History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 48

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196

USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II > Part 48

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INDUSTRIAL EVENTS.

" The committee on centennial disbursements held a meeting Saturday, closed up their affairs and will file their report and papers with the secretary of the board today. The com- mittee have raised $78,386.08 and disbursed all but $18 07, which they turn over to D. S. Gray chairman of the Finance Committee of the General Council, together with $290.18 of notes and $2.575.50 of uncollected accounts to apply on the G. A. R. deficit of $11,400. The total subscription is $80,093, including the amount thus far paid on the deficit of the G. A. R. Council. The uncollected subscriptions amount to $2,565.50, or less than 4 per cent., and a part of this balance will be paid by the subscribers still delinquent. The centennial com- mission secured of the amount collected $22,986, the Ohio National Guard encampment $2,000, the G. A. R. council $51,612 30, and expense account $1.769.71.

CHAPTER XXII.

BOARD OF TRADE.

On Saturday, July 17, 1858, a meeting of business men was held at the City Hall. Not only Columbus but Groveport, Lockbourne, Shadeville, Winchester and other neighboring towns were represented. The meeting organized by electing Theodore Comstock chairman and J. B. Bortle secretary. The object of the assembly, as stated by its chairman, was to organize a society to be known as the Board of Trade of the City of Columbus. The intended purposes of this proposed society, the chairman further stated, were " to promote integrity and good feeling and just and equitable principles in business transactions," and to " protect the rights and advance the commercial, mercantile and manufacturing interests of the city." After this statement the meeting proceeded to organize an association of the character described, and elected the following officers to serve until July 1, 1859 : President, H. Fitch ; Vice President, J. R. Paul; Secretary, John B. Bortle ; Treasurer, S. S. Rickly ; Directors, J. F. West of Shadeville, A. H. Paul of Grove- port, M. C. Whitehurst of Winchester and Theodore Comstock, Jacob Rickly, Louis Zettler and James O'Kane of Columbus ; Committee on Arbitration, Samuel Sharp of Groveport, J. W. Pence of Lockbourne, A. S. Decker, J. H. Stage and R. Main. The directors were instructed to procure suitable rooms for exchange and business meetings of the association, and a committee was appointed to draft a constitution and supplementary bylaws to be submitted at the next meeting. After this we hear of daily meetings of the Columbus Board of Trade, between nine and two o'clock, at its rooms in the Deshler Block on the corner of High and Town streets.

On January 4, 1859, the Board appointed delegates to a convention of for- warders and others interested in the canals of Ohio, to be held in Columbus on the sixth of the ensuing June. At the same time the Board adopted a series of resolu- tions, one of which read as follows :

That in the opinion of this Board a sale or lease of the canals of this State would result in widespread ruin to a very large number of our citizens, a very great decrease of taxable property upon the duplicate and deprivation of a home market for the products of our soil and manufactures.

This association, apparently the pioneer of its kind, soon disappeared from the current chronicles of the city. Its existence was doubtless brief. It is evident,

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BOARD OF TRADE.

however, that the need of some sueh organization continned to be recognized, for, on June 23, 1866, a meeting of citizens called for the purpose of organizing a Board of Trade for the city was held. C. P. L. Butler was appointed chairman of this meeting and James M. Comly Secretary. A committee of five was appointed to file with the Secretary of State a certificate drawn and signed as follows:

We the undersigned citizens of the State of Ohio, and residing or doing business in the City of Columbus, do hereby associate ourselves together as a Board of Trade of the City of Columbus, to be located and situated in the City of Columbus, County of Franklin and State of Ohio, where its business is to be transacted.

The objects of the said association are to promote integrity and good faith, just and equitable principles of business ; to discover and correct abuses; to establish and maintain uniformity in commerical usages; to acquire, preserve and disseminate valuable business statistics and information; to prevent or adjust controversies or misunderstandings which may arise between persons engaged in trade; and generally to foster, protect and advance, the commercial, mercantile and manufacturing interests of the city, in conformity with an act of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio entitled " an act to authorize the incorpora- tion of Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce," passed April 3, 1866.

