USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland and its environs; the heart of new Connecticut > Part 41
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Mr. Corlett attended public schools in War- rensville, graduating from high school in 1900, and spent two years of preparatory work in the Western Reserve Academy and was a stu- dent one year in Adelbert College. Later he took his law course in the Cleveland Law School, where he graduated with the degrec of LL. B. in June, 1913, and was admitted to the bar the same month. In 1914 he was ad- mitted to practice in the Federal Court. He has a profitable and growing general practice as a lawyer.
His first political experience came when he was just entering his majority. A few days after his twenty-first birthday he was elected committeeman and president of his Ward Club in Cleveland. For a number of years he was a democrat, but latterly has been an inde- pendent or "mugwump." He was elected and served as representative from Cuyahoga County in the Seventy-seventh and Seventy- eighth General assemblies and in the seventy- seventh session was the youngest representa- tive of that body. When he was first elected
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to the Legislature in November, 1905, he was twenty-three years of age. He was on the committees on manufacturers and commerce, and common schools and secretary of both committees. For about nine years he was ac- tively interested in local politics, especially under the Tom Johnson and Baehr administra- tions. He was connected with the city auditor's office during the terms of those men as mayor. The distinction fell to him to nominate the late Tom Johnson the second time he ran for mayor.
Besides his law business Mr. Corlett buys and sells real estate and has done considerable work in this line, buying vacant property and improving it with homes, which he later sells.
He is affiliated with Euclid Lodge No. 599 Free and Accepted Masons, Mckinley Chapter No. 181 Royal Arch Masons, and Woodward Council Royal and Select Masons. He also belongs to the Phi Gamma Delta and Delta Theta Phi College fraternities, and is a mem- ber of the Cleveland Real Estate Board, Cleve- land Chamber of Commerce, and attends the First Unitarian Church.
June 20, 1905, he married Matilda M. Kers of Cleveland, daughter of Joseph and Anna Kers. Mrs. Corlett was born in Cleveland, is a graduate of the South High School and for five years before her marriage taught in the city schools. They have one daughter, Dorothy M. and one son, Alvah R., Jr.
EDWIN L. THURSTON. From the standpoint of continuous service Edwin L. Thurston is one of the oldest patent lawyers of Cleveland. He was admitted to the bar at Chicago, prac- ticed in that city and arrived in Cleveland October 3, 1887 (his birthday anniversary), and has been continuously at work in his pro- fession for thirty years. His practice has been entirely patent law and his court relations have been almost entirely with the Federal courts.
Mr. Thurston has had several partnership relations. For a short time he practiced with Leonard Watson under the name Watson & Thurston. Then for about three years he was alone, was member of the firm Wing & Thurs- ton two years, his partner being Judge Francis Wing, and for ten years was associated with Albert H. Bates under the name Thurston & Bates. In February, 1907, Mr. Thurston formed his present firm, Thurston & Kwis, his partner being A. F. Kwis. This firm, whose offices are in the Citizens Building, restrict its practice to the soliciting of United States
and foreign patents and trade marks and to contracts, opinions and litigation relating to patents, trade marks and other monopolies in trade and manufacturing rights. Mr. Thurs- ton has been admitted to practice in all the Federal courts.
Mr. Thurston is an eastern man, and grew up in an atmosphere of comfort and solid family tradition. He was born at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, October 3, 1857, the only son and child of Thomas E. and Ann (Falconer) Thurston. The Thurstons settled in Massa- chusetts as early as 1632. His maternal grandparents came to Massachusetts from Edinburgh, Scotland. Thomas E. Thurston during his active years was a manufacturer, and is now living retired at Orange, Massa- chusetts, having celebrated his eightieth birth- day July 12, 1917. The mother died at Orange. Massachusetts, in 1898 at the age of sixty-one. The family have lived in Orange since Edwin L. Thurston was a freshman in college.
