USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. II, Pt. 2 > Part 28
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The subject of this sketch was married June 12, 1855, to Agnes Smith, daughter of Thomas S. Smith, who was a well known iron merchant of Cincinnati. His wife died July 20, 1880, at the age of 45 years, and was survived by eight children, John S., William, Thomas S., Frank, George, Mabel, Betty and Grace, all of whom are located in Cincinnati. Of these, John S. and Thomas S. compose the firm of Littleford Brothers, iron mer- chants; Frank and George are in the Littleford Lumber Company, and William is a prominent jurist, being one of the Common Pleas judges of Hamilton County.
John S. S. Littleford died December 21, 1903, in the 81st year of his
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age, at the residence of his son, Judge William Littleford, on Walnut Hills, at whose home he had lived in his declining years. His death was the result of apoplexy, and up to the day of his death he was a man remarkable for his good health, his sprightly walk, his erect carriage, his well preserved faculties and neatness of attire. He displayed keen interest in current events and was devotedly attached to his family. During his long business career his preeminent qualities were scrupulous honesty and fair dealing, and for these he was widely known. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, south of Newport, Kentucky, by the side of his wife, who had been laid to rest there so many years before, and to whose memory he remained faithful.
ISAAC MONDSCHEIN.
ISAAC MONDSCHEIN, editor of the Furniture Worker of Cincinnati, and one of the highest authorities on manufacturing statistics in the city, died at Bethesda Hospital, Oak street and Reading road, April 2, 1903, from the effects of a surgical operation. His death removed from the city one of its prominent and most learned men.
Mr. Mondschein was born April 9, 1854, in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, and was left an orphan when very young. He succeeded, however, in acquir- ing a thorough education, attending school first in Hesse-Cassel and then one of the celebrated rabbinical colleges of Germany. It was at that time his intention to devote himself to the rabbinical life, and he accordingly became most proficient in the ancient and modern languages, history and kindred topics. He could speak a half dozen languages fluently, an acquire- ment that was frequently called into use in the translation of business and other documents later in life. Upon reaching manhood, he abandoned his original plans, believing his thoughts too liberal and his nature too free to permit his following the life of a rabbi. The same love of freedom and breadth of mind led him to seek fortune in the younger world, arriving in the United States, February 23, 1873. His first occupation here was as a buyer of hides for Wolfstein & Company, and subsequently lie held a sim- ilar position with The American Oak Leather Company. He left the latter company to engage in the photo-engraving business, equipping a modern plant at a very large cost. He was meeting with deserved success, when
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in February, 1887, misfortune laid upon him a heavy hand, his establishment, wholly uninsured, being destroyed by fire. He found himself once more without a penny to his name in the world.
July 20, 1888, is the date that marked the beginning of Mr. Mond- schein's connection with the Furniture Worker, he having accepted the posi- tion of advertising solicitor. His ability as a writer was soon recognized and resulted in his being made assistant editor. This was later followed by promotion to the office of editor-in-chief, which he thereafter held until his death. As a writer, Mr. Mondschein was clear, original and entertain- ing. Editors of trade papers throughout the country conceded him in a class by himself, and none mourned his death more than they. His writings were full of valuable suggestions to the trade, but some of his best work in that direction never appeared in print. Some of his most intimate associ- ates could tell of suggestions for new lines given to manufacturers that, adopted by them, gave them a new hold on business, a fresh impetus toward success, and possibly in some instances prevented disaster. When anyone wanted statistics, or a trade circular or letter was to be translated. Mr. Mondschein was consulted. Notwithstanding this great drain on his mental resources, he refused to consider his work in those lines other than as favors to be freely extended to his friends. One of the most prominent manufac- turers of the East carries constantly with him an article written by our subject years ago, consisting of a dissertation on the metric system, which same article was adopted as a guide by the ways and means committee of the United States Senate, and highly commended by that body. President McKinley also had occasion to acknowledge his services, which acknowledge- ment is said to have been the only one of the kind ever made by the Presi- dent to the editor of a trade journal.
