USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 47
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EDGAR A. GRUBBS.
Lessons are daily brought home to us; tuition is ours for the asking in the various fields of human endeavor; we need no school or instructors to show us in which direction we must lay the course of our energies to gain position and success. It is true that study is needed, but the careers of the men who have tried and have attained furnish better instruction than can be gained through any other line. One of the best of these lessons is that a real man does not allow himself to know that the word "quit" has found a place in our dictionary, our vo- cabulary or our personality. We may take a case in this con- nection and illustrate the point-the career of Edgar A.
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Grubbs, of Greenville. He has known adversity-he has felt its sting and its humiliation; but he has risen above those things which make for trouble financially, and through a cheer- ful nature and an energetic life because he has not forgotten the dark days of his career, he has 'been able and willing to help others over the obstacles that lie in the path of ambition.
Edgar A. Grubbs is a native of the Buckeye State, having been born near Germantown, Montgomery county, Ohio, Sep- tember 2, 1859, a son of Daniel and Catherine (Denise) Grubb. Brought up on a farm, his early schooldays were passed in the institutions taught by country instructors, but when he was fourteen years of age his parents removed to Greenville, and there he enjoyed the training of the city schools. One more year of high school would have seen his graduation, but desir- ing a business education, he entered the Queen City Business College, at Cincinnati, where, upon graduation, he received a higher grade than had ever been granted to a student before in that school. Mr. Grubbs's advent in the present business oc- curred in 1884, although he had previously familiarized him- self with the grain trade by working in vacations during his school days. In the year mentioned he began buying grain in carload lots from dealers in Ohio and Indiana for export houses in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York, and this en- terprise developed into a trade that called for shipments of wheat, principally of the milling variety, to eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The vicissitudes and changes of the times found Mr. Grubbs a heavy investor, and like many of his associates he was forced to undergo dif- ficulties, discouragements and disappointments, but his straightforward policy, his undying self-reliance and his in- domitable courage brought him safely through the storm which engulfed so many, and when the waters had calmed his bark was found serenely floating on the top wave of success.
Today Mr. Grubbs is known as the largest dealer in grain in western Ohio. His ownership of the E. A. Grubbs Grain Company (he has no partner), however, is only one of his important connections. He owns a large amount of the stock of the Greenville Feed Company, buying hay largely in carload lots in western Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and was one of the organizers of this company in 1904. Probably no man is better known in the trade, as evidenced by his valued mem- bership in the Ohio Grain Dealers' Association, the Indiana Grain Dealers' Association, the Grain Dealers' National Asso-
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ciation, the Ohio Millers' Association, the Pennsylvania State Millers' Association and the Cincinnati Chamber of Com- merce. That he is one of the most important factors in the commercial life of .Greenville may be deduced from the fact that if he left Greenville or retired from business a large por- tion of the postoffice receipts would be cut down; nearly sixty per cent. of the Western Union Telegraph Company receipts would be cut off; the income of the two telephone companies would be greatly reduced, and a large portion of the banking business would cease. In proof of these statements, quotations may be taken from statements by John Garber, manager of the Western Union Telegraph Company, of Greenville, who said: "From fifty to sixty per cent. of all the business done in our office comes through the E. A. Grubbs Grain Company ;" by the chief operator of the Bell Telephone Company, who said : "Mr. Grubbs's telephone bill in this office is one-fourth of the total toll receipts," and by Miss Kuntz, chief operator of the Home Telephone Company, who stated that his toll amounts to over one-twentieth of the toll receipts. The trans- actions of the E. A. Grubbs Grain Company are of a strictly legitimate, non-speculative nature. Millions of bushels of grain are bought and sold by mail, telegraph and telephone, and every bushel is paid for in cash through the Greenville National Bank and Second National Bank of Greenville. Pur- chase of grain is carried on with elevator owners in Ohio and Indiana, and at times with Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and other large markets. For years the amount of mail sent out by this one firm has equalled one-eighth of the total receipts of the Greenville postoffice. It is safe to say that the total amount of money paid annually for grain by this company amounts to from two to four times the sum handled by any other firm in Greenville. In addition to managing this gigantic industry, Mr. Grubbs finds time to devote some attention to the trans- actions of the Greenville Feed Company, the greater part of the purchases of which are brought to the transfer house, lo- cated at D. & U. and Cincinnati Northern crossing, where it is unloaded, graded, weighed and reshipped east and south. The Greenville Feed Company also buys hay and straw from the farmers around Greenville, where the local demand cannot meet the price it is worth on a shipping basis.
