USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Los Angeles from the mountains to the sea : with selected biography of actors and witnesses to the period of growth and achievement, Volume III > Part 17
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When the "Wizard of Oz Man" (as he was for many years affec- tionately called) was but twelve years of age, his father presented him with a printing press, upon which, for some time, he indulged his literary tendencies by publishing a paper known as "The Roselawn Home Jour- nal," "Roselawn" being the name of his father's estate near Syracuse. His first public writings were in the line of newspaper work in New
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York, Pennsylvania and Chicago. From 1888 to 1890 he was owner and editor of the "Saturday Pioneer," at Aberdeen, South Dakota, and from 1897 to 1902 he owned and edited "The Show Window" at Chicago.
Mr. Baum became a playwright early in life, his "Maid of Arran" having been produced in New York in 1881. In the following year, in the same city, appeared "Matches," which was followed in 1884 by "Kilmorne," produced at Syracuse ; in 1885 by "The Queen of Killarney," produced at Rochester; in 1902 by "The Wizard of Oz," produced in Chicago; in 1905 by "The Woggle Bug," produced in Chicago; in 1908 and 1909 by the "The Radio Play" (motion pictures of Baum's Fairy Tales), produced at Chicago and New York, and in 1913 by "The Tik Tok Man of Oz," produced in Los Angeles.
It was as a writer, however, more than as a playwright, that Mr. Baum is best known. For more than twenty years he wrote children's and other stories for various magazines, including St. Nicholas, Youth's Companion and others. The possessor of a rare whimsical style that was of preeminent appeal to children, during his life he took place in the front rank of writers of juvenile fiction. His first published book was "Mother Goose in Prose," which appeared in 1897, and the drawings for this story were the first book illustrations done by Maxfield Parrish. Its success encouraged Mr. Baum to further effort, and the next work to appear from his own pen was "By the Candelabria's Glare," a book of poems. This work was compiled while the Baums were living in Chicago. He installed a small printing press in his home, upon which he printed the book entirely without assistance, and each one of a coterie of intimate friends contributed to the manufacture of the book, donating paper, ink, book ends and even, the thread used in binding. Later he wrote another decidedly entertaining volume, "Tamawaca Folks," woven around friends surrounding his family at a Michigan summer resort. This was followed by "Father Goose-His Book," and then by the most famous of all his works, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."
He married, in Fayettville, New York, November 9, 1882, Maud Gage, whose mother, Matilda Joslyn Gage, wrote considerable woman's suffrage literature and who was a co-worker with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in the editing of "The History of Woman's . Suffrage." Four sons were born of this union: Frank Joslyn, who served in France as an officer of Heavy Artillery; Robert Stanton, an officer in the Engineer Corps; Harry Neal, a resident of Chicago, and Kenneth Gage of Los Angeles. It was while these sons were still lads
that Mr. Baum conceived the idea which lead to the creation of the Oz characters. He had been in the habit of telling stories to his children and those of his neighbors, his favorite tales being fancifully Wuven around a wonderful cast-iron man, which later became the famous Tin Woodman of Oz. From this start the stories grew and developed, and Mr. Baum occasionally wove in a "scarecrow" or some other odd char- acter as his prolific fancy dictated. These stories eventually came to the ears of his friends, who urged him to place them into connected form and publish them; and thus came into being the famous series of Oz stories.
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" took the country, as represented by its juvenile readers, literally by storm. It was followed in chronological order by "A New Wonderland," "The Songs of Father Goose," "The Army Alphabet," "The Navy Alphabet," "American Fairy Tales," "Dot and Tot of Merryland," "The Art of Decorating" (a technical work for
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window trimmers), "The Master Key," "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," "The Enchanted Island of Yew," "The Magical Monarch of MO," "The Marvelous Land of Oz," "The Woggle Bug book," "Queen Zixi of Ix," "Animal Fairy Tales," "John Dough and the Cherub," "Ozma of Oz," "Dorothy and the Wizard," "Baum's Fairy Tales," "The Road to Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz," "Baum's Juvenile Speaker," "The Sea Fairies," "The Daring Twins," "Phoebe Daring, Conspirator," "Sky Island,"' "Little Wizard Series," "Patchwork Girl of Oz," "Baum's Snuggle Tales," "Tik Tok Man of Oz," "Scarecrow of Oz," "Rinkitink in Oz," "Babes in Birdland," "The Lost Princess of Oz," "The Tin Woodman of Oz" and "The Magic of Oz." Upon his death Mr. Baum left some completed manuscripts which his publishers will announce as posthumous works for the future.
