Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 120

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 120

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On the 19th of April. 1871, was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Todhunter to Miss Jennie C. Wilson, daughter of Thomas Wilson, a representative of one of the old and leading families of Middletown. Mrs. Todhunter graduated in the Rodgers Fe- male College, at Springfield, Ohio. Thomas Wilson was one of Middletown's best men, prominent in business and social circles and leaving a distinct impress upon the life of the community. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Lefferson, was a daughter of Arthur L'efferson, one of the

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honored pioneers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Todhunter have two sons and four daughters, concerning whom we incorpo- rate the following brief word in conclusion of this sketch: Mr. Todhunter's second son, Wirt, was a member of Company B, Seventeenth United States Regulars, and a participant in the Philippine campaign in the island of Luzon, for the term of three years, and was with the first soldiers sent to that new and far-away province, sailing with General Lawton from New York in 1898. on the famous transport "General Grant." on her first trip to the eastern seas. making the passage by the Suez canal. After a sojourn of three years in Luzon and Mindanao, he returned by way of Japan and San Francisco to the States, having participated in fifteen engagements with the fighting islanders : he is now a sufferer from malaria absorbed while near the equator in the island of Mindanao. Mr. Tod- hunter's oldest daughter is the wife of Dr. W. M. Kendal, at Dayton. Ohio, his other daughters are at the Middletown home, while the oldest son is working out a career on the Pacific slope.

PROF. ORLANDO B. FINCH.

no less acceptable and affective in the noted institution with which he is now connected.

Professor Finch is a native of Butler county and a son of William J. and Abi- gail (Wilkinson) Finch, both parents of Ohio birth. He was born on a farm about two miles south of Oxford, February 9, 1860, and spent his youthful years pretty much after the manner of country lads in general, working in the fields in the sum- mer time and of winter seasons attending the district schools. After finishing the common branches he was prepared for col- lege at the Miami Classical and Scientific Training School for Boys, where he prose- cuted his studies from 1877 to 1879, in- clusive, the meantime, in September, 1878, taking charge of a school in Oxford town- ship which he taught with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of pupils and patrons, this being his first experience as an educator. Mr. Finch entered the freshmen class of Miami University in 1885 and was graduated from that institution four years later, after which he devoted his attention exclusively to educational work, teaching during the several following years in schools of Reily, Ross and Fairfield town- ships. From 1890 to 1892 he was princi- pal of the public schools of Stockholm, this state, and in the summer of the latter year was elected assistant in the preparatory de- partment of Miami University. Shortly after entering upon his duties as assistant teacher Professor Finch was made assist- ant librarian, which office he filled for a period of six years, resigning in 1899. At the present time the Professor is instructor in mathematics in the academy of the Mi- ami University, a responsible and exacting

Few school men in the state of Ohio have achieved a more honorable record than the distinguished educator whose name furnishes the caption of this review. For many years identified with the public schools of Butler county, he strove zeal- ously and successfully to raise the standard of the teacher's profession in this part of the state and since 1892 his labors have been position. As a teacher he is painstaking and

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thorough, clear and lucid in his explanations and requires from his students the best mental efforts of which they are capable. His record from the beginning presents a series of advancements in his particular lines of work; his success has been credit- able to himself and an honor to the institu- tion with which he is identified and he easily ranks with its most capable and popular instructors. In addition to his scholastic duties he attends regularly all the meetings of the Oxford school board, of which he has been a member since 1895, serving two years of the interim as president of the body and three years as clerk. His interest in education has led him to suggest many valuable improvements for the schools of the city and to introduce a number of re- forms; the standard of efficiency has been raised, the services of professionally quali- fied teachers secured and it is not too much to claim for him the credit of making the educational system of Oxford equal to that of any other city in the state and far su- perior to the majority.

