Canton Township (part 36 of 62)

On the 17th of August, 1886, Frank Jones was united in marriage with Miss Menie Raedel. She was born March 29, 1864, at New FrankHn, and is the daughter of David Raedel. Her father was born at Isna, Wurtemberg, Germany, January 21, 1824, and came to the United States in 1849, landing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From there he went to Steuben- \ille. Ohio, thence to Canton, and from there to New Chambersburg. He married, in Paris township, Lydia Conrad, and to them has been horn one child, Anna M., whose birth occurred in Louisville, Ohio, May 23, 1892.

Politically Professor Jones has all his life ijeen a stanch advocate of the principles of the Republican party, while religiously he and his wife are faithful and consistent members of the Trinity Reformed church, taking an active interest in the work of that society. Professor Jones is also a member of the Stark County Teachers' Institute and of the Bi-County Teachers' Association. Fraternally he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and

. notice of the public, the result of which is a demand for his services where a high standard of professional excellence is required. He is a gentleman of scholarly tastes and studious habits, keeps abreast the times in advanced educational methods and his general knowledge is broad and comprehensive. Because of his courteous manners, genial disposition and gennine worth he has gained a host of warm pergonal friends in the city of Canton and elsewhere.

MARY J. PRINCE. - Among the efficient, well-known and popular educators of Canton is Miss Mary J. Prince, who has long been engaged in the city schools and who because of her many fine personal qualities and her peculiar fitness for her chosen vocation has won for herself a warm place in the hearts of all with whom she has formed an acquaintance. The subject's family name was originally "Printz." but by the last several generations ot the family the name has been used in its present form. Miss Prince's great-grandfather, George Printz, was a native of Hesse-Cassel, Germany, and was reared about as were other farmers" sons of the period, his father being a wealthy land owner. He came to America with his father when eight years of age, in 1749, this being at a period antedating the .\merican war for independence. Upon their arrival in this country they proceeded at once to Pennsylvania, and the father later entered a tract of land situated among the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia. He married a Miss Shaffer, and by lier had two sons, Reuben and Joseph. In an early day George Printz made a trip to Ohio and there entered one hundred and \ sixty acres of land in what is now Canton township, Stark county, the tract being now known as the Rohrer farm. Returning to his home in Virginia, he subsequently divided this Ohio property equally between his two sons, who had expressed their willingness to settle upon it. George Printz was very prosperous and was a large land owner. He and his wife both died in Virginia.

Reuben Prince, one of the sons just mentioned, and the grandfather of the subject, M-as born on the parental homestead in Virginia, and was reared and educated in his native state. Upon reaching years of maturity he married Miss Anna Judd, a native of the same state, though of English extraction. In 1826, with his wife and children, he came to Ohio, making the journey in "Conestoga" wagons, and at once located on the eighty acres of kuul which had been given to him by his father. It \yas located in tlie midst of a dense wilderness, but he built a rude log cabin for the protection of the family and at once entered upon the task of clearing the land and making it ht for cultivation. He remained upon that place until the death of his wife, in 1S34, when he removed to Canton, remaining there during the remainder of his life. He was again married after coming" to Canton, his second wife's maiden name Ijeing Dolly Souers. His children, all born to the first union, -were as follows: William, who married Christina Rex, died in Canton: George is the father of the sul)ject : Frances is the wife of Isaac Douber and resides near Fort \A'ayne. Indiana ; Al^salom left Canton for the west many years ago and has not since been heard from : John, who was a vetran of the Civil war, married Miss Jane Poole and his death took place at Minerva, this county ; Christina wathe wife of William Double, but died some vears ago in Indiana: Daniel, who died in Canton, was twice married, first to Elizabeth Yam, whose death occurred in Canton: Henry, who also died in Canton, married Elizabeth Mooshower: Rebecca l)ecame the wife of Hemy Bemenderfer.

George Prince was born on the home farm of Page county, Virginia, November 18, 1818, and recei>-ed but little schooling in his native state. At the age of eight years he came to Stark ciinnty, Ohio, and liere completed his education, first attending what was known as the old Brenner school in Canton township and later attending what was known as the "Old Salt Box." When fifteen years old he came to Canton and was ap])renticed to a Mr. White to learn the trade of shoemaking, making" his home A\'ith Iiis employer. He successfully followed this trade a1»ut thirty years and then entered the employ of the Bucher-Gibbs Plow Works, remaining there until about 18S3, since \\hich time he has li\ed retired. In 1834 he was united in marriage with 2\Iiss IMartha J. Kille, \\ho was horn in Paris, Stark county, in 1830, the daughter of Thomas C. and Jane (Hines) Kille.

The Hines family were among the pioneers who settled along the Juniata river in Pennsylvania, the emigrant ancestors of the family being John and Henry Hines, who came to America from Hano\er, Germany, in 1767. John, who settlcil at a place then called Standing Rock, was the great-great-grandfather of Mary J. Prince. He entered land there and during the Revolutionary war took an active part on the side of the colonists. The Indians attacked the settlers in that section and they were compelled to flee for safety. The members of the Hines family all escaped except one son, ho was killed, d'hev had been H\ing in a stone building that at one time had served as a fort, but upon the outbreak of hostilities they fled to the eastern part of the state. John Hines was a prominent and well-kno\\'n man, noted for intelligence and as a man of considerable means, his brother and he acquiring large tracts of land at Standing" Rock. They were getting along nicely when, one night in 1776, some settlers stopped at their place and told them that the Iroquois and ^lohawk Intlirins were on the war path, killing and molesting all the settlers in the valley. The brothers started at once in search of their horses, but became separated. John found two horses and, hastily hitching them to a wagon, put into it the members of the family and started for a place of safety. His son John. the subject's great-grandfather, was among the children, being then but two years old. They started down the river, and though diligent inquiry was made, no news Avas e\"er afterward received of the missing brother. John Hines, with his family, succeeded in eluding the savages and located in Delaware county, Pennsylvania. But he had escaped the savages only to come in contact with the British General

Howe and his Hessian soldiers, so he soon afterward cast his fortune with the army of patriots under General Washington. He fought bravely for the cause of independence and in the battle received a sabre cut at the hands of a Hessian soldier, being thus crippled for life. It is related that once a party of Hessian soldiers came to the Hines place, just after Mrs. Hines had finished baking. The soldiers immediately proceeded to clean the place of all kinds of eatables, thus placing the family in an embarrassing situation. Upon the close of the war John Hines found himself ruined in health and in finance, and in the hope of recouping his fortune he removed to Lancaster county, the same state. In this new home the son John was reared to manhood and eventually married Miss Mary McKnight, I after \\ hich they made their home on an island in the Susquehanna river. Here Jane Hines. grandmother of the subject, Avas born June 4, iSoo. John Hines remained in Lancaster county until 1806, when he removed to Winchester county, Virginia, and from there, in 1808, went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1 8 16 or 1824 he came to Stark county, Ohio, locating in Paris township.

The ]\IcKnight family came originally from Ulster county, Ireland, and it is a matter of record that Mary, wife of John Hines, had a sister Margory, who became the wife of an uncle of President James Buchanan. In 181 1 Jane Hines witnessed the launching of the first steamboat on the Ohio river.

The Kille family, from whom the subject is descended on the maternal side, had its origin in the Highlands of Scotland, coming frnni the town of Kille Cran-kee, northwest of Li ich Lomond, the latter place the scene of two noted events. One was the burning of Kille Christ church, by the Macdonalds, at a time when the church was filled with women, of whom not one escaj^ed. The second noted event was the battle of Kille Cronks, between the armies of King William of England and King James of Scotland. Robert Burns made reference to the family name in several of hispoems, referring in one instance to "The highborn dames of Kille." Upon their emigration to the new world the ancestors of the Kille fainily first settled at Salem, New Jersey, their" location there antedating the landing of William Penn. Great-grandfather Kille was a (juaker in his religious belief, and his wife was an out-and-out Tory, taking especial delight in abusing George Washington. Grandfather Thomas Kille was born at Salem, New Jersey,. December 8, 1785. At the age of fourteen years he went to Philadelphia, remaining there about ten years. He did not inherit the Tory procli\-ities of his mother, being neither Quaker nor Tory, and during the war of 1812 he volunieered to fight against the British, for whichj he was condemned by the Quakers and he subsequently joined the Methodist Episcopal church. For his services during the war o£ 1812, the government granted to his wife a warrant to land near Paris, Stark county. The Penns, Claytons, (laskells and Killes intermarried and several members of the families attained to positions of marked prominence and inlluence. Thomas Kille's first wife was a ]\Iiss Chandler, of Mayflower stock.

