A history of Cleveland and its environs; the heart of new Connecticut, Part 47

Author: Avery, Elroy McKendree, 1844-1935; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, New York The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 904

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland and its environs; the heart of new Connecticut > Part 47

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Mr. Brett has seen a magnificent growth not only in the central library, but in its many branches. Andrew Carnegie gave money for the construction of fourteen branch li- braries, and eleven of these are in operation. Altogether there are forty-five branches and books are issued through 600 stations.

Mr. Brett has been dean of the Western Reserve Library School since 1903. He was largely instrumental in forming the Ohio Library Association, of which he was the first president in 1895-96. In 1897 he was hon- ored by election as president of the Ameri- can Library Association. In the following year he was chairman of the Trans-Mississippi Library Congress.

In library circles Mr. Brett is known as the originator of the "Cumulative Index." He was editor of the Cumulative Index in 1896-97. This deserves to rank only second to his achievement in inaugurating the open shelf

library policy. It has served to make avail- able the vast and valuable contents of cur- rent magazines in which is stored priceless information which without the cumulative in- dex would be practically lost for purposes of ready reference. Many other practical ideas and plans have been formulated by Mr. Brett and have been incorporated into library work in different parts of the country.

Mr. Brett is a member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, the Rowfant Club, the City Club, Advertising Club, and City Club of New York. He was married May 1, 1879, to Miss Alice L. Allen of Cleveland. Six children were born to them: Morgan L., who is a graduate of West Point Military Academy, and is now major of ordnance, U. S. A .; Al- len V., is in business in Cleveland; George H., major in aviation corps, U. S. A., some- where in France; Edith A., now the wife of First Lieut. Ralph A. Spengler, Ordnance Reserve Corps; William H., Jr., first lieuten- ant Ordnance Reserve Corps, and Harold, who died in infancy.

MISS MARY CORINNE QUINTRELL. Cleveland lias had no nobler, more generous and effec- tive citizen as an educator, public welfare worker and citizen than Miss Mary Corinne Quintrell, who has spent nearly all her life in this city.

She was born at St. Austell, Cornwall, Eng- land, daughter of Thomas and Emma (Brewer) Quintrell. The Quintrells were a prominent family in England dating back to the days of Queen Elizabeth. Many of them were lawyers and occupied high positions in the courts of the kingdom. Thomas Quin- trell's grandmother bore the historic name of Bolyn. Thomas Quintrell after coming to America settled on the west side of the pres- ent City of Cleveland and conducted a nurs- ery where Edgewater Park is now located. He died in 1876, after twenty-six years, in the City of Cleveland. His widow, Emma Quin- trell, died at her home. 799 Euclid Avenne, February 19, 1881, at the age of sixty-eight. She was a woman of remarkable intelligence and a great historian, of noble impulses and large generosity, was greatly beloved by her family and was a sterling worker in the Chris- tian religion, to which she was devoted for fully fifty years. There were seven children in the family, one of the daughters dying in childhood. Those to grow up were two daugh- ters and four sons. Two of the sons dis- tinguished themselves in the Civil war, dur-

Stary Q. Quintrell.

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ing which both of them gave their lives as a sacrifice to the cause. One of them was Col. Alpheus G. Quintrell, who commanded Com- pany E, Sixtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a company of Cleveland and Oberlin men which he raised. He was noted as one of the most intrepid and dashing officers of his command. He especially distinguished himself at the battle of Cold Harbor, where under heavy fire he and his comrades repelled a heavy charge of the enemy which had broken another part of the line. One of the causes of the death three months later of the other brother, Na- thaniel Brewer Quintrell, was overwork in the United States Hospital and grief at the loss of his gallant brother. Dr. Quintrell was stationed as a young surgeon at the army hos- pital at Cleveland, and the loss of his brother with the overtaxing nature of his work took him away at the very outset of his most prom- ising career. Another son, Clifton Quintrell, died in Sioux City, Iowa, and the other daugh- ter, Mrs. Emma Stone, died in Rochester, Minnesota, iu 1911. The only survivors of the family are Miss Quintrell and Thomas Quintrell of Cleveland.

