USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. IV > Part 85
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Burkhart put the edition through his bindery. So large an edition looked like gross extravagance to Eddie Guest in those days, and he was much surprised to find in January that the book had sold so well since its publication in October that he could pay all the bills! And then in 1916 a publisher became enthu- siastie (yes, it's possible) and the Reilly & Lee people, over in Chicago, brought out 'A Heap o' Livin'.' Now, every layman knows that books of verse are not the most salable product in the world. And pub- lishers think well of a 'slender volume' that finds a couple of thousand purchasers. So, when in less than twenty months 'A Heap o' Livin'' had gone through eight editions totaling almost fifty thousand copies; had attracted favorable reviews from the whole gamut of literary editors, from the sea-level country- weekly up to the eternal snow region of The Dial- when people all over the country wanted to know when Guest's next book would appear-well, Eddie and the publishers were not exactly downhearted! Sep- tember, 1917, saw the publication of 'Just Folks' with a first printing of fifteen thousand and the best thing about it was that there was a real and not a forced demand. Then, when letters began to arrive asking for a soldier's ' A Heap o' Livin',' there was nothing to do but to publish a khaki-bound edition that went merrily on its way into the training camps and trenches. And when the war became the big- gest factor in our lives Eddie Guest sent his pub- lishers the manuscript for a wartime volume entitled 'Over Here.' It recorded the heart-throbs of the home folks, that beat for the boys who were leaving daily for the battle fields of France. It sang the songs of the flag, and reflected the devotion of the mothers and the fathers who gave their sons to fight the world's fight against autocracy. Thousands of volumes of 'Over Here' went to the boys 'Over There' -the books, like the boys, dressed in khaki. Came peace-and 'The Path to Home.' That was followed by ' When Day is Done.' This latest volume of Edgar A. Guest's verse was published in May, 1921. The first edition of twenty-five thousand copies was sold before the presses had finished turning them out. From publication day to Christmas the publishers never were able to catch up with the orders that came flooding in."
On the 28th of June, 1906, Mr. Guest was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Crossman and it was at that date that he published his writings over the signature of A. N. Benedict. They have had three children, all born in Detroit: Florence Dorothy, born August 20, 1908, died September 20, 1909; Marjorie died May 27, 1921; Edgar A., Jr., was born July 7, 1912.
Mr. Gnest is a thirty-third degree Mason, a member of the Detroit Golf Club and in 1913 was president of the American Press Humorists. He is a most popular after-dinner speaker and lectures on many occasions before all kinds of men's and women's clubs and publie organizations. His philosophy of life and in
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fact his rule of conduct is summed up in four lines of his own verse:
"I'd like to sow the barren spots with all the flowers of earth,
To leave a path where those who come should find but gentle mirth;
And when at last I'm called upon to join the heavenly throng,
I'd like to feel along my way I'd left no sign of wrong."
Rev. William L. Stidger wrote of him: "He who sings the 'Hymn of Home' sings to myriad hearts who, answering, sing his songs back to him again in love and sympathy and understanding; and before the poet knows it he has sung his way into a vast audience and his friends are uncountable. So has sung Edgar A. Guest. Yes, poet and friend; Big Brother Edgar A. Guest, we welcome you, because you love home and God, because you sing of faith and prayer and right living, to the comradeship of 'The Poet Preachers.' It is a worthy comradeship; kindred to the stars and to the heavens and to the eternities, because it deals with the stuff out of which the stars and the heavens and the eternities are made-soul- stuff! ''
Another biographer has said: "James Whitcomb Riley, Eugene Field, Will Carleton, Edwin Markham- these singers have won for themselves an established place in the hearts of Americans, because they sought inspiration and found it on life's everyday levels. To them was given a glimpse of the beauty that lies beneath the surface of the commonplace. They are the true interpreters of American life, because they have seen the deepest into the American heart. Edgar A. Guest belongs to the same democratic brotherhood. In his work there is no striving for the bizarre, the fantastic or the unreal. His songs are simple-both in theme and construction. They are songs of home, of children, of everyday joys and sorrows, and of numberless things about which the affection and senti- ment of life cling. Such poetry as that of Edgar A. Guest has the ring of genuineness, for it is based on a deep, abiding faith in human nature-in its essential goodness and lovableness. It is this human quality in his verse that has made Guest one of the favorite poets of America." In a recent editorial the San Francisco Bulletin said: "There is more of Edgar A. Guest in the American scrapbook and in the American head than any national poet since Longfellow." But it will content itself with quoting somewhat from an understandingly written editorial that appeared a few days ago in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat: "He speaks to everyday people on everyday themes, in everyday language. He talks to them in a tongue they know. He sings to them in melodies they can appreciate and enjoy. His is the genius of Burns and Bunyan and Riley and Field, who knew the magic of simple
