History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 35

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666

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While many German newspapers, especially in small towns, had been so far only shallow party papers, true imita- tions of similar American press-products, Rodter succeed- ed in bringing a higher active tendency into his Volksblatt, and smoothed the way to a better, more worthy develop- ment of the German press in his State. The opposition paper, formerly Der Deutsche Franklin, then called West- liches Merkur, did not fight with the same weapons, and so gave rise to many bitter attacks in Rodter's paper, though he did not on his side violate decency conspicu- ously. The example of the German press in other States prevented that.

The Alte und Neue Welt, and several other papers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, especially the New Yorker Staats-Zeitung and the Anzeiger des Westens in St. Louis, had appeared already several years before, and won a great number of readers by their pointed, intelligent and well-written articles.

GERMAN SOCIETIES.

It became a necessity very much felt, to establish a German society, like others already existing in different parts of the country, to ward off ruptures and discords, which had become in our old Fatherland the source of all troubles, and the cause of political weakness and want of freedom of the people. At a meeting held by more than two hundred of the most esteemed German citizens, at the city hall, July 31, 1834, it was resolved that the founding of such a society was a necessity; "that as citizens of the United States we can take that part in the people's government which our duty and right commands, and that through reciprocal aid we may mu- tually assure ourselves of a better future, to assist those in need, and to secure generally those charitable aims which are impossible to the single individual." The principal workers at this meeting were Heinrich Rodter, Johann Meyer, Karl Libeau, Ludwig Rehfuss, Salomon Menken (father of the formerly celebrated actress, Adah Isaaks Menken), Daniel and Karl Wolff, Raymund Wetschger, and others. Karl Rumelin, Dr. Sebastian Huber, J. D. Felsenbeck, Karl and Johann Belser, and many others, joined the meetings for organization on the fourteenth and eighteenth of August. Heinrich Rodter was the first president of the society, which is still in ex- istence, although only as a small mutual aid association of its members. The mania for organizing military com- panies had by this time (1836) also reached Cincinnati from the cities of the cast. 'Through Rodter's influence the German Lafayette Guard was founded, whose first captain he became.

RODTER AGAIN.

Upon the whole, the endeavor to secure the rights of the German element made itself particularly felt in Cin-

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cinnati. Rodter was also elected a member of the city council, and enjoyed generally at the time a great popu- larity among his fellow-citizens. In the year 1840 he sold the Volksblatt to Stephen Molitor, and removed to Columbus, where he devoted himself again to the fabrica- tion of paper, which he had been taught in youth. But he did not feel happy in Columbus. Returning to Cin- cinnati he studied law again, and in 1847 -- 8 was elected a member of the legislature of Ohio. The law which se- cures workingmen a lien on houses built by them, as also the law which reduced the naturalization expenses for foreigners, were both proposed by him, and were passed through his exertions. Although he belonged, up to the time of his death, to the Democratic party, he voted for the abolition of all those oppressive laws which existed in most of the free States, as well against the free negroes as the slaves. He gave also his voice for S. P. Chase as senator of the United States, although he was well ac- quainted with his opinions against slavery and every- thing connected with it. For a few years he became the partner of the eminent lawyer J. B. Stallo, but returned to journalism again in 1850, and bought the Ohio Staats Zeitung, which he conducted under the name of Demo- kratisches Tageblatt till the year 1854. In the year 1856 he was elected justice of the peace by a large majority, but died the following year.

KARL GUSTAV RUMELIN*

comes from an old and worthy family of Wurtemberg, which had given to the country during the last century very able officials. His father devoted himself to com- merce and manufactures, and lived at Heilbronn, where Rumelin was born, March 19, 1814. After attending the scientific schools of his native town till the year 1829, he exchanged the college for his father's counting-room. In a few years he obtained a position as clerk in a busi- ness house at Wimpfen. He had felt for some time a great inclination to emigrate to America. This was in- creased when, in the year 1832, a great emigration from Wurtemberg and Hessen took place, which received an overwhelming impetus through Duden's letters. His father gave him, against his expectation, permission to carry out his plans. Our young traveller arrived in Philadelphia August 27, 1832, after a journey of eighty- seven days. As he did not succeed in finding at once a suitable position, he took hold with good courage of any opportunity of work offered to him, hard though it might be, holding every kind of work honorable. After some time he obtained a position in a store belonging to an Irishman, who had many Irish customers. This gave him an opportunity to make closer acquaintance with this class of people.

