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More Tax Troubles

February 9, 1906, V. XXIII, No. 38

CHAPTER 79.

In the fall of '79, we had more tax trouble. School was growing and some people said we ought to pay tax for the last eight years. We fought it. I still have all the papers of the fight. We carried it to the auditor of state. When I left the auditor's office he remarked, "You have missed your calling, you should have gone into politics." In the statement prepared by us to present to the county auditor, in section four we state that the property is now mortgaged to the Union school board for $4000. That was the contract and we intended to do so as soon as the Board would fulfill their part of the contract. Also in section six we state that the property was put on the free list without our solicitation. It was put on the free list in 1871. It, however, took some work to keep it there.

Statement to the county auditor.

Ada, O., Feb. 6, 1879.

Statement to the auditor of Hardin Co., O., by the Faculty of the Northwestern Ohio Normal School, in regard to the condition, valuation, etc., of the property owned by said Faculty.

1. The property is used both for the free education of the public school youth and also for such scholars as may wish to enter said school, by paying tuition.

2. As there are no state Normal schools, the object of the school is, the training of teachers for their profession.

3. One third of the building is used by public literary societies.

4. The property is now mortgaged to the Directors of the Ada Union school as a guarantee to said school that the Faculty of the Northwestern Ohio Normal school will remain in the town of Ada for a period of thirty years to conduct a Normal school and teach some of the more advanced scholars for the public school.

5. The faculty of said Normal school agreed to sell all of its property, both personal and real, for Four Thousand Dollars ($4000) and take notes payable in thirty years, without interest. But in case of death, of any member of the said Faculty then the Ada school board was to pay the proportionate part of the above named $4000 to the legal heirs of said deceased member, and further, that should any member of said Faculty violate his contract with said school, his proportionate part should be forfeited.

6. The real estate is now on the free list and was put there without solicitation.

We certify that the above is a true statement of the facts in the case.

H.S. Lehr, President of Faculty.
J.G. Park, Secretary of Faculty.

We concur in the within statement members of the Board of Education, Ada, Union School district: J.H. Smick, M.L. Reece, E.W. Gilbert, J.P. Cochran.



Auditor's Office Hardin County.

Kenton, O., Feb. 8, 1879.

Respectfully forwarded. The men who have signed this instrument both as to Faculty and Board of Education are of excellent character and reputation and have, so far as my knowledge extends, made a true statement, and as far as I can learn, think it would meet the approval of a large majority of the tax payers of the county to have the property in question remain on the free list.

J.H. Welch, Auditor.


Respectfully returned to the auditor of Hardin Co., with the remark that while it is not perfectly clear, as to the "view of profit" I think it is no stretch of the law to regard this Normal school an "institution of learning" and that its property necessary to "run" it, might be exempt from taxes. I would recommend therefore that it be retained on the exempt list at least for the small remainder of this "decennial" period.

Jas. Williams, Auditor of State.


Respectfully returned to H.S. Lehr and others. Allow me to congratulate you, "Gentlemen," shake.

J.H. Welch, Auditor.

We also stated that one-third of the building is used for literary purposes. The rapid growth of the school had its effect on literary societies. In the early days of the school the societies convened at 6:30 p.m. and continued till all had performed that wanted to engage in some exercise. The members were divided into classes and every member was expected to perform as assigned; but now it was impossible to accommodate the hosts of new students. We had fitted the old literary hall for special elocution and athletics. Many students asked permission to organize a literary club to meet there before the Adelphian society was organized. That accounts for section No. 3.

While speaking of the incipiency of the Adelphian society I will name some of the students who had much to do with the organization: Emma Olmstead, Meda Olmstead, Billa Wise, Eliza Wise, Minnie Carey, the mother of Britto Martin. I also remember two other students that met there. Mr. A. Brown, of Apple Creek, Wayne county, O. He was the roommate of H.E. Blacksten a strong Franklin. The other one was Thomas O'Farrell. All the above named persons became charter members of the Adelphian society when it was organized.

One term Mr. O'Farrell got the names of fifty-four new members. No Adelphian ever exceeded that number. I think no Franklin or Philo ever surpassed that number in one term. We became warm friends. Some years after graduating from the Normal he entered a Catholic school in Baltimore to prepare for the priesthood and for work among the colored people of the South. He took sick while there and died. He requested the Bishop to write me a letter thanking me for my kindness to him. I appreciated that letter coming as it did from a Catholic to a Protestant. It with hundreds of other letters is still on file at my home.

I received two other similar letters and one of them was also from a Catholic. Miss Beckwith, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, was a student of the Normal about a year. She was a bright and handsome girl. Some years after she left school I got a letter from Mexico, written in Spanish, by a Catholic priest. I got Mrs. Captain Peshine to translate it for me. It stated that Miss Beckwith requested her mother to write to me and to say that although at "Death's Door" she still remembered me and requested her to thank me for some favors and acts of kindness which I had forgotten. Mr. A.C. Taylor, of Columbus, requested his friends to write to me and one other student whose name I have forgotten. Mr. Poultney has written me many very warm and friendly letters and later on I may insert extracts from some but will not now as this chapter is already too long.

Graduating Class of 1880.

Classical: C.S. Barron, A.E. Ewers, J.H. Fimple, Anson Shuster, R.L. Starr, D.W. Steiner, Ewing Stumm; five Philos, two Franklins.

Scientific: T.B. Black, N.H. Colwell, Allen Cook, Alex Comrie, Geo. Conley, O.E. DeWitt, A.M. Eversole, M.F. Eggerman, Will B. Jackson, C.D. Kelley, Laura Krebs, Emma Moorehead, A.J. Myers, H.E. Neff, Ida Sisson, B. Franklin Straton, M.R. Stringfellow, Flora V. Teagarden; twelve Franklins and six Philos. There were seven Commercial graduates; four Philos and three Franklins.

Each member of the class was still compelled to deliver an oration. Many of the orations were fine. By a unanimous vote of the class, the president of the school was requested to address the class.

The second Alumni Reunion was held May 27th. It was pronounced a success. Another successful year had closed.