So, what do you do when the guys are haying and they request homemade cookies, but you are out of chocolate chips, nuts, cocoa, and several other cookie making staples?
Hot Summer Day
One hot summer day sometime around 1976 or 1977, Dad, his brother Dewey, and Dewey’s son-in-law Dennis were putting up hay. At some point, Dad said that they would need some cookies for a snack later in the afternoon and if we didn’t have any, we should make some.
The Cupboard Is Bare
Since we didn’t have any cookies in the house, we looked for ingredients to make cookies. We didn’t have any chocolate chips, nuts, or oatmeal. In addition, we had very little or none of several staples needed to make cookies.
The Store Is Bare
We didn’t have time to run to Ft. Scott to get a bunch of ingredients. So, we decided to go to the little store in Hiattville. It didn’t have a large inventory in those years, but we thought that we might find some packaged cookies that were acceptable or find the ingredients we needed to make some type of cookie.
Well, that was a bust. I am not sure if they had any cookies at all, but they definitely didn’t have any that Dad liked. And, they didn’t have the most needed ingredients. We did pick up an item or two that we thought we might be able to use.
The Recipe Search
When we got home, we started scouring cookbooks and recipes that mom had clipped from the newspaper and other sources. We reviewed the recipes to see if there was one where we had all the ingredients or if it could be modified to work with the ingredients we had. Most recipes could be quickly dismissed. Finally, we happened upon a recipe from the Ft. Scott Tribune that had been submitted by Mrs. Harry Stites for Brown Sugar Cookies.
Making Hay Day DDDs
The recipe had one key difference from others. It contained cornflakes and that was something we had in the cupboard. It contained oatmeal, but we figured that we could cut the recipe in half and leave it out as the recipe made 9 ½ dozen cookies. Although we knew they would need some energy, we figured that many cookies would be a tad too many.
I don’t remember all the modifications we made to the recipe other than leaving out the oats, one of the sugars, and the nuts. And, by cutting the recipe in half, it required only a cup of flour and a small amount of other items. Thus, we finally had a recipe for the ingredients on hand.
A Hit
The cookies were hot out of the oven when the guys were ready for a break. And, we didn’t have a single complaint about our newly concocted recipe.
Image: Public domain; Source New York State Archives
Sometime people who were strong believers in God had a hard time practicing their faith even in the land of “freedom of religion.” Mary and John Tilton, my 9th great grandparents, constantly fought to practice their religion.
Salem, Massachusetts
The Tilton family’s first religious conflict in the Colonies occurred in 1642 when John Tilton, born about 1613 in England, and his wife Mary were living at Lynn, Massachusetts just outside Salem. Apparently, Mary, Lady Deborah Moody, and another woman stated that they did not believe in the baptizing of infants. Instead, they believed that people should only be baptized when they were old enough to confess their faith.
This was not in alignment with the views of the Puritans and the Church of Salem. Thus, the minister that lived next door to Lady Deborah Moody did not approve of their views. Despite coming to America for religious freedom, the minister and members of the Puritan community still wanted one and only one set of religious beliefs. They just wanted the accepted beliefs to be their beliefs.
Therefore, the women were charged in court. The minister saw Lady Moody as the leader in spreading dissenting religious beliefs. One of the Puritan leaders said that Lady Moody was “a dangerous woman.” Like others who beliefs were contrary to the Puritan beliefs, Lady Moody was told to change her beliefs or be excommunicated.
Well, being women of strong religious convictions, neither Mary or Lady Deborah Moody changed their beliefs. They did, however change their location.
New Netherland plus surrounding areas 1685 reprint of 1656 map; Public domain; Via Wikipedia
Gravesend, Long Island, New York
As a result of trouble with the Puritans, John moved his family to New Netherland. The area later became New York. Lady Moody and others with similar beliefs made the same move. The location appeared to be a good option as the Netherlands tolerated different religious beliefs.
As a woman with money and influence, Lady Deborah Moody was the founder of the new area, which she named Gravesend. It was on Long Island and is in the area known today as Brooklyn.
Gravesend, with John Tilton as town clerk, prospered and so did Lady Moody’s influence, which became very beneficial to Mary and John Tilton, as well as others who shared their beliefs.