His attachment to the Democratic party, which he has preserved through his whole life, had taken hold of him already in Philadelphia, where he arrived just at the time of a presidential election. Jackson was for him a hero of the first magnitude. His studies and experience at home had already given him an enthusiasm for free trade and a prejudice against paper money and a bank-

ing system. Besides, he thought he recognized among the partisans of Clay, or in the Whig party, an inclina- tion towards Puritanism which was naturally repugnant to his genuine German nature. However, taking his youth into consideration, and his short experience on American soil, one may doubt whether his decided party spirit was founded from the very beginning on personal conviction and a critical examination of the pending party questions. He followed perhaps more an unde- fined feeling, as almost all Germans did at the time. The name Democracy had already a certain charm for them. It was natural to compare and identify the wealthy merchants, the great church lights, and the owners of factories, who belonged mostly to the Whig party, with the European aristocracy. The philosophical apprecia- tion of both parties, no doubt, occurred to Rumelin, as with many others, somewhat later.

After a year's stay he felt a longing to go further west. After a wretched and dangerous journey (on the boat which brought him from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, the cholera had broken out, claiming many victims), he ar- rived at the last-named town, to be attacked himself by this terrible disease. He then found a situation in a store, and again began to interest himself in politics and public life. He was one of the founders of the German society, which was called to life in 1834, and remained a member for forty years, when he removed his homestead several miles outside of the city. In the year 1836, dur- ing the Presidential campaign, the formerly Democratic German weekly paper, Der Deutsche Franklin, the only German paper, went over into the hands of the other party. Rumelin belonged to those who felt very much annoyed about it. He took part in founding a new Dem- ocratic journal, the Volksblatt, whose manager Rodter became. The means which the Germans had were but small, but their zeal was great. The printing-room was moved to the building where Rumelin was in business, free of rent. He learned himself the secret of the black art, set the types and printed the sheets, and in case of necessity even became paper carrier himself. The regu- lar carrier was a baker, who had to carry around his "bretzels" at the same time, which, as Rumelin said him- self, went off faster than the papers. He wrote also many articles for the paper, and proposed repeatedly the founding of a German university. Sickness prevented him from taking part in the first Pittsburgh convention. But Rumelin, as well as Rodter and Rehfuss, went stump- speaking during the campaign of 1836, and, as it seemed, with success; for Hamilton county, in which Cincinnati is located, and which had given in 1834 a majority for the Whigs, gave from 1836 to 1840 a majority to the Democrats. *

Rodter became the owner of the Volksblatt, which went afterwards into Molitor's hands. It remained Democratic till the year 1856, when the German Democracy of the north went over in great numbers to the Republican party.

* This name is now spelt "Reemelin."

* Among the men to whom this change is to be especially attributed ought to be mentioned C. Backhaus, Dr. Roelker, who has worked beneficially for the city in every direction, and Bishop Henni, who worked quietly, but effectively.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

In the year 1836 Rumelin became partner of his for- mer employer and did a good business, especially by having always a good assortment of imported German groceries in stock. A part of his earnings he invested in real estate. He wrote also now for American journals. He speaks of this in his written communications to the present editor as follows :

I represented by it the German affairs, for it seemed to me absurd that we Germans should talk about these matters only among ourselves, exciting mutually our zeal. I thought the Americans ought to be won for them too, if our steps were to have lasting results.

In the year 1837 he married a Swiss lady, born in Cin- cinnati. She had lived several years in Switzerland, but had been educated in New England. She combined the American and German nature in a pleasant blending, and has been to him a true companion through his life.