Mr. Mondschein's ability was recognized by his election as a member of : the directory of the Cincinnati Furniture Exchange, and no one took a more .active part in its proceedings than he. Did a convention of any branch of the furniture trade come to Cincinnati, he it was who aroused the interest of the local trade, and by his efforts invariably arranged the program for their entertainment, and the means to provide for the same. During the sessions he was always on hand and played the part of directing host. Dur- ing the days of the furniture expositions, he was always a hard worker in behalf of their success, and never ceased to regret that they were not con-
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tinued. He was a director of the Cincinnati Industrial Bureau, of which he was a firm friend and strong advocate.
Upon the death of Mr. Mondschein, the Cincinnati Furniture Exchange and the Cincinnati Industrial Bureau passed resolutions of regret, and ap- pointed pall-bearers. The funeral was held on Sunday afternoon, April 5th. Following a brief service at the family residence at No. 1849 Kinney avenue, Walnut Hills, the remains were removed to the mortuary chapel of the Jewish Cemetery, within sight of his home. There a wonderfully large concourse of friends and acquaintances gathered to pay their last sad re- spects. The pall-bearers were Paul Schirmer, J. F. Dietz, J. Sprengard and Fred Ballman, representing the Cincinnati Furniture Exchange; John H. Gibson and Will L. Finch, representing the Cincinnati Industrial Bureau, and Adolph Ballenberg and Henry Leiser, representing the Furniture Worker.
On October 29, 1887, Mr. Mondschein was united in marriage with Louisa Blatt, who was one of seven children born to Jacob and Elizabeth (Siege!) Blatt, natives of Germany. She was the only one of her family to come to this country. To this union were born two daughters: Elsa and Henrietta. A few months pior to his death, our subject purchased a beauti- ful home on Walnut Hills. His domestic relations were of the happiest and his every thought centered in the home which was rendered so desolate by his death.
WILLIAM A. GAMBLE.
WILLIAM A. GAMBLE, deceased, who was a member of the firm of Procter & Gamble, which is well known to the people of the United States from border to border, was one of the most successful business men and higlily esteemed citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born in Cincinnati, September 1, 1845, and was a son of James and Elizabeth (Norris) Gamble.
James Gamble came to Cincinnati as early as 1819, and lived here the remainder of his life. He married Elizabeth Norris, whose sister married William Procter, and in 1837 the firm of Procter & Gamble was established for the manufacture of candles. They later embarked in the manufacture of soap, their product "Ivory Soap" being sold to-day in every city and town
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in the United States and in foreign countries as well. For a period of 50 years the plant was located on Central avenue, until they erected new shops at Ivorydale. It was the idea of the members of the firm to make a product that the public would consider indispensable, and in this they were success- ful. Mr. Gamble was a man of great determination and was well informed on public affairs. Religiously, he was a devout member of the Methodist Church. He lived to reach the advanced age of 88 years, dying April 29, 1891.
In looking over the field of successful business endeavor, it is a matter of fact that the greater number of men who have distanced their fellows have been those who were early thrown upon their own resources. Such was the case with William A. Gamble. His education was only that afforded by the public schools, and at an early age he became a clerk in the employ of Robert Clarke & Company. Later he became a member of the firm of Procter & Gamble, which his father founded. He was a man of excellent business qualifications, and in addition to his connection with the firm of Procter & Gamble was treasurer of the Ohio Mutual Life Insurance Com- pany and vice-president of the Lakeside Company for many years and at the time of his death, which occurred at his beautiful Avondale home, May 2, 1897, he was a director and treasurer of the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Company, manufacturers of pig iron.
Mr. Gamble was married to Francisca Wilhelmina Nast, a daughter of Rev. William Nast, D. D., and Margaret Eliza (McDowell) Nast, and granddaughter of Joseph McDowell, an early pioneer settler of Cincinnati, who was born in Pennsylvania. Dr. William Nast was the founder of German Methodism, and in his honor Mrs. Gamble created the "William Nast Chair of Biblical Exegesis" in the German Wallace College at Berea, Ohio, where a memorial for her mother has been established in the erection of the chapel of the Orphan Asylum. Mrs. Gamble is having a Methodist church built in Sing Iu, China, to be called the "Nast Memorial." The construction will be under the superintendence of Rev. W. N. Brewster, superintendent of missions. There is also being erected in Sing Iu a me- morial hospital in memory of Mrs. Gamble's mother, Mrs. Margaret Eliza Nast, under the superintendence of Miss Martha Lebens, who was a mission- ary in the Chinese field and who superintends a large and growing mission work, including Bible training and day schools. Mrs. Gamble lias also
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erected at Kolar, India, the Deaconess Home, the William A. Gamble Me- morial Hospital at Chung King, West China, and a church at Aomori, Japan, all in memory of her husband. These are noble undertakings and reflect credit upon the charitable disposition and generosity of Mrs. Gamble.
