USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > History of Milwaukee from its first settlement to the year 1895 > Part 92
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Mr. Chapman was an original thinker and a man of positive convictions. Ile despised cant in all things, and showed his character and ability more by what he did than by what he said. He was one of those men who were living exemplars and reminders of Carlyle's noble declaration that " all
true work is religion, and that the essence of every sound religion is, 'Know thy work and do it.""
CHARLES G. STARK .- In the spring of 1854 there came to Milwaukee a young man, barely nineteen years of age, who has since been con- tinuously identified with trade in this city, whose enterprise has kept pace with its growth, who is now one of the widely-known merchants of the Northwest, and whose entire career as a business man and citizen has been alike creditable to him- self and beneficent in its effects upon the com- munity. This young man was Charles G. Stark, a younger brother of Hon. Joshua Stark, of whose equally notable career as a lawyer extended men- tion is made elsewhere in this history, in which connection also something more has been written of the family history and antecedents of the two brothers.
Charles G. Stark, seventh of the nine children of Rev. Jedediah L. and Hannah (Gager) Stark, was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, May 22, 1835, but spent the greater part of his early life in the state of New York. His parents removed to that state when he was four years of age, and lived three years in the town of Canajoharie, in Montgomery county, removing thence to the village of Mohawk, in Herkimer county, in 1842. It was in the vil- lage of Mohawk that he received his rudimentary education, and in the neighboring village of Little Falls that he began serving the apprenticeship which was to fit him for success as a merchant in later years.
IIe was a mere lad when his father placed him in a store at Little Falls, under the guardianship of a trusted friend and relative, who could be re- lied upon to look after his moral and intellectual as well as his business training. After a time he went from Little Falls to Fort Plain, and subse- quently from there to Frankfort, New York. his father taking care in each instance to see that his environments were such as would contribute to the development of true manhood, as well as to the development of the mercantile instinct which strongly asserted itself in early boyhood. Self- reliant by nature, and impelled by force of cir- cumstances to dependence upon his own resources. he made use of a portion of his earnings from time to time to defray his expenses at the acade- mies at Little Falls and Cazenovia, New York, where he attended school at intervals between his engagements in merchandising establishments.
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HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
Leaving the academy at Cazenovia with what was looked upon in those days as a good business education he clerked a year or more in the store of his brother-in-law in Mohawk, and then deter- mined to come West. He first stopped in Toledo, Ohio, but failing to obtain satisfactory employ- ment there, came to Milwaukee where his brother Joshua had previously located to engage in the practice of his profession. Here he received fra- ternal greeting and such assistance as his brother -then a struggling young lawyer-was able to give him; but it was some weeks before an ac- ceptable position could be found for him. He was almost discouraged and quite out of money when, as a result of the kindly interest taken in him by a brother of Governor Randall, an old acquaint- ance then holding a clerkship with Bradford Brothers, the leading dry goods house in the city, he was offered a situation with that house at a salary of four hundred and fifty dollars a year. It is hardly necessary to say that the offer was promptly and thankfully accepted, and it was in this capacity that Mr. Stark began his connection with the business of merchandising in Milwaukee.
At the end of five months, without solicitation on his part, his salary was increased to five hun- dred dollars per annum, and during the eight years he remained with this firm, a voluntary in- crease of salary was made almost every year, this action on the part of his employers being the strongest possible testimonial to the value of his services.
In the summer of 1862, Mr. John Bradford, who had been the senior member of the firm of Bradford Brothers, proposed to Mr. Stark that they should form an equal partnership and pur- chase the carpet, curtain, and linen stock of the firm, and the good-will of this portion of the busi- ness. The proposition was accepted, and the re- sult was the organization of the firm of Bradford & Stark, parent of the establishment of which Mr. Stark has now been the head for a full quarter of a century. The business prospered from the start, largely as a result of the good judgment and sagac- ity of the junior member of the firm, and in 1869 Mr. Stark found himself able to purchase half of the interest of Mr. Bradford, who desired to retire from active business. The firm name was changed at that time to Stark Brothers, although Mr. Brad- ford continued to be a special partner in the business until 1875, when he retired and
Edward J. Stark became a partner with his brother.
