History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 23

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592

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The instructors now in the Academy besides Prof. Noble are Vincent Nowottny, T. H. Sharp, L. H. Meakin, Caroline A. Lord, Henrietta Wilson, Rebecca R. W. Gregg, Louis T. Rebeiso, William H. Humphreys, William H. Fry, F. H. Lungren, Anna Riis, and Kate Reno Miller. The officers of the Museum Associa- tion are: President, M. E. Ingalls; vice-president, Alexander McDonald; treasurer, Julius Dexter; director, A. T. Goshorn; secretary, R. H. Galbreath; assistant director, J. H. Gest; cashier, M. Rochester; clerk of Art Academy, H. A. Foster. The trustees are the first four officers, above named, W. W. Seely, L. B. Harrison, J. G. Shmidlapp, W. P. Anderson, Thomas T. Gaff, Charles P. Taft, and, on behalf of the city, Leon Van Loo, Herman Goepper and John B. Mosby, mayor, ex-officio.

Other Art Activities .- There are many accomplished artists in Cincinnati who devote a portion of their energy to instructing special students in painting, draw- ing or modeling. The most distinguished of these is the eminent Charles T. Web- ber, whose skill in the chief departments of art, especially in painting, has won him a deserved fame on both sides of the Atlantic. T. C. Lindsey, one of the best of American landscape painters, also gives lessons to a favored few. Among Cin- cinnati ladies who teach arts in which they excel as specialists are Mrs. C. A. Plimpton and Miss Mary Spencer. The women of Cincinnati have achieved emi- nent success in several of the fine arts, more particularly painting, pottery, and

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wood carving, for which they enjoy a wide credit. The display of their art pro- ducts in the Cincinnati room of the Woman's Building in the Columbian Exposi- tion won universal admiration. The Cincinnati School of Design was organized by women in 1854. The " Woman's Art Museum Association of Cincinnati " was organized in 1877. The "Pottery Club" was formed in 1879 under the presidency of Miss M. L. McLaughlin, author of several hand-books of instruction on china painting, etc. Mrs. Storer established in 1880 the celebrated "Rookwood Pottery," the products of which are sought and admired by lovers of ceramic art the world over.

SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY.

In a "Petition for a Building Site in Eden Park " by the Cincinnati "Society of Natural History," addressed to the board of public affairs in 1888, is included a "Sketch of the property and of the objects and ains" of the Society, which is here copied, with some omissions: "This Society in its present condition is the out- growth of and the upgrowth from individual associated exertion through a space of time of over fifty years. A regular combined association of individuals for the purpose of investigation into the realms of natural history, and promoting study therein and the science thereof, was formed in this city in the year 1835. At the first meeting of such a society or association, held on April 25, 1835, James H. Perkins was chosen its secretary, and there were present as participators in the movement the following-named gentlemen : Robert Buchanan, Hon. James Hall, Dr. John T. Shotwell, Dr. Daniel Drake, Dr. William Wood, Dr. Samuel D. Gross, Dr. J. L. Riddell, Joseph Clarke, Samuel Eells, Peyton Symmes, Mr. Flagg, Dr. Josiah Whitman, W. D. Gallagher, Dr. Isaac Colby, George Graham, Jr., Dr. Joseph N. McDowell, Dr. V. Marshall, James H. Perkins, Dr. James M. Mason, J. S. Armstrong and Dr. John Locke.

"Following upon this meeting for association application was made for, and on February 5, 1836, a perpetual charter, incorporating the Western Academy of Natural Sciences, was granted by the State of Ohio to Robert Buchanan, Dr. John Locke, Dr. Daniel Drake, George Graham, Jr., 'and their associates.' In this year the following well-known names were added to the academy, viz .: John G. Anthony, Dr. John A. Warder, Dr. James Lakey and S. T. Carley ; and later on U. P. James, Horace Grosvenor, Jacob Resor, Henry Probasco, Robert Clarke, John Talbot, John Bartlett, John P. Foote, David Christy and David E. Bolles became members. Henry Probasco, Robert Clarke and S. T. Carley are now the only sur- viving members of the academy.

