USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 91
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The labors of Doctor Todd have proven to be substantial auxiliaries in these directions, and his observations and researches from a local stand- point have found expression in valuable publications and aided in accom- plishing the organization, permanence and security of the Academy of Science, at Columbus, Ohio. Independent of his studies and investigations and writings in testimony of his persistence, energy and enterprise, he has accu- mulated a cabinet of thirty thousand specimens, the largest private collection in Ohio, twenty thousand of which are historic and absolutely perfect. the remaining ten thousand being equally historic but partly incomplete. He lately presented five thousand to the Wooster City Library.
Doctor Todd is advanced in years to beyond middle life, is of medium height, with strong, wiry nerves, has black hair, faintly touched by the sil- very spray of years, with darting, dark, perceiving eyes, a clean, classic face. in which are mirrored his thoughts, feelings and emotions, the silent languages of the soul and heart as they are radiated from intellectual centers of acute and deep intensity. His faculties are in their zenith and in the highest de- gree capable of action, work and achievement, his physical forces ever ready to sustain his best promotive mental enterprise. He possesses the genius of adaptation to the subject in hand, and practices surgery on Time by cut- ting it into divisions and sub-divisions for the better and more systematic accomplishment of his professional, historic and scientific designs. Circum- stances, however iron-clad, are seldom permitted to interfere with his dis- tribution of work, for which he is in a state of constant preparation and
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adjustment to it. All his bases and foundations are well and strongly laid. This has been emphasized from the beginning of his professional career. In the battle with disease he must first reconnoiter the field and locate the enemy. bringing tact, judgment, reason and strategy to his assistance before assaulting the citadel. Nor does he rely on tactics of the books or the speculations of the old teachers, writers and theorists or depend upon a set of stereotyped methods to attain conclusions or achieve results. The entire human cosmos must be studied, its springs and action, temperament and con- stitutional peculiarities, the vibrations and relations of every chord of the poetic thousand on the human harp. He must seek and know, "For knowl- edge is of things we see." Nothing is taken for granted, nothing suspended in uncertainty, refusing to doubt when there is a rational possibility of being sure. He has, therefore, found it necessary to implicitly trust himself, others only so far as he may not be damaged in their disappointment.
In his divisions of study, experiments, and investigations and travel, . Doctor Todd finds an inspiriting life; he finds it in the forests and fields, among the pebbles and stones, the grasses and grains, the vines and orchards of his farm, in his beautiful home, with its stabilities of brick and stone, and its multiform tenantry of flowers and trees, overlooking the beautiful valley, whose preglacial history he has revealed to geologic science, and the irregular, undulating and hilly landscapes beyond with unraveled signs and legends, costumed in summer in delightful colors, lifting a robe of purity to the dawn and bursting into primal beauty at the touch of the sinking sun. In the enjoyment of this selected life an unusual importance is attached to the interest with which he invests it by word or conversation. He talks fluently on the subject-matter under consideration, with a familiarity with it that indicate how clearly he comprehends it; talks readily and quick and to the point, with singular accuracy and conciseness and invariably with an ob- jective. In his written productions is found remarkable perspicacity, strength and compactness of statements, an orderly and logical marshalling of ideals. in which is employed vigorous, but plain, pure English words, having but little use for superlatives, yet recognizing the fact that they are frequently decorations, but neither strengthen nor vitalize expression. There is a strict form and technical directness and transparency of thought and elucidation in all emanations from his pen. His habit is to think intently and well of his subject. hold it with a firm mental sub-maxillary grip, and when the time comes he rapidly unreels the finished fabric from his mind.