Arrival of the Friends
The Friends (a.k.a. Quakers) arrived in New York in the 1650s. However, before Friends arrived in America, some of the Colonies banned them. They were disliked for being outspoken about their views and preaching loudly anywhere and everywhere. Their views of equality for women, refusing to take oaths, etc. were disturbing to those who came before them. They were considered both too radical and too zealous. Yet, the Friends just viewed it as being free to practice their beliefs.
Originally, it seems that only Friends who were too open about their beliefs were persecuted; thus, public preaching by ministers that were unapproved or holding conventicles (illegal or unapproved religious meetings) were considered crimes. However, Governor Stuyvesant soon cracked down on Quakerism, making it illegal to house a Quaker. It also encouraged the residents to rat on Quaker activities. The penalties could be downright cruel, including fines, imprisonment, lashings, and hard labor. At one point, he even proclaimed a day of prayer as he was fearful of God’s judgement if the Quakers converted people to their beliefs.
This wasn’t a new approach for the governor as he strongly supported existing religious law. He, along with others thought that uniformity was important. Additionally, many believed that heresy and diversity of thought would result in the wrath of God. Thus, the governor had previously taken steps to prevent other groups from flourishing in New Amsterdam. It seems that Governor Stuyvesant, at least, did not live up to the reputation of the Dutch regarding religious tolerance.
More Religious Persecution
Harboring a Quaker
On January 8, 1658, John Tilton was arrested for harboring a female Quaker minister, who had been banished from New Netherland, along with some of her followers. Two days later, he was sentenced to a 12 pound Flemish fine plus legal fees. This was one-half the fine of attending a conventicle. The reason for leniency was that it was his first offense, he was an upstanding resident, and the fact that he claimed the Quaker minister and the others came to his house while he was absent.
The First Banishment
In January 1661, both Mary and John were charged with attending conventicles. Mary does not seem to have been prosecuted. However, John was called before the governor and council of New Amsterdam (New York City) because of his support of the Quakers. He was ordered banished from the area or receive corporal punishment.
However, the banishment never took place. It has been speculated that John’s standing in the community combined with efforts of a friend who was in good favor with the governor led to this relief.
The sentence of banishment did not deter John and Mary, who continued to align themselves with the Quakers.
The Arrest
On September 19, 1662, complaints were made against John and Mary Tilton, who had both attended and hosted Quaker meetings. They weren’t arrested, however, until October 5. At that time, they were imprisoned at Ft. Amsterdam.
John’s Crime
John was charged with continuing to attend the Quaker meetings and for harboring Quakers and permitting them to quake at his house. By quaking, they meant that the Friends would quiver and quake as they worshiped as a part of fearing God.
The complaint pointed out his earlier offenses, his continued support for the sect, and that he should be made an example since apparently the Quakers easily forgot. His sentence was a fine of 100 pounds Dutch money. Plus, he was to stay in prison until his fine and court costs were paid.
Mary’s Punishment
Mary, John’s wife, was charged with being a sorceress, luring and seducing people to join the Friends (Quakers). Worse, than seducing adults into the faith, they believed she tried to convert young girls.
They claimed that Mary had “dared not only to assist at all the meetings of that abominable sect who are named Quakers, but even has presumed to provide them with lodgings and victuals, and has endeavored to go from house to house, and from one place to the other, and to lure the people, yea, even young girls, to join the Quakers, and already with several succeeded, encouraging and supporting them.” (From the statement to the Director-General and Council of New Netherland.)
Again, it was believed that she should be made an example in order to prevent others from convincing colonists to move away from what they believed was the “true Church.” This was viewed as critical. Otherwise, they believed God would punish the entire colony. She was also fined 100 pounds plus costs. In addition, she was to be banished from New Netherland.
Mary’s punishment was harsher than John’s. It is believed that those in charge were especially harsh on female offenders of any law or rule. One article told of a woman where they recommended prison for her petticoat simply being too high to be respectable.
Banishment
Mary’s banishment was delayed until spring of the next year because of winter weather. An inventory of their belongings was taken and then they were removed from New Amsterdam.
During their banishment, they stayed with friends at Oyster Bay on the other side of Long Island. Although not far away, Oyster Bay was outside the jurisdiction of the governor of New Amsterdam.
