USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Columbus, Ohio: its history, resources, and progress : with numerous illustrations > Part 5
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It was the Senate, not the House, that failed to organize at the beginning of the next session held in the winter of 1849-50. There being in those days no lieutenant-governor to preside in the Senate, that body had, like the House, to elect a speaker as a first step toward organization. A prolonged controversy, simi- lar to that in the House at the beginning of the preceding session, arose in the Senate. It was the Hamilton county case over again. The Senate consisted of thirty-six members-half of them holding over from the preceding year. Of the new members one was to come from Hamilton county. There were two claimants to this seat-William F. Johnson, Democrat, and Lewis Broadwell, Whig.
The Senate met on Monday, December 3. James Myers, Democrat, of Lucas county, took possession of the chair, and called the Senate to order. Mr. Broadwell presented an abstract showing that he received a majority of the votes cast for senator, in the district composed of the first eight wards of Cincinnati. The certificate of the clerk of Hamilton county was presented
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by Mr. Johnson, setting forth that he was duly elected senator from Hamilton county. So the question came up as to which of the two men was legally entitled to the disputed seat. On that point the thirty-five senators, on whom devolved the settlement of the question, became, as the dispute progressed, divided as follows: eighteen for Broadwell, and seventeen for Johnson.
At the instance of their respective friends; both Johnson and Broadwell were sworn in as senators. Yet as the chairman (Mr. Myers), and as Mr. Knapp, the clerk of the previous Senate, who was acting as clerk of this, recognized Mr. Johnson and re- fused to recognize Mr. Broadwell as a senator, the voting on all questions on organization uniformly resulted in a tie. Various attempts at compromise, and long and spirited discussions en- sued. At length, on the 12th of December, after a motion to proceed to the election of a speaker had been lost by the usual tie vote, the chairman directed the senators to prepare their ballots for speaker. Sixteen days more elapsed, when, on De- cember 28, on the three hundred and first ballot, Harrison G. Blake, of Medina county, having received sixteen votes, being a majority of all the votes cast, was declared by the chairman duly elected and took his seat as speaker. One of the first acts of the speaker was to recognize Mr. Broadwell when the latter rose to speak. As the clerk still persisted in refusing to call Mr. Broadwell's name, the speaker called it himself. By this means it often happened that thirty-seven votes were cast-one more than the constitutional number of senators. The opponents to Mr. Broadwell's claim to a seat were greatly irritated by Speaker Blake's course. They heaped epithets upon him, and charged him with a breach of faith. The other side were, of course, equally zealous in defending the speaker.
Mr, Swift, of Summit county, on the 3d of January, 1850, offered a preamble and resolution which added fuel to the fire already ex- isting. The preamble set forth that Blake had solemnly pledged himself to Swift that if the latter would vote for Blake for speaker, he (Blake) would vote for Johnson to retain his seat as senator until the right to the same should be finally determined by the Senate ; and would not, until such final session, recognize Broad- well as a senator. The preamble also charged the speaker with
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HISTORY, 1842 TO 1852.
a forfeiture of his pledge, and concluded with a resolution re- moving him from the office of speaker. Upon this proceeding the speaker vacated the chair, and called up another senator to supply his place. But this step raised such a storm about his ears from those dissatisfied with his course that he resumed the chair. He ruled Mr. Swift's resolution out of order, and there- upon an appeal was taken from the decision. Then came the tug of war. A prolonged and violent debate ensued, in which the motives and conduct of the speaker were condemned by one party and vindicated by the other. Thus matters went on till January 17, when resolutions were adopted providing that Mr. Johnson should be permitted to retain his seat until the com- mittee on privileges and elections should report upon the right to the seat. Upon the adoption of these resolutions, Mr. Swift re-introduced his resolution for the removal of the speaker, which the latter promptly ruled out of order. Mr. Myers then offered a resolution for the like purpose, which was also ruled out of order. An appeal was taken, and this was also ruled out of order.
On the next day, the 18th of January, and near the close of the seventh week of the session, Mr. Blake resigned his position ; and Charles C. Convers, of Muskingum county, was elected speaker. Thus, the Senate was at last organized. Mr. Johnson continued to sit as senator until the 27th of February, when the seat was declared vacant; and Mr. Broadwell, by a vote of 14 to 13, was admitted to a seat as senator from the first district of Hamilton county.