During his career Mr. Baum also wrote under several noms de plume, the "Mary Louise" books, and the "Flying Girl" and "Aunt Jane Nieces" series under the name of "Edith Van Dyne," the "Boy Fortune Hunters" series under the name of "Floyd Akers," the "Sam Steele" series under the name of "Captain Hugh Fitzgerald," the "Twinkle Tales" and the "Babes in Birdland" under the name of "Laura Bancroft," and various other books under the name of "Suzanne Metcalf" and "Schuyler Stanton." He left a book dedicated to each one of his children and grandchildren, while the most popular of all his works, the "Won- derful Wizard of Oz," is dedicated to his wife.
Having spent many winters in Southern California, about 1909, Mr. Baum decided to live here permanently and built a residence at 1749 Cherokee Avenue, Hollywood, where he made his home. "Ozcot" as it is known, is one of the attractive and unique dwellings in Hollywood, surrounded by a beautiful garden in which Mr. Baum delighted to work. He became known as the amateur king of chrysanthemums of South- ern California, his dahlias and chrysanthemums in which he specialized, having taken over twenty silver cups at numerous flower shows. A well stocked aviary and fish pond, both of which Mr. Baum built, and a summer house in which many of the Oz books were written, are also in this enclosed garden.
While living at Macatawa, on Lake Michigan, he owned a summer home which he named the "Sign of the Goose." For this house he made all the furniture, the brads used in the manufacture thereof being in the form of brass geese. The border trimmings in the rooms were stenciled geese, and a large glass window portrayed an immense goose in colors.
Mr. Baum was a man who was conversant with many subjects, , was appreciative of good music and had a highly developed artistic sense. In politics he never allowed himself to be bound by party ties, but gave his vote to the candidate whom he deemed best suited for the office.
His social connections included membership in the Los Angeles Ath- letic Club, and the Uplifters of Los Angeles, the Chicago Athletic Asso- ciation and the Players Club of New York. After having suffered severely for fifteen months with a serious illness, Mr. Baum quietly passed to his final rest May 6, 1919.
THOMAS BRUEN BROWN was an early member of the Los Angeles bar, served at one time in the office of United States District Attorney of Southern California, and earned distinction and lasting memory not only by his ability as a lawyer but by the many gracious qualities of his
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heart and mind. He was a brother of Harrington Brown, the present postmaster of Los Angeles.
He was born at Washington, D. C., October 23, 1847, son of Dr. W. V. H. Brown, a physician of that city, and representing a family of prominence in Washington almost from the establishment of that city.
With inherited talents were combined privileges and training dur- ing his youth which admirably fitted him for the profession and the various activities that characterize him in Southern California. He attended Young's Academy, took the classical course of Princeton Uni- versity, and finished his law studies at Columbia University. He also enjoyed the benefits of extensive travel in America and Europe, and first visited Los Angeles in 1872 and made that city his permanent home in 1875. He began practice here and in a short time rose to eminence in his profession. For two terms he was district attorney, but he gave his private practice preference over his political office, though for many years he was looked upon as one of the guiding spirits of the democratic party of the city. His only important diversion aside from the law was the care of an orange grove of ten acres on Adams Street.
Mr. Brown was prominent in Masonry, but the institution to which he devoted himself most particularly and through which he exemplified his philanthropic spirit was St. Jolin's Episcopal Church, of which he was a charter member and a vestryman, and the history of that church notes him as one of its principal founders and upbuilders. He died Feb- ruary 10, 1893, and there were impressive services at his funeral in his beloved church, while his body was borne to its last resting place in Rose- dale cemetery by the local organizations of Masons.