"The Association of the Western Academy of Sciences served the purpose of a nucleus for concentrating the efforts of the few who were inclined that way and who were then the representatives of the population of a new and growing, but small, city in the right direction, and, after as great a success as could have been expected by a pioneer body, fell into a state of inaction and desuetude. It had made some collections for a museum, had a library of 265 volumes, and an accumu- lated fund of $351.45, which was the sum of its possessions, all of which were on the 5th of September, 1871, merged into (the present) The Cincinnati Society of Natural History (a then newly organized body) by an act of donation, signed by Robert Buchanan and six others, as representing said academy. In addition to which 'At the meeting held on January 2, 1872, the same society received from Robert Buchanan 111 volumes from his library and three upright cases with drawers, containing fossils, shells and minerals.' This donation was a valuable acquisition to the Society, and was brought about through the generosity of Mr. Probasco and nine other gentlemen, who presented Mr. Buchanan with $1,000 as a partial compensation for his parting with his collection. The same society elected Robert Buchanan an honorary member at the meeting held the following month,

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and on March 5, 1872, at a regular meeting Robert Clarke, U. P. James, George Graham, D. E. Bolles, John Talbot, S. T. Carley and Robert Buchanan, surviving members of the Western Academy of Sciences, were duly elected to life member- ship in the Society in pursuance of the arrangement made at the time of receiving the donation from the Western Academy. Dr. John A. Warder also should have been so elected, and would have been, save by oversight, because of his being chairman of the electing body. The Cincinnati Society of Natural History was organized and a constitution adopted on January 19, 1870, at No. 6 West Fourth street, in the city of Cincinnati. The following persons were enrolled as original members : Dr. F. P. Anderson, Ludlow Ap-Jones, Robert Brown, Jr., Dr. R. M. Byrnes, J. B. Chickering, Robert Clarke, Lucius Curtis, V. T. Chambers, Julius Dexter, Charles Dury, C. B. Dyer, John M. Edwards, Dr. H. H. Hill, R. E. Haw- ley, Dr. W. H. Mussey, R. C. McCracken, Dr. C. A. Miller, S. A. Miller, Dr. Will- iam Owens, Henry Probasco. J. R. Skinner, Dr. John A. Warder, Dr. E. S. Wayne, Dr. E. Williams and Horatio Wood.

" By Article II. of said constitution it is declared that 'The object of the asso- ciation shall be to investigate natural history ; to carry on observations which may tend to increase the sum of scientific knowledge ; to establish a public museum and a scientific library, and to provide for the diffusion of science,' under which last clause, as the true meaning and intent thereof, it is declared in the April number, 1878, of its journal, that The Cincinnati Society of Natural History is an institu- tion of learning and teaching, 'devoting all its energies to the advancement of science and free education. Its rooms are kept open to the public.' It may be stated emphatically that from the time of its organization the Society, following these declarations, has regularly, systematically and unremittingly essayed the ful- fillment of these objects, and its measure of success has been satisfactory and grati- fying. The Society was regularly incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio on June 20, 1870, as shown by Church Record Book No. 2, page 633 of the records of Hamilton county, Ohio.

" On May 10, 1875, Charles Bodman, who had been elected a member September 1, 1874, died, leaving a will containing a bequest to this Society of $50,000, which was paid over to the trustees of the same July 16, 1877. In the month of October following about $11,500 was invested in the purchase and repairing of the property on the southeast corner of Broadway and Arch street in said city. The collections and other property of the Society were at once transferred from the rooms, 46 and 48 College building (which had been kindly placed at its disposal by the trustees of the Cincinnati College, and which the Society continued to occupy until it was able to purchase a building), and removed to No. 108 Broadway to the new premises, where the Society has remained ever since, the Society having held its first meeting therein on November 6, 1877.

HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO.

A complete history of this important Society* includes the partial history of many other literary institutions, and furnishes an extremely valuable chapter of our West- ern annals educational. It was chartered in Columbus in 1831. In 1849 the Society was removed to this city, where it has since remained, and has grown steadily in size and usefulness under the fostering care of such men as Robert Clarke, Judge M. F. Force, Julius Dexter, Eugene Bliss and a few other devoted friends of such institu- tions.

The Society is properly classed among educational organizations, for it con- stantly exerts a strong intellectual influence of the highest and purest kind. Article I of its constitution states that the object of the Society shall be the collection and

* See Venable's "Beginnings of Literary Culture in the Ohio Valley," pp. 147-160.

