USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > Some Fort Wayne phizes > Part 4
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The Bowser works were established in 1885. Pre- vously, no one seemed to have thought of inventing a self-measuring oil pump, and as this is the star product of the concern there was a clear held ahead. The inven- tion of a variety of oil handling devices and the placing of them on the market far in advance of all others gave the Bowser concern an opportunity to proceed without hindrance. All this was done wisely and well and now it requires seventy energetic traveling men to handle the outside business. About two hundred and fifty men are employed at the works, which nearly covers two solid blocks of space. Branch houses are maintained at Toronto and Boston. The volume of business done now amounts to about half a million a year.
Lately, a system of advertising the business abroad as thoroughly as at home, has been inaugurated, and the old world will soon be using the Bowser product.
Mr. Bowser, during his long residence in Fort Wayne, has been closely identified with the city 's development. His bebef that faith without works is dead is ever mani- fest. and crops out distinctly in his work as a Sunday- school teacher as well as in his other activities as a citizen of a hvely town.
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ROBERT L. ROMY
N O, this is not a modern Atlas. It is Mr. Romy. He has the earth for sale-in small pieces. The pieces don't all belong to him. He sells them for other people.
Mr. Romy was born in 1851, a few miles outside of Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. When he was three years of age. the family left Mother Earth's head- quarters of mountain peaks, glaciers and music boxes, and came to America. While Mr. Romy isn't at all put out because they brought him to this land of the free and home of the brave, he does sometimes wish they had wanted awhile. Just think! How'd you like to be born within sight of the Matterhorn, Jungfrau, or Lake Geneva, with the lofty, glittering Alps and the Rhine and the Rhone and a varied assortment of other natural and historic scenery night under your very nose, as it were, and then have your folks take you five thousand miles away before you were hardly old enough to sit up and notice things? But then, what's the use of regretting !
It was in 180h that Mr. Romy came to Fort Wayne from Wayne county, Ohio. During the first few months he found employment as a day laborer, and for twelve years following he engaged in farming. And right here's where we want to state that Mr. Romy ought to be mighty glad he did his farming here instead of in the land of his birth. Over there. one day a farmer was plowing a field on a steep mountain side, when his hands shipped off the plow handles and he fell. completely off the premises, landing on the adjoining farm. Mark Twain, who tells the story, doesn't tell whether he got well and came to America or not.
In 1882 Mr. Romy opened his real estate, loan and insurance agency and he has been remarkably suc- cessful.
FOR SALE,
44
FRANK ALDERMAN
C ONUNDRUM: Why is the man in the picture like the article he holds in his hand? Answer: Because he is a bicycle crank.
We showed this joke to Mr. Alderman and asked him if it was all right. He said he could stand it if the rest of the folks could, so we decided to risk it and here it is.
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Alderman-who, by the way, is the Alderman end of the Alderman & Staub bicycle firm-is not only proud of the fact that he is a crank on bicycles, but is every day singing of the merits of the very crank which he is here holding up for your in- spection. The crank which he exhibits is taken from the Racycle, and it is upon the merits of this part of the ma- chine that the makers of this wheel base all. or nearly all, of their claims for its superiority over other makes They insist that their wheel has less friction on its crank bearings than any other bicycle, so that the rider can get there easier and swifter than when mounted on any other make.
In his business Mr. Alderman is a natural fighter, and this is probably due to his long service-nine years -in the National Guard. Although he never engaged in a serious scrap, he did get as far south as Chicka- mauga during the Spanish-American trouble, and there secured a good view of the ground where the other fel- tows fought and died two score years before. He was then first heutenant of the Twenty-eighth Battery, Indi- ana, Volunteers. Once before, during the Pullman strike. in 18Q4, he got a good deal closer to real fighting, but came home unscarred. After the trouble with Spain was settled, so that things could he safely conducted without his aid, he resigned from the Guards to enlist with the Racycle battery.
JAMES B. HARPER
THE president of the Allen County Bar Association does not wear a white apron. James B. Harper was born on his father's farm in Aboit township, a few miles west of Fort Wayne. about fifty-six years ago. The homestead was a log structure, cut from the forest.