ACCELERATED GROWTH.
If the decade from 1832 to 1842 was a prosperous one to Columbus, the ten years from 1842 to 1852 were still more so. During the period from the taking of the federal census in.1840 to the taking of the same in 1850, Columbus had increased her population from 6,048 to 17,871, or at the rate of nearly two hundred per centum. From 1842 to 1852, over thirty ad- ditions were made to the city and laid off in lots. The value of real estate in the city, assessed for taxation in 1852, was set down at $3,113,612 ; and of personal property, at $1,648,305-to which
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add the amount returned by the banks for taxation, $1,249,770.73, and the amount returned by insurance companies, $2,197.73 ; and there is presented a grand total of property in the city, entered on the duplicate for taxation, of $6,014,185.48.
Thus, notwithstanding the attempt to remove the State capi- tal, the suspension of work on the state-house for six or seven years, the visitation of cholera in two successive seasons, and other formidable obstacles calculated to impede its progress, Columbus continued, during the fourth decade of its existence, to advance steadily and rapidly in the career of wealth and gen- eral prosperity.
CHAPTER V.
FIFTH DECADE, 1852 TO 1862.
During the close of the fourth, and the beginning of the fifth decade in its history, Columbus made rapid strides in the career of improvement. Turnpikes and plank-roads, as has been al- ready noted, were constructed, leading from the city to various points of the country, and greatly increasing the facilities of travel and transportation. But these were soon cast into the shade by the railroad enterprises which became the mania of the time, and called for large investments of capital. By means of railroads Columbus was brought into direct and rapid communi- cation with Cincinnati and Cleveland, and thus, through the Ohio river, with New Orleans and the Southwest, and, through Lake Erie, with Detroit and the Northwest. The Central Rail- road was completed to Zanesville, and the prospect was certain that, by its speedy connection with the Baltimore and Ohio road, Columbus would have access by rail to the cities on the Atlantic seaboard.
It is a noticeable fact that, in the four years from 1849 to 1853, notwithstanding the visitation of the cholera, more improvements were made in Columbus than during any period of equal length in its previous history.
Among the large structures erected were the new market- house building, on Fourth street, between Town and Rich streets ; the Gwynne Block, with its spacious and commodious store-
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HISTORY, 1852 TO 1862.
SADDLERY HARDWARE
WHOLESALE
GWYNNE | BLOCK.BRO OM
BOSCHEE'S GERMAN SYRUP.
E
E
LEATHER&FINDINGS. LIQUORS.
BOOT & SHOE MANUFACTORY.
MANUFACTORY.
AUGUST FLOWER.
EE!
PATTERSON, BURT & CO.
W.FAIR CHILD.
REED, UONES L
RICHES, COLUMBUS Q.
GWYNNE BLOCK, Located on Town, between Third and Fourth Streets.
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STUDER'S COLUMBUS, OHIO.
rooms, on Town street ; numerous large and substantial build- ings on High street, and fine residences on Town street, together with structures of various kind throughout the whole city. And the increase of population kept pace with the increase of improvements.
In noticing the principal events in the fifth decade of our city's history, aside from those mentioned under the proper heads in other chapters, we will begin with a musical festival, and speak of the
FIRST SAENGERFEST.
The first Sængerfest, or song-festival, ever held in Columbus, of the North American Sængerbund or Song-Union, took place on Saturday and Monday, June 5 and 7, 1852. The festival was opened on Saturday morning by the presentation, on behalf of the German ladies of the city, of a beautiful banner to the Co- lumbus Mænnerchor. Preparatory to the presentation, a pro- cession was formed, with Captain Schneider's company in the lead, preceded by several bands of music, and followed by the musical societies from Cleveland, Louisville, St. Louis, Cincin- nati, and Dayton. Then came the "Capital City " Gymnasts and their brethren from abroad. The procession halted in front of the court-house, and formed a semicircle, facing the donors of the banner. The presentation was made by Miss Wirt, on be- half of the lady donors, with an appropriate speech. The pro- cession then reformed, and marched through the principal streets. In the evening a concert was given, at Neil's new hall, by the singing societies, which was a great novelty, and a charming one, to the greater portion of the citizens in attendance.
Monday was the great day of the festival. The various musical delegations, after marching through the principal streets, proceeded to Stewart's Grove, now the City Park, where a hand- some collation was served up. Previous to this, however, an address in German had been delivered at the grove by Charles Reemelin, of Cincinnati, couched in such pathetic language as to bring tears to many eyes.