Andrew Wilson, Junior, A. Kelley, D. S Gray, C. S. Dyer, J. M. Comly, W. A. Neil, E. E. Shedd, John L. Gill, C. P. L. Butler, Theodore H. Butler. James Patterson, W. J. Fell, Luther Donaldson, John Miller. A. J. Rigre, H A. Rushmer, C. W. Douty, G. W. Huffman, J. H. MeColm, H. Bancroft, T. R. Carpenter, N. B. Marple, William Richards, F. M. Holmes, Jared Forsman, Jobn G. Thompson, Thomas Robinson, James Lindsey, E. A Fitch, Starling Loving, D. W. H. Day, R. E. Coyle, J. L. Gill, Junior, G. W. Gill, John B. Peters, S. S. Rickly, S. M. Smith, W. A. Gill, Junior, J. G. Neil, Richard Nevins, E. G. Field, R. D. Harri- son, George B. Wright, J. M. Westwater, W. Westwater, D. A. Randall, I. C. Aston, R. E. Champion, W. R. Thrall, H. H Kimball, W. H. Akin, William H. Reed, A. P. Griffin, F. C. Sessions, William A. Platt, Cyrus E. McComb, I. A. Ilutchinson.

A proposition to amend the name of the association by adding the words "and Franklin County," was rejected. A certificate of incorporation was obtained, and at a subsequent meeting held June 30, a constitution of seventeen articles was submitted and adopted. In pursuance of this constitution officers were elected as follows: President, W. B. Brooks ; Vice Presidents, Jared Forsman, James Pat- terson, Theodore H. Butler, James S. Abbott, J. M. Westwater, Earl E. Sbedd ; Secretary, James M. Comly ; Treasurer, C. N. Bancroft. Committees on arbitra- tion, reference and inspection were appointed. The meeting adjourned subject to the call of the President.

Speaking of this movement the Ohio State Journal of July 31, 1869, then edited by General Comly, said :

Columbus needs a Board of Trade. There are questions of comity between wholesale and retail dealers continually arising of which no written law takes cognizance, but fre- quently of as much importance to the trade of the city as matters regulated by statute. So long as we have no Board we shall never have a clean wholesale trade, protecting the inter- ests of the retail customers fully and properly. There is also another great grievance com- plained of by the local trade. Agents of foreign houses are constantly selling on our streets by sample, competing a: an advantage with our houses, which pay municipal and State taxes. The State and the city are both deprived of their just rights by these dealers, who have no local habitation or name among us. Our dealers who pay rents and add to the business rep- utation of the city by tasteful storerooms, and who pay taxes to State, county and city,

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

have no even chance against these men, who pay none of these. It is due the city (at least) that they should be required to pay license, or some equitable assessment into the city treas- ury to offset the amounts paid by our own people. These matters can be properly regulated only through a Board of Trade, bringing them to the notice of the proper authorities.

Nevertheless, this second organization seems to have been as shortlived as the first. For reasons not apparent we hear nothing more of it, but again, on November 9, 1872, a meeting to organize a Board of Trade for the city was held. This assembly convened at the City Hall in pursuance of a call issued by about two hundred citizens. John L. Gill was appointed chairman and Jacob H. Studer secretary. Remarks were made by William Dennison, and Messrs. D. W. Brooks, R. C. Hoffman, T. Ewing Miller, C. P. L. Butler and S. S. Rickly were appointed a committee to prepair a constitution and a certificate of incorporation. This committee reported to a meeting held November 14, 1872, a constitution which was adopted. At a third meeting held November 21 the following officers of the Board were chosen : President, John L. Gill : Vice Presidents, T. Ewing Miller, Theodore Comstock, E. L. Hinman, D. S. Gray, W. B. Brooks and H. Mithoff ; Secretary, H. M. Failing ; Treasurer, Joseph Falkenbach. The total membership at this time was 143. Bylaws were adopted at a fourth meeting held December 6. Rooms appropriately fitted up for the Board in the City Hall were formally opened on February 10, 1873, and on February 11 the first regular daily meeting was held.

