USA > New York > Erie County > Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I > Part 49
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101
The first Polish newspaper in Buffalo was the Ojezyznay (My Coun- try), which was started by a stock company, of which George Bork was president; Stanislaus Slisz was the editor. In 1886 it became a semi- weekly with the title, Polak w Ameryce, which it still retains. Rev. John Pitass conducted it for several years, and on April 6, 1895, made it a daily. In June, 1897, Stanislaus Slisz became proprietor and chief editor. The Polak w Ameryce is the only Polish daily newspaper in the Eastern and Central States; it is printed entirely in Polish, is a large four page folio, and has an extensive circulation. The Echo, a weekly, was started by M. J. Sadowski, now secretary of the Polish National Alliance; the present proprietor is Vincent Wagonis and the editor is Thomas Lobarzewski. The Slonce (Sun) was established by Jerzy Mirski, the present editor and proprietor. The independent Poles are represented by the Reforma, a weekly, of which Apolinary Karwowski is the founder and editor; while the socialistic element has a recently established journal, The Sila (Strength). The Polish Li- brary Association was organized in 1889, and has about 200 members. The library, located in a hall on Broadway and Sweet avenue, has more than 1,500 volumes of Polish, English, German, French, Lithuanian
430
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
and Russian authors, and connected with it is a Literary and Dramatic Circle of about forty members.
There is also a large representation of the Jewish nationality in Buf- falo, though it does not attain the relative proportions found in many other Northern cities. The first Israelite to become a resident of the city, as far as now known, was a Mr. Flersheim, an instructor in Ger- man, who came from Frankfort-on the Main. He was in the city as early as 1835. Barnard Lichtenstein, the second Jew to arrive, was here from 1838 to 1870. By the year 1850 the number of resident Israelites in the city had greatly increased. Their first public worship was held in the Townsend block, and the Jacobsohn Society was organ- ized October 3, 1847, with eleven charter members. This society bought and consecrated for burial purposes a lot on what is now Fill- more avenue; this was abandoned in 1861 for a lot on Pine Hill. The old congregation of Beth Zion was organized by the German Israelites in 1850. In September, 1863, in obedience to a desire to conform their mode of worship more with the spirit of modern times and new asso- ciations, a number of members of Beth Zion requested Rev. Dr. Wise, of Cincinnati, to send them a minister to preach for them at the high feasts of New Year's day and the day of Atonement. Kremlin Hall was leased for the ceremonies. This was the beginning of the reform movement in the mode of worship. Soon afterward a fusion of these members with old Beth Zion was effected and the new society named Temple Beth Zion. The society at once purchased the old Methodist church on Niagara street and fitted it for their place of worship.1 Since the beginning there have been formed the Beth El Synagogue, in June, 1848; Brith Sholem, about 1865; Beth Jacob, in October, 1881; and Brith Israel, Akavas Sholem, Ahavath Achim, the Hickory Street Synagogue, and Anshe Lebawiz. Various Jewish benevolent institu- tions have also been founded. An orphan asylum was opened in De- cember, 1877, which is connected with the Jewish Orphan Asylum Association of Western New York. The Hebrew Benevolent Society was organized in 1862.
The Irish element in Buffalo also is large, though not proportion- ately more so, probably, than in most other American cities; as most of them, as well as very many of the Germans and Poles, profess the
1 The new Temple Beth Zion, on Delaware avenue, was dedicated September 12, 1890. It is one of the finest specimens of Jewish architecture in the State. Rev. Israel Aaron, D. D., is the rabbi.
431
FROM 1870 TO 1897.
Roman Catholic faith, it follows that this sect is numerously repre- sented in the city in the schools, the churches, and the charitable institutions. In recent years the character of the city population has been further diversified by the advent of a large Italian element, which is gradually becoming identified with some lines of business and labor. These representative elements of varied nationalities, with others of less number and importance, give to the population of Buffalo a cosmopolitan character more distinctive and marked than that of any other similar city in the country. This fact has been a subject of public comment on many occasions. As to its general influence upon the welfare of the community, opinions differ, as they always do upon kindred subjects.
