USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Memorial record of distinguished men of Indianapolis and Indiana > Part 37
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Mr. Fertig was born in Buchen Baden, Germany, May 16, 1827, he was there educated and learned the trade of painter and decorator, but, like many others of his worthy countrymen, could only see ahead of him a long life of hard work with little chance of attaining an independent position. Accordingly, in 1849, he de- cided to try his fortune in the United States, and on August 27th of that year reached New York City, being practically penniless. There he joined an old friend, Charles Soehner, who had preceded him to New York, and they came to Indianapolis, where his first venture was in the decorating and painting business, Mr. Fertig having the distinction of being the first sign painter in the city. Loca- ting first at No. 65 West South street, a number of years later he removed to the center of the business district, and thereafter maintained an establishment at No. 6 East Washington street, the firm style being Fertig & Kebers. One of his earliest contracts was the painting of all the stage coaches then running out of Indian- apolis, and when the state capitol was first erected, Mr. Fertig was given full charge of all the interior decorating. The business of the firm advanced com- mensurately with the growth of the city and under Mr. Fertig's able management assumed large proportions. It was not his object to accumulate great wealth, however, and when he had firmly established himself and his family, he turned his business affairs over to his son, and retired to the quiet of his home. Mr. Fertig's home was his church. He was an omnivorous reader, having a large and valuable library in both English and German, was a great lover of music, and an enthusiastic member of the German Maennerchor, also holding membership in the Odd Fellows. More especially was he interested in anything that pertained to the welfare of the Germans of his adopted city, and the German-English school benefited greatly by his liberal financial and moral support. His death occurred February 16, 1911, and burial was made at Crown Hill.
On October 21, 1851, Mr. Fertig was married at Indianapolis to Miss Catherine Werner, who was born in Buchen Baden, Germany, September 1, 1824, and died April 26, 1895. They had seven children, as follows: Charles, born August 26, 1852, who died May 11, 1866; Louis, of Philadelphia, who married May Brinker and has one daughter, Mrs. Kelly Lewis, of New Orleans; Emil, the successor of his father in the firm of Fertig & Kevers, who married Lizzie Pfeffer and has three
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children, Katrina, Alma and Leona, all living at home; Louise, a talented musician, who died January 17, 1902, the wife of George Richards, who passed away May 16, 1904, their children being, Mrs. Dr. Walter Cleveland, of Evansville, with one daughter, Helen Frances Cleveland, and Frank and Helen Richards, living with Miss Lena Fertig, of 2245 North Illinois street; Robert, who died December 13, 1891, and who married Amelia Cramer, of Adrian, Michigan, and now a resident of Detroit; Mrs. Bertha Balke, whose husband is deceased, and Miss Lena Fertig, of North Illinois street.
Honest and upright in all his business dealings, a public-spirited and patriotic citizen of his adopted country, a friend of all that tended to advance the interests of Indianapolis and a genial, whole-souled man who, having succeeded himself, delighted in the success of others, Frank Fertig, was one of Indianapolis' finest citizens, and the memory of his kindly and useful life will long remain green in the hearts of his many friends in the city.
Henry Schnull
NDIANAPOLIS has among her citizens many representatives of that sturdy race which has become a basic element of the popula- tion of the United States during the past century. This race is the German, and of its members in Indianapolis none could be mentioned as a better example of the racial characteristics of industry, determination to succeed, sincerity of character and honesty of purpose than the late Henry Schnull. For over fifty years he was actively identified with the business and commercial world of the thriving Indiana metropolis, and many of her leading enterprises were fostered and developed by him. He landed in America with not more than a few dollars in his pocket, and the story of his gradual rise to the position of one of Indian- apolis' most influential and prosperous citizens reads like a fairy tale, but the fairy godmother in this case was hard work and shrewdness and the courage of initiative.
