USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Vol. II > Part 63
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came in contact. In 1903 he was elected school commissioner of Ohio, and in July, 1904, entered upon the duties of that office to which he was re- clected in 19055, his present terin to continue until July, 1909. He has been honored with election to membership in the National Council of Education, the highest body in educational circles with a limited membership that includes the ablest educators of the country. He was appointed a member of the state board of school examiner by Dr. E. P. Tappan to succeed Dr. E. E. White, and on the expiration of that term was reappointed by Dr. John Hancock for the full term of five years. In 1903 he was elected to the presidency of the Ohio Teachers Association and for twenty-six years he has served continuously as a member of the board of control of the Ohio Teachers Reading Circle.
In December, 1873, Professor Jones was married to Miss Flora Rich- ards of Massillon, Ohio, and unto them were born a daughter, Flora Ellis. who died in infancy, and a son, Walter E., who was graduated from Am- herst college with the class of 1904 and is now occupying a position in the school commissioner's office. Profesor Joues is serving as a deacon of the First. Congregational church of Columbus, in which he holds membership. He is a past post commander of the Grand Army Post No. 134, and at the present time is department patriotic instructor for Ohio. In no field of labor where advancement mmist depend upon individual merit are the demands greater than in the profession of teaching. Continually before the public oye, the subject of criticism, if not of attack, of every individual who chooses to use the American prerogative of free speech, the service of any teacher must indeed approach near porfiction to win the uniform approval and appreciation that has been accorded Professor Joues. In many way- did Massillon give tangible evidence of her love and respect for him, both in his professional relations and otherwise, while the profession as a whole accords to him the honor that is his due a- one of the foremost representa- tive- of education in Ohio.
LINDEN GOULD WHITE.
Linden Gould White, general superintendent of the Columbus Railway & Light Company, is one whose business career has been characterized by that steady progression which indicates intense and well directed energy and constantly increasing power as the result of experience. He has made each new experience count to the utmost and has thereby gained the position of prominence and responsibility which he today occupies.
A native son of Ohio, Mr. White was born in Cleveland, November 29. 1871. His father, Cyrus F. White, a native of Butler county, Pennsylvania. arrived in Cleveland in the '60s and was connected with the secret service department of the United States up to the time of his death in 1874. Hi- wife, who bore the maiden name of Ella Gould. was born in Cleveland and i- - till living. Her father was expres- agout of the Cleveland. Columbus & ludianapolis Railroad.
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In the public schools of his native city Linden G. White pursued his edu- cation to the age of sixteen years when, owing to necessity caused by his father's early death, he was forced to start out in the business world and not only provide a livelihood for himself but also aid in the support of his mother. He entered the employ of J. L. Hudson & Company, clothing merchants of Cleveland, and continned with that honse for one year. He first did any general work which was assigned him but later was given work in their electric-light plant, and this circumstance. which seemed a comparatively trivial one at the time, shaped his entire future carcer. He has since been connected with electrical intersts and left J. L. Hnd-on & Company to enter the employ of Tom L. Johnson on the Brooklyn Street Railway line, spend- ing two years in installing and operating stations. Ile was gradually pro- moted until he became division inspector and later was employed as erecting engineer for the Short Electric Company, a branch of the Brush Electric Company. Hle continmed with that concern for one year. He was afterward with the Edison General Electric Company, traveling in Michigan, Ohio and Pomsylvania. as expert engineer in case of breakdowns or where any expert service was needed. He was finally sent to Columbus to take charge of breakdown work in connection with the Edison elcetric plant of this city. An opportunity being given him to remain permanently here with the Columbus Edison Electric company he accepted the position and continued with the company from the 13th of April. 1892. until February, 1903. In the latter year he entered the service of the Columbus Railway Company as assistant general superintendent and on the 1st of July. 1903, when the Columbus Railway & Light Company was organized. he became its assist- ant general superintendent, so contimming until January. 1906. At that date he was made general superintendent and has so continned to the present time. During his connection with this company he has instituted many practical improvements and has likewise manifested the spirit of the initia- tive learned in his previous business connections, his labor- at all times accomplishing the practical results for which he has striven. Such in brief is the business career of Mr. White. He who reads between the lines. how- ever, will recognize the fact that close application, thoroughme->, a complete mastery of everything that he has undertaken and unfaltering determina- tion have enabled him to rise from a most humble position in the business world to a place where he today enjoys a national reputation in electric light and railway circles. He has been a most close and thorough student of everything bearing upon these lines, and possesses a comprehensive, technical as well as practical knowledge.