In the spring of 1843 Rumelin sold his business to re- tire to the country, but undertook first a trip to his old home. After his return he was elected from Hamilton county to the house of representatives of Ohio for the years 1844 and 1845, and in 1846 for two years to the Sen- ate. In the house of representatives he brought it about that the message of the governor, as well as the reports of the officials, should be printed in the German language. The minority report in favor of the annexation of Texas, not on account of, but in spite of slavery, excited great attention, and was reprinted in many Democratic papers. His speeches, by which he criticised very sharply the then defective method of taxation, showed a thorough study of political economy.

In the years 1846, 1847, 1848 Rümelin studied law in the office of Judge Van Hamm, passed his examination, and was admitted to the bar. He continued the study scientifically, but felt no inclination to make a profession of it. In the year 1849 he made a second visit to the Fatherland, and wrote travelling correspondence for the New York Evening Post, one of the. first papers of the Union, superintended by William Cullen Bryant and John Bigelow. These letters were reprinted by several other papers. They contained many new ideas which were here but partly appreciated. Though Rümelin had the welfare of his newly adopted country very much at heart, he was not an absolute admirer of all our institu- tions, and was not altogether blind towards our weak- nesses. What he thought he would always speak out candidly. While in Germany he was elected a member of the convention which was to draw up a new constitu- tion for Ohio. He received the news of his election when the pilot brought the latest papers on board the steamer entering the New York harbor, on which he had returned from Germany, in April, 1850.

In this convention (1850-51) Rümelin was one of the most prominent and active members. It is to his especial credit that the article of the constitution which prevents the legislature from making arbitrary divisions in the electoral districts, is due to his exertions. Both parties had made the greatest abuse of this right of dividing districts, so that very often, by arranging the counties ingeniously into electoral districts, the minority of the people managed to get the majority in the legisla-

ture. According to the present constitution of Ohio the division is made every ten years, and is regulated ac- cording to the number of inhabitants by constitutional provision. Rümelin has lived to see several other States adopt the same measures to prevent corruption. He opposed with all his energy the secret ring of the Dem- ocratic party called the "Miami Tribe," which had formed itself for personal purposes, with intention to control the whole party; made many enemies by it in his own party, and lost his chance as candidate for Congress, but he had the satisfaction of seeing the ring broken through his active co-operation. During the celebrated election campaign between Fremont and Buchanan, he declared himself for Fremont, as many Democrats had done, simply because Fremont belonged himself to the Democratic party. He did not want to join the Repub- lican party. A trip to Germany prevented him from taking personal part in this campaign. This journey was partly occasioned by family matters, partly by business matters, which he had to settle as president of a railroad in Europe, and partly, also, to visit European reform schools and learn about their management, having been appointed commissioner for reform schools in Ohio, by Governor Chase. After having visited these institutions to his satisfaction in England, where he made the ac- quaintance of Earl Derby, grandfather of the present Lord Derby, who was especially interested in the im- provement of these schools, he went with him to France on a similar tour of inspection. The reform schools of Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, and Germany, were also visited by him. Those in France he found to be model institutions, especially the one in Mettray, near Tours. His report, signed by all the members of the commis- sion, was laid before the legislature; a law for the erec- tion of a reform school for juvenile delinquents was made, and Governor Chase appointed Rumelin one of the superintendents, but he resigned the position in 1859. During the years 1854-9 Rumelin was also a member of the permanent State commission of the banks, as also of a special commission to examine frauds of the treasury. A very extensive and interesting report of nearly two thousand pages, mostly written by Rume- lin, was the result of this examination.

Although Rumelin had already, for some time before the year 1860, cast off party fetters, and had often voted and worked for men of the opposite party, if he thought them more worthy for the office, he could not, during the Presidential campaign of Lincoln, Douglas, Bell and Breckinridge, make up his mind to vote for any one of the first-named. He belonged to those few Germans who felt that they had to give Breckinridge the preference over Lincoln as a statesman; Rumelin was personally acquainted with Breckinridge, and respected him highly. However, he was getting tired of politics. He was of the opinion that nothing but a misunderstanding of the real opinions existing north and south, and the ambition of the leaders on both sides, had caused the war. He retired to country life. He had owned for several years a beauti- ful country place near Cincinnati, and had planted an orchard and a vineyard, having sent for the best sorts of

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trees and slips to Europe. He said this love for farming had been in the family for several generations. He was not a book-farmer only, but took hold of the plough, the spade and the axe with his own hands most heartily.