Ile received his public school training in Pawtucket and Providence, Rhode Island, graduating from the Providence High School in 1875. After working for his living two years he decided to go to college. In 1877 he entered Brown University at Providence, graduating bachelor of philosophy in 1881. In this same class and one of his fellow grad- uates was Charles Evan Hughes, one of the most distinguished American citizens of the present generation. During his college career Mr. Thurston found difficulty in making up his mind whether to pursue a career as an en- gineer or as a lawyer. Not long afterward he went to Chicago and took up the study of law with the firm of Hill & Dixon, patent attorneys. He was admitted to the Illinois bar while in Judge Lysander Hill's office in Chi- cago and practiced law in that city from 1885 until 1887, when he removed to Cleveland.
Mr. Thurston is a republican in politics. He was formerly active in club life, but has active membership at present only in the Union Club, the Country Club, and the Cleve- land Bar Association. His recreation is auto- mobiling and golf. Mr. Thurston resides at 2757 Lancashire Road in Cleveland Heights. He has one son. Thomas Brewster Thurston, born May 9, 1899.
BENJAMIN ANDREW GAGE began the practice of law at Cleveland twenty years ago ; is senior member of one of its leading law firms Gage, Day, Wilkin & Wachner, with offices in the
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Cuyahoga Building. His partners in practice are Luther Day, Wilbur D. Wilkin and Charles S. Wachner.
Mr. Gage, who was born at Elkhart, Indiana, July 20, 1874, is a son of Solomon T. and Emma (Kenyon) Gage. His father was a veteran in the service of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company, hav- ing put in fifty-three years with that railroad, covering almost the entire period of its ex- istence. He was superintendent of passen- ger transportation for the New York Central lines at the time of his retirement in May, 1917.
Benjamin A. Gage attended the public schools of Elkhart and subsequently those at Cleveland. From the public schools he en- tered the University of Michigan, graduating from the law department with the degree of LL. B. with the class of 1896. Since then he has actively prosecuted work as a lawyer and within the strict limits of the profession has achieved no little distinction and success. The only important office he ever held was as assistant attorney for the City of Cleveland from 1899 to 1903. He is a member of the lawyers organization Nisi Prius Club, and the Cleveland, Ohio State and American Bar as- sociations. In politics he is a republican on national questions, but non partisan in state, county and municipal matters. Mr. Gage be- longs to the Cleveland Athletic Club, the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and ac- knowledges as his chief diversion the art of angling. He is reputed to have the most com- plete collection of fishing tackle and accessories owned by any disciple of Isaak Walton in Cleveland. This elaborate collection is kept at his home at 13304 Forrestville Avenue in East Cleveland.
Mr. Gage married October 18, 1900, at Hills- boro, Ohio, Lucy Hough, daughter of Robert T. and Louisa B. Hough. Her father served as collector of internal revenue for the United States under Grover Cleveland from 1896 to 1899 and as one of the leaders of the demo- cratic party in Ohio was candidate for the nomination for governor in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Gage have two children : Robert Hough Gage, aged fifteen, and Emily Kenyon Gage, aged thirteen.
I. R. DAVIES is treasurer and manager of The Ideal Tire and Rubber Company, the first large branch of the rubber industry to be lo- cated at Cleveland. It is an Ohio corporation, capitalized at $2,000,000. The company was
organized and the campaign for sale of se- curities started in August, 1917, and by the end of that year the company had over 1,500 shareholders, had raised over $500,000. The company have a model factory in course of construction, so far carried out toward realiza- tion as to present every reasonable assurance that manufacturing operations will begin early in the year 1918.
The organization of The Ideal Tire and Rubber Company is an important step in a movement to give Cleveland, with its im- mensely superior natural advantages, its proper share of the great rubber industry. Fortunately for the company men of seasoned experience and expert ability have been at- tracted to its executive offices and directors. The superintendent of the factory is B. E. Frantz, formerly superintendent of another large rubber company in Ohio, and with an experience of twelve years in executive posi- tions with some of the largest tire companies in the United States. The president of the company is Eli W. Cannell, who is a man of wide experience and president of The Provi- dent Building & Loan Company.
Mr. I. R. Davies, who as head of the finance department, has already achieved a remark- able record in getting the financial organiza- tion of the company thoroughly and broadly founded, has had an extended experience of many years with the rubber and other manu- facturing industries. He was born at Doyles- town, Ohio, December 6, 1881, a son of I. Davies and Miriam (Thomas) Davies. His father died at Cleveland in September, 1917, and his mother still lives in this city. I. Davies was for twenty-five years a steel worker, and had lived retired about four years before his death. He was a resident of Cleveland nearly thirty years.
