A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume III, Part 5

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1106

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume III > Part 5

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

that others have passed by heedlessly he has noted and improved to the better- ment of the city and the state in many ways. While modest and unostentatious in manner, all who know him speak of him in terms of praise. In his life are the elements of greatness because of the use he has made of his talents and his opportunities, because his thoughts are not self centered but are given to the mastery of life problems and the fulfillment of his duty as a man in his relations to his fellowmen and as a citizen in his relations to his city, state and country.

CHARLES A. MAHER.

On the honor roll of those who have been prominent in the development of the industrial interests of Cleveland is found the name of Charles A. Maher, who is the vice president of the National Car Wheel Company, an enterprise that is today of world-wide fame. He started upon the journey of life in 1867, and in the forty-two years which have since come and gone he has made steady progress toward the goal of prosperity, which is the objective point before every well balanced business man. As the name indicates, he comes of Irish ancestry. His parents, Thomas and Helen (Watson) Maher, were both natives of Ire- land, the former born near Dublin in County Carlow in 1829. When about nine or ten years of age he crossed the Atlantic with his parents and became a resi- dent of Cleveland. After attaining his majority he gained for himself a posi- tion of distinction among the leading business men of the city. He was one of the early manufacturers of Cleveland, becoming one of the founders of the car- wheel business here, which was then conducted under the name of the Bowler & Maher Company. Later Mr. Brayton was admitted to a partnership, and his name was added to the firm style. A subsequent change in 1880 led to the adop- tion of the name of Maher & Brayton, a copartnership in the manufacture of car wheels and gray iron castings, while later it became the Maher Foundry Company, for Thomas Maher, by buying out the stock from time to time, became the sole owner of the business. In 1903 he sold the plant to the National Car Wheel Com- pany, which took over five large concerns from Cleveland, Pittsburg, Rochester, ' New York city and Sayre, Pennsylvania. The plant here was one of the oldest in the country and one of the most substantial in this line of trade. After selling to the National Company Thomas Maher retired from active business. In the mean- time, however, he was one of the founders of the Riverside Foundry Company and also of the Columbia Iron & Steel Company of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He thus operated extensively along industrial lines, and his enterprise and busi- ness discernment were of such a character as to gain him notable prominence in this field of labor. His wife was brought to Cleveland during her early girl- hood, her father being engaged in the rolling-mill business in this city during the pioneer epoch of industrial development here. In fact both the Maher and Wat- son families were among the early settlers. The death of Mrs. Maher occurred in 1876.

Born in Cleveland, Charles A. Maher spent his time between the ages of seven and twelve years in the parochial school and afterward attended Brooks Military Academy, which later became the University School. On putting aside his text-books he became connected with the Britton Iron & Steel Mills, which he represented as shipping clerk for a time, and when he left that company he was serving as assistant night superintendent of the mill. He then went abroad, where he remained for six months, and upon his return he entered the foundry of the Maher & Brayton Company, going right into the works that he might thoroughly master the business. He served in every department. acquainting himself with the trade, and after the firm became the Maher Wheel & Foundry Company he was made secretary and general manager, thus continuing until the business was merged into the National Company. At that time he was elected

CHARLES A. MAHER

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

secretary and so continued from 1903 until 1905, when he was made vice presi- dent and given charge of the sales. The main office is in Allegheny, Pennsylva- nia, and the business has now spread over the entire country. The company now has five plants, and its trade is constantly increasing. In 1908 Mr. Maher be- came identified with the selling agency of Otis Bonnell & Company, which firm went out of existence on May 1, 1908. Mr. Maher now devotes the major portion of his time to the interests of the National Car Wheel Company. Before he was chosen for his present position he was manager of the car-wheel department. Throughout his business life he has been very successful, and largely owing to his capable control his business has increased from forty to fifty per cent, the Cleveland plant ranking third.