The mother of the subject died in September, 1873. ^"<^^ George Prince, on June 18, 1876, married Miss Mary Risher, whose death occurred in 1883. To the first union were born the following children: Charles O., of Canton, married Minnie Cowley; Mary J. isthe subject; William R., of Canton; Thomas C. maintains his residence in Canton, but is now stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he fills the position of quartermaster in the United States navy, holding the rank of major; Anna died in infancy.

of her present home, East Tuscarawas street, Canton, Oliio. Her education was obtained in the pul)Hc schools of the city of Canton, her attendance there ending", however, when she was about sixteen years old. She liad been a iaithful and conscientious student, and at tlie j\o;e of nineteen years was granted a hcense to teach her tirst school, it being what is now known as the Liberty Street school. After four years' successful service here she was transferred to the East Fifth Street school for one year and then to the East Eighth Street school, where she remained four years. She then returned to the Liberty Street school for four years. Her close confinement to^ her school duties caused her health to fail in a measure, and for a year or more she was compelled to give up teaching, but when a1)le to resume her pedagogical labors she was as- -signed to duty at the East Eighth Street school, where she has since maintained a deep and abiding interest in her profession, realizing the responsibility resting- upon her as a guardian the minds and hearts of those committed to her charge. She keeps closely in touch with the most advanced and up-to-date methods in teachmg- and maintains an active membership in the Stark l"ounty Teachers' Institute. Religiously she is a member of the First ^lethodist church. Popular alike with school patr'ins and pupils, amljitious at all times to e.xcell in her work and ever courteous and companionable, she has long held a warm place in the hearts of all with \vhom she has formed actiuaintance

M. - From the most reliable information obt:iinal)le it appears that the original ancestors of the Stokey family were of Anglo-Saxon blood. Inn many centuries ago some of them went to Switzerland, in which country the name, with <lifferent spellings, has lieen familiar to the present day. Prof. Stokey's paternal greatgrandfather, Henry Stokey. was a native of Switzerland, and. when a young man. changed his residence to France. His son Frederick, with his family, including his son Charles, came to the United States in 1827, locating for a while in New Jersey. He was a skilled mechanic, working at various places in this country, finally locating at Syracuse, New York, where his death occurred a number of years ago. His wife. Susan (LeClair) Stokey, survi\ed him some years, dying at the home of her daughter. Mrs. Fercist, in Wood county. Ohio, aged about ninety years.

Cliarles Stokey was born in the department of the D<:iul)s. h'rance. about si.x miles from the Swi.ss border, in the year 181 1. \\\i\\ the exception of private instruction he had comparati\el\' few educational advantages, notwithstanding whicli he early became proficient in (German and brench. besides acquiring by pri- \ate reading a wide general knowledge. I'nder his father's instruction he became a skilled artisan, and the twi > worked together in their native countiw- until the family immigrated to the Ignited States. Charles being' sixteen vears old at the time. For some time after coming to this country Charles Stokey worked in an establishment in New York city where surgeon's instruments were r.ianufactured. and while there met Air. Hassler. superintendent of the coast surve}'. l.\v whom he was employed to go to Washington City and undertake, under Joseph Saxton. uncle of Joseph S. Saxtoii, df Canton, the work of making a full set of standard weights and measures to be used throughout the United States, a task requiring great skill and the utmost scieiitihc accuracy. '\\r. Stokey was well fitted to do this work, and in due time the set for the general government was in readiness, after Avhich he was required to make a similar set for each state in the L'niuii. These standards of weight and measure may be seen todav at the different state capitals, the ones at the national capital being' kept securely locked in a certain room of the treasury department. The measures are made of brass and, like everything else in the possession of the go\'ernment, are kept in the best possible condition, being so brilliantly polished that the slightest touch of the finger will leave a tarnish upon the bright surface. During the Civil war Prof. Stokey was stationed near Washington city, and desiring to see these specimens of his father's handiwork, he visited the patent ofTice. where they were then kept. Later, in 1876, in the presence of professors and students of Mt. Union College, he was permitted to lay his hand upon the bright bushel measure. No sooner had he done this than the custodian began rubbing the spot touched with a piece of chamois skin, until its original brilliancy was restoretl. Mr. Stokey always considered these standard weights and measures his masterpieces of workmanship, as they are mechanically as perfect and scientifically as accurate as human skill could make them. Charles Stokey spent four years of close, hard work on these devices, and resided in the national capital from 1837 to 1841. In the latter year he abandoned mechanical pursuits and moved to the woods of Wayne county, Ohio, where he cleared and developed a farm, on which he lived for a period of about twenty-one years. Disposing of his fru'm in 1S62, he came to Canton, and for some time thereafter worked for Ephraim Ball & Company, of this city, continuing in their employ until failing health I'ibliged him to retire from actixe life. He died in the year 1872, deeply lamented by all who k-new him. ]\Ir. Stokey was married at Philadelphia. Penrisyhania, in 1837, to Miss Mary Eicher, who was liorn in France in the }ear 1 81 3. She accompanied her parents to the I'nited States in 182S, and died at Canton in t8c)i. C^riginally Charles Stokey was a Huguenot in his religion, but after coming to Canton united with the INIethodist Episcopal church, to the teachings of which he continued faithful to the end of his days. ^Irs. Stokey was also a member of the church to which her husband belonged, and like him exemplified her faith by a life singularly upright and pure.

Charles Frederick Stokey was born in Milton township, Wayne count}", Ohio, January 20, 1845. ^'^t the proper age he entered the district schools of his native place and there pursued his studies until his parents moved to Stark county, when he became a pupil in the Canton schools. After spending two years in the city high school he entered Allegheny College, at Meadville, Pennsylvania, and in due time completed the prescrilied course of that institution, graduating in the year 1872. Meantime, in 1867, Prof. Stokey began teaching in the public schools of Stark county and after iinishing his collegiate course taught one year in the state of Pennsyhania. His next educational work was in a military school at Poughkeepsie, New York. In 1874 he was elected principal of the high school at East Li\erpool, Ohio. Severing his connection with the schools of that city, Prof. Stokey accepted the chair of modern languages (French and German) in Mt. Union College, and after holding the position two years he came to Canton in 1877 to take charge of the special department of the' public schools. While here he was elected superintendent of schools at Chagrin ]""alls, where he served one year. While at Ciiagrin Falls he was elected teacher of German in the Canton schools, where he served three years, when he was transferred back to the special school, then to tiie high school, as assistant, and finally he was made principal of the Crystal Park schools.

Possessing marked abilit}' as a teacher and manager of schools, an indefatigable worker and thoroughly in love with his profession, it follows as a natural sequence that Prof.- Stokey should become an important factor not only in connection with the educational work of his prescribed province, but in a field far transcending local limitations. His distinctive intellectuality and high attainments give him prestige among the leading educators of Canton and Stark county, and his efficiency is shown in a most pronounced way by his work since becoming identified with the city school system. The Professor is a member of the Stark County Teachers' Institute and the author of the present constitution of that body. He has been a potential factor in the deliberations of this and . other educational assemblies, taking a leading part in their pul.ilic discussions and frequently addressing his fellow teachers or reading liefore them carefull}- prepared papers noted for scholarship and erudition. In addition to his professional duties Professor Stokey is now employed by the national weather bureau as special rain-fall and the corn and wheat region observer. He also has a military record, having served during the last year of the Civil war, in the One Himdred and Ninety-lifth Ohio Infantry, which was stationed during the greater part of that time in the Shenandoah valley and then in Washington, D. C. He discharged his duties as a l^rave and faithful soldier, but did not experience any very trying ser\-ice, owing to the lateness of his enlistment. He had enlisted in 1862, under Lieut. Thaddeus K.'Cock. of the Seventy-sixth C)hio \'olunteer Infantry Capt. Muhlenberg, of the Thirteenth United States Army, refused to muster him into the service, because he was only seventeen.

In his fraternal relations Prof. Stokey is identified with the Royal Arcanum and the Grand Army of the Republic, having served five years as quartermaster of McKinley Post Xo. 2-f and two years as adjutant. Politically he is an unswerving supporter of the Republican party, and as such has wielded a strong influence in its behalf, although he is by no means narrow or intolerant in his views. Personally he is a most companionable gentleman, a fa\orite in social circles and courteous in h demeanor to all with whom he comes in cor tact. His long residence in Canton has mad him well acquainted with the people of th city and county, and wherever known he : honored for his inflexible integrity in though word and deed.

On the 23d day of December. 1874, in tli city of Pittsburg, was solemnized the marriag of Prof. Stokey and Miss ]\Iargaret Grace Provines, of Washington county, Pennsylvanij daughter of John and Jane (Gracey) Provine; both of Scotch-Irish descent. This union ha resulted in the birth of fi\'e children, the oldes of whom is William Provines, first lieutenan in the engineer corps of the United State army, stationed at Washington, D. C. H was graduated from West Point in 1900, an^ is a young man of exceptional abilities, with bright and promising future before him. Aim Gracey, the second in order of birth, is a stu dent at Oberlin College; Fred Eicher is a ma chinist in the emplo}' of the Hampden \\'atcl Works. Laura Euphemia, who is still a mem ber of the home circle, attended the Deacones School in Washington, I). C, and is now ; nurse in the Aultman hospital in this city. Ev; Christine, the youngest of the fannl}-. is ; senior in the Canton high school, with a fin record as a student.

