USA > Indiana > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 52
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R. PHILIP CARPENTER.
It is a well recognized fact that the most powerful influence in shaping and controlling public life is the press. It reaches a greater number of people than any other agency, and thus has always been, and in the hands of persons competent to direct it, always will be the most important factor in molding public opinion and shaping the destiny of the nation. R. Philip Carpenter, whose life history is here recorded, devoted fourteen years of his life to the newspaper business, and was until recently the editor and publisher of the Hamilton County Times at Noblesville, this county. A college-trained man and a lawyer of some years' experience, he brings to his chosen profession a well-trained mind and the ability to publish a paper in such a way as to command respect and patronage.
R. Philip Carpenter, the present postmaster of Noblesville, and the son of Rufus C. and Sarah J. (Stultz) Carpenter, was born in Mattoon, Illi- nois, December 21, 1872. He came with his parents to Putnam county, In- diana, when he was six years of age, and attended the common schools of that county until he graduated, after which he entered the Central Indiana Normal School at Ladoga, Indiana, and afterwards became a student at DePauw University at Greencastle, Indiana. He left school when in his junior year and took up the study of law under the tutelage of Judge Presley C. Colliver, of Greencastle. Upon mastering the rudiments of this profession, he was admitted to the bar and opened an office at Crawfordsville, Indiana, for the active practice of his profession. There he practiced with that success which attends a bright young lawyer and gradually drifted into politics, and as politics is intimately connected with journalism, he soon found out that the newspaper man is really more of a power in the political world than a politician himself.
The first newspaper experience of Mr. Carpenter began in 1900, when he acquired the Roachdale ( Indiana) News, and since that time he has been actively engaged in his chosen life work. After conducting the Roachdale News for some years he disposed of this paper and became connected with the Seymour Democrat, at Seymour, Indiana, which he disposed of in 1908 and purchased the Hamilton County Times, of Noblesville, and continued to publish this paper down to January 16, 1915. Being a Democrat in politics his paper espoused the principles of that party, and under his able leadership became a power in Democratic circles in Hamilton county. Mr. Carpenter is a fluent writer and a man of forceful expression. While he is an aggressive
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Democrat, he is not a blind partisan and while editing the paper did not hesi- tate to point out the weaknesses in his own party when he saw them. Follow- ing the election of 1912 Mr. Carpenter was an applicant for the position of postmaster of Noblesville. In the contest before the executive committee of the Democratic Central Committee he was chosen from a large field of other worthy applicants as the choice of the Democrats of Noblesville and, upon the recommendation of his party in this county, he was appointed by Presi- dent Wilson to this office and assumed his duties on April 1, 1914. After being selected for the postmastership he disposed of a half interest in his paper to Fenton J. Lawler, a young newspaper man of Bloomfield, Indiana, but in August, 1914, bought back Mr. Lawler's interest and on January 16, 1915, sold the paper to Messrs. Paul Poynter and Norval K. Harris, of Sulli- van, Indiana, and Mr. Harris is now in charge of the paper.
Mr. Carpenter was married in 1897 to Zella Brandon, of Greencastle, the daughter of James and Mariah (Dawson) Brandon, and to this union there has been born one daughter, Myla Louise, born while her parents were living in Seymour.
CHARLES B. MACY.
It cannot be other than interesting to note in the series of personal biog- raphies appearing in this work the varying conditions that have compassed those whose careers are here outlined, and the efforts which have been made in each case to throw well focused light upon the individuality and to bring into proper perspective the scheme of each respective career. It is safe to say that there are at least one hundred different occupations represented in Hamilton county today, and it is not within the province of anyone to say that one is more important than another. There are a few occupations in which there are but few representatives and of these there is one occupation which stands unique in the manufacturing industries of Hamilton county. There is one man who knows more about the manufacture of paper than any other man in the county, a man whose great ability along this line has been recog- nized by the greatest paper company in the United States. It has been his life work as it was that of his father before him and there is no angle of the business with which he is not thoroughly acquainted. Charles B. Macy, the superintendent of the American Straw Board Company's plant at Nobles- ville, Indiana, is recognized as an expert in his chosen life work and he has built up an industry of which Noblesville is truly proud. Not only is he a
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business man who has built up an industry of large proportions in this county, but he has contributed largely in various other ways to the development of his county. He is a fine type of the self-made American citizen, the man who shoulders his share of the burden of community life and bears his burden in a worthy manner.
