USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > A History of the city of Newark, New Jersey : embracing practically two and a half centuries, 1666-1913, Volume II > Part 50
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country. The full strength reached by the Knownothing party was in 1856, when it nominated Millard Fillmore for President. In the platform which was adopted, it was declared that Americans must govern America, and for this purpose only "native born" citizens should be elected to national or municipal offices. The ninth resolution required the changing of the natural- ization laws, so that, from that time, immigrants had to live, without in- terruption, twenty-one years in the United States, in order to gain the right of citizenship. This blow against the rights of the immigrants, hit the Germans very hard, and in consequence they organized to ward off the threatening danger. For this purpose so-called Naturalization Associations were formed in many cities, which strongly opposed the restriction of the naturalization laws, and declared against the old "Blue Laws," and further declared in favor of honest elections and equal rights for all and a just division of public lands. Newark, also, had its Naturalization Association, whose aim was to raise and secure the rights of every naturalized citizen, and particularly to prevent the election of bad candidates for the municipal legislature and Congressional elections. At a meeting held the 8th of Au- gust, 1858, the Naturalization Association, whose president was Dr. E. T. Edler, editor of the "New Jersey Staats Zeitung," resolved that its mem- bers at all future elections should only vote for such candidates who would declare themselves in a signed statement, to be published in the papers, to be in favor of a liberal Sunday, meaning thereby, a Sunday not devoted to a puritanical observance, but, a day of rest and decent, respectable enjoyment. Further, they had to declare in favor of the existing naturalization laws, against extension of slavery into new territories, and revision of the land laws.
One can see that political questions were here at stake, which, even to- day have been only partly settled; and the slavery question was only settled at the cost of a ravaging civil war and the loss of many precious lives. The Newark Turners (the best young athletes of the community) joined this movement, and a public meeting was called together by them, on Tuesday evening, August 29th, 1858, at Washington Street, near Market Street. At this meeting were such able men as Dr. Edler, G. Schaefer, E. Wagner and Reinhold. Dr. Edler was elected President; Mr. L. Leonhard, Vice-President, and Mr. Grimm, Secretary of the Assembly. The discussion of the above named questions for the different candidates was the object of this meeting. The Knownothing movement became lost, when, with the first gun fired at Fort Sumter, the war broke out. During the war no one in the North thought of curtailing the rights of the immigrants. They were joyfully re- ceived in the ranks of the Union fighters, and, so far as is known, no "Know- nothing" protest has been raised against the Germans, Irish, or any other foreigners for having given their lives for their adopted land.
Outrages, such as have been mentioned, were very common during the years 1850 to 1856 and later. It was inevitable, therefore, that they must have a determining influence on the political action of the German element. If the Democracy could succeed in making the German masses believe that the new Republican party was essentially a Knownothing organization, the ablest and the most impassioned anti-slavery argument of the Forty-eighters would not be likely to gain a single German vote for their cause. It was a peculiar and trying situation for the Germans. Knownothing sentiments were by no means confined to the organization known as the American party; the Democratic party contained its share of it too. When the Republican party began to crystallize during the summer of 1854, the Americans in the
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northern states, at least those who had anti-slavery sentiments, at once be- gan to leave its ranks and come into the new organization in great numbers. In addition to this nativistic element, it was evident, that the anti-slavery Whigs who were everywhere the nucleus of the Republican hosts, were, to a great extent, zealous advocates of prohibition and strict enforcement of the Sabbath laws. Here was the opportunity of the Democrats. By con- stant harping on these undeniable facts, they endeavored to keep the Ger- man voters from abandoning the party, to which they had so long been loyal. The German could not, however, be deceived as to the true state of affairs, thanks to the indefatigable anti-slavery agitation of the Forty- eighters. These refugees had at last found real political work to do and yet were not obliged to become disloyal to their high political ideals. And their work proved effective. In speeches and in their newspapers they sup- ported the new Republican party on the anti-slavery issue, and they fought well and intelligently and obtained for their followers the balance of power in a number of northern states, and thereby made the final success of the Republican party possible. At first the Germans came only out of curiosity, particularly in the western states, to hear the "mustaches" as the "Grays" called them, but, soon the interest grew, for the speeches of the Germans sounded a different keynote. They were radical and above all they spoke of the main point-slavery. In the meetings of the English speaking Repub- licans, the speakers treated particularly of state rights, and, in regard to the slavery question, were rather obscure and weak. They tried to evade the points by skilful phrases, which meant very little, if anything. But the people in general, with their sound instincts soon found out this insincerity, and grew tired of the eternal hair-splitting arguments in regard to con- stitutional questions, and demanded substantial, wholesome food-this they found by listening to the Germans. There was also another important ele- ment which became stirred up by these meetings, that was the old Teutonic hatred against any and all forms of servitude, which the Germans had brought over into their new homes.