Although a strong supporter of the Republican party, Mr. Gamble never entered the political arena, continually refusing all offers of political preferment. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Church, to which she still belongs. Mrs. Gamble resides in a magnificent home at No. 759 East Ridgeway avenue, Avondale.
JOHN BOYLE.
JOHN BOYLE, deceased, formerly one of Cincinnati's foremost business men, was a son of William and Hanora ( Horigan) Boyle, was born near Cork, Ireland. When John was a small boy, his father migrated to Amer- ica, where he died in 1858. John and his mother followed the father, and settled in Cincinnati. Before leaving his native country, he had attended the national schools for two years. In Cincinnati, he was a student of the night schools for several seasons. When a small boy, he secured a situa- tion with Finnegan & Roberts, and succeeded so thoroughly in pleasing his employers that the junior member of the firm purchased for him a life membership in Nelson's Business College, and there young Boyle became a student. He also studied for three years under Samuel Hannaford, in the Ohio Mechanics' Institute. His first entrance into business was as a paint mixer for Henry Clostermann, a furniture manufacturer, but his ex- perience in paints was brief. He found his affinity when he went with Messrs. Finnegan & Roberts, to learn the trade of a stone-cutter. He con- tinued with the firm from June, 1861, until some time in 1863, when Mr. Roberts was taken seriously ill, and Mr. Boyle was placed in charge of the business. Mr. Roberts died, and Mr. Finnegan took in two partners, one of whom remained one year, and the other three years. Mr. Boyle was then offered the option of a one-fourth interest in the business, or a guar- antee of $1,600 per annum. The latter proposition was accepted. In this place he continued until 1879, his salary growing until it amounted to
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$2,000. In 1879, Mr. Finnegan made an assignment, and then Mr. Boyle carried on the business in his own name, with Mr. Finnegan as a silent part- ner, and from that time on, he was in business for himself. Mr. Boyle did the stone work of the Wiggins Block, the Court House at Springfield, Ohio, · the Palace Hotel, the new Young Men's Christian Association Building, the Loraine Building, the San Rafael Building, the St. Paul Building, the Nor- mandy, and in fact the stone work of all the large buildings constructed by the Emery Brothers. The stone work of the Methodist churches at Con- nellsville, Indiana, and Memphis and Clarksville, Tennessee, was also done by John Boyle, and so was that of the Presbyterian Church at Winchester, Kentucky, the Second National Bank and Odd Fellows' Hall of that city, the present Lexington (Kentucky) Court House and the structure that preceded it, the residence of Mr. Webb, at Richmond, Kentucky, and that part of the gas works of Cincinnati erected in 1894. It was Mr. Boyle who reconstructed the Mabley & Carew Building on the north side of Fifth street, not necessitating for a moment a stoppage of the business of that large firm. One of the most particular contracts, and one in which Mr. Boyle took a pardonable pride, was the stone work for the enormous bell erected in St. Francis De Sales Church.
Mr. Boyle married Ella Sweeney, daughter of Daniel and Catherine Sweeney, and they had nine children, of whom four are living, namely : Mary, James, John and Robert. The subject of this sketch was identified with St. Peter's Cathedral. His death occurred on April 24, 1899. Mr. Boyle left a large circle of friends to mourn his loss.
JOSEPH SEITER.
JOSEPH SEITER, for many years one of the prominent and successful business men of Cincinnati, identified with many of her early enterprises, passed out of life December 24, 1903, at his home in Bellevue, Kentucky, where he had enjoyed a life of ease for a long period. He was laid at rest in Evergreen Cemetery, back of Newport, Kentucky, beside his two sons, Howard and Rutherford. Mr. Seiter was one of the best known German- American citizens of Cincinnati, and was born in Baden-Baden, Germany, January 10, 1821.