This large and varied foreign population, and the fact that Buffalo is a great railroad center undoubtedly contributed to swell the magni- tude of the great strike among railroad men in 1877. Although this memorable labor movement did not originate here, it found one of its most active centers in this city, where there was extensive destruction of property, riot and bloodshed. It is, however, due to the laboring class of Buffalo, outside of railroad employees, to state that they did not sympathize with nor take part in that demonstration. The troubles at that time had their inception at Martinsburg, West Va., where, on July 17 of the year named, a large number of employees of the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad struck against reduction of their pay. The movement spread to the West and before night of the 19th every employee in Chicago had quit work. In Pittsburg a mob took posses. sion of railroad property and there and in Baltimore men were shot down in the streets. On the 20th the strike reached Hornellsville on the Erie road and destruction of property began.
The first indication of trouble in Buffalo was a notification from a gang of about seventy-five men to Yardmaster Peck that he must quit work or take the consequences; this was on July 21. The strik- ers began pulling coupling pins, putting out lights and spiking switches, and on the following day the employees of the New York Central and Lake Shore roads joined in the movement, and began similar oper- ations to obstruct traffic. The 74th and 65th Regiments were placed on guard at depots, freight houses and coal trestles. Tramps and vagabonds flocked to the city and to them was due very much of the ensuing vandalism. When on the afternoon of the 22d Superintendent Taylor, of the Lake Shore road, called for assistance at the round
-
432
OUR COUNTY, AND ITS PEOPLE.
house, General Rogers with a detachment of troops proceeded to that point. As the soldiers left the cars they were greeted with jeers and a shower of stones. The general drew up his men in line and ordered them to take aim, upon which there was a stampede of the mob. The troops then occupied the round house. During that night the strikers put out the lights at East Buffalo and took possession of the tracks. On the 23d the mob made an attack on the Erie road shops at Exchange and Louisiana streets and forced the employees to stop work. Every attempt to move a train was thwarted by uncoupling the engine and cars. On the same evening a Westfield company which had been ordered to Buffalo had an encounter with the mob a short distance out of the city, in which several men were wounded. Battery A of artil- lery was sent to the relief of this company, but was stopped at the round house.
A public meeting was held on the evening of the 23d, the mayor (Becker) presiding. A committee was appointed to confer with the mayor upon plans for preserving peace and protecting property. A resolution was adopted calling on the Common Council to increase the number of patrolmen to not more than 1,000 for a period of not more than ten days. At police headquarters the committee reported advis- ing the mayor to enroll 2,000 citizens to volunteer for general duty and to hold themselves in readiness to act at a moment's warning. At the same time Co. D of the City Guard tendered its services to the authori- ties. On the 24th the augmented police force was ready for duty and supplied with ammunition. Outside of the body of strikers, who claimed they were not responsible for any of the destruction of property, the mob of vandals visited many of the leading manufactories of the city, which in several instances were closed under compulsion. At the factory of John T. Noye & Son the mob broke in the doors, and when assistance was called Police Superintendent Byrne and thirty men appeared on the scene, charged the vandals and by the free use of their clubs drove them away and substantially ended interference with business places. During the day the strikers signified their willing- ness to let mail trains pass and they were soon running. The rioters had loudly proclaimed their intention of destroying the railroad prop- erty at East Buffalo and toward night of the 24th they gathered in great numbers at that point; but the presence of the militia and a large police force under Capt. Philip Wurtz, was sufficient to prevent exten- sive operations by the mob, although the latter officer and his men
1
433
FROM 1870 TO 1897.
were called upon to charge the rioters with their clubs with such results that many fell with damaged heads. To the effective action of the police was due in a large measure the early extinction of the strike, which was substantially ended on the 25th.
