USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 52
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acted as chairman and William Craighead as secretary. Seven directors were chosen by ballot by the thirty-six shares of stock represented. D. A. Haynes, received the full vote; E. S. Young, thirty-five votes; J. A. McMahon, thirty- two votes ; C. L. Vallandingham, twenty-two votes; J. A. Jordan, twenty votes ; D. A. Houk, twenty votes; T. O. Lowe, nineteen votes ; and they were declared elected. This board organized at once by the election of D. A. Haynes as presi- dent ; T. O. Lowe, treasurer and O. M. Gottschall, secretary. A book or library committee composed of Messrs. Young, Jordan and McMahon, was appointed.
At the next meeting of the board an important resolution was offered by Mr. McMahon, and carried unanimously : "Resolved, that a committee of three be appointed, members of the board of directors, to confer with the commissioners of the county, to make with them a contract by the year to defend indigent per- sons accused of crime, the proceeds of which shall be paid into the treasury of the association for the purpose of purchasing books for the use of said association and to belong to the same." Messrs. Vallandigham, McMahon and Jordan were appointed such a committee. At the same meeting the purchase from Banks & Brother, of Albany, New York, of $2,500 worth of law books" was authorized.
At a meeting of the directors on March 15th, 1869, J. A. McDonald was ap- pointed librarian at a salary of $100 per year. He was the first librarian. The salary was a short time later made $15 per month, and John A. Graham became librarian.
The first library room was in the rear of the second story of No. 12 North Main street.
The library was removed from its first quarters to the room adjoining the old superior court in Clegg's building, East Third street, in October, 1871. When the new court house was built, it was assigned a special room in the rear of the second floor adjoining the court rooms. Here it remained until it outgrew these quarters and removed to the front rooms on the third floor, where it has since been located, two additional rooms having been added during the past few years.
On January 20th, 1873, Morris Parker was selected librarian at $150 per year.
Efforts were begun early in 1873 to have the county pay the librarian's salary, the finances of the association being hardly sufficient. These efforts were later successful and the county now pays the salary of the librarian as an assist- ant to the courts, and has for some years, the amount of the same being deter- mined by the common pleas judges. Indeed, in that year (1873), the bar held a banquet for the benefit of the library, so sorely pressed was it for funds. The first recorded report of the number of volumes in the library was made Jan- uary ist, 1874, and showed an aggregate of 1,352 volumes, of which 1,090 were reports. On January 4th, 1875, Joel O. Shoup became librarian.
By 1879, the library had grown in size and value so as to be estimated by an expert as worth $7,000, and contained 2,001 volumes.
At the annual meeting in 1881, the need of a separate organization of the lawyers apart from the library work was suggested by the appointment of a com- mittee to draft a constitution and by-laws for such an association, and E. S. Young. Elihu Thompson, Warren Munger, George W. Houk and L. B. Gunckel, were sich committee.
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On September 30th, 1882, Mr. Shoup resigned as librarian and secretary of the board, in which latter position, he had also served several years. Lewis H. Hoefer succeeded him in both capacities.
At the annual meeting in January, 1887, it was resolved that the library be closed in the evenings after 5:30. Heretofore the librarians had attended during the early evening hours.
On October 5th, 1888, Lewis H. Hoefer, the librarian, died, and the vacancy created was filled by the appointment of R. Otto Baumann. By January 6th, 1890, the library had grown to 3,802 volumes, as shown by the annual report of the librarian. On December 13th, 1892, Mr. Baumann resigned as librarian and the same was accepted to take effect January 2d, 1893, when Carl W. Lenz was made librarian. When Mr. Lenz took hold, the library numbered 4,307 volumes.
At the annual meeting of 1896, it was voted to take steps to change the name of the association to the Dayton Law Library Association, but no definite action has ever been taken, and the name remains unchanged legally, though popularly so known. On July Ist, 1898, Mr. Lenz resigned to take effect the following Jan- uary, and on January 2d, 1899, Daniel W. Iddings succeeded him as librarian, and is still serving in that capacity.
With the assumption of his duties, Mr. Iddings found a library of 5,640 vol- umes, an increase during Mr. Lenz's term of six years of over 1,000 volumes.