Henry Schnull was born on the 26th of December, 1833, at the little village of Hausberge, in the province of Westphalia, Germany. His father was a prosperous grain merchant, but his mill burned and thus his fortune was swept away. He died soon after this misfortune, when Henry was only six, leaving a widow and two sons and a daughter. His wife, from grief and privation only lived seven years after her husband's death. The boy Henry had an attack of smallpox when he was quite young, which injured his eyesight, and on this account he did not attend the village school regularly. He was, however, clever and ambitious, and managed to pick up quite an education. When he was eleven years old he was sent to live with an uncle, who had a grocery store in the town, and here his troubles really began. The uncle was severe and unsympathetic, and the lad had to work like a little slave from morning till night. His sole recreation was had on Sunday after- noons, when he was allowed a vacation. His uncle usually went with him, and as they walked along the roadside Henry was forced to keep his eyes on the road, in order to pick up any horseshoes or nails that might have been dropped. These were pocketed by the uncle who sold them for old iron. When Henry swept out the store in the morning he had to keep his eyes open for stray coffee beans, and woe betide him if any missed his eye. These practices were to teach the lad economy, but the uncle pocketed the proceeds.
By the time Henry was eighteen he decided that he could stand this life no longer, so he determined to go to America, where his older brother, August had gone two years before. His uncle paid him for his services of seven years by giving him enough money for his voyage, and Henry gaily set forth for Bremen. On his arrival he found that he had just missed the monthly steamer and he was in des- pair, for he had not money enough to wait for another. He at last determined to venture the voyage in an old fashioned sailing vessel. For seventy-three days he remained on board this vessel, a long and weary voyage, which seemed as though
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it were going to be endless, but Henry had his reward, for by a lucky chance his brother August was in New Orleans on the very day that he disembarked from his ship. August Schnull and Mr. Hahn were carrying on a trading business, whereby they took such products as poultry, eggs and butter to New Orleans from Indiana, selling them in exchange for Louisiana products. They had a long trip, traveling by wagon to Madison or Louisville, and then taking the boat to New Orleans. The profit, however, was compensation for the long journey. Henry was a veritable exclamation point, as they traveled up the broad Mississippi by steamer to Louis- ville. From this city they came to Madison by railroad, thence to Indianapolis by the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, which had just reached completion.
It was during the month of September, 1852, that the two brothers arrived in Indianapolis. It was at that time a city of eight or nine thousand inhabitants, and the contributions of the rich farm lands about it were causing it to grow rapidly. Henry had seventy dollars left, but this sum which had seemed so large to his eyes, vanished into nothingness as he spent the next few months seeking for work. In after years he often recalled these days to his friend, Charles Mayer. It seems that Charles Mayer at that time conducted a small grocery and toy store on the site where his sons now carry on the large establishment of Charles Mayer & Company. To him Henry Schnull applied for a job, and Mr. Mayer replied half jokingly, "No, young man, I can't use any young, green Germans in my business." Mr. Schnull went away with his feelings much bruised, little thinking that his only son would marry Mr. Mayer's only daughter. At last he did find work in Phillip Woerner's bakery, where he earned the munificent salary of six dollars a month and board. He had to rise at one o'clock in the morning, curry and feed the horses and then deliver the bread all over town. This would not have been so bad had he been able to snatch a few hours of sleep in the afternoons, but this time was spent in chopping wood for the bakery ovens. After five months of this work he found even his strength would not stand the strain, so he left Woerner's and accepted a clerkship in Volmer & Vonnegut's hardware and grocery store. Two of Mr. Vonnegut's sons afterwards married two of Mr. Schnull's daughters.
This business was located on Washington street, where the large drug store of Robert Browning was afterwards established. It was then a two-story brick building and Mr. Vonnegut and Mr. Schnull slept in a small room over the store. Mr. Schnull's salary was ten dollars per month, and he remained here for eight months, when he was offered the position of clerk in a hotel at twenty dollars a month. This hotel was the Farmer's Hotel, owned by Mr. Buerig, and it was located at the corner of Illinois and Maryland streets. Mr. Buerig had just opened the place to the public, and it was in reality more of a boarding house than a hotel, and in connection with the establishment was a saloon. In addition to his duties as clerk, Mr. Schnull was also assistant manager, but when Mr. Buerig demanded his help in the saloon he resigned. He went to the Lahr House in Lafayette, but Mr. Buerig fully appreciated his value after he had lost him, and he offered him fifty dollars a month and immunity from work in the saloon if he would return. This was too good an offer to be refused, but it was only a short time afterwards that Mr. Buerig disappeared, leaving $13,000 in debts. He wrote that he was ou his way to California, and as soon as the news got abroad his creditors appeared from every direction. Mrs. Buerig pled with them to wait a little longer, and to
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accept Mr. Schnull's proposition to pay off the debt on weekly installments. This was a heavy responsibility for the young man to assume, but he had confidence in himself and in the latent possibilities in the business. He was now in sole command and his first move was to abolish the saloon. He then dismissed the boarders and made the place into a regular hotel, with the rate of $1.50 a day. He realized the need of advertising, and so hired porters to meet the trains and solicit patron- age. This proved to be a wise move, and he soon had a flourishing business. The hotel was at times so crowded that it was necessary to place cots in the halls and Mr. Schnull never knew when he was going to have to sleep on the counter.
