Greater Indianapolis : the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes, Part 51

Author: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, 1855-1924. cn
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 972

USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Greater Indianapolis : the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes > Part 51

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HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS.

called upon to preside by the speaker. The speaker appointed him to the chairmanship of the standing committee on the affairs of the City of Indianapolis and a member of the committee to reapportion the state for con- gressional and legislative purposes. His bill upon congressional apportionment passed both houses and was enacted into law after one of the most strenuous legislative contests ever witnessed in the state. He was also author of the well ordered law for limitation to the indebtedness of Marion County, and introduced various other bills and resolutions of much importance.

Upon his retirement from the legislature, in 1880, Captain English was prominently mentioned in connection with the nomination for congress, but as his honored father was the Democratic nominee for Vice-President of the United States in that campaign, he de- cided that partisan interests rendered it in- expedient for him to permit the use of his name in this connection. In 1882 he was made the nominee of his party for Congress and in the face of the strongest opposition he entered upon a vigorous campaign and despite the large majority which he was com- pelled to overcome, he was elected after one of the most turbulent campaigns known in the annals of the state. The Washington Chronicle at the close of his term, offered this estimate of the services of Captain Eng- lish : "Captain English made a useful, capa- ble and attentive representative, always in at- tendance upon the sessions of the house and ever watchful of the interests of his con- stituents." He introduced a number of im- portant bills, including those providing for an International Copyright Law, the issuance of coin certificates of small denominations and the increase of pensions of crippled soldiers and sailors. His comprehensive report on the alcoholic liquor traffic commission, from the committee of which he was chairman, was adopted by the house and attracted much fa- vorable comment. Though it was the desire of his party to place him in nomination as his own successor, personal considerations caused him to positively decline the candidacy for a second term. While in Congress he was the youngest member of the house of representatives and he ever commanded the respect and good will of all of its members. Following his retirement from Congress, Captain English, although often solicited, for many years refused to allow his name to be considered as a candidate before the people for election to any office but at no time abated his interest and zeal in political work.

Captain English was especially prominent

in the preliminary and specific work of the presidential campaign of 1892 and in Indiana he was one of the leading supporters of President Cleveland. He was elected a dele- gate to the national convention of that year in Chicago, and was one of its most promi- nent members, having been unanimously se- lected by the Indiana delegation to make the speech to that convention on behalf of the State of Indiana in presenting Grover Cleve- land as their choice for president. The press and the delegates to the convention uniformly declared that Captain English made the best seconding speech of that memorable conven- tion. He was chairman of the Committee on Rules and Order of Business in that conven- tion. By unanimous election he was chosen again a delegate to the national Democratic convention of 1896, held in Chicago, where he acted as one of the managers of the campaign of Governor Claude Matthews, whom Indiana presented as its candidate for presidential standard bearer. Mr. Bryan was made the nominee and owing to the fact that the plat- form adopted by the Democratic party in this convention was totally at variance with his personal opinions, Captain English took no active part in the national campaign of that year.

In 1900 he again came to the front as a most valiant worker in the presidential cam- paign and now he was found aligned as a stanch supporter of the cause of the Republi- can party, in which connection he made a most brilliant record as a campaign speaker throughout the various sections of Indiana, ably advocating the cause of the party and supporting its entire ticket. Concerning his efforts in this connection, the following perti- nent statements have been made : "No speaker was in greater demand at all Republican gatherings and he was everywhere greeted with the most enthusiastic audiences." He accompanied candidate Roosevelt on his tour of the states, speaking with him at various towns and cities on the trip. His influence was widely felt in all parts of Indiana in this campaign and at its close he received per- sonal letters from both President Mckinley and Vice-President Roosevelt in acknowledg- ment of his eminent services in behalf of the Republican nominees. In the presidential conflict of 1904 in which his comrade of the Santiago campaign, Theodore Roosevelt, was the Republican nominee for president and his fellow townsman and neighbor, Charles W. Fairbanks, the nominee for vice-president, he was especially zealous and canvassed In- diana from one end to the other. Again he accompanied the vice-president's special

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train over the state and spoke with Mr. Fair- banks at various important places during the tour.