PROF. WALTER S. RUFF. - Prof. Ruf is descended on the father's side from an ok German family whose representatives came tc America in colonial times and settled in \\'est moreland county, Pennsylvania. Several o his ancestors did distinguished service in th( war for independence and in flie early annal: of the above county the name frequently ap pears in connection with civil as well as witi military affairs. Daniel Rufif, the subject"; grandfather, was a native of Westmorelanc count}, but as long ago as 181 6 migrated tc

Columbiana county, Ohio, settling in the wilderness of what is now West township. He A\as a true type of the sturdy pioneer of the early day and performed well his part in clearing the land, in developing the resources of ^\ hat has since become one of the most enterprising and enlightened sections of the Buckeye state. He married, in the county of Columbiana, Barbara Bair, and the two lived long and happily together on a farm near the town of New Chambersburg, the wife dying- in 1880, aged seventy-six, the husband in 1892, in his eighty-fifth year.

Among the children. of Daniel and Barbara Rui'f was a son by the name of Albert, \\ho was born in Columbiana county on the 14th day of September, 1839. He was reared as a tiller of the soil and has spent all of his life in that honorable vocation, being still a resident of the township and county of his birth. \\'hen the late Civil war broke out he enlisted at New Chambersburg in the Eighty-sixth Infantry, with which he served three months, at the expiration of which time he joined the One Hundred and Ninety-first Ohio Volunteers. He accompanied the latter command to the front and saw considerable active service, but received his discharge one year later, having enlisted for only that length of time. Albert Ruff was married, in 1873, to Miss Malinda Summer, daughter of Noah Summer, of Columbiana county ; Mrs. Ruff was born at East Rochester, Ohio, in the year 1849, ^^d is still living in West township, where she and her husband set up their domestic establishment immediately after the celebration of their marriage. She is the mother of three children, the subject of this review being the eldest; the other two are Carrie and Agnes, both living in their native county.

Prof. Walter S. Ruff was born on the family homestead near New Chambersburg, Columbiana county, Ohio, January 4. 1874, and until the age of sixteen remained with his parents, assisting as soon as old enough with the varie<l labors of the farm. At the proper age he entered the district school near his home, and his progress may be inferred from the fact that when but sixteen years old he secured a teacher's license and entered upon his career as an educator. Mr. Ruff taught his first term in the village of New Alexander in the summer of 1890, and the winter following attended school in order to fit himself for more efificient service as an instructor. The next year he took charge of his home school, known as the Bunker Hill district, and after a very successful term there was elected during the ensuing three or four years to teach near the village of Minerva. Appreciating the demand of the age for teachers of professional training, as well as intellectual qualifications, he spent his vacations attending the Normal University at Ada, where, in addition to a critical review of the common and higher branches, he took a thorough course in pedagogy. In this way he prepared himself for greater efificiency in his chosen field of endeavor, bring'ing to his work a well-disciplined mind and a full appreciation of the responsibilities resting upon him, not only as an instructor but as a builder of character.

From 1897 to 1900, inclusive, Prof. Ruff' taught at New Water ford, and while there was united in marriage, on the 23d of November, 1898, to Miss I^retta Sanor, who had formerly been his pupil at New Alexander. In August, 1900, Prof. Ruff accepted the principalship of the Clarendon Avenue school. Canton, and after filling the position one year was made principal of the larger building on East Eighth street, where he now labors. Prof. Ruff's continued success as a teacher convinces him that his sphere of usefulness lies in the educational field, consequently he proposes making it his life work. He is essentially a self-made man, and has risen to his present responsible station bv his own efforts. Fortune cast no glittering favors in his pathway, but instead he was obhged to surmount discouraging obstacles, and it was only by sheer force of will, backed by a laudable ambition to rise, that he was eventually able to reach the goal of success. Like all progressive educators, he has become identified with several teachers' organizations of the city and county, being a member of the Bi-county Teachers' Institute. He also belongs to the Masonic lodge in Canton, and in politics is a stanch supporter of the Republican party. In matters religious he is a Presbyterian, belonging, with his wife, to the First church of that denomination in this city. Prof, and Mrs. Ruft have a neat and attractive home on Woodland avenue, where they dispense with a spirit that sweetens the welcome a generous hospitaiit\- tn their many friends and acquaintances.

D.W'ID S. SO]\l.MER. - Joseph Sommer. father of the subject, was born near the famed old city of Strassburg, in the province of Alsace, L^'rance. now a part of Germany, the year of his nativity ha\-ing been 181 7. There he was reared and educated and there he learned the miller's trade. As a Aoung man. and dependent entu'eh" upon his (iwn resources in fighting the stern battle of life, he proceeded to Har\e, France, whence he set sail for America, landing in New York city and thence making his way directly to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he had acquaintances. In that city he secured employment in a brewery, later was engaged in farm work and eventually entered the employ of Joseph .\ugspurger, who was engaged in the distilling Inisiness in Butler county, this state. T'nere, in the year 1 844, he was united in marriage to !Miss Catherine Augspvu'ger, a daughter of his employer, and shortly afterward he came with his bride to Stark county, where he rented a farm near the \-ill'ige "f Paris, in the township of the same name. He continued in agricultural pursuits on rented land until, b}' industry and good management, he had accunuilated sufficient funds to justify him in the purchase of a farm of his own. In 1849 he bought a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, in Perry township, and there remained until 1S69, having made good improvements on the place and brought it under effective cultivation. In the year mentioned he disposed of the propert}' and purchased the fli:iuringmills at Plain Center, three miles north of Canton, in Plain township, and continued tc> successfully operate the same, being a thoroughly competent and practical miller, until about 1878, when he retired in favor of his sons, Joseph, John and Henry, who have since carried the enterprise successfully forward, ha\-ing been thoroughly trained liy their father. Joseph Sommer finally came to Canton, where he passed his declining days in the home of his son John, on South McKinley avenue, where he died in ]Sc)i. honored by all who knew him and known as a man of ability and inflexible integrity. In politics he accorded a stanch adherence to the Democratic party, and his religious faith was that of the ]\Iennonite church, of which his wife likewise was a consistent member, her death having occurred in the year 1876. They became the parents of seven children, concerning whom brief record is as follows : Joseph died in Canton, on the i8th of March, 1897, a bachelor; Henry remains at the old home in I'lain township, (Operating the mills to which reference has been made, and he married ^lary Kropf ; Jrihn, who is engaged in the grocery business in Canton, married Fannie Kropf: Jacob died near Eaton, Ohio, in iNlay, 1902; Catherine is the wife of Christian Auspurger. of Berne, Intliana ; David S. is the immediate subject of this sketch, an.d Lizzie is the \\ife of Charles Beard, of Plain township.

29th ol Fel.)ruary, i860, and thus he has theoretically a birthday anniversary only once in foitr years, as February can claim twenty-nine days only in the leap years. He grew up under the sturdy discipline of the farm, and from the age of fourteen contributed his ([uota to its work during the summer seasons, while he attended the district schools during- the winter months, his first teacher. having" been I\Iiss Sarah l^ohrer. He C(jntinued to work on the farm and in his father's mill until he had attained the age of eighteen years, after which he continued his studies for two years in the normal school at Lebanon, this state, where he rounded out a good practical education. After leaving school he was for eight 3'ears employed as clerk in Hamilton county and for one year was similarly engaged in a mercantile establishment in Canton. The following year he acted as collector for his brothers, in connection with the milling business. In 1888 he was married, and shortly afteward established his home at 906 East Second street. Canton, and here he engaged in the freight hauling or transfer busmess, in \\liich he continued for eleven years, building up a successful enterprise in the line and gaining- a wide circle of acquaintances in the city. In 1899 he was elected to his present responsible office as street commissioner, as the candidate on the Democratic ticket, and that his handling of the work assigned to his control has been satisfactorily handled needs no further voucher than the fact that he has i)een continued in the office consecutively to the present time. He has shown m.arked discrimination and judgment in his office, and through his excellent executive ability has not only done much to bring about needed improvements but also has conserved economy in this department of the municii)al service. Mr. Sommer has ever given an uncompromising allegiance to the Democratic part}', his first presidential vote having been cast in support of (_iro\-er CleAeland. at the time of his first nomination, and he has taken an active interest in the party work. He and his wife are zealous members of the Mennonite church, of which he became a member in 187S and she in 1883.

On the 1 6th of February, 1888, Mi: Sommer was united in marriage, in Canton, to Miss Anna Kropf, a sister of the wives of his brothers Ilenry and John. She was boni near Paris, this county, on tlie iJth of October, 1867, being a daughter of Christian and Barbara (Keese) Kropf, who are now residents of Canton. They removed from Paris townsliip to New P)erlin, I'lain townshi]), when she was an infant, and there she was reared to maturity, receiving her education in the pul)lic schools. i\Ir. and Mrs. Sommer ha^-e four children. namely: Walter J., who was born in Cantun, on the 20th of April, 1889 ; Homer D., who was born in this city on the 26th of December. 189T ; Marie C, who was born on the 18th of September, 1894, and Helen B., who is likewise a native of Canton, where she was born December 31,1 896.