This partnership continued until 1884, when the growth of the city, the increase of trade and rapid expansion of the business which he had estab- lished brought about a reorganization which Mr. Stark thought would be conducive to the per- petuity of the institution and to the interests of those identified with it. In accordance with what had been one of his cherished plans, the Stark Brothers Company was organized as a stock com- pany, the purpose being to share with faithful and efficient employes, who desired to become stock- holders, the profits of the business. Of this cor- poration Mr. Charles G. Stark became president and Mr. Edward J. Stark secretary and treasurer, and both continueto fill these respective positions. The acquisition of stock being made easy by an arrangement which enabled employes to pay for it with their savings and shares of accumulated profits, this mercantile establishment has become in a sense a co-operative institution, with a com- mon interest on the part of employers and em- ployes, productive of most satisfactory results.
In the fall of 1884 the fire which destroyed Mil- waukee's most noted dry-goods establishment, that belonging to the late T. A. Chapman, brought disaster also to the Stark Brothers Company. Their entire stock of goods was destroyed and the business interrupted in the midst of the season of their most active trade. There was for Mr. Stark, however, a large measure of consolation for the loss which he suffered in the discovery that he had gained a strong hold upon the affections of the people of Milwaukee. It had never occurred to him before that the people who had watched his course and had been brought into almost daily contact with him for years had a fond regard for him: the fact became apparent at that time. While the fire was consuming his possessions, men who had known him as boy and man since he came here in 1854, crowded about him, almost with tears in their eyes, to condole with him in his mis- fortune and to tender encouragement and assist- ance. Most liberal offers of help in the resump- tion of business poured in upon him from friends and associates of other cities, and, encouraged by such evidences of good will at home and abroad, Mr. Stark at once began preparations for a re- newal of business, and within five days opened a . new store in temporary quarters on Broadway.
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This prompt move was followed by the making of arrangements for a permanent business home, and five months later the company moved into a new building erected for its occupancy at the old loca- tion on Wisconsin street. On the 21st day of March, 1885, the new store was opened for busi- ness, a reception being given on that occasion to the Merchants' Association and press of Milwau- kee.
In welcoming his guests Mr. Stark delivered the following address, illustrative alike of his high purpose, fine sensibilities and devotion to the best interests of the city:
"Neighbors and Friends-We are glad to wel- come you to-night and to exchange salutations with you in this our new business home. Scarce- ly five months have passed since we were rudely turned out of the quarters occupied by ns for thirteen years, and yet, in this brief space of time, a new and better structure has been built for us and arranged more perfectly for our use than the old, and to-night we are in possession and in readiness to receive our friends. Standing as I now do upon the threshold of a new era in our business career, my thoughts naturally run back over the thirty-one years that have passed since I accepted a position as salesman in what was then the leading dry-goods house of this city. I have ever considered it fortunate for me that the beginning of my business life in the West was with a house so highly esteemed for qualities which ennoble and dignify any trade or profes- sion. Out of this period of service grew the house of Bradford & Stark in 1862, not alto- gether forgotten by you. The failing health of the senior member of that firm after a few years made it necessary for him to retire from active business, and in 1869 the very pleasant relations which he had sustained to me successively as em- ployer and partner for fifteen years, were finally severed, and the firm of Stark Bros. was formed and succeeded to the business. The history of that firm for the past sixteen years is known to you all.
Doubtless our early business training as well as natural disposition have led us into conservative paths. We have not been inclined (indeed it would have been very distasteful to us) to adopt many of the extravagant and sensational methods of advertising and conducting business so general and, apparently, so popular in these modern days.
