History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920, Part 10

Author: Hooper, Osman Castle, 1858-1941
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Columbus : Memorial Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 702

USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 10

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On June 3, 1890, the street railway employes, who had formed a union, struck for shorter hours and more pay. No attempt was made to run cars till June 5, when a car

High Street in 1888. Looking South From Broad Street

was run on Long street to High, where it was derailed and abandoned. An effort the next day to reach an agreement failed. The company tried a court injunction on the 7th, but that, too, failed owing to public sympathy with the strikers, great crowds blocking the progress of the cars. On the 9th there was another conference, at which a settlement was reached and on the 10th, traffic was resumed. By the agreement, the working day was re- duced from 16 to 12 hours and wages were increased.

The remains of General Wm. T. Sherman, who had died in New York, February 14, 1891, passed through the city on the 21st, en route to St. Louis. The train was greeted by the solemn booming of cannon. A great civie and military parade marched up High street to the Union Station, where a sympathetic crowd of several thousand had gathered. When the funeral train left, it was followed by a special carrying members of the Ohio General Assembly and the Fourteenth and Sixteenth regiments, Ohio National Guard, who went to St. Louis to participate in the funeral ceremonies.

Bishop Watterson's silver jubilee was observed August 9, 1893, by a large gathering of distinguished churchmen, among whom was Archbishop Elder. Pontifical High Mass was celebrated in the morning at the cathedral and in the afternoon there was a parade of local

HISTORY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO

and visiting Catholic societies, and in the evening there was a reception for the Bishop in the City Hall, with a banquet at the Chittenden Hotel.

The city was visited June 8, 1893, by the Duke of Veragna and members of his family, direct descendants of Christopher Columbus. They had come from Spain, by invitation, to attend the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of America and, by invitation, they came to Columbus to see the largest city in the world bearing the name of their distinguished ancestor. "There was a patriotic demonstration, with a street parade planned and commanded by General C. C. Waleutt. The parade was headed by General Waleutt and staff, followed by Superintendent J. A. Shawan, of the publie schools, representatives of the parochial schools and about 10,000 children from both publie and parochial schools. The marchers bore the Stars and Stripes and the colors of Spain and many patriotic mottoes and, as they passed the reviewing stand, deposited their tribute of flowers. The National Guard and police guarded the streets and no accident marred the great demonstration.

In 1897, the people of Columbus gave a considerable part of their effort to the cele- bration of the eentennial of Franklinton. The first steps were taken by Father D. A.

Farewell to the Troops, Spanish-American War. 1898

Clarke, of the Holy Family church, who called a meeting of West Side citizens at the West Side Market Hall, May 21, 1897. Committees were appointed and went to work. The Board of Trade responded with similar committees for the East Side and there was co-opera- tion resulting in the selection of September 11, 15 and 16 as the dates and the natural amphitheater west of the Central Hospital for the Insane, as the place. On the opening day, there were addresses by D. J. Clahane, chairman of the executive committee, Governor Asa S. Bushnell, Mayor Samuel L. Black and General John Beatty. On the second day, there was a civic and industrial parade; addresses by United States Senator M. A. Hanna, Bishop John A. Watterson and Colonel E. L. Taylor. On the third day, there were ad- dresses by Rev. J. H. Creighton and Congressman John J. Lentz, chorus singing of Keller's American Hymn and of "The Buckeye Pioneers," words by Osman C. Hooper and musie by Ella May Smith, a special song for the occasion. On each of the days there were sports, fireworks, sham battles and other amusements, and in the Highland avenue school building there was a historical exhibit of great interest.

