USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland and its environs; the heart of new Connecticut > Part 34
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Mr. Charles Brenner graduated from the Dover public schools and also attended the old Spencerian College when it was in the Harrington Block at the corner of Superior Street. From school he entered the service of the American Spring Company on Water Street, was with them three years, and then took up the study of law with Judge J. C. Bloch. Associated with Judge Bloch were several other prominent lawyers, Senator Wil- liam T. Clark, Charles Snider, later a county prosecuting attorney, and Senator John P. Green. These lawyers had their offices at what was then 242 Superior Street. Mr. Bren- ner continued reading law with Judge Bloch about 31/2 years, but never sought admission to the bar.
For a time he served as captain of Central Viaduct under the late Mayor Mckesson, and for four years was associated with John Fran- cisco in a private detective agency. He served as constable under Senator J. C. Poe, and for a number of years has been a constable or justice of the peace. In 1916 he was a candi- date on the republican ticket for the Leg- islature, and while he ran about fifteen hun- dred votes ahead of his ticket went down to de- feat with all the other republican candidates of the county in that year. For eight years Mr. Brenner was justice of the peace of the City of Lakewood, but after the death of his
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wife he moved to Brooklyn and since Janu- ary 1, 1917, has been justice of the peace of that township. His offices are at 203 Superior Building in Cleveland.
Mr. Brenner is a member of the Tippecanoe Club, Lakewood Lodge of Knights of Pythias, Loyal Order of Moose, Deutscher Club, Lake- wood Chamber of Commerce; also a member of the Nei-Surprise Literary Society and the Cuyahoga County Old Settlers' Association, and twenty-five years ago was a member of the military organization known as Company A, commanded by Mr. Francisco.
August 26, 1886, Mr. Brenner married Miss Agnes H. Crabb, of Cleveland, daughter of Dr. Charles Crabb, a veterinary surgeon. Doctor Crabb was an Englishman and his wife, Agnes (Higginson) Crabb, was Scotch. They were married at London, Ontario, and came to Cleveland in early days. Mrs. Bren- ner was born and educated in Cleveland, and became very prominent in school affairs and in school elections in the east end of Cleve- land and was also well known socially. Her death occurred at Lakewood February 22, 1916. There were two children. William F. is a traveling man in the newspaper advertis- ing business. Charles G. is one of the younger generation of substantial lawyers of Cleveland, has a fine practice with offices in the Society for Savings Building, and is a graduate of Cleveland Law School of Baldwin-Wallace College with the degree LL. B. Both sons are graduates of the Lakewood High School.
Mr. Brenner is associated with C. W. Schaefer in the ownership of twenty-five hun- dred acres of land in Florida between the Everglades and Palm Beach. They are plan- ning the development of this tract for agri- cultural purposes. Mr. Brenner also does con- siderable buying and selling of city real estate.
HARRY LORENZO VAIL's membership in the Cleveland bar runs back thirty years, though his appearance in court as an attorney and his activities in the routine of the law have been steadily diminishing in recent years, business interests and other lines of work hav- ing claimed the greater share of his attention.
Mr. Vail was born at Cleveland October 11, 1860, and is the son of a former well known Cleveland citizen who gave up his life as a sacrifice to the Union cause during the Civil war, and the military record of the family is likely to be added to since Mr. Vail's son is now in the new National Army.
His father Judge Isaac Carpenter Vail was
presiding judge of the Cleveland Police Court from 1858 to 1860. Early in the Civil war he became captain of the One Hundred and Third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and while in service he died at Danville, Kentucky, August 10, 1863. Captain Vail married Clara Barbara Van Husen, who is still living, a resident of Delaware, Ohio.
Harry L. Vail acquired a liberal education, at first in the public schools of Cleveland, and was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan Univer- sity at Delaware with the degree B. A. in 1879 when only nineteen years of age. In Cleveland he had attended the Brownell Street School and the Central High School. After leaving college he spent a year on the literary staff of a company engaged in the publication of county histories. In November 1880 he took a position on the city staff of the old Cleve- land Herald, and was with that paper 21/2 years. He was also city editor for the Cleve- land Sunday Voice and correspondent to the Cincinnati Enquirer. At one time he was managing editor of the Times. In the inter- vals of his reporting and editorial career he studied law and began practice in 1888, though he had been admitted to the bar in 1884. During the last twenty years his principal time has been given to looking after real es- tate matters and to various public and busi- ness positions. His office is in the Citizens Building. Mr. Vail is a director of The Lan- mer Land Company, vice president of The Warner Realty Company, and member of the advisory committee of The Citizens Savings & Trust Company.