Death came to him in the prime of his years and powers, and while his loss was deeply felt by the legal profession, the outstanding fact that made his death most widely mourned was the well rounded character he exemplified. As one of his friends said: "He was the gentlest and kindest as well as the most manly of men. A great heart and a most lovable nature had this most gracious representative of nature's nobility. With remarkable unanimity an entire community mourns the death of our lamented friend, gallant gentleman, stanch and never relaxing friend, great heart and blameless citizen."
At Los Angeles, June 4, 1879, he married Miss Eleanor T. Patton. Her father was Col. George S. Patton, who led a Virginia regiment in the Civil war and was mortally wounded at the battle of Winchester. She is a sister of George S. Patton, Jr., of Los Angeles. Her six chil- dren all live in Los Angeles except her oldest son, Lieutenant George Patton Brown, of the United States Navy. The only daughter, Mrs. Sidney I. Wailes, is well known in Los Angeles society. The other four . sons are Thomas B., Arvin H., Eltinge T. and Hobart G.
ELTINGE THORNTON BROWN, a son of the late Thomas B. Brown, whose distinguished career as a Los Angeles lawyer has been noted on other pages, is a native son of Los Angeles and for a number of years has been prominent in the real estate and insurance business.
He was born March 31, 1888, and was liberally educated, attending the Harvard School of Los Angeles and Leland Stanford University. After his college career and when about twenty-one years of age he engaged in the general insurance and real estate business in 1910 under the name Brown Bros. Company. For several years his associates were his brothers A. H. and Thomas B. Brown, but he is now sole owner of the business and its active head. He represents a number of fire and
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casualty insurance companies, and also handles Los Angeles property. Mr. Brown is a stockholder in a number of local companies and is a member of the Los Angeles Realty Board and the Los Angeles Cham- ber of Commerce.
He is a member of the Zeta Psi college fraternity, is a democrat, a member of the University Club, Automobile Club of Southern Cali- fornia, the Los Angeles Motor Boat Club. His hobby is swimming.
Mr. Brown and family reside at 2420 Raymond Avenue. Octo- ber 29, 1913, he married Miss Clarisse Stevens. She was born and educated in Los Angeles, where her parents still reside. Her father is Otheman Stevens, widely known as a special writer for the Los Angeles Examiner. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have one son, Eltinge Stevens Brown.
CARL CLEMENS STRASSBERGER, who died at his Los Angeles home, 630 Wilton Place, March 1, 1919, had been a resident of Southern Cali- fornia several years but had lived very quietly. However, Mr. Strass- berger was nationally and internationally known in the world of music, and was founder of the largest conservatory of music west of Chicago.
He was born in Saxony near the city of Dresden, April 24, 1859. He attended school at Dresden, and as a small boy evinced passion for music. He was never able to remember when he first learned to play on musical instruments. His father was a wealthy brewer and seriously objected to his son pursuing a musical career. Nevertheless the per- sistence and ambition of the boy triumphed over all obstacles, and he was given every advantage at the Royal Conservatory of Music at Dres- den. As a child he conducted a boy's band and all his play and work and pleasure was musical. In Saxony he laid the foundation for the wonderful grasp he had of music from every angle, as composer, pro- ducer, teacher, critic and patron.
Coming to America in 1881, he traveled extensively with various musical organizations, and in 1885 established his home at St. Louis. The debt of that city to the late Mr. Strassberger is a lasting one. He probably did more than any other man to educate St. Louis as a com- munity to the appreciation of good music. At the beginning he worked among boys, forming a band of sixty members. Ile had them so well trained that eventually he took them on concert tours. Later he was director of a full orchestra, of some sixty odd members.
He had the musical genius, also the gift of an organizer, and what is perhaps most rare in that combination sound business ability. He established at St. Louis the Strassberger Conservatory of Music, which from the first has ranked among the best institutions of its kind in America. He finally enlarged it to three branches, and it became the largest conservatory west of Chicago. His success was due partly to the fact that he was exceedingly diligent in searching for the best instruc- tors. He made many trips to Europe to study methods and secure assistants. The recitals and commencement exercises of the Strass- berger Conservatory were among the musical events of St. Louis. A true patron of music, a successful business man, he was inspired by generosity, and when he recognized real talent he was ever ready to encourage it with all the facilities at his command, and a number of promising pupils received their musical education from him free of charge. He was also liberal in behalf of charitable purposes, giving many complete concerts and furnishing musical numbers for charitable programs.