Mr. White, to further his understanding of the science bearing npon his business connections, holds membership in the American Institute of Electric Engineers. The American Society for the Advancement of Science, the Colmuims Engineers Club and the Ohio State Electrical and Steam Engi- neers Association, and in all of these has been honored with varions official positions. Ile is a member of the American Insurance Uniou and of the Modern Woodmen of America.
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In 1904 Mr. White was imited in marriage to Miss Inez E. Thompson. of Fredericktown, Ohio, and they have one son, Linden M .. born August 6, 1905. Such in brief is the life history of Mr. White, who stands as a splendid example of the American self-made man. History is replete with instances proving that it is only under the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of opposition that the best and strongest in men are brought out and developed. The life record of Mr. White is another indication of this fact, and by reason of what he has accomplished he receives the respect of his colleagues and the admiration of his contemporaries.
COLONEL JAMES KILBOURNE.
James Kilbourne was born in New Britain, Connecticut, October 19. 1770. and after a useful life of four score years passed away December 9, 1850. in the town of Worthington, Franklin county, Ohio, which he founded. He was known as the Rev. James Kilbourne and Colonel James Kilbourne. the first title bestowed because of his church connections, and the second by reason of his association with the militia foreis of the state which. during the first four decades of the nineteenth century. constituted a trained military force, capable of mobilization on the shortest notice: a spirit that account- for the subsequent renown of Ohio officers and soldiers in the Mex- iran and Civil wars.
The present James Kilbourne is the grand-on of this distinguished pio- neer, manufacturer and statesman, who was reared to sturdy youth on his father's Connecticut farm; was apprenticed to a cloth manufacturer and. upon finishing his "time," became a successful manager of the business, to which he had been thoroughly educated. Later he came to Ohio as the advance agent of a colony which soon after his arrival impressed itself upon the central portion of the new and promising state. He very properly takes rank with the founders of the commonwealth, as well as a conspicuous figure in the pioneer army which laid its foundations broad, deep and impregnable. He was too young to take part in the Revolutionary struggle, but boy as he was he im- bibed the spirit that carried the flag of the new Republic to victory, when the fires and desolation of a foreign foe laid waste a great portion of his native state, and he carried that spirit to his new home in the west and transmitted it to his children and to his children's children of the later generations. He was the pathfinder and advance guard of a large 'body of his friends and neighbors from Connectient to the heart of the garden spot of Ohio. After- ward other Connecticut colonies came into Ohio, locating at points north and northeast of Columbus, and these he per-onally visited and inspired with his courageous optimism and bis strong faith in the ultimate greatness of the new state with which he had cast his lot.
In the days of his apprenticeship in Connecticut he saw the great destiny which awaited the Ohio valley, and when the time came he joyously took up hi- pilgrimage. He saw but one thing which threatened its future. and
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JAMES KILBOURNE
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THE NEW YORK PUBLICLEBARY
TILDEN FALMOS ICH
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that was the curse of human slavery. If it was permitted to invade the par- adise of the northwest territory, he saw but little hope for it. That question awaited settlement at the hands of congress. When, in 1787, congress passed the ordinance erceting the territory, declaring that he curse of slavery should never be placed upon its virgin soil, he organized a company to colonize one of the richest portions of the Scioto valley, and located it at Worthington, in the geographical 'center of the future state of Ohio, and the town he then founded is today one of the beautiful suburbs of the present capital of the state. When the Northwest territory was organized under the ordinance of 1737. and the institution of slavery forever prohibited therein. young Kil- bourne set on foot the organization of the Scioto Emigration Company, in the meantime coming into the state and closely examining the various ad- vantages of the different sections of the upper Scioto valley, and finally de- ciding upon that portion of it where Worthington was founded.
