USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of Dayton, Ohio. With portraits and biographical sketches of some of its pioneer and prominent citizens Vol. 2 > Part 11
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P. M., is twenty-five cents per night. If the lamp burns up to midnight the cost is $12.50 per month. If it burns all night, $15 per month: The cost to the city for its are lights is one hundred and fifty dollars per year for each light. The officers of the Dayton Electric Light Company at the present time are: Joseph E. Lowes, president; Thomas S. Babbitt, vice-president; Valentine Winters, treasurer, and John R. Fletcher, secretary and manager.
At a meeting of the board of directors, held March 12, 1889, the meter system was adopted as the basis for charges to the consumers of the electric light. The company intend to charge for the same amount of light, the same as is charged for gas light. The company bas also intro- duced the electric motor system, which is being used by a few of the citizens of Dayton. The power is furnished in any quantity from one- eiglith horse-power to five horse-power at about seventy-five dollars per horse-power per annum.
The latest form of heat with which the citizens of Dayton have been favored is that derived from natural gas. The story of the bringing of this form of gas to this city is briefly as follows: Judge Dennis Dwyer bas a farm in Mercer County, which, upon careful study of the course of the gas and oil fields leading southwestward from Pennsylvania, he thought would fall within the limits of that field extending in this direction. The discovery of oil was, however, uppermost in the mind of Judge Dwyer during his study of the question. In order to determine what was best to do, he called together a few of his friends for consulta- tion, these gentlemen being 'T. A. Legler, Michael Neal, George Ohmer, Francis J. McCormick, Michael J. Gibbons, Stephen J. Patterson, John MeMaster, John A. Murphy, and James Ward. After consultation it was determined to put down a well on the judge's farm. This was in 1886, and was the first successful gas well west of Findlay. The prospectors were, however, disappointed, inasmuch as gas was discovered instead of oil, and what was still more remarkable, this gas was found in territory which had been marked "barren" by Professor Orton.
Upon finding themselves successful in their search, the ten persons named above at once organized the Dayton & Southwestern Natural Gas and Oil Company, which name was subsequently shortened to the Dayton Natural Gas Company. The first officers of the company were T. A. Legler, president; Dennis Dwyer, vice-president; Francis J. McCormick, treasurer, and Michael Neal, secretary and general manager. The company proceeded on that basis until in the fall of 1888, when a re-organization was effected, and the following officers elected: Hon. Calvin S. Brice, president; T. A. Legler, vice- president; George II.
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Meiley, secretary; Orr, treasurer, and William P. Orr, of Piqua, manager, the other members of the company being General Samuel Thomas, of New York, Judge Dennis Dwyer, S. J. Patterson, and George R. Young. At the present time the company has a capital of two million dollars. It owns the lease of thirty thousand acres of land in Mercer County, and already has a number of valuable wells drilled, and intends to put down twenty-five wells this season, so as to be fully prepared to furnish gas as fuel by the carly winter of 1889-1890 to all who may desire to substitute that kind of fuel for coal-the company proposing to furnish natural gas for fuel at seventy-five per cent of the cost of coal.
At the present time (June 1, 1889) the company has a high-pressure, twelve-inch pipe leading from Dayton to Troy, and will soon have the pipe leading from Troy to the wells, which are about fifty miles from Dayton. With this pipe line, the company will be able to supply fifty million feet of gas to the city of Dayton per day, if so much should be needed.
Early in the year 1889, the Dayton council revoked the charter of the Dayton Natural Gas Company, because that company did not com- plete its lines into the city in accordance with the terms upon which that charter was originally granted. For some time it looked to the citizens as if this action of the council would prevent the city from receiving the benefit of this cheaper fuel, and as a natural consequence several indignation meetings were held, at which the council was roundly denounced. At length, however, all difficulties in connection with this question were satisfactorily solved toward the latter part of March, by the adoption by the company of a certain schedule, providing that the gas should be supplied by measure, at ten cents . per thousand cubic feet, and that a pressure of not less than four ounces should be maintained.
The company thereupon commenced laying pipes in the streets of Dayton, and by the 19th of April turned on the gas, the first house in which it was used being that of Thomas Brown on Monument Avenue, on the date just given. Work since that time has been pushed as rapidly as circumstances would permit, and it is confidently expected that, by the commencement of the coming winter, there will have been laid in the city at least seventy miles of pipes.