In the exciting presidential campaign of 1908, he was once more an active participant and again canvassed Indiana for the Republi- can national ticket. IIe accompanied Presi- dent Taft on his speaking tour of the state and later similarly accompanied the special train of Senator Beveridge, and that of the Republican candidate for governor, Honor- able James E. Watson, speaking with all three at various places in all parts of Indiana. Since the year 1900. Captain English has fre- quently served as delegate to Republican city, township, county, legislative, congressional and state conventions. In the campaign of 1901, he was a member of the Republican city executive committee of Indianapolis and after the election of the party's candidate for mayor, he was appointed president of the board of safety of his home city. He was an active member of the Marion County Republi- can executive committee in the campaigns of 1906 and 1908 and in the former year he was chairman of the party convention in Marion County and the Republican joint legislative convention in 1904 of Marion and Hancock Counties. He was a vice-president of the Re- publiean state convention of 1902, chairman of the committee on rules and order of busi- ness in the state convention of 1904, chairman of the committee on credentials in the state convention of 1906, and chairman. of the Marion County Delegation in the State Con- vention of 1910. In 1908 he was nominated for state senator by the Republicans of Marion County, having received thirteen thousand out of sixteen thousand votes cast at the Republican county primary election, and carrying one hundred thirty-seven out of the one hundred thirty-eight precincts of the county, although there were five promi- nent candidates before the primary for that office. The entire Republican ticket was de- feated in the county at the ensuing election, but Captain English made an excellent race and ran ahead of the general party ticket. In 1910 he was again made the nominee of his party for state senator, his nomination this time being made withont opposition. He received the highest vote cast at this primary election for any candidate upon the entire Republican ticket for any office, whether op- posed or nnopposed.

Relative to the distinctive services of Cap- tain English in the Spanish-American war, no more adequate data could here be offered than those gleaned from a previously pub- lished brief sketch of his military career, to

which recourse is here taken: "Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, not- withstanding his large business interests and the sacrifice incident thereto, Captain English promptly tendered his services to Governor Mount of Indiana and through the governor was shortly thereafter offered an appointment by President Mckinley as paymaster in the army with the rank of major. This tender was promptly declined, he stating that he de- sired active service' only and requesting an appointment of lower rank, if need be, pro- vided the service was at the front.

"Following this, after failure to receive an appointment in the adjutant general's depart- ment, for which he applied, he was, on May 17, 1898, appointed by President Mckinley to the rank of Captain of United States Vol- unteers and assigned to the quartermaster's department. Not desiring to serve in that department, for the reason before given-a desire for more active service at the front -- at his own urgent and personal request he was, on June 10, 1898, promptly detached and transferred from service in that department, without having performed any duty in it, and . was immediately assigned to duty as an aide upon the personal staff of Major General Jo- seph Wheeler, commanding the cavalry divi- sion, and served as such throughout the San- tiago campaign. #

"Captain English was among the first sol- diers who embarked for Cuba, sailing from Tampa, June 13, on the transport 'Alle- gheny', in company with General Wheeler and the members of his staff. He had the distinguished honor to be the only Indiana volunteer in General Shafter's entire army. In the bombardment of El Poso Hill, during the battle of July 1st before Santiago he was disabled by his frightened horse rearing and falling backward with and upon him as the result of a Spanish shrapnel shell exploding close to him, which slightly wounded the horse's shoulder besides killing and wounding several soldiers about him. President Roose- velt, in his history of the Rough Riders, states that he himself received a slight wound on the arm from a piece of the same deadly mis- sile. . General Samnel S. Sumner was in command of the cavalry division at the time referred to, as a result of the absence of General Wheeler on account of illness (General Wheeler reaching the front later), and Captain English was for that reason serving temporarily upon his staff. General Sumner, sitting on his horse a few feet away, was an eye-witness to the accident which dis- abled Captain English and in reference there- to, the following valned evidence has been

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placed on file in the war department by Gen- eral Sumner :

'August 23, 1899.