thoughts, clothed in simple words. Simple thoughts indeed, but far greater in their importance and their power than the complicated profundities of erudition. Love and friendship and duty and honors are simple things but they are the pillars of life. It is of these, and the social and domestic virtues which are akin to them and grow out of them that Edgar Guest sings. He expresses the inner feelings, the affections, the hopes, the sympathies, the aspirations of the common- alty of men as we, all of us, would like to express them if we knew how. He gives to our muteness a voice, and we recognize the voice as our own. He tells us nothing that we do not already know, but he reminds us, day after day, in words that are both understandable and musical, that those things within us are the things that really count in life."
His intense Americanism is shown in the little poem entitled "The Best Land," which it would be well for every citizen of the United States to commit to memory.
If I knew a better land on this glorious world of ours, Where a man gets bigger money and is working shorter hours;
If the Briton or the Frenchman had an casier life than mine,
I'd pack my goods this minute and I'd sail across the brine.
But I notice when an alien wants a land of hope and cheer.
And a future for his children, he comes out and settles here.
Here's the glorious land of Freedom! Here's the milk and honey goal
For the peasant out of Russia, for the long subjected Pole.
It is here the sons of Italy and men of Austria turn For the comfort of their bodies and the wages they can earn.
And with all that men complain of, and with all that goes amiss,
There's no happier, better nation on the world's broad face than this.
So I'm thinking when I listen to the wails of dis- content,
And some foreign disbeliever spreads his evil sentiment, That the breed of hate and envy that is sowing sin and shame
In this glorious land of freedom should go back from whence it came.
And I hold it is the duty, rich or poor, of every man Who enjoys this country's bounty to be all American.
T. L. WHITFORD PORTE, resident partner of the firm of Haskins & Sells, well known certified public accountants of New York, is an alert, progressive and enterprising business man, whose influence is one of
T. L. WHITFORD PORTE
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broadening activity and strength in the field in which he operates. He is a native of Canada, his birth having occurred in Parkhill, in the province of On- tario, July 4, 1869, and his parents were Robert and Margaret (Llynham) Porte, who reared a family of six children. His father was one of the prominent and substantial citizens of Parkhill, where for a period of more than twenty years he successfully engaged in merchandising.
In the public and high schools of his native village T. L. Whitford Porte pursued his education and after graduating from the latter, took up the study of law until he reached the age of twenty-one. On the 8th of August, 1890, he came to Detroit and entered the employ of Parke, Davis & Company as a clerk in their botanical loboratory. Subsequently he was connected with the American Banking & Savings Association, after which he was a clerk in the Detroit National Bank. In 1894 he became cashier and head bookkeeper for the Griffin Wheel Company and his faithful and efficient service won him promotion to the position of assistant manager of their Tacoma, Washington, plant, while he also served as office manager. He was identified with that corporation for a period of seven years but was forced to leave the west, as the climate proved injurious to his health. In 1901 he returned to Detroit, becoming connected with the firm of Brownell & Humphrey, advertising agency, in the capacity of office manager. He remained with that firm for six years, during which time he gained a comprehensive knowledge of the advertising business, and in 1908 he entered commercial circles on his own account, engaging in the same line of business. He was thus active until the 1st of January, 1909, when he became a member of the staff of the firm of Mac- Pherson, Bonthron & Company, the leading firm of public accountants in the city at that time, gaining valuable experience which well qualified him for the work of his profession. On the 1st of May, 1915, he was one of the organizers of Hollis, Tilton & Porte, certified public accountants, which became one of the largest and best known firms of this character in the state, giving employment to a large staff of account- ants. On August 1, 1921, the professional accounting practices of Hollis, Tilton & Porte were consolidated with Haskins & Sells of New York and Mr. Porte, like the other members of the firm, continues as a resident partner of Haskins & Sells, with offices in the First National Bank building.