American politicians looked at these proceedings with astonishment; they crowded into these "Dutch meetings," where perfect order (in spite of the beer) was kept, without interference of the police. And if these meet- ings took place on a Sunday, they overlooked it and stole away to "Germany in Wisconsin, Ohio or Indiana."
"What is the matter with the Germans?" they would ask in Boston, the headquarters of the Abolitionists. They procured translations of the speeches and found that they were abolitionistic, but more popular and clear, more genuine without demagogical under-current than the declamations of the English speaking slavery opponents. The Fremont campaign of 1856, showed already good results of the German agitation, and the Lincoln elec- tion of 1860 brought forth the victory of the Republican party.
The impetus of this agitation, which gave it great force, was the in- troduction of the Kansas-Nebraska bill. It was a most critical time in the history of the Republic. All during the winter and spring, anti-Nebraskan conferences had been taking place in the north, in which the Germans living in New York liad joined with great interest. The Germans also held their first anti-Nebraska meeting in Newark, on March 9th, 1854, at Independence Hall in William Street, six days after the disgraceful bill had been passed in the Senate, but, it was intended to bring pressure on the House of Con- gross, so that the bill might be defeated. A large part of the Newark Ger- mans, felt it their duty to raise their volees against this threatening danger
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and to set a good example to their English speaking fellow citizens. Un- fortunately there are no records of this meeting, which might be considered as the first political demonstration of the Newark German residents, except the list of names of those who signed the call for it. Among the names are: Frederick Danner, Franz Adam, Ludwig Albinger, F. Anneke, N. Barkhorn, Christian Braun, George Burgesser, B. Buethner, N. Dietzel, Ludwig Greiner, Bernard Hauser, R. Heinisch, Max Hoffmann, Dr. Ill, Adam Kep- pler, Frederick Kohler, John Kreitler, L. Lang, D. Lauch, M. L. Lang, A. Lehlbach, John Laible, Gottfried Lindauier, L. Rose, Emil Schiffner, Schell- ing H. Schwartze, S. Stadl, Karl Wacher, F. Wackenhut, Ch. Walter, Ziegler and Ph. Zimmermann.
A further anti-Nebraska conference, to which a large number of per- sons, belonging to different parties, were assembled, took place on April 3rd in Library Hall. The Mayor of the city had been elected President, and from each ward they had nominated three Vice-Presidents, among whom were R. Heinisch and L. Hundertpfund. In this conference they agreed upon several resolutions against the spreading of slavery into Northern territory. But all these protest conferences were in vain. The Nebraska bill was passed on May 22nd, 1854, with 113 votes against 100, and was signed by President Pierce on May 31st. The Nebraska bill was the forerunner of the Civil War, and furnished the motive power of the foundation of the Republican party.
In this connection there may be mentioned another item of interest; the visit of the father of this Nebraska bill, the "Little Giant of Illinois," as he was called by his admirers, Stephen A. Douglas, who stopped in New- ark. He came to Trenton on June 9th, where his friends had prepared a fine reception. But, unluckily, the common people seemed to oppose this and so the demonstration was not as successful as they expected. When the "Little Giant" appeared and tried his power of persuasion, cheers went up for the representatives who had voted against the Nebraska bill, and when he drove off, groans and cat-calls could be heard from several sides.
CHAPTER VI.
LIFE OF THE GERMANS BEFORE THE WAR.