'Brigadier General Theo. Schwan, President Board, War Department, Washington, D. C.

'Sir: I remember very well the injury of Captain William E. English on July 1st at El Poso, where he was temporarily acting as an aide upon my staff. I was quite near himn and saw his horse rear and fall; at the time I thought he was struck (or the horse) by a piece of the shell which burst over our heads, but learned later that he had escaped a wound, though severely injured by the horse's fall.

'S. S. SUMNER,

'Colonel 6th Cavalry, late Brigadier General, Commanding Cavalry Brigade and Divi- sion.'

"Captain English was crushed beneath the falling horse, and upon removal was found to be dangerously injured internally, and while still disabled and confined from these injuries, was attacked by virulent dysentery, accompanied by malaria, until his condition from these various complications became so alarming that after consultation the surgeons in charge ordered his immediate removal from the climate of Cuba and return to the United States as the only hope of saving his life. He was therefore ordered transferred to the hospital at Siboney by written order signed by Major L. M. Crampton, chief sur- geon in charge of headquarters hospital, upon the recommendation of Major . Frederick J. Combe, assistant surgeon. in · charge, and thence together with many other sick and wounded soldiers on board the hospital trans- port 'Seneca' for removal to the United States. The transport sailed from Cuba the day the surrender of Santiago was agreed upon by the Spanish and American com- manders, and it became well known through the newspapers because of the extreme priva- tions and hardships endured on the home- ward voyage.

"It was first ordered to Tampa, but the restrictions of the health authorities there caused its destination to be changed to Fort- ress Monroe, where it was again refused a landing on account of yellow fever being re- ported on board. and after various vexatious delays it was eventually permitted to land in New York harbor, but its passengers were held in quarantine. Mrs. English, who had unsuccessfully but persistently and courage .. ously sought and followed her husband to each of these ports. finally secured his release from quarantine. After the necessary rest

and recuperation in that city, to enable him to do so, Captain English returned to his home in Indianapolis, where his friends re- ceived him with congratulations and rejoic- ings, his death having been bulletined by the newspapers but a short time before his de- parture from Cuba. Shortly after his ar- rival home his enthusiastic friends of the Grand Army of the Republic veterans marched in a body to his residence to tender him their fraternal welcome on his return, which was followed a few days later by a public reception given to him by the Colum- bia Club, the leading organization of the city, and still later on his brethren of the Masonic fraternity, at a public assemblage, presented him a beautiful jeweled officer's sword, with the words, 'as a token of his services to his country', handsomely engraved upon it. A most striking and gracious welcome and greet- ing was extended by the Republican state convention, which, being then in session, in- vited Captain English to a seat on the stage near the presiding officer, and when he ap- peared before them, bronzed, feeble and ema- ciated from his Cuban experiences, gave him three rousing cheers and a patriotic ovation such as has seldom been witnessed in a polit- ical convention.

"Captain English continued in such bad health, as a result of the effects of the injury. received and the illness contracted in Cuba, that he was granted an extended sick leave by the war department, and peace in the meantime having been formally declared he was finally, at his own request, honorably dis- charged from the army of the United States, December 31, 1898. On that evening, 'at a dinner in celebration of the event, highly flat- tering and complimentary letters were read from his old commander, General Wheeler, and from Governor Mount, Vice-President Fairbanks ( then Senator) and Senator Turpie of Indiana, who were most largely responsible for his appointment to the army by the presi- dent of the United States.

"At the close of his service in the army Captain English patriotically decided that he would not accept the pay due him from the government therefor, and so notified the war department in the following letter (copied from the official records) addressed to the ad- jutant general of the army at Washington :

'Indianapolis, October 20, 1899.

'General H. C. Corbin, Adjutant General U. S. A.

