USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 17
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H ON. CHARLES M. LE BLOND, attorney at law, Cleveland, was born in Celina Mercer county, Ohio, June 28, 1854, eld- dest son of Hon. Frank C. and Louisa E. (McGinley) Le Blond, natives respectively of Knox and Lorain counties, this State, and of French and Scotch ancestry. Hon. Frank C. Le Blond is one of the leading Democrats of Ohio, having represented his county in the State Legislature four years, was Speaker of the Honse two years; from 1853 to 1855 he repre- sented the Fifth Congressional District of Ohio in Congress, and was a leader of the minority, and is still one of the prominent members of the bar of this State, at the age of seventy-four.
Ilon. Charles M. Le Blond was reared in his native county and completed his school educa- tion at Mount Union College, in Stark county, Ohio, and at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the Mich- igan State University. Ile read law under the instructions of his father, and also at Ann Ar- bor, and was admitted to the bar in 1875, since which time he has been actively engaged in his chosen profession. For nine years he was as- sociated with his father, then for two years with Hon. T. J. Godfroy, of Celina, and from 1873 to 1875 was assistant cashier of the Citizens' Bank of Celina. As an attorney he had a sne-
cessful career in his native city. Entering the political arena when a youth, he was elected, in 1886, to the State Legislature of Ohio, where he served four years, being a leader in the Honse on the Democratic side. Ile served on the gen- eral committees on Finance, Judiciary, Rail- roads and Telegraphs and on the special com- mission to investigate H. B. Payne's title to a seat in Congress. Ile was the only Democratic attorney in the case, and through his efforts a thor- ough report of the matter was furnished, which was the cause of the senator being retained. He has also always taken a decidedly active part in local polities, and has filled all the positions in the various committees in county and State.
In 1889 he came to Cleveland and formed a partnership with J. M. Williams, an attorney, under the firm name of Le Blond & Williams. Two years afterward, however, this partnership was dissolved, since which time Mr. LeBlond has practiced alone. He has had a large practice in northern, western and southern Ohio, and is cel- ebrated as an advocate before juries.
February 4, 1880, is the date of his marriage to Miss Anna M. Brennan of this city, a daugh- ter of Luke Brennan, the first contractor of Cleveland, and they have three children, namely : Luke F., twelve years of age; Charles II., ten, and Lottie M., six.
S ( T. PAINE, one of the proprietors of the Forest City Hotel, Cleveland, has been a resident of this city since 1873, all the while identified with the hotel business.
He was born in Nelson township, Portage county, this State, in May, 1848, a son of William B. and Maria (Talbot) Paine, New England people engaged in agrienltural parsnits. Ile com- pleted his school days at an academy, learned the carpenters' trade, and followed it some time. In 1871-'73 he was clerk two years for the Etna Ilonse at Ravenna, this State, when he came to Cleveland. Here he began as clerk in the Forest City House, which he now owns.
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Continuing as clerk here until 1890, he, in company with William J. Akers, purchased the business of the concern. With the long ex- perience he has had, he knows how to conduct such an institution, and is accordingly doing well, attracting as good a class of customers as other hotel in the city.
Mr. Paine was one of the fourteen men in 1880 who went to Chicago and organized the Hotel Men's Mutual Benefit Association, from which time to the present he has been one of the officers, being now vice-president. In 1890 he became a member of the National Hotel- keepers' Association, of which he is now vice- president. lle is also a member of the Cleve- land Hotelkeepers' Association.
He was initiated into Freemasonry in 1881, in Iris Lodge, and he is now a member of Cleveland Chapter, Holy Rood Commandery, Lake Erie Consistory and Alcoran Temple, tak- ing the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite in 1882; and he also belongs to the Masonie Club. In his political principles he is a Re- publican, and he is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
In 1884, in this city, he married Miss Ettie Durhamer, and they make their home at the hotel. Religionsly, they attend Unity church. Mr. Paine is one of Cleveland's most progressive and enterprising citizens.