HARDLY ANY NOTICE WAS TAKEN OF THE GERMAN BY THE CONTEMPORANEOUS ENGLISH PRESS-HARPER'S MAGAZINE'S PECULIAR DESCRIPTION OF THE GERMANS IN NEWARK-A GLANCE AT THEIR DEVELOPMENTS AT THAT TIME -FLOURISHING CHURCHES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS-GERMANS AS MECHANICS AND BUSINESS MEN.
No one has a right to complain that he is not appreciated by others, if he does not first appreciate his own powers, if he himself does not endeavor to attain recognition by his own efforts. These efforts must not take place in absolute secrecy, but must seek the light of publicity. What would one, what could one say, for example, of the artist who destroys his works, how- ever meritorious they may be, or who so withholds them from the knowl- edge of his fellowmen that no one learns anything about them, or who, in case they do como before the eyes of the public, keeps their authorship ab- solutely secret? Could such a man complain that he did not receive the reward which he deserved? Surely not. One cannot hide his light under a bushel, if he demands recognition from others.
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It is a weak point of the German Nation, that in former times it did not take the trouble to imprint its activities upon the pages of history. It is unfortunately a fact that practically no data from older times concerning the pursuits of the German element in the United States are in existence, al- though the Anglo-Americans were most eagerly bent upon preserving their history. Only in isolated cases is material for a history of older times at hand, consisting chiefly of court records, which have come there as a result of litigations,-a very meager record indeed. This is the reason why there are hardly any writings, treating of the business and social development of the German immigrants who settled in Newark, ante-dating the War of the Rebellion. The German press of that time was hardly able to pay proper attention to this side of the life of Germans and the English newspapers did not deem it worth their while, because those people were only foreigners. Added to this must be the fact that the whole endeavor of the press of that time moved in an entirely different direction and its view of what news and topics were of interest was totally different from that of today.
On September 20th, 1859 the "Freie Zeitung" printed a notice about the opening of the new stage-line to Orange. The line was doing well, so it was stated, because there were 4,200 persons carried during the week, also that the fare was 10 cents. The writer of the notice, however, com- plained that on one occasion there were twenty-three persons within the stage, among them nine ladies with crinoline. Only men close to sixty can remember the time when hoop skirts were the fashion, just as the hobble skirt is now,-and who will be bold enough to decide which is the more be- coming?
One of the very few descriptions of the life of the Germans in the days before the War of the Rebellion is contained in Harper's Magazine of October, 1876. In this number Mrs. Martha J. Lamb gives what is intended to be a description of the Germans of Newark during the previous ten or more years, in the following words:
"A wonderous tide of Germans has flooded Newark, dropping into all the vacant lots about the factories, and spreading itself over the flats to the east and the hills to the southwest, until it numbers about one-third of the vot- ing population. Between the years 1850 and 1860 the increase was ninety per cent. The German quarter on the hill is one of the interesting features of the city. A section of nearly four miles square is a snug, compact, well- paved city within a city, giving evidence of neither poverty nor riches. The Germans dwelling here are chiefly employed in the factories and nearly all own their own homes. They built to suit their convenience, at odd times and with varied means, hence there is very little uniformity in the blocks. They live economically and save money. German habits and German cus- toms appear on every side. The women carry heavy bundles, great baskets and sometimes barrels, upon their heads. At noon you will see women and children running across the streets and up and down with pitchers in their hands. They are going for lager-beer to drink with their dinners, which is as indispensable as the dinner itself. Wherever there is room the Germans have gardens and raise vegetables for the Newark market. At early dawn the women may be seen driving their one-horse wagon into town."
This has a familiar sound. It reminds one of the views of the foreign visitor, who after having taken a look at this country from the windows of hotels and Pullmans, puts down his impressions and passes judgment on America and its people and its situations. The writer of the above men- tioned sketch has probably never seen the "German HIll." She certainly has not taken any pains to ascertain anything more about the Germans than the fact that they do not consider water the best possible beverage in the world.