After the collation, Jacob Reinhard, president of the day, made a brief speech in German, and introduced in succession Messrs. Galloway, Dennison, and Neil, who all spoke, tendering
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HISTORY, 1852 TO 1862.
to the German visitors a hearty welcome to Columbus, and bid- ding them God-speed.
The gymnastic, as well as the musical exercises of the day, were not only entertaining, but surprising to many of our citi- zens, who had never before enjoyed a similar exhibition.
At six o'clock in the evening, a large procession was formed, preceded by Captain Schneider's company, with bands of music, gymnasts, song-societies, together with citizens formed on the left of the military. It marched in fine order into the city and up High to Town street, and thence to the city hall. The hall was filled to overflowing. Here a farewell was sung in a style seldom, if ever equaled. The festival was closed by a grand ball, in the evening, at the Odeon.
This was the first Sængerfest ever held in Columbus, and the fourth in the State. It was a good beginning, and a fine pre- lude to the entertainments of a similar kind with which our cit- zens have since been favored.
KOSSUTH'S VISIT.
At a large meeting of the citizens of Ohio, held at the City Hall, in Columbus, on Saturday evening, December 13, 1851, to consider the proper steps to be taken for the reception of Louis Kossuth, governor of Hungary, a resolution was adopted for the appointment of a committee of one hundred citizens of Ohio- twenty of them being residents of Columbus-to invite Kossuth to visit our State, and partake of the hospitality of our people. At an adjourned meeting, held on the next Thursday evening, the names of the committee of one hundred were announced, Dr. Robert Thompson, of Columbus, being chairman. A finance committee was subsequently appointed, of which Peter Ambos was chairman ; W. F. Wheeler, secretary ; and Luther Donaldson, treasurer. One hundred dollars were appropriated to defray the expenses of Dr. Robert Thompson's trip to Washington, to in- vite Kossuth to visit the capital of Ohio. Of the committee, also subsequently appointed, to make arrangements for the reception of Kossuth, Samuel Galloway was chairman, and C. P. Solis, secretary.
The legislature, January 15, 1852, adopted resolutions tender-
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ing to Kossuth, on behalf of two millions of freemen, a hearty welcome to Ohio.
The long-looked-for day at length came for Kossuth's arrival, from Cleveland, at the capital of Ohio. Though it had been an- nounced that he would not arrive until after six o'clock on Wednesday evening, February 4, 1852; yet early in the after- - noon of that day the streets were thronged with people, and all the eligible places for sight-seeing were fully occupied.
According to previous arrangements, a procession was formed to march to the depot and receive the expected guest of the city and State. It was under the direction of General T. Stock- ton, chief marshal of the day, and was headed by the Columbus brass band, followed by Captain Buhl's Columbus Artillery, and Captain Schneider's Grenadiers, carrying the United States and Hungarian colors, and flanking the firemen. The engines of the fire department were decorated with the same colors, and also with those of Turkey.
Succeeding the long cortege of the fire department, came the carriage, drawn by four white horses, in which Kossuth, along with Governor Wood, of Ohio, was to be escorted to the Neil House. Then followed the committee of one hundred. Closing the procession, were carriages containing members of the legis- lature and state officers, followed by mechanical associations, benevolent and other societies, with a delegation of the city butchers on horseback, and a large concourse of citizens on horseback and on foot.
When the procession arrived at the depot, thousands of people were already gathered there. At about seven o'clock, the boom of cannon announced the safe arrival of the Hungarian. Then there was a rush, and a shout that seemed to rend the air. After some delay, owing to the dense and eager crowd, the pro- cession was reformed, and proceeded, with Kossuth, his family, and suite, in the appropriate carriage, to Broad street, then on Broad to Third, then to Town, then to High street, and on that to the Neil House. On the march, lighted torches, in the hands of the firemen, added brilliancy to the scene.
Kossuth, standing on the balcony of the Neil House, was pre- sented to the people. Lifting his hat, he made a short address,
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expressing delight at his generous reception, for which he de- sired to thank publicly the generous citizens of Columbus. He then retired to his rooms in the Neil House.