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On February 8, 1888, Mr. Strassberger married Matilda Heim, a daughter of John and Gertrude (Christen) Heim, of St. Louis. Mrs. Strassborger possessed a soprano voice of wonderful beauty and did much to make her husband's work a success, and a great deal of the credit was due her ability to direct financially and otherwise his grow- ing business. Both always took a personal interest in their pupils. Mrs. Strassberger frequently sang in concerts evenings after helping in the Conservatory during the day.
Mr. Strassberger associated with him in his conservatory fifty or more prominent musicians as instructors. Some of the better known of these artists were the late Dr. Robert Goldbeck; Alfred Ernst, for years director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Guido Parisi, the Italian violin soloist, formerly of New York; George Buddeus; Charles Galloway, who at present is the leading organist in St. Louis; Daniel Jones, Ellis Levy and others.
Mr. Strassberger composed many selections of band music. One, "The Letter Carriers March," was dedicated to the Postmaster of St. Louis, his personal friend.
In the midst of his successful work about twelve years ago Mr. Strassberger's health was seriously impaired and ended in a paralytic stroke. After that he traveled extensively in search of health, and spent six months under the care of specialists in Europe. He returned much improved and at once plunged enthusiastically into his former work. Again it became necessary for him to go abroad and recuperate. The outbreak of the World war found Mr. and Mrs. Strassberger in Germany and they were in Berlin when the Kaiser delivered his speech to the army. Avoiding the rush of Americans to leave by English and French ports, he went to Italy and came home from that country direct to St. Louis. Soon afterwards he came out to Los Angeles and impressed with the beauty and climate of Southern California he bought a home and lived there quietly until his recent death. The present director of the Conservatory in St. Louis is his brother Bruno Strassberg.r. Mr. Strassberger was a member of the Apollo Club, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the American Federation of Musicians, and a member of the Masonic Order.
Mrs. Strassborger survives him, and also two daughters and two grandchildren. The daughters are Mrs. A. J. Barthels, of Los Angeles, and Mrs. C. A. Wiederholdt of St. Louis. The grandchildren are Alfred and Dorothy Wiederholdt.
PATRICK HENRY O'NEIL. While for half a dozen years or more his home and his business investments have been centered in Southern California, Patrick Henry O'Neil is nationally well known as a stock man, and was at one time rated as the largest individual land owner and cattle raiser in the State of South Dakota.
Mr. O'Neil is a typical westerner and has achieved great commer- cial success and influence out of early conditions when he had only his brain and hand to depend upon. He was born at New Richmond, Wis- consin, February 16, 1866, son of Thomas and Johanna (Harty) O'Neil. He graduated from the New Richmond High School in 1882 and in the same year his parents moved to South Dakota, locating at Miller. In that state, where his interests afterwards became so extensiv', he in 1884 found employment at a meat market in Faulkton. Three months later he bought a half interest and after two years was sole owner of the business. That was the foundation of his commercial operations.
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While he continued the operation of the meat market for ten years, he was also dealing extensively in cattle and sheep and at the end of that time had numerous herds grazing and feeding both on leased and patented lands. At the climax of his business he was, as above noted, probably the largest individual land owner and most extensive stock raiser in the state.
However, the value of Mr. O'Neil's business interests has been much greater than his individual holdings. He knows men, has shown good executive ability, has had some experience in politics, and for a num- ber of years was one of the recognized leaders among the cattle men of the country. The welfare of the livestock industry in general has been greatly advanced by his efforts and influence. In 1909 by appointment of the governor of South Dakota he represented his state at the Ameri- can National Live Stock Association Convention in Los Angeles and was elected a member of the association's executive force and had a very important share in the deliberations of the body. In 1910 he was one of the five delegates representing the same association in the National Conservation Congress at St. Paul. A little later he was a member of the Committee on Resolutions of the American Live Stock Association at its meeting in Fort Worth. Beginning in 1909 he served as a mem- ber of the State Live Stock Sanitary Board of South Dakota, and in December, 1911, was chosen chairman of the Live Stock Sanitary Board for the National Live Stock Association. In these offices he worked steadily for the raising and broadening of the standards of live stock inspection, and the safeguarding of the animal husbandry of America from disease.