His father came from a sturdy Pennsylvania family to clear a farm in the west. James Harper ate his cold piece of pie and lunch on school days in the old log school house in Ahoite. He studied there too. He began in his early boyhood to prepare himself for the study of law. He taught school and worked on the farm in vacation and saved money sufficient to enter Roanoke Seminary at Huntington. He prepared himself for the Indiana University at the old Methodist college in Fort Wayne. In 1875 after a two years' course in the law department of the Indiana University he graduated. He was the honor student and the class valedictorian. He was a brilliant speaker at the time of his admission to the bar. This has been a wonderful aid to him in his practice. For a short time the law firm of Harper & Baird existed. and in 1878 the firm of Robertson & Harper hung up its shingle. This partnership existed until 1885 when Mr. Harper engaged in the practice of law alone. In 1894 he was unanimously nominated by the Republicans for judge of the Superior Court and ran several hundred votes ahead of his ticket. He has frequently declined other political honors.
His eloquence makes him conspicuous in the annual spring and fall convocations of the Scottish Rite Masons of the Valley of Fort Wayne. He is prominent in the affairs of the order. He is a Mystic Shriner and wears a fez gracefully. Owing to his increasing practice he re- cently admitted Attorney John W. Eggeman to partner- ship in his law business. He is an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and was enthusiastic in building a "frat." house at the Indiana University.
TAX RECEIPT
COUNTY TREASURY
JACOB FUNK
M R. FUNK Is one of Allen County's hired men. If you are unfortunate enough to have anything of value, you must go to hun and pay for the privilege of retaining it. At least that's the way some folks look upon the question of paying taxes. But that's not the night way, of course. When you deposit your little portion with the county treasurer, you are paying only a small price for the privilege of living in a land of civil- wation and culture, where the protection of life and property and personal rights is assured. or else you have the privilege of starting a row at once to know the reason why.
In this populous county of Allen the office of treasurer Is an important one. Mr. Funk seems to be managing it to the satisfaction of everybody, however.
Mr. Funk has skirmished around this country a good deal, but he hasn't yet discovered any good reason why Allen county doesn't excel all other communities as a place to live. He began here and will probably remain here all his days, especially now that the people of the county have shown their good will towards him in his election to one of the most important of the county offices.
He was born in St. Joe township fifty years ago. He worked on his father's farm and attended school as a boy. When he got old enough to go it alone he pur- chased land in the same township and made a success of its cultivation. Although he still retains his rural interests, he now resides in Lakeside, Fort Wayne. As a Republican, he was elected treasurer of Allen county in the fall of too2.
MONROE W. FITCH
T'S a wonder Mr. Fitch doesn't expire from nervous prostration. He's the most agitated man in town every time he hears the fire-bells or sees the department come clattering down street. The reason for this is that Mr. Fitch has so much of the property of Fort Wayne on his insurance list that he's always afraid of a big fire loss no matter in what part of town the blaze may be. However, his continued long experience in the business is teaching him to be calm. so that no dire results are apt to come of the aforementioned agitation.
Mr. Fitch was born in Medina county, Ohio, and Spent his kidhood days there. After leaving the com- mon schools, he entered Oberlin College and remained for some time. For over twenty years thereafter he conducted a stock farm, producing scores of fine horses and cattle for the eastern market.
In 1892 he came to Fort Wayne and engaged in the livery business. This he discontinued at the close of one year to enter into partnership with his brother, C. B. Fitch, he holding a half interest in the fire insurance department of the business. In 1898 the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Fitch united his interests with those of his sons, Delmer C. Fitch and Eugene M. Fitch. At first, they were located at No. 80 Calhoun street. where they remained until June, 1903. when they pur- chased the Mrs. Mary B. Hartnett agency at the corner of Berry and Clinton streets and removed their office to that location.
They do a general business in all insurance lines and have a real estate department of considerable im- portance.
WRIGHT W. ROCKHILL
T "THE ROCKHILL name has been associated with and prominent in the history of Fort Wayne from the time it was a village of less than 500 inhabitants until the present. William Rockhill, the father of Wright W. Rockhill, whose face on this page is a familiar one to almost everybody, came here as a pioneer settler in 1823 and, until his death, was a leading man in public affairs. He was one of our first county com- missioners, first town councilmen and first school trus- tees, and he represented this district in the Indiana Senate and afterwards was a member of congress.
