BIOGRAPHIES

Source:
* Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio
 by William Alexander Taylor
 - Vols. I  & II -
1909
 

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	THOMAS J. ABERNETHY.     Columbus with her pulsing industrial activities and complex business interests is continually drawing to her from other sections of the state men of worth whose force in particular lines is manifest in the impetus which her various professional and commercial concerns receive therefrom. Coming from one of the neighboring county seats, Thomas J. Abernethy, now recognized as a strong member of the Franklin county bar, represents one of the old well known families of Pickaway county which has furnished both the bar and the bench of the capital city with worthy incumbents. His birth occurred March 27, 1866, his parents being Robert and Hester J. (Bolin) Abernethy. The father, a man of liberal education, took great interest in public affairs, and in the religious development of his locality, as well as in agriculture which he made his life work. He was a native of Virginia and a son of James M. Abernethy, one of the early pioneers of Pickaway county, and was recognized as a man of much force of character and occupied a position of leadership in public affairs. No man of his day took greater interest in the work of general improvement or produced more practical results in that connection. Local advancement and national progress were causes dear to his heart and he was interested as well in the social conditions which work for the betterment of mankind. Broad in his religious views, his house was always open to minister; of the gospel without regard to creed or denomination. Travelers of his day through the new country never failed to call on him and consult him as to good points of location, and his advice was freely given for the joint benefit of hint who sought it and for the interests of the community at large in it upbuilding.       From such a parent stock came Thomas J. Abernethy, who largely follows the same lines and never looks at life from a narrow standpoint but has directed his efforts in every relation to the general welfare as well as individual needs. In the common schools he prepared himself for the profession of teaching and used that calling wherewith to secure the means that would enable him to pursue a, higher educational course. When this was made possible he attended the National Normal University at Lebanon, and also studied for a time in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. e then resumed teaching and also took up the study of law under the direction of the law firm of Page, Abernethy & Folsom at Circleville, Ohio, there continuing his reading until he was regularly admitted to the bar in 1890, since which time he has continually and successfully engaged in practice.         For some years Mr. Abernethy followed his profession in Pickaway county and then in January, 1900, concluding to enter a broader field. came to Columbus where he has built up a good practice. The fact that there could be no permanent success in life without the cardinal virtues of honesty, sobriety and fair dealing was inculcated in his mind in his boyhood and he has been able to again and again demonstrate the correctness of these principles. Having in early manhood the ambition to become a lawyer, when once admitted to the bar his ambition was to make steady advance ill the profession and, at all times actuated by high ideals, he has proved himself an able and conscientious minister in the temple of justice. Always careful to conform his efforts to a high standard of professional ethics. He never sought to lead the court astray in a matter of fact or law and yet gives to his client the benefit of great talent, unwearied industry and wide learning. His reading has been by no means confined to professional lines for he has sought out the best general literature of all ages and shows a most discriminating taste in the selection of his library.        Mr. Abernethy has been married twice. On the 25th of September. 1889, at her home near Mount Sterling, Ohio, he wedded Miss Blanche Mitchell, a daughter of one of the leading farmers of that community. Unto them were born two children, Hester Henrietta and Elizabeth Beatrice. The wife and mother died February 9, 1895, and on the 11th of June, 1902. Mr. Abernethy wedded Miss Nellie V. Cain, of Lancaster, Ohio. He and his family enjoy wide and pleasant acquaintance. not only in the capital city but in other cities and centers of business and society. Mr. Abernethy is a democrat in principle but without political aspirations, and against his will was nominated for common pleas judge in 1899. Something of his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him by the general public is indicated by the fact that he succeeded in reducing the republican majority of the district from forty-five hundred to five hundred. He hat always adhered to the religious teachings of the Methodist church in which he was reared, and regards his fellowmen in a spirit of charity and good will while allowing for himself no swerving from the rules which govern strict integrity, honorable manhood and high professional service. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 229
	JOHN T. ADAMS.  The position to which John T. Adams has attained in the business world now enables him to command patronage rather than seek it and the success which he has achieved also permits him to enjoy those things that follow in the wake of enterprise and effort wisely and honestly directed. The extent and importance of his operations as a general contractor and railway builder have placed him foremost in the ranks of those who are devoting their attention to this department of activity and in all of his business relations the public has been an indirect, if not a direct, beneficiary, while from his labors he too has derived substantial benefits. The stages of his progressive development have led hirer through the experiences of farm life, of clerking in a; country store, of proprietorship in a similar establishment and official duty as auditor of Pike county until he took up the line of life to which he now directs his attention.               A native of Coopersville, Ohio, Mr. Adams was born February 9, 1858, and the period of his minority was spent on the farm of his parents, Hugh and Emily Adams, both of whom were born and reared on farms. The father, after devoting many years to general agricultural pursuits, turned his attention to general merchandising, in which he continued from 1890 until 1907. In his youthful days John T. Adams worked in the fields through the summer months and during the remainder of the year attended the district school. He took up the profession of teaching in 1876, when a young man of eighteen years, and was thus identified in the work of the schoolroom until 1879. He then accepted a clerkship in a country store at Sedan, Ohio, where he remained in that capacity for two year and then purchased a half interest in the business, conducting it under a. partnership relation until 1883. In that year he sold his interest and bought a stock of goods at Coopersville, Ohio, where he conducted his store until September, 1889. In the meantime his business relations had brought him prominently before the public, who recognized that in him might be reposed the trust of public office. He was therefore elected auditor of Pike county on the democratic ticket in September, 1889, and discharged his duties so capably and efficiently that in 1892 he was reelected, serving for six consecutive years.                  