'Sir: I have drawn no pay at any time and do not know the amount due me from the government for my services as Cantain U. S. V. and A. D. C. on the staff of Major

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General Joseph Wheeler during the Spanish- American War. My active service was con- fined to the Santiago campaign, but whatever the amount due me is, I desire to turn it back into the United States treasury. This is simply a little matter of sentiment on my part, and if you will inform me as to the pro- cedure necessary to cover it back into the treasury or forward me any papers which will be necessary for me to sign, I shall be under obligations to you.

'Respectfully,

'WILLIAM E. ENGLISH, 'Late Captain U. S. V.'

"In pursuance of these instructions the necessary papers were prepared, forwarded and promptly signed by Captain English whereby $1,150, the full amount due him for his entire army service, was covered back into the United States treasury, as shown and at- tested by the official records of the auditor of the treasury for the war department and the assistant treasurer of the United States. On the day following his retirement from the United States army Governor Mount, in rec- ognition of his services, honored Captain English still further by appointing him pay- master general on the staff of the governor of Indiana, with the rank of Colonel, and he was thereafter appointed inspector general with the rank of colonel on the staff of Gov- ernor Durbin and aide de camp with the rank of colonel on the staff of Governor Hanly.

"Captain English was one of the three founders of the National Association of 'United Spanish War Veterans' and was its first elected commander-in-chief. He gave it the name which it bears and was the most im- portant factor in bringing it together as a strong and influential organization in every part of the country. He has not only served as commander-in-chief of the national organi- zation of United Spanish War Veterans of the United States, but also as department commander of Indiana of the Association of Spanish-American War Veterans, vice-com- mander of Indiana Commandery, Military Order of Foreign Wars, and senior vice-com- mander-in-chief and department commander of Indiana Commandery of the Naval and Military Order of the Spanish-American War. as well as a charter member of the Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba, made up of soldiers who served honorably in the San- tiago campaign. Captain English had the honor to he selected to command the division of Spanish War Veterans in the great in- augural parade incident to the inauguration of their distinguished comrade, Colonel Theo- dore Roosevelt, as president.of the United

States. He was also selected to serve as the aide representing the State of Indiana upon the staff of the chief marshal at the inaugura- tion of President Taft. A warm personal friendship existed between Captain English and his beloved commander, General Joseph Wheeler, and at the time of the great soldier's death his family selected Captain English to serve as one of the pall-hearers at his funeral in the City of Washington."

Captain English was a young man when he first identified himself with military affairs in his native state. He was one of the charter members of the Indianapolis Light Infantry, whose charter he signed on the 14th of April, 1877, and he was mustered into the Indiana National Guard with the other members of the company on the 14th of the following July. For many years he was one of the most active and zealous members of this popular organization with which he served through the Coal Creek riots and on various important noteworthy occasions. The "Will- iam E. English Guards", named in his honor, was organized and mustered into the state service May 16, 1886. and was the first col- ored company in the state to enter the In- diana National Guard. The "William E. English Zouaves" of Indianapolis was like- wise named in his honor and for many years was one of the crack organizations of its kind in the Union. In recognition of his services as an officer in the late war with Spain, the "Captain William E. English Camp" No. 64, of the National Association of Spanish-Amer- ican War Veterans was named in his honor.

Captain English is one of the largest prop- erty-holders in Indianapolis and the major portion of his time and attention are now given to the supervision of his extensive in- terests in the City of Indianapolis, where he maintains his home in apartments comprising a suite of eleven rooms in the English Block, a magnificent building fronting on Monument place and extending for an entire square. This fine structure contains not only the Hotel English and the English Opera House, but provides a number of attractive places for use for business purposes. Though the cares of his private interests are of an exact- ing order, Captain English never abates his zealons and loyal interest in public affairs and his progressiveness and civic enthusiasm have made him a factor of distinctive value in connection with the civic and material ad- vancement and upbuilding of "Greater In- dianapolis". He and his family pass a con- siderable portion of their time at their beau- tiful country seat. "Englishton Park", the old family homestead in Scott County, In-

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diana, in which have been sheltered five geu- erations of the English family. In 1902 the Captain and his wife made an extensive European tour incidental to his appointment, early in that year, by President Roosevelt as a delegate to the National Congress of Com- merce, held at Ostend, Belgium.