Complaints were soon made of languishing interest in this organization, and various projects for arousing more general and active participation in its proceedings were proposed. On November 13, 1873, the following officers were chosen: President, J. M. Comly ; Vice Presidents, T. E. Miller, E. L. Hinman, E. T. Mithoff, L. Donaldson, D. W. Brooks and Frank S. Brooks; Treasurer, Jos- eph Falkenbach ; Secretary, H. M. Failing. On November 8, 1873, Secretary Failing submitted a report for the first half of that year. On December 11 the Board was addressed by General J. M. Comly and further speeches were made by William Dennison and T. Ewing Miller. Secretary Failing died March 9, 1874. On November 19 of that year new officers were chosen as follows: President, T. Ewing Miller; Vice Presidents, E. L. Hinman, D. W. Brooks, M. Halm, Y. Anderson, F. S. Brooks, and W. W. Medary; Treasurer, Joseph Falkenbach ; Sec- retary, S. M. Smith, Junior. Officers were again chosen October 26, 1876, viz: President, S. S. Rickly; Vice Presidents, C. P. L. Butler, D. S. Gray, Joseph Falkenbach, J. M. Westwater, J. B. Hall and Isaac Eberly ; Secretary and Treas. urer, Charles B. Stewart.

After this the Board again languished, and ceased to make any important record in the current chronicles of the day, but on May 29, 1880, a movement for its revival was once more inaugurated. A meeting of business men held at the City Hall on that date adopted the constitution and bylaws of the latest defunct board and adjourned until June 1, when the following officers were nominated and presumably elected : President, S. S. Rickly; Vice Presidents, C. P. L. Butler, Daniel McAllister, M. C. Whitehurst, E. C. Beach, W. B. Hayden and L. C. New- som ; Secretary, E. A. Fitch; Treasurer, E. W. Scott. This effort did not pro-

That Narduty

MUNSEILECOPY

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BAKER.

Residence of Wm. A. Hardesty, 91 Hamilton Avenue, built in 1891.

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BOARD OF TRADE.

duce satisfactory results, and accordingly in March, 1884, the reorganization of the Board was again proposed by numerous citizens in a card addressed to Presi- dent S. S. Rickly. Accordingly on April 30, 1884, a new board was incorporated by R. E. Sheldon, C. D. Firestone, Theodore Rhoads, P. W. Corzilius and W. A. Mahoney; a new constitution with 111 signatures was adopted, and on the ensu- ing May 13 a meeting for reorganization was held at which the following officers were elected: President, W. Y. Miles ; Vice Presidents, Theodore H. Butler and C. D. Firestone ; Directors, Edwin Kelton, H. C. Lonnis, Theodore Rhoads, Wal- ter Crafts, G. W. Lattimer, R. E. Sheldon, F. H. Kingsbury, E. E. Shedd, P. W. Corzilius and C. N. Bancroft. The matriculation fees were fixed at fifteen dollars for individuals and twentyfive for firms. At a meeting on May 15 Charles G. Lord was chosen Secretary, and Walter Crafts Treasurer, and a temporary office was established at Number 6, Deshler Block. On June 5 the Board decided to trans- fer its office to the City Hall; the membership had by that time reached 140. On July 1 the room at the City Hall was formally occupied, and speeches appropriate to the occasion were made by W. Y. Miles, A. G. Thurman, S. S. Rickly and W. G. Deshler. Standing committees were on the same occasion announced. At the annual meeting of January 20, 1885, an address was delivered by President Miles, a report submitted by Secretary Lord, and the following officers were chosen : President, W. Y. Miles; Vice Presidents, Theodore H. Butler and C. D. Firestone ; also a Board of Directors.

