Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th, Part 114

Author: Lytle, James Robert, 1841- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing company
Number of Pages: 926

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th > Part 114

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The party continued on their journey from day to day, with nothing worthy of special mention, except that not a single day passed that they did not pan gold from the bars along the Kwichpak or Yukon River, but not in pay- ing quantities ; it was very light, but could be found on any bar.

On July 9th the party arrived at Dawson City, which was a city of tents with a popula- tion of more than 10,000. At that time there were very few substantial buildings-a few large warerooms owned by the Alaska Com- mercial Company and the National Alaska Trading Company. three banks in log build- ings ; the mining recorder's office being a log cabin, as was also the penitentiary ; and three log cabin churches and two hospitals, also built of logs cut from spruce trees. This re- markable city of mushroom growth is located on the bank of the Yukon River, partly border- ing on the mouth of the Klondike River in an angle formed by the two streams coming to- gether. Here was the landing for the thou- sands of prospectors who by grit, pluck and perseverance had reached their destination. But not their fortune, which required a goodly portion of the three above essentials before a man got it. as this was a new world to every one of them, a climate entirely different from what they were used to. The ground was frozen from the grass roots clear through to the other side. except for the three summer months commencing with June, during which time the ground thaws to the depth of about three feet. During these months it is one con- tinuous day. the sun shining continually. On the 21st and 22nd days of June one can see the Midnight Sun, its orb not disappearing from one's sight during the 48 hours. As the summer wanes the sun travels southward, each day growing shorter, when in the last days of September it disappears entirely from one's sight. Then the dark season begins and lasts nearly six months. At no time is it brighter

BAPTIST CHURCH, OSTRANDER

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHI, OSTRANDER

OLD STONE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. SCIOTO TOWNSHIP

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PUBLIC SCHOOL, OSTRANDER

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

SI3

than a gray dawn, which occurs between the hours of y A. M. and 3 P. M., the balance ot the 24 hours of each day being darkness. At this season it is very cold, the thermometer often registering 60 degrees below zero, and during the month of January, in 1899. it reg- istered at one time 80 degrees below zero. This was the coldest night on record at Daw- son City up to that time.

Hlad it not been for the extremely dry at- mosphere one could not have endured such ex- treme cold. It was not uncommon to hear of or find some prospector frozen to death. Dur- ing the winter of 1899 while Mr. Robinson and his party were returning from a prospect- ing tour on a tributary of the Klondike River. they discovered a tent some distance from their trail. Thinking it was a good chance to get warm and cook their dinner, they ap- proached the tent and throwing the flaps back. were horrified to see the bodies of two men frozen in death. One was wrapped in his blanket lying on some spruce boughs, while the other was on his knees with his head drooping forward, his chin resting on his breast. He was frozen perfectly rigid. He had endeav- ored to start a fire: a few shavings were lying in front of him and his knife was still grasped in his hand. They were hunters and from ap- pearances had been dead for several days.

Upon arriving at Dawson and spending a few days looking over the situation, four of the party. Eldred. Ellis, Leeds and Haas, all being men past middle life and their pluck pretty well spent, explained to the others that they were very much needed at home and that they must go at once. This they did, selling their outfits, which brought good prices. Sugar at that time was selling at St.oo per pound. dried fruits, 75 cents ; butter, which was put up in pound tins. sold for $1.50: flour at $10.00 per sack; and fresh meat at $1.50 per pound.

During the winter months of 1898 and 1899 the subject of our sketch and Mr. Cone prospered together. In March Cone located and worked a claim on Montecristo Gulch. which he operated for several months, cleaning up a considerable amount of gold. Selling his

interest in the claim, he went to Nome, re- maining there for some time. lle then re- turned to his family, who at that time were living in Kansas. Mr. Robinson continued prospering, and in July, 1899, with his part- ner. James Drummond, a Scotchman, located a claim on upper Bonanza Creek. This they continued to work together until in Septem- ber. 1901. thawing the dirt in the winter by means of wood fires, which was the way the mining was operated, hoisting it by means of a windlass and dumping the gravel which con- tained the gold in a large heap or mound which was later sluiced when the gold was separated from the dirt and gravel.