ELMER E. SCHECJ. - AmiMig the able and pojiular representatives of educational interests in the city of Canton is the subject of this sketch, who is incumbent of the responsible position of principal of the Hartford Street school. He is a native son of the Buckeye state, and thus the more interest attaches to a consideration of his life history in the compilation. He is a son of Henry Scheu, who was born in tiie jiicturesque and historic old universitY city of Heidelberg, Germany, in the year 1822. There he attended school until he had attained the age of fourteen years, after which he was identified with agricultural pursuits in that section of the great German empire until 1843. when, at the age of twenty-one years, he severed the ties that bound him to home and fatherland and set forth to seek his fortunes in

America, where so many of .his countrymen ha\e found homes and attained success and independence, the German element in our complex social fabric being one of the most valuable in the entire composite makeup. He landed in New York city, whence he came directly to Ohio and located in the town of Ragersville, Tuscarawas county, where he for a time gave- his attention to agricultural pursuits, but eventually engaged in the dry-goods business in that town, continuing in this line of enterprise during the remainder of his active career. He began operations in a modest way and succeeded in building up a large business becoming one of the leading and most inihicntial citizens of the town and being honored for his sterling integrity and his honorable life. About two years after locating in Ragersville he was united in marriage to Miss I.ouisa Steiner, who was born in Switzerland, about the year 1836, and who was there reared ami educated, being al)Out twenty-one years of age when she accompanied her parents on their emigration to the United States, the famil_\' locating in Tuscarawas county, where her parents passed the residue of their lives. She died in Ragersville, in 1882, and her husband passed away in 1887, both having been devoted members of the German Reformed church, while he was a stanch Democrat in his political proclivities. Of their children the following is a brief record: Charlotte is the wife of Fred Zimmerman, of Tuscarawas county; Lizzie is the wife of Christian Beller, of that county : Caroline is the wife of John Kline, of Midvale, that county ; Henry is deceased, as is also Charles; Mary is the wife of William Canada, of Cleveland, Ohio, in which city also resides Louisa, the next in order of birth; Susan, tlie wife of Thomas Walker, is deceased; Rose, the wife of Frank Garver, of Ragersville. is deceased; iMcClelland is a farmer near Osnaburg, Stark county ; Lewis resides in Ragersville ; lilnier E. is the immediate subject of this sketch ; Phoebe is the wife of Daniel Rice, of Canal Dover, and Robert is a resident of the state of Washington.

Elmer E. Scheu was born in Ragersville, Tuscarawas county, on the 21st of November, iS68, and there his early educational discipline was received in the public schools, his boyhood days being passed on' a farm, which was in close proximity to the village, and when not in school he assisted in the work of the homestead. At the age of eighteen years, in 1887, he was matriculated in Smithville Normal School, in Wayne county, this state, where he continued his studies for three terms, after which he completed a special course in penmanshi]) at Bixler's Pen Art School, at Wooster, Ohio. Li 1888 he entered the Ohio Normal Uni\ersity, at Ada, where he contimied as a student for two and a half years, while in the winter vacations he engaged in teaching, having determined to devote his attention to pedagogic work, for which he had a natural predilection and in preparing for which he spared no pains or a])plication. After leaving- the university he continued to teach lor six winters in the district schools, and for eight years he was principal of the Second Street school at Canal Dover, Puscai-awas county. In the spring of 1902 he accepted his present position as principal of the Plartford Street school, in Canton, entering upon liis duties at the opening of the autumn term, in the following- September. His reputation through previous pedagogic work stands as a voucher for the value which will attach to his services in his present position, and he is proving- a valuable acquisition in connection' with the work of the public schools of Canton. He is a member of the Ohio Teachers' Association, and fraternally is identified with the Masonic order, the Protective Home Circle and the Junior Order of L'nited American Mechanics. In politics he maintains an independent attitude, though manifesting a deep interest in the qucsticms of

On the 31st of March, 1894, at Canal Do- A'cr, Tuscarawas count}', Mr. Scheu was united in marriage to Miss Irene Peters, of Ragers- where she was born, being a daughter of Dr. Herman J. Peters, of that place. Mr. and j\lrs. Scheu have a winsome little daughter, Florence Belle, who was born at Canal Dover, on the 5th of April, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Scheu are active members of the Trinity Reformed church of Canton, Ohio.

MARTIN DEUBLE. - The life history of him whose name initiates this paragraph most pertinently illustrates what may be attained liy faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest purpose. His career was manly, his actions sincere, his manner imaffected, and his speech from his heart. He was a worthy representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of Canton, where he was himself a pioneer business man and where he continued to make his home until his death, in the fullness of years and honored by all who knew him, for his was a simple but noble life, true to itself and to the dictates of conscience. He well merits a tribute and memorial in this volume.

The Deuble family is of stanch German origin, and in the town of Treschlingen, Groszhertzogthum, Baden, Germany, George Michael Deuble, father of the subject, was born, while there also was born his wife, whose maiden name was Susanna Schmitt, their marriage being' solemnized in the fatherland. About 1825 they emigrated to America and located in the city of Philadelphia, where they remained for a short time, during which Mr. Deuble undoubtedly followed his trade, that of weaver, in which he was an expert artisan, weaving counterpanes and other articles of that order. During the residence of the family in the "City of Brotherly Love" Martin Deuble, subject of this memoir, was born, the date of his nativity being April 16, 1827. Shortly after his birth his parents settled at the foot of the Blue mountains, in I'ennsylvania, and there his father began the manufacturing of clocks, being associated with a partner, and they peddled th.eir products throughout the surrounding'country. While following this line of enterprise he had three different partners, each of whom betrayed his confidence and defrauded him of all his stock, but his valiant spirit did not quail beneath these discouragements, and he determined to conquer adversity and to attain a position of independence, if these aims were to be accomplished b}' honest and indefatigable effort. He finalh' decitled to come to Ohio, leaving his family for the time being in Pennsylvania. His funds were reduced to a low ebb, and he left the major portion for the use of his family and then l)ravely set forth on foot to make the long and weary journey to Canton, Ohio, where his brother Henry and half-brother, John Deuble, were engaged in business as butchers, their shop being located on N(>rth Walnut street, near Third street. The father of the subject was a week in making the trip, and a goodly portion of his meals while en route were secured from apple orchards along the way. He finally arrived in Canti>n. in the year 1834, and, after 'consulting with his brothers, determined -to make a permanent location here. He began work in his brothers' shop <^ind after a time his family joined him in the new home, taking up their abode in a brick house located on a part of lots II and 12, on North Market street. 'Mr. Deuble worked earnestly and constantly to provide for his family, and about the year 1836 he fitted up a watch-making and repairing shop in his home, having' become a good workman in this line, in which he had served an apprenticeship, while he was endowed by nature with exceptional mecham'cal ability. He was also an accomplished musician, and in a room adjoining his shop he placed a piano, which he used in connection with his work of teaching vocal music, while he also hecame organist and choir-master of the German Reformed church, with, which the family have - all been identified as consistent and zealous memhei"s. As time passed, his business increased in scope and importance, and die continued the same up to within a few years of his death. ha\'ing in the meanwhile put in a good line of jewelry, watches, clocks, etc. .\fter his reth'ement his sons Martin and (ieorge continued the business, moving the same to the Wikidal home, which was located on the site of the present l'"olwell bliick. Concerning the business and the family history further mention is made in the sketch of the life of the subject's brother George, appearing elsewhere in this volume. In politics the father was a stanch Democrat, and both he and his wife were devoted members of the Reformed church. He died in i860, and his widow passed away in September, 1866. Their two children Martin, subject of this meninir, and George, who continues the jewelry business in Canton, as is duly noted in his I)ersonal sketch on another page of this work. Martin Deitble was born in Philadelphia, as lias Ijeen already noted, and he was a mere boy at tile time when his mother and younger brother came to Canton to join their father. He learned the trade of watch-maker and jeweler in his father's establishment, while his educational advantages were such as were afforded in the pioneer schools of Canton. Soon after his father's retirement fmm business he and his brother opened a store in the corner room of the Wikidal house, as before noted, and there they remained until 1861, when they purchased the Re\-. Fast property on the east side of the public square, near the corner of South ]\tarket and East Seventh streets. Into this the\- rcmiixed their stock, which thev greatly enlarged in the new and more pretentious quarters, and later they remodeled the building, rendering it more eligible for their use. There they continued to be associated in business until the death of the subject, which occurred on the nth of August, 1875, and within this time they had built up a prosperous enterprise, having gained the highest reputation for fair and honorable dealing and being known as able and conservative business men.

In his political proclivities, though never an aspirant for official preferment, he was a stanch Democrat, taking an active and intelligent interest in the party cause. He was a member of the Reformed church, and his faith was exemplified in his daily life. He was for many years a member of the choir, and at times acted as organist, being ever ready to do his part in all portions of the church work.