E DWARD L. HARRIS, Principal of the Central High School of Cleveland, was born at Delavan, Wisconsin, December 8, 1852, received his elementary education in the district school and his secondary in the high schools of Delavan and Elkhorn of that State. From the latter place he entered Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, to prepare for college, at which he graduated in the spring of 1874. In the meantime he had taught two seasons in the same district where he had first attended school and learned his alphabet,-the first season when he was seventeen years of age,
and the second two years later, when he was re- called by the Board of Education. He had also spent one year in business, earning money to pursue his studios.
Seeing little hope for assistance in the future, except the inspiration and desire for education given him by his parents, he completed his pre- paratory work three months before his class did, and went to the home of his parents, who had returned to their former residence at Syraense, New York. He immediately entered the em- ploy of a large wholesale and retail house, and while traveling he spent every spare moment with his books, and besides the peenniary re- ward he tlms acquired a large business acquaint- ance and a practical business education. IIo underwent the examinations and entered the classical course at Syracuse University. While at college he worked as a reporter and cor- respondent; took a high rank in his class; was the literary editor of The Herald,-the college paper; presiding officer of the college associa- tion; won a position on "Junior Ex .; " elected class orator, senior year; and received the ap- pointment by the faculty as commencement speaker. Ile was a prominent Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity man, being at one time its highest officer, and for two years he was the college delegate to the Inter-Collegiate Associa- tion. He was requested by the professor in Greek to take the examination in that subject in the Inter-Collegiate contest. Ile graduated in 1878 in two courses, receiving the degrees of A. B. and Ph. B.
While in college he worked summers for the Board of Education, taking the school enumer- ation, and before graduation was offered a posi- tion in the high school. Expecting to enter the profession of law, for which he was pre- paring, he did not desire to accept an engage- ment as a teacher; nevertheless, in the fall of 1878 he was elected principal of the Port Jer- vis (New York) Academy, where he remained two years, resigning in 1850 to accept a posi- tion in the West high school of Cleveland as instructor in Greck and Latin: later the higher
It Teachout
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mathematical work was also assigned him. Mr. Harris served here two years and one month, when between the sessions on two consecutive days he was unexpectedly transferred to the Central high school at the head of the mathe. matical department, to fill the vacancy cansed by the resignation of Professor Coit. After five years' service, he was returned to the West high school as its principal, succeeding Mr. loliston, who retired for a time on account of ill health. While in this place he was tendered the position of assistant superintendent, with grammar supervision, which he declined. Two years later, in May, 1889, he was again sent to the Central, receiving a call signed by the superintendent and every member of the Board of Education, to succeed the lato Principal Campbell, who had died at his post.
The condition of things at "Central High" has somewhat changed. He found the girls on the third floor and the boys on the first, and immediately changed their places. The school was overcrowded and a requisition was made for an addition to accommodate double the number, which was granted. The result was one of the largest high-school buildings in the United States. In the first year there was an increase in enrollment of forty-seven per cent. At present there are 1,685 pupils,-over 200 in the senior and over 600 in the first year. The building is crowded and more room is needed. The commercial course has been introduced, the English and college conrses strengthened, a fine course in natural history originated, a library established, and a well equipped gymnasium in view. In both the two popular and indispens- able games, foot-ball and base-ball, the Central won the pennant of the Inter-School League for 1893. Graduates of this school are received into all colleges withont examination, except into those colleges which receive none on cer- tificate.
Principal Harri's is tireless and unremitting in his efforts to strengthen the splendid reputa- tion of the Contral high school, and his corps of teachers co operate with him as one person
toward the one great end, perfection. He is a member of the Northeastern Ohio and the State Teachers' Association, a Trustee of the Cleve- land Society of University Extension, and for two years Chairman of the Board of Examiners of Adelbert College of Western Reserve Uni- versity.
Hle was married December 24, 1878, at Bea- ver Damn, Wisconsin, to Miss Eva E. Gonld, a graduate of 1875, of Downer College. Their children are Fred, Roy and Eva Lneile. Mr. and Mrs. Harris are members of the First Bap- tist Church of Cleveland. Mr. Harris is a son of David Franklin Harris, who was born in Vermont, near Bennington, in 1829, came to New York when a boy and grew up near Syra- ense. For twenty-one years he was in Wiscon- sin and later was engaged in the real estate business at Syracuse, where he died in Febru- ary, 1893. Ile married Lucretia, a daughter of Isaac Rowley, and they had four children, -- Edward L., Julian T., Ada A. and Frank R., of Syraense.