Before eleven o'clock the next morning, the time assigned for an address from Kossuth, the entire square between Broad and State streets was filled with people. A stand was erected in front of the Neil House, and opposite the old United States court-house. Kossuth replied at some length to a speech ad- dressed to him by Samuel Galloway. A brief speech was after- ward made by William Dennison. After Kossuth's speech, he was waited upon by a committee appointed at a meeting of workingmen, with a request that he would address the working- men of the city. This he declined to do on account of the heavy tax upon his time and energies, while expressing his gratification at the manifestations by the workingmen of sym- pathy for the cause of free government in Hungary.
On the evening of the same day (February 5), a large meet- ing of citizens of Columbus was held at the City Hall, at which an association of the friends of Hungary was formed, called the Franklin County Hungarian Association; a constitution was adopted, and the following officers elected: W. R. Rankin, Presi- dent; G. Lewis, Vice-President; L. Donaldson, Treasurer; and M. M. Powers, Secretary.
Kossuth, on Saturday, the 7th of February, visited the Gen- eral Assembly, upon special invitation, where he was addressed by Lieutenant-Governor William Medill, in a speech of welcome. Kossuth's response was regarded one of his best efforts. By a joint resolution of the legislature, the original manuscripts of both these speeches were ordered to be deposited among the archives of the State, in the State Library, where they now are, bound in a handsome volume, labeled, "Welcome of Ohio to Kossuth."
In the evening, after this visit to the legislature, the first reg- ular meeting of the Ohio Association of the Friends of Hun- gary was held, at the City Hall, in Columbus. The hall was filled to its full capacity. After a brief introductory speech by Governor Reuben Wood, the president of the association, Kos- suth delivered one of those stirring, patriotic, and liberty-loving
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addresses for which he had then become famous. After this speech in English, he made a brief address in German.
The following Monday morning, Kossuth left Columbus for Cincinnati.
HENRY CLAY'S OBSEQUIES.
Henry Clay, the renowned American orator and statesman, departed this life, at Washington City, on the 29th of June, 1852. The remains, on the way to Mr. Clay's late home, in Ken- tucky, arrived in this city on Wednesday evening, July 7th. Previous to their arrival, a procession had been formed, on High street, the right resting on State street. It moved to the depot in the following order : Committee of arrangements, in car- riages ; city council, in carriages ; firemen ; Captain Schneid- er's ; Morgan Volunteers ; citizens in carriages.
On the arrival of the train, the remains were received by this joint committee of the city council and citizens, and transferred to the hearse. A procession was then formed, the firemen pre- ceding the hearse, on each side of which were the Morgan Vol- unteers. Then followed the committee of arrangements as pall- bearers, United States Senate committee, the Kentucky and Cin- cinnati committees, committees from towns and cities, the city council and citizens-all in carriages.
The procession moved down High street to Town, thence to High street and the Neil House, where the remains were de- posited for the night. As the procession moved on the streets, the bells were tolled, and minute-guns were fired by the artil- lery.
Many of the stores and business houses were dressed in mourn- ing; the flags and omnibuses in the procession were trimmed with crape, as were the bodies and regalia of the different so- cieties and orders in attendance. At the Neil House, brief ad- dresses were made by William Dennison, and Governor Jones, of Tennessee.
On the same evening, there was a large meeting of citizens at the City Hall, at which Joseph Ridgway presided, and C. T. Solis acted as secretary. After prayer by Dr. Hoge, R. P. L. Barber, from the committee of arrangements, reported a series of reso-
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HISTORY, 1852 TO 1862.
lutions, which were unanimously adopted, after appropriate speeches by A. F. Perry and Wm. Dennison.
THE STATE TREASURY DEFALCATION.
The good citizens of Columbus were startled on the morning of June 13, 1857, by the announcement in the daily papers that William H. Gibson, Treasurer of State, had resigned, and that there was a defalcation of over half a million of dollars to be charged to him or his brother-in-law, John G. Breslin, who had preceded him in the office, or both. Breslin was a Democrat, and Gibson of opposite politics, and both resided in the city of Tiffin. Soon after Gibson's resignation, Governor Chase ap- pointed Alfred P. Stone State Treasurer, who, at the ensuing State election, in October, was chosen by the people to that office.