In the meantime the business activity of Mr. Adams was directed into other fields aside from those in which he had already operated. He began dealing in railroad ties and lumber, bridge, timber, etc., and also began taking small contracts. In 1897 he took up the work of general contracting and has made rapid and substantial progress since that time. During the ensuing year he built sixty-four miles of steam railroad from Peoria to St. Marys, Ohio, that line being now a part of the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad system. In 1898-99 he constructed twenty miles of steam railroad between Toledo, Ohio, and Monroe, Michigan, and in the years 1900-01-02 he executed a most difficult engineering feat in the building of four miles of steam roadway for the Coal & Iron Railway Company in West Virginia, along the Cheat river, at a cost of five hundred thousand dollars. His work in 1903-04 included the construction of fifty-five miles of electric railway for the Scioto Valley Traction Company from Columbus to Lancaster and from Columbus to Circleville, while in 1905 he built twenty miles for the same company from Circleville to Chillicothe. In 1906-07 he had a contract for building twelve miles of double track between Dayton and Miamisburg for the Cincinnati & Northern Traction Company and twenty-five miles for the Indiana, Terre Haute & Eastern Indiana Railroad Company; thirty-five miles between Lima and Bellefontaine, Ohio; and a six mile trestle for the Missouri Pacific Railway Company in Arkansas and many similar contracts. In every instance he faithfully meets the terms o£ his contract and has become known as a prominent railway builder whose comprehensive knowledge of the great scientific principles underlying the work, together with a practical understanding of the demands of railroad building, have gained him marked prominence in this field of labor. In December, 1908, he took contracts to elevate the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railway, Toledo & Ohio Central Railway and the Hocking Valley Railway on the west side of the Scioto river in Columbus, which require approximately five hundred thousand cubic yards of material, amounting to approximately two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and in February. 1909. he also made a contract with the Midland Construction Company. whose general offices are in Chicago, Illinois, to do the grading, bridging. tracklaying, ballasting, railroad crossings, building station houses, round houses, shops, the purchasing of all the material, consisting of cross ties, lumber, steel bridges and steel rails, for the complete construction of two hundred and twelve miles of steam railway read- for the operation of cars between Edgeley and Pembina, North Dakota. This contract will require in labor supplies, material and plant the expenditure of two million five hundred thousand dollars, all of which will be expended by him.             On the 12th of August, 1892, at Coopersville, Ohio. Mr. Adams was married to Miss Sarah Noel, whose father, G. W. Noel, was a. farmer and representative citizen of southern Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have two sons and a daughter: Orville E., twenty-four years of age; Otie May. twenty-one years of age; and Noel Beetley, twelve years of age. They are all with their parents in the beautiful and pleasant home at No. 182 Buttles avenue.             The parents hold membership with and support the Presbyterian church and Mr. Adams is a. Master Mason. belonging to Orient Lodge at Waverly. In an analyzation of his life record the salient features which stand forth most conspicuously, showing the path he has followed, are his diligence, ready adaptability and power of assimilating and coordinating forces. He bas learned from much experience of life the lesson, that it has contained, and correctly valuing each opportunity, has utilized it for further progress, regarding each thing that he has accomplished not as a work finished and completed but as a starting point for further and broader effort. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 38)
	CLARENCE M. ADDISON, a leading member of the Columbus bar, young, strong and forcible, his ability enabling him to make continued progress in a direction where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, November 14, 1872, and is a son of Edward and Clara (Wisehart) Addison, both of whom were natives of Ohio. The father watts a blacksmith by trade. At the time of the Civil war he put aside business and personal considerations and served bravely and creditably throughout the period of hostilities.     In the public schools Clarence M. Addison began his education, continuing his studies until he became a pupil in the Rendville high school. He then engaged in teaching for three years and thus being, through his own effort. financially able to enter the Ohio State University, he became a student in that institution and was graduated from the literary department in 1896 with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. Continuing as a student there in the law department he won the Bachelor of Law degree on his graduation with the class of 1900, and the same year was admitted to practice. While preparing for the bar as a student in the state university, he also taught French and German in the Central high school for four years. He is, in the exact sense of the word, a self-made and self-educated man who, depending upon his own resources from an early age, has developed his powers and capacity to a large degree, his ability making him recognized as one of the forceful factors in professional circles and in public life. He began the practice of his profession in connection with his two brothers, Lewis G. and Arthur E. Addison, and is now a member of the firm of Addison, Links & Babcock, one of the leading law firms of the capital, Mr. Addison easily ranking with the distinguished lawyers of the city. His material fortune, when he left the farm, consisted of his clothing and fifty cents, money which he had himself earned. His determination and energy, however, were unlimited and they carried him into important professional relations, for the law firm of which he is now the head has today an extensive and distinctly representative clientage. The court records attest his success in the handling of many important and complex legal problems and he has made for himself the reputation of being most thorough in the preparation of his cases, while in argument he shows a keen analytical power, resulting in logical conclusions.      On the 17th of June, 1901, Mr. Addison was married to Miss Gertrude Nichol, a daughter of F. H. Nichol, a prominent contractor of Columbus. and their home is brightened by the presence of two sons, Roger and Hugh. Mr. Addison is a member of the Delta Tau Delta, a college fraternity. He was secretary of the board of public works during Mayor Hinkle's administration, and served as first assistant director of law under George D. Jones. The honors and emoluments of office, however, have had little attraction for him, as he prefers to concentrate his energies upon his private practice which is continually growing in volume and importance. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 85)
	LOUIS G. ADDISON came from among the deep valleys and lofty summits of southeastern Ohio, where he met nature face to face and learned many of her ways. He stands today as a prominent representative of the legal fraternity in the capital city and also as a valued factor in various business enterprises, being especially well known in financial circles. He was born in Perry county, Ohio, April 29, 1861, and is a son of Edward and Clara (Wisehart) Addison, who were married at Zanesville, Ohio. Mrs. Addison, however, was born in Franklinton, district of Columbus, and was related to General Charles C. Walcutt, of this city, one of Ohio's distinguished military officers. Edward Addison served as a soldier throughout the greater part of the Civil war, including the celebrated march with Sherman to the sea. His brother-in-law, John Wisehart, was also a member of the army, while three uncles of Mrs. Charles Addison were soldiers of the Civil war, two of whom were killed in action at Stone river. The survivor of the three was an officer who, after the close of the war, resided at Chillicothe, Ohio, and attained prominence in civil life.      Louis G. Addison pursued his education in the country schools of Perry county and showed great aptitude in the assimilation of knowledge. He started out to make his own way in life when but twelve years of age, for the family numbered fourteen children and he proposed to save his father the burden of taking care of one member of the family. He sought service in various lines of business as opportunity offered and when still quite young engaged in teaching in the district schools, being accounted one of the most efficient public school teachers of his part of the state. He also sold books at different times and was steward of the college club when in the university, so that by various respectable and honest methods he paid his own way, not only providing the material things of life, but also meeting the demands of his nature for advancement in educational lines. He completed a course of philosophy in the Ohio State University in 1887 and then in preparation for the bar pursued a law course, winning his Bachelor of Law degree in 1891. During his college days be found a friend in Judge Nash, who promised him that after he had finished a course of study in law that he should enter the Judge's office.      