A BRAHAM TEACHOUT, JR., was born in the township of Manchester, Ontario county, New York, August 17, 1817. Ilis father, Abraham Teachont, Sr., with three brothers,-John, James, and William, one sister, Lovina, and their parents, Jacob Teach- ont and wife, -removed from Herkimer county, that State, to Ontario county, same State, about the seventh year of the present century. The family is of Dutch ancestry. Early in the six- teenth century two brothers, John and Jacob Teachont, emigrated from Holland to America, and settled in the Mohawk valley, and from them have descended all the people bearing their name in this country.
Western New York, at the beginning of the century, was a vast wilderness, broken here and there by a small settloment. The opportunities For acquiring an education were so meager that one was regarded fairly prepared for active life
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if he could read, write, cipher and spell credit- ably; and such were the acquirements of this pioneer family. They all became devoted mem- bers of the Baptist Church, and James entered the ministry in middle life. The father died when the children were young, and the widow and orphans were obliged to provide for them- selves withont much of this world's goods to start with. They cleared their farm, reclaiming eight or ten aeres each year, and gathered the ashes, of which they made black salts, about the only thing that could be sold for money.
In the fall of 1811, Abraham Teachont, Sr., married Clarissa Throop, a danghter of Benja- min Throop, Sr., who was a farmer and keeper of a country tavern; the family came from Con- nectient and settled in New York about the same time the Teachont family arrived; they were all large of stature, robust and vigorons. The father lived to the age of eighty-nine years, while his wife, who was a well educated and exceedingly intelligent woman, lived to be ninety-four years old. Hler maiden name was Rachel Brown, and her family founded Brown University, in Rhode Island. Mr. Throop was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and during his absenee his wife performed the necessary labor on the farm. They had four sons and four daughters: Benjamin, Jr., Samuel, Jesse, and Azel, Eunice, Martha, Clarissa and Lydia. Benjamin went to sea, circumnavigated the globe several times, and then retired to Palmyra, New York, where he died. Samuel sailed the lakes, and in carly manhood was swept over- board in a storm. He had two sons, Horatio and Washington, both of whom were sailors on the lakes. Captain Horatio Throop was one of the oldest and best known captains that navi- gated Lake Ontario, and for years was superin- tendent of the Ontario & St. Lawrence Steam- boat Company, which position he was holding at the time of his death, in 1885. The family are held in the highest esteem in Ontario and surrounding counties.
Soon after his marriage, Abraham Teachont enlisted in the war of 1812, and served until
the close of that contest. In the autumn of 1822 the family removed to Niagara county, New York, making the journey with an ox team; on the way they passed the hillside where the " prophet " Joseph Smith claimed to have dng out the plates of the Mormon Bible. At that tine the family consisted of Four sons and two daughters: Albert, Charles, Joseph, Abra- ham, Jr., Susan and Eunice. The mother died in 1824, leaving an infant that died soon after- ward. Few can realize the struggle of the father to provide for his family in the wild, new country, but the children were too young to recognize any occasion for anxiety. Mr. Teach- out was firm in his convictions, expressed his sentiments fearlessly, and vehemently de- nounced deception and dishonesty; he was held in high respect by all his neighbors. In regard to polities, he was a Whig from 1826 to 1830. During the excitement cansed by the disap- pearance of Morgan, he was anti- Mason, that issue being the principal one in public estima- tion. He was once held a witness for several weeks in the celebrated Morgan trial in Orleans county. Possessing a fair education, he took an active part in loeal polities, was an orator of some merit, and was generally employed as a pettifogger in the lawsuits of his neighborhood; his regular fee was fifty cents for a half day, or seventy-five cents for the entire day. Ile was never a member of any secret society. In the fall of 1837, the family removed to Ohio, and settled at North Royalton, Cuyahoga county. Mr. Teachont finally died at Liver- pool, Medina county, Ohio, at the age of sixty- eight years; his remains were interred at Royalton.