In 1894 Mr. Maher was married to Miss Jeanette Sherman, of Rochester, New York, who is very active in the social circles of the city. Mr. Maher has also been a leading member of the Hermit Club and takes an active part in its productions. He is likewise a member of the Euclid Club, the Roadside Club and the Cleveland Athletic Club and is a non resident member of the Lambs Club of New York. He is a man of force and of ready decision, which, how- ever, follows thorough knowledge of the business with a clear understanding of the conditions that exist in trade circles. His enterprise has brought him into prominent connection with one of the most important industries not only of the city but of the country as well. His deductions concerning business affairs are logical, his methods practical and his labors resultant.

GENERAL JARED AUGUSTINE SMITH.

General Jared Augustine Smith, a retired army officer, whose life has been devoted to government military service, is today recognized as one of America's highest authorities on military engineering and also upon coast and harbor defense and construction. Born at Wilton, Maine, on the 6th of July, 1840, he is a son of Jared Smith, whose birth occurred at New Sharon, Maine, in 1813, he being a son of Ephraim and Mercy (Mayhew) Smith and a grandson of Har- lock Smith. The family is of English origin and the first ancestors on this side the Atlantic were among the earliest New England settlers, locating near Mar- tha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Jared Smith, Sr., was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Dakin, a daughter of Levi and Edee (Richardson) Dakin and a granddaughter of Sergeant Levi Dakin, who served under General Washington in the Revolutionary war. The death of Jared Smith, Sr., occurred in April, 1858.

General Smith pursued his early education in the public schools of New Sharon, Maine, and entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1858. He completed the regular four years' course and was graduated on the 17th of June, 1862. He was then commissioned second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and assigned to duty as an engineer officer of the Second Army Corps on the staff of Major General N. P. Banks. He endeavored to join Gen- eral Banks, who was reported to be near Winchester in the Shenandoah valley, in the latter part of June, 1862. As General Banks had left Winchester, Lieu- tenant Smith remained in camp near there, temporarily assisting Major D. C. Houston, additional aid-de-camp on the staff of General Pope, and in the early part of July succeeded in joining General Banks at Little Washington, Virginia. He made reconnaissance from that place to Culpeper Court House and beyond to the Rapidan river, which Lieutenant Smith crossed with a small escort of enlisted men, and returned, passing between two posts held by a strong picket force in plain view of the enemy, without being discovered. On the 9th of August he accompanied and guided the advance of the corps under Gen- eral Banks from the camp near Culpeper Court House to Cedar Mountain, where

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

the Confederate forces were encountered, and acting as aid-de-camp during that battle carried orders to various commanders on the field. Late in the evening he was severely bruised and otherwise injured as a result of a charge of the enemy's cavalry upon the small force, consisting of Generals Pope and Banks, their staffs and cavalry escorts, which had momentarily dismounted at a point midway be- tween the lines. His injuries, though painful, were borne rather than leave the field. He remained on duty and was present in the engagements near the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. Later he was taken in an ambulance to the amunition train near Bealeton and was disabled in a passenger train that was attacked by Confederate cavalry at Catlett Station, August 22, 1862. The following day he was placed in a hospital in Judiciary Square in Washington, where he remained for about a month and then went to a private hospital near New York. About the 27th of November of the same year he reported at the adjutant general's office in Washington and requested reassignment to duty to accompany the ex- pedition to New Orleans under General Banks. He was directed to report to Dr. Barnes for examination, and the Doctor gave a written statement that if assigned as requested he would probably not survive the journey. He was therefore made assistant professor at the United States Military Academy and put in com- mand of an attachment of engineer troops at West Point, where he remained from the 26th of November, 1862, until August 19, 1863. He was assistant en- gineer on construction of defenses on the northeast coast and recruiting officer from August 19, 1863, until August 9, 1864. In the latter part of July, 1864, under telegraphic orders, he reported for duty on defenses of Baltimore and Washington, then threatened by the enemy, and as assistant engineer was in charge of the construction of defenses from the 10th of August to the 22d of September.