Religiously, Professor Finch subscribes to the Methodist creed. He united with the Oxford Methodist church on probation De- cember 30, 1894, was admitted to full mem- bership June 30, 1895, and since the former year has been a member of the official board, and since 1901 treasurer of the con- gregation. The Professor is deeply inter- ested in secret fraternal and benevolent work and is an active member of several organizations by which these principles are disseminated. He has been identified with Oxford Lodge, No. 187, Knights of Pyth- ias, ever since it was instituted, in June, 1884, and in 1890 was honored by being chosen its representative to the grand lodge

of the state. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in Oxford Lodge, No. 67, Free and Accepted Masons, in Jan- uary, 1895, represented the order in the grand lodge during the sessions of 1899 and 1900, and in February of the year 1901 was initiated into Lodge No. 93, Tribe of Ben Hur.

The domestic chapter in the biography of Professor Finch bears date of August 22, 1895, at which time was solemnized his marriage with Miss Mary Darrell, who was born at Arcola, Illinois, on the 20th day of May, 1874. This union has been blessed with three children, namely: Wilbur Wil- liam, born September 16, 1876; Charles Elmer, September 23, 1897, and Marian, whose birth occurred on March 8, 1899.

Professor Finch may be properly re- garded as a fair type of a class that un- obtrusively carries forward the grandest and noblest work which in the aggregate makes the progress of society and the ele- vation of the human race. In such lives there are no startling incidents, no eccen- tricities, but rather the steady, placid flow which denote depth of character, strength of will and loftiness of purpose. Such men in their work, their walk, and their conver- sation and in their ambitions seek the table- lands of life where if there are no dizzy elevations of thought and fancy, there are, as a compensation, no depressions of in- fidelity and deceit. The true teacher of the class to which the subject belongs lives in an atmosphere free from the malaria which breeds intellectual distemper and, pursuing the even tenor of his way intent only upon the developing of character, en- larging his life work, and fitting for hon- orable stations and careers of usefulness,

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those for a while confided to his charge, is He joined the Methodist Episcopal church to society what the fixed stars are to the navigator. To such men as Professor Finch, society, the state and the nation are largely indebted not only for intellectual and material progress, but also for those ideas of order and security which form the chief guarantee of prosperity and enterprise in every laudable field of endeavor.

JOSEPH BARRATT.

Joseph Barratt, or "Uncle Joe" as every one calls him, is now the oldest man in Mid- dletown, where he has lived for sixty years.

"Uncle Joe" was born in a very hum- ble home in Bedfordshire, England, Febru- ary 28, 1815. He was not able to go to school in his boyhood, but learned the alpha- bet from his boy associates, who named them to him on the signboards over the busi- ness houses, and by close attention to such help he learned to read and to write. In the year 1836, with some other acquaintances, he came to America and settled in Rahway, New Jersey, where he found a few relatives. There he lived for nine years, and in 1842 he married Miss Mary Gibby, and in 1845 they, with a little daughter, now Mrs. Henry Scholler, came to Middletown by way of the Ohio river to Cincinnati, thence by canal to Middletown on November 26th. He re- lates that when he came to Middletown it was a village of fourteen hundred people, and that the next day after his arrival the canal was frozen over, and was closed to navigation until the following April.

"Uncle Joe" has outlived all the doctors who ever visited his family, save Dr. T. E. Reed, who now cares for him occasionally.

at Middletown in 1851, and ever since he has been an irreproachable member and held in the highest esteem by his associates and his fellow citizens. He rarely misses the Sunday morning services, and is usually at Sunday school in the afternoon. Mr. Bar- ratt walks about the city in good weather, selling spices, coffees and teas, and his good friends await his coming for their supplies. He yet hears well and has good eyesight, enjoys calls from his friends and hears his pastor talk with ease, and holds in his mem- ory scores of the old-time hymns.

He has been associated as an employe with Edward Jones, F. J. Tytus, W. B.

JOSEPH BARRATT.

Oglesby, Gardner Phipps, I. V. Curtis and others in the porkpacking trade, and always attended to and cared for the lard products. He once had considerable property, but is now without means, and he and his son John live together in a small home on Hol- brock street.

Everybody knows "Uncle Joe;" his

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exemplary Christian life and character, his patience, his industry, his uncomplaining manner and his implicit faith in the verities of the Christian faith make him a marked character.