The call for troops for the short war with Spain brought to Columbus for the third time since its founding the stir and excitement of military preparation. In 1816, there

LEADING EVENTS FROM 1865 TO 1900

seems to have been no special place of rendezvous. In 1861 Goodale park (called Camp Jackson) was used until Camp Chase was made ready. In 1898, a 500-aere traet east of the city, just beyond Bullitt park, was chosen. H. A. Axline was Adjutant-General of Ohio and when war became eertain, he sent a force to prepare the eamp at that spot. The city extended its water mains to the site, the ground was laid out and lighted by electricity and the tents were set. The outside companies of the Fourteenth regiment arrived in the city April 27 and made temporary headquarters at the Armory, on Goodale street. On the 29th, the entire regiment marched to Camp Bushnell, as the rendezvous had been called, great crowds cheering them on the way. In the afternoon, Battery H of the First regi- ment Ohio Light Artillery proceeded to camp. Then followed the First regiment, of Cin- cinnati; the Third, of Springfield; the Eighth, of Akron, and three companies of the Ninth Battalion (eolored) ; the Second, of Kenton; the Sixteenth, of Toledo; the Seventeenth, of Chillicothe, and the Fifth, of Cleveland. The remainder of the artillery regiment arrived at camp at the end of the week, making the number of men in camp more than 8,000.

Great crowds of people eame to the city Sunday-the wives, sweethearts and friends of the soldiers-and the day was one burst of enthusiasm, following the demonstrations at- tending the arrival of each body of troops. Then followed days of drill in cold, rainy weather, with dress parade in the evening which, despite the weather, proved very at- tractive to the people who, while not warlike, were universally sympathetic and eager for the liberation of Cuba. This feeling was accentuated with the coming of the news of Dewey's vietory in Manila Bay, and the second Sunday in camp brought even a greater number of visitors to the city and camp than did the first. The militiamen were about completing their physical examination prior to their admission to the fighting forces of the United States when two battalions of cavalry organized after the call arrived. On May 13 the troops were ordered to move to Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, and on the following day, the first troops left the city. Singularly enough, they were the cavalry, Colonel Day, who had been the last to arrive. The First regiment left Saturday evening, the Fourteenth (later the Fourth O. V. I.) left Sunday, and the other troops as fast as transportation could be provided, the later ones going to Tampa. Sunday's demonstration was most impres- sive, for these were the home boys going away to fight for somebody else's liberty. As the regiment marched west on Broad street, it was met by a eivic parade, headed by Mayor Samuel L. Black, with the police, letter carriers, uniformed knights and others, while the church throngs and others looked on from the sidewalks and applauded. In the State House yard eannon boomed a farewell. Hardly less enthusiastic was the Godspeed given to the Ninth Battalion, Major Young, when it left on the following Friday. The colored people had arranged an escort of their own and presented to the departing troops a stand of colors, J. D. Tyler making the presentation speech at the reviewing stand near the entrance to the State House grounds.

A little more than three weeks after the first troops arrived, the last had gone. The average number of troops in camp was 8,000, and everything had been satisfactorily done. The cost per meal per man was shown by the Adjutant General's report to have been seven cents, and the rations were said to have been of first quality.

The return of the troops after the war was marked by similar demonstrations of en- thusiasm, to which was added congratulation at the early and satisfactory result of the intervention. The Columbus troops had served chiefly in the oceupation of Porto Rico.

In 1906, following the example in other parts of the country, the soldiers of that war organized Columbus Camp No. 49, Department of Ohio, United Spanish War Veterans. The first officers of the camp were: Commander, John C. Speaks ; senior vice commander, Harold M. Bush; junior viee commander, Arthur C. McGuire; adjutant, Charles W. Finley; quartermaster, Ben W. Chamberlain; officer of the guard, Morton H. Hayes; surgeon, Henry M. Taylor; chaplain, Henry W. Krumm; trustees, MacLee Wilson, George B. Donavin and B. L. Bargar. Through this organization there has been much mutual helpfulness and the annual honoring of the memory of the dead. In 1908, the mothers, wives and woman rela- tives of the veterans of the Spanish war were organized as Columbus Auxiliary, No. 18, and have served the kindly, helpful purposes of such organizations.

CHAPTER X. EVENTS FROM 1900 TO 1918.

Memorial to President Wm. Mckinley-Disastrous Strike of Street Railway Employes- Centennial of the Founding of Columbus-"Billy" Sunday Revival-Great Flood of 1913-Demand for Flood Protection and Adoption of the Channel Improvement Plan -Troops at Camp Willis for Mexican Border Service-Border Service Medal- Woman Suffrage Movement.