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Yet at the time the German population was large enough to be noticed as an important part of the town. There were in existence at that time about a dozen German Churches (Protestant and Catholic); German-English schools had been organized and these instructed a large number of children. Various Mutual Aid Associations were established and the social life of the Germans in their singing, dramatic and athletic associations was elevating as well as enjoyable. Of course, everything was done on a much smaller scale than now; it was in keeping with the character of the city, the means of its people and the altogether more modest style of living. Still there was a very lively intellectual life among the Germans. There existed debating clubs among German workingmen where the labor question, above all the slavery question, together with political topics, were discussed and soon after the First German Library was founded by the Fortbildungs Verein- (Educational Advancement Association). A grand demonstration of the German inhabitants of the city was the celebration of the one hundredth birthday anniversary of the German poet, Friedrich Schiller. This festival lasted three days, November 9th, 10th and 11th, 1859. It was opened with an appropriate memorial service on the evening of the first day, consisting of an oration and vocal music rendered by the singing societies. On the eve- ning of the second the drama "Wilhelm Tell" was rendered in the Concert Hall (corner Market and Harrison Streets, now Halsey Street) and the festival was concluded on the third day with a ball, held in Dramatic Hall. A similar festival in honor of Schiller's birthday took place in Rahway, which was participated in by a number of Turners of Newark.
Before the war the Germans were an important factor in every field of human activity. The factories were not large, for at that time very few large industrial plants were in existence, but the products were among the best and contributed largely toward making the industries of Newark what they are today. Many of those manufacturers,-and they were all small beginners,-had a hard struggle, but a few succeeded and their sons or grandsons are now at the head of large and flourishing businesses.
One of the oldest German enterprises is the smelting and refining works of Ed. Balbach & Sons, founded in 1851. Among the old tanners in Newark was Christian Stengel who started in 1849 on Seventeenth Avenue, between Livingston and Boyd Streets. Fredrich Finter, carriage maker, was another of the German pioneer manufacturers. He started his business in 1848. There were a number of German manufacturers of saddlery hard- ware in Newark before the war. Henry Sauerbier, Wuesthoff & Kuehnholt, and Charles W. Theberath. Nenninger & Sautermeister began their oil cloth manufactory in 1856. DeGraff Brothers and Surrerus' shop were pioneer shoe manufacturers long before the war. August Stedenfeld started in the locksmith business in 1860. John J. Geiger, who came here from Tyrol in 1848, was one of the first file manufacturers, and Peter Heller, who started some time previous. William Hemmer, who left Germany in 1848, started the desk and office furniture factory here in 1860. August Kraeuter was a manufacturer of military arms and with the firm of Heuschkel, Kraeuter & Foerster, made tools. Jacob Wiss started the manufacture of shears and cutlery in 1850, on a part of the ground now occupied by the Prudential. There were the wagon builders, C. Schuhmacher, A. Stubenbordt, W. F. Wangner, who started their business in those years, and about the same time a number of edge tool manufactories were begun. Among them were Ulrich Eberhardt, of the firm of Gould & Eberhardt, in 1840; Henry Som- mers, Wichelhaus & Rothe, Charles Kupper. One of the oldest German
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firms in the scissors manufactory of R. Heinisch, who started long before the war. Her. Kreutler was one of the pioneer rope manufacturers; he started his business about 1849. Julius Hahne opened a store in 1858 on Broad Street where Central Avenue now enters that thoroughfare. Another old German firm is the paint and oil business of George W. Jagle, which was started in 1857 and conducted for a long time by Mr. J. J. Hockenjos. John Sturm was another pioneer wagon builder, who began business long ago. The rough tannery of A. Loehnberg & Co. is another old German firm, as is also Stengel & Rothschild. It is impossible to give anything like a com- plete or very accurate list, because many of these old firms went out of business, others sold out to other concerns, or changed names. The fore- going is, however, sufficient to show the active part the Germans took in the business and industrial development of Newark.
Another group of industrial activities, in which the Germans in the United States have been participants, to an extraordinary degree, are those in which technical knowledge and training are required: such as bridge building, practical application of electricity, all engineering work, the chemical industries, the manufacture of medical and scientific instruments, in some of which the Germans have reigned supreme. In the construction work of our country, involving problems of magnitude never before pre- sented to the engineering profession, the German element may be said to have held a monopoly. The cause is not difficult to see. The technical
schools of Germany were very efficient and sent out well-trained men long before any similar schools existed in the United States. Being the most capable, the graduates of the German schools of technology received the most responsible positions, won in the competition for the best engineering work offered in the United States, and their monopoly continued for the greater part of the nineteenth century, until our schools became efficient.