Abraham Teachont, Jr., beenme of age Angust 17, 1838. He soon afterward went to Cleveland to seek employment, and traveled np and down the docks where nearly all the busi- ness was done. The sun was sinking low in the west, and his eonrage had begun to l'ail him, when he met a man named Eggleston whose wife was his consin. Mr. Eggleston was cap- tain of a boat on the canal, and offered young
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Teachout a position, which was quickly ac- copted. Ile began as bowsman, arose to the position of steersman, then captain, and finally became the owner of a boat. At the end of three years he sold his boat, and secured a sitna- tion in the first elevator creeted in Cleveland, which was owned and managed by William Mittelberger.
Forming the acquaintance of Robert Brayton, foreman of the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Com- pany, Mr. Teachout entered into partnership with him to build a steam sawmill at Royalton. At the " raising " the usnal whiskey was ex- pected. Mr. Teachout's father, a stanch tem- perance advocate, had always tanght his sons the virtue of abstinence as a title to the highest respect. After the neighbors had placed the sills in position, they called for the " bottle." They were informed that this was to be a tem- perance raising, when good men, even church members, offered to buy the whiskey, fearing that the frame could not be raised withont it. Then came the struggle between conscience and custom. The elder Teachout monnted a saw- log and delivered an eloquent temperance ad- dress, which he conelnded by informing the men that if they were not willing to do the work withont lignor they could retire to their homes. They decided after a consultation to try it, but fears were expressed that some one might bo hurt, as whiskey was supposed in those days to make men strong, " to keep off tho heat in the summer, and the cold out in the winter." The frame went np and no one was " hinrt." Then came an abundance of provisions, which were devonred with a relish, and cheers were given for the "cold-water" raising. After several games of ball the men went to their homes happy and sober, to tell their wives and chil- dren how strange a thing had happened at the raising of the steam sawmill.
The structure was completod, and put in operation November 10, 1845. Mr. Teachont embarked in mercantile trade at Madison, Lake county, which ho condneted in connection with his milling interests. In 1857 be sold out and
purchased the mill privilege at Painesville, Ohio, where he built the flonring mill now owned and operated by Mr. Bigler. In 1862 he turned his attention to agrienltural pursuits, which he followed extensively until the closo of the Rebellion. In 1869 he went Sonth and en- gaged in the hunber trade and the sale of doors, sash and blinds, at Chattanooga, Tennessee; there the foundation of his present business in Cleveland was laid, although it was not in ac- tive operation nntil 1873. In partnership with his son, Albert R., then twenty-one years of age, the firm of A. Teachont & Company was organized; their patronage extends over several States, and their trade amonnts to half a million dollars annually. Albert R. Teachont is the manager of the business here.
Mrs. Teachont died October 16, 1880; her maiden name was Julia Ann Towsley, and her , marriage to Mr. Teachont occurred February 22, 1842. Mr. Teachout's second marriage was to Mrs. Laura E. Hathaway of Painesville, the Rev. A. B. Green, who officiated at his first mar- riage, performing the ceremony. ITe is now in his seventy-seventh year, is still vigorons and strong, and goes every day to and from business.
Mr. Teachout was converted to Christianity through the preaching of Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, A. B. Green and the Haydens. Ile was baptized at Royalton in June, 1851, by Elder William Hayden, at the annual Disciples' meoting, and united with the church at that place. In 1859 he removed to Lake county and transferred his membership to Painesville, where ho served as an Elder until 1873, when he and his wife and son obtained letters to unite with the Franklin Circle Church, in Cleveland. He was elected a member of the board of elders soon afterward, and still holds that office.
He has always taken an active interest in ed- ucational affairs. In Madison, he served on the Board of Edneation four years, and filled tho same office in Painesville for nine years. He had been one of the trustees of Hiram College for thirty years, and for six years was presidont of the board; he was chairman of the building
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committee for the new building, and snperin- tended the construction of the boys' hall. He was intimately acquainted with James A. Gar- field, whom he held in the highest esteem. He east his first presidential vote for William Henry Harrison, and was a Republican until 1882, when he transferred his allegiance to the Prohibition party. He has twice been the candidate of this party for mayor, once for the State Legislature, and once for Congress. He has been elected to numerons local offices of trust, and has had the settlement of several im- portant estates. He has prepared several ad- dresses which have been sought for publication, and has " dabbled " in poetry, as he himself expresses it. Ilis first production in verse was entitled " Your Father's Growing Old," and was addressed to his son; in this he pays a beanti- Inl tribute to the devoted wife and mother. " This Beantiful World," bringing to mind the strange mixture of good and evil in the world, " Fast Falls the Eventide," and one poem upon the death of President Garfield are among his best efforts.