In Canton, on the 6tli of October, 1857, Mr. Deuble was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Herbruck, a sister of Rev. Feter Herbruck, a pioneer clergyman of the German Reformed church in this county and one to whom specific reference is made elsewhere in this compilation. She was born in Grosse-Steiivhausen, in the kingdom of Baieren, Germany, on the 8tli of l^'ebruary, 1832, being a daughter of Fhilip and Barbara ( Schlemnier) Herbruck. and she attended school in her native town until slie had attained the age of fourteen years, when she accompanied her parents on their emigration to America, the family taking up their residence in .Stark county, where her parents passed the rest of their li\es. She still resides in this city, her pleasant home, so hallowed and endeared to her bv the associations and memories of the past, having been erected Ijy her husband in 1868. Of the six children born to Martin and Susanna (Herbruck) Deuble the following data is entered : Emma, w ho was born on the i^lh of October, 1858, died on the 31st of March, 1863 ; Charles G., who was born Octolier 9. 1800. secured his education in the public scliools of Canton, being fourteen years of age at the time of his father's death, and after learning the jeweler's trade under the direction of his uncle, George Deuble, he eventually engaged in business for himself, and now nas a well equiped store in this city; he married Miss Laura Lewton, of Malvern, Carroll county; Elten H., who was born on the 20th of April, 1864, married Miss Ella M. Muncaster and they reside in Canton, where he is engaged in F. Herbruck's dry goods store; Clara E., who was born June 19, 1866, is the widow of Re\-. Louis M. Weiss, who was an able young clergyman of the Reformed church, and she now makes her home in Canton; Louis E., who was born July 12, 1871, married Miss Pina A. Fohl. and they reside in Canton, where he is engaged in the Canton water works ; and Bertha E., who was born Septemlier 23, 1873, remains with her mother in the attractive home, which is located at 424 North ^larket street.

THADDEUS C. N1GH]\L\N. - George Nighman, the subject's grandfather, was an early settler of the \A'estern Reserve. l(icating manv years ago about four miles northwest of Kent in the county of Portage. His son George was born near the above town and grew to yoimg manhood amid the environments of pioneer life, attending at intervals during his y(_nith such schools as were then common in the Western Reserve. On leaving home he went to York, Pennsylvania, where he lived for some time with an uncle b_\- the name nf David Hahn. and while there met Miss Lydia Kellen. wlm became his wife (ui the 26th of August. 1821. ]Mr. Nighman worked for some time in his uncle's brewery and distillerv. but after his marriage he beaded his few hi:)usehi.ild goods on a wagon and with an ox team returned to Ohio, settling on Nimishillen creek. Stark count\". Meantime, his uncle had built a small distillery on the abo\-e creek and it was for the purpose of assisting in its operation that he left a comfortable home in Penns}'h'ania and moved into what was then an almost unbroken wilderness. After running the distillery until becoming convinced that his relative was not treating him right in a business way, Mr. Nighman withdrew from the concern and at the instance of George Dewalt. who backed him financially, bought a lot on the corner of North Market and Second streets. Canton, on which he erected a brick building, thirty-three by seventy-five feet in size, for brewing purposes. The enterprise proved successful from the beginning and. as rapidly as circumstances would admit, the indebtedness was reduced until the establishment stood free from incumbrance. ]\lr. Nighman fitted up five rooms in the west end of the brewery Imilding for a dwelling, and continued to live there in peace and comfort to the end of his days. He was an. honest, industrious man and no doubt hastened his death by the immense amount of labor he performed. Beginning the brewery business heavily in debt, he persevered until e\erv dollar was honestlv paid, after which he labored just as diligently to provide comfortai3h- for his family. During the great cholera plague which broke out in 1832 Mrs. Nighman was taken sick \vith the disease, but owing to skillful nursmg ami assiduous care she reco\-ered. onlv to lose her husband the following year. Mr. Nighman departed this life on the 17th ot March, 1833. and in his death Canton lost one of its most estimable and enterprising citizens, .\fter his death his widow took charge of tke lirewery and distilling and carried on tlie business \er\- successfully for several years, accumulating a handsome competence. She married a second time, and died on the loth of Jul}'. 1880. honored and esteemed by a large circle of friends in this city and elsewhere. She bore her first husband two sons and one daughter. n;niielv: George, wh<.) died in infancy: Anna- bella E., bom August 10, 1828, married George W. Heil, and died August 11, 1902 ; and Thaddeus C, whose name furnishes the caption to this article, was born in this city on the 2d day of February, 1831. He first saw the hght of day in the old brewery homestead, wiiich stood on the lot now occupied by the Schhtz [Music Hall, and it is a fact worthy of note that his life has been spent within the block in which he was born. His early experience was similiar in most respects to that of the majority of city lads, the only exception, if any, being- an excessive tendency to .sport and athletic exercises. When a mere boy he developed unusual physical powers, and being full of animal spirits, his strength frequently led him to engage in fistic encounters with his playmates and companions until he became noted as one of the young champions of the town. At the proper age he entered school, but here as elsewhere his love of sport predominated and as a consequence his studies were for a time sadly neglected. One of his early teachers was Archibald McGregor, between whom and himself a life long friendship has existed. During the late Civil war Mr. McGregor published in Canton a Democratic paper, which aroused the animosity of the ultra-Union party of the city. By reason of certain treasonable sentiments which appeared in the columns of the sheet from time to time, the loyal men of the city decided to destroy the office and drive the editor from the place. Accordingly a mob was raised for the purpose and when about to carry their design into execution Mr. Nighman, at that time city marshal, appeared upon the scene and efilectually put a stop to their acts of violence, thus saving the property and perhaps the life of his friend.

Owing to the death of his father, which occurred when he was a child, young Nighman grew up practically unrestrained, missing that gentle home influence which c\-ery boy should feel in order to bring out the belter part of his nature. In \-iew of this fact it is no wonder that he became a leader among the wild boys of the city and proved a trouble to his teachers and a source of annoyance to those who had him in charge. Rut back of his exuberant spirits was good, sound material, of which strong characters are made, and under proper influence it began in due time to manifest itsVlf. At the age of thirteen he hired to a farmer by the name of Shriver and after working for him for seven months, accepted a position with a wholesale drug firm in Massillon. He went to that city in answer to an advertisement he saw in a paper for a general utility boy in a drug store, and the proprietors of the house, being pleased with his appearance, at once took him into their employ. He entered upon his duties with fixed purpose of learning the business, and but few months elapsed befo're he had a general knowledge of buying' and selling besides a practical acquaintwith the nature of drugs. He was quick to learn and absolutely reliable and during^ the two years he remained with the firm he was con- 'sidered one of the most trustworthy and valuable employes in the establishment. Resigning his position with ilessrs. Bigger & Baldwin, the proprietors of the drug store, Mr. Nighman returned to Canton and engaged with Bicking & Melchoir, brewers, the former'his uncle, and worked for these parties during the two years foll'iwing. In the fall of 1848 he took charge of the Ijrewery and did a very satisfactory business during the ensuing twelve years, meantime, on the 1 2th of May, 1850, being united in marriage with Miss Emeline Bitler. of near Navarre. In i860 Mr. Nighman suspended the brewer}' business and two years later (in the spring of 1862) he was elected city marshal, the duties of which oflice he discharged in an able and satisfactory manner for one term, refusing a renomination by his party. The same year in which he \\"as elected city marshal he was ap])ointed by Capt. John F. Oliver deputy provost marshal for the eighteenth district and as such served until the close of the war, prov- ing in this, as in his other official capacity, a faithful, reliable and popular public servant. In 1867 or '68 Mr. Nighman sold his brewery and for some time thereafter was not actively engaged in any vocation, devoting his time to his private interests. His next venture was in the transfer business, which he followed for several years with success and profit. He ran a number of teams in this city and was never without a liberal patronage, as the public had long before learned that whatever he engaged to do would be prosecuted with satisfaction and dispatch. Discontinuing teaming, he opened a large boarding stable and to this line of business he has since devoted his attention, meeting with most encouraging success, as his place is patronized by the best people of the city and those in the county having fine horses to becared for.

It will be seen from the foregoing brief outline that the career of Mr. Nighman has been one of great activit}-. and that he has been more than ordinarily fortunate in a financial way is attested by the ample competence now in his possession. His life has been one of constant advancement and that, too, in the face of discouraging obstacles, as the reader may infer frpm his youthful environments. While allowed to follow his own inclinations when young, it is much to his credit that he ne\er formed a bad habit and his life has been entirely free from the vices which the majority of people contract to a greater or less degree. He is, and always has been, strictly temperate, in the matter of intoxicants and tobacco, never having used the latter in any of its forms and in the former carrying his dislike to the extent of eliminating coffee from his bill of fare. His character is open and free, his actions in the main ha\-el.ieen above criticism and as a citizen his honor and integrity are unassailable.

daughter, namely : Thaddeus C. ; Frank W. and Charles A., of Jersey City, New Jersey; George W., of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Ruella, who holds a position with the natural gas company of Canton. In 1883 Mr. Nighman married his present wife, Mrs. Elizabeth De Peyster, of Kent, Ohio, a union without issue.