This was the most interesting part of the mining when you could look in the bottom of the sluice box and see the little yellow chunks of gold and dust lying between the riffle poles. As the mining in the Klondike is all placer, there being no gold-bearing quartz, or lodes, sometimes the gold which is commonly called "gold dust" was found five feet below the top of bed rock, where it had been washed. settling between the crevices of the rocks at an age when the country had a much warmer climate than it has at the present time. It has every evidence of at one time having been tropical. as the skeletons of the mastodon are often taken from the frozen earth at a depth of fifteen feet, the bones and tusks being al- ways in a good state of preservation. Lava beds are greatly in evidence. A few old, well defined volcanic cones, which are no longer smoking. can be seen from "the Dome." From this promontory, which is the divide between the Great Stewart River and the Klondike River-from this elevation which stands alone and is several thousand feet above the sea level and unapproachable in its grandeur-one gets his first extended view of Alaska. Through the blue haze stretching out over fifty miles of foot hills, across the great valleys, peak be- yond peak rise the snow-capped Rockies 150 miles away. Any attempt, however graphic. would fail to give the reader an adequate con- ception of the grandeur of this scenery.

The subject of this sketch left Dawson City on September 8. 1901, on The Eldorado,

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a Yukon River steam-boat, and arrived at White Horse Rapids on the 16th. Sunday evening, where he took the train overland for Skagway, a distance of 100 miles, over the same route that the prospectors had traveled by foot and with dog teams three years before. undergoing many hardships. Now he was able to skim over the country in ease and elegance in a day, covering the same territory that be- fore had taken weeks to do. Yet the former trip had had its joys: the traveler filled with great expectations had time to enjoy the thou- sand and one charming views along the way ; the fresh, invigorating mountain air gave him an appetite that enabled him to do justice to his own cooking, and it gave him a much clearer conception of the extent of the country.

Mr. Robinson took very much the same route homeward on the ocean as he did when going into the country. After reaching the States, he visited San Francisco, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Denver, and many other points of interest in the West. Arriving home late in October, 1901. he at once engaged in the business he is now pursuing.

The following summer he erected a nice comfortable home and on October 1, 1902, was married to Miss Gertrude E. Latham, of Delaware. They have two children. Jeannette A. and Eugene L. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are Presbyterians. Politically the former is a Republican: fraternally, a member of Eden- burgh Lodge, 1. O. O. F., No. 467.

RANK ALBERT STICKNEY. M. D., is not only a leading physician at Kilbourne, but is also the oldest medi- cal practitioner in this section. He was born in Union County, Ohio, near Marysville, September 8, 1853, and is a son of Hugh and Hannah ( Draper ) Stickney. The father of Dr. Stickney died in Union County when he was three years old and his mother took her three children and moved to Delaware Township. Delaware County, where he attended school until 13 years old. He then went to work in the paper mill of An-

drews & Perry, at Stratford, Ohio, where he remained for five years, going thence in the employ of the same company, to Henry, Mar- shall County, Illinois, for two years. From Henry he went to Monroe Falls, Summit County, Ohio, where he worked for the Cleveland Paper Company for two years and a half. Then returning to Delaware, he en- tered the office of Dr. E. H. Hyatt, to pur- stie medical studies. These studies he con- tinned for six years in Delaware, after which he entered the Columbus Medical College at Columbus, where he was graduated in the spring of 1880. He practiced his profession for a short period in Delaware, but in 1882 he established himself at Kilbourne, then called Eden, where he has been continuously en- gaged ever since. When he came first to this section his practice necessitated riding many miles over the country, and in April. 1907, he sustained injury to his right knee, which re- sulted in the death of the bones of the knee joint and in this way he had the misfortune to lose his leg just above the knee, July 7. 1907. Nevertheless he has taken care of the largest practice of any physician in this entire section. He is a member of the Delaware County Medical Society.

In December, 1881. Dr. Stickney was mar- ried to Mary L. Campbell, who was a daugh- ter of Ransome and Henrietta (Lugenbeel ) Campbell. the latter of whom is now living. Mrs. Stickney died in 1895, having been the mother of three children, namely: One who (lied in infancy; Ethel May, who married Ilenry Stelzer, resides near Sunbury and has one child; and Edith F., who married Clar- ence F. Myers, residing at Ashley. Dr. Stick- ney was married again. November 30, 1899, to Olive 1. Porter, who is a daughter of Jo- seph and Margaret Porter. Dr. and Mrs. Stickney have one son, Robert Porter, an in- teresting child of four years. Dr. and Mrs. Stickney are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which Mrs. Stickney has been or- ganist for a number of years.