This promise was fulfilled and his early association in the practice of law proved of the utmost value to him. He is today at the head of the well known law firm of Addison, Sinks & Babcock, taking rank with the leading law firms of the city and numbering many of the important corporations of Columbus and central Ohio among its clients.     From the beginning the law practice of Mr. Addison has witnessed phenomenal growth. As a corporation lawyer he has few equals in the middle west and in this connection he represents many of the largest business concerns of the capital city. He is in love with his profession and few men possess his indomitable energy so that as the years have passed, he has won notable success in the conduct of legitimate interests and has established himself in a prominent position at the Ohio bar.      While Mr. Addison regards the practice of law as his real life work and gives to it the major part of his attention, he has yet extended his efforts into other lines and various business concerns, in which he is financially interested, have profited by his wise counsel and keen discrimination in the complexities of business life. He is a director of the Security Savings Bank, the Groveport Bank and the Reynoldsburg Bank and is also a. director of the New York Coal Company, the Buckeye Transfer & Storage Company and numerous others, while of the Columbus Gas & Fuel Company, he is general counsel.      On the 18th of September. 1901, Mr. Addison was married to Miss Lida Kinsell. of Moscow. Ohio. and they have one child, Frances Ruth.  Mr. Addison is a man of great affability combined with that quality which, for want of a better term. has been called, magnetic personality. His social nature finds expression in his membership in the Columbus, Ohio and Columbus Country Clubs and he is also a member of the Franklin County Bar Association. His life record indicates most clearly that force of circumstances, natural ability and well developed powers can carry an individual into important relations notwithstanding the fact that early environment and lack of opportunity seem to constitute a bar to progress. Strength of character can at any time overcome circumstances and merit in the end will win success. Mr. Addison is today in a prominent position in relation to business interests while without invidious distinction he may be termed one of the foremost corporation lawyers of the state. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 410)
	DANIEL M. AKIN.  Looking (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 50)
	ORLANDO W. ALDRICH has gained distinction by his work in the courts, also by his clear exposition of the law in the class room and by his contributions to legal literature.  Few lawyers have made a more lasting impression upon the bar of the state, both through legal ability of a high order, and through the individuality of a personal character which impresses itself upon a community.      A native of the Empire state, he was born in Erie county, Mar. 20, 1840, his parents being Sidney and Lydia A. (York) Aldrich.  The family is of English origin and was founded in America by the father, whose birth occurred near Farmingham, Suffolk county, England, in 1817.  He arrived in the new world in 1843 when a youth of fifteen, and two years later became a resident of Erie county, New York, where he made his home until 1864.  In that year he removed to Jackson county, Michigan, where he continued to reside until his death, in 1891.  He was one of Nature's noblemen, his life at all times being actuated by the highest principles in all of his relations to his fellowmen.  In 1833 he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was ever afterward one of its most earnest and devoted workers.  He served as class leader from 1840 and also was licensed as a local preacher.  Such was the warm personal friendship entertained for him by all that knew him that he was called upon to officiate at more weddings and funerals than any other minister in his part of the state.  He left the impress of his individuality for good upon the community in which he lived and his memory remains as a blessed benediction to all who knew him, while his record of self-sacrifice, hospitality, business integrity and Christian charity constitutes an example that may well be followed.  His wife, whose death occurred in Michigan, in 1882, was born in Clarence, New York, and was a descendant in the paternal line of Asahel Franklin, of Bennington, Vermont, who was a nephew of Benjamin Franklin and one of the "Green Mountain Boys," who fought under General Stark at the battle of Bennington.  Her grandmother, Amy Franklin York, was eleven years of age when that battle occurred and witnessed it from her father's house.  In early womanhood she became the wife of Stephen York, and the family removed to Canada, residing less than half a mile from the battlefield of Lundy's Lane.  She also saw the engagement which there occurred and as her husband gave the information to General Brown which resulted in the capture of a British spy, which fact became known to the Canadian authorities, the family had to flee from their home, and their farm was confiscated.  One son, Stephen York, father of Mrs. Aldrich, had been drafted into the Canadian militia but made his escape across the border into the United States, joined Captain Spencer's company of New York militia, and participated in the battle of Fort Erie. Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 757
	RICHARD C. ALKIRE. who since 1901 has lived retired in Columbus is a worthy representative of one of the oldest and most prominent pioneer families of the Buckeye state. He was born on a farm in Franklin township. Franklin county February 25, 1833, a. son of Jesse and Margaret (Courtney) Alkire. His maternal grandfather was the first nail cutter in Columbus. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject, John Alkire, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, while the paternal grandfather, Emanuel Alkire, served in the war of 1812. The latter was born in Lewis county, West Virginia, and came to Franklin county Ohio, in the fall of 1827, settling on the banks of the Scioto river, in what at that time was a. wilderness. Here he established a home and reared a family of twelve children, eight sons and four daughters, Jesse Alkire being one of the number. He was born in West Virginia, December 19, 1807, and accompanied his parentis on their removal to Ohio, when a young man of twenty years. He was a public-spirited man, filling the office of justice of the peace of Franklin township for thirty-two consecutive years, and he lived to a ripe old age. He married Miss Margaret Courtney, who was born in Columbus, March 15, 1811, and she could remember when the homes here were widely scattered, and of seeing stumps along High street and on the site where the state house now stands. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Alkire became the parents of six children: Richard C., of this review; Sarah, wife of William Nichols, a resident of Columbus; Kemper, also of this city. and three who are deceased.      Richard C. Alkire received his education in the district schools and remained under the parental roof until he had reached the age of twenty-seven years. when he began farming on a tract of rented land. After a time he purchased twenty acres and subsequently bought and sold various tracts, making a handsome profit on his investments in this way. He became the owner of a good farm of one hundred and twenty-eight acres in Delaware county, which he operated for four and a half years and which he subsequently traded for town lots in Bowling Green, Wood county, whither he removed in 1890, spending two years there. Later he spent four years in Worthington, subsequent to which time he removed to Grove City. During this time he accumulated quite a competency through his investments in farm lands, so that in 1901 he felt justified in putting aside all business interests and living retired. Accordingly he took up his abode in Columbus, where he now occupies a nice residence and is spending his days in honorable retirement.      