During the years 1865 and 1866 we find him again in Germany, where he took his oldest son to a university. He visited at the same time Italy, Hungary, Servia and Bosnia. His reports concerning these travels appeared in the New York Commercial Bulletin. In 1871 to 18;2 he was manager of the magazine, the Deutscher Pionier, in Cincinnati, and made in 1872 his sixth journey to Europe, to take two of his sons to a university and his daughters to a young ladies' institute. In Strasburg and Wurzburg he attended, in his fiftieth year, lectures upon his favorite studies, political economy and the science of government. In the year 1876 he was elected by popu- lar vote for two years to the honorary office of a member of the board of control for Hamilton county. That he voted for Tilden in 1876, as many thousands of Germans have done, who otherwise belonged to the Republican party, is easily understood. The Democratic party nom- inated him as their candidate for the important and re- sponsible office of Auditor of State, although Rumelin's opinions about financial questions differed from theirs. But all Democratic candidates were beaten by a consider- able majority during that election (October 15, 1879).

At present "Rumelin is engaged in writing a book; a critique upon American politics, which will be, no doubt, of great interest. We have spoken already about his many letters of correspondence for newspapers, and his activity in the State Legislature. He has written also many articles for agricultural journals. A long article of his about the climate of Ohio has been published in the reports of the agricultural bureau of the State. In the year 1859 he published a Vine-dresser's Manual, and in 1868 The Wine-maker's Manual. His most important work up to this time is his Treatise on Politics as a Sci- ence, published by Robert Clarke & Company in Cincin- nati in 1875.

EMIL KLAUPRECHT.

The first belles-lettres journal in the country appeared during the year 1843, under the management of Emil Klauprecht. Born at Mainz in 1815, he came during the year 1832 to the United States, and went at first to Padu- cah, Kentucky, on the Ohio. In 1837 he chose Cincin- nati for his home, and carried on a lithographic business very successfully, but turned soon to journalism. In 1843 he published the first belles lettres periodical, the Fliegende Blatter, with lithographic illustrations, the first German illustrated paper of the United States. Soon after he became editor of a Whig paper, the Republikaner, which he made for ten years the principal organ of this party in the Western States. He wrote also a number of novels, and an historical work, the Deutsche Chronik in der Geschichte des Ohio Thales (German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley). This work goes back to the beginning of the history of the Territories and States of the west, contains a great deal of interesting material, and must have required a studious research among historical sources, but, as regards a clear, easily

surveyed, and chronologically arranged representation, it is not a success. During the years 1856 to 1864 he was engaged on the Cincinnati Volksblatt, and was then ap- pointed consul of the United States for Stuttgart, which position he filled till 1869, when an inscrutable whim of the Grant administration appointed a colored gentleman in his place, a Mr. Sammis, from Pensacola, formerly a barber by profession, who, it was said, could neither read nor write. Since that time Klauprecht devotes himself at Stuttgart to literary work. He writes for the Augs- burger Allgemeine Zeitung, and sends also from time to time articles for the Westlichen Blatter, the Sunday num- ber of the Cincinnati Volksblatt. Klauprecht is a very talented man, and added in Cincinnati a great deal as well to the public as to social life. By nature he was in- clined to irony and sarcasm, was of a very lively nature, as almost all the children of the golden city Mainz are, and entered journalism at a very unfortunate time, when both parties entertained mutually very hostile feelings. He had chosen the unpopular side, that of the Whigs; and had therefore the wind and the sun against him. As well in the English as the German papers, at this time in Cincinnati a rude tone had taken possession of the press, which seemed to take a delight in personal rancor. Klauprecht knew how to return these attacks with usury, and there is no question that he, spirited as he was, on this field had the better of his opponents. He accus- tomed himself to repay the abuse of others in a similar manner, but when a German editor attacked the honor of his family, he allowed himself to be carried away to revenge his right by a pistol-shot, which wounded his adversary dangerously. Tried before a court, he was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, to the great surprise of the people, as such offences are usually not only ex- cused but often even approved. He was, however, par- doned by the governor, to the general satisfaction, before the time set for his imprisonment. Klauprecht certainly, for more than ten years, exerted a decided influence as an able journalist and a leader of his party, in the city and the State. As consul he filled his office most excel- lently.