His wife died some years ago, but not until after they had celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. If "Uncle Joe" lives until February 28, 1905, he will have reached his ninetieth birthday, a very hale, hearty and honored old man. He has seen many changes here since 1845.

ALEXANDER F. HUME.

Alexander F. Hume is one of Butler county's most prominent and influential citizens. He is the oldest practicing attorney in the county and is still actively engaged in his profession. In 1859 he was elected judge of the court of common pleas, in which capacity he served for five years, then refusing renomination. He then devoted himself to the practice of law, in which he acquired an extensive and increasing prac- tice, and finally, in 1875, accepted the posi- tion in which he had proved himself so ef- ficient in former years. After acting as judge for twelve and a half years he again declined further candidacy. In 1878 he was the nominee of the Democratic party for judge of the supreme court of Ohio, carried his county by an unprecedented ma- jority and came within three thousand votes of being elected. During the war, and sub- sequently, he made quite a reputation as a stump speaker, his arguments being forcible and always to the point.

Judge Hume was born in Delaware

county, New York, April 20, 1831. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Clark) Hume, who were natives of Scotland and New York state, respectively. The father of the former, Robert Hume, came from Scotland with his family, settling upon a farm in Saratoga county, New York. Later he removed to Delaware county, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the advanced age of ninety-nine years. He had four sons and two daughters: John, Robert, James and George, who were all farmers ; Margaret, Mrs. James Bunyon, and Elizabeth, Mrs. James Kedzie.

John Hume was a boy of eight years when he arrived in the United States. On reaching maturity he was married in New York, and in 1838 came to Ohio, settling upon a farm, where he died. His wife, after surviving him some five years, also passed away in Clark county.

John Hume was the owner of a well- improved farm comprising three hundred and fifty acres which he had acquired through his own industrious habits. He was careful, prudent and temperate, and for many years was an elder in the United Pres- byterian church. Of his five sons and one daughter who grew to manhood and woman- hood, Robert was a farmer and grain dealer in Cayuga county, New York, and a Re- publican member of the state legislature; Thomas resided in Cayuga county, where he carried on a farm; William was a wealthy farmer of Henry county, Indiana, where he died a few months ago; Alison W. resides in Henry county and is well-to-do in her own right; the subject is the next in order of birth, and John is a capitalist of New York city.

Judge Hume was reared in Clark

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county, Ohio, and received his higher edu- cation in the high school at Springfield, Miami University, and at the college at Danville, Kentucky, from which latter he graduated in 1850. On taking up law he studied in the offices of Judge William A. Rogers and Judge William White, of Spring- field. In 1852 he was admitted to the bar and soon afterward came to Hamilton, where he formed a partnership with a young man, one of his fellow students, who died when a few years had elapsed. Since that time Judge Hume has continued prac- tice alone, and has met with enviable suc- cess in his chosen profession. Judge Hume possesses much valuable real estate, was one of the organizers of the Hamilton Gas Company and was the first president of the Second National Bank.

He was married September 5, 1854. and became the parent of six children.

EDWIN J. BALDWIN.

Edwin J. Baldwin, generally known as "Lucky" Baldwin, was born in Reily town- ship, Butler county, Ohio, in the year 1828. His grandfather Baldwin was a pioneer of Butler county, having emigrated from Vir- ginia to Ohio early in 1800. He carried the mails between Cincinnati and Hamilton when the two cities were mere settlements in comparison to their present size. The Baldwins were among the first settlers of Reily township, and established their home- stead near the present site of Bunkerhill,' on the farm now owned and occupied by William Cochran, and on this farm the Like most of the Nevada millionaires, parents of E. J. Baldwin lie buried in a "Lucky" Baldwin invested heavily in San