Miss Quintrell was educated at Cleveland and as a girl she and her brother Alpheus walked from their father's home the distance of two miles to the schoolhouse in what was then known as Ohio City. Miss Quintrell was the first girl graduate from the West Side Cleveland High School, and the honors of praise given her that day were a prelude to the substantial work and devotion to cultivated objects which have filled her life since then. She was the first graduate of the West High School to teach in the Cleveland public schools. She also edited the high school paper, which was the first publication on the west side of the river. Miss Quintrell continued as a teacher in the public schools of Cleveland for about twenty-five years and first attracted gen- eral attention to her work as a teacher by introducing the phonic method of reading. That system, now almost universally used, was a daring innovation at the time, but Miss Quintrell not only demonstrated its splendid results in her own classroom, but at the re- quest of the superintendent of instruction did much to train other teachers to use it success- fully. She also prepared a large part of the charts used in teaching reading in the local schools.

Miss Quintrell has supplied the city hos- pitals of Cleveland with reading matter over forty years. A movement to which she is now

giving much of her time and attention is for the purpose of restoring the reading of the Bible to the public schools of Cleveland. Miss Quintrell was the first woman republican can- didate for the Cleveland school council in 1895.

She has traveled extensively in Europe and America and has always kept in close touch with matters of education and general cul- ture. She has written many papers and poems for the Cleveland clubs, which have been published in some of the leading maga- zines and periodicals of the day. Miss Quint- rell is a talented artist, paints in oil, and a number of fine marine pictures have been greatly appreciated by her friends and critics.

Miss Quintrell was one of the organizers of the Sorosis of Cleveland, and served as presi- dent and was critic of the Novelist Club for fifteen years. The Science Club of Cleveland chose her as its special representative to the Seience Congress of the World's Columbian Expedition at Chicago in 1893, and at one of the meetings of that congress on August 24 she furnished an entertaining and instruc- tive address covering for the most part geo- logical subjects under the name "Sca and Shore, or a Day With Our Science Club."

Much has been written concerning Miss Quintrell and her work. Her biography ap- pears in Woman's Who's Who of Amcriea for 1914-15. Miss Quintrell resides at 15986 Euclid Avenue.

KARL FENNING, whose position in the Cleve- land bar is one of well defined success, has throughout the period of his professional career given his exclusive attention to patent law. Before coming to Cleveland he had an extended experience in this branch of practice, both in his native city of Wash- ington and at New York City.

Mr. Fenning was born at Washington, March 30, 1881, son of James A. and Annie R. (Dey) Fenning. His father, who died at Washington in 1895, was a native of Eng- land. The mother, who lives in Washington, is of old American stock, some of her an- cestors having come to this country as early as 1660. Mr. Karl Fenning has an older broth- er, Frederick A., also an attorney by pro- fession, who has been in general practice at Washington for a number of years, but is now serving with the rank of captain in the quar- termaster's department with the national army.

Karl Fenning finished his work in the pub-

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lic schools of his native city in 1899, and then pursued his higher education in Trinity Col- lege at Hartford, Connecticut, where he gradu- ated A. B. in 1903 and master of arts in 1904. In the meantime he had studied law in the National Law School at Washington, from which he received his LL. B. degree in 1904, and in the same year was granted the degree Master of Patent Law by Columbian (now George Washington) University. In the same year he was admitted to the bar of the Dis- trict of Columbia, and after a short period of practice in Washington moved to New York City, where from 1906 to 1911 he continued his special work. In 1911 he came to Cleve- land, and has since built up a very gratifying business in patent causes, trade marks, and all branches of the patent law. While at Washington he was connected with the firm of Baldwin & Wight, in New York City was with the firm of Pierce, Barber & Fenning, but since coming to Cleveland has practiced alone. His offices are in the Citizens Build- ing.

Mr. Fenning's numerous other interests and associations may be gathered from his active connection with the following organizations: University Club of Cleveland, Cleveland Ath- letie Club, City Club of Cleveland, Union Club, Western Reserve Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, Civic League, Drama League of Cleveland, president of the Cleve- land Centre of the Drama League of America, Euclid Avenue Presbyterian Church, American and Cleveland Bar associ- ations, University Club of Washington, Phi Gamma Delta Club of New York City, Phi Gamma Delta of Trinity College, American Society for the Judicial Settlement of Inter- national Disputes, and American Patent Law Association. In politics he is a republican in national affairs. Mr. Fenning resides at 1877 East 84th Street. June 7, 1917, he mar- ried Miss Hazel M. O'Neil of New York City, who is a graduate of Smith College.