The greatest increase in the library in point of volumes and usefulness has been achieved during Mr. Iddings' ten years' service. In his report of January IIth, 1909, the total number of volumes was shown as 10,933, an increase of 5,293, during his incumbency, or almost as many volumes of increase as had been accumulated in the thirty years of the library's previous existence in the suc- cessive terms of six librarians.
The library is made up of an absolutely complete set of the reports of the courts, both supreme, intermediate and nisi prius, of the various states and terri- 'tories of the Union, the statutes and year books of the various states and territor- ies, a complete set of the English, Irish and Scotch reports, for the most part in the rare original editions, the Australian commonwealth reports, the Canadian supreme and exchequer court reports, besides the statutes and laws of the Do- minion and many of its provinces. All these books are elaborately indexed by the best general digests and encyclopedias, together with an excellent selection of the latest and most thorough going text-books. A foreign department, com- prising approved translations of all foreign codes and laws, has already made sonne headway, and in co-operation with the comparative law bureau of the American Bar Association, of which the library is a member, should rapidly com- plete such a collection,-of rare interest and value. The library also possesses a good assortment of legal periodicals. Altogether the library is perhaps the cleanest from rubbish and best for its size in the country and ranks third amongst the county law libraries of Ohio.
The library is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries. Since Mr. Iddings' advent as librarian the membership of the controlling association has nearly doubled. About 120, comprising the best of the Dayton bar, are now members.
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The policy of the library as to the use of the books by the general public is a liberal one, notwithstanding the law gives the right to exclude all but members and county, city and township officers. It has been found that such liberality pays, as it brings the institution into close touch with the people and establishes its place among the necessary governmental adjuncts.
When Mr. Iddings became librarian in 1899 the governing board consisted of John A. McMahon, president; George R. Young, vice-president; S. H. Carr, treasurer, and Messrs. John M. Sprigg, William Craighead, Edward L. Rowe and Oscar M. Gottschall. These gentlemen, together with Warren Munger, who served for many years as president, Ambrose A. Winters, who long acted as treasurer, and the others mentioned in this narrative, represented the growth and prosperity of the library up to that time, all of them having been active in one capacity or another from time to time. Of the trustees above mentioned two have since died, William Craighead and John M. Sprigg, and their places are filled by John W. Kreitzer and Edwin P. Matthews. Mr. Carr retired as treasurer some years ago and was succeeded on the board by Thomas B. Herrman and as treas- urer by George R. Young. Mr. McMahon is still president, Mr. Gottschall, vice- president.
Although the Dayton bar through the years has been conceded at home and abroad as most capable, industrious and painstaking, its contributions to legal literature have been few, outside of the opinion of the several judges of the courts, which have always had ready publication in the legal journals, especially the mas- terpieces of Judges D. A. Haynes and Alvin W. Kumler.
Some collection of these opinions has been made in a volume of Judge Haynes' decisions published under the editorial supervision of Mr. O. M. Gottschall in a book known as "Dayton Decisions," and a later volume of the decisions of all of the local judges issued by Daniel W. Iddings, the law librarian, in 1900, and known as Iddings' Term Reports Digested.
Two text-books on important subjects are in preparation by members of the bar,-a comprehensive treatise on Corporation Law by A. A. Thomas, and an ex- haustive volume on the Law of County Officers in Ohio by Daniel W. Iddings. These books mark the first real local effort of the sort, though several monographs have been printed from time to time.
CHAPTER XIV.
MUSIC, ART, CLUBS, SOCIETIES.
MUSIC-ART-WOMAN'S CLUBS-THE DAYTON CLUB-THE PRESENT DAY CLUB --- SOCIETIES -- MASONIC SOCIETIES-KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS-ODD FELLOW LODGES- DAYTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY-DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION- SUNSHINE SOCIETIES-GERMAN SOCIETIES-COLORED ORGANIZATIONS.
MUSIC.
Dayton has gained such prominence as a manufacturing city eminent for the excellence and variety of the products of her thousand factories that her fine posi- tion, as a city, of not only literary but of considerable musical culture, may prop- erly be emphasized.
Our city was fortunate in having a large number of cultivated men and women, who were among the earliest citizens, and in the fine influence of these in cultivat- ing literary, musical and other refining tastes, first through the library established in 1803, the first library opened in Ohio under the law of the state, and also through early musical associations and through organized library and other associations, which brought to our city Emerson, Bayard Taylor and many other eminent men of that early period.