Another important railroad strike took place in Buffalo in 1892, which may as well be disposed off at this point. In this case the cause was a disagreement over wages and the length of a day's labor. The movement began on the Western New York & Pennsylvania Road on August 13, and during that day eighteen freight cars, two passenger cars and two flagmen's shanties were burned in the Lehigh Valley yards. Ten loaded cars were uncoupled on the Lehigh trestle and sent thundering down the incline to collide with and wreck a locomo- tive and destroy the water tank. The damage thus far amounted to $75,000 in value. On the 14th mob law was in full force and the sheriff was called upon for protection. A large force of deputies were sworn in, while on the 15th the 74th and 65th Regiments was encamped in the vicinity of East Buffalo. The governor was called upon for aid and the arrival of troops from the east began and continued until nearly the whole force of State militia was in Buffalo. H. Walter Webb and other prominent railroad officials were quartered at the Iro- quois Hotel and directed operations against the strikers to such good purpose that it was soon seen that their defeat would not be long post- poned. On the 25th the Switchmen's Union, having been refused co-operation by the trainmen's and firemen's organizations, gave up the fight, and as that body had constituted the head and front of the strike, the whole movement ceased.
As before intimated, it would be unjust to the laboring classes of Buf- falo to charge them with active participation in these outbreaks, or sympathy with them, except so far as they might seem to represent a general desire to resist oppression by corporations and advance the in- terests of workingmen at large. Buffalo is peculiarly liable to be the scene of similar labor movements on the part of railroad employees, but advancing intelligence among the masses and the growing belief that all such important differences between labor and capital can be settled by peaceful methods, lead to the conviction that a repetition of the scenes of 1877 and 1892 is improbable.
The city charter of 1870 was variously amended previous to the adop- tion of the present one, and particularly in the year 1886. The ten-
55
434
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
dency of all amendments was towards giving high officers broader powers and charging them with more direct responsibility for acts of their appointees. An amendment of February 17 of that year was in this direction, in respect to the mayor, and authorized him to appoint a secretary for his office at a salary of $2,500 annually; another amend- ment of that year gave the Water Commissioners broader powers in respect to the removal of other officers of the department, the fixing of rates, subject to the approval of the Common Council, etc. A similar amendment was made at about the same time, applying to the Fire Department. On May 27, 1886, an amendment was made which, among other things, created a Department of Law, under supervision of a corporation counsel to hold office for a term of three years and giving him two assistants. An amendment of June 8, 1887, provided for the election of five assessors and making their term of office five years. It also enlarged the powers of the police justice.
But with all these changes the city charter still remained imperfect and in many ways inadequate to the needs of the growing city. It was believed by leading officials and citizens that radical alterations striking at the very root of municipal government would be necessary before the results would prove satisfactory. This general feeling led to the preparation and adoption of the present charter in 1891. It was enacted as a law by the Legislature on March 27 of that year and may be found in full in the published session laws, Chapter 105. This charter made sweeping changes in various features of the municipal government and, with the several amendments made since, constitutes an admirable document. Its most important provisions gave the city its present boundaries and divided it into twenty-five wards (as at present), and made radical changes in the legislative department. The Com- mon Council was separated into two distinct bodies-the Board of Councilmen consisting of nine members, who are elected by the people and hold office for a term of three years, three new members being elected each year; and the Board of Aldermen consisting of twenty-five members, one from each ward, holding office for a term of two years. While the Board of Alderman is invested with broad powers, no act of theirs is in force until it is approved by the Board of Councilmen; the latter may amend any measure of the former and return it for further consideration. If agreed to, it then stands as an act of the whole Common Council; if not, and is further amended, it may be again re- turned to the councilmen for renewed consideration and approval or
435
FROM 1870 TO 1897.
rejection. Measures passing both boards and reaching the mayor may be vetoed by him. The veto may, however, be overridden by eighteen votes of the Board of Aldermen, and seven votes of the Board of Councilmen. The new State Constitution of 1894 separated national, State and local politics in certain respects ; municipal officers must now be chosen at separate elections; under this arrangement it became necessary in 1894 to elect all aldermen for a term of three years; the aldermen elected in 1895 served two years, and the board elected in 1897, to take office until January 1, 1898, will serve two years. The charter was further amended so as to provide for the election of three councilmen in 1895, to serve four years, and for the election of six councilmen in 1897, who should determine by lot two of their number to hold office for two years. At the annual election held in odd num- bered years thereafter it was provided that there shall be elected alter- nately five and four councilmen for a four years' term, while the terms of other city officers also expire at the close of odd numbered years, their successors to be elected in the preceding fall.