He has long been active politically in the republican party and has filled several offices of trust. From 1894 to 1900 he was clerk of Court of Common Pleas and Circuit courts, was county commissioner from 1904 to 1913, and in 1917 was appointed a member of the mayor's advisory war committee. He still re- tains his membership in the Cleveland Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, and both he and his wife are active in social affairs. They are members of the Country Club, and Mr. Vail belongs to the Union Club, City Club, Civic League, is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and member of Holyrood Commandery of Knights Templars and also belongs to the Loyal Legion. He and his wife are members of Grace Episcopal Church Club.
September 18, 1894, at Philadelphia Mr.
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Vail married Miss Sarah Augusta Wickham. She was born and educated at Red Wing, Min- nesota. Mrs. Vail is a trustee of the Huron Road Hospital, a member of the finance com- mittee of the Young Women's Christian As- sociation, president of the Cleveland Art Association and has done much in the cause of the Red Cross. Mr. and Mrs. Vail's only child is Herman Lansing Vail, who was born at Cleveland July 6, 1895. He is a graduate of the University School of Cleveland and in 1917 was awarded his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton University. From university he en- tered at once into the National Army and is now a second lieutenant of the Three Hundred and Thirty-second Regiment of Infantry.
ROLAND A. BASKIN has had a creditable career as a Cleveland lawyer for the past seven years, and is now handling a large gen- eral practice alone, with offices in the William- son Building.
Though most of his life has been spent in Cleveland he was born at Hillsboro in High- land County, Ohio, December 21, 1885, a son of Frank S. and Ida S. (Cluxton) Baskin. His parents both reside at Cleveland Heights. Frank S. Baskin has spent his active career in the furniture business. For a number of years he was in charge of the Cleveland branch of the American Seating Company of Chicago, but for the past twelve years has been in busi- ness for himself and is president of the Cleve- land Seating Company, manufacturers of opera chairs, church and school furniture. The family have lived in Cleveland for twenty years. The three children are Roland A., Wanita and Kenneth S. The daughter is a graduate of the Central High School and is an artist by profession.
Roland A. Baskin after graduating from the Central High School in 1906 went to work for the National Acme Manufacturing Com- pany. At the same time he studied law pri- vately and at the end of one yaer he gave up his position and concentrated all his time and energies upon his studies in the Western Reserve Law School. Three years later, in 1910, he was graduated LL. B. and admitted to the bar the 24th of June of that year. Mr. Baskin entered practice alone with offices in the Cleveland Building, but after two years shared offices with Judge J. M. Shallenberger and continued with him about three years, looking after his own private practice and also some of the law work of the judge. His Vol. II-12
only partnership association was with Mr. George R. McKay, under the firm name of McKay & Baskin, with offices in the Rocke- feller Building. Later Francis W. Poulson became a member of the firm, but on January 1, 1917, Mr. Baskin withdrew and handles the affairs of a large and important clientage. Besides his regular practice he is secretary and director of the Cleveland Seating Com- pany, secretary and director of the Hercules Pressed Metal Company, and is officially in- terested in several other companies.
Mr. Baskin is an active democrat, and a member of the Tom Johnson Club. He is a member of the Cleveland Bar Association, the Young Men's Business Club, the Cleveland Heights Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and the Young Men's. Christian Association. His church membership is with the East End Baptist Church. He is a member of the Alpha- Tau Omega Fraternity, and among sports his favorite diversion is hand ball.
March 15, 1915, Mr. Baskin married Miss Frances May Schwoer, of Cleveland. She was born in Indianapolis, is a graduate of the Cen- tral High School of Cleveland and also at- tended Vassar College. Mrs. Baskin is an accomplished musician, both vocal and instru- mental. Her parents, Frank C. and Julia May (Miller) Schwoer, both reside in Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. Baskin's child, John Roland, was born at Cleveland December 23, 1916.