Mr. Alkire was married June 3, 1860, to Amanda Watts, who was born in Franklin township, November 2, 1840, a daughter of William and Margaret (Chamber) Watts who were pioneer settlers of Franklin county, and in whose family there were eleven children, of whom five still survive, namely: Amanda, now Mrs. Alkire; Albert, a resident of Columbus; William, who lives in Jackson township; Milton, also of Columbus; and Jennie, the wife of James Haddy. also of this city.      The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Alkire has been blessed with seven children: Annie, the wife of John Hoover. a resident of Grove City, Ohio; Carrie, at home; Everett J., who lives in Bowling Green, Ohio; Wilbur, at Westerville; Minnie A., the wife of John Morresey, an attorney of Columbus; Alden, at home; and Emma M., the wife of R. H. Oliver, also of Columbus.      Mr. Alkire is a stalwart supporter of the democratic party and for several years served as trustee of Jackson township. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. The work instituted by the grandfather and carried on by the father was continued by the son for many years and thus representatives of the family through three generations have been prominent in the upbuilding and progress of Franklin county, reclaiming it for the uses of civilization. Mr. Alkire has seen Columbus grow from a. small village and rejoices in the work that has been accomplished along various lines, and his own labors have been no unimportant factor in bringing about the advantages and conveniences that are today enjoyed. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 26)
	J. A. ALLEN (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 - Page 91)
	AMOS S. ALSPAUGH, deceased, was for many years identified with agricultural pursuits in Franklin county and spent his later years in honorable retirement from labor, making his home in Columbus. He was born in Madison township, this county, in 1862, and died on the 1st of May, 1904, at the age of forty-two years. His father, John Aspaugh, was a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and became one of the early settlers of Franklin county. He cast in his lot with its pioneer residents and aided in the development and improvement of the county as the years passed by. From the government he secured one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made but with characteristic energy he cleared away the timber, grubbed up the stumps, plowed the land and planted his fields. In course of time he gathered good harvests and year after year he continued the cultivation of his place until he made it a valuable farm property. He married Hannah Rush and they reared their family upon the old homestead.      Amos S. Alspaugh, spending his boyhood days under the parental roof, worked in the fields through the summer seasons and in the winter months acquired his education in the country schools. The occupation to which he was reared he determined to make his life work and in the neighborhood of his parents' home he began farming on his own account and continued a resident of that locality until he put aside further business cares. He was diligent and energetic in his work, kept abreast with modern methods of farming and used the latest improved machinery to till his fields. In his farm work he was quite successful and from his crops derived a substantial annual income which enabled him, as the years went by, to add to his capital until it became sufficient to permit of his putting aside business cares and -pending his remaining days in the enjoyment of well earned rest. Accordingly about 1890 he removed to Columbus. where he resided until his demise, the fruits of his former toil supplying him with all life's comforts and many of its luxuries.       In 1873, in Madison township, Mr. Alspaugh was married to Miss Annie Codner, a daughter of Mark Codner, who at an early day came from Montpelier, Vermont. and followed farming at Groveport, in this state, where he died about fourteen years ago. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Plum. was a native of Pennsylvania. They were the parents of ten children, of whom four are living in Franklin county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Alspaugh were born three daughters and a son, all of whom still survive, namely: Lucy Ada, now the wife of C. Thomas Evans, of Portland, Oregon; Louetta Minerva, the wife of James W. Beckett, of Columbus ; Myrtle Blanche, the wife of Charles Collier, of Rochester, New York; and Hugh A., of New Castle, Pennsylvania, an overseer in a large steel plant.     In his political views Mr. Alspaugh was an earnest republican and always kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He likewise belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was a faithful and consistent member of the German Reform church. He assisted in building a number of churches and was a most earnest and active worker in behalf of his denomination and the spread of the Christian religion. His religious belief proved the guiding factor in his life and throughout his entire career he endeavored to closely follow the Golden Rule, doing to others as he would have them do to him. His life of uprightness and honor and of Christian work constitutes an example well worthy of emulation. Mrs. Alspaugh, who still survives her husband, has been, like him, an active worker in the church and her influence is always given on the side of righteousness and truth. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 645)
	COLONEL, CHARLES SAVOY AMMEL.  The list of the leading citizens of Columbus contains the name of Charles Savoy Ammel, one of the representative and honored citizens of this state. There stands to his credit an exceptional military record, of which he may justly be proud, for throughout his entire life he has been active and loyal in the service of his country, while the members of the family through many generations have- been prominently identified with the military service of the various localities in which they have lived.     Colonel Charles Savoy Ammel is a native of Baltimore; Maryland. a son of Major Philip Ammel. The latter was a native of Lyons, France, and served as commandant in the French army a rank equivalent to that of major in America. Other representatives of the family were in the French army and many gained distinction. Philip Ammel, on account of political complications, was forced to leave his native land, and accordingly made his way across the Atlantic to New York, whence he later removed to Baltimore. His wife, who bore the name of Francoise Welker, was a member of an old family of that country. After spending many years in this country, Philip Ammel, during the French-Prussian war, returned to his native land and there passed away.      Colonel Ammel was reared in his native city and pursued his education in the public schools of that place. For two years before the Civil war he had been a member of the Fifty-third, now the Fifth Maryland Regiment, and had attained to the rank of sergeant. He enlisted at the outbreak of the Civil war and was made a lieutenant in the Confederate service in the Maryland line. In this struggle he participated in all of the engagements in the Shenandoah valley under General Stonewall Jackson and was four times wounded. He was finally captured in a skirmish at Elk Run, Virginia, in 1864.      