In 1803, coeval with the erection of the state of Ohio out of the eastern extension of the Northwest territory, he arrived with the Connectient migrat- ing contingent, and the building of the town of Worthington was entered upon. The town lands and out-lots were surveyed and allotted under the terms of the articles of association of the Scioto Company, among the stock- holders of the association. Worthington soon became the emporium of the upper Scioto valley, and was prominently on the map long before Columbus was seriously dreamed of as a town. Merchandising and manufacturing were entered upon and Colonel Kilbourne, to make sure that the town should lack no essential to both spiritual and temporal welfare, saw to it that a church edifice was erected and, on his own behalf and for the welfare of that and all surrounding communities, erected the first real mill capable of turning out wheat, flour and corn meal. on the upper Scioto river. The importance of this bit of enterprise may be appreciated when it is said that at that time the nearest mill of like facilities was at Chillicothe, more than fifty miles away. with no roads and but few bridle paths between the two points, with the Scioto the other route of transportation, with dugouts and canoes, instead of boats, for carrying purposes.
The subject of education was not neglected in the wilderness, and the most available methods of education were put in operation and continually improved upon, so that at the middle of the second decade of the nineteenth century the educational facilities at Worthington were second to none in the state or west of the Allegheny mountains. Religion and the graces of moral- ity, free from puritanism, were not lacking in friends, defenders and pro- moters. Manufacturers, small indeed by comparison with those of the present day, appeared responsive to the pioneer demands, and so continued to grow until new lines of transportation east and west, north and south across the state, changed the tide of population and business, and the greater villages grew up and became citics and the quaint old transported Connecticut town settled down to a half slumberons life, quiet, dignified and instinet with won- derful memories of a century gone past.
While Colonel James Kilbourne was, to the end of his day. the moving spirit of Worthington, and the genius of its achievements in its day, he was
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also the genins of other towns, and his very presence and optimism filled the new comers with hope and imbued them with ambition.
He was a man of vast and versatile capabilities. A statesman, a soldier, an artisan, a civil engineer and the patron of art, science, manufacturing industry, learning and public progress, he stamped himself indelibly on the history of the state in its formative and progressive stages. As a surveyor he platted innumerable towne, especially where there were Connecticut settle- ments, often accompanied by his brother, John Kilbourne, who was not only a surveyor and a man of education, but a man of fine literary tastes and abil- ities and the anthor of several valuable books and gazetteers, full of the most entertaining things in connection with the early history of the state, and be- coming more and more valuable from a historical viewpoint as time elapses. John Kilbourne wa- Ohio's othicial geographer and nmp-maker, and, as apocryphal as it may sound, the official stenographer of the Ohio legislature for a period. almost or quite three quarters of a century ago. But his engage- ment was brief. There were not printing facilities enough in Columbus at the time to print in two weeks in the newspapers of that time the debates of a single sitting of the general assembly, so the stenographer had to resign and the long-hand reporter-there was but one in the city-got back his posi- tion. Where Mr. Kilbourne learned this modern accomplishment was not even hinted at in his writings, but he probably picked it up in some of the works of Seneca or his contemporaries; certain it is that he understood the art, for some of the statesmen who heard their fierce speeches read out of Kil- bourne's "pot hooks and turkey tracks," were willing to dispense with the stenography as a matter of self-protection from their constituents if, haply, their remarks in full should be spread upon the journals of the assembly, to be seen as well as heard of men.