In 1880 Mr. Grubbs became a member of Greenville Lodge No. 143, F. & A. M., of which he served as secretary, subse- quently took the Chapter degrees at Greenville, the Knight
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Templar degrees at Troy and the Scottish Rite degrees at Dayton and Cincinnati, and is now a Mason of the thirty-sec- ond degree, also a Shriner. His connection with politics is em- bodied in his support of the principles and policies of the Re- publican party, for which he has cast his ballot since his first vote, given to President Garfield in 1880. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the United Commercial Travelers. Reared in the United Brethren church, he subsequently be- came a member of the Episcopal church at Greenville, and for several years has served as a vestryman.
On June 5, 1888, Mr. Grubbs was married at Greenville, Ohio, to Miss Olive J. Mote, who was born and reared in this city. She was a daughter of John and Jennie (Folkerth) Mote.
Mrs. Grubbs passed away on December 23, 1904, leaving no children. Her place in society and her loss to her friends was far greater than the writer can express. She was a woman of literary attainments and an earnest worker in the Episcopal church. She was the organizer and the trainer .of the boy's choir.
Her death at so early an age was mourned by all and her memory will be held in high esteem by all who had the pleas- ure of her acquaintance.
Mr. Grubbs's home is at 431 West Third street. His office is at 519 Broadway, Greenville, Ohio.
W. J. PERRY.
In the career of W. J. Perry is exemplified to a marked de- gree the fact that merit wins recognition and that faithfulness and conscientious service always bring just rewards, although sometimes they may seem delayed. Mr. Perry enjoys the dis- tinction of being manager of the house with which he com- menced his business life and all of his efforts have been di- rected in its behalf, a somewhat unusual thing in these days of constant changes, permeated with a feeling of unrest. Probably Mr. Perry would have succeeded as well in a dif- ferent field, for he possesses those qualities which make for progress, but Greenville ought to feel gratified that in the place of his birth, this forceful man has found his life work. Mr. Perry was born October, 1866, at Greenville, Ohio, where he is now manager of the Moore Shoe Company.
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Thomas and Eleanor (Woods) Perry, the parents of W. J. Perry, were natives of Ohio, the father having been born in Miami county, while the mother was born and reared in Ger- man township, Darke county. When Thomas Perry was a small child, he was brought to Darke county by his parents who located on a farm bordering on the old State road in Washington township, near the Indiana State line. There they became heavy property owners and people of importance. Thomas Perry developed into a reliable, responsible young man upon his father's homestead, and in addition to farming, learned to be a carriage builder. With the outbreak of the Civil war, he enlisted for service in Company E, Sixty-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, and later re-enlisted, and served until the close of hostilities, a portion of the time being spe- cially detailed as a hospital steward. After his return home, he was married October 5, 1865, to Eleanor Woods, a daughter of Jesse and Anna (Stephens) Woods, of German township. Some time later he moved to Greenville to work at his trade, but later was made deputy sheriff by Sheriff John Hall, thus continuing until the latter's term expired. In 1877, Thomas Perry went to German township where he spent the remainder of his life, engaged in farming. At first a Democrat, and an earnest supporter of the principles of his party, he held a num- ber of the township offices, but later on in life espoused the cause of Prohibition, being one of the first to do so in Darke county, and from then on until his death, fought the battles of that party and exerted a powerful influence for good among those with whom he was associated. A change in belief made him change his church, as he left the Methodist faith for that of the Church of Christ, and served the latter as an elder for many years. As was but natural, he was a member of Reed Post, G. A. R., of Palestine, Ohio, and served it as commander and chaplain, always rejoicing to greet his old comrades at the meetings. The death of this most excellent man occurred February 6, 1902, in German township, this county. His widow survives, making her home at Palestine. There were four children in their family that attained to maturity, and three re- side in Darke county, while Charles is a resident of Indiana.