As a prisoner of war Colonel Ammel came to Columbus in 1864, was paroled here and since that time has been a resident of this city. In 1865 he engaged in the music business, to which he devoted his time and attention until 1876. During this period he was also manager of the Comstock Opera House, and in the latter year assumed the management of the Alice Oates Opera Company and superintended that organization, composed of seventy members, until 1879. In that year he engaged in business with the M. C. Lilley Company, extensive manufacturers of military goods and regalias, this being the largest enterprise of its kind in the United States. However, while he has met success in a business way he has never allowed his attention to be thus occupied to the exclusion of his cooperation in public and military affairs. In 1876 he organized the old Fourteenth Regiment of Ohio National Guards and was called the father of the regiment. He was also commissioned captain of Company A and was mustering officer of the regiment, in which capacity he mustered himself in as captain and also discharged himself as an enlisted man. During hi: service in this connection he was out several times on strike duty. In 1898, at the time of the Spanish-American war, Captain Ammel organized the Fourteenth Veteran Reserves, of which he became lieutenant colonel, while George D. Freeman was colonel. Although this regiment was never called to the front, about three hundred of its members were taken to fill the quota of the old Fourteenth, then known as the Fourth Regiment. After he retired he took charge of the Fourth Regiment by the solicitation of Governor Nash and the Board of Trade. He retired on account of age in 1908.      Captain Ammel has also gained distinction in Masonic circles. He was made a Mason in Goodale Lodge, No. 172, F. & A. M., of Columbus in 1867 and in 1871 he took the orders of chivalric Masonry in Mount Vernon Commandery, No. 1, K. T. He was captain general of the order for thirty-two years, and is now a past commander. He was the organizer and the first high priest of Temple Chapter, No. 155, R. A. M., and took the degrees of the Scottish Rite in February, 1874. He is a charter member of Aladdin Temple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and received the thirty-third degree in Boston, in September, 1897. He is likewise a charter member of Junia Lodge, I. 0. 0. F., is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Royal Arcanum. He was one of the incorporators of the United Commercial Travelers Association of the United States and a member of its supreme council, and he is also identified with the Columbus Commercial Travelers Association.     Captain Ammel feels a just pride in his military record. His loyalty to his country during the Civil war is a chapter in his history. His unbending integrity of character, his fearlessness in the discharge of his duties and his appreciation of the responsibilities that rested upon him were such as to make him a most acceptable incumbent in each and every office which he was called to fill. He has also been deeply interested in the welfare of his city and has cooperated in every movement calculated to benefit his fellowmen. He is now living retired, surrounded by a host of warm and admiring friends, for to know Colonel Ammel is to honor and respect him. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 698)
	WILLIAM ARMBRUSTER.   In a review of the successful men of Columbus-men who have contributed to her commercial activity and business advancement-mention should be made of William Armbruster. who for many years was a well known dry-goods merchant here. Moreover, his life record contains lessons that may well he followed by those who desire to achieve success in accordance with honorable methods, for in all of his connection with the business interests of the city his name remains as a synonym for straightforward and honorable dealing. A native of Germany, William Armbruster was born December 10, 1837, a son of Mathias and Catherine Armbruster, both of whom were natives of the same country and there spent their entire lives. The father engaged in the manufacture of velvet, continuing in the business for many years, and in his boyhood days William Armbruster worked in his father's factory, gaining practical experience in business methods and laying the foundation for his subsequent success. He also attended the public schools until eighteen years of age, when, attracted by the business opportunities and advantages of the new world, he sailed for America and became a resident of Philadelphia. There he secured a position in a woolen factory, where lie remained for five years. Subsequently he went to Pennsylvania, where he was again employed in a woolen factory for a short time, after which he came to Ohio and settled first in Westerville. There he was employed in a wagon factory for a short time and later went to Milford, Ohio, where he began business for himself as a wagon manufacturer. After a brief period, however, he sold out and removed to Circleville, Ohio, where lie established another wagon manufactory, which he conducted for a few years All through his business career he made good use. of his opportunities, carefully directing his labors so that there would be no useless expenditure of time, money or material. Upon such a foundation his success was builded and as the years passed his labors brought him a substantial financial return.      It was while Mr. Armbruster was residing in Circleville that he was married to Miss Susanna Blastein, a native of Ripley county, Indiana, and a daughter of Peter and Louisa Blastein, both natives of Germany. In the year 1820 Mr. Blastein came to the United States and settled upon a farm in Ripley county, Indiana. The state had been admitted to the Union only four years before and it was largely an unimproved district, many sections of the country being wild and undeveloped. For a time he was identified with general agricultural pursuits there and afterward turned his attention to general merchandising in Pennsylvaniaburg. There he carried on business and resided in the village throughout the remainder of his life, both he and his wife spending their last days there. He was one of the first settlers of the county. was a witness of much of its growth and improvement and contributed in substantial measure to its progress and material development. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Armbruster were born a son and daughter. Harry E. is now president of the Armbruster Company and a prominent representative of commercial life in this city. He married Miss Laura Boch and they reside in the. Armbruster home with his mother. They have one child, Edward B., who is now associated with his father in the store. Emma, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Armbruster. became the wife of Harry Hudgell, a traveling salesman now residing in Boston. Her death accrued at the age of thirty-five years.      Shortly after his marriage William Armbruster became a resident of Columbus, establishing his home here in 1873. He first opened a small woolen factory on East Ridge street. where he engaged in the manufacture of hosiery. After a. brief period lie removed his business to High street but finally disposed of his manufacturing interests and established a retail store on a small scale. After several removals he took the business to North High street and at that location the business enjoyed a rapid growth, becoming one of the leading commercial enterprises of the city. They carry a full line of dry goods, always keep in touch with the best products that the markets afford and the business policy of the house has been such as to secure a growing trade. As the years passed the enterprise became a very profitable one, so that in the later years of his life Mr. Armbruster was able to retire largely from business, turning over the management of the store to his son. His success was worthily won his achievements representing the fit utilization of the innate talents which were his. He labored persistently and energetically along well defined lines of trade and in all of his life record was never known to take advantage of the necessities of a fellowman in a business transaction.      Mr. Armbruster was never much interested in polities, although he was not neglectful of his duties of citizenship. In early life he gave support to the democracy and later voted for candidates whom he considered best qualified for office without regard to party affiliation. Socially he was allied with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. About sixteen years prior to his death he erected a commodious and beautiful residence at No. 683 South High street, where his widow, his son Harry and his family all reside. Mr. Armbruster died at his home December 26, 1902. In the later years of his life when he had leisure he devoted most of his time to the pleasures of his own fireside and delighted to extend the hospitality of his home to his many friends. His life was indeed a busy and useful one and he recognized and utilized his opportunities for advancement, so that as the years followed he gathered the fruits of his labor in a handsome competence. He was thus enabled to leave to his family a substantial fortune as well as the priceless heritage of a good name. He never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world but on the contrary readily adapted himself to changed conditions here and sought in the fields of labor opportunity for his advancement in the business world. Mrs. Armbruster is a member of the Independent Lutheran church and yet makes her home in Columbus, where she has resided continuously for thirty-six years. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 806)