New York
In 1664, the English gained control of the area and it became New York. Interestingly, the agreement included that the Dutch were guaranteed freedom of religion. The very people that had so harshly treated people of other religions now wanted freedom to worship as they chose given that someone else was in control.
Three years after the English took control, John and Mary were back at Gravesend and John returned to his position as town clerk, which he kept until 1681. John or his son John Jr. became Justice of the Peace. A bit of an issue occurred when he refused to take the oath of office because it was against his religion.
John and Mary continued to strongly support the Friends and practice their faith. John signed a letter to the Governor of New York explaining why he and other Quakers did not want to provide funds to repair a fort. The simple reason was that they were against war. Later, he gave land for what appears to have been a Friends burial ground.
Mary died in 1683 and John in 1688, both at Gravesend.
Future Generations
Although John and Mary mostly had trouble with their religion not fitting other people’s idea of an acceptable religion, other members of the family sometimes had trouble even following the rules of their own religion. They were very independent minded and that trait seems to have been passed down through the generations
For example, although their son John Jr. moved to New Jersey, that did not stop him from being arrested for “subscribing to a seditious paper.” Years later, their great-great granddaughter Patience was disowned (or faced being disowned) because she married out of unity. She wrote an apology to the Monthly Meeting condemning her actions and requesting to reconcile with the Friends. Her apology apparently was accepted.
Many others had issues of not doing exactly what the their faith required. Interestingly, what brought the family to the Quaker faith was differing beliefs. And, that was what caused them the most trouble with the Quaker faith.
And, this is not the only family in my tree that had a love-hate relationship with religion!
What do ice elevators, recording devices for fluid meters, gas meters, and a device for turning bolts and screws have in common?
The Simple Answer
All of these devices were either invented by or had novel enhancements made by the Wittmer family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The inventor listed on the patents for these devices were the brothers and nephews of Rod’s 3rd great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Wittmer) Ackerman.
Why such diverse inventions?
Before they came to America, their father Franz Xavier Wittmer had tried his hand at multiple occupations. He had been a farmer, miner, and a tailor. He found none of these occupations to be very profitable. His sons, George and Xavier, carried on in his tradition of searching for profitable business ventures. Their business focus led the Wittmer family to own and invest in several businesses operating in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each of these businesses had specific needs and, in all cases, the Wittmer family desired efficiency.
The Companies
Wittmer Ice Company
The first significant company that George and Xavier Wittmer created was the Wittmer Ice Company. They started their business in 1872 by renting an ice house that was already in existence. The business was profitable and the brothers purchased a large tract of land.
On that land they made large ponds and built 11 large ice houses. It was estimated that 20,000 pounds of ice were gathered and stored there each year.
Xavier invented enhancements to ice elevators. His ice elevator used one continuous chain instead of two and could have a variable number of hooks as needed. He made four specific claims of invention in his patent granted December 23, 1875.
Wittmer Brick Company
In 1884, the Wittmers established the Wittmer Brick Company seven miles outside the city. The hillside had extensive clay deposits, perfect for making bricks. And, the Pittsburgh and Western Railway ran through the area, perfect for shipping bricks. The location became known as Wittmer, or sometimes referred to as Wittmer Station.
In 1897, The Clay Worker, the Official Organ of the National Brick Manufacturers’ Association of the United States of America, highlighted Wittmer Brick Company’s brick making process. It was quite complicated with numerous steps. They used gas to heat the kilns. It wasn’t common in the United States, but it was used in Germany, where the Wittmer family originated, for finer pieces, such as terra cotta.
Wittmer Brick Company – Incline Railway; Adapted from the Clay Worker December 1897.
The Wittmer works also had a novel incline railroad to move the bricks from the kiln to the railroad freight cars, some 25 feet lower. It was designed so that as a car loaded with bricks comes down to the railroad platform, an empty car is pulled up from the platform to the kiln. This process was very efficient and greatly decreased the effort required to move the bricks from the kiln to the freight car.
The business was incorporated January 1, 1901. At the time, the Wittmer Brick Company was all in the family with Xavier, his son, and his brother George’s 3 sons all involved in the business. George, who was much older than Xavier, was retired.