The death of President Wm. Mckinley at the hands of an assassin in 1901 brought a real sorrow to Columbus where he had lived and served as Governor and during his period of residence had been a real factor in the city life. The suggestion that a memorial to him be erected at onee found approval and it was quickly arranged that the state and the capital city should share equally in such a tribute. A popular subscription was opened and in a short time 15,000 persons had subscribed $25,000. The General Assembly ap- propriated another $25,000. II. A. MaeNeil, New York seulptor, was engaged to design and ereet at the middle of the west side of the Capitol square the memorial which is now the chief art work in the city. The commission which had charge of the work was composed of state and city officials, representatives of the Board of Trade and of the citizens generally. During the four years in which the sculptor was at work, Governors George K. Nash, Myron T. Herriek, John M. Pattison, Mayors D. C. Badger and Robert H. Jeffrey, L. C. Laylin, Walter D. Guilbert, Daniel H. Sowers, F. W. Schumacher, R. Grosvenor Hutchins, George W. Lattimer, John J. Joyce, O. A. Miller and George W. Bright were members, John G. Deshler was president, John Y. Bassell secretary and W. F. Burdell treasurer.

The dedieation of the memorial, September 15, 1906, the fifth anniversary of McKin- ley's death, was the occasion of a tremendous outpouring of people. Not fewer than 50,000 persons were crowded into the Capitol square. Owing to some idle curiosity on a part of a few in the throng, a movement of the great mass at one time began which threat- ened a disaster, and it was necessary to adjourn the meeting which it was expected to have in the open air. The speakers of the day were Justice Wm. R. Day, United States Senator John W. Daniels, Past Commander Joseph W. Kay, of the Union Veteran Legion, and Com- mander-in-Chief B. R. Brown, of the Grand Army of the Republie. They were heard in the evening by a great audience in Memorial Hall.

The memorial, which faces to the west, has the general form of an are, a pedestal at the center bearing an heroic size statue of MeKinley as he appeared when delivering at the Buffalo Exposition his last publie address. At each end and connected with the central pedestal by a granite bench are two allegorieal figures intended to typify the American ideas and sentiments that underlie good government. On the right is the type of physical forec and human energy in repose-a strong man beside whom is seated a youth of the coming generation in an attitude of intense study under the direction of practical wisdom and maturity. Together the figures typify prosperity through progress. On the left is the figure of a woman typical of those noble attributes of heart and home for which the country stands, the complement of those exemplified in the man towards whom she looks. Her left hand protectingly eneireles the maiden at her side and places above the emblem of war the palm of peace. The maiden holds in her hand a wreath. This group is meant to sym- bolize the tribute of the people to MeKinley. On the stone work on either side of the statuary and upon the pedestal itself are striking quotations from MeKinley's last address.

The year 1910 was marked by one of the longest and most bitterly contested street car strikes on record. A labor union was organized among the employes early in the year and, through its officers, in the last days of March demand was made for increased pay on the basis of 27 eents an hour, for the right of the men to deal with the company through the union, for the restoration of certain discharged employes and for time and a half for work beyond the schedule which was nine and a half hours a day. There were negotiations for several days and various efforts to prevent a strike, which culminated in a proposition by the company to pay a cent an hour more, to listen to complaints from its employes at any

EVENTS FROM 1900 TO 1918

time and to restore to their places most of the discharged men. The proposition was ac- cepted April 6 without a strike.

Discontent, however, arose among the men. They charged that the agreement was not being carried out by the company, that union men were being discriminated against and that the leaders in the making of the March demand were being disposed of as rapidly as possible. Failing to get satisfaction from the company they struck July 24, and the com- pany undertook to run its cars under protection The employes then numbered about 600, most of whom were actively in the strike. Violence at once began, offered not so much by the strikers themselves as by roughs and idlers who felt behind them a popular disapproval of the company. Mayor Marshall, finding that the police could not control the situation, called on the sheriff for assistance and, when the combined force failed, he asked Governor Harmon for troops. The troops came, 2,000 of them at first, and were quartered in the State House grounds, in Franklin and Washington parks and at the car-houses north and west. That was July 28th. On the 30th more troops were called, being used not to run the cars, but to suppress rioting and preserve order, and in the meantime efforts were made by the city, the state and business organizations to bring about a settlement. Terms were offered by each side and rejected or ignored by the other.