ROBERT D. MORGAN has been in the active practice of law at Cleveland for ten years, and is now senior member of the firm Morgan & Keenan, with offices in the Guardian Build- ing. His associate is Joseph B. Keenan. He was formerly in practice with the late P. J. Brady under the firm name of Brady, Dowling and Morgan.
Mr. Morgan was born at Cleveland, October 26, 1879, a son of Robert and Catherine Mor- gan. His parents were married in Brooklyn, New York, and have lived in Cleveland for over fifty years. Mr. Morgan attended the public schools of Cleveland, including the Cen- tral High School, and in the intervals of other work afterwards acquired the privilege of a liberal education. For seven years he was in railroad work with the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway, part of the time in the general freight department of Cleveland and afterwards at Milwaukee and Chicago. While in Milwaukee he attended the Milwaukee Medical College, but gave up his idea of a
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medical profession. He graduated LL. B. from the Cleveland Law School of the Baldwin- Wallace University, and has also taken other courses in the Western Reserve University. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in December, 1905, and has since been admitted to practice in the Federal courts. During 1906-07 he was private secretary' to the United States judges of the Northern District of Ohio, especially under Hon. Robert W. Tayler. Early in 1907 he began private practice. Mr. Morgan is at- torney for the Royal Indemnity Company. He is a member of the Cleveland Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, is an active republican, and a charter member of the Delta Phi Delta Legal Fraternity and a member of the Delta Theta Phi, also a legal fraternity. He belongs to Gilmour Council of the Knights of Colum- bus, the Cleveland Athletic Club, and is sec- retary of the Leonarda Memorial Association of St. Alexis Hospital. His favorite recrea- tions are hunting and fishing and automo- biling.
At Cleveland, December 31, 1904, Mr. Mor- gan married Margaret Taylor Silsby, daugh- ter of the late Frederick L. Silsby. Her parents were both born in Cuyahoga County of pioneer families, and her mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have five chil- dren: Eudore Olwen Morgan, Catherine Ger- trude Morgan, Mary Olivia Morgan, Robert Tayler Morgan (named after the late Judge Tayler), and Margaret Silsby Morgan.
W. LOUIS ROSE. For several years Mr. Rose has enjoyed a most successful position among Cleveland's real estate men, and his business headquarters are in the Park Building on the Public Square. He is secretary-treasurer of the R. & R. Realty Company, the R. R. & P. P. Company, the R. & R. Brokerage Com- pany, and the R. & R. Home Building Com- pany, all of which are located in the Park Building.
Mr. Rose has had a most interesting busi- ness career, one in which vicissitudes have numbered frequently, and it is only within re- cent years that his bark has entered into the full tide of success. He was born in South Saginaw, Michigan, February 25, 1870, a son of William A. and Sarah Elizabeth (Francis) Rose. His father was born in England, and came to America when about nine years of age, spending eight weeks on a sailing ves- sel in crossing the ocean. His mother was born at Pontiac, Michigan, the daughter of
Erastus Francis, one of the earliest settlers of Oakland County. William A. Rose was for more than fifty years in business for him- self at Saginaw as a merchant in meats and groceries. For about ten years he and his wife have lived retired at Cheboygan, Michi- gan, and their home was the scene of a de- lightful celebration on May 31, 1914, when all of their children and most all of their grand- children surrounded them upon the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. All of their five children are living: Albert L., of Kalamazoo, Michigan: W. Lonis; Phila, wife of John Tuke of Cheboygan, Michigan; Ernest E. of Winnipeg, Canada, and Olive Ruth, wife of Charles Snowden, of Detroit, Michigan.