Mr. Porte possesses keen insight into business affairs and situations and has been very successful in de- vising systems for extensive commercial enterprises, thus greatly facilitating the conduct of the business. The firm has built up an enviable reputation for busi- ness integrity and reliability and its clientele is a large one, including some of the leading business houses of the city.
On the 14th of October, 1896, Mr. Porte was united in marriage to Miss Cora Maud Orr, a resident of
Detroit, and they have many friends in the city. In his political views he is independent, voting for the candidate whom he considers best qualified for office, without regard to party ties. He is a Mason of high standing, having attained the thirty-second degree in the order, and he is also identified with the Masonic Country Club, the Old Colony Club, and the Detroit Automobile Club, while his professional connections are with the American Institute of Accountants and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Account- ants. In business affairs he manifests resourcefulness, keen discrimination and a ready understanding of in- volved interests. Throughout his career he has closely applied himself to the work in hand and has steadily advanced because he has wisely utilized his time, his talents and his opportunities. He is a man of high personal standing, progressive and reliable in business and loyal in citizenship.
DAVID SMITH is a member of the firm of Smith, Mckay & Company, leading certified public account- ants of Detroit, and his high professional standing is indicated in the fact that he has served as president of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Ac- countants. He has wisely utilized his time, talents and opportunities, and success in substantial measure has rewarded his labors. He was born in Huron county, Canada, September 15, 1877, a son of Charles C. and Barbara Smith, and has one brother, Louis S., who is also a resident of this city. In the public and high schools of Clinton, Ontario, he acquired his education, also becoming a student at the Collegiate Institute, and he likewise attended the Ferris In- stitute of Big Rapids, Michigan.
In November, 1906, Mr. Smith came to Detroit, be- coming identified with the Murphy Iron Works, with which he was connected for a period of two years, serving in a clerical capacity. He next became sec- retary of the Master Plumbers Association, whose offices are located in the Jones building, and for a year filled that office. In 1909 he started his work as an accountant in the office of a local concern and for a time was connected with the firm of Hawkins & Gies, certified public accountants, with offices in the Majestic building. For several years he had been devoting his leisure moments to the study of account- aney and on the 1st of October, 1912, he entered upon independent business relations as a certified public accountant, conducting his interests alone until 1917, when he was joined by Mr. McKay, at which time the present firm style of Smith, Mckay & Com- pany was adopted. They are expert accountants and have built up a large clientele, their services being in constant demand by the leading business houses of the city. Mr. Smith is a keen and intelligent business man with a rapid grasp of details and the power of coordinating seemingly unrelated and diverse elements into a unified and harmonious whole. He is most conscientious in the performance of his work and his
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business activities have ever balanced up with the principles of truth and honor.
On the 24th of June, 1910, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Anna Elizabeth Monk, a native of Michigan, and they have a large circle of friends in the city. He is a republican in his political views, giving stalwart support to the principles and candi- dates of the party, and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Jefferson Avenue Methodist Episcopal church. He is an active and earnest mem- ber of the Detroit Board of Commerce, cooperating heartily in all of its plans and projects for the de- velopment and upbuilding of the city, and he is also identified with the Fellowcraft Club. He keeps in close touch with what is being done along the line in which he specializes through his membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Ac- countants and for one term served as president of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants. His fraternal associations are indicated in his mem- bership in Temple Lodge, F. & A. M. His time and attention are chiefly devoted to his business interests and he is a member of a committee whose object is the furtherance of the education of certified public accountants in order that the standards of the pro- fession may be raised to the highest possible plane. Mr. Smith has ever based his activity in business affairs upon strict integrity, close application and de- termined purpose and as the architect of his own fortunes he has builded wisely and well, having reached a substantial point on the highroad to suc cess. His ideals of life are high and he utilizes every opportunity that enables him to climb to their level.