WILLIAM T. ROSSITER. There are many men much older in years whose duties and executive responsibilities are not half those of William T. Rossiter, secretary and general manager of the Cleveland Builders Supply Company. Mr. Rossiter has been a live and coming Cleveland business man almost from the time he left public school, and his record is an enviable one, not only with the present company but with other concerns that have enjoyed his services. He is one of the best

known builders supply men of the country, and at present is president of the Ohio Build- ers Supply Association, and for several years has been active in national and local associ- ation work. The industry is indebted to him among other things for the commodity cost system now generally used throughout the country.

Mr. Rossiter was born at Cleveland, August 19, 1883. His family have been good sub- stantial people in Cleveland for many years. His grandfather, James Rossiter was a native of Ireland, came to the United States on a sailing vessel, and when he located in Cleve- land had only his industry and his ambition as a means of promoting himself in the world. He later established and conducted one of the first coal yards of Cleveland, the business be- ing continued under the name James Rossiter & Sons. He was a coal merchant on Colum- bus Road on the west side for forty years, and altogether was a most remarkable old gentleman and became widely known in Cleve- land affairs.

His son, J. C. Rossiter, father of William T., is a native of Cleveland, and is now liv- ing retired. At one time he was associated with his father in the coal business, and his last active connection was with the Cleve- land Provision Company. He married in Cleveland Catherine Mahon, also a native of this city. She died about 1898. Her father, P. S. Mahon also came from Ireland, and was well known in business circles in early Cleve- land, conducting a big tailoring establishment on the west side, where he had between forty and fifty girls employed operating his sew- ing machines. To J. C. Rossiter and wife were born seven children, three sons and four daughters. Five are still living, and as none of them are married they constitute a lively and interesting home circle around their fath- er. The oldest child, James, died at the age of fifteen. The living children are: Nellie M., John J., William T., Margaret and Cath- erine. Nellie is a talented musician, having finished her work in one of the famous schools of Italy at Rome. She is a teacher of piano, and has a large class of about fifty pupils. The son, John is in the real estate business at Cleveland.

William T. Rossiter received his education in the old Kentucky school on the West Side, and left that to begin work with the Cleve- land Provision Company, in whose employ he remained for about eight years. He rose to the position of auditor of the company. Then

JamaKujawski

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CLEVELAND AND ITS ENVIRONS

for about a year and a half he was assistant manager for the Mason Supply Company, that giving him his first experience in his present .line of activity. The Mason Supply Company was then consolidated with the Kelley Line and Transport Company and the Cleveland Builders Supply Company, and Mr. Rossiter was made assistant treasurer of the new corpo- ration. A year later he was promoted to secretary, and three months after that became secretary and general manager. The Cleve- land Builders Supply Company is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Ohio. Its business offices are in the Leader-News Build- ing and it maintains eight factories and ware- houses in different quarters of the city. It represents a thoroughly efficient organization, a large invested capital, and many experienced men to handle the various departments. To the success and upbuilding of this concern Mr. Rossiter is devoted heart and soul, and his business has so far supplanted in his af- fections any of those interests which other men find through marriage.

In politics Mr. Rossiter is a republican in national affairs, but is strictly independent locally. He is affiliated with Cleveland Lodge No. 18 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Automobile Club, West Side Chamber of Industry, East Shore Country Club and Cleveland Athletic Club.

LEON A. KUJAWSKI, attorney and counsellor at law in the Society for Savings Building, has acquired a splendid practice among the Polish people of Cleveland, where he is recog- nized as a very able lawyer and, is in fact a man of unusual and most versatile talents. He was active as an educator for some years before lie took up the law.