As a legislator James Kilbourne of Worthington was one among the most practical statesmen of his day. As a member of congress, his constituency represented almost one-half of the superficial area of the state and his ability and statesman-hip were adequate to represent the remainder, had the other four seats become suddenly vacant. One may form an idea of the extent of his congressional district during the term of his services in the lower house of congress, by semming the list of counties that were embraced in the then fifth congressional district. He was elected to the thirteenth congress in 1812 from the fifth district, composed of Licking, Delaware, Knox, Franklin, Madi- son, Fairfield, Champaign, Miami and Darke counties, which have since been subdivided into almost twice as many additional counties. In 1814 he was reelected to the fourteenth congress and was renominated for the fifteenth but absolutely refused to take a third election. His refusal was characteristic of the man. He accepted office under protest at all times and only to oblige his friends among both the political parties. The chief objects of his long and creditable career was the promotion of education, morality, religion, the agricultural and manufacturing interests and the betterment of social and political conditions.
Colonel Kilbourne was one of the commissioners to settle the disputed boundary line between Virginia and the Northwest territory. He was also the
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commissioner to select for the state of Ohio the public lands allotted for canal purposes and afterward known as the canal lands. He was an active and energetic advocate of roads, ennals, railways and all forms of internal im- provement. In 1820 he was chosen a presidential elector and cast his vote for James Monroe. He acted with the democratic party up to 1824, when he began to diverge from it, supporting Henry Clay. With the organization of the whig party he wholly severed his political relations with the democracy and became an ardent whig, taking an active part in the campaign of 1836, 1840 and 1844. He was, however, always tolerant in his party views.
He was a personal friend of President Monroe and, when that statesman was making a tour of observation in the northwest during his official in- cumbeney he visited Colonel Kilbourne at his hospitable home in Worthing- ton. Other facts covering this event, as well as facts in connection with his public career and services, appear elsewhere in this work.
He was the first member of congress to advocate the granting, by con- gress, of the free homesteads to actual settlers, as a means of populating the vast stretches of territory with a good class of citizens, and continued to ad- vocate the policy up to the time of his decease, when the freesoil party took up the idea and the policy was adopted by congress half a score of years later, under the then leadership of Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsylvania. So, also, was he among the first, if not the very first, man in congress to advo- cate the justice and equity of an income tax. a question likely to come up in the extraordinary session of the present congress (1909). The arguments in that behalf by Colonel Kilbourne in the beginning decades of the eighteenth century were substantially the same as were presented in favor of the acts of congress in 1861, 1864 and during the last administration of President Cleveland, or likely to be offered in 1909.
ROBERT C. TARBELL, M.D.
Dr. Robert C. Tarbell, physician and surgeon of Columbus, was born in Georgetown, Ohio, March 3, 1871, his father being Judge David Tarbell, a man who was particularly well known in this state. A native of Ohio, he was a son of William Tarbell, who came from Massachusetts carly in the nine- teenth century and located at Ripley, Ohio, where he was engaged extensively in river, pork and trading interests. His business developed to considerable importance and made him one of the representative men of his community. At his death his son, David Tarbell, then in his teens, assumed the responsi- bility of the head of the family and of fitting himself for life's duties. His was a character of nmusual strength, and in politics and in his chosen profes- sion-the law- he rose to a prominence enjoyed only by the few. With distinction be filled various positions of public trust, including that of common pleas judge for two terms, and at his death, which occurred in November, 1908. left as a heritage a remembrance of a life full of honors earned and
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accorded. He married Miss Nancy Salce, a native of Ohio, and a represen- tative of Virginian ancestry. Her death occurred February 26. 1904.
Dr. Tarbell was the fourth in a family of five children, and after com- pleting a high-school course in Georgetown he engaged in teaching a country school for three years and subsequently was employed in a drug store. In further preparation for work of that character he attended the Cincinnati Col- lege of Pharmacy from which he was graduated in May, 1891. His aim was to become a physician and he regarded this as a step toward the accomplish- ment of his object. After a period of active service in the drug business he entered the Medical College of Ohio, at Cincinnati, and was graduated with the class of 1897. He then opened an office in his native city but the following year left the general practice to take a place on the medical staff of the State Hospital at Columbus, in which connection he rendered effective service for four years. He then went to New York and spent several months in the New York Post-Graduate College, on the expiration of which period he returned to Columbus and entered into the general practice of medicine, making the fea- ture of neurology a matter of special study. He was for a period neurologist for Lawrence Hospital and was connected with the Park View Sanitarium in a similar capacity. He has become an expert medical examiner in criminal and probate court work and the attention he has given that study has made him particularly successful in the treatment of mental and nervons diseases. He belongs to the Columbus Academy of Medicine, of which he has served as secretary, the State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Early in life he became a member of the Masonic Lodge of Georgetown, Ohio, and is a member of the Benjamin Franklin chapter of the Sons of the Ameri- can Revolution. Of a sociable nature, he has found life enjoyable in the acquirement of a circle of friends that grows as grows the scope of his neqnain- tance, while his advancement in his profession has been equally agreeable.