I. R. Davies attended the common grammar school and the high school at Cleveland, also a commercial college, and began business as an accountant. For ten years he was in the employ of the United States Steel Corpora- tion, and also had two years of banking experi- ence. For four years he was employed in executive capacities with some of the large rub- ber industries and is a stockholder in both steel and rubber corporations, and an officer and di- rector in two large rubber companies. Mr. Davies is affiliated with the Masonic Order, Knights of Pythias and a number of social and business organizations. He belongs to Rock- ton Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, at Kent, Ohio, and Kent Chapter No. 192, Royal
IRDavis
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Arch Masons. He is a member of the Baptist Church.
At Cleveland, April 21, 1913, Mr. Davies married Mabel Reese, daughter of John Reese of Cleveland.
JOHN T. KELLY. About twenty years ago John T. Kelly entered the office of Capt. W. C. Richardson at Cleveland as a stenographer and by close and faithful attention to the details of duty and by learning everything there is to learn in the general field of Great Lakes transportation, he has advanced to a partnership in W. C. Richardson & Company and is today one of the best known figures in transportation circles around the Great Lakes. Extended reference is made on other pages to the operations of W. C. Richardson & Com- pany as vessel owners and brokers and marine insurance agents.
Mr. Kelly was born in Cleveland May 1, 1876, a son of Peter and Mary E. (Boyle) Kelly. Both parents were born in Ireland and were brought to America when about seven years of age. They have lived in Cleveland since 1871 with the exception of a few years spent at Titusville, Pennsylvania, and since 1889 Peter Kelly has been employed at the Perry Paine Building.
John T. Kelly, youngest of the five children of his parents still living, was educated in St. Joseph's Academy at Titusville, Pennsylvania, whither his parents removed when he was about four years of age. The family returned to Cleveland in 1889, and John continued his education in the Cathedral School for one year and subsequently attended Caton's Busi- ness College.
His first practical training in business was acquired as an office boy for the Babcock and Wilcox Boiler Company. He remained with that firm four years, and then in March, 1895, went to work as stenographer for Capt. W. C. Richardson, when the latter's offices were in the Perry Paine Building. From the first Mr. Kelly did his work with enthusiasm and soon proved not only a master of routine and detail, but with every opportunity fitted himself for the responsibilities and endeavored to antici- pate all possible demands that might be made of him. The result might have been foreseen and in January, 1908, he was made a member of the firm and since then has become the real excentive and has assumed an increasing bur- den of the responsibilities from the shoulders of Captain Richardson. Today nearly all the decisions regarding the operating end of the
business conducted by W. C. Richardson & Company are referred to and made by Mr. Kelly. Considering his years, he is un- doubtedly one of the best known men around the Great Lakes. He knows practically every one in the vessel business and there is prob- ably not a transportation office from Buffalo to Duluth where Mr. Kelly would be unknown. He was associated with Captain Richardson in some of the most important sales of lake boats during the winter of 1915-16, when this com- pany acted as brokers in the transfer of twenty-two large lake vessels.
Mr. Kelly is a republican in politics, is a member of Cleveland Lodge No. 18 Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish of the Catholic Church. On February 16, 1907, in St. John's Cathedral at Cleveland he married Miss Mary E. Mc- Glynn. Mrs. Kelly was born in England of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and was eight years of age when she came with her parents to the United States. Both parents have been dead a number of years. She received her first advantages in a school at Hanley, Stafford- shire, England, and completed her education in the Cathedral School at Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly reside at 1398 East Ninety- fourth Street. Their three children are : John T., Jr., Marion Katherine and Clar- ence E.
VICTOR W. SINCERE came to Cleveland in 1905 from Chicago, where he had spent most of his early life and where for several years he had successfully practiced law. While the law is his profession, Mr. Sincere from the first showed a remarkable talent for the handling of business affairs and much of his practice in Chicago was in connection with the large mer- cantile interests of that city.
Since coming to Cleveland, Mr. Sincere though a member of the bar, has probably never appeared in court as an attorney, and has given his entire time to the executive management of The Bailey Company in its great department store business.