	JOHN H. ARNOLD, attorney at law and prominent in republican circles in Columbus, was born in Freeport, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1862. His parents, Richard V. and Araminta J. (Holmes) Arnold, were also natives of the Keystone state and were of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The father was a lumberman, following that business until his death, which occurred in 1884. His wife still survives and is now a resident of Columbus. He was connected with the Bricker family, who owned the first grist mill west of the Allegheny mountains, which is still in possession of the family and is yet being operated. Isaac Bricker was a scout at Fort Pitt and the family was closely connected with the pioneer development of the state. That the work of civilization had been carried forward to only a slight degree when they removed to the west was indicated by the fact that many Indians still lived in this section of the country. On one occasion they captured the young brother of Isaac Bricker and he was reared by them. The Bricker family owned several thousand acres of land in the vicinity of Pittsburg, while the Holmes family were slave owners of Chester county, Pennsylvania, at an early day. Richard V. Arnold, the father of our subject, owned the first steam planing mill west of the Allegheny mountains, and altogether was a very successful lumberman, owning mills and lumber interests in both the north and south. He also became a prominent contractor and erected a number of courthouses in different places. Neither was he unknown in political circles for he stanchly advocated the principles in which he believed and raised the first republican flagpole at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, while his father; John Arnold, raised the first democratic flag-pole at that place.      John H. Arnold pursued his education in the public schools of Pittsburg, and after leaving the high school there attended the Freeport Academy, from which he was graduated in 1879. He then went to Bloomington, Maryland, and was with his father in the sawmill business for six years. On the 1st of October, 1885, he came to Columbus and was foreman of the Case Manufacturing Company. but while busily engaged in the management of industrial interests during the daytime he devoted his evening hours to reading law under the direction of Henry F. Guerin, and was admitted to the bar in October, 1894. He has since been admitted to practice in the United States courts as well, and has been accorded a liberal patronage, his professional duties often being of a most important character. He is heavily interested in several mines in the west, is president of the Olentangy Mining Company, at Chesaw, Washington, and is attorney for the Frank G. Thompson Company, of Columbus, Toledo and Detroit.      On the 17th of August, 1904, Mr. Arnold was married to Miss Eleanor Moore of Columbus, Ohio, and they occupy an enviable position in the social circles of the city. Mr. Arnold is prominent politically as a supporter of the republican party, serving for some time as chairman of the city republican committee. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and to the Junior Order of American Mechanics, in which he has continuously served as a state officer. He is also a member of the Franklin County Bar Association, and a member of the Ohio Club of this city. His laudable ambition led him into a walk of life demanding keen intellectuality and a most faithful adherence to professional duty, and as the years have gone by he has gained for himself a creditable place at the Columbus bar and won an important and constantly increasing clientele. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 387)
	EDMUND FREDERICK ARRAS, well known in business circles of Columbus as a rental agent, his interests in this connection having now reached extensive proportions, was born in Dayton, Ohio, July 7, 1875. The family is of German lineage, and Johann Nicholas Arras, the grandfather of our subject, was one of the pioneer settlers of Dayton. John D. Arras, the father, was born in Columbus and for twenty-one years was proprietor of the Columbus Tent & Awning Company, in which connection he conducted an extensive business. He was well known in commercial circles and he was also a trustee of the Spiritualist church at the corner of Sixth and State streets. He married Clara. H. Schneider, a native of Columbus. Her parents, however, came from Germany in company with the great-grandfather of our subject, Frederick Faeger who was one of the pioneers of the capital city and owned a large portion of the land in South Columbus. The death of John D. Arras occurred December 21, 1907, but his wife is still living.      At the usual age Edmund F. Arras began his education in the public schools of Dayton and subsequently was a high-school student in Columbus. After leaving high school he acted as private secretary to Judge Eli P. Evans, who was for twenty-five years judge of the common pleas court, and Mr. Arras was closely associated with this learned gentleman until the latter's death, which occurred February 9, 1908, the Judge exerting a great influence over his life. For some time lie was a student in the law department of the Ohio State University, from which he was graduated in 1895, although he was but twenty years of age and too young to be admitted to practice. The following year he took a post-graduate course in law and was admitted to the bar the day following his twenty-first birthday.      In the meantime, however, in 1891 Mr. Arras established a small rental agency and conducted the business while attending college. He practiced law for four years after completing his course and at the .same time continued his rental agency, which grew so rapidly that he abandoned the law practice altogether in 1900 to attend to a business which demanded his entire time and energies. In this way he manages much property having the largest rental agency in the city in fact controls more business than any other five agencies combined. He is agent and manager for a number of large interests; including the William A. Neil estate, the A. H. Hildreth estate, the M. M. Green estate, the Gilbert C. Hoover estate, the Norfolk & Western Railway Company, the Green-Joyce Company, the Ximena Home Building Company and the Roster Columbus Associated Breweries Company.      In 1897 Mr. Arras was married to hiss Elizabeth P. McDerment of Columbus, a daughter of one of the prominent pioneers of Columbus, James M. McDerment, who for more than thirty-five years conducted a wholesale and retail feed business on West Broad street. He was a prominent Odd Fellow, being for years state treasurer of that organization. Mr. and Mrs. Arras are well known socially, having many friends in this city. Mr. Arras takes an active interest in those movements and measures which tend to uplift humanity, is president and one of the directors of the Universalist church and is superintendent of the Sunday school. He is also president of the Men's League of that church and gives loyal assistance to many plans for the moral progress of the community. He is a member of the Board of Trade and is serving on the real-estate committee of that organization. During his course in the university he was president of the Horton Literary Society and was class historian of the law department. He has always been interested in literature and intellectual development and, while preeminently a. successful business man, his desire for financial progress has never excluded a. healthful interest in those things of life which indicate a, well balanced character. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 318)