His son Wright kept the family name prominent. As a young man he evinced many of the sterling qualities of the father. Before he was thirty-two years of age. he was elected clerk of the city of Fort Wayne, holding the office, by repeated elections. for eight years. After- wards. during the second administration of President Cleveland, he was the postmaster of the city. He served as a member of the board of trustees of the city public schools, being for most of the time its treasurer, and for many years was the secretary of the Democratic county central committee. In all these positions of trust and honor his public duties were well performed, his ability and worth being recognized by his repeated calls to serve the people. For a number of years Mr. Rockhill has been one of the publishers of the Fort Wayne Jour- nal-Gazette. He assumed its control when it was a party organ struggling for hnancial existence and has made it the leading Democratic newspaper of Northern Indiana and exerting an influence potent for the party, the principles of which it advocates, and the city which is his home. Prominent for so long in political and offi- cial life and in the newspaper field, he is one of the best known men in this section of the state.
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SOL A. WOOD
T HERE are men so busy they have something on the string all the time. Sol Wood has something on his line now. He owns a portion of the great hshing line running between Angola, Indiana, and Lake James. This great line is three miles and a fraction long, with the accent on the fraction. This line is not running on a reel, but it is being operated on a trolley pole. Sol Wood happened up near this line.
Ten days after April Fool day in 1857 on a farm near Metz, Steuben county, Indiana, a short distance from the Ohio line, he was born. This is the reason that he is pictured on a line. Dr. Wood, his father. moved tu Angola and took Sol with him. He was grad- uated from the Angola public schools and then from the Fort Wayne College of Medicine with the title of "Doctor" In 1880. He practiced one year in Angola, but because he was born so near Ohio. he ran for county auditor on the Republican ticket and was elected. While serving a term of four years he studied law and went fishing on Steuben county lakes. He was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Judge Frank S Roby. He was chairman of the Steuben county Repul -- lican organization two years, and from 1894 to 18oh, chairman for the Twelfth congressional district. Three years ago he came to Fort Wayne to form the now well known legal firm of Gilbert, Berghoff & Wood. Still clinging to the line he has devoted much time of late to the development of trolley lines In northern Indiana. He retains farming interests near beautiful Steuben county lakes and during the summer months takes to the tall timber to bask in the smiles of the fish on the top of a promontory, or wade neck deep in a marsh with a fishing rod in une hand and a can of bait in the other.
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POLITICAL LATHE
WILLIAM S. WELLS
H ERE we see his overalls and Billy Wells, Mr. Wells is a machinist. He works for the Pennsyl- vana Railroad Company. Once, he pulled off his over- alls and pulled on a pair of glad mitts and a snug-fitting smile and got a job at Indianapolis as another kind ot machinist-political. But that job didn't last so very long and he came hack and got into his "hibs" again.
Yes, Mr. Wells took a vacation from his place in the shops and went to the capital as one of Allen county's representatives in the legislature during the sixty-third session of the General Assembly.
"Billy" came to this city from Pennsylvania fourteen years ago. He was born in Altoona in that state, and. when a boy. with his parents, moved to Harrisburg. where he attended parochial Lutheran schools and after- wards graduated from the city high school. As an ap- prentice machinist he began work in the Pennsylvania railroad shops at Altoona, serving his time there and working as a machinist until 1800 when he came to this city and took a position in the Pennsylvania shops here. He has been with the company continuously in their Fort Wayne shops since.
As a Democrat he is one of the busiest men on the job, and when the convention of that party was held in 18Q2 to nominate candidates for the county offices he was selected as one of the nominees for members of the legislature from this county. His election in November followed.
Mr. Wells has always been identified with union labor organizations and active in their affairs. It was this fact, combined with his genial sociability, that led to his nomination and election as a member of the legis- lature. He is still active in union labor interests and is at present one of the trustees ot the Fort Wayne Federation of Labor.
WILLIAM J. VESEY
A NY one who has brandished the rod in Lagrange county ought to be able to practice law in Allen county. About forty-seven years ago Will Vesey began to notice things in Lagrange county. His parents were farmers. Besides raising crops they reared Will. They were proud of their boy and sent him to school. He liked it so well that after graduating he taught school for a while himself. He studied law while teaching school.