After that Jennie Lind. Adelina Patti, Gottschalk and many other musical celeb- rities of the early days were heard here, affording ample evidence of this early musical culture of our people. Many citizens of much musical attainment, teachers, singers and players, have delighted our public throughout these years.
The first musical association in Dayton was organized in 1823, and was called the Pleyel Society, under the leadership of that highly cultivated man, John W. Van Cleve, to whom Dayton owes much for his fine influence in many other ways. This society was followed in 1836 by the Philharmonic society, then in 1840 sev- eral successful vocal and instrumental societies were organized under the director- ship of Mr. Lewis Huesman, a pianist and teacher of fine skill. Among the many successors of Mr. Huesman, who have added to the musical standing of our city have been Mr. Charles Rex, Mr. Adolph Karpe, Mr. W. L. Blumenschein and in later years Messrs. Harry Browne Turpin, Joseph L. Schenk and Leroy Tebbs and Mrs. Ella Kneisley, Mrs. H. E. Talbott, Miss Amy Kofler and Mrs. Alice Becker . Miller.
The music in the public schools has been in the care of Mr. Charles Soehner, Mr. James Turpin, Mr. W. B. Hall, Mr. W. H. Clark, Mr. F. C. Mayer and Mr. O. E. Wright, the present efficient superintendent of music.
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One of the most successful of the earlier societies, was the Harmonia So- ciety, formed by the consolidation of the Sociale Sangerbund, and the Frohsinn Society, a strong German society which has been maintained up to the present time. The first officers of this society were : President, Daniel Leohnard, Vice-President, Dr. Palm; Treasurer, John Stoppleman, and Secretary, A. Frondhoff. The Har- rugari Liederkrantz is another excellent German society, of which Mr. John Schinn is president and Mr. William A. Metzner is leader.
The most extensive and important of musical societies in this long period has been the Philharmonic Society, which has had continual and influential existence for thirty-five years, beginning its organization on Aug. 24, 1874. Its founders were Messrs. James Martin, James L. Breneman, J. Cal Martin, Will S. Phelps, Will F. Gebhart, Walter S. Smith, Charles F. Snyder, John M. Bell and H. B. Lytle. The organization started with one hundred members led by the late Mr. Leon Jasiewieszs, who was followed by Mr. Otto Singer of Cincinnati and Mr. Glover of Cincinnati, and in 1878, by Mr. W. L. Blumenschein, who continued un- til 1907 when he was succeeded after an unusually brilliant record by Mr. A. B. Shauck, its present efficient president. The society recently gave its 103d recital, it has included in its programs the Messiah, Creation, Athalia, St. Paul and many other masterpieces. The society took part two years in succession in the Cincin- nati May Music Festival, led at that time by Mr. Theodore Thomas and Mr. Otto Singer. Mr. Singer took part in the training of the Philharmonic Society for its association with the great Cincinnati organization, where it received great praise for its efficiency.
The musical history of Dayton would be incomplete without mention of the very efficient part Prof. James A. Robert had in disseminating and promoting a knowledge of the higher grades of musical composition in the Cooper Seminary, of which he was president, and in the Choral Society and in lectures on Bach, Pa- lestrina, and the other great masters. He stimulated to a great degree an interest in the great musical masterpieces.
Associated with Professor Robert in many of his musical activities were Miss Idelette Andrews and Mr. Howard Peirce, two musical artists of unusual train- ing and ability, who gained a national reputation for the perfection and charm of their work. Mrs. Ella Kneisley and Professor Marsteller, two artists of superior ability, one as a pianist and the other as a violinist, were associated intimately with Miss Andrews and Mr. Peirce. In later years the Mozart Club has been a poten- tial influence for musical culture. It was organized in 1888 with Mrs. Victoria Wood as president and afforded a very cultivated audience for the rendition of the finest musical production of the times by the many young and older artists of the city, with its continual existence under the most capable leadership of Mrs. Charles U. Raymond, makes it a prominent feature in the educational forces of our city.