RICHARD E. KRAETKE is a prominent factor in industrial circles of Detroit as the president of the Kraetke Brothers Company, which was established by him in 1911 and which has won an enviable reputation for tool work of the finest character. He was born in Germany but was brought to the United States when a little lad of but four summers by his parents, Louis and Minnie (Nageborn) Kraetke, who established their home in Detroit. The public schools of this city af- forded him his early educational privileges and he also attended the Lafayette Street Seminary, devoting special attention to the study of engineering and tool- making. After putting aside his textbooks he entered the employ of the Detroit Lubricator Company, with which he continued for four years, being made general foreman of the plant on attaining his majority. Sev- ering his connection with that concern, he organized the Scherer Company, bicycle manufacturers, while subsequently he spent two years with the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, now the General Motors Corporation. He next became superintendent for Caille Brothers and acted in that capacity for ten years. In 1911 he organized the Kraetke Brothers Company, tool-makers, and has continued its president throughout the inter- vening decade. They are celebrated for their tool
work, made all the tools for the Lincoln Motor Com- pany during the World war, as well as jigs, fixtures, etc. and have the finest factory of its kind in De- troit. The plant, which is a square building one hundred by one hundred feet, was erected on Grand boulevard in 1917. Scrupulous cleanliness charac- terizes the factory throughout. Mr. Kraetke is fa- miliar with every phase of the work, so that under his able direction the business has grown and de- veloped until it is now one of large and profitable proportions and constitutes one of the leading indus- trial enterprises of the city.
On the 15th of October, 1902, Mr. Kraetke was united in marriage to Miss Theresa Foeltz, who dis- penses gracious hospitality in their attractive home at 1470 Baldwin. In politics he is a republican and in religious faith a Lutheran, while his fraternal asso- ciation is with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is also a member of the Board of Commerce and of the Detroit Automobile Club and is widely rec- ognized as a progressive, up-to-date business man and public-spirited citizen, whose cooperation can ever be counted upon to further municipal progress or promote the general welfare along many lines. As has been truly remarked, after all that may be done for a man in the way of giving him early opportunities for ob- taining the requirements which are sought in the schools and in books, he must essentially formulate, determine and give shape to his own character, and this is what Mr. Kraetke has done. He has perse- vered in the pursuit of a persistent purpose and gained a most satisfactory reward. His life is exemplary in all respects and he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, while his own high moral worth is deserving of the highest commendation.
ANDREW PORTER BIDDLE, M. D., has long been recognized as a distinguished physician of Detroit and at the same time has been prominent in many public connections, rendering valuable service to city, state and nation in divers ways. He is at all times actuated by a public-spirited devotion to the general good and the worth of his activity is widely acknowl- edged. Dr. Biddle is a native son of Detroit, born February 25, 1862. He represents one of the old families of Pennsylvania, his grandfather, Major John Biddle, having been born in Philadelphia in March, 1792, while the latter's father was Charles Biddle, vice president of Pennsylvania during the Revolution- ary war period and a brother of Commodore Nicholas Biddle, a member of the navy during the war for in- dependence. Major John Biddle, following his grad- uation from Princeton College, entered the United States army and during the second war with England served under General Winfield Scott on the Niagara frontier, being for a time attached to the general's staff, while his loyalty and capability won him pro- motion from captain of artillery to major. His
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brother, Thomas Biddle, served in the United States army with the rank of major in the campaign of 1812; while an elder brother, Commodore James Biddle, was a distinguished naval officer of the same period. At the close of the War of 1812 Major John Biddle was stationed at Detroit, but after a few years resigned his commission and returned to the east. However, the lure of the west had taken firm hold upon him and following his marriage to Miss Eliza F. Bradish of New York, he returned to Detroit, where he made permanent settlement and purchased large tracts of land. In 1823 he was appointed register of the United States land office for the district of Detroit, occupying that position until 1837, when he resigned. In the meantime he had served for two years, from 1827 until 1829, as mayor of Detroit and in the latter year was made a delegate from the territory of Michigan to congress for a two years' term. He afterward be- came a candidate before the Michigan legislature for the United States senate, in which he received a majority of four votes in the senate while John Nor- ville received a majority of seven votes in the house, thus defeating him. He continued a prominent factor in the public life of the newly created state and was president of the Michigan constitutional convention in 1835 and in 1841 was elected to represent his dis- trict in the upper house of the Michigan assembly. With the material as well as the political progress of the state he was closely associated. He became president of the company which instituted the building of the Michigan Railroad and in 1835 became the first president of the St. Joseph (Mich.) branch of the Farmers & Merchants Bank and in 1838 was elected to the presidency of the parent bank in Detroit. Fol- lowing his return from a trip abroad, he passed away at White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, August 25, 1859.