Mr. Kujawski was born in the City of Posen, Province of Posen, Poland, April 11, 1884. Posen, it may be recalled as a mat- ter of history, was during the seventh, eighth and ninth centuries the first kingdom of Poland. His parents, John I. and Stanis- lawa (Wichert) Kujawski, were both natives of Poland. His mother was born at the Vil- lage of Gasawa in Posen, and they were mar- ried there. They first met while the father was teaching school in Gasawa. John I. Ku- jawski finished his education in a normal college at Peplin, Posen, and was a teacher in the old country thirty-five years. After coming to America he taught school four years,

two years in South Chicago, and two years in St. Adelbert's Polish parish in Chicago. He became organist at St. Adelbert's Church, and filled that position twenty-three years. His death occurred in Chicago March 19, 1908. He was succeeded as organist by his son, Bruno S., who served there eight years and on resigning his place was taken by an older brother, Severyn, who continues the work to the present time. Severyn is a graduate of the Chicago Conservatory of Music and also studied the organ under Mendelsohn in Mil- waukee. He is rated as one of the finest singers and organists in the country. The widowed mother is now living at Cicero, Chi- cago. The parents came to the United States in 1888, when Leon was four years of age. John I. Kujawski's old professor in Poland was the late Father John Radziejewski. He had served as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian war, lost a leg in that service and for many years wore an artificial leg. It is said that he was the only cripple who ever became a priest. He had taken up his priestly duties in Chicago and it was through his persuasion that John I. Kujawski brought his family to America. Father Radziejewski was the found- er of St. Adelbert's Church in Chicago. The parents brought with them to this country four sons, and three other children were born in Chicago. All these are still living, named as follows: Severyn J. of Chicago; Leon A .; Theodore S., a traveling salesman, living at Chicago ; Bruno S. ; Helen, wife of Dr. Florian G. Ostrowski of Cicero, Chicago; Edward S., an architect in Cleveland; and Walter, who has been drafted for service in the United States army. The children were all educated in Chicago.

Leon A. Kujawski attended St. Adelbert's parochial school and St. Pius School for Boys, a Jesuit institution in Chicago, graduating from the eighth grade at the age of four- teen and at the age of eighteen he graduated from St. Ignatius College in Chicago.

He then left home and has since the age of eighteen looked out for himself. He studied music, both vocal and instrumental while at- tending St. Ignatius College. The parents gave all their children splendid educational advantages. Mr. Kujawski on leaving home became a teacher, and worked in the parochial schools of Hammond, Indiana; Lorain, Ohio; Cleveland; Ford City, Pennsylvania; Scran- ton and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1908 he returned to Cleveland, entering the Law School of Baldwin-Wallace Univer-

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sity, Berea, Ohio, in 1910, and was graduated LL. B., in 1913. Mr. Kujawski was admitted to the bar June 27, 1913, and on March 21, 1916, was qualified to practice in the Federal courts. He began practice at Cleveland alone, and for a short time was associated with Vic- tor J. Conrad. He has been practicing with offices at 418 Society for Savings Building since January 1, 1914.

Mr. Kujawski is a democrat in politics and quite active and influential in his section of Cleveland. He is a member of the Twentieth Congressional District Club, is a member, and from 1913 to June, 1917, was chairman of the Polish Singers Alliance of America. He was elected at the convention in Chicago and re- elected at Pittsburg. He is a member of the Polish National Alliance, of the Sigma Kappa Phi fraternity of Cleveland Law School, be- longs to St. John Cantius parish of Cleve- land, and is a member of the City Club and the Civic League.

In St. Joseph's Church at Passaic, New Jersey, November 29, 1916, Mr. Kujawski and Winifred M. Stazewski were united in mar- riage, and they have one son, Robert L. Mrs. Kujawski was born at Wallington, New Jer- sey, was educated there, attending the Ruth- erford High School, and she met her future husband while a visitor to the convention of the Polish National Alliance at Schenectady, New York. She is a member of this national alliance. Her parents were Anton and Sophia (Krzeminski) Stazewski. Her mother is still living at the old home in Wallington, while her father, deceased, was in the bakery busi- ness there for many years. They were one of the earliest Polish families to settle in Wal- lington, coming to this country from Poland.

IGNATZ W. DEUTSCH was for many years one of the most prominent Hungarians in America. For over thirty years he was a resi- dent of Cleveland, and widely known both for his social and business connections.