At the time of incorporation, the company was described as makers of brick, tile, terra cotta, and other similar products. It was a reorganization of the company as it had stood and had its headquarters in Pittsburgh with the “works” at Wittmer Station. The primary reason for reorganization was for it to issue stock.
American Natural Gas Company
In 1889, the Wittmers and some of their associates formed the American Natural Gas Company, with the Wittmers having a controlling interest. The founders all used large amounts of gas in their other businesses that they owned. They believed it would cost less and be more efficient to go together and create their own gas company rather than their current situation. The plan was to pay the company to supply themselves, sell gas to others, and profit from it as shareholders.
They started out with 700 acres of land in an area about 10 miles north of Wittmer Station. They hit their first gusher in July and planned to have pipe laid and operational by the end of the fall.
Xavier’s son George X. Wittmer became the secretary/treasure of the company. He also invented several devices for use in the gas business. One of those inventions was a recording apparatus for fluid meters granted December 30, 1902. It measured both pressure and volume flowing throw it.
In 1925, Xavier’s brother George’s son Henry was running the company and it was valued at $14,000,000 (nearly $250m in today’s dollars). The following year Wittmer Oil & Gas Properties was formed with Henry as president. American Natural Gas Company was reorganized and some properties sold off. It became a subsidiary of Wittmer Oil & Gas Properties. By this time the Wittmers had or had previously had interests in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, and Michigan under multiple company names.
The family sold controlling interest in the company in 1942.
American Telephone Company
The American Telephone Company was chartered in 1897. Xavier and Henry Wittmer were two of the directors of the company. Their interest in having a telephone company was to provide communication to their business interests. Since they had gas right of ways, they could lay the telephone lines in the same area. Thus, no additional land needed to be acquired or set aside. Thus, this venture required minimal capital.
The Big Fire
Out of necessity, the Wittmer’s businesses were situated along the Pittsburgh & Western Railway. Their location provided them ease of shipping their goods, but it would also cause the end to some of their businesses.
On May 19, 1903, a train went down the tracks and a spark flew into a freight car of oats that was near the glass works on the Wittmer property . Very quickly the fire spread to the glass works. Before the local people were able to knock the fire down, half of Wittmer had burned. The Wittmers lost their brick manufacturing facility and their ice storage houses.
Profitable
When Xavier died in 1921, he left a $630,000 estate (over $11.5 million in today’s dollars), including a summer home in Atlantic City. He had invested in his family’s businesses and served as president of their gas and brick companies. Additionally, Xavier had been a member of the board and a vice-president of North American Savings Company. It was formed in 1901 and grew from $350,000 in capital to $2,000,000 in a couple of years. Similarly, he had become a member of the board and vice-president of Merchants Savings & Trust when it was formed in 1903.
Xavier and George had achieved their father’s vision of a successful business by creating new businesses, creating new technology to support those businesses, and by grooming their sons to work with them and carry on those businesses.
Many members of my family accomplished numerous things throughout their life. In some cases, they simply kept their families fed and alive which often was no small feat. For others it was business success. However, one man in particular comes to mind when I think of “achievement.” And, as I researched him, I found that he achieved in even more ways that I previously knew.
The Early Years
Stanton Judkins Peelle was born on a farm in Indiana and rose to be a member of the Washington D. C. elite. He was born February 11, 1843 to John Cox Peelle and Ruth Smith. He was a brother to Christopher Columbus and James Thompson Peelle, the newspapermen that were the subject of my previous blog.
Stanton attended the local schools in Randolph and Wayne Counties in Indiana. He followed that by attending the seminary in Winchester in 1860.
Union Soldier
In 1861, while teaching north of Farmland in Randolph County, Indiana, he heard the calling to join the war effort supporting the Union. On August 5, 1861, he joined Company G of the 8th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry and was made a corporal upon entry to the Army. His service with this unit included fighting at the Battle of Pea Ridge (in Arkansas just south of the Missouri border) March 6, 1862 through March 8, 1862. The Union soldiers were outnumbered. However, supply issues limited the Confederates ability to fight and the Union won control of the Missouri-Arkansas border in the biggest battle of the Civil War to be fought west of the Mississippi River.