As a man Doctor Todd is substantial and intrinsic in his personality, a self-adjusting. independent, veritable entity, without a proxy, always stand-
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ing and answering for himself, maintains the essentials of proper equipoise and a lofty spirit, is benevolent, sympathetic, and humorous, all of which qualities pre-eminently characterize him. If the impulsiveness of some of the Celtic grit that is him crosses his orbit, the steadier and safer equilib- riums of his Dutch maternal blood act as a repellant and counter-force, when the shadow on the disc suddenly disappears. His student hours are tense and dense amid the silences of inquisitive and contemplative thought. To such minds relief to reflection is best assured by further reflection. What he reads, sees, hears and thinks, serves his premises; with these he cares, first, to improve himself. He deeply enjoys both ancient and modern litera- ture, the old poets and masters, the classic authors, the heralds and voices of antiquity, kneels at the shrines of the great artists and the fame-winners in sculpture and painting and architecture, participates in the acclamations of the triumphs of art and "the blaze of every science." For all of these and for maps and charts and models "and dusty tomes crowded with heavy but profound philosophies and researches," he possesses an exalted if not spirit- ualized appreciation. He enjoys, not alone, the distinguished merit and scholasticism of the literature of his profession, but the learning of men of learning, the best literary productions, whether those of Tacitus or Macaulay, and Chaucer or Tennyson-those composing and embodying the highest results of knowledge and fancy, preserved and transmitted by the old or later authors. He does not incline to a literature which exclusively regards the personal, the romantic and beautiful, as the cardinal objects of thought and expression, but rather one that combines those characteristics with defi- nite and accurate description, exact analysis, and the bringing together of true cause and effect as the chief end.
A scholar himself, with the training of the schools and familiar with college curriculums and the courses of study, the Doctor cherished the as- sumptions of his own line of study. and with due regard to preordained thinkers he has chiseled lines which are modest historical testimonies. And here he rests. as is his right. Among the possibilities of those existing are his incredulity in methods of education in this or any period of spasmic culture. His convictions of conscience are not absolutely in colleges and universities-men factories, in which you can make a man a real, live illum- inating genius out of the raw masticated material of creation. There must be a touch of the Master in it ; the spirit of the Designer behind it. In a Greek quarry, like ancient Oxford, there is a major portion who would make better operators as carpet-weavers in the mills of Wilton or steel grinders in Shef- field.
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Significally characteristic of the Doctor is his diligence in circumscrib- ing himself to the circle of his own affairs, whether in the administrations of his profession, the fascinating seclusion of his reliquaries or in perigrinations through the forests and fields or the slenderly wooded acres of the streams, challenging the outposts of landscapes for their buried or unburied, or even their semi-articulate tones of time, their resonant, choiceful antiquarian le- gends and secrets.
If Dr. Todd were objectless he would be a brilliant, if apparently fading, taper, but never invisible in the toneless halls of sleep. Not true is this. There is constantly an object impelling him, and such is his self-balance that he floats steadily on, whether on smooth or troubled currents, where and when he can afford to wait, accounting expectations as no punishment and willing to abide, if necessary, the adjournment of his hopes until the next day. If he has formality, it is that of his style and greeting, and upon meeting him his social and mental circumferences are at once visible. If there be a state- liness and a degree of selfhood, they are appurtenances belonging to him, but this is not sutre, or unbending, but native qualities which adhere and dwell in so metropolitan and composite a nature.
There are times when solitude, the compressed silences of the ages, break the limit and the eternal mandate of the world, when the thinker must retire and in the sweet martyrdom of seclusion speak to himself and address himself in the untold, unwritten language of the human soul, and in this sense, with what the eye can see in sight, or the mind can compass, more specially in looking back, he seeks his days and periods of tranquil quietness in seclu- sion, in his quaint libraries, his museum, among his geologic fossils, his In- dian quarries and prehistoric repositories, his aggregated things of antiquity and old atmosphere. Here he can conceal himself to be guessed at by those who do not know, to be understood by those who understand, to see and work unseen and when he emerges to the light again to be known by his vitalizations and actions that his retirement was not affection. From the effect of his exact professional habits he is discriminate and technical in place, time and order and is self-regulated to a degree which sometimes excites a suggestion, but this is essentially associated with the conscientious- ness which forms a conspicuous future of his character. He would be re- garded as a man well born, well derived, well disciplined and well finished, the strongest representative of his own personality, the sentinel of each of his own particular wards, a rampart to himself, testifying to the relations which he finds in life. He aims, first, to do justice to himself ; this done, he can dismiss all menace of opposition or lack of appreciation or superstition.