private graveyard. At the time the Bald- wins located there the county north of Ham- ilton and west of the Miami river was prin- cipally under the control of the Indians. The house in which E. J. Baldwin was born was erected in 1806. It was framed in Vir- ginia and was brought to Ohio by his grand- father. Here E. J. Baldwin spent a portion of his childhood days; but in his early youth he removed with his parents to Ross town- ship and resided on a farm near Millville. Later he went to Dayton, Ohio, where he engaged successfully in the mercantile busi- ness, and which he left in 1849 to seek fortune in the golden West. He was cap- tain of the emigrant train in the journey over the plains to California and partici- pated in several encounters with the In- dians, in which affrays he took command and exhibited the same intrepid spirit of daring that has since characterized his per- sonal and financial operations. During his first year's residence there mercantile pur- suits for the most part occupied his at- tention. He was fairly successful, but the greater part of his vast fortune came to him after the opening of the Comstock lode in Nevada in the early 'sixties. He began operating in stocks in a small way and his successes were so marvelous that he aban- coned everything else to speculate in the fluctuating shares of the Comstock mines, and when finally the operations ceased, Bald- win retired the possessor of over thirteen millions of dollars in profits. This success won for him the sobriquet of "Lucky" Baldwin, which has clung to him with such persistency that not one in ten now knows him by any other name.

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Francisco real estate. He is the owner of some of the choicest property in Market street. The site of the Baldwin hotel and theater belongs to him. Among Mr. Bald- win's other possessions is the famous Santa Anita ranch, near Los Angeles, comprising thirty thousand acres of the choicest land in southern California. On this princely estate "Lucky" Baldwin has raised some of the greatest running horses known to the turf. Four times his colts have won the great American Derby, the first time with Volante in 1885, with Silver Cloud in 1886, then with Emperor of Norfolk in 1888, and the last time, which was in 1894, with Rey El Santa Anita. For a time he withdrew from the turf but in recent years his Mal- tese Cross has often glimmered in the lead past the wire. Associated with him in the horse business in Budd Doble, the trotting horse driver of olden days.

"Lucky" Baldwin has been married four · times. He has two daughters, both of them married, and a host of nephews and nieces and other near relatives in whose comfort and welfare he always manifests the great- est concern.

"Lucky" Baldwin has never forgotten his old home in Butler county and to it during recent years he has made frequent visits. There is somewhat of sentiment in "Lucky" Baldwin, so much of it that upon his last visit to Butler county he arranged to have the old house in which he was born moved to his Santa Anita ranch in Cali- fornia. During the past year his wishes have been carried out and every movable part of the old house has been transported to his far western ranch, where it has been set up in its original form and where, it is hoped, he may have his wish to die in the house in which he was born.

WALTER LAURENCE TOBEY.

BY STEPHEN D. CONE.

The subject was born on November 27, 1870, in Upshur, Preble county, Ohio. He received the rudiments of an education in the schools of Winchester, Ohio, and in 1886, at the age of fifteen years, he was matriculated at Miami University, gradu- ating from that famous institution among the first in his class and with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1891. During his col- lege career he took a leading part in the various forms of college life, was a member of the Miami Union Literary Society and of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and soon after his entrance into the university, with two or three others he established the Miami Journal, which afterward became the Miami Student, and of which publication Mr. Tobey was editor and general manager for three years. The publication was conducted with sound judgment and enterprise. The managing editor had clear and correct views of the aims and nature of a college maga- zine and carried them out successfully. The publication gave a lively and faithful picture

of college life at Miami and the invaluable contributions it contained from alumni from time to time enduringly preserved many interesting facts connected with the earlier days and history of the university which would otherwise have been irretriev- ably lost.

Mr. Tobey began work on a catalogue of the alumni of Miami University before he was graduated. In 1891 the board of trustees decided to publish a triennial cata- logue and Mr. Tobey was one of a com- mittee appointed to prepare it. The cata- logue, as published, was full and accurate. It was the work of Walter L. Tobey.