Then he came to Fort Wayne and was admitted to the bar in Allen county. He was with Ninde & Ellison and also with P. A. Randall. He practiced law in De- catur tor two years and then returned to this city. He formed a partnership with Owen N. Heaton and was appointed to the Superior Court bench in 1890 to fill the unexpired term of the late Judge Dawson. His career on this bench was highly praised. Since then he has been Judge Vesey
He has always been active in Allen county and Twelfth District politics. He has been chairman of the Allen County Republican Central Committee. Although a busy man with his legal practice and interests in local banking institutions and corporations, he has found spare moments to build up one of the very finest green- houses in Indiana. His chrysanthemums and carnations have captured prizes at national flower shows and his successful cultivation of blooming beauties has added fame to Fort Wayne as a horticultural center. Since the election of Judge Heaton to the Superior bench Mr. Vesey has formed a partnership with his brother and the hrm is now Vesey & Vesey.
CHARLES W. ORR
1 N this picture we have a full and unohstructed view of the glad hand of "Charley" Orr, together with the appurtenance thereto belonging; namely. the smile that won't come off.
This glad hand was busily employed for twenty- seven years in giving greetings to those who called at the Hamilton National Bank: during more than half of that period its owner filled the position of assistant cashier there. This hand was an important factor in the establishment of that valued institution, as well as to play a leading part in giving to Furt Wayne such enterprises as the Citizens Trust Company, the Allen County Loan and Savings Association, the Commercial Club, and others. This hand is helping now to shape the affairs of such as these. and of several large manu- facturing plants, including those of the Fort Wayne Iron and Steel Company and the Haberkorn Engine Company.
But these various things. while important to the up- building of Fort Wayne, are not monopolizing the atten- tion of the owner of the glad hand. On the contrary, he IS giving the larger portion of his time to the extension of the prosperity of the . Etna Life Insurance Company. of Hartford. With this important concern, Mr. Orr holds the responsible position of manager for the entire state of Indiana. Through the agency of the glad hand here displayed, this company not only collects vast amounts each year in premiums from its thousands of policy holders. but has invested in Indiana farm mortgages and municipal and county bonds nearly six millions of dollars-besides expending hundreds of thousands each year in salaries to its many representatives.
Mr. Orr is one of those quiet, unostentations factors in the development of a community whose accomplish- ments are the result of a careful survey of present con- ditions and the promises of the future.
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LEW. V. ULREY
W TE have no desire whatever to discourage Mr. Ulrey in his efforts to rival Mr. Rockefeller, but we ask leave to make the humble prediction that he never will succeed in getting half as baldheaded as John D.
Ever since Mr. Ulrey was old enough to shake the daylights out of a tin rattle box, he has led a strenu- ous life. Unlike our more noted example of the doctrine of strenuousness, Mr. Utrey doesn't hie himself to the far West and shoot holes in the atmosphere and things; rather he stays nearer home and puctures the earth with the oil well drilling machine. Then he pumps crude oil out of the punctured places and totes it over to Mr. Rockefeller, who pays him well for his trouble. It is on his way home from these trips that he jingles the free silver in the capacious pockets of his jeans, and smiles broadly as he recalls those old school days at Franklin when he couldn't raise a sufficient supply of currency to buy an overcoat even after he had boarded himself a long time on an allowance of a dollar a week, which he earned doing odd jobs nights and Saturdays.
Mr. Ulrey was born in a one-room house on a farm in Marion township; it was built of logs chinked with mud to keep out the December zephyrs and wildcats, He served a full apprenticeship at pailing cows and erecting rail boundary lines, and then went to college .it Franklin. At the normal school at Valparaiso where he appeared later, he became noted as an orator. As a solicitor for the Pathfinders after leaving school, Mr. Ulrey was a great success. During 1896 his voice was heard all over the state talking of that other hoy orator, he of the Platte. In 1902 Mr. Ulrey was elected to re- present Allen County in the Stafe Senate.