Is. K Bartholomeus

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preservation of everything relating to the history and antiquities of America, more especially of the State of Ohio, and the diffusion of knowledge concerning them.

In the summer of ISS5 the Society purchased a fine three-story building on Eighth street, No. 115, west of Race and next to Lincoln Club building, where its books and other possessions are now deposited. The library now contains over twelve thousand volumes and over fifty-three thousand pamphlets. Valuable lect- ures have recently been read before the Society by Hon. Samuel F. Hunt, on "The Treaty at Greenville;" by Judge Joseph Cox, on "Historic Persons and Places in the Miami Valley;" and by Prof. P. V. N. Myers, on " The Coming of Apollo." The officers of the Society are as follows: Eugene F. Bliss, president; Frank J. Jones, vice president; Nathaniel Henchman Davis, vice president; Robert Clarke, corresponding secretary; Miss Clara B. Fletcher, recording secretary; Julius Dex- ter, treasurer; Mrs. Catherine W. Lord, librarian; and Mrs. Louise N. Anderson, Albert H. Chatfield, Mrs. T. L. A. Greve, Jerome B. Howard and Reuben H. War- der, curators.

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES.

The clubs of a city afford a good criterion by which to measure its people's intel- lectual state and tendency. Cincinnati has long stood preeminent among American centers of culture for the number and variety of her polite associations having for their object some special class pursuit combined with social enjoyment. A club is a supplementary school or college-it often does more for its members than did the routine of years in some regular seminary. Reading rooms and small collections of books are usually part of the equipment of the city club, whether its specific func- tion be religious, political, mercantile, artistic, musical or athletic. The leading political clubs of the city-The Lincoln, The Blaine and The Duckworth-possess libraries and give occasional entertainments in the way of popular instruction. There are lecture courses under the auspices of the Society of Natural History, the Historical Society, the Mechanics' Institute, the Teachers Club and the University. The Unity Club is known far and wide, and deservedly so, on account of the courses of Sunday afternoon lectures that for many seasons have been given by it through the personal efforts of A. W. Whelpley, librarian of the Public Library .. These lectures, by the most eminent, popular orators of the age, educate the million at a trifling cost. They have accomplished a world of good by bringing to the people knowledge and thought in eloquent words and in beautiful stereopticon views. There is scarcely a church society in town which has not connected with it an asso- ciation which provides a series of literary, historical or musical entertainments dur- ing the winter months.

The Queen City Club, purely social, has the handsomest club-house in the city, and its membership is made up of wealthy citizens mostly from business circles. The Commercial Club is one of vast influence. The University Club, composed ex- clusively of college men, is among the most distinguished institutions of the city. The Cuvier Club unites with its social features the protection of fish and game by securing proper legislation. Its rooms, adorned by collections in ornithology, are very attractive.

The musical clubs of Cincinnati are famous. Prominent among them are the Apollo Club and the Orpheus, both possessing fine musical libraries. The Ladies' Musical Club, the membership of which includes much of the best singing talent in the city, is a noble instance of what women can do in sustaining a professional society of high order.

The ladies of the Queen City have a distinguished reputation for united efforts in organizing and maintaining literary and art clubs. The Women's Press Club is an energetic and successful association of practical writers, several of whom are authors of national note. Les Voyageurs, a club devoted to the systematic and

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thorough study of the history of civilization, may be called a model of its kind. The ladies who belong to it are true scholars, and their reading is far more profound and complete than that done by most college graduates. There are, within the city and its suburbs, a score of flourishing clubs established and conducted by women, for purposes of study and investigation. The zeal and persistent interest, with which these are kept up from year to year, prove how sincere is the interest in them, and how capable their members are of executive work, with definite aim. The Women's Art Club, the Pottery Club, and other societies for the practice of fine art, by ladies, are mentioned in the general chapters on Cincinnati.