From the 28th of September, 1864, to the 2d of March, 1865, General Smith was on duty as assistant engineer and had local charge of construction and de- fense at Fort Montgomery, New York. Under these orders all workmen of every grade employed upon or in connection with the construction were enlisted as troops for local service; were organized, uniformed, armed and drilled for duty as soldiers in garrison and performed regular guard duty day and night with a view to defense against possible raids from Canadian territory.

General Smith was assistant engineer on river and harbor improvements and in local charge of construction of Fort Ontario, New York, from March 3, 1865, to November, 1866. He was superintendent and engineer of construction of defenses of New Bedford harbor, Massachusetts, and the improvement of Ply- mouth harbor, Massachusetts, from November, 1868, until June 1, 1869, and had charge of the examinations for the improvement of Taunton river and Duxbury beach, Massachusetts, in 1868. He acted as assistant engineer of geodetic and hydrographic survey of northern and northwestern lakes from June 1, 1869, un- til April 1, 1871, and was assistant engineer in local charge of surveys and of devising plans for a harbor of refuge in Lake Huron, from April 1, 1871, to December 1, 1873. From the 28th of May until the 26th of September, 1873, he traveled abroad in Europe, having been granted a leave of absence.

On the 12th of December, of the latter year, he assumed duty as assistant en- gineer on defenses of Key West and Dry Tortugas, Florida, where he remained until January 29, 1874. He next became superintending engineer of defenses of Key West and Dry Tortugas, Florida, and engineer of the seventh light house district, that service continuing until December 16, 1876. He was superintend- ing engineer on the improvement of the Wabash river in Indiana and Illinois from January 22, 1875, until July 16, 1884, and was in charge of surveys and improvements on White river, Indiana, also various surveys and examinations on Kankakee river, Illinois, and on improving the harbors of Michigan City, Indiana, and New Buffalo, Michigan, from July 1, 1878, to July 16, 1884. He acted as consulting engineer for the selection of plans for the statehouse at Indianapolis and for various civil works between 1877 and 1884, and from the

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

20th of June of the latter year until February 18, 1886, was engineer for the fifth and sixth light house districts. Ten days later he assumed his duties in charge of the river and harbor improvements in Maine and New Hampshire and of construction of defenses of the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers, of the harbor of Portland, Maine, and of harbors of Portsmouth, in Maine and New Hamp- shire, his time being thus occupied until December 1, 1891.

Under act of congress, dated March 2, 1889, he was made a member of the board of engineers to examine the coast of Texas and report upon the subject of obtaining a deep water harbor on that coast, his duties covering the period be- tween the 16th of March and the 16th of December, 1889. He was from Decem- ber II, 1891, to August 19, 1897, engineer of the tenth light house district, during which time he devised and constructed the system of range lights in Detroit river between Detroit and the lights at Lime Kiln Crossing. He also devised- and con- structed a new system of range lights in Maumee Bay, the outer range of which formed two separate ranges with two towers and three lanterns in a novel man- ner. He also devised a new improved type of lanterns for the light house service.

General Smith was in charge of river and harbor improvements on Lake Erie, including the harbors of Monroe, Michigan, Toledo, Port Clinton, San- dusky, Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Fairport, Ashtabula and Conneaut, Ohio, from December 11, 1891, to December 1, 1900, and devised and introduced new and very much improved methods of construction of breakwaters and piers, both of timber and concrete. He also devised and introduced reflectors of sound behind the whistles of fog signals with the result that the sound was heard much further across the water with complete suppression of sound upon the land, where it had previously caused great annoyance. He became a member of the board of engineers on construction of bridge across the Niagara river, in Sep- tember, 1898, was division engineer on the Pacific division of engineering work under the war department on the Pacific coast from December 15, 1900, to Sep- tember 23, 1901. During the same time he was also a member and president of the California Debris Commission for the regulation of hydraulic mining and a member of boards of engineer officers for examination of special officers for pro- motion for the consideration of subjects relating to improvement of the Sacra- mento and for the regulation of harbor lines in the harbor of San Francisco and adjacent waters in California.