Dr. Stickney is a member of Hiram Lodge, No. 18, F. & A. M .. at Delaware; Big Wal- nut Lodge. No. 798. I. O. O. F., at Olive

MR. AND MRS. WAIN HAZLTON AND DAUGHTER

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Green, and Williams Lodge, No. 556, Knights of Pythias, at Kilbourne. Ile has passed all the chairs in this organization and represented his lodge at the Grand Lodge at Springfield, Ohio. Politically, he is a Republican and has been very active in working for his party's success. He was elected treasurer of Brown Township. November 5. 1907, and for 12 years was a director for the Special District of Eden on the School Board. In 1904 he built his handsome residence with a convenient office attached. Ile is one of Brown Town- ship's representative men.

AIN HAAZLTON, one of Dela- ware's substantial and representa- tive business men, is the operator of a stone quarry, and for years has been engaged in contracting and in road and street building. Ile was born in Perry County, Ohio, in 1845, and is a son of William and Anna ( Rader ) Hazlton. Wil- liam Hazlton, the father, who was a farmer, removed from Perry County to Delaware County in 1850. settling in Liberty Township. He and his wife Anna were the parents of two sons-David. now a resident of Delaware, and Wain, whose name begins this sketch. Mrs. William Hazlton's father. David Rader, was a pioneer settler in Delaware County,

When Wain Hazlton was eleven years of age his father removed from Liberty to Ox- ford Township, the part in which he settled be- ing little more than a wilderness at that time. and here the boy grew to manhood. When about twenty-eight years old he came to Dela- ware, finding employment in teaming and lum- bering, for four years being engaged in get- ting out ties for the H. V. Railroad. He then began turnpike contracting, his first work of this kind being the buikling of four miles of road in Union County. Ohio, then the "Pan- handle" road in Delaware County. Later he engaged in street building, his first work in this line being the construction of Eaton Street. Afterwards he built West Lincoln Avenue, the Horseshoe Turnpike, West Gris-

wold Street, the Cheshire Turnpike, and ( after grading Pennsylvania Avenue ), the old Foton Turnpike, which was, perhaps, the most ex- tensive piece of work, and then came the west end of the Elm Valley Road. He then built a street in the East End. an extension of Cheshire Road to William Street, then the Berlin Township Road in the East End. then Ross Street : he then graded Columbus Ave- nue and later Monroe and Oak Hill Avenues. then the west end of the Bowtown Road. His work was now interrupted by trouble with his eyes, and he was obliged to rest for some six years. He then resumed his old work, build- ing the east end of Bowtown Road, North Franklin Street, Elizabeth Street. Katherine Street, the Ehn Valley Turnpike, Shannon Street, and Oak Street, and lastly the Jen- nings Turnpike. All of this work proved very satisfactory and Mr. Hazlton's long experi- ence has made him an expert in this line of construction.

Mr. Hazlton has two and a half acres of land situated in the city, northwest of the H. V. depot, on which is situated the quarries. which he has owned and operated for about thirteen years. Here during the busy season from forty to 100 men are employed, or an average of about fifty for the season. Mr. Hazlton also owns a fine farm of 11734 acres in Delaware Township, close to the city. In the latter he has also large real estate inter- ests.

On December 21. 1865. Mr. Hazlton was married to Harriet Frost, a daughter of Elias Frost of Delaware County, Ohio. He and his wife are the parents of six children, all of whom reside in Delaware, namely : William. George, John. Clarence. Effie, and Bessie. the last mentioned of whom married Harry Slack.

Mr. Hazlon, his wife. and daughter Ef- fie started on a journey to Florida. January 6. 1908. arriving at St. Petersburg, that State. January goth. They remained there until Feb- ruary 27th. From there they went to Clear Water, where they remained till March 12. thence going to Jacksonville. March 24. They then continued their journey to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and from there returned to Dela-

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ware, March 26th. Mr. Hazlton says of this trip: "This was the most enjoyable journey of my life-many wonderful sights, never to be forgotten. We don't know how beautiful God has made this great world until we have made a tour about it. Then we are led to ex- claim: How marvelous are thy works, () Lord.' God has made everything beautiful and supplied all our wants through his son Jesus Christ."

Mr. Hazlton is a member of the United Brethren Church at Delaware, and the church edifice was erected by him without one cent of cost to the organization. It stands as an eloquent monument to his philanthropy.