Charles B. Macy, one of the leaders in his profession in the United States, was born April 2, 1866, in Pulaski, Oswego county, New York, and is a son of John and Albertine ( Hayner) Macy, his father being of English extraction and his mother of German descent. His parents, both of whom were born in America, have been dead many years. John Macy was a paper manu- facturer and it was in his establishment that his son was first initiated into the mysteries of the various processes of paper manufacture.
Charles B. Macy was reared in his native town and given the best educa- tion which his village school afforded. Before leaving home at the age of twenty he had learned the rudiments of paper making in his father's mill and when he went to Akron, Ohio, in 1876, had no difficulty in finding employment in a paper mill in that city. He remained in Akron until 1887, when he came to Kokomo, Indiana, and took charge of the plant of the Kokomo Strawboard Works. Two years later this plant was sold to the American Strawboard Company and Mr. Macy was transferred to Tiffin, Ohio, where for the next six months he had charge of a plant owned by that company. In 1890 Mr. Macy came to Noblesville and completed the erection and equipment of the American Strawboard Company's plant in this city, becoming the superin- tendent of the plant upon its completion. Here he remained for ten years and in 1900 he went to Chicago and took charge of the plant owned by the Chi- cago Coated Paper Company, continuing in the employ of this company for six months. From Chicago he went to Piermont, New York, where he built a paper plant for the American Strawboard Company, then to Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he built a paper plant for the Chicago Coated Paper Company. In 1902, having been gone from the county for two years, he re- turned to Noblesville, where he has since resided, resuming the superintend- ency of the plant of the American Strawboard. Company. The Noblesville plant is one of the largest which this company has in operation and has a daily capacity of fifty tons. Mr. Macy has a thorough knowledge of every phase of the paper industry and is one of the most efficient men in the service of the American Strawboard Company.
Mr. Macy is financially interested in several of the enterprises of Nobles- ville, being a stockholder in the Kline-Macy Foundry Company, the American
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National Bank, the Wainwright Trust Company and the water works. He is also a stockholder in the Sheridan Packing Company, at Sheridan, this county. He is a man of keen business ability, and his advice is always considered sound in financial matters.
Mr. Macy was married November 12, 1872, to Laura Viall, the daughter of John Viall, of Akron, Ohio, and to this union has been born one son, Lewis C., who married Greta Geneva Phillips, November 19, 1912, and is now em- ployed in the office of the American Strawboard Company in Noblesville. Mr. Macy is affiliated with the Christian church, of which his wife is a member and is a generous contributor to the various activities of that denom- ination.
In politics, Mr. Macy has always been a stanch Republican, but owing to the nature of his business and his frequent changes of residence, it has not been possible for him to take a very active part in the political affairs of Hamilton county. However, he is deeply interested in all questions affecting the welfare of his home city and is an ardent advocate of good government. Fraternally, he is a Mason and has attained to the thirty-second degree in that order. He also holds membership in the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Royal Arcanum. He is a man of pleas- ing personality, and one of the most highly esteemed citizens of Noblesville. He is a man of broad sympathies and takes an abiding interest in the welfare of those about him.
CASSIUS M. GENTRY.