On the 5th of January, 1898, was solem- nized the marriage of Captain English to Mrs. Helen Orr English, who was reared in Indiana, and who is a representative of the well known Orr and Worley families. Her grandfather, Colonel John M. Orr, was lieu- tenant colonel of the Sixteenth and colonel of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Regiment in the Civil War, and after a brilliant career as a brave and gallant officer. while leading his regiment at the bat- tle of Arkansas Post received a severe wound in the head, from the effects of which he never fully recovered. His father, John Orr, was a member of a Kentucky regiment in the war of 1812. Mrs. English is also a descend- ant in the sixth generation from Peter Luke, who was a soldier in the Continental line in the War of the Revolution, from Frederick County, Virginia, and her direct Colonial an- cestor, Thomas Brassey, was a prominent member of the Society of Friends and an in- fluential figure in the early history of Penn- sylvania. He was a member of the Society of Free Traders, organized in London by William Penn, and in that city on the 29th of May, 1862, he was elected head of the committee of twelve to reside in and repre- sent that society in the State of Pennsylvania, where he served as a member of both the First and Second Colonial or Provincial As- semblies and also as a justice of the first court held in Chester County. Captain and Mrs. English have one child, Rosalind Orr English, who was born in Indianapolis on the 10th of March, 1903.

WILLET B. BLAIR. In manifold lines of industrial activity has Indianapolis gained a position of pre-eminence, and here are found represented practically all differentiated phases of business enterprise that other metropolitan centers can claim. With head- quarters at the Union Stock Yards, the Blair- Baker Horse Company, incorporated, trans- act a large and important business as auction commission salesmen of horses and mules, auctional sales of draft, driving, saddle and farm horses, as well as mules, being held at the company's headquarters every Wednes- day, and private sales being made daily. The company was incorporated under the laws of the state in 1900, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars, and it succeeded to the

business of the firm of Blair & Baker, which was organized in 1889. Thus the enterprise under the corporate regime was instituted with ample capitalistic reinforcement and a high and well established reputation for fair and honorable dealings upon the part of the interested principals in the concern, all of whom are thoroughly experienced in their line of business, being authoritative judges of horses and mules of all type, and the com- pany is one of the most important of its kind in the United States, its operations being of wide scope. Through the agency of this well known company, horses and mules are shipped to all the principal markets in the Union and a substantial export business also is controlled. The well equipped stables have a capacity for the accommodation of about eight hundred head of horses. The officers of this well or- dered corporation are as here noted : Willet B. Blair, president; William W. Baker, vice- president and treasurer; and Harry Luft, secretary. Mr. Blair is also treasurer of the Indianapolis Sales Company, of which Mr. Baker is president, and both are numbered among the alert and progressive business men of the capital city.

Willet Burgess Blair was born at Avon, Hendricks County, Indiana, on the 20th of January, 1861, and is a son of Clark and Mariam (Sanders) Blair, both of whom were born near Plainfield, Hendricks County, being representatives of honored pioneer families of that section of the state. Clark Blair was sixty-seven years of age at the time of his death, which occurred near the city of In- dianapolis, where he became a pioneer in the pork-packing business, having been born and raised near Indianapolis. In his earlier bus- iness career he had been actively identified with agricultural pursuits and stock-growing in Hendricks County, and there he served for twelve years in the office of county com- missioner. He was a man of insuperable in- tegrity of purpose and ever commanded un- qualified confidence and esteem. He was a stanch Republican in his political proclivi- ties and both he and his wife, who died at the age of thirty-nine years, were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of their five children four are living, and the subject of this review was the second in order of birth. Mr. Blair was affiliated with Bridge- port Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, at Bridgeport, Indiana, and his funeral was held under Masonic auspices.

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Greater Indianapolis : the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes, Part 51

Author: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, 1855-1924. cn Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 972

Author: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, 1855-1924. cn
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 972