I have profound respect for the true merchant. The record of his achievements brightens all the pages of history, even to our own times. Great and honored names are enrolled in the ranks of trade and commerce. Abroad in our own land, and notably in this our city, we have had noble examples of men in whom princi- ple and a high sense of honor were conspicu- ous and superior to every merely personal or self- ish interest, men who had our confidence and re- spect while they lived and whose memory we honor. No city in our land can boast of mer- chants whose records are cleaner, whose reputa- tions are brighter, or whose credit is firmer, than those of Milwaukee. This, our commercial strength, is dne in a measure, I think, to the leav- ening influence of our German population, which is strong in the direction of frugality and probity, and in this most worthy of imitation.
It has been the desire of my life to gain a posi- tion among you, fellow merchants, which would command your respect and esteem. To what degree I had attained this object of my ambition I should never have fully known had not the recent disastrous fire occurred. The demonstra- tions of interest, good will and esteem then made by friends from far and near, and the kindness shown to us by you, gentlemen of the Merchants' Association and of the press, . will never be forgotten, and I assure you that this had great influence in the settlement of the ques- tion (upon which we had at first serious doubts) whether we should resume the business after the complete destruction of our stock. We are glad to-night to have this opportunity for ex- pressing to you our appreciation of the treat- ment we received at your hands during those trying days, and to assure you that in all meas- ures which may be undertaken by you for the benefit or interest of our fair city, commercially or otherwise, we wish to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, and shall ever consider it a privilege to bear with you such burdens as may be necessary for the general good. Wishing you every success in the various departments of business in which you are engaged, and expressing the earnest hope that you may never suffer the loss. and inconvenience of a disastrous fire, we give you a hearty welcome to our new home and to a full share of its hospitality."
Since the auspicious opening of the business in
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its present location, the establishment (of which Mr. Stark continues to be the executive head, although he has shifted a portion of his responsi- bilities to other shoulders) has enjoyed uninter- rupted prosperity, and has still further entrenched itself in popular favor.
Of Charles G. Stark, personally, it is not too much to say, and it is appropriate to say in this connection, that he is one of the few men who have left the strong impress of their individuality upon the trade and commerce of the city. As a merchant he has been honest, upright, and con- scientious, and at the same time sagacious, enter- prising, resourceful. If he is not a born merchant he has admirably adapted himself to the circum- stances of life, and has reflected credit alike upon himself and his calling. His successful conduct of this business has brought to him other trusts and responsibilities, and he is now identified with the Johnson Electric Service Company, the Wis- consin Telephone Company, and the Northwest- ern Mutual Life Insurance, in each of which cor- porations he is a director.
One of the founders of the Merchant's Associa- tion, his influence in that organization has been potent in promoting the general expansion of trade and in advancing the interests of Milwau- kee. It was a letter written by him to the Asso- ciation in 1880, which started the agitation of the Exposition project, and he was a member of the committee which finally prevailed upon John Plankinton and Capt. Fred Pabst to act as presi- dent and vice-president respectively of the initial organization, and thus placed at the head of the enterprise the two men to whose intelligent ef- forts and broad liberality the city is chiefly in- debted for the building up of this splendid insti- tution.
In 1881 Mr. Stark was elected treasurer of the Exposition Company, and he served in that capacity while the Exposition building was being erected, handling all moneys and paying bills amounting to more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. No bond was required or asked of him while serving the Exposition Com- pany as treasurer, the confidence of his associates and the general public in his integrity and ability being thus strikingly made manifest. He resigned the treasurership in 1883 to take a European trip, having made a record for faithful and efficient services in behalf of the Exposition enterprise
which entitles him to rank among its chief pro- moters.
As a churchman Mr. Stark has been no less active than in the broad field of business enter- prise. A member of Plymouth Church since 1854, the church records furnish abundant evidence of his absorbing interest in its welfare and his earnest and well-directed efforts to promote its up-building. For many years Mr. Stark served this society in the different offi cial capacities of trustee, treasurer, and president, and he was at the head of the organization when the present church edifice was erected. Cheerfully assuming at all times the large measure of responsibility placed upon his shoulders, he has carried these burdens successfully, and those familiar with the church history know how great has been the value of his services. Active as he has been in this field of effort, his labors have not been confined to work in behalf of Ply- mouth Church. He was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Christian Association in this city, and during all the years which have elapsed since the founding of that institution he has labored earnestly to build up this great moralizing and Christianizing agency.