On the Ist of October, 1901, General Smith was given charge of the im- provement of the Delaware river, on which he was engaged until June 30, 1902, and from the Ist of October, 1901, until April 12, 1903, he was in charge of con- struction works for the defense of the Delaware river, of the improvement of channels of streams tributary to Delaware river and bay and of construction of interior waterway from Chincoteague, Virginia, to Delaware bay at or near Lewes, Delaware. During the same period he was also in charge of the removal of numerous wrecks in Delaware bay and the waters of the Atlantic coast be- tween Absecom Inlet and Cape Charles. During the years while in charge of the construction of public works he was a member of many special boards of en- gineers and had many other duties, pertaining more or less to the works in charge.

Since retiring from active service in the army, April 14, 1903, General Smith has been located in Cleveland, Ohio, and has been actively engaged as a consult- ing civil engineer. Since March, 1865, he has been a member of Cuyahoga county building commission.

On the Toth of April, 1864, occurred the marriage of General Smith and Mrs. Emily Goodwin Reed, a daughter of Claudius Berard, professor of French in. the United States Military Academy. They became parents of two children. The elder, Dr. George Seely Smith, is one of Cleveland's prominent physicians. The younger, Captain Guy H. B. Smith, of the Fourth United States Infantry, served in Cuba during the Spanish-American war and in special orders from the secretary of war was highly commended for particularly efficient service and con-

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

spicuous bravery. He is now on active duty with the Fourth United States In- fantry in the Philippines.

General and Mrs. Smith reside at No. 2060 Cornell Road. He is an associate member of the Chamber of Commerce, an honorary member of the Cleveland Yacht Club, a member of the Army and Navy Club of New York, of the Union Club of Cleveland, and an honorary member of the Society of Civil Engineers of this city. He also belongs to the Loyal Legion. His interests aside from his home and his profession largely center in travel and research and he has made an extensive study of mythological literature and considerable research of the sub- ject of intellectual development of the human race. His military history and his service for the government need little comment, as the nature of the work that he has done at once indicates his ability and his high standing with those in authority. His opinions are largely accepted as standard on military engineering and the light house service of both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coast give many examples of his skill in design and construction. He is also a recognized authority on coast and harbor defense and construction, and in the years of an active professional career he has made steady progress until, having long since left the ranks of the many, he stands among the eminent and successful few.

ADDISON HILLS HOUGH.

Addison Hills Hough, one of the best known men in Cleveland in brokerage, financial and investment security circles, is a native of the Forest city, born May 23, 1869, the only son of Alfred B. and Abbie (Rhodes) Hough. The father, a native of Springfield, Ohio, came to Cleveland at the age of ten years. His wife, now deceased, was a daughter of Charles L. Rhodes, one of the old-time pioneers of Cleveland.

Addison H. Hough prepared for college at Brooks Military Academy and then, entering Yale, was graduated with the class of 1890. Following his return to Cleveland, Mr. Hough entered the employ of the Brush Electric Company, which he represented in various departments until 1895, holding the position of secretary and purchase agent when he severed his connections with the company to enter into partnership with Charles A. Otis, Jr., under the firm name of Otis, Hough & Company, in the conduct of an iron and steel commission business. A change in partnership in 1898 led to a reorganization under the name of Otis, Bonnell & Company, Mr. Hough still remaining a member of the firm. It was at that time that William F. Bonnell was admitted to the partnership and the name was changed from the fact that Mr. Otis and Mr. Hough then engaged in the banking and brokerage business, organizing the firm of Otis & Hough with membership in the New York and Chicago stock exchanges and the Chicago board of trade. The firm was first established in April, 1899, when C. A. Otis, Jr., and Addison H. Hough assumed the management of the Cleveland branch of the firm of Otis, Wilcox & Company of Chicago. In December of the same year, Messrs. Otis and Hough determined to open an office of their own, independent of all outside connections, and thus the firm of Otis & Hough took over the Cleveland business of Otis, Wilcox & Company on the Ist of January, 1900. The business of this firm has had a remarkable growth and is now one of the largest in its line in the west. A general brokerage business is conducted, together with the execution of orders for the clients in the leading stock, grain and cotton exchanges of the country as well as the extensive handling of municipal bonds and high grade investment securities for a clientele that covers almost the entire country. This firm was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Cleveland Stock Exchange. of which Mr. Hough was president for several years. The growth and development of the business of Otis & Hough is without a parallel in the financial history of the city and reflects no small amount of credit on those