. The active work of the Board was now fairly inaugurated, and was apparently destined to be permanent. In his annual report for the year 1884, the President suggested that, as soon as possible a Board of Trade building should be erected, and that no time should be lost in securing a suitable location for such a building. In accordance with this suggestion the Directors were instructed by resolution offered September 21, 1886, by Mr. Rickly, to consider the propriety of purchasing a lot and erecting such a building, including a hall suitable for public meetings. The project was favorably reported by the Directors November 9, and on Decem- ber 28, 1886, a resolution to erect a building was adopted, and committees on sites and plans were appointed. The limit of total expenditure was originally fixed at $125,000, but was subsequently (August 16, 1887), enlarged to $155,000. Owner- ship certificates of one hundred dollars each were subscribed for to the amount of $65,000, and the oldtime tavern property on East Broad Street, formerly known as the Buckeye House, was purchased as a site. For this property, known at the time as the Hotel Gardner, the sum of $45,000 was paid.

The work of erecting a building in accordance with plans adopted was soon begun, but was interrupted by a painful incident, the following account of which is taken from the Ohio State Journal of May 4, 1888 :

The architect of the building, Mr. Elah Terrell. had a patent and arched ceiling of his own invention which has attracted much attention and gives a very beautiful appearance to a room. He has introduced his arch into a number of buildings in this city and has made it one of the features of the Board of Trade building. The basement rooms were all ceiled with this arch, the work being completed a few days ago. These arches are of a peculiar structure.

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

They are built of hrick over scaffolding and the posts holding it up are removed and the arch is left to its natural support. The brick composing the arch are laid in such a way that the thrust of the weight is toward the corners of the room and the walls of the building are protected by placing around it a powerful iron band sufficient to bear the entire weight of the arch, so that the structure could, if necessary force were applied, be lifted out of the room and placed elsewhere without injury. In order to unite the bricks firmly into one mass, and form a partition impervious to water, cement is placed between them and the corners are filled up with mortar.

The ceilings of all the basement rooms were completed some days ago and the men in the employ of Messrs. Rouzer & Co., of Dayton, who have the contract for the carpenter work of the building, were ready to remove the supports when the cement had sufficiently hardened and the arch had settled. Yesterday Mr. Terrell told the men that as far as the cement was concerned it would be safe to begin the work. The foreman of the carpentering department, George Terwilliger, a man well known about the city, decided to begin immed- iately. He had some time since engaged as one of his assistants Samnel Coleman, a carpen- ter who lives at Number 483 West State Street. Yesterday he employed Jesse F. Beckom, a carpenter who came from Dayton and was living with his wife and child at the corner of Russell and University streets. With these two men Terwilliger began to remove the scaf- folding in the room at the southwest corner of the building already engaged to the Franklin Insurance Company. There were at work about the building at the time from thirty to forty men, most of them being employed by the iron contractors.

A few minutes after three o'clock these men were startled by a heavy rumbling noise and the quivering of the west wall, which tottered toward the alley as if about to fall over and then settled back to its line badly broken and the upper portion leaning an inch or two inward from the plumb. A cloud of dust arising from the southeast room told that the arch had fallen. They rushed to that portion of the building and found the basement floor covered" with a mass of mortar and bricks weighing many tons. Near the east wall and about half way between Broad Street and the north side of the room the head of a man, Samuel Cole- man, protruded from the ruins of the arch.

Coleman was extricated from the débris, terribly mangled, and was immedi- ately conveyed to his home. Terwilliger was also quickly taken out but breathed his last three minutes later. Beckom was next brought up but died immediately from the terrible injuries he had received.