So intense was the popular excitement on the unearthing of this fraud upon the people of Ohio, that an indignation meeting was called and held, on the evening of June 18, 1857, in front of the City Bank, on State street. Dr. R. N. Barr was chairman, and James R. Day, secretary of the meeting. W. T. Bascom, James H. Stauring, Henry Miller, W. T. Day, William Miller, and C. Breyfogle were appointed a committee on resolutions, whose report was adopted.
Speeches were made by H. B. Carrington, S. S. Cox, Will- iam Dennison, Dr. William Trevitt, William T. Bascom, Henry Miller, and Joseph H. Geiger. These gentlemen, accord- ing to a reporter who was present, spoke in terms highly denunciatory of the gross outrage upon the tax-payers of Ohio by an officer, or officers, who had shamefully abused the people's confidence. It was demanded that the perpetrator, or perpetrators, of the fraud should be visited with the severest pen- alties of the law. A determination was expressed to vote in future, irrespective of party ties, for such men, and such men only, whose antecedents and character should guarantee their honesty and capacity to manage the people's treasury with safety and integrity of purpose.
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DR. KANE'S OBSEQUIES.
Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the great traveler and Arctic explorer, died at Havana, February 16, 1857, at the early age of thirty- seven years. His remains were taken back to his former home, in Philadelphia.
A few minutes before noon, on Friday, March 6, intelligence was received at Columbus, from Cincinnati, that the remains of Dr. Kane would pass through this city on their way toward Philadelphia ; that they would reach here by the 11:20 night train, and remain until the departure of the 10:10 train of the Central Ohio road, on Monday morning.
Immediate action was taken in each branch of the legislature then in session, and a joint committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements to manifest the regard of the people for the character and services of the lamented dead.
The Grand Lodge of the Masonic fraternity of Ohio was convened in special communication, by order of the grand mas- ter, and a committee appointed to co-operate with other com- mittees of arrangements.
At an early hour in the evening, a meeting of citizens was held at the Neil House, and a committee selected to act on be- half of the citizens of the capital of Ohio, in conjunction with other similar committees.
A joint meeting of all these committees was held at the Neil House, at eight o'clock in the evening, when two members from each committee were delegated to proceed to Xenia, on the mor- row, and there meet the funeral cortege from Cincinnati, accom- pany it to Columbus, and thence to Wheeling.
Another like committee was detailed to make suitable arrange- ment for the reception of the remains, for the respectful- care of them during their stay in the city, and for appropriate re- ligious exercises on Sunday.
The State Fencibles, Captain Reamy, volunteered such services as might be required of them. The tender was thankfully re- ceived by the joint committee.
At midnight, the train arrived at the Columbus depot, where the joint committee, the State Fencibles, and a large concourse of citizens were awaiting it. The stillness of the midnight
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hour, the rolling of the muffled drum, as the remains were re- moved from the car, the tolling of bells in the city, the solemn strains of the dead march by the brass band, the display of flags at half-mast as seen by moonlight, the respectful silence of the concourse of citizens that thronged the streets, all con- spired to give the scene an air of grandeur and solemnity.
The solemn procession, accompanied by a civic and military escort, proceeded to the Senate chamber, where due preparation had been made for its reception ; and there the remains were consigned to the custody of the Columbus committees, in a very neat address from Charles Anderson, on behalf of the Cincin- nati committee.
William Dennison responded, in behalf of the Columbus com- mittees, in an appropriate address. A detachment of the State Fencibles was detailed by Lieutenant Jones, as a guard of honor, which remained on duty while the remains were in the Senate chamber, except while relieved by a like guard detailed from members of the Masonic fraternity. The remains lay in state in the Senate chamber from one A. M. on Sunday until nine A. M. on Monday.
By ten o'clock on Sunday morning, the citizens began to wend their way to the Senate chamber, which had been judiciously arranged by Mr. Ernshaw, the draughtsman, for the accommo- dation of the greatest practical number of persons. By eleven o'clock, the spacious hall was densely packed, when Colonel Kane, Robert P. Kane, and Dr. Joseph R. Kane, brothers of the deceased, and Lieutenant William Morton, his faithful companion in his perilous voyages, entered, and were conducted to the seats reserved for them.
The religious services consisted of prayer by the Rev. Mr. Steele, of the Columbus Congregational Church; music by the choir of that church ; discourse by Dr. Hoge, of the First Pres- bytcrian Church ; anthem by the choir; collects and benedic- tion by Rev. Mr. La Fourrette, of St. Paul's (Episcopal) Church.
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