It is in contemplation to have the Dayton Natural Gas Company purchase the interest of the Mercer Natural Gas Company, and thereby control the entire natural gas territory of Northwestern Ohio, making Dayton the central point for the business of the company,
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The Publishing House of the United Brethren in Christ may be said to have had its origin in an effort of Rev. Aaron Farmer to establish a religious journal for the benefit of this Church, in 1829. Under the auspices of the Miami Annual Conference, within whose territory Dayton is situated, Mr. Farmer began the publication of a paper called Zion's Advocate, at Salem, Indiana, in the year mentioned. For want of patron- age, it was soon discontinued. Its appearance, however, awakened the Church to the importance of such an enterprise.
The General Conference, therefore, which was held in Pickaway County, Ohio, May 14, 1833, adopted a resolution that subscriptions be circulated in each of the Annual Conference districts,-one to raise a fund, and another to secure subscribers,-and adopted an order that a printing establishment be erected in Circleville, Ohio, for the purpose of ciren- Jating a religious paper, and doing other necessary printing. The name selected for the paper was the Religious Telescope, and it was to be published semi-monthly, on a large imperial sheet, with good type, at the price of one dollar and fifty cents per year if paid in advance, or two dollars within the year, exclusive of postage. The trustees appointed were Rev. John Russel, John Dresbach, and George Dresbach.
These gentlemen soon began to solicit subscriptions for funds, and on April 12, 1834, they purchased, at public sale in Circleville, Ohio, a printing-press, type, and fixtures, for four hundred and fifty dollars. In May, they bought a lot and two houses for five hundred and fifty dollars. Early in the same year, William R. Rhinchart, of the Virginia Conference, had begun the publication, at Hagerstown, Maryland, of a paper called the Mountain Messenger. The trustees, anxious to gather into one body all the power of the Church, purchased the Messenger and all of its material for three hundred and twenty-five dollars, and employed Mr. Rhinchart to edit the new paper.
The first number of the Religious Telescope appeared December 31, 1834, at Circleville, Ohio. It had a subscription list of twelve hundred, and a debt of sixteen hundred dollars. But little of the subscription money was ever paid to the Telescope. The paper was continued as a semi-monthly until July 30, 1845, when it was changed to a weekly, and it has remained a weekly paper ever since. The full history of the Telescope may be found under the head of "The Press."
The Publishing House remained at Cireleville until 1853. A de- tailed account of its operations need searcely be given in this connec- tion, as it was engaged principally in the publication of the Telescope. Financially, it struggled under a heavy dobt from its founding until 1845, by which time, under the management of Rev. William Hanby, this was 31
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greatly reduced, and by 1849 entirely canceled, leaving net assets, above all liabilities, of $6,928.36. In 1853, at the end of the first twenty years, and just before the removal from Cireleville, the actual value of the assets was $9,514.36; the liabilities were $3,759.00; net assets, $5,754.40. The growth of the establishment was steady, but slow, up to the time of removal to Dayton, and it was also slow for some years afterward, as the subsequent history will show.
The General Conference of 1853 directed that the Publishing House be removed from Circleville to the city of Dayton. The trustees ac- cordingly purchased a lot on the corner of Main and Fourth streets, at a cost of eleven thousand dollars. The lot nicasured 593 feet on Main Street, and 152 on Fourth, and was occupied by a large two-story brick residence, which for some time was used as the Publishing House building. Upon the corner of this lot, the trustees erceted, in 1854, a large and substantial brick building, admirably adapted to the publishing interests of the Church. The building, as first erceted, was four stories high, and ninety feet deep by forty feet wide, with a basement under the whole. The entire cost of this building, including the steam-engine, gas, and water pipes, and the necessary apparatus for warming the rooms by steam, was about fifteen thousand dollars. It was found imperative, in order to carry on the publishing business on an advanced scale, to purchase new machinery for all parts of the business, which involved a large expense. Although it was necessary to borrow money to com- plete the erection and equipment of the building, yet the credit of the establishment was maintained, and during the succeeding four years some addition was made to its net capital.