	CHARLES AUBERT.  In the profession of the law them, are comparatively few who attain success, and in an analyzation of the conditions that exist it is found that this fact results largely from a lack of that analytical power which enables one to recognize the salient feature of a case and to give it its due prominence. while losing sight of no point that will assist in gaining the decision desired. Keen discrimination is one of the effective forces in the career of Charles Aubert, who in the practice of law has displayed a professional strength that has gained him prominence at the Columbus bar .     Mr. Aubert is a. native of Franklin county. his birth having occurred in Hamilton township December 20, 1800. As the name indicates, he comes of French ancestry, being a grandson of Claudius Postian Aubert who. following important military service in Europe. came to the new world to enjoy here the liberty afforded by a republican form of government. He served as a drummer boy when Napoleon led his troops across the Niemen, in 1812, toward Moscow in a campaign that. although disastrous. was one of the most brilliant military undertakings known to history. He was also in Napoleon's army when the French troops, on the 18th of June, 1815, met the English and Prussians under Generals Wellington and Blucher on the plains of Waterloo. During the pioneer epoch of the history of Ohio Claudius P. Aubert arrived in this state accompanied by his family. He located upon a farm in Hamilton township. Franklin county. which remained his place of residence until his death. His son, Charles Aubert. Sr., was about eight years of age when the family left France for the new world. From early life he was dependent upon his own resources and displayed his business ability and enterprise in the acquirement of a large and valuable farm property. together with real estate and financial investments. He married Miss Elizabeth Reiselt, a native of Germany, whose father became a prominent farmer in Hamilton township. Claudius P. Aubert, a brother of Charles Aubert, of this review, was graduated in the Ohio Normal University in 1887 and has done excellent educational work in connection with the public-school system of the state of Washington.      Reared on the homestead farm, Charles Aubert supplemented his early educational training by study in the Ohio Normal University, from which he was graduated in 1887. He then devoted several years to successful educational work, teaching in the public schools of this county until 1895 and for three years prior thereto also occupying the chair of Latin in the Ohio Medical University at Columbus. He began his law reading with Donaldson & Tussing, prominent attorneys of Columbus, as his preceptors, and when his thorough preparation enabled him to successfully pass the examination required for admission to the bar, he entered upon active practice and has been very successful since his name was placed upon the roll of practitioners in Columbus in 1895. While he was well grounded in the principles of common law when admitted to the bar, he has continued throughout the whole of his professional career a diligent student of those elementary principles that constitute the basis of all legal science and this knowledge has served him well in many a legal battle. He always prepares his cases with great care. If there is a close legal point involved in the issue it is his habit to thoroughly examine every authority within his reach bearing upon the question, and this makes him a dangerous adversary. With a thorough knowledge of the subject he discusses and the legal principles applicable thereto, his addresses before the court are models of clearness and logic. He is also the owner of a select and large law library, of which ho has every reason to be proud. It is there that he prepares his presentation of legal questions with every authority right at hand that he may look up any point of law or precedent which he believes will bear upon the case. Mr. Aubert is regarded as authority on real-estate and financial investments, his opinions being sought and relied on by the banker and the judge, the farmer and the lawyer, whose full confidence he enjoys, and well he may, for no client has ever been compelled by suit at law to bring back money on notes or to foreclose mortgages recommended as safe investment by Mr. Aubert during his practice of thirteen years. At various times wealthy clients have left large sums of money with him to invest or loan at his sole discretion. To this branch of the legal profession he has devoted much time during the last thirteen years and it is a remarkable and noteworthy fact that during all this period no client ever sued to obtain his money or foreclosed a mortgage on a loan made by Mr. Aubert, all receiving their capital with interest. It will thus be seen that he makes most careful investments and his clients have profited thereby.      In 1897 Mr. Aubert was married to Miss Marie Renner, a daughter of the late John Stephen Renner, who at his death owned extensive landed interests in Franklin county. Mr. and Mrs. Aubert have no children of their own. In April, 1905, when Samuel J. Swartz, at one time mayor of Columbus, died and left several orphan children, the two younger being Lillian and Audrey, then four and two years of age, Mr. and Mrs. Aubert took these two children into their home and have bestowed upon them every care and the affection of the most fond and loving parents. The children are as much attached to Mr. and Mrs. Aubert as children of their own could be and in return receive the loving attention which Mr. and Mrs. Aubert would have bestowed upon children of their own. The little girls were indeed fortunate in obtaining such a good home. and it is a source of much pleasure and satisfaction to the friends of their deceased parents. Mr. and Mrs. Aubert are very generous, large-hearted people and many tangible evidences are given of their helpfulness. They are well known in Columbus and this part of the state, where they have spent their entire lives, and their circle of friends is almost as extended as the circle of their acquaintances. Their own home is a hospitable one and is therefore most attractive to those who know them. Mr. Aubert is always interested in those projects which further progressive citizenship and promote municipal progress. His professional duties, however. are making increasing demands upon his time and attention and he now enjoys a high reputation which hay been won through earnest, honest labor. his standing, at the bar being a merited tribute to hiss ability. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 200)
	GENERAL HENRY A. AXLINE.  Few men of Columbus have been more prominent or more widely known than General Henry Augustus Axline, who for almost three decades has been closely associated with the interests of the city, while his entire life has been passed in the state. He is a man of keen discernment and sound judgment and has displayed in his entire career such fertility of resource, marked enterprise and well defined plans as to deserve classification with those who are controlling the varied important interests of the state. Born in Muskingum county, Ohio, near the village of Fultonham, September 16, 1848, he was a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Crooks) Axline. On the paternal side he comes of Prussian ancestry. His great-grandfather, Christopher Axline, was a native of Prussia and served with distinction in the Prussian cavalry under Frederick the Great. While the United States was still numbered among the colonial possessions of Great Britain be came to America and during the period of the Revolutionary war engaged in the production of nitre for the manufacture of gunpowder for the American troops. In consequence of this his property was confiscated by the British. His son, John Axline, removed to Loudoun county, Virginia, where he died in 1832 at the age of ninety-three years. He was the first settler of this family in that county. He was born in 1739 and was a farmer by occupation. He served as a captain in the Virginia line in the Revolutionary war. His family included Henry Axline, who was born in Virginia, March 30, 1788. He, too, made farming his life work and in 1823 removed from the Old Dominion to Ohio, establishing his home in the beautiful lower Buckeye valley, surrounded by wooded highlands. He married Elizabeth (Springer) Crooks, who was born August 23, 1808, in Muskingum county, Ohio. Two half brothers of General Axline. Andrew I. and John C. Springer, served with the American army under General Winfield Scott in the Mexican war.      