The executive and administrative powers of the city are vested by the new charter in the mayor and the heads of departments-finance, assessment, law, police and excise, fire, public works (with four bureaus noticed further on), parks, public instruction, and poor. The follow- ing officers are elected by the people: Mayor, comptroller, corporation counsel, treasurer, assessors, commissioner of public works, judges of municipal court, superintendent of education, police justice, justices of the peace, and overseer of the poor. The mayor, comptroller, corpora- tion counsel, treasurer, superintendent of education, commissioner of public works, and overseer of the poor were given a term of three years; police justice and justices of the peace, four years; assessors five years, and judge of the municipal court, six years.
The Board of Police, under this charter, consists of the mayor, ex officio, and two commissioners of police; the two police commissioners act also as commissioners of excise. Authority was given for the division of the city into not less than eleven nor more than fourteen precincts, with one captain, two sergeants, and three doormen in each precinct.
The Board of Health consists of the mayor, the president of the Board of Public Works, and a health commissioner appointed by the mayor.
The Fire Department is under control of a non-partisan board ap- pointed by the mayor for six years.
436
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
The Board of Public Works consists of three members, elected for a term of three years. In this important department are four bureaus- Bureau of Water (the chief of which is the water superintendent), Bureau of Streets (under the superintendent of streets), Bureau of Buildings (under the superintendent of buildings), and Bureau of En- gineering.
The Department of Parks under this charter consists of fifteen . members, appointed by the mayor, who serve without compensation.
The Department of Public Instruction has the superintendent of education at its head, and he is invested with broad powers. All the expenses are paid from the general fund. An important change in this department was made by the charter in the creation of a Board of School Examiners, consisting of five members, who are designated by the mayor. One new member is appointed each year. Applicants for teachers' positions in the city are divided into three grades-high school grade, grammar school grade, and primary grade, and all must appear before the Board of Examiners to establish their fitness for the position applied for.
The Department of Poor is under direction of the overseer of the poor, who appoints such subordinates as are directed by the council.
A supervisor and a constable are elected in each city ward. The Municipal Court is continued as under the previous charter, and two judges are chosen for terms of six years. Aldermen and councilmen are paid a salary of $1,000 each annually.
A feature of modern progress that is already of great importance to the whole of Erie county, and will when completed confer still greater advantages upon the city, is the abolition of railroad grade crossings. The Grade Crossing Commission was created in 1888 by an act of the Legislature, and consisted of the following named persons: Robert B. Adam, William J. Morgan, George Sandrock, Charles A. Sweet, Ed- ward H. Butler, John B. Weber, Frederick Kendall, Solomon Scheu and James E. Nunan. Chapter 345 of the laws of 1892 added the fol- lowing persons to the commission: Augustus F. Scheu, James Ryan and Henry D. Kirkover. After long and discouraging negotiations with attorneys and representatives of railroads, the commission was finally successful, and during the year 1896 contracts were signed by all the important railroads entering the city and work is now progress- ing that will soon effect the much desired improvement. The Michi-
437
FROM 1870 TO 1897.
gan street viaduct, the lowering of tracks below the level of Washing- ton street, and crossing the Terrace by subway is already accom- plished. The entire work will involve an expenditure of about $5,000,000.
Natural gas for fuel was introduced in Buffalo in 1886. In January of that year the Buffalo Natural Gas Fuel Company was incorporated with a capital stock of $250,000, which has since been increased to $350,000. The first and present principal officers of the company are as follows: Daniel O'Day, president; John McManus, secretary and treasurer. Franchises were granted to the company in April, 1886, for the laying of pipes in the streets, and on November 30 the gas was turned on. The plant has been greatly extended and the company has now about 150 miles of mains laid. About 13,000 consumers are now supplied with the gas. The company acts as a distributor only, and not as a producer. The gas is obtained from Mckean county, Pa., and Welland, Ont., with Cattaraugus and Erie county wells as a reserve. Soon after the organization of this company experimental wells were sunk in West Seneca, Erie county, and a supply of gas was found. A little later Gerhard Lang and George Rochevot discovered gas in the vicinity of Jefferson and Best streets, in the city, and organized the Erie County Natural Gas Fuel Company, which established a small plant on the east side of the city. This plant is now operated under lease by the older company.