At the time of the removal of the establishment to Dayton, a sterco- type foundry was erected, and the necessary apparat is for the foundry was purchased at a cost of $280. A book-store was opened in the corner room of the first floor of the building, which from the first was well stocked with a fine selection of miscellaneous books, besides a constant and full supply of the publications of the House. The average number of persons employed during the year 1856-57 was thirty-three, whose wages amounted to $816 per month. Rev. S. Vonneida was the publishing agent at the time of removal, continuing in office from 1853 to 1861. Rev. II. Kumler, Jr., served as assistant agent for a few months in 1854. At his resignation, T. N. Sowers, Esq., became assistant,, continuing in that position until 1861. The trustees in 1853 were Rev. C. W. Witt, Rev. L. Davis, Rev. J. C. Bright, Rev. L. S. Chittenden, and Rev. II. Kumler, Jr.
The total receipts from the business of the House for the four years ending April 30, 1857, were as follows: For 1853-54, $18,638.72; for
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1854-55, $20,336.06; for 1855-56, $26,076.52, and for the year ending April 30, 1857, $33,504.58; total for the four years, $98,555.88. For the same four years the expenditures were: For 1853-54, $17,769.88; for 1854-55, $35,965.90; for 1855-50, $31,143.91, and for the year ending April 30, 1857, $43,964.68; total for the four years, $128,844.37: Excess of expenditures over receipts, $30,288.19, resulting chiefly from the investment in ground, building, and machinery at the time of removal, and from the credit system. Gross assets, April 30, 1857, $84,552.39; liabilities, $53,115.71; net assets, $31,436.68.
The receipts from the business for the next succeeding four years were $114,314.69. The expenditures for the same period were $113,244.5-1. . Gross assets, April 30, 1861, $86,479.42; liabilities, $48,836.98; net assets, $37,642.44. Of the above gross assets, $25,445.16 are reported doubtful or worthless, thus reducing the actual net assets to $12,197.28. During the quadrennium from 1857 to 1861, the trustees sold 30 feet front by 593 feet in depth from the cast end of the property, on Fourth Street, for two thousand dollars, and 193 feet front by 90 feet in depth from the north side of the Main Street front for three thousand dollars. As a measure of economy, also, the book-store was removed to the second floor.
In May, 1861, the General Conference elected T. N. Sowers, Esq., senior agent, and J. B. King, Esq., became his assistant .. In June, 1864, J. B. King having resigned, Rev. W. J. Shuey was appointed his successor by the trustees.
The receipts from business for the four years ending April 30, 1865, were $136,486.73. The expenditures for the same period were $184,- 007.68. Gross assets, March 31, 1865, $63,822.29; liabilities, $52,215.46; net assets, $11,406.83.
In June, 1861, the indebtedness of the establishment aggregated $48,836.98. This was at the commencement of the war. On account of the disturbed condition of the country, commerce and industrial pursuits were seriously affected. The trade in religious books and newspapers appeared to suffer first and most, and the prospects of this establishment were not very flattering. At this time, the salaries of agents and editors were fixed at five hundred dollars per annum, and the price of the Relig- ious Telescope was reduced to one dollar per year.
In June, 1864, a new Hoc large-sized cylinder printing-press was purchased at a cost of three thousand dollars, and on account of higher prices in the necessaries of life, the salaries of the agents and editors were advanced to fifteen dollars per week.
The heavy debt resting upon the establishment was the chief obstacle to continued prosperity, and its liquidation had become an imperative
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necessity. In the twelve years from 1853 to 1865, more than thirty thousand dollars had been paid in interest on borrowed capital, while over twenty-five thousand dollars had been lost in worthless arrearages, etc., under the credit system. While the House was sufficiently well equipped with real estate, machinery, and stock, if pressed by creditors and forced to publie sale, but little, if anything, would have remained.