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He who keeps the door of a mine, whether of galena, mercury, plumbago, or aluminum, will soon know that the people want to see him, as real men always prefer to see and know real men.
The possession of the instinct of a man of historic and scientific ven- tures implies the boldness to do and accomplish; it carries in it the symptoms of determination and courage, for the culminations of all battles, whether fought in the interest of science or themselves, are pivoted on courage. The fibers and sinews of the scholar and thinker then reaches the stage and fills the proscenium. It is superbly gallant to be brave at cannon points, but better to be brave when better issues are joined. With Doctor Todd, he would sooner be the defendant than the challenger, but he in his inmost heart detests cowardice. If, however, he resolves to do or act, he would, with the mariner's instinct of his ancestry, plunge into the ships that go down into the sea, and in the delicious peril of death hammer at the doors that had never been opened. Even then, he would violate his attachments to his curios, and experience an ambiguous sound in the tender, holy and potential celestialities of a divinely Miltonic scene.
Of his curios! But he is not English enough to swing in hammocks. from the boughs of the Upas tree, or put the blood of a martyr in an elembic, or to saw a hole in the head of the"Winking Virgin" to know why she winks, but, if he won a Croesus or was the successor to the earldom of Arundel. he would beg the secrets of nature and, like Sir George, enrich the universi- ties of the world with his gifts.
-BY BEN DOUGLAS.
JOSEPH PERILSTEIN.
The record of Joseph Perilstein is that of a man who, by his own un- aided efforts, has worked his way from a modest beginning to a position of influence and prosperity. His life has been one of unceasing industry and perseverance, and the systematic and honorable methods he has followed have won him the unbounded confidence of his fellow citizens. Joseph Perilstein. a well-known merchant of Orrville, is an American by adoption only. but he has always been loyal to our institutions since his coming here. He was born in Austria-Hungary in 1873, the son of Abraham and Molly Perilstein. both of whom are still living in the old country.
Young Joseph in his boyhood assisted his father about the home place and dreamed of the great republic across the Atlantic of which he had been
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told so much, and, when eighteen years of age, he got enough money together to come to America. He landed in New York, but later came on to Cleve- land. He was penniless, but, being ambitious and possessing many of the qualities that always make for success, he soon found employment in selling goods to individual families. He could not speak English, but study and ob- servation soon acquired our language. He was on the road for four and one-half years. Then in 1896 he came to Orrville, Ohio, and engaged in the dry goods business and, being successful from the first, he has been here ever since, having built up an excellent trade with the town and surrounding country. He had but little capital when he came here, but he has been very successful and is now carrying a large stock of merchandise, carefully se- lected and up to date, and his prices are always right, according to many of his customers, who come from all parts of the county to deal. At first his store was very small, but now it requires three large rooms to accommodate his large stocks, occupying the first, second and third floors of a substantial building in the best business part of the city. He carries a full line of dry goods, cloaks, carpets, rugs and lace curtains, and his store is always a busy place. He requires a number of clerks and other employes to assist in car- rying on his rapidly growing business. Here customers always get courteous consideration and a square deal. In other words, he conducts "The Growing Store of Wayne County."
Mr. Perilstein was married in 1889 to Edith Warner, a native of Aus- tria, but she came to America when young, having spent her early girlhood in Vienna. Their marriage occurred in New York. They have no children.
Mr. Perilstein is a stockholder in the Orrville National Bank and he also has valuable real estate holdings. He has a beautiful home and is one of the leading citizens of Orrville. Fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is an obliging, genteel, progressive business man, who has won a reputation for both industry and fair dealing.
JAMES M. WARD.