ALMOX MOSES. One of the promi- nent old families of Delaware County was established in Liberty Township as early as 1817, by Salmon Moses, who came to the Western Reserve from Connecticut in that year and secured land which has never since been out of his family, it now being owned by his grand- daughter, who is the wife of James Jewett, a prominent citizen of Liberty Township.

Salmon Moses was born in Connecticut, in 1793 and died in Delaware County, Ohio, in 1869, aged 76 years. In early manhood he married Ophelia Case, also of Connecticut, and they had five children, two of whom were born in that State. The four to survive child- hood were: Flavel, who died in 1900, aged 91 years, who married Elizabeth Duncan : Dorcas, who married Ebenezer Pike, and died in Liberty Township: Flora, unmarried, who (lied in 1809. and Russell Bigelow, who was the father of Mrs. James Jewett.

Salmon Moses bought first a tract of 116 acres, in Liberty Township, after reaching Delaware County, on which he erected a log cabin, of the pioneer type, and proceeded to clear up his land, developing a productive farm and adding to its extent. He lived out his life on this farm, taking a part in the carly township government, and lending his influence, and giving his advice in matters of public moment.

Russell Bigelow Moses was born in Lib- erty Township, Delaware County, Ohio. April 1, 1822, and died April 21. 1888. In 1849 he was married to Aly Gregg, who died in 1877. She was a daughter of William and Sarah ( Withrow) Gregg. The Greggs came to Delaware County in 1836, from Washington County, Pennsylvania. Their children were : Henry, Jane, Eliza, Aly. James, Sampson. Israel. Hannah, Sarah, Elmina, William Har- rison and Ahygia Newton. Three members of the Gregg family still survive. Russell B. Moses and wife had but one child-Helen- who was married, in 1892, to James Jewett. Mrs. Jewett has spent her whole life, with the exception of three years, on her present farm.

Salmon Moses was one of the men who organized the first Methodist Episcopal Church which formed the nucleus of the Pow- ell Church. The first building was a log one and Mr. Moses often entertained the early preachers. His son, Russell B., was equally active in church affairs and also took a promi- nent part in township matters. He was a Re- publican in his political views and served in lo- cal offices.

A S.\ ULREY, township clerk of Genoa Township, a successful farmer and popular school teacher, was born in Delaware County, Ohio, March 21. 1879, and is a son of George and Evelyn ( Johnston) Clrey.

George Ulrey was born in Licking County. Ohio, where he married Evelyn Johnston. a native of that county, and they had two chil- dren, namely : Rilla and Asa. In 1875. George Ulrey came to Delaware County and settled in Genoa Township, where he rented land for a time and then purchased 451/2 acres, also located in Genoa Township. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. He is a lead- ing member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

.Asa Ulrey was educated in the district schools, the Westerville High School. and Westerville College, and after completing his collegiate course began teaching in the district

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

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schools. He taught two years in Genoa Town- ship and one year in Franklin County. At the time of his marriage he settled on his pres- ent farm which he has operated ever since. and has proved his practical ability as an agri- culturist.

On April 12, 1906, Mr. Ulrey was married to Caroline Fairchild, who was born in Har- lem Township, Delaware County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Richard and Alice ( Showal- ter) Fairchild. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Ulrey was Sherman Fairchild, who was one of the earliest settlers of Harlem Town- ship, coming to that section from Pennsylva- nia. Mr. Ulrey has been identified with the Republican party ever since he reached ma- turity. He has taken an active interest in township affairs and is serving at present as township clerk.

ON. JOHN A. CONE, probate judge of Delaware County, was born in this county, January 17. 1836, son of John W. and Mary ( Williams) Cone. He is a grandson of Cephas Cone, who was of New England origin. The latter's parents were at one time residents of Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. from which place they came at an early date to Delaware County, Ohio, settling in King's- ton Township, where they were among the first arrivals. Cephas Cone, it is supposed. came to an untimely end. Hle set out from Westfield for Zanesville to buy land. having in his possession a considerable sum of money. and as he was never more heard from it is probable that he met with foul play. His wife. in maidenhood Almira Munson, was a dangh- ter of Wilmot Munson, whose family mi- grated from New England to Luzerne Coun- ty. Pennsylvania. They were descendants of a Captain Munson, who came to America from England about 1637. A genealogy of the family has been published in which the line of descent can be readily traced.