He worked night and day, doing everything about the hotel, and it was not long before he had Mr. Buerig's debts paid in full with interest. He often found him- self unable to make his weekly payments, and then he would borrow enough to keep his agreement. Men soon found that he kept his word and he soon had the confidence of all whom he knew in a business way. Soon after the skies were clear and there was no longer any indebtedness Mr. Buerig came from his retirement, took possession and soon had the hotel running on the old saloon and boarding house plan. When this occurred Mr. Schnull resigned, although he was offered a half interest. He decided that he would accompany his brother August to New Orleans and when he returned he had formulated the scheme of selling "fever pills." He had earned about six hundred dollars and fifty of this he invested in a stock of pills, expecting to make a big profit, for Indiana was then in the throes of malarial fever. He selected Grant and Madison counties as his territories, and although he was making money all right, he did not stay in the business very long. An old farmer was the cause of his abandoning it. He was attempting to sell him some of his pills, and the old man asked, "Young man, do you personally know that those pills of yours will cure the ague?" Mr. Schnull answered that he did not, but that he believed they were all they pretended to be. The older man then said, "How would you feel if these pills should prove to be harmful, or would poison some one?" Mr. Schnull had never thought of the matter in this light before, and his conscience was so affected that he threw the case and all the pills into the river. determining to have nothing to do with a business that might hurt other people.
He came back to Indianapolis and started a retail grocery store in company with Fred P. Rusch, under the firm name of Henry Schnull and Rusch. This was in 1855 and the store was located in Washington street, between Liberty and Noble streets. The partners roomed over the store and the funds with which they started out in business consisted of five hundred dollars belonging to Mr. Schnull and two hundred that belonged to Mr. Rusch. The two young men soon became known as the "two Dutch boys," and this title of affection and admiration was given them because they showed that they were not only shrewd and far-seeing merchants but honest and lovable young men. They soon saw a way in which they could gain a point over their competitors and were not slow in taking advantage of it. It seems that at this time the Indiana markets were overstocked with butter, poultry and eggs, and the farmers were often unable to sell their produce at any price. When they could sell their products they received such prices as five or six cents a pound for butter. Schnull and Rusch not only bought all they would sell but paid them higher prices. The reason they were able to do this was that all the surplus prod- uce was carefully selected and then repacked and shipped to New Orleans, in charge of August Schnull and Hahn. There they bought sugar and molasses for the boys. The latter getting these products so much cheaper than their competitors
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were able to do, could underbid them and soon had a fine trade with the farmers of the surrounding country.
It was about this time that Mr. Schnull married Miss Matilda Schramm, daugh- ter of a well-to-do farmer of Hancock county-the date of their marriage being the 11th of December, 1856. During this year Mr. Rusch retired from the firm, selling his interest to August Schnull and Mr. Hahn, the firm becoming Hahn, Schnull & Company. The firm now enlarged its business, adding clothing to their stock of groceries and queensware, and taking another room further west on Wash- ington street, where the W. H. Block store is today located. The clothing depart- ment was given into the charge of August Schnull, and Henry Schnull had the grocery department, while C. F. Hahn continued the peddling business. Eighteen months later Mr. Hahn sold his interest and the firm became A. and H. Schnull. Their profits for this one year and a half were fifteen thousand dollars, and their business was steadily on the increase. They now discontinued the clothing trade and devoted themselves to groceries and to a little wholesale business. They moved into a new building, which is now occupied by W. H. Messenger Company, and soon their business had grown so as to necessitate renting the large room ad- joining their store. At this time they were not compelled to employ traveling men for their wholesale trade, as the hucksters came to town and bought what they required at first hand. On the return of August Schnull, from a trip to Ger- many in 1860, it was decided that the retail business should be given up and all the time of the brothers would then be free for the rapidly growing wholesale trade. This move is what entitles Henry Schnull to the title of "father of the wholesale district."