MARSHALL E. THRAILKILL.
Those who know Marshall E. Thrailkill are cognizant of the intensity of purpose and persisteney of effort which characterize his undertakings of what- ever nature, and especially emphasize one branch of his extensive law practice. He is a worthy follower of his chosen calling, but more than that he is a public-spirited citizen who has not only recognized his opportunities for public service but has fully met the obligations devolving upon him in this connec- tion. Those who stand for law and order, for reform and improvement, always awaken the opposition of those who seek by devions methods to attain their ends. but the best citizenship of Columbus recognizes the value and worth of the efforts of Mr. Thrailkill in the line of public service.
He is a native of Jackson township, Franklin county. his birth having occurred near Grove City, July 4, 1859. He comes from French Huguenot ancestry in the paternal line but is of Pennsylvania Dutch on the distaff side. His parents were Toliver and Elizabeth Thrailkill, farming people, whose ideas
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of life were practical and whose principles were honorable. The family lived in a log cabin which contained but one room. It was, however, of commo- dious size for the time. There the seven children were born and inured to hard labor, growing up healthy, happy and vigorous, uble and ready to go out into the world and make a success of life. As is indicated, the financial re- sources of the family were somewhat limited so that there were few oppor- tunities to give the children an education, yet the parents decided that their sons and daughters should have the best possible advantages in that direction, and when Mr. Thrailkill was nineteen years of age he had to his credit three months' schooling each year, his entire scholastic training then covering fifty months. From the time that he was able to assist on the farm his attention was largely occupied with the work of the fields as he bore his part in the plowing, planting and harvesting. His education was of a substantial char- acter and he became well grounded in the common branches of learning. At twenty years of age, instead of attending he was successfully teaching school, and thereafter he divided his time between teaching and attending college until he graduated. An earnest disire to promote his own education led him to save his earnings and use the same to meet his tuition and other necessary expenses of his college course. Matriculating in the National Normal University, he there won the Bachelor of Science degree in 1883. Continuing his studies in the Ohio Northern University, he was graduated with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1886. When he had completed his literary course he removed west- ward to the state of Nebraska where he resumed teaching, and while thus engaged he devoted the hours not required by the work of the schoolroom to the study of law, in Lincoln.
In 1890 Mr. Thrailkill was admitted to the bar and entered upon the practice of his chosen profession. In the presentation of causes he displayed keen analytical ability, strong force and logical deduction, while his applica- tion of legal principles was sound and accurate. His ability gained for him a growing clientage and he was not long in winning for himself a creditable position at the Columbus bar. Moreover the active practice of law quickly disclosed to him the lamentable condition of affairs in many of the public offices where dishonest practices, more populary called graft, were rampant. He felt that his mission as a lawyer would be but half fulfilled if he did not divide his time between what may be termed the regular practice and a sus- tained effort to extirpate the growing evil. The story of his fight against the hydra-headed monster of graft is well known. The people seemed to be help- less before the assaults of the grafters. Notwithstanding the fact that he must depend upon his professional labors as a means of support for himself and family, he risked incurring the dangerous antagonism of powerful political forces and began what might properly be designated a private crusade against those who were using the opportunities of office to further private means. In spite of vituperative outbreaks he brought over thirty injunction suits against grafting contracts. When he could find no citizen and taxpayer willing to come to the front to bear evidence in the case, he brought the action, both as relator and volunteer counsel for the people, pushed the case relentlessly and though maligned and threatened by the grafters, won almost every case and
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