engineer of Dayton, whose thorough preparation for his profession, combined with his unfaltering energy, has brought him to a creditable position in business circles, was born in Newark, New Jersey, on the loth of June, 1872. A year later his parents removed to Trenton, New Jersey, where they resided until 1898. In the meantime the son began his education in the public schools and continued his studies in the State Normal and Model School, from which he was graduated in 1889. Splendid educational facilities were offered him, for after leaving that institution he had the privilege of attending Princeton University, where he completed the four years' course by graduation in 1893, while subsequently he pursued a post-graduate course in electrical engineering, there continuing for a year. 236 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY After winning his degree of electrical engineer, Mr. Hall opened an office and remained in Trenton until 1897. He then went to New York city with the Western Electric Company, accepting a position in its electrical laboratory. After spending three years there he went to Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1900 as manager of the Shore Electric Company and the Seabright Electric Light Company. He remained at Red Bank until 1902 and then came to Dayton as consulting engineer for the National Cash Register Company, which position he filled for four years or until 1906, when he began an engineering contracting business on his own account under the name of the Keppele Hall Company. In 1908 the business was reorganized as the Hall-Cronan Company, of which Mr. Hall is the president. This is now one of the profitable concerns of the character in Dayton, the ability of the partners gaining for them first rank in professional circles. In 1896 Mr. Hall was united in marriage in Trenton, New Jersey, to Miss Fanny Southard Hay, a daughter of Malcolm Hay, of Pittsburg, who was the first' assistant postmaster general under Cleveland's first administration and died while filling that position. Mr. Hall belongs to the Dayton City Club, the Buzfuz Club, the Dayton Country Club and to Christ Episcopal church—associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests. In politics he is independent and does not seek office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon a business for which he has splendidly qualified by educational training and in which he has made steady advance, occupying a prominent place in professional circles. CONRAD J. MATTERN. Conrad J. Mattern, practicing at the Dayton bar as senior partner of the firm of Mattern & Brumbaugh, was born October 14, 1869, in Pomeroy, Ohio. His father, Conrad Mattern, was a native of Germany and, coming to America with his parents in his youthful days, became a resident of Pomeroy where he remained until his removal to Dayton, in 1888. He served his adopted country as a soldier in the Union army in the Civil war, becoming a member of the Ohio infantry. Conrad J. Mattern became a pupil in the public schools of Pomeroy at the usual age and therein pursued his studies, passing through consecutive grades until he was graduated from the high school with the class of 1888. A mental review of the field of business determined him to enter upon the study of law in preparation for a life devoted to the practice of the profession. His collegiate work was done in the Cincinnati Law School, from which he was graduated in 1891 and the same year was admitted to the bar. It was also in that year that he became deputy clerk of the common pleas court and so served until 1895. In the latter year he was made clerk of the police court, capably filling the position for three years. He now gives his attention to the private practice of law and his ability has carried him into important professional relations, his thorough and comprehensive understanding of legal principles enabling him to see the relation between points involved and the points in litigation. His presentation of his cause is always earnest and forceful and the records chronicle many notable verdicts which he has won for his clients. DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 237 In 1893, in Dayton, Mr. Mattern was married to Miss Jessie Whitehurst, and they have two sons, Guinn and Lewis. Mr. Mattern belongs to the Masonic fraternity, to the Sons of Veterans Camp and to the United Brethren church, associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests. His political views accord with the principles of the republican party and he takes an active interest in its work, believing that the adoption of its platform will best conserve good government. WILLIAM R. SULLIVAN. William R. Sullivan is one of the most industrious young men in Dayton and by his unfaltering diligence has been very successful in all the business enterprises in which he has engaged. His ideas are of a practical character and whenever one avenue of advancement seems closed he seeks out another path whereby he may attain the goal of his desires. It is thus that he has become well known as a successful business man, having now a large clientage both as an insurance agent and investment broker. Dayton numbers him abong her native sons, his birth having occurred here in 1869. At the usual age he entered the public schools and passed through consecutive grades as he mastered the branches taught in each semester. He also attended St. Mary's Institute but left school at the age of fourteen years, in order to provide for his own support, as his father had died and it was necessary that he