Mr. Deutsch died at his home in Cleve- land, October 30, 1905, at the age of fifty- seven. He was born on the banks of the Danube River, near Budapest, in Hungary, and for several years of his early manhood had official rank in the Hungarian army. He served as lieutenant and on account of con- tinued service was promoted to the rank of captain. However, he resigned this commis- sion in order to bring his family to Amer- ica in 1872. One of his most valued

possessions was a medal received from the late Emperor Franz Joseph for honorable and distinguished service in the emperor's army. Only three such medals are known to have · been possessed by American residents. On locating in South Cleveland Mr. Deutsch es- tablished himself in the merchant tailoring business, and was active in that line until about five years before his death, when he retired on account of ill health, which kept him an invalid the rest of his days. His business activities made him a man of suc- cess and prominence. He was one of the directors of the South Cleveland Banking Company, and had financial interests in a number of other concerns. He was one of the founders of the South End Improvement Association. He was active in both charitable and secret societies, and held official chairs in nearly every prominent Hungarian and Hebrew society in Cleveland. For years he was president of the Hebrew Relief Society, and was also president of the Ladies Chari- table Society before that organization was merged with the Jewish Council of Women. He was frequently honored with office in some of the largest lodges of the city. For a time he was inspector general of the Ohio Division, uniform rank, Knights of Pythias, and was also a member in good standing of the Odd Fellows and Masons. Among the leading Hungarian societies which recognized him as an honored and useful member were the Hun- garian Aid Society, the Hungarian Benevolent and Social Union, and the Bothanyi.

On coming to America Mr. Deutsch first settled in Pennsylvania and lived in that state three years before coming to Cleveland. In Hungary he married Miss Ethel Hyman, who is still living. She is prominent in Jewish charitable affairs and one of the directors of the Jewish Infants Orphans Home of Cleveland. There are six sons : Louis A., civil service commissioner at Cleveland; Samuel M., a Cleveland druggist; S. J., a prominent Cleveland attorney ; Walter P., a brass manu- facturer in this city; Dr. Alfred J., a Cleve- land dentist, and Harold G., who is now serv- ing with the Twenty-third Engineers in the National Army.

SIGMUND J. DEUTSCH has attained a lead- ing position among Cleveland's real estate and corporation lawyers, has been a member of the bar fifteen years, is a native of the city, and member of one of the old and prominent

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CLEVELAND AND ITS ENVIRONS

Hungarian families of Cleveland, a son of the late Ignatz W. Deutsch, the record of whose career is briefly told on other pages.

Born in Cleveland, September 11, 1877, Sig- mund J. Deutsch was one of six sons, all of whom have some honorable and successful dis- tinctions attaching to their names in this city. He was liberally educated, going from the grammar schools to the South High School, where he finished in 1895, and then continued a student of Adelbert College of Western Re- serve University, taking his A. B. degree in 1899. Mr. Deutsch studied law in the West- ern Reserve University Law School and gradu- ated LL. B. in 1902, being admitted to the Ohio bar the same year.

During his preliminary period of practice he was associated with A. F. Gaughan and H. A. Cummings in the firm of Cummings, Deutsch & Gaughan in the Williamson Build- ing. This firm was succeeded three years later by Deutsch, Howells & Grossman, and they also had their offices in the Williamson Build- ing for five years. Mr. Deutsch's next part- nership was with Henry A. Beckerman as Beckerman & Deutsch. When this was dis- solved three years later Mr. Deutsch took up an individual practice, and has since had no partnership.

At present his office is at 510 American Trust Building. As a real estate and corpo- ration lawyer he represents several important corporations, and is also attorney in this part of the country for the United Cigar Stores Company, and is a director in the Bronx Realty Company, a subsidiary of that corpo- ration. He is also a director of the Empire Brass Manufacturing Company. Mr. Deutsch has been a man of considerable influence and activity in the republican party since his ad- mission to the bar, though not as a candidate for office. His father was a Mason, and he and all his brothers are members of that order, and he is also affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, Cleveland Lodge No. 18, Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a member of the Cleveland, Ohio State and American Bar associations. He has member- ship in the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, City Club, Civic League, Cleveland Auto- mobile Club. Mr. Deutsch is a great lover of books and art. His home is at 1690 East 81st Street.

June 14, 1913, he married Miss Florence A. Coblitz, who was born and educated in Cleveland, being a graduate of the South High

School and a daughter of Phillip A. and Elizabeth (Wodiska) Coblitz. Her father, who died in 1911 was in the wholesale woolen business at Cleveland. Her mother is still a resident of Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. Deutsch have one son, Robert Philip, born November 28, 1914.

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A history of Cleveland and its environs; the heart of new Connecticut, Part 47

Author: Avery, Elroy McKendree, 1844-1935; Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago, New York The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 904

Author: Avery, Elroy McKendree, 1844-1935; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, New York The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 904