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W. J. Perry had the advantage of growing to manhood amid rural surroundings where he received a healthy, whole- some training and was taught the value of work honestly per- formed. When he was twenty-six years old, he left the farm, and coming to Greenville, entered the employ of W. E. Moore,
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a shoe dealer of this city, who occupied the present location of the Moore Shoe Company. As he knew nothing about the business, he began with the meagre salary of $4.50 per week, but very soon his ability and fitness for the business was ad- mitted, and he received substantial raises in his salary, and upon the death of Mr. Moore, Augut 19, 1911, Mr. Perry was made manager of the concern, so that from October 5, 1891, until the present date he has been with this one house con- tinuously. Having been with it so long, and knowing every detail of the business, he is competent to conduct it in a man- ner that affords satisfaction to all parties concerned.
On June 10, 1896, Mr. Perry was united in marriage with Miss Menta Moore, a daughter of W. E. and Florence (Yount) Moore of Greenville. Mrs. Perry was born at Bradford, Miami county, Ohio. There are no children by this marriage. While Mr. Perry is a Prohibitionist, he has never been an office seeker, and as his time is so fully occupied with his business affairs, he feels that he has discharged his duty as a citizen when he casts his vote for the candidate of his party. His religious affiliations are with the Palestine Church of Christ.
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HENRY BECK.
Few citizens of Darke county, are more entitled to the es- teem of their fellow citizens than is Henry Beck, a retired farmer, now residing at No. 220 Vine street, corner of Main, Greenville, Ohio, whose intimate relations with the agricul- tural and civic interests of his community have made his name a familiar one in the county. The farmer after years of stren- uous endeavor, during which he rises early and labors through the long days until after sunset, earns the rest he takes when he feels that he has accomplished enough to entitle him to such relaxation. There is another desirable feature about the life of the retired farmer, and one which effects his locality, for having plenty of time upon his hands, he can probe deeply into civic matters, and look into affairs generally, so that dur- ing these years of seeming inactivity, he is really the most use- ful, for he is rendering his community a service that cannot be overestimated.
Henry Beck was born at Covington, Miami county, Ohio, August 10, 1842, a son of Jacob and Anna (Burns) Beck, and
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second in the family of two children born to these parents, the other one being a sister, Sarah. When Henry Beck was six years old, he had the misfortune to lose his father, and was taken by a guardian to Miami county, Ohio, where he lived until he was thirteen years old. At that age the lad was taken by his maternal grandparents, Daniel and Eva (Hittle) Burns, to a farm in the vicinity of Marshalltown, Iowa, on which they settled in 1855. These pioneers passed through many hard- ships incident to the times and locality. The tide of civiliza- tion, ever moving westward, had as then barely reached the settlement chosen by Mr. and Mrs. Burns as their new home. Schools were rare, and the work of the children was essential in clearing and developing the land. When Henry Beck did attend school, he had to walk four miles each way, through snow and ice, and when he reached his destination, the advan- tages afforded were very meagre. However, he was persistent, and made the most of his opportunities.
At eighteen, he returned to Ohio, and obtained employment by the month in a farming community near Fort Jefferson, Darke county, and so continued until his enlistment. To those of a later generation, undisturbed and undismayed by thought of civil strife, it is difficult to convey the fervor of enthusiasm which was felt by the patriots of the north. Men who prior to the firing upon Fort Sumter, had thought but little of their duty as citizens, sprung to the defense of the flag, and gave up their lives on southern battlefields. The martial spirit pre- vailed. Not a community escaped. The lists of the dead, wounded and captured increased each day, and yet the stream of patriotic young manhood never ceased to flow into the south, a stream which eventually quenched the fire of re- bellion.
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In 1862, Henry Beck enlisted in Company F, Ninety-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry, and was sent to Camp Piqua, from whence the command went to Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Beck was first under fire at Tate's Ford, Kentucky, and he later par- ticipated in the notable engagements at Perryville, Stone River, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Mis- sionary Ridge, Resaca, Dalton, Buzzard's Roost, and was one of the memorable host that laid siege to Atlanta and captured that stronghold of the enemy. From there he marched with General Sherman to the sea, back up through the Carolinas to subdue General Johnston, and was present at his surrender. From there the command went on to Washington, where Mr.