We append a copy of Mr. Teachont's poem entitled
THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
Oh this world, what a beautiful world,
In spite of its sadness, its sorrows and cares, Its trials and pains, its shames and its stains, Its cruel deceits and its snares!
With all its faults it's a glorious world ; It's the only one given to man ; So let us accept it with thanks as it is, And enjoy it as long as we can.
We'll say to the one who is complaining of life, And wishes his days at an end. Never yield to despair, but patiently bear Such mishaps as man cannot mend.
For while we are traveling the journey of life, We should be humble, contented, resigned, Never worry nor fret, take the best we can get, And leave the worst behind.
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We're here to struggle; it's Heaven's decree; Each man has a mission to fill;
Misfortunes may fret us, temptation beset ns. But we are God's children still.
When sad affiictions meet us, and enmity greets us, We should then on ourselves most rely ;
Be brave, for it takes, when the storm on us breaks, More courage to live than to die.
This is a glorious world if we look at it right, And we should be thankful we're in it;
There are blossoms in the grove, there are those we love, And success if we struggle to win it.
So let us determine that happen what may We'll stay with the weeds and the flowers,
The friend and the foes, the joys and the woes, Which make up this great world of ours.
What folly to look on the dark side of life, While the world is refulgent with light! Come out of the shade, stand up undismayed, In the raiment of reason and right.
There is room for us all on this wide spreading ball; So, with charity's banner unfurled, Let us join in one cry while old Time passes by, Three cheers for this grand and glorious world !
H ON. AUGUSTUS ZEHRING was born Angust 11, 1846, at West Lebanon, Ohio. Ile attended the common schools in Wayne, his native county, and then entered Baldwin University at Berea, where he graduated in 1868. Before entering this uni- versity he tanglit school, to earn the means for defraying his expenses at the university. After his graduation he again taught school.
In 1862 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and for eight- teen months thereafter he was in active service, and for the remainder of the war he was on de- tached duty.
At the close of the war he came to Cleveland for the purpose of studying law, and after read- ing law for a short time, his finances failing him, he found it necessary to return to school teaching, and taught or took charge of West Richfield Academy for two years. lle both taught school and worked on a farm in order to gain funds with which to educate and prepare himself for the profession of law. In 1873 he graduated at the Ohio Law College, which was then at. Cleveland, and was admitted to the bar.
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Soon after his graduation in the law he took charge of and settled up the large estate of a man named Wilson. This required his time and attention till 1877, when he began what has been a successful career in the practice of law. Subsequently was a candidato for Probate Judge, but not by reason of his own solicita- tion. As a lawyer Mr. Zehring has been very successful.
Ile has always been a Democrat in politics and his party placed him upon the ticket, and, though he was defeated, he made a very eredit- able race, lowering considerably the usual Re- publican majority. In the spring of 1892 he received the unsolicited nomination for Director of Schools, under the Federal plan of municipal government which had been inangurated in Cleveland, but he was again deleated by reason of the weakness of his party.
In 1873 Judge Zehiring was married to Miss Eunice Walker, daughter of J. S. Walker, of Wyoming county, New York.
J J. ERWIN, physician and surgeon, 1617 Cedar avenue, Cleveland, was born in Trumbull country, Ohio, January 30, 1850, a son of Henry Erwin and Eliza J. (Squire) Erwin. His parents were born in Youngstown, Ohio, the father in 1825, and the mother in 1829: after their marriage they removed to Newton Falls, Trumbull county, Ohio, then one of the most flourishing places on the Reserve.
Nicholas Osborn, the great-great-grandfather of Dr. Erwin, emigrated from Londoun county, Virginia, in the spring of 1798, and purchased 1.000 acres of land in Youngstown township, 300 aeres in Canfield township, and 400 acres in Boardman township. He gave to any of his friends or neighbors alternate quarter sections of this land if they would settle there and make that their permanent home.
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