Later that year, he was released from that unit to join Company K of the 57th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry. He joined the organization as a 2nd Lt. During the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863, the Union soldiers outnumbered the Confederate soldiers. Although the Union won the battle, it came at a cost of more casualties with 12, 906 casualties including KIA, wounded, MIA, and captured. Stanton was lucky as he received only a slight wound.
His Career
Becoming a Lawyer
After the war, Stanton returned to Indiana and began studying law in Centerville with his uncle Judge William A. Peelle, who had been the Secretary of State for Indiana. He also studied with Thomas M. Browne. In 1866, Stanton was admitted to the Indiana Bar. At some point, he received his law degree from Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute, which later was renamed Valparaiso University.
He practiced in Winchester, Indiana from 1866 until 1869 when he moved his practice to Indianapolis. During 1872 and 1873, he was the assistant district attorney for Marion County, Indiana. He kept and office in Indianapolis until 1892.
In Politics
Stanton ran for the Indiana House of Representatives, campaigning in every little town. He won, but only served one term from 1877 until 1879.
Then, in 1880, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Indiana’s 7th congressional district. He won and as soon as he was sworn into the 47th United States Congress on March 4 1881, he went to work. One month he proposed at least 4 pieces of legislation. In 1882, he got a bill passed for a colleague from Indiana. The Speaker of the House remarked that “his success was due to his uniform courtesy coupled with the confidence of members that he would not favor any improper legislation.”
Stanton’s term ended on March 3, 1883. He was re-elected and continued to serve. However, his second term was cut short, ending on May 22, 1884. What occurred is a story in itself, but the bottom line is that his opponent had contested the election. Mr. English claimed the Republicans intimidated voters, that they had fraudulently voted paupers and prisoners, and that the Republicans had printed fraudulent ballots.
Meanwhile, Stanton and his cohorts accused Mr. English’s father, who had been the Democrat VP nominee in 1880, of lobbying on the floor of the house. After so much work and trying to manage who was in attendance so that it would pass, Mr. English was finally seated despite Stanton’s right to the seat having previously upheld. Still, Mr. English served less than a year. He retired at the end of the term.
Stanton did not run in 1888. Instead, he returned to his law practice, partnering with William L. Taylor, who later became the Indiana Attorney General. However, he did not leave politics or turn his back on his political ties. During this interval, the Governor of Indiana named him to the board of control for the Indiana Reform School for Boys
Being a politician, Stanton was an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1892, he was selected as a delegate to the same convention. However, he did not attend as he had moved onto to his role as a justice in Washington D.C.
Court of Claims
On March 24, 1892, President Benjamin Harrison nominated Stanton to be a judge on the Court of Claims in Washington, D.C. He was confirmed by the Senate only four days later. He served in this capacity for fourteen years when President Theodore Roosevelt nominated him to take the position of chief justice of the same court. This appointment was confirmed in a single day in December 1905. Stanton served as chief justice until he retired February 11, 1913, his 70th birthday.
The last opinion that he wrote was in a case of a Baltimore contractor who wanted additional pay for extra work on the Army War College, but had not been able to collect the money the contractor felt was due their company. The opinion was read just prior to his retirement. During his time on the bench, the Honorable Stanton J. Peelle wrote 300 opinions. Thirty-five of them were appealed. When he retired, six of the appeals were still pending. Of the remaining opinions, only 4 had been reversed.
Community Involvement
Education
Stanton was attracted to educational pursuits for himself and others. His first venture into teaching did not last long due to the war. However, he would make greater contributions to education in his later years through teaching, supporting schools, and supporting activities of the schools.
During his tenure on the Court of Claims, Stanton was a professor of law at Columbian/George Washington University. He served in this capacity from 1901 until 1911. Additionally, he was involved with debates and Moot Court.
After he retired from the court, Stanton was the President of the Montgomery County, Maryland Board of Education and school commissioner for the county. One of his roles was to preside over graduation exercises, handing out diplomas, give graduation speeches, and address students on various topics. He also performed many of these duties at other schools (e.g. Garfield Nurses School).
In other duties, he was the President of West Nottingham Academy in Cecil County, Maryland. And, he was one of the inaugural directors of the Yorktown Memorial Institute, which taught facts of American history with a special emphasis on the Battle of Yorktown in 1922.