William Jennings Melcher

WILLIAM JENNINGS MELCHER was born on the old homestead farm, near Zanes\-ille, Muskingum county, Ohio, on the 6th of" October, 1841, being a son of Conrad and Catherine Elizabeth (Joy) Melcher. His father was born in the province of Hessen- Darmstadt, Germany, being a son of John Melcher, who was there engaged in farming, as had been his ancestors for many generations. He there ac<juired a competency and had a comfortable home, but he w-as led to emigrate to America in or.der that his sons might escape military duty in the German army, while he was also convinced that in the new world, free from the restrictions and limitations of monarchical* rule, his children could secure better opportunities for personal advancement and definite success. Thus, about the year 1827, in company with his family, he bade adieu to the fatherland and set sail for the L'nited States, the father, of the subject being at the time about seventeen years of age. The family remained a' short time in York, Pennsylvania, and then came to Ohio and located on a farm near Zanesville, Muskingum county, where the grandfather of the subject devoted the remainder of his life to agricultural pursuits, becoming one of the successful and influential men of that localitv, where he acquired a large amount of land. The homestead farm eventually came into the possession of his eldest son, Casper, while he also provided his son Conrad, father of the subject, with a farm in that county. His youngest son,

Conrad Melclier remained on his farm in ]\luskingum county until about 1843, when he remoxed to Hocking county, where he purchased a farm in Laurel township, which continued to be his home until the death of his loved and devoted wife, who passed away at the age of nearly ninety years, and he then came to the home of his son William J., the subject, and his death here occurred only twenty-one days after the decease of his wife, as the result of injuries received from a fall. He died in Canton, on the 15th of January, 1898, at the age of eighty-seven years. Both were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the father was a stanch supporter of the Republican party. They were folk of sterling character and held the unqualified confidence and esteem of all who knew them. Of their eleven children only two are living, the subject and his elder brother, Henry, who is a resident of Akron. Plymouth county, Iowa. Henry ]\Ielcher was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, where he was reared, and at the time of the Civil war he enlisted as a private in the One Himdred and Sevent\-tliird Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war, after which he returned to his family in Hocking county. The farm which he there owned he later sold to his father and then removed to \"an Wert county, Ohio, where he purchased a farm about seven miles from Van Wert. From that place he removed to Iowa, where he continued to make his home for a period of about fourteen years, after which he located in South Dakota, where he resided until 1899. when he returned to Iowa and took up his abode in the village of Akron, where he has since resided, being- one of the influential and honored citizens of the place.

at the time of his parents' removal from Aluskingum county to the farm in Laurel township, Hocking county, where he was reared to maturity and wher,e he received such educational advantages as were to be had in the public schools of the locality and period. With the thundering of rebel guns against the ramparts of old For,t Sumter, his intrinsic patriotism was roused to responsive protest, and on the 2 1st of October, 1861, only fifteen days after his twentieth birthday anniversary, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Fifty-eighth Ohio \'olunteer Infantry, Charles Parker being captain ot the company, while the regiment was commanded by Colonel Bousenwein. After serving for a period of ten months ^Ir. JMelcher was discharged on account of physical disability, and he returned to his home, where he remained about seventeen months, within which time he recuperated his health, and at the expiration of this period he re-enlisted in his old regiment, with which he continued in active service until the close of the war, r.eceiving his honorable discharge on the 25th of September, 1865, at Camp Chase, in the city of Columbus, Ohio. During his first term of service he participated in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh, and after his reenlistment he took part in no general battles, but was engaged in many skirmishes. After the close of the war he returned home, with greatly impaired health, and there he remained until the spring of 1866, when he removed to \'an Wert, this state, where he purchased a small farm and also became the owner of real estate in the city. He remained there one year and five months and then, on the 2d of June, 1867, took up his residence in the city of Canton. Stark county, purchasing property on Liberty street and there erecting a comfortable residence, while for tiie ensuing six and one-half years he continued in the employ of the Aultman Company. He then purchased his present property, on Xavarre street, the original tract comprising six acres, a portion of whicli lie later sold for buiUling lots. Here he lias a spacious and attractive residence and is living practically retired from active business, enjoying the rewards of his former toil and endeavor. For nearly a quarter of a century after attaining his legal majority Mr. Melcher gave an unequivocal allegiance to the Republican party, and for several years since he has exercised his francloise for the advancement of the cause of the Prohibition party. He has never formally identified himself with any religious organization, though he has a deep reverence for the spiritual verities and has given h.is support to church work, his wife having been a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church from her youth.

In the city of Canton, on the 19th of November, 1869, Mr. Melcher was united in marriage to Miss Alice Stover, who was Ijnrn in .Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, l>eing a daughter of the late Christian Stover, who, when 'S\rs. Melcher was about two years of age, removed to Canton, Ohio, and for thirty-five years was engaged with the Aultman ^lanufacturing Company. Fo ]Mr. and Mrs. Melcher were born six children, namely : Minnie May, who died on the 5th of February, 1877, at the age of eight years; John Henry, who is engaged with the Cleveland Axle \\'orks, in Canton ; Flora B., who remains at the parental home: Ida E., who is the wife of Samuel C. Smith, of this city, Charles \\'., who is in the employ of the J. H. McLain works, in Canton, and Pearl, who remains with her parents.

MAURICE S:\IITH, M. D., was bom in West Brook-field, Stark county, Ohio, on the 28th of December, 1864, being a son of John and H;irriet (Wagner) Smith, the former of whom was born in Lancaster county, Pennsyl- ^ania, and the latter in Stark county, Ohio. The father of the Doctor was a successful teacher in the public schools of the western part of Stark county for the long period of forty- two years, being a man of fine intellectual attainments. During the war of the Rebellion he served on the staff of (General Sherman, in the capacity of secretary, he ha^'ing enlisted in 1863 in the One Flundred and Fourth Ohio Regiment and served nine months. He was boni' April i, 1824, and was brought to Ohio in 1835. He died June 28, 1894. His widow, Harriet, was born in Stark county, Ohio, alxiut one and one-half miles east of Massillon, the daughter of Christian Wagner, a pioneer.

Dr. Smith received his early educational discipline in the public schools of West Brookfiekl, Stark county, and at the age of twenty }-ears he began teaching in the schools of the county, continuing to follow this profession at intervals for a period of eight years, and by this means earning the funds with which to defray the expenses of his course in medicine. In 1892 he was matriculated in the medical department of the Western Reserve University, at Cleveland, and was there graduated on the 22d of May, 1895, receiving the degree of Doctor of J\ledicine. He soon afterwards came to Massillon and established himself in practice, his professional novitiate being of short duration, since his professional talent and de\'otion to his work soon g-ained to him a representative sup]xirt, and he is now recognized as one of the leading lUiembers of the me(h'cal fraternity in this city. That he has been successful in his work from a temporal standpoint is shown in the fact that he has .erected a fine modern residence at the corner of I\lain and Henry streets, and there also he has his office. He has that equable temperament and gracious personality which are so potent factors in the makeup of a successful ])hys'cian, and his ])opularilv in his home cilv is of the most unqualified order, while he holds the confidence and esteem of all who know him. In politics the Doctor gives his allegiance to the Republican party, and fraternally be is identified with the Free and Accepted Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of the Maccabees, the Protecti\e Home Circle, the Knights of Pythias, and the Royal Arcanum.

On the 31st of May, 1886, Dr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Belle Patterson, who was born and reared in West Brookfield, this county, being a daughter of Thomas and Maria TPeasly) Patterson, the former of whcim \\'as born in the Western Reserve of Ohio and the latter in New England. Dr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of three children, namely: Blanch, Florence and John Maurice, the last mentioned having died at the age of twenty-three months.

PETER SCHARLES. - In tracing the subject's genealogy it is learned that his gxeatgrandfather, Matthias Scharles, was a native of Germany and that he lived and died at or near the place of his birth ; his wife was Annie M. Landis, daughter of Peter and Susanna (Ruht) Landis, both representatives of a very old family of the empire. Among the children of Matthias and Annie M. Scharles was a son by the name of Valentine, who married in his native country Elizabeth Helm, both dying in Germany many years ago, leaving descendants who have since represented the family there and in the United States. Peter Scharles, a son of Valentine and Elizabeth, married in the old country Miss Catherine Albrecht, and about the year 1S57 came to America, settling near, the city of Massillon, Ohio, on the farm which the subject of this sketch now owns. Mn Scharles was a tiller of the soil, as were many of his ancestors before him, and spent the remainder of his life in Tuscarawas township, dying February 19, 1893, at the age of seventyeight, his wife following him to the grave the next December, when sixty-nine years old.

Nicholas Albrecht, father of Mrs. Peter Scharles, was a native of Bavaria, born and reared in Seele, near the river of Rhine. His wife was Christina Engel, also a native of Bavaria, as were her ancestors for many preceding generations.

Peter Scharles, Jr., to a brief review of whose career the remainder of this article is de-' voted, was born May 2, 1846, in Gangreweirler, Germany, and when about eleven years of age accompanied his father to the United States, since which time he has been a worthy resident of Stark county. In the schools of his nati\'e land he obtained a fair knowledge of the fundamental branches of learning and for a few years after coming to America, he attended the public schools of Tuscarawas township, in this wa)' mastering the English language and acquiring much more than a superficial acquaintance with the prescribed course of study.