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Mr. Seiter came to America and to Cincinnati, in June, 1837, a poor boy of 16 years. He learned the tailoring trade and eventually embarked in business as a merchant tailor, establishing himself on lower Broadway, when that was the great commercial center of the city. He soon built up a large and lucrative trade, with the prominent river men in particular, and retained his early customers until he finally retired from business, having accumulated a comfortable fortune. While engaged in business in Cincin- nati Mr. Seiter sought a home with rural surroundings, and, in 1868 pur- chased a large amount of real estate located in Bellevue, Kentucky. This land he subdivided and improved and built his residence in that charming suburb, where so many have since been erected. The village owes much to his early interest in it, many of the improvements having been carried on under his immediate supervision.
On February 10, 1854, Mr. Seiter was married to Margaret Guilfoyle, of England, who survives, with seven children, viz. : Mrs. John A. Scott, of Findlay, Ohio; Edwin S. and Gregory, of Erie, Pennsylvania; Mrs. John S. Littleford, of Norwood, Hamilton County, Ohio; Mrs. H. C. Fur- neaux, and Mrs. George Littleford, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky; and Ivan, of Bellevue, Kentucky.
With the weight of 83 years resting upon him, this venerable citizen passed away, removing one more of that pioneer band which so carefully laid the foundations of Cincinnati's commercial supremacy.
SAMUEL MARSH FERRIS.
SAMUEL MARSH FERRIS was one of the pioneer citizens of Hamilton County, Ohio, and after 1841 an honored resident of Linwood until his death, which occurred at his home March 14, 1903. He reached the ad- vanced age of 85 years, five months and two days, and during his active career engaged in many lines of business, in all of which he attained a high degree of success.
Mr. Ferris was born in Columbia, Ohio, October 12, 1817, and was a. son of Isaac Ferris. His paternal ancestry came from Connecticut. His great-grandfather Ferris served in the Revolutionary Army. His grandfather was born in Columbia, Ohio. Isaac Ferris, father of our subject, was born
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in Lexington, Kentucky, and at an early age learned the trade of shoemaking. This he followed for some time, then became a blacksmith. In 1825, at the age of 29 years, he was licensed to preach the Gospel by the old Duck Creek Church, of which he had been a member for 13 years. He afterward became a successful preacher and pastor, at the same time working at his trade. He preached for 10 years to the Duck Creek Church, and afterward was pastor of the Newtown, Clough, Hammer's Run and other churches in Cler- mont County.
Samuel M. Ferris learned his father's trade and followed it for years, uniting it with farming on Mount Lookout, now within the city limits of Cin- cinnati. He became owner of large tracts of rich farming land, but subse- quent to 1860 had given little attention to agricultural pursuits. After es- tablishing his home in Linwood he embarked in the manufacture of hames, in which business he continued under the firm name of S. M. Ferris & Com- pany, later changed to J. A. DeArmond Hame Company, until it was ab- sorbed by the United States Hame Company. At the time of his death he was identified with the Linwood Lumber Company. He was long a potent factor in the industrial life of Linwood and his whole career was one of integrity and usefulness.
In 1838 Mr. Ferris was married to Mary Z. Ferris, daughter of J. J. Ferris, who was of the same name but no kindred. At the age of 86 years she survives her beloved life partner, and six children also mourn the loss of an honored and loving father. These are: Judge Howard Ferris, of the Superior Court of Cincinnati; Mrs. Emma Hawkins, of Springfield, Ohio; Mrs. J. A. DeArmond; Mrs. Charles Waters; Mrs. A. E. Smith; and E. E. Ferris, proprietor of the Linwood Lumber Company.
Samuel M. Ferris united with the Duck Creek Church in 1833, and in 1865 became a deacon of the Columbia Baptist Church, which owes its existence largely to his efforts. At the organization of the Linwood Bap- tist Church in 1883, he became a deacon. For nearly 70 years he was identified with Baptist interests in and around Cincinnati, always ready to aid in the promoting of the cause of Christ. He was active in his efforts for the establishinent of new churches where they seemed to be needed, and was untiring in his support of the churches with which he was connected ..
Mr. Ferris was a man who had the sincere respect of all who knew him. Although he took an interest in current events and public affairs, lie was
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AUGUST BIRNBRYER.
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no aspirant for political honors. He was a man who scorned to do a wrong deed, and of no one could the remark be more truthfully made, that "his word is as good as his bond." A touching incident of his funeral obsequies was the service of his six grandsons as pall-bearers.