John W. Cone, son of Cephas and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in

what is now Kingston Township. January 6th or 7th. 1809. When he was very young. his people moved to Westfield, then in Delaware County, but now in Morrow County. On reaching the age of fourteen he came to Dela- ware and became an apprentice in the woolen mill of King & Barrett. Before the expira- tion of his apprenticeship, the mill changed hands, becoming the property of Colonel Ben- jamin Allen. After completing his appren- ticeship. he took a tramp east, stopping at Ha- gerstown, Maryland, where he worked for several months at his trade. He then re- turned to Delaware. In the next season he made another trip east, but this time failed to find work, and returning to Ohio, finally found employment at Lancaster. About 1831 he took up his residence in Delaware, and soon after rented the woolen mill, which he carried on for a year or two. He then gave it up and bought an unimproved farm in Rad- nor Township, which he set about clearing. After spending a year or two at this work. he removed to the village of Delhi. now Radnor Village, and entered into mercantile business with his wife's brother. Morgan Williams, they occupying a frame building on the present site of the postoffice. A year or two later Mr. Cone returned to Delaware and again rented the woolen mill from Colonel Allen. This he now conducted until March, 1838. He then bought a saw mill in Thompson Township. on the Scioto River. also putting in a carding machine, which in the summer time was kept running day and night. He was thus occupied until 1844, when he and Dr. Joseph Cox erected a woolen mill on that site, and under the firm name of Cox & Cone did a good busi- ness for a number of years. About 1850 MIr. Cone bought out Dr. Cox and subsequently conducted the mill in his own name until 1870. The business included the manufacture of woolen dress goods of all kinds, and blankets. In addition to his eight sons, whom he kept employed, he had outside help to the extent of three or four hands. For some years pre- vious to this, Mr. Cone had taken advantage of every opportunity to acquire good farm lands. and in order to give his undivided at-

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tention to farming, he now gave up the milling business, the mill being leased by his son, Nel- son W .. and John Wiles, who conducted it un- til it was destroyed by fire in 1873. Mr. Cone subsequently continued actively engaged in general farming and stock raising until his death, which took place on November 24. 1891. He was a Democrat in politics and served as justice of the peace for one term, de- clining re-election. He was also for some time township treasurer, and during his in- cumbency of that office, so honest were the in- habitants and so quiet and orderly was the township, that he found it unnecessary to have a lock on the money drawer or to keep the office door locked. His wife Mary was a daughter of William Williams, and was born in Cardiganshire, South Wales, in 1814: she died in 1885. She had borne her husband 13 children, of whom but one failed to reach ma- turity, and nine are still living. The follow- ing is their record in brief: Allen W. is now deceased. Nelson W. was captain of Com- pany C. One Hundred and Twenty-first Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was dis- charged for disability. He died in 1886. John A. is the direct subject of this article. ! Margaret Almira is the widow of J. F. Smith and resides in Delaware. Thomas Benton is a resident of Wellsville. Kansas. Livonia is the wife of J. F. Utz, of Delaware. Mary Salome, who is now deceased, is survived by her husband. Hon. John McClure, of Scioto Township. Titus K. resides on the old mill property in Thompson Township. William J. is a resident of Delaware. Frank Pierce re- sides in Thompson Township. Harriet J. is the wife of Lester G. Peet of Richwood. James J. is a resident of Paola, Kansas.

John A. Cone, with whom this article is the most directly concerned, acquired his elemen- tary education in the district school, and aft- erwards became a student at the Ohio Wes- leyan University, where he spent a couple of years-1858, 1859. In the spring of 1861 he began the study of law in the office of Reid & Eaton, but the momentous events that were now taking place in connection with the slave- ho Mers rebellion, had an unsettling influ-

ence upon all grades of society, especially upon the youth of the land, and in the following year he enlisted in the three months' service in Company C. Eighty-sixth O. V. 1. After his return from this service, he resumed his law studies, reading during the summers and teaching school winters until 1864. He then enlisted again, going on the hundred days service, as lieutenant in Company E. One Hundred and Forty-fifth O. V. I., the regi- ment being ordered to the defence of Wash- ington.

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Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th, Part 114

Author: Lytle, James Robert, 1841- [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing company Number of Pages: 926

Author: Lytle, James Robert, 1841- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing company
Number of Pages: 926