Mr. Rose received most of his early educa- tion in the public schools of Saginaw, and he also attended the International Business Col- lege there. After leaving school he spent six months with the firm of A. Linton & Sons in the lumber and planing mill business, and then for three years worked for Eastman, Wilhelm & McArthur, lumbering operators and vessel owners at Saginaw. He left this concern to enter the East Saginaw National Bank, where he remained as its head book- keeper for about one year until its liquidation. He was then engaged on temporary work as bookkeeper and teller in the People's Savings Bank. When this bank work was finished, he left Saginaw and went to Milwaukee, Wiscon- sin, where he entered the employ of the Hoff- mann & Billings Manufacturing Company, first about the pattern department and found- ries and was then commissioned to install and operate a cost department covering their pro- duction of steam fitters and plumbers brass goods and Corliss engines, and was subse- quently made factory office manager. He re- mained with this company about three years and left there to become assistant to the man- ager of the Filer & Stowell Pump Company, then being organized as a department of the Filer & Stowell Company. The Pump Com- pany manufactured steam and power pumps of the Knowles and Blake type, and built a number of special design for heavy duty and special service. After about a year the Pump Company was absorbed by the Filer & Stowell Company, and Mr. Rose left and went to Chi- cago. Here he entered the employ of the Weber Wagon Company as its purchasing agent, in which capacity he remained for about four years, leaving there to accept a position as assistant manager of the supplies
Whenis Rong.
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department of Armour & Company, where he remained about three years.
Mr. Rose is a man of more than ordinary mechanical ingenuity, and out of his varied experience brought out a number of inven- tions, among which was a flash-boiler auto- mobile with automatic control, designed to use superheated steam in a Brady turbine en- gine as motive power, to be sold at a low price, as such automobiles as were built at that time were very expensive. The equip- ment was broadly new, requiring extended ex- periment and almost unnumbered difficulties occurred in securing suitable material, so that after about three years in time and several thousand dollars in cash had been expended in perfecting the equipment, the gasoline en- gine had been developed to a degree where it had definitely supplanted steam as the mo- tive power for automobiles, and his invention arrived too late to be utilized.
Mr. Rose then removed to Cleveland in 1903, and invented and manufactured the Rose scientific water heater. These heaters were designed for using natural gas as fuel and were developed for supplying individual hot water heating plants for terraces and apartments, and were the first of this type of equipment to be used in Cleveland. Hav- ing put all of his money into the automobile development it became necessary to take in some partners in order to finance this busi- ness, which he did. The business did well, until a series of serious losses occurred by reason of the breaking of sheet metal radi- ators, many of which had been installed, and the financial strength of the business being insufficient it became necessary to cease busi- ness.
Some time after organizing the heater busi- ness, Mr. Rose took a partner and established a brass goods manufacturing business. This made excellent progress until about the time the heater business experienced its difficulties when internal troubles developed that made the continuance of the business impossible.
Mr. Rose then engaged in the sale of mov- ing picture machines and supplies and the manufacture of moving picture machine parts, electrical devices, stereopticons and slides. He continued this business about three years with ordinary success. He then bought an in- terest in and became secretary of a company manufacturing an adjustable blade propeller for boats, but after one year the business did not appeal to him, and he resigned his posi-
tion and sold his stock to enter the real estate field.
Mr. Rose determined that in entering the real estate line he would specialize in indus- trial property. He thereupon engaged with Louis J. Lee, the well known specialist in this line, with whom he remained about one year, leaving there at the time of the incorpo- ration of the Schauffler Realty Company-be- coming its secretary and treasurer. Mr. Rose remained in this company for about four years, devoting all of his time to handling and developing industrial properties, and during which time and since he was instru- mental in bringing to Cleveland from other cities many of its present representative in- dustries. Mr. Rose is considered one of the best industrial property men in Cleveland, and is often spoken of as "The little man who puts across the big deals." Mr. Rose and Mr. Schauffler were both firm believers in progressive advertising and they did much in a practical manner to advance the interests of Cleveland as well as their own.
While yet in the Schauffler Realty Com- pany, Mr. Rose became acquainted with Mr. W. C. Ranson, who came into the organiza- tion, and about two years ago, Mr. Rose and Mr. Ranson left the Schauffler Company and engaged in the allotment branch of the real estate business.
Their experience along industrial lines well fitted them for making a wise selection of property to be developed for the homes of working men. They purchased a large tract of some of the most valuable land in the Five Points industrial district, which in the last two years has had the most rapid growth of any section of Cleveland, and they today have the most conspicuous moderate price home al- lotment in the city, and it is being rapidly built up with homes of this character. This allotment is furnishing one important solu- tion of the great problem which is now em- ploying the attention of experts and the Gov- ernment in furnishing proper housing facili- ties for industrial workers with ready access to the great industries where the residents are employed. Many unique features attended the development, advertising and sale of this property. All of Mr. Rose's other business activities are along real estate lines as the names of his companies indicate.