Mr. Scharles was a mere youth when the war of the Rebellion broke out, but with true patriotic fervor he tendered his services to his adopted country, which he had already learned to lo\-e as if he were one of its native sons. In 1862 lie enlisted in Company E, One Hundred an.d Fourth Ohio Infantry, and in due time u'as at the front sharing with his comrades all the terrible realities of war in some of the bloodiest battles and noted campaigns in which the army took part. With the exception of the battle of Nashville he participated in all the actions in which his regiment was engaged, and vn^ouIcI have been present there had he not previously received, at Franklin, a painful wound which necessitated his removal to the hospital at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where he remained until his recovery. Mr. Scharles' military experience was replete with duty bravely and faithfully performed and his record as a soldier is without spot or stain. At the close of the war he received an honorable discharge and, returning home, engaged in agricultural pursuits, which he has since followed with en- couraging success. When but thirty-three years old he was made superintendent of the ^\^arrick farms, in Tuscarawas township, and in that capacity displayed abihty and ripeness of judgment rare in one so young. He discliarged the duties of the position to the satisfaction of his employers and after resigning the place began farming upon his own responsibility, taking charge of the paternal homestead, a fine little place situated near the cor- ])orate limits of Massillon. Here he has since li\-ed and prospered and while not carrying on husbandry quite so extensively as do some of his neighbors, he has made it remunerative, as is attested by the fine condition of his farm and improvements and the comfortable competence A\hich he has accumulated.

Mr. Scharles has always manifested a lively interest in the material development of his adopted county and is justly entitled to the appellation of a public-spirited man. Ranking with progressive agriculturists of Tuscarawas and enjoying the reputation of being careful and judicious in matters of business, he also Icnxfs his influence to all measures for the common welfare and supports every laudable enter- ])rise whereby the community may be benefited.

April 27. 1866, Mr. Scharles was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Albrecht, daughter of Jiihn Albrecht, a representative of Perry tovvnshi]), whose life history will be found elsewhere in these pages. This union has been blessed with four children, the oldest of whom is Clara, a wife of Jacob Rippel; Mr. and Mrs. Rippel have one son by the name of Andrew T- ; A-melia, the second daughter, married John Walter and is the mother of one child, Elmer; Lewis, the third in order of birth, married Miss Annie Schuler, the union resulting in the birth of a daughter, named Inez ; Hattie, the youngest o" the family, is unmarried and lives with her parents.

to obe}- the behest of any party or to come and go at the beck and call of partisan leaders. Nevertheless he reads much concerning political issues, keeps himself well posted on the great questions of the day and exercises the rights of citizenship as his judgment dictates. He was ser\'ed as a member of the school board,, has alwaj's taken great interest in the cause of education and is a friend of all organizationshaving for, their object the intellectual and. moral well being of the community. Fraternally he belongs to Hart Post No. 134, Grand Army of the Republic, and in religion subscribes to the Evangelical creed, being identified with St. John's Evangelical church in Massillon, Mrs. Scharles is also a member of the same congregation and, like her husband, is an active worker in disseminating the truths of Christianity.

GOTLIEB CONRAD ROESLE. - The life of the late Gotlieb C. Roesle was like an open book, read and understood by the people of Canton, among whom he dwelt. He was a native of Germany, born in the town of Illingen^ near Stuttgart, August 4, 1826, and at an early age was left an orphan by the death of his father.V After attending school until his -fourteenthyear, he served an apprenticeship at the tailor's trade and becoming an efficient workman, followed his chosen calling in Germany until locating in the city of New York. After spending several years in that city, he set out for Zoar, Ohio, where certain relatives were then traveling the greater part of the way on foot, riding only when invited to do so by farmers and others driving along the highway. While crossing the Ohio river with a companion who had joined him en route, an attempt was made by a gang of foot-pads to rob the two just as they reached the opposite shore. Young Roesle succeeded in breaking away from the robl^ers and, climbing the steep bank, ran into the thicket, where he remained concealed xinti! he could stealthily creep into the woods near by. This reached, he ran at full speed until completely exhausted, when he lay down to rest and, falling asleep, spent the night alone in the heart of the deep forest. In the morning he resumed the journey, footsore and alone and after experiencing many hardships and vicissitudes finally reached the home of his relations Avhere he was received with open arms. After remaining a while at Zoar with his friends, Mr. Roesle proceeded on his journey until reaching Canton and here he began working at his trade and in due time built a large and lucrative business. A few years after his arrival at Canton he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Prince, who lived but a short time thereafter. Having himself in a well-paying business Air. Roesle, in i860, returned to Germany for the puqjose of bringing his mother to the Inited States. The great Civil war breaking out soon after he reached the old country, his mother, being fearful of the conditions resulting therefrom, could not be induced to leave home, in consequence of wluch he decided to remain across the water until the strife should cease. During the ensuing five years he acted as a local minister in Germany and at the end of that time. iti company with his mother, he returned to Canton, Ohio, where he again opened a shop and resumed the tailoring business.

Mr. Roesle married for his second wife a widow by the name of Mrs. Hoover, but their wedded life was also of short duration, beingterminated by the death of Mrs. Roesle a few ^-ea^s later. Subsequently, October 3, 1876. lie entered the marriage ixlation with Miss jMarv Miller, who bore him one child. Edwin Ceorge, who lives with his widowed mother in (Canton at the present time. Mr. Roesle succeeded well in his business as long as he was jihysically able to prosecute it, and in the course of years reaped the results of his industry and good management in a comfortable competence.

including, besides a liberal share of personal propert}-, a tine liome on the corner of Third and Orchard streets, which he built in 1886. He was a potential factor among his German fellow citizens nf Canton and always maintained a lively interest in whatever concerned their welfare. He also stood high in the esteem of the people irrespective of nationality and all who came \\'ithin the range of his influence were profuse in their praise of his many sterling qualities and upright, maul}- conduct. He was reared according to the faith of the German Lutheran church and for a numlier of years was one of the leaders of the congregation worshipping in Canton, serving as superintendent of the Sunday school Ijesides holdingother official positions in the organization. In politics he generally voted the Democratic ticket, but in city and county affairs paid little attention to party ties. Mr. Roesle was a gentleman of quiet demeanor and made his presence felt by a correct life, rather than by a display of words. He was the soul of honor in business transactions and in social circles impressed all with w hom he came in contact by his integrity and upright Christian character. He died, deeply lamented by his immediate family and the public generally, on the 3rd da}- of Ma_\-, 1899.

Mrs. Mary Roesle, who is still living, was born March 8, 1841, in Germany and three weeks after her birth her parents set sail for tlie United States, embarking at the city of Bremen. W'hile on the sea, the child was taken dangerously ill and despite all that oiuld be done for her she gradtially grew worse until the physician gave her up to die. To all appearatices she did pass away and preparations were matle to consign the little body to the waxes. While matters were being arranged for the sad ceremony of sliding the remains o\-erboard, the pJiysician forttinately discovered sig-ns of life and with all haste possible went to work to restore animation, .\fter much labor he tinallv sue- ceedeci in resuscitating the child, who at once began to improve and from that time until the end of the voyage she daily grew in strength and vitalit}'. But for the physician's timely disco\ery the body would have been consigned to the deep, the escape from death bordering almost upon the miraculous.

Mrs. Roesle's parents landed at New York and from that city proceeded via Bufifalo and Cleveland to Massillon, Ohio, making their way to the latter place by canal. Her father, Air. ]\Iiller, located at ]\Iassillon and there spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1875 "^^ the age of eighty-tive years; his widow survi\ed initil 1878 when she, too, entered into rest, aged seventy-nine. Of their three children, Mrs. Roesle was the youngest, the other two being AN'illiam, a business man of Massillon, and Augustus, also a resident of that city.

Mrs. Roesle was reared and educated in Massillon and until marriage spent the greater part of her life at that place. She is a lady of many admirable traits of character, a sincere Christian and is highly esteemed in the social circles in which she moves. Her son, Edwin Cieorge Roesle, -was horn in Canton, August 6, 1877, received his preliminary education in the public schools and was graduated from the city high school in i8q6, at the age of nineteen. From his early boyhood he manifested a great liking and decided skill in the way of fine mechanical work and while still a mere boy could take apart and put together with the utmost nicety the most delicate watch. On leaving school he spent one year in a drug store and at the end of that time took up watchmaking and the jeweler's trade in the establishment of Waiter Deuber, of this city. He is still in that gentleman's employ and has steadily ad\anced in workmanship until he is now considered one of the most skilled artisans in the establishment. He is a young man of good habits and excellent social standing and has before him a bright and promising- fu.ture.

JOHN REX BUCHER was born in the old family homestead, which stood on the site of the present Barnett hotel, at the corner of East Tuscarawas and Cherry streets, the date of his birth being August 29, 1827. He was a son of Jacob and Christina (Rex) Bucher, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Jacob Bucher was of German lineage and was reared to maturity in the Keystone state, whence he came to Canton in the early pioneer epoch, securing large tracts of land in the county and becoming an influential citizen, both he and his wife dying in Canton. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom three are living at the present time, namely : Harriet married a Mr. Doxie, of Massillon; Amelia married a Mi]. Hafileigh, nf Philadelphia; Catharine is unmarried.