Another very successful organization is the Holstein String Quartet, composed of Mr. Charles Holstein, Mrs. Jeanette Freeman Davis, Albert Ernst Feichman and Iva Leslie Davis. The Chaminade Club is another musical organization, which has done much to further the musical interests of the city. A few among the many artists who have done much to broaden and elevate the musical life of the city are Mrs. H. E. Talbott, Miss Amy Kofler, Miss Lillie Butz, Mrs. Alice
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Becker Miller, Messrs. Harry Browne Turpin, Joseph L. Schenk and Jefferson Walters, a violinist of fine skill, and Mr. Henry A. Ditzel.
With so much musical taste it naturally follows that the church music of Day- ton, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish, has always been of high order. The artists of repute always find an appreciative audience here, and the wide extent of the travel of our citizens who hear in this country and abroad the greatest artists has insured them a taste for the finest and best.
The handsome Soldiers Memorial building with a seating capacity for nearly four thousand and excellent accoustic properties will in due time be equipped with a great organ and with pianos and other accessories, making a very influential cen- ter of musical as well as general culture.
ART.
While Dayton has produced no artists of wide celebrity, there have been local artists who have done creditable work and have done much to stimulate a taste for art. There has scarcely been a time when there have not been classes in art taught by persons skilled in their particular lines. The production of specimens of art by pupils has done much to adorn the homes of the people and to stimulate and direct an appreciation for art.
Among the artists named by earlier writers are the following :
Charles Soule, Sr., came to Dayton about 1826 and within a few years, while still a young man, was attracting much attention because of his unusual ability in portrait painting. He painted portraits for prominent people in Cleveland, Colum- bus, St. Louis and other cities. His rare ability to put into a portrait the person- ality of the subject was sought by artists of far greater fame who sought his instruction.
Mrs. Clara Soule Medlar and Mrs. Octavia Soule Gottschall, daughters of Charles Soule, Sr., have been prominent, the former as a portrait painter, and the latter especially successful in water colors and in work on porcelain and glazing.
A son, Charles Soule, Jr., has been a portrait painter of merit.
Edmond Edmondson, at an early age, attracted attention by his studies in still life, his vegetable and fruit pieces making a large demand for his work. He also met success as a portrait painter.
John Insco Williams ( 1813-1870) was among the most celebrated of Dayton painters, who first won attention chiefly because of the panoramas which he painted, at the time when such painting was first introduced. His first panorama, representing sacred history from the creation to the fall of Babylon, was ex- hibited in Dayton May 30-June 6, 1849. After this had been destroyed by fire, he painted a second covering four thousand yards of canvas. This panorama met with wonderful success, being exhibited in all parts of the United States. As a portrait painter Mr. Williams was in great demand.
Mr. Williams' wife and daughters, Mrs. Eva Best and Mrs. Lulu Williams Buchanan, have been prominent as artists. The last named, in 1885 at the New Orleans exhibition, won a medal.
T. Buchanan Read was among the artists who, though later famous in New York and Philadelphia, began his work as a painter in Dayton.
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Others who have been prominent are: Mrs. Mary Forrer Peirce, who taught art in the Cooper Academy; Miss H. Sophia Loury, who won appreciation by her work left with the Art League in New York city; Miss Laura C. Birge, who studied in Munich, Paris and England, and Mr. Eugene Shinn.
Otto Beck, who studied in Munich, received while there a prize for an allegori- cal painting, being the first American in eight years so honored. He is at present residing in Brooklyn.
Valentine H. Schwarz has excelled in portrait painting, frescoing and scenic painting, having studied in Munich, Dresden and other German cities. He is an artist of great excellence in portraiture, more especially in oil. He has a studio on Third and Jefferson streets.
Among the art organizations was the Decorative Art Society, organized in 1880, which under the able instruction of Professor Broome gave special attention to pottery. While this society did continue long in the brilliant career of the first few years of its life, an impetus was given to the love and study of art. Names prominent in the organization were: Miss Rebecca Rogers, Miss Carrie Brown, Mrs. O. M. Gottshall, Miss Martha Perrine, Mrs. J. B. Thresher, Mrs. D. A. Houk and Mrs. W. F. Gebhart.
The Amateur Sketch Club promoted interest in water colors of landscape in the vicinity of Dayton. Among those winning prizes for efficiency in this organi- zation were Miss Grace Rogers and Miss Mary Burrows.