Mr. Rose has been a Master Mason for twenty-six years. Outside of business and home his vital interests are centered in church,
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Sabbath school and temperance work. He and his family are members of the South Brook- lyn United Presbyterian Church, of which he is ruling elder and superintendent of the Sab- bath school ..
Mr. Rose led the temperance forces of his portion of the city during the three campaigns to make Ohio dry, and is an enthusiastic sup- porter of universal prohibition.
He and his family reside at 3814 Revere Court at Brookside Park. On June 26, 1894, he married Miss Edith Paine of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was born and educated. Her father, Dr. Edward R. Paine was a well known banker and business man of Milwaukee many years, where he died in 1894. Her moth- er, Laura S. (Senter) Paine died at Mil- waukee in 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Rose have three children, all living, two sons and one daughter, who were born in Chicago, but have been educated in the Cleveland Public Schools. Edward Paine Rose, the oldest, vol- unteered in the national army, and is now stationed at the base hospital at Camp Lewis, Washington. The two younger children still at home are Phila Eleanor and Willard Ken- neth.
ROBERT HUNTER MCKAY is a young Cleve- land lawyer of a family largely devoted to the legal profession, and in a comparatively brief period has reached a substantial position in the law and has numerous influential connec- tions with business affairs and corporations.
Mr. Mckay was born at Cleveland October 29, 1884, a son of Robert and Agness (Hunter) Mckay. His father was for many years active as a mechanical engineer. The son was liber- ally educated, attending the South High School, the Spencerian Business College, Adel- bert College of Western Reserve, also the Ohio State University and finished his university career at Yale College. On beginning practice lie was associated with the law firm of George R. and Robert H. Mckay, and later was in practice with David R. Rothkopf under the firm name of MeKay and Rothkopf. He is now in partnership with George H. Burrows, with offices in the Guardian Building. Mr. Mckay is a member in good standing of the Cleveland Bar Association and the Law Li- brary Association of Cleveland.
He is connected as a legal adviser or in ex- ecutive capacities with the following com- panies : The Information Company, secretary and director; the M. K. Patent Development Company, secretary and director ; the Western
Reserve Adjustment Company, director and legal adviser; the American Remedies Com- pany, and the Reserve Coal and Timber Com- pany, director ; the Doty-McKay Company, di- rector and president; the Cleveland Sales Company, director; and the Huston Brick & Clay Company, director and treasurer.
Mr. McKay resides in the Village of Berea, and from 1914 to 1916 was village solicitor. He is a republican, and is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, Woodward Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, Mckinley Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Benevolent and Protec- tive Order of Elks, Yale Masonic Club, and is a member of the Alpha Tau Omega, Theta Nu Epsilon and the Phi Alpha Delta of Yale and also the Book and Gavel Society of Yale. Other social connections are with the Three K Club, Western Reserve Kennel Club, and Cleveland French Bull Dog Club. Mr. Mckay is a member of the Disciples Church.
At Cleveland April 26, 1910, he married Jessie K. Jones. They have one son, Hunter J. McKay.
ARTHUR ADELBERT STEARNS is senior member of the firm Stearns, Chamber- lain & Royon in the Williamson Building. This is one of the most important law firms in Ohio, and besides his work as a practicing lawyer Mr. Stearns' reputation is also widely extended through his long service as a law educator and as a legal author.
He was born at North Olmsted, Cuyahoga County, a son of Edmund and Anna (Marsh) Stearns. He acquired a liberal education. graduating A. B. from Buchtel College with the class of 1879. That institution, now a part of the Akron Municipal Univer- sity, conferred upon him the degree M. A. in 1883 and LL. D. in 1908. Mr. Stearns took his law course in the Harvard Law. School, completing it in 1882. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1882 and has since been in active practice at Cleveland. From 1884 to 1890 he was associated with Her- man A. Kelley in the firm of Stearns & Kelley, and for the past fifteen years has been as- sociated with John A. Chamberlain. The firm of Stearns & Chamberlain was subse- quently enlarged by the admission of William F. Carr and Joseph C. Royon. Mr. Carr died in September, 1909, leaving the firm in its present form as Stearns, Chamberlain & Royon. Besides the three principal partners other lawyers are associated with the firm.
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