The life history of Cassius M. Gentry reveals a character of unusual force and eminence. For a number of years he has been recognized as one of the able and successful lawyers and prominent citizens of Noblesville, In- diana. As a lawyer he has a comprehensive grasp upon the philosophy of jurisprudence and is easily the peer of any of his professional brethren at the Hamilton county bar; as a citizen he is public spirited and enterprising, deeply interested in the educational and religious welfare of his city: as a friend and neighbor he combines the qualities of head and heart which have won confidence and commanded respect: as a servant of the people in the office of prosecuting attorney he served in a manner which won for him the commendation of law-abiding citizens of his county. Starting in life as a teacher in the public schools he gradually worked himself to a place where he realized that there were larger things in store for him. Recognizing the great
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opportunities for good offered by the conscientious practice of the law, he left the school room and matriculated at one of the best law schools in the coun- try and was graduated with distinction from the law department of Yale University. Such is the general standing of the man whose life history is here briefly recorded.
Cassius M. Gentry, the son of Francis M. and Barbara J. (Wise) Gen- try, was born September 25, 1866, on a farm near Perkinsville, Madison county, Indiana. Francis M. Gentry was a native of Indiana, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Gentry. Ephraim Gentry was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, and grew to manhood and married in the county of his birth. After his marriage he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, with his family and there Francis M., the father of Cassius M., whose history is here presented, was born. Ephraim Gentry was a captain of a company of state guards during the War of 1812. Shortly after the close of that war he moved with his family to Wayne county, Indiana, settled in the primitive wilderness of that county and literally carved a home out of the virgin forest. There Ephraim Gentry lived the remainder of his life and there Francis M. grew to manhood and married. After his marriage, Francis M. Gentry moved to Madison county, Indiana, where his death occurred in 1867, leaving his widow with seven children, Cassius M. being the youngest of the family.
Cassius M. Gentry was reared on the farm in Madison and Hamilton counties, this state, and was given a good, common school education. Being naturally of a studious turn of mind and being blest with an active brain, he began to teach school when little more than a lad. He taught for three win- ters, spending his summers working on the farm. He saved his money with the intention of entering college and the happiest moment of his life was the day he matriculated in Wabash College at Crawfordsville, Indiana. He was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1894, and for the next four years taught the sciences in the Kokomo high school. However, he felt there was a larger career in store for him in the law, and he taught for the purpose of obtaining money to pursue his legal education. In 1898 he en- tered the law department of Yale University and was graduated with the de- gree of Bachelor of Laws in 1901.
Immediately upon his graduation from Yale, Mr. Gentry came to Nobles- ville, Indiana, and entered into a partnership with Judge Theodore P. Davis and Judge Frank E. Gavin. the firm being known as Gavin, Davis & Gentry. Here he soon became familiar with the legal procedure of Indiana and was thrown into contact with the large practice of the firm. His college training
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of seven years and his naturally studious turn of mind now proved of great benefit to him. He mastered legal details with exceeding rapidity and showed a grasp of legal technicalities which was surprising in one of so little exper- ience. At the expiration of three years in this firm he formed a partnership with Ernest E. Cloe, the firm being known as Gentry & Cloe. This firm has been in existence down to the present time and has enjoyed a continued and ever-increasing practice, being recognized as. one of the strongest legal firms in this section of the state. Gentry & Cloe have one of the best law libraries in Indiana, a most valuable asset to the modern law office.
Mr. Gentry has been associated with the Republican party since reaching his majority, and always has been active in public and political affairs. In 1904 he was elected prosecuting attorney for Hamilton county, and such was his success in this office that he was re-elected for a second term in 1906. In the general public affairs of his home he has always taken a deep and abiding interest. He is a member and the present treasurer of the City Board of Education, as well as a member and president of the Public Library Board.
In addition to his large legal practice Mr. Gentry is interested in the raising of live stock. He has a fine farm in White River township, this county, where he engages extensively in farming, stock raising and stock feeding. He keeps only the best breeds of stock upon this farm and has one of the finest herds of Aberdeen Angus cattle to be found in this section of the state. He is a member of the County and State Draft Horse Breeders' As- sociation. Among his other interests, Mr. Gentry is a stockholder in the First National Bank, of Noblesville, and the First National Bank, of Arcadia, his firm being the attorneys for these banks.