In 1861 the First Baptist church, a large building at the corner of Meridian and Maryland streets, was destroyed by fire, and the Schnull brothers purchased this property. The lot had a fifty-five foot frontage on Meridian street and was ninety-four feet deep. The purchase price was ninety dollars per front foot. The brothers had accumulated about $40,000 apiece, but they were forced to bor- row a large sum in order to build the fine four-story building, still known as Schnull's Block. The cost of this enterprise was fifty-five thousand dollars. This was the first business block on South Meridian street, and when, in 1862, Henry Schnull bought the next lot to the south on which the fine stone front residence of Lewis Hasselman stood, tore down the house and erected another four-story busi- ness block, many of the Indianapolis business men thought he was in danger of losing his mind, for this was in the heart of the fashionable residence portion of the city. Mr. Schnull, however, knew perfectly well just what he was doing, and he intended to make this street the wholesale business street of Indianapolis. Therefore, against the advice of his friends he bought many other lots, some of which he sold at cost, and others on which he built business houses, after tearing down the residences. The money to do this was often borrowed, and when he sold a lot the purchaser had to sign an agreement to build business blocks in place of the dwellings. At this rate it did not take long for Mr. Schnull to realize his plan, and, just as he had expected, the wholesale business was centered on Meridian street. It was for this that Mr. Schnull was often referred to by his friends as "the father of Meridian street."
About this time the Civil war broke out, and during this period the brothers made very large profits. One steamer carrying a large cargo of sugar, coffee and molasses, consigned to them was the last to pass Fort Sumter, and with the imme-
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diate advance in prices the Schnulls made great profits on this cargo. Mr. Schnull was drafted for service in the army, but on account of his defective eyesight was not accepted. He felt that he was thus prevented from performing the duty of a loyal citizen, so he hired a substitute, which was not expected from any one who was himself physically incapacitated for service. In 1865 the firm which had weathered so many storms, sold out to Crossland, McGuire & Company, for the brothers had decided that now had come the time when they might enjoy the fruits of their labors. August Schnull, therefore, returned with his family to the Father- land, and Henry expected to take his rest in the land which had made his fortune. He was not of the type who can rest, however, so in 1866 he is again before the public eye as the founder of the Merchants National Bank. He was the first president of the bank, and Volney T. Malott was the cashier. He also was inter- ested at this time in the Eagle Machine Works, with Hasselman and Vinton, and was a partner in the iron business of Ewald Over & Company. In 1867 Mr. Schnull retired from the banking business and Mr. Malott became president. The follow- ing year Mr. Schnull founded the Indianapolis Cotton Mills, but they proved to be a failure, but since out of all his numerous ventures this was the only one in which back into the wholesale grocery business as a partner of Henry Severin and Ber- gen Applegate, the firm being known as Severin, Schnull & Company. In 1872 he sold his grocery interests and purchased the Palmer House, now the Occidental Hotel, for which he paid one hundred thousand dollars. In 1877 he again returned to the grocery business, buying out the interest of Mr. Over of the firm of Over & Krag. In 1889 Mr. Krag retired from the firm and Mr. Schnull took into part- nership his son Gustave and two trusted employes, William J. and George G. Griffin. Since this time the firm has been conducted under the firm name of Schnull & Company.