earn his own living. Indeed he was dependent upon his own resources from the age of twelve years, although he attended school for two years longer, using the vacation period and the morning and evening hours for his work. He was first employed by the firm of S. N. Brown in painting wagon hubs on Saturdays and after school. Later he entered the Brownell Boiler Works, where he continued for a year and a half, after which he secured a position in the office of his uncle, John A. Murphy, a coal dealer, with whom he continued for three years. He then became night yard clerk for the Big Four Railroad Company and for a year and a half he was chief yard clerk. Two months later he received the appointment of assistant secretary to the city auditor and filled that position for seven years. In 1898 he was elected clerk of the police court and served for three years. On the expiration of that period he went to Mexico where he spent a year, after which he returned to .Dayton and here engaged in the insurance business. It has since claimed his time and energies and that he thoroughly understands insurance in every department and manifests close application and unfaltering diligence is proven in the success which he has won. He is also well known as an investment broker and is thoroughly informed concerning the value of commercial paper and other investments. In 1902 Mr. Sullivan was united in marriage in Dayton to Miss Clara Hanley and they have three children as follows : James Gordon, Jane Claire and Virginia Louise. In his fraternal relations Mr. Sullivan is an Elk and is also connected with the Knights of Clumbus. He belongs to St. Joseph Catholic church and in his political views is a democrat and interested in the success of his party 238 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY and active in support of its principles. He is a man of good habits, who gives strict attention to business and there is no esoteric phase in his life record. He has sought his advancement along legitimate lines and it is because he has not been afraid of hard work but has persistently sought his success that he is numbered among the men of affluence in his community. ANDREW AMAN. Andrew Aman, a representative of the jewelry trade of Dayton, his native city, was born in 1862. In 1864, however, his parents removed to Waynesville, Warren county, Ohio, although later they returned to Dayton, where the father, Arbogast Aman, died in the year 1898. He is still survived by his widow, who is yet a resident of this city: The father was born in Germany in 1837 and in early life came to America. He was married in Xenia, Ohio, to Miss Sibila Bender, and to them were born five children, of whom two died in infancy, while three are yet living, namely : Andrew, Clara E. and Charles M., all residents of Dayton. Mr. Aman of this review was but two years of age when his parents went to Waynesville, Ohio, and there he lived until he reached the age of sixteen, when the family returned to Dayton. Here he entered the jewelry store of Frank Saup and learned the trade. There he continued for thirteen years, during which time he gained comprehensive knowledge of the business in principle and detail, his broad experience well qualifying him to engage in business on his own account when, in 1889, he opened a stock of jewelry in the same room which he now occupies. He formed a partnership with H. S. Crane, the firm being known as Aman & Company, but in 1896 Mr. Crane retired and our subject has since been alone in business, though he has retained the old name of Aman & Company. His trade has increased very largely and he now has one of the largest jewelry stores of Dayton. He carries a well selected line of goods, containing some of the finest productions known to the trade and his patronage is of a most gratifying character. He was a victim of one of the boldest robberies that ever occurred in Dayton. On the night of February 20, 1903, just before closing time, at ten minutes of six, P. M., a window was broken and -from it was taken a box of gems valued at two thousand, six hundred dollars. No trace of the robbers have ever been found. In February, 1906, in Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Aman was married to Miss Katharine Zuebelen, a daughter of Dr. G. Zuebelen, and on their wedding trip they visited Honolulu, Japan and China, leaving San Francisco on the 8th of March, just before the earthquake, and returning on the 1st of July in time to see the terrible change that had been made in the few months that they had been gone. They have one son, Andrew, Jr. Mr. Aman has devoted considerable time to travel. In 1899 he toured the West Indies while the American soldiers still occupied Cuba and Porto Rico. Since then he has traveled extensively through many countries in Europe, including Turkey and Greece, and has also visited Egypt and the Holy Land. He belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, to the Knights of Columbus and to Emanuel (Catholic) church. He is not a poli- DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 241 tician nor does he seek to figure prominently in the public life in any way outside the strict path of business. He concentrates his attention and his energies upon the upbuilding of his trade and the result is shown in a liberal patronage which makes his one of the leading jewelry establishments of this city. G. RUSSELL WELLS. An unchangeable destiny accords success to tireless energy when it is guided by sound judgment. In all of his business career G. Russell Wells, one of the leading merchant tailors