One of the well known and influential citizens of Congress township, Wayne county, Ohio, is James M. Ward, who for a number of years has resided here and successfully conducted one of the best farms in the town- ship. He has always been actively interested in everything which tended to promote the development of this region, and has been confidently counted
J. M. WARD
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upon at all times to endorse progressive measures and to uphold the law, right and justice. Mr. Ward was born in the township of Canaan, this county, his natal day having been the 25th of December, 1852. His father was John W. Ward, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1821, and who married Mary Magdeline Ritter, who was born in Chester township, this county, in 1829. John W. Ward was a prominent and successful farmer near Burbank, this county, and died in 1898. In politics he was a Democrat and took a live interest in public affairs. He and his family were active members of the United Brethren church. To him and his wife were born six children, a remarkable feature in connection therewith being the fact that they included three pairs of twins. They are mentioned as follows: John and James, the former being deceased, and the latter being the subject of this sketch; Christina and Lucy, the former the wife of Frank Myers, of Bur- bank, and the latter the wife of Daniel Hartman, of Greene county, Ohio; John Leander and Mary Esther, the former living in this state, and the latter being a nurse in California. A further notable fact regarding the five sur- The viving children is that their aggregate weight is over half a ton. subject's paternal grandfather, Robert Ward, was a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and was a stone-mason by trade. He came from Maryland to Ohio in 1836, locating in Canaan township. The maternal grandfather was Jacob Ritter, a native of Pennsylvania who came to Ohio sometime before the twenties and settled in Chester township, Wayne county, where he operated the large farm now owned by John Raudebaugh.
James M. Ward secured his preliminary education in the common school near his home, after which he took the literary course at Lodi Academy, He was then engaged for eight winters in teaching school, in which he was eminently successful. He had decided to make the practice of medicine his life work and to this end his leisure hours during this period were spent in the study of medicine and under the direction of Dr. C. J. Warner, of Congress. By dint of rigid economy, the subject managed to save five hundred dollars and with this he matriculated in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery. He completed his technical studies in the medical department of Wooster University, graduating in 1878 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. During the following two years he was engaged in the practice with Dr. Warner, his former tutor, and at the end of that period he opened an office alone in that town. He also owned and operated a drug store, and was highly successful in both professional and commercial lines. During the following five years he was very busily engaged and
(54)
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was highly gratified with his success. In 1885 his father-in-law died, and it became necessary for him to supervise the large Van Sweringen farm in Congress township. In order to properly do this, the Doctor found it nec- essary to give up his practice, which he did and moved onto the farm. He has since continued to manage this property and has been equally as suc- cessful in this line as he formerly was in his profession. He and his wife together own about two hundred and fifty acres of land in Wayne county and they have been greatly prospered in the operation of this land. The Doctor is progressive in his methods and keeps in close touch with the most advanced methods of agriculture. He keeps the place up to the highest standard of excellence and the appearance of the place indicates the owner to be a man of good taste and sound judgment.
In politics the subject gives an enthusiastic support to the Republican party, but is not in any sense a seeker for public office. He gives his unre- served support to every measure that promises to benefit the community in any way.
On the 3Ist of October, 1878, Mr. Ward wedded Martha H. Van Sweringen, who was born in Congress township, this county, October 31, 1860. Her father was Thomas Van Sweringen, a prominent farmer of that township. Her mother was a member of the Miller family, being Mary A. Miller. To this union have been born two children, namely: Roy M., born April 30, 1890, and Georgia May, born September 15, 1880, and who is now the wife of Hugh Johnson, a prominent farmer of this county. So- cially, Mr. Ward is a member of the Junior Order of United American Me- chanics. Mr. Ward is one of the leading citizens of his township and is well worthy of the regard in which he is universally held. Mrs. Ward is a member of the Presbyterian church at Congress.
JOHN CRAMER.
The office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave upon the record the verdict establishing his character by the consensus of opinion on the part of his neighbors and fellow citizens. In touching upon the life history of the subject of this sketch the writer aims to avoid fulsome encomium and extrav- agant praise, yet he desires to hold up for consideration those facts which
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have shown the distinction of a true, useful and honorable life-a life char- acterized by perseverance, energy, broad charity and well-defined purpose. To do this will be but to reiterate the dictum pronounced upon the man by the people who have known him long and well.