After mastering the, elementary branches of learning in The public schools General Axline attended the Fultonham Academy and also pursued a course in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, where he was graduated with the class of 1872. He won high honors in mathematics and other studies, pursued the full classical course and received from the university the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts. As a youth he was fond of outdoor sports and especially enjoyed the old-time fox chase among the hills of Muskingum and Perry counties. He was moreover a student and read with avidity and profit every book which he could secure in the days of his youth and early manhood. All subjects and lines of reading and study appealed to him but he was especially interested in scientific works. Throughout his life he has remained a student, carrying his investigations far and wide into the realms of thought and knowledge, and self-culture has made him noted for his strong mentality and broad and comprehensive views of many subjects. When but seventeen years of age he engaged in teaching and followed the profession for several years before entering college, his labors in this direction supplying him with the funds necessary for his collegiate course. His work as an educator was extremely successful and for four years, from 1874 to 1878, he acted as superintendent of the Dresden public schools, was then principal of the Zanesville high school for two years and from 1873 until 1879 was county school examiner. He retired from teaching with a life certificate of the state board of examiners authorizing him to teach in the highest schools of the state. He has remained throughout his life a champion of the cause of public and higher education and his influence and labors have been effective forces in the promotion of intellectual progress.      After completing his collegiate course General Axline took up the study of law in the office and under the direction of John W. King, a well known attorney of Zanesville, and the following year was admitted to the bar on successfully passing the examination before the Ohio supreme court. In 1880 he was licensed to practice in the United States district courts and in 1896 before the United States supreme court. He has since remained a representative of the profession and has successfully conducted some important contentions in the courts. At times other business interests have largely claimed his attention but he still continues a member of the bar, with offices in the Board of Trade building. He has always been an interested student of the science of law and his careful analysis has enabled him to readily recognize the points in jurisprudence which bear upon the case in his charge. Extending his interests into other lines of activity, however, he was for a number of years president of the Columbus Buggy & Manufacturing Company, which lost its plant through a disastrous fire in 1892. He projected, organized and constructed the Columbus. Urbana & Western Railway and for three years was its president and general manager.      General Axline has enjoyed equal distinction in military circles. Although but a boy at the time of the Civil war, he was constrained by a spirit of patriotism to espouse the Union cause and became a private of Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; later was connected with Leib's Mounted Squadron and with Company G. One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was the youngest soldier from 'Muskingum county but his service was brilliant and gallant and won him the favorable attention and commendation of his superiors. He served as orderly and courier with Generals Hancock, Brooks, Wallace and other commanders and, though but a boy in years, made a splendid military record. His interest in the military organization of the state has never abated and in 1877 he served as captain in the National Guard. He was then major from 1877 until 1880, was lieutenant colonel in 1880-1, colonel and assistant adjutant general from 1881 until 1884, major general and adjutant general from 1886 until 1890 and again from 1896 until 1900 and retired with the rank of major general in January, 1900. In January, 1880, he was appointed chief clerk in the office of the adjutant general of Ohio, while in March, 1881, he became assistant adjutant general, to which position he was re-appointed in January, 1882. He served from January, 1886, until January, 1890, as adjutant general and from January, 1896, until 1900 again filled the same position. His labors have been so effective and beneficial in organizing and promoting the military interests of the state that he is called the father of the National Guard of Ohio. In the meantime lie again responded to the country's call, enlisting for service in the Spanish-American war as colonel of the Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was in command at Camp Bushnell and organized the Ohio troops. He took the Tenth Regiment into the field and commanded the First Brigade, First Division of the Second Army Corps. He received especially complimentary mention in orders of his superior officers for his splendid work in the service. His brigade was recognized by all as the best drilled and most efficient in the corps by reason of its discipline and soldierly appearance. At the time of the great Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania in 1889 he had the honor of taking the first relief train to that city.      In politics always a republican, General Axline has long been recognized as one of the prominent party workers, serving on county, district and state committees. His brilliant oratory makes him one of the leading campaign speakers and while he has never sought many offices of a purely political nature, he has served as deputy collector of internal revenue since 1905 and has proved a most capable and efficient incumbent in the office. His gifts of oratory are frequently employed outside of the political field and he is said to have no superior as an impromptu speaker at camp fires. Prominent in the Grand Army of the Republic, he has held various offices in the local organization and was assistant adjutant general of the Grand Army of Ohio in 1885-6. He also belongs to the Spanish War Veterans and was first adjutant general in 1899 and 1900. He is likewise a member of the Military Order of Foreign Wars, which he joined in 1898, is past commander of the Ohio Commandery and the present judge advocate general of the National Commandery. Since 1869 he has been an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity and he also belongs to the Delta Tau Delta, a college fraternity.      Pleasantly situated in his home life, General Axline was married at Delaware, Ohio, July 16, 1874, to Miss Helen Maude Westlake, also a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University. She is deeply interested in charitable work, being especially active in the Woman's Educational & Industrial Union of Columbus. General and Mrs. Axline have one child, Tella Maude, the wife of Claude B. DeWitt, a prominent attorney of Sandusky, Ohio, by whom she has one son, Axline Claude DeWitt. Such in brief is the history of General Henry A. Axline, whose great energy and enterprise have made him a dynamic force in every work that he has undertaken. The centrality of his service is found in his devotion to every cause which he espouses. Capable of taking a comprehensive view of life and its purposes, he has become an active factor in movements not only of local value but also those which indicate the trend of the world's progress and his labors as an educator in early manhood, as a lawyer in later life, as a manufacturer and railroad promoter and as one of the most prominent representatives of the military interests of the state have all constituted him preeminently a man of action and one who has wielded a wide influence. (Source: Centennial History of Columbus, and Franklin Co., Ohio by William Alexander Taylor - Vol. II - 1909 -  Page 392)

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