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Beck was one of the soldiers to participate in the grand re- view in June, 1865. At Lookout Mountain, he fought above the clouds. This battle was the only one during the entire war that the soldiers were actually engaged above the clouds. During all of this active and heavy service, Mr. Beck was wounded but once, and then only slightly in the right arm, during the battle of Chickamauga. He made so little of his wound that he refused to go into the ambulance, and did not lose a single hour over it. His record is an unusual one for he was never absent a day from his command, nor did he suffer from any of the sicknesses to which so many of his comrades fell victims. Perhaps the rigors and hardships of his pioneer life fitted him for those of the army. He has never lost his interest in his old associates, and often attended reunions of them. On September 19, 1913, he had the pleasure of visiting the old battle field of the engagement at Chattanooga, on the fiftieth anniversary, and while there picked up some bullets that had lain there for half a century. These he treasures, to- gether with other relics of the great struggle, including rings and small picture frames which he whittled from laurel which he gathered from Lookout mountain and made in his hours of relaxation during the war. All these will be a valued in- heritance to his children. During the march from Atlanta to the sea, Mr. Beck was color bearer, and continued to carry the colors of the Ninety-fourth regiment until he was mustered out. At present he has the distinction of being the only color bearer residing in Darke county.
With the close of hostilities, Mr. Beck returned to Darke county, and then went on west to Iowa, and from there into northern Missouri. There he bought land, but after a year traded it, and once more returned to Darke county, Ohio. Soon after his return he bought a half interest in 100 acres of land, and later bought out his partner, this property continuing to be his home until his removal to Greenville, in 1899. It was also the scene of his agricultural successes, and he still holds it, and is proud of what he accomplished with his land.
On November 25, 1866, Mr. Beck was united in marriage with Miss Anna Brumbaugh of Neave township, this county, where she was born and reared, she being a daughter of George and Lydia (Stutsman) Brumbaugh. Mr. and Mrs. Beck have had two children, namely: Sarah E. and Vernie. The former married John D. Ryan and died at Green- ville, Ohio, leaving two children, namely: Agnes, who married
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James E. Welsh, lives at Dayton, Ohio; and .Frank H., who also lives at Dayton, Ohio. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. Beck, Vernie E., married D. A. Keener, and lives in German township. They have two daughters: Anna, who is now a student of the Greenville high school, having been graduated from the Hollansburg high school, class of 1913; and Rachel, who is a student in the country schools.
Always a Republican, Mr. Beck cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln when he ran the second time, on a battlefield in Georgia. While he has been earnest and active in his support of his party, he has been very sincere in his de- sire not to hold office. This was proven, for, although nomi- nated for the office of township trustee against his wishes, he worked against his own candidacy. During their early mar- ried life, Mr. and Mrs. Beck were members of what was then known as the German Baptist church at Palestine, Ohio. This church he served as deacon and superintendent of the Sunday school. When they moved to Greenville, they transferred their membership to the same denomination in this city, now called the Church of the Brethren. In it he is a deacon, and he not only discharges the duties of that office, but he takes into his everyday life the faith he professes, and continues to be a fair and honorable representative of the best class of American farmers.
HARVEY F. DERSHEM.
A prominent figure in many of the legal controversies, un- erring in judgment, able in the solution of many complexities, Harvey F. Dershem of Greenville, Ohio, is one of the leading attorneys of Darke county. He was born at Gettysburg, Ohio, August 1, 1861, son of Abraham and Huldah (Hole) Dershem, and grandson of John and Christina (Schnapp) Dershem, and Daniel and Hannah (Ballard) Hole. John Dershem was a native of Union county, Pennsylvania, and his wife was born in Germany. They became early settlers of Darke county, where he became a landowner and developed and operated a farm two miles north of Gettysburg, on which he reared his family of eleven children, namely : Catherine, who married a Mr. Hanes; Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Christian; Jacob; Henry; John; Eve, who married a Mr. Shade; Abraham; Aaron; Sarah, who married a Mr. Shire; Barbara, who mar-
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ried a Mr. Gillard Glenn, and Lydia, who married a Mr. Philip Frock. These grandparents died at an advanced age, upon their farm. Daniel Hole, the maternal grandfather of Harvey F. Dershem, was born December 11, 1805, and died September 30, 1893. His wife was born March 23, 1810, and died May 17, 1899. They were among the very earliest settlers of Darke county, Ohio. Their children, eight in number, were: Huldah; David; Catherine, who married Perry Marker; John B .; Mary Ellen, who married Joseph Christian; Lucinda; Jay and Ma- tilda.