At this crisis, -- for such it may be called,-the newly appointed assistant agent, Rev. W. J. Shucy, having been clected by the trustees in June, 1864, made a careful, rigid, and thorough examination of the condition and resources of the business, including the causes and possible remedies of the enormous debt. As a result of this investigation, it became clear to the assistant agent that the most speedy and certain remedy was to ask the Church for donations to the capital of the House. This plan he proposed to the trustees, with the suggestion that the General Conference apportion the fund among the Annual Conferences. The plan was approved by the trustees, and by them recommended to the General Conference of 1865. It was adopted by the General Con- ference, and the apportionment was made by a committee of that body appointed for the purpose. The result was eminently satisfactory. Mr. Shuey was elected by the General Conference principal agent, and assumed the management. With the fund thus obtained, amounting to over eighteen thousand dollars, the debt was greatly reduced during the next four years, so that in 1869 the agent reports as follows: "The reduction of the debt by nearly twenty thousand dollars, and the perma- nent funding of a large portion of that which remains, have very much lessened the burden of the agent. These, and the prosperity of the past few years, render the concern really strong, and put it upon the highway of further prosperity and ever-increasing usefulness."
By judicious management the prosperity of the House continued, the debt gradually ceased to be a cause of anxiety, and by 1880 the last dollar of it was paid.
It should be remarked, that within the last ten years the House has returned to the Church, in donations to benevolent funds and other interests, considerably more than was thus received as partial relief of the debt.
As stated above, in 1865 Rev. W. J. Shuey was elected by the General Conference to the position of senior agent. At the same time, T. N. Sowers, Esq., was elected assistant. Mr. Sowers resigned soon after his election, and was succeeded by Rev. W. MeKee, who served until 1866, when by his resignation Mr. Shuey was left without an assistant. Ile has continued in the management, as the sole agent, ever since, and to
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him, more than to any other, is due the renewed life and permanent prosperity of the House.
A brief summary of the finances since 1865 will show the steady, and sometimes rapid advance in its progress.
The available assets on April 1, 1869, were $94,584.61, while the total liabilities were but $32,801.75, placing the net assets, over and above all indebtedness, at $61,782.86, an increase of $50,176.03. In calenlating the profits, however, there must be deducted from this sum $15,000 increase in the valuation of the real estate, and also $18,364.29 received from the publication fund, leaving as clear profit during the four years, $16,811.74.
The receipts from the business for the four years were $234,38G.S8; from the publication fund, $18,364.29; total, $252,751.17. Expenditures, $230,761.62. Reduction in debt, $19,413.71.
In 1867, the book-store, together with the general office, was removed from the second floor to the corner room on the first floor, and a special effort begun to attract local trade.
In 1869, the increase of business required the erection of an additional building. The lot in the rear of the main building, measuring 32 feet front on Fourth Street, with a depth of 593 feet, was occupied by cheap frames belonging to the House. Upon this lot a three-story brick power building was erected for the accommodation of the press and job printing depart- ments. Previous to this date, the presses had occupied the basement of the main building. The new building added largely to the facilities of the House. .
The first articles of incorporation were obtained in 1839, for a period of thirty years. The term of incorporation having expired in 1869, with- out the knowledge of the trustees and agent, the business was decided to be legally vested in the agent. By a special act of the legislature, the House was re-incorporated in 1871, and Mr. Shney transferred the property to the trustees for the sum of one dollar.
When the agent made his report, April 1, 1873, the financial condi- tion of the concern was as follows: Total value of assets, $124,308.98; total liabilities, $27,783.68, making the net assets $96,525.30, an increase in four years of $34,742.44. The cash receipts for the four years ending April 1, 1873, were $322,370.54. The expenditures for the same time were $318,628.89. The debt had been further reduced $5,018.07.
The stereotype foundry which had been established in 1853 having been discontinued for some years, a new foundry was opened in 1873, on the third floor of the new building.
April 1, 1877, the gross assets were $180,128.89; the liabilities had been reduced to $15,600.67, leaving the net assets, $114,528.22. Reduction
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in debt, $12,183.01. Profits for the four years, $18,002.92. At the same time, on account of the general decline in values in all branches of busi- ness, the invoice of fixed assets had been reduced by the amount of $10,345.15. Without this reduction, the actual profits were $28,318.07. The cash receipts for the four years ending April 1, 1877, were $378,545:36; expenditures, $377,343.77. By 1880, the entire remaining indebtedness, amounting to $15,600.67, had been finally liquidated.