of Dayton, has recognized that the present and not the future holds his opportunity and has won his advancement because he has made use of each passing hour. Born in Dayton in 1855, he has always resided here and that his life record in its various phases has been the exemplification of many, sterling traits of character is indicated in the high regard in which he is uniformly held. He comes of English ancestry, his grandfather, William Wells, having been a native of England. On crossing the Atlantic to the new world he settled in Massachusetts, where his remaining days were passed. His son, Foreman S. Wells, was born in that state about 1830 and in early manhood arrived in Dayton, where he later wedded Miss Mary Lehman, a native of this state and a daughter of David Lehman, one of the pioneer residents of Dayton. Unto this marriage were born four children : Alice E., the wife of Samuel Lutz, of Dayton ; G. Russell, of this review ; Rollen D., of Dayton ; and Sallie K., the deceased wife of John L. Kneisly, her death occurring in July, Iwo. The father continued in business in Dayton until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when he offered his services to the government, joining the Ninety-third Ohio Volunteer In fantry, but when the regiment was organized he was rejected on account of his size. Later he was accepted as a member of the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry and disappeared in 1862, since which time nothing has been heard from him. He was a member of the old Dayton volunteer fire department—Oregon No. 1—and was well known in the early days of the city. His wife, a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, died March 7, 1906, at the age of seventy-six years. G. Russell Wells is indebted to the public-school system of Dayton for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. Circumstances, however, forced him to leave school at the early age of thirteen years to provide for his own support. He then began to work in a tailoring establishment and worked up to high salesmanship. In 1887 he began business on his own account in a partnership which continued for seven years. Later he became the junior partner of the firm of Charch & Wells, which relation was maintained for about six years, or until 19o1, when Mr. Wells became sole proprietor of the business, which he is now conducting under his own name. He has a well appointed establishment, carries a large line of goods and draws his patronage from among the best people of the city. He uses the latest improvements and appliances to facilitate his business, employs a number of skilled workmen and has an able corps of assistants in his establishment. That he is prominent and popular among the representatives of the same line of business is indicated by the fact that he was honored 242 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY with the presidency of the Merchant Tailors Exchange of Dayton for many years. He has likewise extended his efforts to other fields of activity, being now the president of the Ball Cream Beater Company of Dayton and a director of the Bradford Woolen Company of this city. His business judgment is sound and reliable so that his cooperation is regarded as a valuable factor in different business concerns. Mr. Wells is very prominent in different organizations, being now the secretary and treasurer of the Vingt et Un Club and a member of the Bicycle Club, Mystic Club, Garfield Club, and the Fish & Game Club. He is likewise a prominent Mason, belonging to the lodge, chapter, commandery and consistory. He has also crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and is first alchemist in Antioch Shrine. He belongs likewise to the Knights of Pythias lodge and is a member of the First Reformed church and the Young Men's Christian Association, serving on the social committee in the latter organization. His political views are in accord with the principles of the republican party and he takes an active interest in politics. At one time he served as a member of the board of education and the public schools have found in him a warm friend and stalwart champion. 'His citizenship is of a most progressive character and is manifest in his cooperation with all that pertains to the public good. He justly merits all the praise implied in the term "a self-made man," for starting in life on his own account at the age of thirteen, he has sought success along lines which never demanded nor required disguise. His energy and persistency of purpose have enabled him to overcome obstacles and difficulties which have proved stumbling blocks in the path of others and in his intelligent anticipation of and appreciation for opportunity, he has won the success which now places him in a prominent position among the business men of Dayton. Mr. Wells was married in 1881 to Miss Louise Cotterill, of Dayton, who died September 16, 1886, leaving one son, George Reber Wells, now in the employ of Winters National Bank. Mr. Wells was again married April 29, 1896, his second union being with Miss Bessie M. Salisbury, of Dayton, by whom he has a son, Dickson Heinl Wells, now eleven years of age. JOHN C. SHEA. John C. Shea, attorney at law, practicing at the Dayton bar as a member of the firm of Ferneding, McConnaughey & Shea, was born April 25, 1876, in the city which is yet his home and was here reared and received his preliminary education. He left school at the age of eleven years, however, to earn his own living and was first employed as office boy by the firm of Young & Young, attorneys at law. Afterward