In his home state, Mr. O'Neil had many prominent business con- nections. He is president of the O'Neil Live Stock and Land Company at Faulkton, vice president and director of the Merchants Bank of Faulkton, of the Bank of Cresbard, and the First State Bank of Onaka, was a director of the Northern Casualty Company of Aberdeen.
During the past seven or eight years Mr. O'Neil has disposed of many of his interests in South Dakota and has invested heavily in Southern California real estate and has been connected with a number of developments around Los Angeles. In 1912 he bought his beautiful home at 1257 Manhattan Place, and is owner of much other property in and around the city.
For a number of years Mr. O'Neil was regarded as one of the most influential republicans of South Dakota, though never an aspirant for office. He was a delegate to the National Convention in Chicago in 1908, supporting the nomination of Taft. Among other civic honors enjoyed he was appointed by the Governor to represent the state at the National Corn Exposition in Omaha in 1908. For ten years he was a member of the Faulkton City School Board. He also served two terms as president of the Faulkton Commercial Club, and is a former president of the Old Settlers Picnic Association there.
Mr. O'Neil maintains his business offices in the Story Building, at Los Angeles. On June 13, 1888, he married Miss Annie Carlin at Zell, South Dakota. They have a family of five children: Louis B., Mary Ellen, Ignatius P., John T., and Henry A.
SAMUEL MACAW KENNEDY has been a resident of California since 1896, and for twenty years has been in the electrical business, most of that time as general agent for the Southern California Edison Company.
He was born at Toronto, Canada, June 20, 1863, a son of Warring
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and Jane ( Macaw) Kennedy. His father died at the age of seventy-six and his mother at forty-nine. His father for many years was a success- ful merchant at Toronto and was twice elected mayor of that city.
The son was educated in the Collegiate Institute and the Upper Canada College at Toronto, and after leaving college entered the employ- ment of the firm of which his father was the head. For ten years he was European buyer for the firm of Samson, Kennedy & Company. wholesale importers at Toronto, his father's business. His duties and responsibilities in that work required his making a trip to Europe twice every year and he crossed the Atlantic a total of forty-two times before he was thirty. At the age of thirty-one he had a physical breakdown, and had to retire from business for several years. For about five years he traveled in search of health and in the meantime had come to Cali- fornia in 1896.
About 1900 he became assistant to the president of the United Elec- tric Gas & Power Company of Los Angeles. This property was acquired in 1902 by the Southern California Edison Company, and Mr. Kennedy since then has been connected with the larger corporation, having charge of the commercial departments of the business. During this period he has given special attention to the subjects of public policy, rate making and business development. His has been a varied and valuable service to the corporation, but its outstanding feature has been in revising an old legend concerning a corporation having no soul, particularly as applied to the Southern California Edison Company. Mr. Kennedy is in fact a past master, so recognized not only in his own company but among public utility corporations everywhere, in the art of introducing the human and personal element into the business relations between a large utility company and its individual patrons. Some of the outstand- ing features in the service of the Southern California Company most appreciated by the general public, are the fruit of Mr. Kennedy's long study and experience. He in turn has had the satisfaction of seeing the number of the company's consumers grow and the volume of its business increase from that of a small enterprise to one of the giant corporations in the west.
Mr. Kennedy has been a frequent contributor in electrical publi- cations on matters pertaining to the electrical industry, primarily on subjects of relations with the public and matters pertaining to public policy. An interesting summary of his experiences and deductions is contained in an address which Mr. Kennedy delivered before the Pacific Coast Section of the National Electric Light Association in May, 1919. This address was regarded as one of such timely interest that the con- vention by special resolution had it printed and published, and many thousands have since read the little pamphlet "The Man in the Street," the title used by Mr. Kennedy in his address.
Mr. Kennedy is the author of a book entitled "Practical Idealism in Public Service." It is the crystalization of the experiences of his ideas of public service, and the book has had a wide circulation among public utility officials and employers as well as among business men in all parts of the country.
Mr. Kennedy is a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the American Electro-Chemical Society, and is an acknowl- edged authority on electrical business development and subjects related undr that head.
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