John Cramer, who is numbered among the enterprising and successful agriculturists of Wayne county, was born at West Lebanon, this county, on the 26th of June, 1851, and is the son of Michael and Nancy (Gramling) Cramer. The Cramer family is traced to a German origin, though the sub- ject's maternal grandmother was a native of England. Michael Cramer was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1815, and in his youth he accom- panied his parents to Ohio, they locating at Fredericksburg. The father was a tanner by trade and established a tannery at that place, which soon grew to an important industry. He was an expert in his line and commanded a large patronage, the farmers from all the surrounding country bringing their hides to his tannery. Michael Cramer followed in his father's foot- steps and learned the trade of a tanner, establishing himself in business at West Lebanon, where he continued in business until his death, which oc- curred at the comparatively early age of forty-one years. He was one of the best known men in this part of the country and he too commanded the patronage of all the farmers in his community. He was industrious and a good manager and was considered a very successful man for his day. He built one of the first brick houses in West Lebanon, and in its construction he paid the masons seventy-five cents a day, a wage that at the present day would hardly be an inducement for a man to lay brick. He was a man of decided domestic tastes and did not care to take an active part in the public affairs of his day. At that time Massillon was the only town of any impor- tance in this section of the state, being the main trading point, and West Lebanon was a common stopping place for farmers on their way to Massillon. Mr. Cramer and his wife were faithful members of the Church of God, and he was generous in support of the society. He married Nancy Gramling, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio at the age of nine years, the family making the trip in a covered wagon: Her father had previously been in Ohio inspecting the land and had walked the entire distance from his home both ways. The ancestors of the Gramling family are supposed to have come from Holland. Mrs. Cramer's father was a cabinet-maker by trade, in which he was employed all his life. He was of an inventive turn of mind and constructed the first fanning mill ever in use in this part of the country. Michael and Nancy Cramer were married at West Lebanon, and their union was blessed in the birth of five children, namely: Henry, who died at the
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age of nineteen years, the result of wounds received during the Civil war, while engaged in the battle at Floyd Mountain. He was a member of the Twenty-third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and had served all but twelve days of his three-year period of enlistment. Sarah married a Mr. Frantz and lives in Sugarcreek township, this county. Two children died in infancy unnamed. The subject of this sketch is the youngest of the children.
John Cramer was reared under the parental rooftree and was given ex- cellent educational advantages. He received his elementary training in the common schools at West Lebanon, and supplemented this by attendance at the Smithville Academy and Mount Union College. He then entered the Leb- anon Normal School in Warren county, taking the course in surveying and civil engineering, but left school before graduating. After completing his studies he was for several years engaged in teaching school in Wayne and Stark counties, but at length he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he has been engaged continuously since. Mr. Cramer has resided on his present place practically since he was three years old. His father dying at that time, he was placed in the home of his Grandfather Gramling, and the farm then owned by the latter is that now owned and operated by the subject. It is a fine and fertile tract of land, considered one of the best pieces of land in this part of the county, and it is splendidly improved and is constantly maintained at the highest standard of excellence. Mr. Cramer is practical and progressive in his ideas and he has left no stone unturned to bring the science of agriculture up to the highest possible plane. In this laudable effort he has succeeded to a gratifying degree. Mr. Cramer lives in a conveniently arranged and attractive residence, which is fitted with many modern and up-to-date conveniences, including a complete acetylene lighting plant and running water in all parts of the house where desired. The other buildings on the place are in keeping with the residence and the general appearance of the whole property indicates the owner to be a man of exceptional taste and sound judgment. He raises all the crops common to this latitude, also giving considerable attention to the breeding and raising of livestock, and is practical and progressive in his methods. Mr. Cramer's property is of additional value from the fact that underlying it is a magnifi- cent bed of coal. Mr. Cramer has leased the coal rights to a Cleveland com- pany which has sunk a shaft and is engaged in mining it. Large quantities of the fuel are shipped constantly and from this source Mr. Cramer derives a handsome royalty.
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