In 1878, the book-store was enlarged by adding the rear portion of the store on the north side of the first floor.
On April 1, 1881, the net assets of the establishment were $162,- 726.17, an increase in four years of $48,197.86. In 1880, on account of increasing business, two large printing-presses, two folding-machines, a new engine, and other machinery were purchased at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. The cash receipts for the four years ending April 1, 1881, were $390,376.02; expenditures, $385,685.89.
The cash receipts for the four years ending April 1, 1885, were $507,157.98; expenditures, $502,516.38. During this quadreunium, ten thousand dollars of the profits of the House were distributed propor- tionately to the Annual Conferences as benevolent funds.
April 1, 1885, the net assets were $212,887.09, an increase of 850,- 160.92; adding to which $10,850.00 donated to the Conferences and other interests, the net profits for four years ending April 1, 1885, were found . to be $61,010.92.
In the summer of 1881, the capacity of the book-store was enlarged to the full size of the ground floor of the main building, the furniture was almost entirely renewed, and neither effort nor expense was spared to make it attractive to customers. The result of this step was a continued increase in the retail trade of the establishment. In 1883, a fourth story was added to the rear building on Fourth Street, at a cost of three thousand dollars. An electrotype foundry was added, and more room was provided for the bindery and mailing department. In the same year, in order to increase the capacity in job printing, a lease was obtained of the three-story brick building on the cast. In May, 1884, this property was purchased at a cost of $14,500. In April, 1885, a piece of ground running cast of the other property of the establishment was purchased, which is 36x593 feet in size, and there was also secured a perpetual leasehold of a piece of ground 40x68 feet in size, lying imme- diately north of the east end of the property of the llouse. The total cost of this purchase and leasehold was twelve thousand dollars and the assumption of the obligations of the lease.
Upon the lot bought in fee simple, upon the leasehold in the rear,
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and over a twelve-foot private alley on the east, there was erected, in 1886, a four-story brick building, suitable for a power-plant and heavy machinery. At the same time, changes and improvements were made in the older house, making an outlay, including the cost of the new building, of $24,212.21. Two new boilers and a new fifty horse-power engine were put in, and all the steam power-plaut removed to the rear of the new building. Three large now printing-presses were purchased, the press-room removed to the second floor of the new building, and the buildings were provided throughout with the best steam-heating ap- paratus and other conveniences and necessities for safety and service. The cost of these improvements was $19,526.10. "Including the payment of twelve thousand dollars for the last ground purchased, and four thou- sand, five hundred dollars still due ou the building bought in 1884, the aggregate expenditure for ground, buildings, machinery, etc., for the quadrennium ending in 1889, was $60,238.31.
In 1887, the book-store was again enlarged by the addition of a portion of the room in its rear, vacated by the press department, and by the removal of the general office of the House to new and commodious quarters in a part of the same room, fronting on Fourth Street.
The ground now occupied by the buildings measures 40 feet front on Main Street, and 200 feet front on Fourth Street, with a varying depth from Fourth Street northward of 40, 593, 80, and 100 feet. The combined area of the four floors is more than one acre. The present number of employes is about one hundred.
According to the agent's quadrennial report for the year 1889, the cash receipts of the establishment for the quadrennium just closing were: From business, $587,458.76; from loans, $34,781.41; total, $622,240.17; expenses, $618,113.62; and the actual net profits of the four years were $50,903.70. The cash sales of books reached $242,972.73, au increase of $63,278.72 over the four years ending in 1885. The cash income from the sales of periodicals amounted to $219,613.69, which was an increase of $20,381.44 over the previous quadrennium.
`The gross value of the assets of the establishment is now $282,884.70. The total indebtedness is $21,297.30, thus leaving the net value of the assets $261,587.40, an increase of $48,700.31 in four years. On the 1st of April, 1865, when the present agent assumed the management of the House, the net assets were $11,406.57. At the present time they are, as stated above, 8261,587.40, a net inercase of $250,180.57, an average annual increase of $10,424.18, exclusive of dividends made to the Con- ferences, and other unremunerafive outlays ordered by the General Conference.
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The history thus far has been concerned chiefly with the financial and material progress of the House. Something should be added to show more fully the development of a few of its departments, and the nature and character of its work.
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