The Sketch Club, the Architects Club, and the Engineers Club, are important. organizations, each a power in its own field. The Literary Club of Cincinnati, organized October 29, 1849, is the oldest society of its class, in the United States. The membership has always been limited to a certain number of men. This, at first twenty-five, was changed in 1851 to thirty, then to thirty-five, and in 1853 to fifty. In 1873 it was increased to eighty, and in 1875 fixed at one hundred. The member- ship includes or has included the most distinguished professional people in the Ohio. Valley. The catalogue of members past and present, shows more than five hundred names, among which are Rutherford B. Hayes, Salmon P. Chase, Thomas Corwin, Thomas Ewing, Oliver P. Morton, George B. McClelland, John Pope, John B. Stallo, Fred. Hasausek, Stanley Matthews, Benjamin Butterworth, J. B. Foraker, M. F. Force, Alphonso Taft, Murat Halstead, A. R. Spofford, William F. Poole, Thomas B. Read, M. D. Conway, Donn Piatt, John J. Piatt, John M. Crawford, and many others of distinguished character. The meetings are held every Saturday night. from September to June. The club-room is adorned with rare engravings, sketches, paintings, busts and statuettes, presented by members. The library consists of sev- eral hundreds of volumes, exclusively the writings of club members.

Of clubs avowedly educational in object, and having direct relation to the schools, the Teachers Club is preeminent. Its meetings are held in the rooms of the Y. M. C. A. building, corner of Seventh and Walnut. In the same place are held the monthly meetings of another purely educational body, the Philological Club, now presided over by Prof. W. E. Waters, of the University.

EDUCATIONAL JOURNALS.

Cincinnati enterprise has given origin to many enterprizes in educational jour- nalism, though most of the school periodicals here projected have had but short life. The oldest publication of this class now issued in the city is the Public School Journal, conducted by F. E. Wilson. It is a monthly, devoted to the local interests of the schools.

In June, 1893, was started The Student. a monthly, also devoted to the interests of the schools of Cincinnati and vicinity. It is published by "The Student Pub- lishing Company," and edited by Prof. J. Remsen Bishop. The University students publish a monthly, the McMicken Review, and the city high schools sus- tain each a periodical, Old Hughes, and the Woodward Banner.

LIBRARIES.

As books, next to teachers, are the chief agents employed to impart knowledge and promote education ; and since, as Carlyle puts it, "a collection of books is the true university of these days," it is proper to include in this chapter a brief notice of the city libraries.

The Public Library is, indeed, a recognized part of the school system ; it is supported by a general tax, and controlled by a board of trustees, chosen by the board of education. The Library was started, in 1856, in a room in the old Central High School building. In 1857 it was united with the library of the Mechanics' Institute and placed in the Institute building, with N. Peabody Poor as librarian.

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In 1866, Mr. Poor died, and the office of librarian was conferred on Lewis Freeman, who held it until 1869, when he was succeeded by W. F. Poole, now of Chicago. The present library building, on Vine street, between Sixth and Seventh, was built in 1869-70, after plans drawn by Mclaughlin. The Library was opened in the new building December 8. 1870, its entire collection then amounting to about thirty-three thousand volumes. Mr. Poole resigned in 1873, and Thomas Vickers was elected in his place. On March 17, 1874, Dr. W. H. Massey gave to the Library his private collection of medical books numbering 5,513 volumes. Mr. Vickers, on being elected rector of the Cincinnati University, resigned the position of librarian, and Chester W. Merrill was his successor. The present librarian is A. W. Whelpley, who was called to the position several years ago, on the retirement of Mr. Merrill.

According to Mr. Whelpley's latest report, the number of volumes now in the Library is 197,484. The receipts of the institution for the year ending July, 1892, were $92,585, and the expenses $52, 797. The total use of the Library for the same year was 766,024 books and periodicals.

The Public Library is much used by students and professional scholars, as a place of study and investigation, its collections being rare and extensive in many lines of special learning. The college students and the pupils of the public schools also make good nse of the Library. The librarian is very efficient, intelligent and obliging, and his unremitting efforts to improve the library and benefit the commu- nity are highly appreciated by his fellow citizens. In his last report Mr. Whelpley presents a most important recommendation in these words : "The Library is becom- ing crowded, and it is inconvenient in many departments to properly shelve the books ; and it is likewise growing, from year to year, at a rate that renders action necessary looking toward the building of more commodious quarters, which shall combine the latest results of library architecture and library economy, as shown in the many new structures now being erected, or recently completed. This library building does not meet the wants and needs of its patrons, and is not up to the requirements of our city, either for working purposes or for adornment. More sat- isfactory work, with greater economy and comfort, could be transacted with the same number of attendants in a properly-planned building, and better care and attention be bestowed on the books. An examination of our present building, and a compar- ison with some of the newer libraries, by the joint committee of this board and the board of education recently appointed to consider this interesting subject, will fur- nish convincing proof of the correctness of my statements, and the importance of early action."