This is the story of the life of a hard working man, but it must not be thought that he devoted himself exclusively to his business. He found time to visit his old home in Germany frequently, and his family all received the advantages of a liberal education and of foreign travel. When he was first married he took his bride to live in the rooms above his store, and the first home they really had was on North East street. In 1857 he built a two-story brick house on North Alabama street, and after moving twice more he settled down for a period of over twenty years in a house at 124 North Alabama street. About fifteen years ago he built the beautiful residence on Central avenue at the corner of Thirteenth street. The house, with its dignified style of German architecture, surrounded by trees, with its broad stretches of greensward, is one of the most beautiful places in Indian- apolis. Here this fine old German, who had become so truly an American while clinging to all that was best in his race, passed away on the 4th of November, 1906. His death was not only a great grief to his family, but his loss was keenly felt throughout the business world. He was seventy-three years of age, or would have been the following month, and scarcely a day of his whole life had been given up to idleness. He was one of the most charitable of men and at his death finan- cially remembered every charitable organization in the city, regardless of creed or color. In losing him the community felt as though one of. the landmarks had been swept away, and that there was no one could ever take his place.
Charles Abraham Lowland
'T HAS always been the custom to be proud of our Puritan an- cestry, we who can trace our lineage back to the Pilgrim Fathers, and Marion county, Indiana, can rank among her citizens a family that is strong proof of the old saying, "Blood will tell." We have become accustomed to the fact that great men are continually appearing among us, who have no fam- ily and no ancestors, and we are in danger of forgetting that some of our greatest men have ranged hack of them a long line of men prominent in the his- tory of our country. The fact of heredity is indisputable, and a man who has inherited the sturdy qualities of the first settlers in America, and the culture that came from a residence in the intellectual atmosphere of Massachusetts after she became a com- monwealth, might well be proud of his ancestry. He is much more strongly armed for his battle with life than the man who has back of him poverty, degeneracy and physical weakness. Therefore, when a man with a fine heritage is not alive to the fact that he has a natural advantage over other less well equipped men, he is more to be condemned than the man who fails, knowing that he has to contend with the cumulative effect of centuries of weakness and perhaps crime that went before him. Charles Abraham Howland and all of his family, while proud of their descent, consider that in itself it is valueless unless they at least tried to live up to the standard set for them through the preceding years. That they have been successful in their attempt will be shown by the story of their lives. I
When the Mayflower touched the shores of Massachusetts on that bleak day in December, among her passengers was Pilgrim John Howland. He was the founder of the Howland family in this country, and, according to an old history, was a "lad of noble lineage" who would have ranked as Baron had his religious beliefs not forced him to come to America. In the old Plymouth cemetery stands the oldest monument of the Pilgrim Fathers, hearing this inscription:
John Howland. Died 1641.
The stone, which is of slate, has become much weather worn, and the rest of the inscription has been effaced. he great-grandson of Pilgrim John Howland was Consider Howland, whose house stood on Howland street. Most of the land on the northern side of this old house belonged to Pilgrim John's grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for they were lovers of land and owned large amounts of it. There is still a street in Plymouth known as Howland street. During the lifetime of Consider Howland the descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers formed themselves into a club to be known as Forefathers Club, and it fell to the lot of Consider Howland to entertain them for the first time. He was the owner of the old John Howland table, which was at that time about one hundred and fifty years old,
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and it is very likely that the dinner, which was typical of the food that the Pilgrim Fathers ate, was served from this old relic. Coming down to a time nearer the present the brief obituary notice that follows may serve to show the bravery and self-sacrificing spirit that lived in the Howland family through the years: "Spring- field, Massachusetts, August 28-A cablegram announces the death Friday in Jaffna, Ceylon, of Reverend William Ware Howland, for nearly fifty years mis- sionary of the American Board on that island." The paper continues: "Mr. Howland was born at West Brookfield, Massachusetts, in 1817, graduating from Amherst College in 1841, and was ordained in 1845, after completing a course in Union Theological Seminary. Three of his children became missionaries, the eldest, William M. Howland, at Madeira, dying while in this country in 1877. The second, Reverend Samuel Howland, is president of Jaffna College. The only daughter, Miss Susan Reed Howland, is principal of a young woman's seminary in Jaffna, while Reverend John Howland is missionary of the American Board in Mexico. Mr. Howland was the oldest missionary in his field, and had not visited his native country since 1861. He lived to see the Jaffna mission grow until it has nine self- supporting churches and 2,000 members, while there are 135 mission schools and 8,500 pupils." For one who can read between the lines what a story of unselfishness and true nobility this tells.
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