Committed to African American Success
Stanton’s involvement with Howard University, an African American college, began before he became chief justice of the Court of Claims. He became a trustee of the university, serving in that capacity from at least 1906 until 1925. For a number of years, he was the president of the board of trustees. After he retired from the court, he also lectured at Howard.
In 1917, he gave an address at Howard University’s 50th year celebration. In that presentation, he spoke about the significance of the university and what it meant to African Americans. He spoke again about the significance of the university to the African American community in 1919 at the Interior Department’s exposition stating, “we are not only imparting knowledge, but turning out good citizens.” The president of the university added that the students at Howard want to find the best that is in them – just like students at any other university.
In 1924, the university gave him an engraved gold-inlaid solid ebony cane for being a member and chairman/president of the board of trustees.
Promotion of Women
Stanton championed the rights of women throughout his career. He served on the board of trustees of Washington College of Law. The college was created primarily for women, but was co-ed. At the time women could be members of the bar in some places, but not nearly everywhere and many colleges didn’t allow women to study law even if they allowed them in other areas of study.
Stanton was the second president of the board, serving from 1910 to 1925. He also lectured at the college.
Throughout the years, he spoke at many events for women, including to the Women’s Suffrage League In 1917, the Women’s Republican Club, and the Federation of Women’s Club. Based on Stanton’s claims, his first presentation supporting women’s suffrage occurred during the years he was in the Indiana State Legislature or the U.S. House of Representatives. He stated that women’s suffrage was necessary in order to meet “the spirit of the constitution.” According to the May 29 1913 issue of the Washington, “He declared that the Federal Constitution should be amended with a view to conferring upon them this privilege, and added that ‘every right and privilege belonging to men in the home, in society and the State and nation should apply equally to women.”
Religion
Stanton was very active in the Presbyterian Church and other religious activities. He taught a bible class at Church of the Covenant and was an elder in the church for over 30 years. Stanton served as moderator of the Presbyterian Central Assembly and was a member of the Presbyterian Alliance, serving as an officer.
Stanton was on the World Bible Conference Executive Committee (chair of the general committee) and was a member of the board of managers for the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Washington D.C. He was also on the boards or otherwise involved in multiple missions.
Stanton spoke on religion numerous times. At the Washington District Epworth League, his speech was titled “The Lack of Trust in God.” In a very different vein, on the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, he spoke about “Calvin and Civilization.”
Patriot
Stanton belonged to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of District Columbia and served for a time as its commander. He was very concerned with maintaining military readiness.
When the world war (WWI) began in Europe, Stanton was 100% behind the United States’ efforts. Although he was 74, he said that he would volunteer to do whatever he could if war was declared. He tried to instill the same level of patriotism in students. He succeeded in getting the Washington Law College to pledge their full support as a body to the President and to Congress.
Keeping with his word, in 1917, Stanton joined the Presbyterian Committee on Food Conservation in support of the war effort.
The Cosmos Club in the 1920s; Source: Public Domain via Wikipedia
High Society
Somehow Stanton and his wives (he had 3 with two dying during his lifetime) managed to have time and money to be members of high society in Washington D.C. Or, perhaps, because they were members of high society, he was able to get involved in so many different areas.
In any case, Stanton was very well known and very well connected, being personal friends to President Benjamin Harrison and President Taft. He was a member of the Cosmos Club, a prestigious club providing social and intellectual opportunities for distinguished people in certain career pursuits. He also appeared to be a member of the Chevy Chase Club, which is a social club patronized by many of the Washington D.C. elite. Additionally, he was involved, including holding multiple leadership positions, with the Indiana Society, which is a “non-partisan social and philanthropic group.”
And, More . . .
Stanton spoke at many different engagements and was called upon in many different capacities during his time in Washington, D. C. He did a little of everything from being a member of the committee for the creation of the Lincoln Memorial to being called upon to settle a dispute between tradesmen plumbers and Master Plumbers to being appointed a special advisor to the Secretary of War in the settlement of claims at the close of WWI.
He dealt with property, spoke about his concerns with required vaccinations, raised the issue of narcotics usage, and was asked to represent a man killed in an explosion. It seemed if anyone needed an orator, a leader, a fundraiser, a lawyer, or simply a passionate man, Stanton was called upon to fulfill the task. He was even asked to be on President Wilson’s Inaugural Reception Committee despite being of different political affiliation than Wilson.