Tiere of Capitol and Mckinley Monument

Thinking the worst over the Governor sent the troops home and they left, half on the 4th and the remainder on the 7th. The violence was then renewed, cars were stoned and there was some shooting in which a number of persons were hurt. Mayor Marshall ordered that police be put on the cars, the more readily to arrest rioters. Thirty-three members of the force refused to obey these orders and were dismissed by Chief Charles E. Carter. Others obeyed and special officers were sworn in, but the mob spirit persisted. On August 15, Governor Harmon recalled the troops and took personal charge of the situation, but he was no more snecessful than the Mayor had been. The rioters procured dynamite which they used in efforts to destroy cars and car-houses. A score or more of persons who ven- tured to ride the cars were injured and Robert Mitchell died from the effects of an injury when hit by a stone.

The city was now thoroughly alarmed; rewards were offered for the capture of the dynamiters, and the police and troops were more vigorous in their measures; prisoners were made to understand that they would be prosecuted and punished if guilty. The extraordi- nary violence had alienated the sympathy of many, and gradually the car traffic came into its customary security. But it was not till October 18 that the carmen voted to call off the strike and lift the business ban that had been laid on all who rode in the cars. The union got no concession from the company, though General Manager Stewart expressed a willingness to take back into the company's employ men who had not been identified with the violence,

HISTORY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO

if their places had not already been filled. Four of the arrested rioters were sent to the Penitentiary and two to the Reformatory. The cost to the state for the use of the troops was $180,000; the cost to the city was $75,000; the company lost a great volume of business and the men lost nearly three months' wages, and there was much damage to ears, car-honses and other property. And out of the long struggle grew a Socialist party with about 10,000 votes.

The centennial anniversary of the founding of Columbus was celebrated during the week of August 26, 1912, in connection with the State Fair. Monday, the 26th, was Columbus day, with a parade of floats, an antomobile parade and other features demonstrating the industrial and commercial life of the eity and a great out-door meeting addressed by Gov- ernor Judson Harmon, Mayor George J. Karb and President W. O. Thompson, of the Centennial Commission. Tuesday was Ohio day, its features being a luncheon of the descend- ants of Ohio Governors, a woman suffrage parade of 4,000 persons, and a beautiful histor- ical pageant of numerous floats that moved on High and other eentral streets in the evening. Wednesday, Fraternal day, was especially marked by the coming from other cities in the state of a number of German singing societies, a parade with the local societies and a concert at Memorial Hall in the evening. On Thursday President W. H. Taft eame, spoke at the Fair Grounds and was entertained by the lawyers at a banquet in the evening. Friday, Veterans' day, witnessed gatherings of Civil War and Spanish War veterans, and a tablet to soldiers of the American Revolution who are buried in Franklin county was un- veiled in Memorial Hall. Saturday, Children's day, was observed with a great pageant on Ohio Field in which many children took part. The week began with rain and ended with extreme heat which caused many prostrations at the children's pageant, but it was a sea- son of events worthy of the occasion and enjoyed by many thousands of visitors as well as the 200,000 residents. Of the street decorations the most notable was the Court of Honor built in Broad street between High and Third. Another feature was the historieal exhibit, under the auspices of the Daughters of the American Revolution, at the Public Library building.