Abraham Dershem was born in Ohio, which State was also the birthplace of his wife. He grew to manhood on a farm in Darke county, Ohio, and learned the carpenter and cabinet- making trades, following them for quite a period. After his marriage he located at Gettysburg, Ohio, where he died in September, 1863, aged thirty-six years. His widow survived him until 1886, when she passed away, aged fifty-nine years. Both were earnest members of the Presbyterian church. They had six children, as follows: Adaline, deceased, who married George W. Reck; Lewis H., who resides in Newberry town- ship, Miami county, Ohio, one mile north of Covington; Ida Belle, deceased, who married Abraham J. Hunt; Alwilda, de- ceased, who married Hiram Wellbaum; Harvey F .; Huldah Ellen, deceased, who died unmarried.
The great-grandfather of Harvey F. Dershem, on his mother's side of the family was William Hole, who married Ruth Crane, born March 23, 1767. She was born in New Jer- sey, and there reared and educated. William Hole and wife went to Kentucky after their marriage and still later to the vicinity of Miamisburg, Montgomery county, Ohio.
Harvey F. Dershem was brought up at Gettysburg, Ohio, and there attended the public schools, later entering the In- diana Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind. Having thus pre- pared himself, he taught school for ten years, winning ap- proval and affection for his masterly skill as an instructor. His ambition was not satisfied, however, and entering the law of- fice of M. T. Allen at Greenville, Ohio, in the latter part of the eighties, he read law, his studies being interrupted, however, by the departure of Mr. Allen for California, where he served on the circuit bench for several years. Having lost his pre- ceptor, Mr. Dershem entered the law school of the Cincinnati College, and after a two years' course, was graduated there- from in the class of 1890, and admitted to the bar in June of
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that year. In 1894, Mr. Dershem located at Greenville, Ohio, where he has been in a general practice ever since. His fellow townsmen showed their appreciation of him by electing him city solicitor for a term of two years in 1895, and he dis- charged the duties of his office capably and satisfactorily. In 1913 he was again elected to same office from January 1, 1914, for two years.
On November 22, 1893, Mr. Dershem was married to Miss Clara A. Horner, a daughter of Alexander McAlister and Mary Elizabeth (Reck) Horner, and one child has been born of this marriage, but died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Dershem were reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally Mr. Dershem belongs to Greenville Lodge No. 143, F. & A. M .; Greenville Chapter No. 77, R. A. M .; to Matchette Council No. 91, R. & S. M .; Gettysburg Lodge No. 457, I. O. O. F., and is active in these orders. Politically he is a Republican.
Mrs. Dershem was born near Gettysburg, Ohio. Her par- ents were born in Ohio and located on a farm one and one- half miles from Gettysburg, where they reared their seven children : Sarah, James A., William H., Silas I., Mary, Clara and Nancy A., who died at about twelve years of age. Alex- ander McHorner served in the One Hundred and Fifty-sec- · ond Ohio volunteer infantry during the Civil war as a lieu- tenant, which regiment was commanded by W. P. Orr. A man of forceful character Alexander Horner dominated affairs in his community, and was widely known throughout Darke county. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Dershem, Alex- . ander Horner, married a Miss McAlister, and both were of Scotch-Irish descent. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Der- shem was John Reck, who was twice married, his first wife being the grandmother of Mrs. Dershem, and the one who bore him his children. A
OSCAR MOIST.
Land, the real source of wealth, is back of the farmers, and few there are in Darke county who have given the years of their activity to this line of endeavor who have not prospered. In the years he devoted to agriculture, Oscar Moist, now liv- ing retired at No. 407 Central avenue, Greenville, Ohio, suc- ceeded, and is enjoying the fruits of his labors. He and his
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