Married in 1864 to Miss Sarah T. Hayt, daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Chapin) Hayt of this city, Mr. Stark's union with this estimable lady continued nearly a quarter of a century. After a lingering illness which refused to yield to treatment of the most eminent American and European physicians Mrs. Stark died in 1889, and Mr. Stark was thus robbed of the companion- ship of one to whose gentle and loving influence he attributes much of his success in life. A true and devoted wife, looking always on the bright side of things, she was one of those brave, helpful women whose encouragement aids the husband so materially in bearing the burdens of life. Thoughtful for others, and finding her greatest happiness in contributing to the happiness of those about her, she hallowed the home over which she presided and her memory still lingers like a benediction in the household.
In 1890 Mr. Stark was again married, Miss Lucy A. Hayt, a sister of the first Mrs. Stark, becoming his second wife. No children have been born to him from either of these unions, but an especial fondness for children has always been one of his distinguishing characteristics.
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For many years he, was actively interested in Sunday School work, and under all circumstances has been a most kindly and considerate friend of young people, with whom he has been hardly less popular than with his business contem- poraries and associates.
CHRISTIAN WAHL, as boy and man, has lived in Milwaukee and Chicago for almost fifty years, and few men have had more interesting and eventful careers. A good business man, he has found the diversions of life in his endeavors to promote the public welfare, as a patron of the arts, sciences and literature, and in beautifying the city in which he proposes to spend his declin- ing years. A German by birth, loving the liis- tory and traditions of his native land, he has at the same time been conspicuous among his coun- trymen for his devotion to American institutions, his patriotism and pride in American citizenship.
Mr. Wahl is the eldest son of Christian Wahl and Elizabeth Fuhrmann, and was born at Pirmasenz in Rhenish Bavaria, February 12, 1829. He received a good education at a Latin school and on broad lines ; yet while he became well grounded in both Latin and Greek, he devoted himself rather more to the French language. As a lad he already showed great aptitude for mechanics and this early love for machinery has remained one of his chief charac- teristics, he having made and patented many valuable inventions in this field from time to time, and having assisted many a young talent in doing so.
He was a sturdy and lively boy, not without some harmless roguishness, as he says he always preferred the products of neighboring apple trees to his own, although there were plenty of tile latter. He was sent to France to complete his education, and during two years study in Paris not only acquired much valuable general infor- mation but also an excellent command of the French tongue, most exceptional in any other than a born Frenchman.
He accompanied his parents to America and arrived in Milwaukee May 2, 1846, at a time when the town was widely different from its present aspect in every particular. Those were the pioneer days when everyone had to put his shoulder to the wheel without discrimination, and for five years young Wahl had nothing but work, and good honest manual labor at that.
He worked hard with the axe, almost single- handed clearing his father's farm in the then town of Lake, undergoing great hardships in nearly every way. The bedroom occupied by himself and his brother Louis was the loft of a log house, so insecurely roofed that in wet weather the boys slept with an open umbrella over their heads or in winter brushed the snow off their blankets in the morning. To all intents and purposes money did not exist in those days, everything being transacted more or less upon principles of exchange, so that on one occasion when young Wahl was badly in need of a coat he hauled a number of cords of wood for an East Water street baker named Watkins, who in turn gave him an order on a German tailor for the needed garment.
In those days he formed a lasting friendship with Fred Layton, whose butcher's shop was close to the aforesaid bakery. The Wahls dealt with Layton as often as they felt able to do so and the latter, then generous and liberal as to-day, fre- quently trusted them for a piece of beef whenever they thought themselves justified in departing from their customary regime of home-made salt pork.