ADDISON H. HOUGH

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

in whose hands rests the management. The efforts of Mr. Hough in the business world have extended beyond this specific line of activity, carrying him into con- nection with various other commercial and financial enterprises.

Mr. Hough is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and in this and other connections assists materially in promoting public progress. He belongs to the Union, Tavern, Roadside, Country, Hermit and Automobile Clubs and is a republican and member of the Tippecanoe Club, but is not active in politics to the extent of seeking or desiring public office. During his college days he became a member of the Psi Upsilon and the Scroll and Keys, the senior society of Yale. He is a member of Dr. Sutphen's church-Second Presbyterian-and with appre- ciation for the social amenities of life, he holds friendship inviolable and is equally loyal to the interests entrusted to his care in business relations.

MICHAEL ASSMUS.

When a youth of fifteen years Michael Assmus came alone from Germany to Cleveland, arriving in this city in the year 1855. Throughout the remainder of his life, covering the intervening years to the IIth of January, 1894, he was connected with the butchering business in this city and ultimately became the proprietor of an extensive establishment which was not only a monument to his business enterprise but also to his commercial integrity.

He was born in Holtzhuzen, Germany, May 13, 1840, a son of George and Elizabeth Assmus, of the same place. His father was a school teacher and farmer there. The mother died when her son Michael was but a young lad, and he continued in Germany to the age of fifteen years, when the hope of enjoying better business opportunities in the new world led him to bid adieu to friends and native land and start out to seek his fortune on the western side of the Atlantic. Arriving in Cleveland in 1855, he here entered the employ of his brother Philip, who had previously come to the new world and was engaged in the butchering business. Michael Assmus continued in his brother's employ for several years and was afterward in the service of others, but always in the same line of business. Later he purchased his brother's establishment and formed a partnership with a cousin, which continued for many years. At length, how- ever, he purchased his cousin's interest and conducted the business alone, continuing therein until his death, when he was succeeded by his sons, who are still conducting a successful and growing enterprise. He was one of the best known and prominent butchers of the city, establishing an excellent reputation, not only for the quality of meats which he handled but for the reliability of his business methods. He was a self-made man, giving his attention strictly to his business and his family interests, and his close application and enterprise constituted the salient forces in a gratifying success.

On the IIth of May, 1875, Mr. Assmus was united in marriage to Miss Marie Eleanor Wollweber, a daughter of Louis and Othelia Wollweber, who resided in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. Her father was a shoemaker by trade and in 1866 came to America, settling in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his remaining days were passed. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Assmus were born five sons and a daughter : Carl and Otto, who are carrying on the business left by their father ; Albert, who is with the Cleveland Trust Company ; Emma B., the wife of John Siller, Jr., who is connected with the Weideman Company; Richard, who is associated with the Cleveland Trust Company; and Arthur, who is with the Davis, Hunt, Collister Company. Mrs. Assmus is a well known German lady and has hosts of friends in Cleveland.

Mr. Assmus was very prominent in German societies, holding membership in the Concordia and Pioneer Verein. His political faith was that of the dem- ocratic party, and he kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day,

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

so that he cast an intelligent ballot in support of the principles in which he firmly believed. He never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the new world, for here he found the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization he worked his way steadily upward. Recognizing the fact that "there is no excellence without labor" his persistent energy and activities enabled him to make steady advance in business circles, and thus he left his family in com- fortable financial circumstances. To provide a good home for them and sur- round them with the comforts of life was his purpose and ambition, and he found his greatest happiness in providing for their welfare.

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A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume III, Part 5

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1106

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1106