Heterick Memorial Library Ohio Northern University

Contact Us Library Hours

Students of 1877-78

November 24, 1905, V. XXXIII, No. 27

CHAPTER 69.

I have hundreds of kind letters stored away in the story of 1871. When speaking of Doctor Albert Henry I intended to insert part of a letter from pupils, schoolmates and fellow soldiers of forty and fifty years ago, and from some who have been my pupils less than a year ago. Cook, Neeley and Voorhies, were Philos. Cook and Neeley still are Philos. Voorhies is dead.

N.H. Colwell, a strong man, enrolled this year. He now lives in Massachusetts, is engaged in business and is getting wealthy. He is a Philo. J.B. Gottshall entered this year. He is now practicing law in Goshen, Ind. He was a Philo. L.E. Griffin, C.B. Hickernell and Emma Moorehead became Normalites the Fall term of 1877. I remember to which society they belonged, they were Franklins and they were leaders in their society. Griffin is an attorney at law, practicing in Hicksville, O. Hickernell, who is a politician, farmer, real estate dealer and an all round good fellow, holds forth in Ada, and Emma Moorehead, now Mrs. Dr. Dreitzeler, resides in Findlay. She was especially strong in Literature and a real poet. All three were strong students and are today valuable members of society. Hugo W.D. Humphrey, a Philo came the same year and so did Laura Krebs. She was a fine student and is still a leader in her line of work. Miss Krebs was a Philo and so was Theodosia Kinnear. Miss Kinnear came to the Normal from Wooster university. She was cultured and refined. I.J. Lapley and T.E. Lanker entered. They were Franklins, and Josephine B. Long entered that year. I think she was a Franklin. Two of her daughters were in school about 1900.

Olive Murphy, Addie Negley, and C.J. Neff, Franklins, entered. C.J. Neff was a brother to Henry Neff. Ada Martin, a strong student was added to the list. He was a Philo. We corresponded many years. Ella Pontius and Jennie Powell, both Philos, came that Year. Dana Runkle, C.L. Rose and T.R. Steiner all three Franklins were added to our list.

This year we enrolled E.B. Smith and Rubin Starr. They joined the Philos and were leading members of the society. Both have made life a success. Starr is practicing law. Smith at present, I learn, is a promoter, and is reputed to be worth over half a million. Anson Shuster, of Michigan, joined the Philos and so did W.H. Troup, both excellent members. Ollie Uncapher and Jane Whetstone joined the Franklins. This year we also enrolled that noble and brilliant young gentleman, Charles Hanson Workman. I can not speak too highly of him. He came to Ada from the Normal school at Smithville, O. He was almost as dear to me as a son. After graduation we elected him as a teacher in the Normal and we never had a teacher who was more popular among the students than Prof. Workman. At present he is practicing law in Mansfield, O. Prof. Workman was a loyal Franklin.

Among the prominent students who entered this year was Stanley E. Woodruff. He and E.B. Smith were roommates in Poverty hall. He was a leading Philo. After he left school he married Myrtle Maxwell. We also enrolled such strong Philo workers as R.S. Banks, Phil H. Daub, W.J. Cookson, Sam Fogle, P.H. Fockler, Mary A. Graves, A.T. Gardner, R.P. Hall and N.B. Jackson. Some of the strong Franklins who entered were H.F. Beery, Ed Beardsley, C. E. Clevenger, a good singer; W.A. Chambers, C.W. Green, Burton Green, S.E. Huff, S.A. and N.C. Hagerman, D. Hines, J. Hammer and Elida Metzler. Miss Metzler and Miss Moorehead came on the same train and were roommates. Rooms were scarce. I well remember the furniture in the only room I could find that evening. Doubtless the ladies remember their feelings as well as I remember their sad and forlorn faces.

I.M. Pore, of New Stark, entered about this time. He was a very strong student and an ardent Franklin worker. When he died, he willed his library to the Franklin society. Ellen Neff, sister of Prof. Neff joined the Franklins. Charles Richison, H.W. Smith and W.A. Smith entered school and joined the Franklins. Later W.A. Smith taught engineering in the Normal. At present he is employed by the B. & O. R.R. Co. at a good salary as Chief Engineer of a division. N.R. Stringfellow a good student and an ardent Franklin became a Normalite. The Sherrard boys entered this year. Excellent students and good fellows. One joined the Franklins, the other the Philos. C.P. Sherrard is at present Professor of Pharmacy at Angola, Ind. in the Tri-State Normal. Zelma Snook, J.C. Thie, W.R. Woods were Philos. Rozella Teagarden, R.S. Torbet, A.H. Nuger, A.E. Walton, Otis B. Williams and J.E. Thomas, of West Cario, joined the Franklins. Miss Teagarden was a valuable member in many ways. The Teagarden's were all Franklins and excellent students. They come from Salem, O.

This year brought Wm. Atkinson, a real Patrick Henry, a natural orator. He was a hard student. He was a Philo. He died many years ago. David Adams and J.S. Adams joined the Philos and were strong workers. The Philos have had few better workers than J.S. Adams, H.E. Bell, of Mansfield, was a great Philo worker, W.A. Brader joined the Philos. This year brought us to Joseph Rickel one among our best students. He joined the Philos and married a Philo, Myrtle Clark, also one of the best Normalites.