The paving of Buffalo streets with asphalt composition was intro- duced in 1882. Since that time this class of smooth street surface has been extensively laid by several companies, until at the present time about 200 miles are thus paved. This renders Buffalo the best paved city in the world.
In no other one respect is the enormous material growth and aston- ishing business activity of the city during the period of five years from 1888 so clearly shown as in the extension of banking interests. From 1889 to 1893 inclusive there were no less than ten new banking and financial institutions established. It is doubtful if such a statement can be truthfully made regarding any other city in the country of simi- lar population. With others previously founded, all of which have been noticed, this gives the city at the present time eighteen banks of deposit and discount, five savings banks, and two trust companies, all named below.1 The total capital represented is about $5,550, 000 ; with
1 The People's Bank was organized May 20, 1889, with capital stock of $300,000 and the follow-
438
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
total surplus and undivided profits of $4,250,000. A clearing house was established in Buffalo on April 1, 1889, which is still in existence and facilitates the transaction of banking business in all of its features.
On account of its large hotel facilities, its accessible situation, and the public spirit and liberality shown by its citizens, Buffalo has been the scene of many notable public gatherings of civil, political and mili- tary character. While these need not be here referred to in detail, it is proper in these closing pages of general history to allude briefly to
ing officers, who still hold their positions: Daniel O'Day, president; Arthur D. Bissell, vice- president; Clarence W. Hammond, second vice-president and cashier.
The Citizens' Bank of Buffalo was organized October 1, 1890, with capital stock of $100,000, and the following principal officers, who still hold their respective positions: Joseph Block, president; G. Fred Zeller, vice president; Irving E. Waters, cashier.
The Metropolitan Bank was organized in 1891, and opened for business on July 5 of that year. The capital stock was the same as now, $200,000. The first officers were William Meadows, presi- dent; Charles Groben, vice-president; Jacob Dilcher, cashier. In May, 1893, Henry Weill suc- ceeded to the presidency.
The Union Bank was organized in 1891, and opened for business June 8 of that year, with capi- tal stock of $200,000, which remains the same. Following were the first officers: Joshua S. Bliss, president; John Q. McDonnell, vice president; Louis Stern, cashier; Jerome P. Owen, assistant cashier. H. A. Menker succeeded Mr. Bliss as president in October, 1893. Alex. McMaster, vice- president; James Kerr, cashier.
The Niagara Bank was organized and opened for business September 15, 1891, in Black Rock; it removed to the city in 1894, and in April, 1896, made the first lease in the new Ellicott Square building. The capital stock was and is $100,000. The first officers were P. Henry Griffin, presi- dent; Marcus M. Drake, vice-president; both still in office; Harvey S. Champlin, cashier; Oliver S. Laycock second vice-president. In 1893 John A. Kennedy succeeded Mr. Champlin as cashier, and William J. Hayes was made assistant cashier. In June, 1897, Mr. Kennedy succeeded Mr. Lay- cock as second vice-president and Mr. Hayes was made cashier, with Frank T. Hartman, assist- ant cashier.
Ellicott Square Bank is the successor of the Queen City Bank, organized in 1892, with capital stock of $600,000. In 1896 a reorganization was effected and the name changed to its present title, and the capital made $300,000. The first officers of the latter bank were Fred C. M. Lautz, presi- dent; James N. Adam, vice-president; D. Clark Rice, cashier. On May 4, 1896, Walter G. Robbins succeeded Mr. Adam as vice-president. The other officers still hold their positions.
The Columbia National Bank of Buffalo began business June, 1892, with capital stock of $200,000, and the following officers: Josiah Jewett, president: Henry C. Howard, vice-president; Joseph S. Bryant, second vice-president; Clifford Hubbell, cashier. Sherman S. Jewett died February 28, 1897, and was succeeded as president by Edgar B. Jewett; George Wadsworth was elected vice-president.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.