DIL STOCK
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1
ERNEST C. RURODE
S OME little time has elapsed since Mr. Rurode has been found behind the counter displaying cambrics. prints, satins and denims, but it isn't because he doesn't know how. For fifty years-ever since he came from Germany in 1854-he has been in the dry goods busi- ness, and such a lot he has learned during that long stretch of time!
This city has much for which to be grateful to Mr. Rurode. Ever since 1860 he has been booming Fort Wayne along with his efforts to better himself. In the early days of his work here, the store of Root & Com- pany, of which he has since been the active manager and finally the owner, when the name was changed to the Rurode Dry Goods Company-in the early days. we say, the business was located on Columbia street. and the importance of the enterprise in those years of the early sixties made Columbia street the principal business thoroughfare. Then, when the establishment was removed to its present location, many others fol- lowed, transferring the retail business to Calhoun street, which is now our leading business street. But still another change is coming, and this, too. is due to the work of Mr. Rurode. In 1882 he purchased the property now occupied by the People's Store and the subsequent transfer gave Berry street the start it now has toward prominence in a business way. With the building of "The Rurode" office building on Berry street, and the erection of other large retail establishments thereon, it seems that Berry street is destined to become a leader in the retail trade.
Mr. Rurode came to Terre Haute from Hanover. Germany, after receiving his early education in his native land. He remained at Terre Haute until 18ho. Since then he has been the active head of one of our biggest and most valued institutions.
CHARLES E. GRAVES
H ERE we detect Colonel Graves in the act of having just discovered something. He has made a light- ning calculation and finds that So-and-So, who owns a large factory in Fort Wayne, has just made an alteration in the plant which increases the danger of loss by fire. Well, what does Colonel Graves have to do about it? He immediately notifies the various insurance concerns and up goes So-and-So's rate. Colonel Graves is paid for doing this sort of thing. He's the inspector of the Board of Underwriters of the Fort Wayne District and it keeps him busy looking after the changing of risks on property known as "extra hazardous" throughout Allen County.
The Colonel was born seventy years ago at Sunder- land, Massachusetts. The old frame tavern in which the event occurred was over a century old at the time of the birth of Golonel Graves, and it still stands just as it was at that time. Each year the Colonel takes a little vacation and goes back to look at the old place. An ele- ment of its vigor and substantiality seems to have been imparted to him as he is as lively as a man of half his age.
He lived in Sunderland until he was twenty-two, having in the meantime attended school and became an expert watchmaker. He came to Indiana in 1850 but re- turned shortly to Masachusetts. Back he came again atter three years, settling at Indianapolis. For sixteen years he was a railroad man. Beginning as a freight conductor, he was soon engaged as a freight solicitur for the Baltimore & Ohio road. Coming to Fort Wayne In 1879. he was the agent for the Empire Line, fast freight. He gave up railroad matters on receiving his appointment as inspector of the Board of Underwriters in 1882.
Mr. Graves holds the important and honored office of Colonel of the staff of Major-General James R. Carna- han, of the Uniformed Rank, Knights of Pythias.
01
EDWARD L. CRAW
T is usually a display of poor taste to make public 1 any correspondence which is written for private perusal only, but we are going to risk censure for pre- senting extracts from two letters which were written several years ago. One read as follows:
** CLEVELAND, OHIO, December 15, 1859. "DEAR SISTER :- Eddie isn't at all well this winter. He has the same old lung trouble and we are a little anxious about him .? '
The other letter read as follows: ** FORT WAYNE, IND., December 16, 1859. ** DEAR SISTER :- Send Eddie to Fort Wayne at once. We have fever and ague out here and that may shake the lung trouble out of him."
And so "Eddie" Craw was sent to Fort Wayne to get cured of his lung trouble, and it was while he made his home with his aunt that he fell in love with Fort Wayne. Who wouldn't have a kindly feeling for such a kind and successful nurse? He was thirteen years old when he first came to town, and he returned to Cleveland for only a short time. The year 1862 found him again in Fort Wayne and he has been here ever since.
For twelve years, after leaving school, he was a traveling salesman for the wholesale dry goods firm of Evans. McDonald & Co., of this city, leaving their employ to engage in the real estate and insurance business which he did with success until he received the appointment to the present position of importance. that of assistant postmaster.
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