Despite the constant occupation he found time for the cultivation of music, the love for which he inherited from his father. The Musical Society of Milwaukee, of which organization the city is proud to this very day, having sprung into exist- ence in the winter of 1850 to 1851, young Wahl was one of the first who joined the chorus, in which his high and powerful tenor voice enabled him to do very effective if not artistic work. Such was his enthusiasm for music that after a hard day's work he, in company with his father, walked three or four miles to the rehearsals, often over the worst kind of roads and through the then dense forest, arriving home after mid- night, delighted with the evening's work, for nobody could have persuaded any of the musicians or singers that the production of their oratorios and operas were not the most perfect the world ever saw. This love for music, how- ever, could not keep the spirited and energetic young man in Milwaukee when the times failed to improve and the prospects of engaging in some attractive and lucrative occupation seemed to be diminishing. He started off in 1831 upon what ultimately proved to be a wild-goose chase, but
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was so full of excitement and thrilling adventure that he in no way regrets its manifold experiences.
He first went to California via Aspinwall and Panama, crossing the isthmus on foot, the rail- road not being completed. In California he met disappointment, the placer mines being apparently exhausted and very hard times being the rule throughout the gold regions. His adventurous spirit led him to determine upon a considerable extension of his search for fortune, and instead of returning to Milwaukee he turned his face toward Australia. Having no money he worked his passage on an English ship as steward. The voyage was a series of misfortunes. A week was spent on one of the Friendly Islands for needed repairs, and upon resuming the voyage it was discovered that the ship was so inadequately provisioned that during the last week of the voyage a daily allowance of one spoonful of sago was the limit. The passengers finally reached Sidney in a half-starved condition and none too soon.
From Sidney Mr. Wahl took passage to Mel- bourne-then called Port Philip-on a small schooner which was wrecked on the voyage off Cape Howe, on the southeast coast of Australia. Ten days were spent on a small island waiting for the sea to sufficiently subside to take to the small boats. When this became possible, a perilous trip of ten days' duration finally brought the adven- turous young man to his goal-Port Philip -- but half naked, half starved and wholly penniless.
He went to the gold mines where he remained hard at work for about a year, but with only a comparatively small return for all his risks and labor. Again disappointed he determined to leave Australia and worked his passage ou an English ship to Callao, Peru, as a ship's carpenter, famil- iarly known as " Chips."
Yellow fever was raging at Callao, and of the one hundred and fifty passengers that came in this English ship forty-one died the first week after their arrival. In order to escape "Yellow Jack " he started in company with about ninety of the " boys " up the Andes mountains. Travel- ing by means of mules, the range of the Andes was crossed as far as the head waters of the Amazon, the party diligently searching for gold, of which, however, little was found. They returned to Lima, Peru, where Mr. Wahl worked for a time as a carpenter. From here again he
worked his passage, before the mast, on a steamer to Panama, again walking across the isthmus to Aspinwall; this time not because there was no railroad, but in order to save his money to enable him to return to Milwaukee. On this tramp Mr. Wahl, who was walking on the railroad ties, sud- denly met a superb specimen of the ferocious American lion, who, however, was fortunately just as astonished and scared as was our traveler, and beat a precipitate retreat.
On leaving Aspinwall Mr. Wahl for the first time since leaving California continued his travels as a full-pay passenger to New York. On getting home to Milwaukee he found things materially improved, and after being warmly greeted by his relatives, and friends of the Musical Society-of whom Director Balatka and Messrs. Seifert, Schloemilch, Biersach, Pfeil, Frank Siller and Joshua Stark of the active, and B. K. Miller, Robert Menzies and others of the passive mem- bers are yet living-he soon left the city, as Chi- cago seemed to offer a wider field. In the latter city he settled down to the business of manufac- turing glue, and here he remained as a member of the firm of Wahl Brothers until they finally sold their business, which had become probably the largest of its kind in America, if not in the world, to Philip D. Armour, who still conducts it.
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