Mr. Sincere was born at Louisville, Ken- tucky, on Washington's birthday February 22, 1876, a son of Dr. Emil and Henrietta (Black) Sincere. His parents were both born in Hungary and they emigrated to the United States following the collapse of the Hungarian revolutions under the leadership of the noted Kossuth. Dr. Emil Sincere and his wife were married at Cleveland, Ohio, in July, 1861, and they were residents of the city for a short
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time. Doctor Sincere during the Civil war was a member of the Secret Service. He after- wards moved to Chicago and became one of that city's best known physicians and at the time of his death there on March 17, 1916, at the age of eighty-three was one of the oldest if not the oldest practicing medical men in the city. He had lived in Chicago more than thirty-eight years and aside from his private practice he served about eight years as chief of the board of medical examiners and for about twelve years was on the medical staff of Cook County Hospital. He was an active member of the Chicago Medical Society and of the American Medical Association. While devoted to his professional work, Doctor Sin- cere's chief characteristic was his love of home and family. He and his wife were parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters. Three sons and three daughters are still liv- ing. One daughter Nora died in infancy and a son Lincoln died at the age of twenty-three. The children have always felt that they owed much to their father and mother, not only for inherited talents but for the exemplary home life and the distinctive culture they enjoyed through mutual association. Mrs. Doctor Sin- cere died in Chicago June 3, 1915, at the age of seventy-six. Theirs was a companionship of the rarest felicity and mutual love and esteem, they had begun their journey together when young people and they lived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. It was the death of the wife which hastened the end of Doctor Sincere, whose strength quickly failed after she passed away. Both are buried in Chicago.
Victor W. Sincere lived in Chicago from the time he was three years of age until he came to Cleveland. He attended the elementary, grammar and high schools of that city and in 1897 was graduated from the University of Chicago with the degree A. B. Following that he studied law in the offices of Edward T. Cahill, a well known lawyer of Chicago, three years, and was admitted to the Illinois bar December 3, 1899. During his legal practice in Chicago he was a member of the law firm of Job, Taylor & Sincere with offices in the Marquette Building at the corner of Adams and Dearborn streets. When he left Chicago Mr. Sincere was secretary of nine associations of manufacturers in that city, and was also assistant secretary of the State Street Stores Association, one of the chief business organiza- tions of Chicago.
In Cleveland, though never active in prac- tice, Mr. Sincere has membership in the Cleve- land. Bar Association and has been admitted to practice in the United States courts. He became a resident of Cleveland August 29, 1905. At that date he took up his duties as superintendent, manager and a director of The Bailey Company, which, as no resident of the city needs to be informed, operates one of the city's largest department stores, lo- cated in the heart of the business district just off the public square at the corner of Ontario Street and Prospect Avenue.
He is president of The Champont Realty Company of Cleveland; vice president of The Tyroler Company; secretary of The Ames Company ; secretary of The Damm Products Company; vice president of The Morris Plan Bank of Cleveland; vice president of The American Lace Company of Elyria, Ohio; a director of The Bailey Realty Company of Cleveland; director of The National Safety Device Company, and he is president of the Sincere Realty Company, which erected the Sincere Building on the corner of Fourth Street and Prospect Avenue.
Such a position in business affairs of a large city brings corresponding opportunities and possibilities, and few men have been able to realize these advantages with so much benefit to the community as Mr. Sincere. He is a power house of energy and the presence of such a man is an asset to any community. With all his practical efficiency, he has the courtesy of the true gentleman, and is one of Cleveland's most public spirited men.
In a public way he has chosen to work through civic and voluntary organizations rather than through politics, though he is a stanch republican. He is chairman of the war advisory committee of the National Re- tail Dry Goods Association. He has been twice urged to become a nominee for mayor of Cleveland, but so far has not recognized that as a call to duty.