Typical of this class of trained German workers is John A. Roebling, of our own State, the inventor of the wonderful suspension bridge, and Charles C. Schneider, constructor of the successful cantilever bridge. John . Roebling built the first suspension bridge of wire cables in 1844 over the Alleghany River. He then built the Monongahela suspension bridge at Pittsburg, 1,500 feet long, and the suspension bridge over the Niagara River in 1851-1865. This is the only rafiroad suspension bridge in the world which has stood the test of time. It has lasted forty-two years, and was only broken down because the heavier railroad trains required a bridge of different construction. Roebling rebuilt the bridge at Wheeling, West Vir- ginia; the suspension bridge over the Ohio at Cincinnati, and after that fol- lowed the masterpiece of all bridges, the East River bridge, uniting New York and Brooklyn, a marvel of strength and beauty. The architect of this bridge was not destined to see it completed, and his son, Washington Au- gustus Roebling, directed it to completion. The factory of the Roeblings, the John A. Roebling & Sons Co., manufacturers of iron and steel wire and wire rope, located at Trenton, is unequaled in its particular line, and has furnished all the cables for the new large suspension bridge over the East River at Williamsburg.
The list of members of the American Society of Civil Engineers abounds in German names and the biographical sketches contained in the publication of this eminent society show most prominently that class of engineers born in Germany or of German parents.1
1 The German Element In the United States, by Albert Bernhard Faust, Vol. il, pp. 78-88.
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Among the well-known civil engineers of this city, perhaps nobody has been better known than former City Engineer Mr. Ernest Adam, who has spent the best years of his life in the employ of the city. He became an assistant of City Surveyor Peter Wetzel, in 1865, and with but an interrup- tion of three months in 1873, when he practiced his profession on his own account, he was in the employ of the city until 1905, when he resigned. Mr. Adam took a leading part in all the great improvements of the city, the in- tercepting sewer, the new water supply and the track elevation, and to his tireless work, his constant watchfulness and integrity, a great deal of the success must be attributed.
Another faithful and old city employee is George Sanzenbacher, the engineer and superintendent of the water works. After graduating from the Royal Technical School in Stuttgart he studied under Dr. Carl von Ehmann, a well-known hydraulic engineer, and then entered the service of the city of his birth. He same to Newark in 1882 and found employment, in December of the same year, under Engineer Jacobson, of the old Aqueduct Board and he became an authority on all questions pertaining to the water supply. He also drew the plans for the new water supply system of Belleville.
A well-known German architect is Mr. Hermann Kreitler, member of the American Institute of Architects and of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Institute. He is, perhaps, the only member of that party of prominent German citizens, who in 1858 gave a banquet in honor of Mr. Fritz Annecke, before his departure for Germany. Another German architect of great reputation is Mr. Gustavus Staellin, a son of Newark, who studied both here and abroad, and whose numerous works have made his reputation.
CHAPTER VII.
HISTORY OF THE GERMAN CATHOLICS IN NEWARK.
BEGINNING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MARYLAND-THE FIRST TOLERATION EDICT-THE FIRST CATHOLICS IN NEW JERSEY-MISSIONARIES VISITING THE SCATTERED FAMILIES-PERSECUTION IN OLDEN TIMES-GERMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN NEWARK AND THEIR SCHOOLS-THE ST. PETER'S ORPHAN ASYLUM -- A NUMBER OF DISTINGUISHED GERMAN CATHOLIC DIGNITARIES-THE DEUTSCHE. KATHOLISCHE CENTRAL VEREIN.
The history of the Catholic Church of our country originated in the colony of Maryland, which had been founded by Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, in the year 1634; and to that colony belongs the imperishable glory of hav- ing passed in 1649 the first act, which decreed * * "That no person * or persons whatsoever within this Province * *
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