The Dayton Sketch Club had as a board of managers Mrs. O. B. Brown, Mrs. George Goodhue, Miss Mary Young and Miss Mamie Dixon.
The Dayton View Art Club was devoted to china painting. Many interested in china painting have owned their own kilns.
Much attention is now given in Dayton to the arts and crafts work. The Wo- man's Christian Association, furnishes instruction as do other educational agencies. The Frost Arts and Crafts' shop is now receiving attention, having just moved into a splendid new building.
The Dayton Society of Arts and Crafts has been formed to stimulate interest in the union of artists and craftsmen in the making of artistic articles, to interest the people through lectures, and to open classes for the study of arts and crafts. The study includes carving and upholstering, modelling, pottery, metal and leather work, mural decoration. mosaics, needlework, basketry, photography, printing and other kindred subjects. The present officers are : Brainerd B. Thresher, presi- dent; Frank M. Andrews, vice-president; Miss Katharine Walker, secretary; P. S. Bolinger, treasurer.
The Dayton School of Art located at the corner of Sixth and Tecumseh streets has been in operation for several years. Classes are conducted in water colors, oil painting, china painting, pastel work, magazine illustrating, cartooning, crayon portraiture, engraving and kindred subjects. Special instruction in draw- ing and water colors is provided for school teachers.
Attention should be called to the splendid art work being done by the pupils of the high schools under the capable instruction of Miss Annie Campbell of the Steele High school and Miss L. Beck of the East High school. The Decorative Art Association of Steele High school has been instrumental during the ten years
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of its existence in beautifying the building by the addition of statuary and pictures and the magnificent bronze lion which adorns the grounds.
Daytonians have reason to be especially proud of the work of Mrs. Laura Howe Osgood, who teaches art in the Howe-Marot school for girls. A recent dis- play of her work includes both matt and crystal glazes of extraordinary quality. Mr. Edwin A. H. Barber, the curator of the Pennsylvania museum in Philadel- phia, has especially recognized her ability.
In architecture, Dayton has kept pace with other cities. Some of the public buildings and nearly all of the artistic residences of the city were designed by Dayton architects.
WOMAN'S CLUBS.
The woman's club movement began more than a half century ago.
Oberlin College claims the honor of founding the first woman's club in the country-May, 1835. This has been a nationally disputed point but it has at last been conceded that to Ohio fairly belongs the historical distinction of producing the pioneer club of America, and Oberlin is correspondingly proud.
Sorosis of New York was the first literary club in the United States, organized outside of colleges. It was established in 1868, and has relegated to herself a sort of motherhood dignity and prestige in which all the clubs of the country cheerfully acquiesce.
The club idea gained headway slowly at first. The innovation was looked at askance by conservatives, subjected to witticisms and ridicule by the humorists and afforded an inexaustible fund of matter for editorial pens.
The advance that has been made and the vistas of the wonderful possibilities which the future holds have given entirely different view points and bases of judgment. Women's clubs have opened the door to women everywhere. There are now new fields of either industrial, educational or social activity which they may enter.
The evolution of the woman's club through little more than a half century pre- sents a marvelous series of progressions by leaps and bounds. The time was ripe for its development as its rapid growth has shown. Writers upon politics, economics, sociology and kindred themes treat of the movement as among the most potent modifying influences of the new life of the new era.
The aim of the woman's club is to enlarge and enoble life by infusing new ideas, widening the scope of thought and inspiring to self culture and human help- fulness. It thus becomes the source of unlimited beneficent influences which tend to correct the evil and promote the good in the never ceasing struggle of these ele- ments in this inharmonious world.
The prophetess of the brighter day sees in the club of the future a united wo- manhood, concerning public morals, eradicating social wrongs, defending the weak against the strong, guarding the sanctities of domestic life and enhancing all that is true, noble, fine and graceful in American womanhood.
Dayton was stirred to action by the club impulse in the early eighties. Prior to this numerous coteries, pursuing art, practical and theoretical, music, vocal and in- strumental, and to a limited extent, literature, met regularly and attained creditable
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results. They, as forerunners, well prepared the way for the larger and more for- mal bodies that succeeded them.
Most of these groups were merged into the organizations which followed, and their talent, spirit and experience went far toward giving tone to the first club work done in the city of Dayton.
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