His son, William S. Biddle, born in Detroit in 1830, was graduated from the Harvard Law school and for a year thereafter engaged in the active practice of his profession in New York city in partnership with his brother-in-law, Aaron Ogden, subsequent to which time he returned to Detroit. He was active in the Civil war period in raising and drilling troops and in 1867 removed to Grosse Ile, where his remaining days were spent. He married Susan Dayton Ogden, who was born in 1831 and passed away in Detroit in 1878, while the death of William S. Biddle occurred in 1901. Their family included Susan Dayton, Eliza Bradish, Major General John, Stratford Bradish, Mar- garetta Porter, Andrew Porter, Major William S. and Ann Eliza Biddle. The daughter, Susan Dayton, became a talented musician and prominent member of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington, D. C., where she resided in the home of her brother, then Colonel John Biddle. She died in 1915. Eliza is the wife of Rev. G. Mott Williams, D. D., who was the first bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Marquette. Major General John Biddle was born in Detroit in 1859, acquired his early education in Europe and,
after spending a year as a student in the University of Michigan, entered the West Point Military Acad- emy, from which he was graduated with the class of 1881. During the Spanish-American war he served as Chief of Engineers of the Eighth Army Corps under General Nelson A. Miles in Porto Rico and later became colonel of engineers of the United States army, stationed principally at Washington, D. C. He was superintendent of the United States Military Acad- emy, from July, 1916, to May 15, 1917. During the World war he was in command of all the American Expeditionary Forces in England. At his own request he was retired December 1, 1920, after over forty years of service. He received service medals: Indian, Span- ish, Philippine wars; Porto Rico; Army of Cuban Oc- cupation; Victory. Honorary member, Military Divi- sion, Knight Commander, Order of the Bath. Awarded Distinguished Service Medal "for exceptionally meri- torions and distinguished services. In commaud of American troops in England, by his tact and diplomacy in handling intricate problems, he made possible the successful trans-shipment of many thousands of men to France. To his executive ability the efficient han- dling, control, and dispatch of casual troops through England is largely due." Stratford Bradish is a mine drilling engineer, who spent about ten years near Johannesburg, in South Africa, and afterward took up the work of his profession in Oregon and Texas. He wedded Marguerite Heyerman, daughter of Com- mander O. F. Heyerman of the United States navy. Margaretta Porter became the wife of Benjamin Douglas, son of Judge Samuel T. Douglas of Detroit, who was a prominent bridge engineer in the employ of the Michigan Central Railway for twenty years, being the builder of the tunnel for that company under the Detroit river. Major William S. Biddle, born in Detroit in 1863, was graduated from the West Point Military Academy in 1885, served with distinction in the Spanish-American war during the campaign in the Philippines and subsequently was United States mili- tary attache at Berlin, Germany, for four years, after which, in 1907, he resigned from the army. After America's entrance into the World war he accepted ap- pointment as major and adjutant general, February 4, 1918, joined the Fourteenth Infantry Brigade, Seventh Distriet at Camp Fort Bliss, Texas, February 13, 1918. He went overseas in September, 1918, and in June, 1919, returned to Washington and was in the office of adjutant general from June 24, 1919, to December 31, 1920. He was honorably discharged December 31, 1920. He was awarded the Cross of Knight of Legion of Honor (French). Ann Eliza became the wife of Alexander W. Copland, son of A. M. Copland, who was at one time postmaster of Detroit. She died in 1911.
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