While he is a member of various organiza- tions, he apparently takes the greatest satis- faction in his active membership in the Cleveland Foundation, an institution whose work in a restricted field is similar to that on a broader plan of the Rockefeller Founda- tion and the Russell Sage Foundation. It differs from these in that it is built up not from the gifts of a single individual but from the contributions of many Clevelanders. It is said that already nearly $40,000,000 has been
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written into wills of Cleveland citizens, the money to be credited to Cleveland Foundation on the death of donors. The Foundation has done much work of a thoroughly practical character. For months experts engaged by the survey have been investigating the Cleve- land school system with a view to its entire reorganization. The subject of unemployment has also been studied. As its resources in- crease the Foundation will have a splendid opportunity and power for usefulness and good in various important directions of Cleve- land's life.
Mr. Sincere retains his Masonic mem- bership in his lodge in Chicago, is a Sigma Chi Fraternity man, and had a training for military efficiency by three years of member- ship in the Illinois National Guard from 1893 to 1896 and in 1898 served as second lieu- tenant in the Koeh Provisional Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. He is president of the Cosmopolitan Alliance Club ; ex-director of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce; ex-presi-' dent of the Cleveland Merchants Board of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce; ex- president of the East Cleveland Publie Li- brary; an active member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce; the City Club, the Cleveland Advertising Club, the Rotary Club, the Cleveland Athletic Club, the Cleveland Singers Club, the Cleveland Automobile Club. Mr. Sineere did much to give vitality to the organization known as the National Mouth Hygiene Association and is honorary presi- dent of that association. His special hobby is music and children, and with either he is happy. He is one of the working members in the Singers Club of Cleveland.
Mr. Sincere was married April 27, 1904, at Cleveland to Miss Carrie Black, daughter of Col. Louis Black and wife. Mrs. Sincere was born and educated in Cleveland, graduated from the Central High School in 1902, and is active in social circles being a member of the Woman's Club of Cleveland. Her father Col. Louis Black is president of the Bailey Com- pany and is one of the pioneer merchants of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Sincere's three ehil- dren, all born in Cleveland, are named Wil- liam Lawrenee Blaek Sincere, Roy Lonis Sin- eere, and Betty Ann Sineere.
LEWIS HUGH WAIN, a former president of the Cleveland Real Estate Board, has long been one of the conspicuous figures in Cleve- land real estate affairs. In his work and bnsi- ness Mr. Wain is always constructive if not
creative. He has that type of mind, and the energy and ability to translate his ideas into action.
A native of the Western Reserve he was born in Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio. His mother, Hannah (Jennings) Wain, is a great- granddaughter of Joseph Jennings, who saw three years of service with the Seventh Regi- ment Continental Line in the Revolutionary war. His diary kept during that time is a relie highly prized by Mr. Wain. David Jennings, his son, came to Ohio from Farm- ington, Maine, purchasing 160 acres of land near Ravenna in 1806. This land is still owned and occupied by his heirs. His son, Lewis E. Jennings, was born there and died on the farm at the age of eighty-threc. For sixty-two years he enjoyed the marriage com- panionship of Elizabeth Knowlton, a native of Farmington, Maine, who survived him. Mr. Wain's mother, eighty-two years of age on April 24, 1918, has lived in Cleveland forty- five years. In 1858 she married at Ravenna, Ohio, Hugh Wain, a native of Preston, Eng- land, who in 1872 established himself in the real estate business in Cleveland. Hugh Wain continued this business to the time of his death on May 28, 1903, at the age of seventy years. For thirty years he was associated with real estate interests and operations and became one of the best known and highly regarded men in that work. One of the first persons for whom he conducted a real estate transac- tion was Mr. John D. Rockefeller, placing on the market for him a subdivision known as the Gallup Farm. During his many years in busi- ness many of the best known Clevelanders of that time availed themselves of his serviees. He was identified with Masonry for more than thirty years and at the time of his death was a Thirty-third degree Mason, Lake Erie Con- sistory Scottish Rite and a Shriner.
Mr. Lewis H. Wain beeame associated with the real estate business in 1884. As a real estate broker he has so directed the invest- ments of those who have sought his experience and judgment that not a few have realized comfortable fortunes on the advanee in value of their purchases of land in the new business district or acreage in the city's suburbs.
In 1906 Mr. Wain acquired from the heirs of Harvey Rice, Sr., one of Cleveland's famous pioneers, a traet of about 100 aeres, then adjacent to the southeastern limits of, but more recently well within the eity. This he developed as the Rice Heights Subdi- vision of more than 600 lots, available for
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