S.S. Clayton, at one time Ada's Postmaster and now one of Ada's prominent merchants, a Philo, entered this year. He is a royal good fellow. He has sold the writer many a hat. He always keeps the best. J.C. Heter and Edith Heter, strong and good students entered and joined the Philos. J.W. and Alice Hamilton, fine students came and also joined the Philos. Daniel Cramer and A. Freehafer, strong students, joined the Franklins, Laura Kissell an excellent student joined the Franklins. She now is the Rev. Mrs. Herbert. P.S. and W.C. Morgan joined the Philos. P.S. Morgan, a fine scholar, taught Latin and Greek a year or two in the Normal. This year brought to us S.S. Palmer one of our best Normalites. He is, today one of the strongest and most eloquent ministers in Ohio. He joined the Franklins. J.N. Rusher, Ada, joined the Franklins. J.L. Repp joined the Franklins. John C. Liddle, one of my Wayne county friends, an excellent young man, joined the Franklins.

This year also brought S.B. Wagner, generally known as good Sam Wagner. I guess everybody likes "Sam." He helped to start the University Herald. I will speak of that later. For many years he owned the Normal Book Store. He joined the Franklins. He married that excellent lady, Cora Bucks, a Franklin. They have not only done much for their society but also for the school in general, for the church of their choice and for Ada. I love to hear them sing.

The following Franklins entered the Normal the school year '77-8: J.T. McKinley, O.H. Thomas, a great solicitor and a great favorite with the ladies, and N.S. Brackney; two of the Brackneys who were Normalites are in the ministry. All were good students. Geo. A. Barber, J.L. Cochran, a Wayne county friend, two Christies and three or four other Wayne county boys and girls entered, all Franklins but one. Wm. Stoll, of Orville, joined the Philos. Eva Dukes, Hattie F. Dowling and D.D. Darbyshire became Franklins. This year we added H.M. Ebert and Benjamin and John Meck. They came, in the raw, but all have made their mark. Ebert has been principal of the Elyria high school many years, Benjamin Meck, the father of Lehr Meck, is a prominent attorney at Upper Sandusky and John Meck, Esq., is a prominent citizen of Bucyrus. Ebert and Mecks joined the Franklins and so did H.H. Folk and G.W. Foltz and F.C. Fryette. Fryette later became one of the teachers in the Normal.

Benjamin Freed, Will E. Hill, Belle J. Kerr, W.C. Keis, G.D. Kiser and J.P. Lasure usually called Port Lasure entered, Will E. Hill is the son of Doctor Hill now living in Ada. Port Lasure is practicing law in Ottawa. He was the valedictorian of his class.

The following new students joined the Philos, Mr. Blank, A.J. Bomgardner, P.J. Bartian, Ida Evan, Agnes Elliott, C.H. Gilbert, B.K. Jones, Ella J. Jones, J.R. Jacobs, Ida Kefer, Retta Kidd, Eva A. Lytle, Ettie R. Leet, J.F. Longsworth, J.L Moser, Clara McGinnis, W.H. Myers, G.H. Morris, Sallie McBride, G.L. Neckbill, A.S. Rudy. Latoe Scott, A.A. Thomas, W.W. Cobbins, J.H. Baldwin, Mabel Carroll, J.F. Cecil, J.W. Cross, Anna Morris, and Sam Shockey. Three of the above students were sent by Ada Elliott. C.H. Gilbert and Sallie McBride were star solicitors and performers on the stage. Gilbert died many years ago.

Joe McArthur helped to organize our first band and lead it many years. A.S. Rudy is now Doctor Rudy. He is quite eloquent. There were two J.H. Baldwins in school that year, one a Philo and one a Franklin. One of the two was fine on comic recitations and later taught penmanship for us a year or two. I think it was the Franklin who recited "Socary Settin the Hen." I think I see him and Carlo and Bud Herbert sitting on the Franklin stage grinning. The boys were a jolly set. A.A. Thomas, now a Reverend, visited my office frequently. We were and still are warm friends. J.W. Cross and J.F. Cecil kept up correspondence with me many years. Cecil was a fine singer.

Some time after the Franklins had placed the fine oil painting of Franklin in their hall, Prof. Workman, myself and others were standing in the rear of Franklin hall, I do not remember the subject of the conversation. S.W. Shockey came from the Philo hass with other Philos and joined the group. I think Franklin and the painting was the subject of the conversation. Sam broke in and said, "Professor, why don't the Philos paint a picture of Philo?" The Franklins raised a shout. A witty Philo stood near and said, "Sam, we have a picture of Philo. Come over and I'll show it to you." Sam said, "I never saw it." We all went over to Philo hall. The Philo said, "Philomath means a lover of learning. There is his picture," pointing to a large oil painting hanging on the Philo stage. Then the Philos roared. Prof. Workman quietly remarked, "What a lesson in the abstract and concrete."

The following students joined the Franklins: S.L. Lane, D.D. Landis, Frank Logan, F.A. Mullen, L.O. Moffet, R.A. Stout, W.H. Williams, Aaron Houser, J.H. Kemeser, for some years the owner of the Normal bookstore, Leah and Elvina Myers enrolled this year. Later a host of the Myers family entered. They bought and paid tuition by the wholesale. One term, including a son-in-law and daughter-in-law, there were ten of the Myers family in school. All Franklins and excellent students.

My friend J.W. Mathews entered this term, an excellent student, and J.C. Ridenour now a prominent attorney practicing in Lima and J.P. Whetsel now a prominent oil operator in Findlay. Israel Williams and winsome Minnie Wright were added to the Franklins. Miss Wright was strong on the stage and an excellent solicitor. No boy could easily escape her smiles. She added many Franklins to the roll. S.G. Obenour a fine singer either entered this year or during the year '75-76. Many others entered that year but I do not remember to which society they belonged some possibly not to either.