HEINRICH VON MARTELS.

Another editor of the Volksblatt at that time, and after- wards of the Volksfreund, was Heinrich von Martels, whose life was a very eventful one. He was born in 1803, at the Castle Dankern, in the dukedom of Aren- berg-Meppen, attended the college at Osnabruck, entered the cavalry of Hanover as cadet, and was, in 1822, sec- ond lieutenant of the Cuirassiers. As captain of the Sixth infantry regiment he took his leave of absence, and traveled in 1832, accompanied by his father and his brothers, to the United States, following Duden's tempt- ing call, and settled in Missouri, in the neighborhood of Duden's farm. He himself returned, however, again in 1833, as he had left his heart with a lady of high station in Osnabruck; for, as he tells us in his book, published in 1834 at Osnabruck, Der Westliche Theil der Ver- einigten Staaten von Nordamerika, (The Western Part of the United States of North America), this city of the peace of Westphalia had robbed him of his heart's peace.

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Fiction and truth are intermingled in this book in the strangest manner ; but one can not take it ill towards the author, as it betrays at any rate a very amiable character. His loyalty for England's great king (the sailor-king, William IV,) is rather extravagant, but, as another king has remarked, "loyalty is, even in exaggeration, beauti- ful." However, the author talks with a similar enthu- siasm about Washington and the free institutions of the country, and his youthful fanaticisms have given place to a healthy republican feeling. A light and graceful style marks this fata morgana.

In the year 1839 he took his leave of military service, and devoted himself to philosophical studies; returned to, America in 1845, went to Texas, bought a large estate in Colorado, but soon afterwards lost all his wealth, which was considerable, and his land. In the year 1850 he came to Cincinnati, and found for several years em- ployment upon the Volksfreund. He interrupted this lit- erary work for a short time to work on his farm, which he had bought in Clermont county, but returned in 1860 to journalism. He has a knowledge of the classical lan- guages, and talks most of the modern ones fluently, which enables him to fulfil his office as interpreter in court with great ability. Literary work, prose as well as poetry, is still his favorite occupation, and brightens the days of his old age.

JOSEPH H. PULTE.

Another prolific writer in the scientific field is the doctor of medicine, Joseph Hypolit Pulte. He was born at Meschede, Westphalia. After finishing his medical studies, he went in 1834 to the United States, following his brother, who was already a well-known physician in St. Louis. Here he took hold with enthusiasm of hom- œopathy, which had been but a short time before brought to America by Dr. Constantin Hering. After laboring for several years in the Homeopathic college in Allen- town, he settled in Cincinnati as a practicing physician about the year 1840. In the year 1850 he published the work, Hansliche Praxis der Hornoopathischen Hilkunde, (Domestic Practice of Homeopathy), which appeared also in London in English and in Havana in Spanish. He followed this by several other medical writings during the following years. He also conducted for several years the American Magazine of Homoeopathy and Hydro- pathy. In 1852 he became professor of clinical practice and obstetrics in the Homoeopathic college at Cleveland, and founded in Cincinnati, from his own means, the Pulte Homœopathic medical college, which was opened September 27, 1872. Besides his poetical writings we ought also to make mention of his philosophical work, with which he has enriched the literature of the country, under the title Organon in der Weltgeschichte, which was published in Cincinnati in 1846. It is an attempt to bring revealed religion into harmony with philosophy. For an analysis of this work we must refer to a lecture delivered by Mr. H. A. Ratterman, December 26, 1877 (Deutscher Pionier, volume ten, page 317).

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 35

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co. Number of Pages: 666

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666