AUGUST BIRNBRYER.
For many years the late August Birnbryer, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was a prominent member of the Cincinnati Chamber of Coni- merce, and was also a prominent politician and highly regarded citizen. Mr. Birnbryer was born September 15, 1840, in Steinbach, Baden, Germany, a son of Alois Birnbryer, and his death occurred, after a lingering illness, at his home on Findlay street, on December 3, 1894.
For many years Mr. Birnbryer was well and favorably known in the 13th Ward, and was one of the influential leaders in the Democratic party. His attitude was always that of a public spirited citizen and he was held in high favor by the Commercial Club and other civic organizations. For a long period' he was engaged in the coal and the street sprinkling business and became a man of independent means. His usefulness to his ward was shown by three elections to the City Council, his services during these terms being in the interest of the tax payers and with a view to an economical ad- ministration of municipal affairs.
Mr. Birnbryer served throughout the Civil War, having first enlisted in Company G, 3rd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and afterward in Company H, 33rd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. He served with distinction and credit to his country in many hard fought battles, and was honorably discharged Decem- ber 30, 1864.
He was one of the first members of the Cincinnati Commercial Club, a member of the Duckworth Club, the Elm Street Club; William H. Lytle Post, No. 47, Grand Army of the Republic; Ancient Order of United Work- men; the Street Sprinklers' Association; and the prominent German Club,- Badischer Unterstuetzungs-Verein. His death caused many to mourn the loss of so good a citizen, kind friend, excellent business man and beloved father and husband.
On September 20, 1866, Mr. Birnbryer was married to Caroline Voiz,
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a daughter of Theodore Voiz, who was a member of a prosperous German family. To this union were born a large family of children, of whom eight survive. Our subject was a devout member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, and his remains are interred in St. Mary's German Catholic Cen- etery. His widow and family are well known in Cincinnati, and like Mr. Birnbryer are successful in carrying on the business left by him. The family home is at No. 967 Hawthorne avenue.
NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.
NICHOLAS LONGWORTH was born at Newark, New Jersey, January 16, 1782, and died in Cincinnati February 10, 1863. Owing to the fact that the property of his father, who had been a Tory during the War of the Rebellion, had been confiscated, Nicholas Longworth and his brother Roh- ert were thrown upon their own resources. Robert went with the other loyalists to Prince Edward Island, while Nicholas came to Cincinnati in 1804 and entered the office of Judge Burnet as a student of law. Almost from the outset he felt such confidence in the future development of the city as to induce him to obtain possession of every scrap of land that he could possibly lay his hands upon. His peculiarity in this respect won for him for a time the pity of others and he was known as the lawyer who would take land,-at that time a superabundant commodity,-for his fees. The story of his purchase of a large tract of land west of Central avenue with two copper stills, received by him for a fee for defending a horse thief, has been given elsewhere in this work in his own words. He persisted in his method and as a result while still a young man he was able to retire from the prac- tice of the law and devote himself to the management of his vast estate and to the culture of grapes in which he was much interested. He tried more than 40 varieties of foreign vines before it occurred to him to experiment with the native ones. In the end he adopted the Catawba and Isabella as being best adapted to this climate. He not only cultivated several hundred acres of vines himself, but encouraged the cultivation of grapes by others and bought all the grape juice offered to him. To him more than to any . other person was due the great immigration of vine growers and vine dressers who emigrated from the vine countries of Europe to establish themselves
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about the city, supplying in time some of the best stock in our community: Mr. Longworth was also interested in the cultivation of strawberries and for a time Cincinnati was known as a center of production of this fruit. Long before his death he became known as one of the wealthiest men in the United States, at one time being the second largest tax payer in the country. He was a man of many personal peculiarities and probably is the subject of more anecdotes than any other person who has lived in Cincinnati.
Nicholas Longworth, in spite of his eccentricities, was a citizen of the very best type, confident of the future of the city, willing to aid in its development and ready to assist any worthy cause or person, a despiser on the other hand of shams and pretenders and devoted to the careful man- agement of his own affairs and the determination not to interfere with the affairs of others. Much of his charity was given to what he called the "Devil's poor"-the vagabonds and estrays of social life.
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