John R. Bucher was early called upon to assume individual responsibilities and contributed his full share to the culti\ation and impro\-ement of the farm land Dwned by his father. As a youth the subject of this memoin was fond of study, having a very receptive mind, and thus he availed himself of such opportunities as presented for attending the common schools of the place and period, while his ap])reciative application in all the later years of his life made him a man of broad and comprehensive information. At the age of seventeen years Mr. Bucher engaged in the clothing business, in which he was associated w ith John Danner, they establishing a business on a small scale at Carrollton, in the adjoining county of Carroll. Subsequently he disposed of his interest in this enterprise and entered the employ of Charles Rawson, a pioneer merchant of Massillon. After remaining a number of years in that city, which was then a small village, he returned to Canton and here established himself in the mercantile business on the south side of the public sfpiare, his headquarters being in a building which stood on the present site of Ream's grocer}-, while later he removed to the Eagle block, on West Tuscarawas street, near Market street. Subsequently Mr. Bucber and John Banner agaui became associated in business, their enterprise at this time taking- a more pretentious form, since they engaged in the manufacture of stoves, the venture proving successful under their energetic and careful management. In i<S64 Mr. Bucher and the late Lewis Gibbs entered into partnership under the title of the Bucher & Gibbs Plow Company. Of his connection with this industry it has been said, "He completely consecrated himself to his work. It took earnest and constant efifort to make a success of the enterprise, and twenty years of persistent labor and executive application were required to place the company upon the high and enduring plane which it now occupies, llie business was conducted under the firm nam_e of Bucher, Gibbs & Company until 1886, when Mr. Gibbs' interests were acquired by John Is. Poyser, and the enterprise was then incorporated under the laws of the state, with a capital stock of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Mr. Bucher being elected to the presidency of the new company at the time of its organizatidu and continuing to hold this office until the time of his death, while the title of the concern has been retained as the Buchpr & Gibbs Plow Company to the present lime." The industry has become one of the most important of the manufacturing enterprises of Canton, its protlucts being shipped to all parts of the Union and to many foreign countries, while its capital stock has been increased and also its facilities, the plant Ijeing one of the noteworthy ones of the city, while the great enterprise will stand as a perpetual monument to the ability and effective labors of Mr. Bucher.

At this point we quote from a previously published estimate of the life and services of the honored subject, whose grasp of business affairs of wide scoi)c was ever masterful and whose life was unassuming and kindly in all its relations : "Mr. Bucher was a hard worker in his earlier life, Imt with advancing years he laid aside some of his business cares, as his earlier efforts had brought him prosperity. For a number of years his health had been impaired, since he was a sufferer from heart ilisease, but he bore all without complaining, desiring to avoid causing anxiety to those nearest and dearest to him. Several times he approached the portals of death, but rallied from the attacks. At last, however, the man who had successfully combated with hardships and with many obstacles in the business and financial world, was called upon to obey the inexorable summons of death, and he entered into eternal rest on the 29th of February, 1892. secure in the esteem of all who had known him. Mr. Bucher was deeply and sincerely mourned. Plis generous nature endeared him \o his employes, who felt for him the tenderest regard, and those who were associated with him in Inisiness speak of him in the highest terms of praise, having had the utmost confidence in him. His aim in life was ever to uplift and benefit, and his record tells the story of manifold good deeds, through Avhich he won the affection of all classes. His e.Kcellencies of character were man}- anil 'even his failings leaned to virtue's side.' As a prudent man of affairs he was a model of rare excellence. As a successful captain of industrial development his place was in the front rank. As a 'social companion he was peerless; as a citizen he was without reproach. As a husband and father he was the type and embodiment of whatever is truest and kindest and best in human conception. His home Avas to him the dearest spot on earth and he could not do too much to enhance the happiness of his family." These are the words endorsed 1)}' those who knew the man long and Avell, and what more need be said to indicate to future generations that he was all in all a tvjie of nolile and s}-mmetrical manhood? In politics Mr. Bucher was a stanch advocate of the principles of the Republican party and ever took a deep and intelligent interest m the questions and issues of the hour, while he was signally loyal to all that tended to conserve the best interests of his home city. He was reared in the Lutheran church and his views were ever in harmony with its faith, while he was a regular attendant and liberal supporter of Trinity church \\Y> to the time of his death.

In Canton, on the nth of September, 1856, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bucher to ]\Iiss Emma Wikidal, who was bom here, being a daughter of the late Martin Wikidal, who was one of the prominent and honored pioneer merchants and bankers of Canton, an individual tribute to his memory appearing on other pages of this work, so that a recapitulation of the family and personal history is not demanded at this point. Mrs. Bucher was born in the old Wikidal homestead, which stood on the site of the present Folwell building, in Canton, and in her girlhood she attended the Canton Female Seminary, conducted by the Goshorns, while later she continued her studies in an excellent Moravian seminary at Lititz, Pennsylvania, where she completed her education. She recalls that during her childhood days Canton was a small village, and that the ?ite of the present home of Mrs. George D. Barter, on North Market street, was considered to be in the country. Mrs. Bucher still resides in her beautiful home, at 822 North }.Iarket street, the same being doubly dear to her through the grateful memories and associations of the past, and in the days of her widowhood she is solaced and comforted by the love of her children and exceptionally wide circle of friends, having long taken a prominent part in the social life of Canton, which has ever been her home. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Bucher we enter the following data in conclusion of this sketch : Helen is the wife of William J. Poyser, secretary of the Bucher ik Gibbs Plow Company; Martin W., who married Miss Catherine Cobaugh ; and Clara, the wife of Willis H. Shanafelt, of Canton.

PROF. J. M. WYMAN. - For many years the subject of this sketch has been engaged in teaching- in the public schools of Canton and elsewhere and is well entitled to representation in the biographical history of Stark county. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers on the New England coast and it is a well-authenticated fact that his genealogy is directly traceable to one of the Puritan immigrants who came over in the Mayflower. The name Wyman has been familiar in various parts of Massachusetts from the earliest history of the state and from the frequency with which it appears those bearing it in olden times must have been people of no inconsiderable importance. Without attempting a closely connected family history in this connection, suffice it to state that George Wyman, the subject's grandfather and a lineal descendant of the original Puritan referred to, was born in Massachusetts, and when a young man went to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he married a lady by the name of Polly Frye. Subsequently he and his family migrated to Stark county, Ohio, and settled in the woods near the present site of Minerva, Mr. Wyman having some time previously entered eighty acres of land in that section, and on this he built his small cabin home and began life in the manner of the pioneers. With the assistance of his sons, some of whom were strong men at the time, he developed a farm on which he spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age -of sixty years. His widow survived him a number of years, being ninety-four when called from the scenes of her earthly labors and trials. George Wyman was twice married, Polly

Fry being his second wife. By a former marriage he had several children, one of whom, George, lived the greater part of his life in the county of Stark, d}ing here a number of years ago. The second marriage resulted in the birth of two sons, Jacob, who died in Kosciusko county, Indiana, and Abraham, the father of the subject of this review.

Abraham Wyman was born in Westmoreland county. Pennsylvania. July i, 1822, and was three years old \vhen his parents mo\-ed to Ohio. He grew to mature years amid the stirring scenes of the pioneer period and in a rude cabin on the banks of Still Fork was taught those homely virtues and manly principles which made him a useful citizen in after life. A\'ith the exception of nine months' attendance at a ]X)or subscription school, he had nri educatiDnal advantages, hut 1)a' poring o\'er sucli books ;is he could procure he suljsequently liecame quite proficient in several branches of study. ^Yhen a youth of sixteen he hired out to a farmer by the name of Messimore, between whose daughter, Julia Ann. and himself a warm attachment soon sprang up, which led to marriage six years later, the ceremony beingsolemnized on the 7th day of November, 1844. Mrs. \V)-man was born at New Chambersburg, Columbiana county, Ohio, August 21, 1S25, the daughter of Henry aufl Sarah Messimore, of jNIassachusetts. Mr. ]\lessimore in an earlv day emigrated to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, thence, about 1820. to Columbiana county, CMiio, where he lived tlie life of a farmer.

Shortly after his marriage Abraham Wyman took up the trade of stonemasonrv and worked at the same for a number of years in the county of Columbiana and other parts of eastern Ohio. Later he purchased, in Paris township. Stark county, what is locally known as the Shepard farm, on which formerly stood one of the oldest fulling-mills in this part of the state, and from that time on he devoted all of his attention to the pursuit of agriculture. .Subsequently, in 1892, he sold ninety of the one hundred and sixty acres which the place contained and in 1898 disposed of the remainder, meanwhile, from 1885 to the present time, making his home with his son. the subject of this sketch, his wife having died in 1866. The following are the names of the children born to Abraham, and Julia Ann Wyman : Rachel married Philip Harsh and died at the age of thirty-nine: b'rank is a farmer living near Ouida. Ohio; J. M., of this review; Smith is a telegraph operator and station agent in the employ of a railroad in Idaho; Lavina died in childhood and Alpheus also departed this life when quite young. Mr. ^^'yman has lived to a ripe old age, and has always been a good citizen and useful member of society. Years ago he and wife united witli tlie tiernian Baptist church, in the faith of which the latter quietly passed to her eternal rest and in the hope of which the devoted hus])an(I. true to her memory, is proceeding" calmlv onward to the twilight and^he joiu'ney's end.