The changes and repairs made necessary by this distressing calamity seriously added to the cost of the building, not to mention indemnities amounting to some thousands of dollars paid to the injured man and the families of the killed. Work on the building proceeded, however, and on July 23, 1889, its auditorium was for- mally dedicated. The interest of the opening for the large audience present was greatly enhanced by the rare vocalism of Miss Stella MeMillin, with accompany- ing musical performances by the Fourteenth Regiment Band and the Orpheus Club. Addresses were delivered by J. S. Morton, Allen G. Thurman, John L. Gill, Emerson McMillan, S. S. Rickly and E. O. Randall.

Since the reorganization of the Board in 1884, its interest in the affairs of the city has been active and important. Among the more prominent themes which have engaged its attention have been the following: A National Government buikling for Columbus ; enlargement and diversification of the manufacturing interests of the city ; sanitation and water supply ; the reception of delegate con- ventions ; courtesies to officers of State, the General Assembly and distinguished

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visitors ; a national bankrupt law ; the national coinage; labor strikes and trou- bles ; street improvements ; abatement of nuisances ; the Grand Army National Encampment; the State Fair; the Ohio Centennial Exposition ; special charities; an executive mansion ; sewerage ; signal service, taxation, and municipal reform. The honorary members of the Board thus far elected have been Allen G. Thur- man, John L. Gill, William Y. Miles, Samuel S. Rickly, William G. Deshler, Henry C. Noble, Lincoln Kilbourn and Edward Orton. Its aggregate membership, according to its latest report, numbers nearly five hundred.

NOTES.

1. Concerning this movement the following statements were made in the Ohio State Journal of March 31 :

" At the Board of Trade meeting Saturday night, at the request of President S. S. Rickly, it was decided to close the present board for the purpose of enabling a new organization to adopt the name and establish a more extensive and thorough association that will embrace not only the grain, flour and produce interest of the city, but all other branches of trade and also the manufacturing interests. It was resolved that all the papers and effects of the Board, except the funds, be tendered to the organization. The cash on hand, amounting to $112.13, was donated equally between the St. Francis Hospital and the Home for the Friend- less. Resolutions were adopted expressing thanks to the President, S. S. Rickly, for the impartial manner displayed in conducting the affairs of the Board, as also to Mr. E. W. Scott for his services as Secretary.

CHAPTER XXIII.

POLITICAL EVENTS; 1797-1840.

The patriotism of the pioneers of the Ohio Wilderness was of a very ardent type. Some curions evidences of this are seen in the quaint and unsophisticated zeal with which they celebrated the National Independence Day of that period. One of the writers of early Ohio history makes this record of the manner in which it was done :1

Independence Day was loyally observed when possible, the first recorded celebration thereof on the Western Reserve being in 1796, when General Moses Cleveland and his party of surveyors halted at the mouth of Conneaut Creek, flung the American flag to the breeze, partook of a banquet of baked pork and beans, fired a rifle salute, and proposed toasts which were drunk in more than one pail of grog. The means of celebration were not always equal to the patriotic intent. In 1800 a gathering was held at the residence of Captain Quinby, in Warren, and although there were provisions and liquids in abundance, there was a lack of musical instruments. A drummer and fifer studied the difficulty, and finally surmounted it. The one sought a suitable branch from an elderbush, and soon trans- formed it into a fife. The other cut down a hollow pepperidge tree, and with only a handax and jackplane made a drum cylinder. With the skin of a fawn he made the heads for the drum, and corded them on with a pair of new plowlines. The procession was then enabled to move, and whatever the music lacked in harmony it made up in volume and intention. On these patriotic occasions, as in all social gatherings, the whisky of the homemade still was brought into free use, and the man who declined it was the exception and not the rule.