Mr. Gentry was married October 4, 1901, to Margaret Mehlig, the daughter of Louis and Melinda ( Morgan) Mehling, of Kokomo, and to this union have been born three daughters, who are still with their parents, Mar- garet Louise, Esther Bertha and Frances Josephine. Mrs. Gentry is promin- ent in the affairs of the women's clubs of her city and is a woman of gracious charm and pleasing personality. Mr. Gentry and his family are earnest and loyal members of the Presbyterian church, in which denomination he is an elder. For some time he was superintendent of and now is a teacher in the Sunday school. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Improved Order of Red Men, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Modern Woodmen of America. Personally, Mr. Gentry is a very pleasant gentleman to meet and is held in high esteem not only for his superior professional abilities, but for his public-spirited nature, wholesome private life and high ideals of public service.
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HENRY C. GAETH.
It is a well authenticated fact that success comes as the result of legitimate and well applied energy, unflagging determination and perseverance in a course of action when once decided upon. She is never known to smile upon the idler or dreamer and she never courts the loafer, and only those men who have diligently sought her favor are crowned with her blessings. In tracing the history of Henry C. Gaeth of Noblesville, Indiana, it is plainly seen that the success which he enjoys has been won by commendable qualities, his personal worth having gained for him the high esteem of those who know him.
Henry C. Gaeth, a box manufacturer of Noblesville, Indiana, was born November 15, 1874, in Indianapolis, Indiana. His parents, Frederick and Caroline Gaeth, were born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and came to America in their youth. Mrs. Gaeth died in 1884, while Frederick Gaeth is still living in Indianapolis. He entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad com- pany upon coming to America and was in continuous service with that com- pany until he was retired on pension in July, 1912, a period of thirty-eight years of honorable service.
Henry C. Gaeth was reared in Indianapolis and educated in the public schools. He left school when he was a junior in the high school and became a clerk in the ticket brokerage office of Thomas H. Webb. After working here for two years he went to the J. S. Carey box manufacturing plant where he worked for three years. While working here he became interested in the manufacture of boxes and barrels and got his first insight into this business. In August, 1892, he came to Noblesville and became interested in the Lay Pail Company which manufactured lard tubs. He continued with this com- pany until it retired from business, after which he became connected with the Noblesville Glass Company as its secretary. At the same time he manufac- tured the boxes used in shipping the wares of the glass. company, engaging in this as a private enterprise. When the glass company moved to Evansville in 1901, Mr. Gaeth remained in Noblesville and devoted his entire attention and energy to the manufacture of boxes and barrels for shipping purposes. Under his able management he has built up a company which is one of the most prosperous concerns in Noblesville. He manufactures all sizes and grades of shipping boxes and barrels and has had the satisfaction of seeing his busi- ness increase from year to year'. Much of his product goes to the manufac- turing concerns of Noblesville, although he also ships his products to other parts of the state. He employs twenty men the year round and has built up a
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business which pays out a goodly sum in wages each week to the laboring men of this city.
Mr. Gaeth was married November 28, 1905, to Margaret Wild, the daughter of Leonard and Margaret (Barth) Wild, one of the prominent families of Noblesville. A sketch of the interesting career of Mr. Wild ap- pears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Gaeth have no children.
In politics, Mr. Gaeth has long been identified with the Republican party, but though interested in its success he has never been a candidate for any public office. He is a charter member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of Noblesville and also .holds membership in the Knights of Pythias. He and his wife are earnest members of the Presbyterian church and have always been interested in church and Sunday school work. Mr. Gaeth is treasurer of the church and holds the same position in the Sunday school organization. He has taught the boy's class in the Sunday school for the past nine years and in this way has been a potent influence for good in his community. In fact he stands in favor of every measure which he feels will benefit his city in any way, and no public enterprise is launched which does not find in him a hearty and enthusiastic supporter. The family residence at one hundred and seven East Logan street, is the center of many hospitable gatherings of friends and acquaintances. Mrs. Gaeth is a woman of refine- ment and culture and is deeply interested in all measures advocated by the women of her city.