Mr. Tobey chose journalism as his pro-

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fession in life and entered upon the field of his choice immediately. His natural talents and ability, reinforced by his thorough train- ing at Miami University, enabled him to rise rapidly in his profession. His first employ- ment was on the Dayton (Ohio) Evening Herald and soon after he became editor of the Dayton Sunday Herald. A year after his graduation he was elected editor of the Hamilton Daily Republican, a stanch Re- publican paper launched in a stronghold of Democracy. It was a daily and weekly publication and owed its origin and inception to the unanimous adoption of the following resolution by the Republicans of Butler county in mass convention assembled, April 13, 1892 :

We recognize the right of the 4,500 Republican voters of Butler county to be represented by a Re- publican organ to be published in the county seat and we deny the right of any private interest to stand in the way of their just demand. We pledge ourselves and the Republican voters of Butler county to the support of such an organ to be es- tablished in this city, which shall be devoted not to the political fortunes of any individual, but to the advocacy of Republican principles and the promotion of Republican success.

At this time and for several years pre- vious the Republican vote in Butler county had been extremely nominal and at a stand- still. The party had no representative organ in the city of Hamilton and no active ad- vocate of its principles, men and measures in the county.

The first issue of the Republican ap- peared July 19, 1892. Its influence under the editorship of Mr. Tobey began to be felt from the first. Eighteen months later he was made general manager, in addition to editor-in-chief, and under his control and broad, vigorous and sagacious policy the Republican party in Butler county was rapidly placed upon a footing and accom- plished results unknown to its previous

record in the county. On March 21, 1898, the Republican Publishing Company bought out the News and Telegraph Publishing Company. then issuing the Hamilton Daily News and Hamilton Telegraph, and con- solidated the two daily papers under the name of the Daily Republican-News, with Walter L. Tobey as editor and general man- ager. The weekly edition was and has been continued under the name of the Hamilton Telegraph. In the conduct of these publi- cations Mr. Tobey has made them among the best recognized newspapers in Ohio and has placed them in the front rank. As a journalist he has firmly established himself in the profession as a clear, lucid and forc- ible writer, keen and alert as to the progress of events, a Republican in practice and prin- ciple, an advocate of economy and right and progressive development in city, county, state and national affairs and an uncom- promising denunciator of whatever tends to defeat the will of the people or place un- warranted and undeserved burdens upon them.

The founding of the Hamilton Daily Republican was actively accomplished through an organization of private in- dividuals who capitalized the paper and who constitute the Republican Publishing Com- pany. It was decided at the outset to oper- ate a job printing plant in connection with the paper and immediately after the merger and absorption of the News and Telegraph Publishing Company the business of the company in this direction began to rapidly expand and to increase in volume. It grew to such proportions under the energetic management of Mr. Tobey, who, upon April I. 1898, was placed in sole control, that its business far outran its capacity. Accord-

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ingly, in 1903, the company erected an ad- dition to its main building at Third and Market streets, Hamilton, Ohio, of the same height, four stories (exclusive of base- ment), and one hundred and twenty by fifty-five feet in dimensions. The building was constructed upon solid concrete founda- tions, largely under the personal supervision of Mr. Tobey and in a large measure ac- cording to suggestions by him, was made fireproof in every particular, and equipped with the best printing presses and ma- terial in the market and calculated in every particular to answer the purposes for which it was designed. The plant now has a floor space of fifty-five thousand square feet and turned out over one hundred and seventy- five thousand dollars' worth of work in 1904. The company employs its own artists, en- gravers, designers, binders, etc., and its product is not excelled and is equaled by few of the publishing houses in the same line of work in this country. A specialty is made of high grade catalogue work, illus- trating and printing machinery catalogues, and high grade advertising pamphlets and circulars. The wonderful development and success of the enterprise is due in the largest measure to the untiring energy, push and business acumen and ability of Walter L. Tobey and from its modest beginning the plant with its largely increased facilities is now taxed to its utmost capacity.

In November, 1904, in connection with four others, Mr. Tobey purchased the Day- ton Journal, of Dayton, Ohio. He was elected secretary and treasurer of the com- pany and upon him fell the responsibility of thoroughly reorganizing the business, and of building anew the plant from a physical standpoint. Within two months the old

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 120

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149