In December, 1912, in response to a request of a committee of ministers, eame Rev. William A. ("Billy") Sunday and his group of evangelistic workers. In the party, besides Mrs. ("Ma") Sunday, were: B. D. Ackley, Grace Saxe, Homer A. Rodehaver, Anna Mac- Laren, Fred Siebert, "Uncle Jimmie" Johnson, Rev. and Mrs. William Asher and William Collison. Great advance preparations were made for the revival. A fund was raised for the building of a tabernacle at Goodale and Park streets, with a seating capacity of 12,000 besides seats for a choir of 1,200. Church and cottage prayer meetings were held and an agreement was entered into by which sixty of the churches closed on Sunday, releasing the pastors and members for religious work in connection with the revival. The project was opposed from the beginning by Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, who disapproved both Sun- day's doctrines and methods. The Lutherans also held aloof, but for the most part all the Protestant churches of the city joined in the work which continued from December 29 to February 16, 1913. In that period 95 meetings were held in the tabernacle, sometimes as often as three a day, and at all but two of these "Billy" Sunday preached, occasionally also speaking in nearby towns. From the very first the daily newspapers treated the re- vival as a local event of first moment; religion was the first topic of conversation; business and social engagements were deferred or abandoned; everybody was intent on hearing or discussing the evangelist, and the few objectors only added to the zest. The newspapers with specially assigned reporters, pictured the great throngs that filled the tabernacle and reported the evangelist's sermons in full, as well as all the news of the life of the various members of the party. Bad weather had no effect on the meetings. People clamored at the doors long before they were open and never failed to fill the room. Some carried lunches which they ate between services, thus hearing two sermons a day. The employes of stores and factories went en masse to the services; throngs came from outside towns and filled seats that were reserved for them. The city and environs were stirred as never before by a revival. Reconscerations and conversions numbered 18,333, of whom 2,189 went forward on the last day of the meetings. All who signed cards had indicated their church prefer- enees, and they were so divided among the different denominations, the pastors and workers of each church then seeking to gather in the converts. Many church membership rolls were lengthened by hundreds. The actual increase in church strength is uncertain; it is enough

EVENTS FROM 1900 TO 1918

to say here that not all of the conversions proved to be lasting. The total of the offerings was $14,432.68. Of this, the personal offering to Mr. Sunday was about $21,000; that for · current expenses, $19,187.81; for charity, $2,381.55 and that for the women of the party, $1,115.55.

Another great event of 1913 was the flood which overwhelmed the West Side and set the rest of the city an unprecedented task of rescue and relief. Its immediate predecessor was the flood of 1898, which caused much property loss, drove people from their homes, halted the work in factories and closed for a time the water works and electric light plants. There had been floods from the time of the very earliest settlement at Franklinton; in fact the location that Lueas Sullivant chose in 1797 for the town was shifted to higher ground on account of an inundation in 1798. Others had followed in 1828, 1832, 1834, when the temporary National Road bridge was damaged; 1847, when that damage was repeated and water rose five feet in the warehouses along the Scioto; in 1852, when the river bottoms were inundated and Franklinton was isolated; in 1860, 1862, 1869, 1870, 1875, 1881 and 1883. Of these floods, two had occurred in January, two in February, two in March, two in April, and one each in July, August, September and December. The danger time, it will be ob- served, was in the spring and winter months. Notably, too, there was an increase in the severity of the floods as the years passed, due, no doubt, in large part, to the encroach- ments on the river channel as the city grew.

The West Side well knew the menace but even with the sad experience of 1898, it had no conception of the disaster that befell it March 25, 1913, and the days immediately fol- lowing. There had been heavy rainfall in the watershed of the Seioto and Olentangy rivers, Sunday, March 23. By 9 o'clock Tuesday morning the water overtopped the levee and by noon all the low ground was inundated. The destruction of the levees left the sub- merged section at the mercy of the river, which raged beyond the capacity of the channel for nearly five days. Those were days of terror for those caught in the flood and of tre- mendous effort at succor on the part of the municipal officials, police, soldiers and citizens. In many parts of the district the water ran in currents so swift that boats could not pass. Houses were bowled off their foundations and people who had gone to the upper stories for safety were thrown in the water and drowned. Some who had climbed into trees could not be reached by the boats and suffered from hunger and cold till they dropped into the waters and were lost. In these and other ways, 93 lives were lost. Thousands of people were imprisoned in their homes for three or four days; others escaped, leaving all their pos- sessions behind only to find that they were swept away or otherwise destroyed by the water. The property damage was estimated by the engineers who made the flood protection survey later, at $5,622,000. The entire city was without water for 20 hours and the West Side for about a week : all the public schools were closed for three days and the nine public schools on the West Side for five weeks or more; railroads were unable to operate on their own tracks for weeks; street car service throughout the city was suspended for two days and badly crippled for a week and cars were not run across the river for a month; four street bridges were destroyed and many West Side streets were so filled with debris as to be im- passable.

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History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920, Part 10

Author: Hooper, Osman Castle, 1858-1941 Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Columbus : Memorial Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 702

Author: Hooper, Osman Castle, 1858-1941
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Columbus : Memorial Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 702