he was employed in the factory of the Barney & Smith Car Works. It was while in his first service that he became imbued with the desire to some day enter upon the practice of law and in the intervening years he never gave up this plan but worked always with that end in view. Realizing that general education constitutes a basis for professional learning, he attended DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 243 the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana, meeting the expenses of his college course through his own labor. He left that institution in 1895 and returned to Dayton, where he was employed in various ways, but in the fall of 1897 he entered the postoffice in a clerical capacity, there remaining for a year. During the same period he acted as janitor at Miami Commercial College in order to obtain a commercial education. In 1898 he entered the employ of the National Cash Register Company as stenographer in the legal department, where lie remained until 1900 when he took a stenographic position in the office of Hon. John A. McMahon, there reading law as he had opportunity until the fall of 1901. At that date he matriculated in the Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and was graduated in 1902 from the law department. Immediately Mr. Shea returned to Dayton, where he opened an office for himself, and six months later he formed a partnership with John N. Van Deman and Edward E. Burkhart under the firm name of Van Deman, Burkhart & Shea, which relation was maintained for threeFerne, when the present firm of Ferne. ding, McConnaughey & Shea was organized. In this connection Mr. Shea is doing important legal work and in his profession has based his advice upon an understanding of the fact that unremitting diligence, close and discriminating study and logical reasoning constitute the basis of success. Mr. Shea has never held political office but in 1906 was defeated for the position of city solicitor, his party being in the minority. He is secretary, attorney and director of The Market Savings Bank ; is secretary and director of The Columbian Land & Building Company ; and director of The W. L. Bucher Cigar Company and The Gem City Automobile Company. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus and is supreme counsel for the Knights of St. John. He is also connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and is a member of the educational committee of the Young Men's Christian Association. Remembering his own struggles for advancement, he is interested in helping others who desire to make progress in this line of work. In his profession he is making substantial advance, actuated in all that he does by a laudable ambition that is bringing him into important connection with the legal interests of this city. OLIVER C. BLACK. Oliver C. Black has for the past three years been acting as general manager of the Riverview Stock Farm, owned by B. F. McCann. He was born on a farm in Montgomery county, Ohio, May 19, 1856, his parents being James and Susan (Boyer) Black. The father, an agriculturist by occupation, owned a tract of eighty acres on the old Troy pike, about seven miles north of Dayton, but sold the property sometime ago. He was three times married and had eight children, Oliver C. being born by his third wife. In his youthful years Oliver C. Black attended school in Wayne township, this county, and also assisted his father in the cultivation and development of the home farm. He early manifested special aptitude in the care and management of horses and his work has always been along this line. For the past three years 244 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY he has had charge of the Riverview Stock Farm and in addition to looking after the stock also gives supervision of the work of the fields, proving a most capable and efficient manager. On the loth of February, 1879, occurred the marriage of Mr. Black and Miss Sallie Roof, a daughter of Andrew and Mary Roof. By this union have been born three children, namely : Mabel, at home ; Clarence, who is assisting his father ; and Quincy C., likewise under the parental roof. Fraternally Mr. Black is identified with Little York Lodge, No. 696, I. O. O. F., while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the United Brethren church, to which the members of his family also belong. He is well known and highly esteemed throughout the county in which his entire life has been spent, his genuine worth and high principles having commended him to the good will, trust and respect of all with whom he has been associated. ELIJAH J. COLER. When one sees Elijah J. Coler quietly, diligently and carefully managing his mercantile interests as the senior partner of the firm of Coler & Kunes, proprietors of a general farmers' supply store, it seems hardly possible to realize that he has been the center of several adventures as thrilling as any that appear on the pages of fiction. His life, however, has been varied in its interests and its experiences, and throughout his entire record he has held to high standards and has thus merited the esteem and regard which are so uniformly accorded him. Five years ago he established the store which he is now conducting and which is one of the few of the kind in Montgomery county. He is the proprietor and is carrying a line of goods that includes everything demanded by the farmers. Mr. Coler was born in Jefferson township near Liberty on the old Coler homestead, July 16, 1853, and is a son of Noah and Eliza (Gregg) Coler. The father was a farmer who came to