BENJAMIN F. HADLEY.
It is the progressive, wide-awake man of affairs that makes the real history of a community and his influence as a potential factor of the body politic is difficult to estimate. The examples such men furnish of patient pur- pose and steadfast integrity strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting even in a casual way to their achievements in advancing the interests of their fellow men and in giving strength and solidity to the institutions which make so much for the prosperity of the community. Such a man is the worthy sub- ject of this review, and as such it is proper that a review of his character be accorded a place among the representative citizens of the city and county in which he resides.
Benjamin F. Hadley, a prominent furniture dealer and undertaker of Noblesville, Indiana, was born near Mooresville, Morgan county, this state, in
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1847, and is the son of John and Rebecca ( White) Hadley, his father being a native of North Carolina. John Hadley came to Morgan county, Indiana, from North Carolina with his parents, Eli and Margaret (Towell) Hadley, in 1817, and settled in the dense forest that covered the land which they entered from the government. Rebecca White was a niece of Levi Coffin, who was so prominently connected with "the underground railroad" in Indi- ana previous to the Civil War. The Hadleys and Whites were extensive landowners in Morgan county. John Hadley died in April, 1888, and his grave was the first in the Westfield cemetery in Hamilton county. His widow died May 8, 1908, having previously married William Macy after the death of her first husband. To John Hadley and wife were born two sons and two daughters, Cynthia, deceased; Benjamin, whose history is here presented; Jennie, the wife of Amos Spray, of Indianapolis and Alonzo, also of Indi- anapolis.
Benjamin Hadley was reared on his father's farm in Morgan county, attended the district schools of his neighborhood in the winter time and as- sisted his father on the farm during the summer seasons. When he was twenty years of age he entered the Friends Academy at Mooresville for two winter terms, driving back and forth each day the distance of two and one- half miles. The academy at that time was in charge of the two Dorlan brothers, Edward and Alpheus. While attending the school at Mooresville, he met Emma Brown, who was one of the teachers in the high school, and while sitting at her feet as a pupil, young Benjamin fell in love with the young teacher. Before he was twenty-two years of age they were married, and to this happy marriage were born four daughters, Luella, the wife of Dr. C. H. Tomlinson, of Cicero; Elma, the wife of Walter Sanders, a carpenter of Noblesville; Carrie, the wife of Henry Wall, a druggist of Noblesville, and Grace E., who graduated from the Bradley Institute at Peoria, Illinois, and now is a teacher of domestic science in the schools of Jackson township in this county. Grace graduated from the Noblesville high school and was a student at Earlham College before entering Bradley Institute. The mother of these children died December 20, 1896.
After his marriage in 1868, Benjamin Hadley farmed in Morgan county until 1874. He then came to Adams township, Hamilton county, where he followed agricultural pursuits for the next ten years. He then sold his farm and engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in Westfield, where he remained until 1895, and in that year came to Noblesville, where he engaged in the same business at No. 10 East Logan street, and has remained in the same location to the present time. He carries a full line of furniture, sewing
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machines, pictures, picture frames, as well as a complete line of musical instru- ments of all kinds. He is a licensed embalmer and funeral director and has his full share of business in this line in Noblesville and the surrounding terri- tory. Mr. Hadley is a man of keen business ability, and by his upright methods and strict integrity, has won the confidence of all who have had any business transactions with him.
Mr. Hadley was married the second time on June 21, 1899, to Mrs. Mary O'Neal, of Richmond, Indiana. Fraternally, Mr. Hadley is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Improved Order of Red Men, and has always taken an active interest in the work of those fraternal organizations. He is a member of the Indiana State Funeral Directors' Association.
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