Of the observance of July Fourth, 1814, at Franklinton we have the follow- ing account in the Freeman's Chronicle :

The anniversary of American Independence was celebrated in this town on Mouday last with the customary festivity. Agreeably to previous concert, about 2 o'clock P. M., Captain Vance's elegant company of Franklin Dragoons, together with many invited guests, repaired to the Lion Tavern, where they partook of a sumptuous and splendid dinner pre- pared by Mr. Pratt - and the cloth being removed the following toasts were drank, accom- panied with discharges of cannon :

1. The Fourth of July -May its next anniversary be celebrated under the shade of the olive.2 3 cheers, 1 gun.

2. Our beloved Washington - The hero, statesman, great and good. The chosen instrument of God to free us from a tyrant's chain. Revered forever be his name. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

3. General Andrew Jackson. His merit has forced him into notice - may he exceed our most sanguine expectations. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

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POLITICAL EVENTS; 1797-1840.

4. The War - Just though precipitate -May the sword never be sheathed until our disasters are wiped away and our rights secured. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

5. The navy of the U. S .- May our harbors be defended by the weight of our metal. 3 cheers, I gun.

6. The Embargo -More policy in repealing than in making the law. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

7. The general officers of our Army -Fewer speeches and more action. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

8. The Union of the States - Disgrace to him who wishes, destruction to him who attempts its dissolution - may it be cemented by political and moral rectitude. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

9. The three ranks of our Government - executive, legislative and judicial -- may they preserve a distance which shall prevent confusion, and preserve a connexion close enough for mutual support. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

10. Republicanism - that says what it thinks and does what it says. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

11. The contents of our cartouch boxes to demagogues and sycophants -double rations to the true friends of our republic. 6 cheers, 1 gun.

12. Our naval heroes - Their heads are without a cloud - their hearts without a cover- ing. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

13. Our major-generals - Their début and exit tread on each other's heels -The Fable of the Fox and Flies. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

14. The days of the revolution. They are revived in miniature - may the likeness grow to the full stature of the original. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

15. The American Republic - Empires have passed away like a dream and Kingdoms have tottered into ruin - yet may this fair fabric of freedom stand firm against the ragings of foreign usurpation or the wbirlwinds of domestic faction. 3 cheers, I gun.

16. Peace to a troubled World - Liberty to the enslaved of every uation. 9 cheers, 1 gun.

17. The American fair- may they foster their offspring in the lap of plenty and peace. 3 cheers, 1 gun.

Volunteer - By Mr. Sullivant. Captain John Moore - His private virtues are equal to his public worth - may his country never want a better officer of his grade.

The first celebration of the Fourth of July in Columbus of which we have any detailed account was that of the year 1821. thus described in the Gazette of July 5.

The Fourth of July was celebrated in this town with unusual brilliancy. An oration was delivered in the Representatives' Hall by Joseph Hines, Esq., and a Hymn and Ode per- formed by the Columbus Handel Society in a superior degree of elegance - after which the citizens, escorted by the Franklin Dragoons, Columbus Artillery and Columbus Light Infantry repaired to a beautiful grove at the south end of the town, and partook of a dinner prepared by Colonel Reed. After the cloth was removed the following toasts were drank, accompanied by the discharge of Artillery : The day ; President Monroe . . . ; John Quincy Adams ... ; The memory of George Washington ... ; National Industry - the only cure for hard times; Public Confidence . .. ; Manufactures .. . ; The Farmers of the United States . . . ; The Mechanics of the United States . . . ; Merchants of the United States . . . ; State of Ohio . .. ; Internal Communication in this State . .. ; The Grand Western Canal of New York ... ; The civil authorities of Ohio - Frequent elections, moderate salaries and rotation in office ; the Bank of the United States - the aristocracy of this republic - and behold a great red dragon, etc ; Despotism . .. ; The cause of liberty in Europe . . . ; Republic of Col- umbia . .. ; Governor Brown ... ; Henry Baldwin ... ; The Philadelphia Agricultural Society . .. ; The last year's loan - If a national debt be a national blessing, next to the kingdom from whence this precept was derived, the United States are on the broadest road of being supremely blessed ; The American Fair- may they, prefer sense and industry to

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History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 48

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1196

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196