Ohio from Maryland in company with his parents when three years of age. The journey westward was- made by wagon through the wilderness unaccompanied by any other travelers. Here Noah Coler was reared amid the wild scenes and environments of pioneer life and eventually became a prominent farmer, owning and controlling an extensive tract of land which he transformed into rich and arable fields, successfully gathering therefrom abundant harvests. Ile died about five years ago and his remains were interred in the Woodland cemetery in Dayton. He was a son of John and Elizabeth Coler the former a native of Germany, who, on coming to the new world, settled on a tract of land in Maryland. He lived there for some years before his removal to Ohio, and then casting in his lot with the early settlers of Montgomery county, when this was a frontier district, he continued in active association with its farming interests until his demise. His grave was made in Twin Creek cemetery in Preble county. Elijah J. Coler, whose name introduces this review, pursued his education in the common schools and through the periods of vacation worked with his father on the home farm. He also attended the Normal School in Lebanon, Ohio, in DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 245 1873. Subsequently he returned to Dayton, where he pursued a course in the Miami Commercial College, and in due time he was graduated. After putting aside his text-books he returned to the farm where he remained for three years. Many interesting and eventful experiences have been his portion in life. During the war he was made the means of communication between Liberty and Dayton, for he was a little lad at the time and no one would suspect that he was upon any errand of importance. He would mount a horse and ride bareback into Dayton to the Winters Bank, which was then the oldest bank in the county, and there would leave a message and perhaps receive one to be taken to Liberty. It was a time of much danger in this section of the country for the spirit df unrest was here manifest and there was always the threatened danger of invasion. When a young man Mr. Coler engaged in teaming and had various exciting adventures during that period. At one time, while carrying a large amount of money, he was followed by a highway robber who jumped into his wagon on an old covered bridge in Dayton, but Mr. Coler knocked him out with the butt end of his black snake whip, which made a very dangerous weapon. On another occasion he was held up near the Soldiers Home when two men tried to grab his horse, but he hit the horse with his whip and it started at a gallop. At the same time Mr. Coler pulled out his gun and several shots were exchanged. During his early manhood Mr. Coler learned the patternmaking trade but never worked at it as a business. He made a trip to the west for educational purposes and spent about six months in that part of the country, making a close study of conditions that there existed. At one time Mr. Coler was engaged in the general repair business in Liberty. He also patented a gate and self-unloading wagon which he manufactured at that town. He is still working on the wagon, for which he has a good sale in this part of the country. About five years ago he established his present business, conducting a general farmers supply store. The firm carrying everything needed on the farm, the business being conducted under the firm style of Coler & Kunes. Mr. Coler, however, is the owner of the establishment and displays marked enterprise in its management and control. On the 3d of February, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Coler and Miss Laura E. Gifford, a daughter of William and Ermina (Fudge) Gifford. Her parents were Preble county farming people of English descent who removed from New Jersey to this state. They became very prominent and influential in the community, enjoying in large measure the high regard of those who knew them. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Coler have been born seven children: Grace, the wife of Guy Kunes, employed in Mr. Coler's store, by whom she has two children, Ruth and Etina; four who have passed away ; Katherine, a high school student in the sophomore year ; and Naomi, also a school student. Mr. Coler belongs to Oak Lodge, No. 265, I. O. O. F., in New Lebanon, and has passed through all of the chairs of the order. He is also a member of the Lutheran church and is prominent in its work, taking an active interest in everything pertaining to its growth and the extension of its influence. He and his wife have traveled quite extensively and they visited many expositions, thus gaining knowledge not only of the work of America but also of the world. On 246 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY one trip to Detroit they were caught in a very severe storm on Lake Erie but at length landed in safety. They occupy one of the fine modern homes of Trotwood, their house containing ten rooms which are attractively and comfortably furnished. It is situated on Main street and is justly celebrated for its hospitality, which is freely accorded to all. EDWARD BURR SOLOMON. Edward Burr Solomon, retired from active life, has invested interests which are bringing to him substantial returns, and he is well known as one who has figured actively, prominently and honorably in the commercial circles of Dayton, his native city. He was born August 8, 1842, a son of Charles A. and Jeannette W. (Burr) Solomon, and a grandson of Levi Solomon, who was born in New Jersey. The father's birth occurred at Freehold, New Jersey, and in 1839 he came to Dayton, traveling westward by wagon from his native state. He was married in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1833 to Jeannette Weatherspoon Burr, whose father was a relative of Aaron Burr. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Solomon were born four children, of whom a daughter died in infancy, while three reached adult age: Eliza Jane, who was married in Dayton to J. G. Stutsman and died in 1863 ; George F., living in Dayton ; and Edward B. Following his removal to the west the father engaged in farming in Montgomery county, Ohio, but died at the early age of twenty-nine years. Edward Burr Solomon was reared in the city of his nativity and is indebted to the public-school system for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. He continued his studies to the age of fifteen years and then entered the employ of James Perrine, a dry-goods merchant, as general utility man. He remained with that house for seven or eight years and then entered the service of Coffman, Osborn & Company, wholesale dealers in notions and hats, with which business he was connected for twenty-four years. He was soon admitted to the firm, which was reorganized under the name of Osborn, Solomon & Company, and so continued until 1892, when it was merged with the Gem Shirt Company. The house of Osborn, Solomon & Company had been engaged in manufacturing overalls and after the merger extended the scope of the business to include another line of men's furnishings. Mr. Solomon remained with the company for only a year after the two interests were merged, however, and at the end of that time became one of the incorporators of the Beaver Soap Company, of which he has since been a stockholder. He is now retired from active business. On the 12th of June, 1872, in Willimantic, Connecticut, Mr. Solomon was united in marriage to Miss Sarah H. Hinckley. Their only child, Charles Hinckley Solomon, born on the 14th of May, 1873, died on the 31st of May, 1890, his loss proving an almost unbearable blow to his parents. He was a most lovable boy, of marked intellectual force, and extended mention of him is made on another page of this volume. As a memorial to his son the father has furnished a suite of three rooms in the Young Men's Christian Association building and has also erected a memorial library. The rooms are furnished with Mission furni- DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 249 ture, including a large book-case filled with books, while elegant rugs are on the door and costly paintings adorn the walls, including a life-like, large oil painting of their son Charles, which hangs in the middle room. They hold membership in the First Baptist church and Mr. Solomon belongs to the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the Knights Templar degree. His political belief is manifest in his support of the republican party where national issues are involyed. At local elections, however, he is identified with that independent movement which is one of the hopeful signs of the times, showing that men of public spirit have been aroused to the abuses that have made their way into politics and will stand for good government, for local progress and national advancement even at the sacrifice of party interests. He belongs to that public-spirited, useful and helpful type of men whose ambitions and desires are centered and directed in those channels through which flow the greatest and most permanent good to the greatest number. He started out in life for himself at the early age of fifteen years and has achieved most creditable success as he has worked his way upward. His life work has been that of a merchant and manufacturer. He belongs to that class of men who wield a power which is all the more potent from the fact that it is moral rather than physical and is exercised for the public weal rather than for personal ends. CHARLES HINCKLEY SOLOMON. The familiar and affectionate term of Charley had not been replaced among his associates by the more dignified term of Charles as expressive of manhood's years when the young life was ended, around which was centered so much of parental hope and which was expressive of so great promise. He had hardly passed beyond the seventeenth milestone on the journey of life when he passed to the home beyond. His memory remains as a guiding star to those to whom he was very near and dear—the memory of a young life that was full of all that is beautiful and lovable in the child as he passes from early youth to the years of responsibility and developed powers. It was on the 14th of May, 1873, that Charles Hinckley Solomon came into the home of Edward B. and Sarah H. Solomon—the only child, the remembrance of whom is both a pleasure and a pain—a pain because of the fact that he is no more with them and pleasure in the recollection of all that a loving and lovable boy can be to his parents. He had come to the age when parental love and care were knowing much of that hallowed companionship which can and does exist at times between an only child and his parents. The comfortable financial circumstances of the father enabled him to give to the son such advantages as were best for his physical, mental and moral development. He had hardly uttered his first few words when it was seen that he was a precocious child and throughout his entire life in many lines of intellectual investigation he was far ahead of those of his years and in fact his knowledge upon many subjects equaled that of men whose years four or five times outnumbered his own.