Young Men's Mercantile Library .- Next in importance to the Public Library, as a resort for readers, is the Young Men's Mercantile Library, an old and favorite institution organized in 1836. This is located in " Cincinnati College," on Walnut street, opposite to " Gibson House," and its internal affairs are ably and gracefully administered by the librarian, John M. Newton. A fee of five dollars per annum admits properly introduced citizens to full library privileges. The reading-rooms are continually sought on account of the many newspapers and other periodicals there on file. The total number of volumes issued by the library in 1892 was 55,537. The number of novels taken out was 21,170. The total membership in the Library Association was 1, 729.

Other Libraries .- Besides the Public Library and the Mercantile, there are in the city the library of the Historical Society, with about twelve thousand volumes and fifty-three thousand pamphlets; the library of the Mechanics' Institute, some six thousand volumes, with many current scientific periodicals; the Law Library, twenty-five thousand volumes, and the special libraries connected with the several educational institutions.

Cincinnati is well supplied with private libraries, many of which are remarkable for size, elegance, and value.

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CHAPTER IX.

BENCH AND BAR.

[BY HON. D. THEW WRIGHT.]

EARLY COURTS AND LAWYERS-CRIMINAL COURT-THE NEW CONSTITUTION-COURTHOUSES -CINCINNATI LAW LIBRARY-SUPERIOR COURT AND OTHER COURTS-BIOGRAPHIES OF EMINENT AND PROMINENT JURISTS.

O NE of the earliest instances of the administration of justice, in Hamilton county, occurred in the year 1788. At that time there were no settlements to speak of, and but few houses, in the country. There were no courthouses to administer the law, and not much law to administer. The citizens convened in a mass-meeting, and elected a judge and sheriff; apparently it did not occur to any one that any- thing further was necessary to run a community upon perfectly safe principles. No laws had been furnished or existed for the occasion; but the simple-hearted fathers, after their day's work, slept the sleep of the just, content with the belief that, with a judge and a sheriff, they were securely reposing under the protecting ægis of a legitimate Constitutional Government. The first practical application of this new jurisprudence was the arrest of an Irishman for robbing a garden patch. The case is not found in the Ohio Reports, but it seems that "a jury was regularly called " (regularly is quite appropriate in this connection), the defendant was found guilty, in some way or other, and sentenced to receive twenty-nine lashes. The judgment of the court was carried out the same day, so that an appeal or writ of error would have been ineffectual. This improvised court, however, did not last long. It came in conflict with the military. The commandant at Fort Washington and the judge differed in their views as to some matters, and a recourse was had to violence. In the interview, the civil conservator of the peace was badly damaged."

Civil government became a necessity upon the adoption of the Ordinance of 1787. In October of that year Congress appointed Arthur St. Clair, governor; Samuel Holden Parsons, John Armstrong and James Mitchell Varnum, the first judges of the Territory. Armstrong declining the position, John Cleve Symmes was appoint- ed to the vacancy. Upon the adoption of the Constitution of the United States in 1789, Judges Parsons and Symmes and William Barton were appointed judges. Barton declined, and George Turner was appointed in his place. Rufus Putnam succeeded Parsons, who died in 1790. In December, 1796, Putnam resigned, and was succeeded by Joseph Gilman. Judge Turner was succeeded by Return Jona- than Meigs, in 1798, and the judges then in commission continued in office until tlie Territorial government was succeeded by the State of Ohio.

The county of Hamilton was created by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, January 2, 1790, and on that day he appointed, as judges of the county court, William McMillan, William Goforth, and William Wells. Of these first judges of the Territory not much is known, but William McMillan appears to have been no ordinary man. William M. Corry, a gentleman himself well qualified to judge, and who did not bestow eulogy indiscriminately, in a published address says of him: "During his professional career there was no higher man at the western bar than William McMillan. Its accomplished ranks would have done honor to older countries, but it did not contain his superior. Some of our distinguished lawyers of that day were admirable public speakers; he was not. Some of them were able in the com- prehension of their cases, and skillful to a proverb in their management. Of these he ranked among the first. His opinions had all the respectability of learning,

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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 23

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1592

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592