Stanton J. Peelle died on September 4, 1928, in Washington, D.C. at 85 years of age. He had been failing more in recent days, but had attended church only a couple of days earlier. A man ahead of his time, he had accomplished so much in so many different areas. This article just scratches the surface of his accomplishments and his life in general.
It started with two brothers and before it was done six Peelle men were in the newspaper publishing business.
The Brothers
The venture by the Peelle family into the newspaper business began with two brothers: James Thompson Peelle and Christopher Columbus Peelle. They were the sons of John Cox Peelle and Ruth Smith. My family line is doubly related to the brothers and their descendants. John was a brother to my great-great grandfather Passco Peelle. Passco married Martha Johnson, my great-great grandmother. Martha was the daughter of Rachel Smith, Ruth Smith’s older sister. Thus, the two brothers mentioned here are biological nephews of Passco and are biological first cousins to Martha.
James Thompson Peelle
According to various accounts, James Thompson Peelle was known as Thomas, Tom, Tromp, and Tompy. By the time he was 13 years of age, he was a typesetter. He became a compositor (typesetter) and proof-reader for a newspaper in Cincinnati, Ohio. For a time, he was a printer in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also held a position at the Chicago Herald and possibly the Chicago Evening Post.
In Competition
Thompson competed for several years in typesetting contests. According to another printer that knew him, J. Thompson had won thousands of dollars in these competitions because he was so fast to set type. According to his nephew, he was referred to as “Four in the Air,” because he could remember four lines of material at a time and had four pieces of type in progress at all times when things were flowing right.
Troubles
Thompson also spent some time around Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is there that in the early 1880s, he ran into a bit of trouble. On one occasion, he was accused of stealing a watch and selling it to buy whiskey. However, he said that the owner of the watch, another printer, sold it and that he used the money to buy them drinks. The results of the investigation are unknown.
It was also here that he was stabbed by a man one night for reasons that are unknown. Fortunately, he wasn’t significantly injured, but the perpetrator would go on to murder other people.
He seemed to live life to the fullest and apparently traveled extensively. Unfortunately, his life was cut short as he died of dropsy (edema) when he was only 36 years of age.
Christopher Columbus Peelle
Christopher Columbus Peelle; Source: Virginia Wherry-Beeman via Ancestry.com
For a newspaperman, Christopher Columbus Peelle, also known as “Lum,” is difficult to find in newspaper articles. This may simply be a matter of the newspapers that are readily available. Yet, we can learn some about his many years in the newspaper business.
In Business
As a teenager, Christopher was already working as a typesetter. He learned the trade at the Winchester Journal. In his early days as a printer, compositor, and publisher, he was the foreman at the Richmond Palladium and at The Telegram in Richmond. He may also have worked at other publications before partnering with Seward Watson publishing news at the Journal’s competitor, The Winchester Herald. They apparently worked together in the publishing and printing business for multiple decades.
In 1902, it was reported that Christopher had sold his part of the Winchester Herald to his partner Mr. Watson. And, he had supposedly purchased The Record in Paris, Illinois. However, I have found no evidence of him moving to Illinois. This may have been due to some health concerns. He did, however, become a mail carrier in his later years.
Killed, But Still Alive
His most interesting scrape that I uncovered was that he was reported killed by a train. Only to be reported later as recovering from his injuries. He lived for many years after this accident, dying at age 63.
Christopher Columbus’ Sons
Christopher had three sons: Robert Smith Peelle, Omar Stanton Peelle, and John Cox Peelle. All of them followed in their father’s footsteps, joining the printing and publishing trade.
John Cox Peelle; Adapted from the Indianapolis Star.
John Cox Peelle
In Business
By the time John was 18, he was a lover of all things baseball – both playing and talking about the sport. He was also already working in the newspaper industry. He joined with his brothers in their publishing business, becoming an associate editor of the National Road Traveler. By 1913, he had ventured out on his own. In 1913, he was with the New Castle Daily Star. Then, in 1914, he became the business manager for a new semi-weekly paper the Progressive Herald in New Castle.
John C. Peelle Home; Source: Palladium-Item Richmond Indiana
His Injury
One day near the Central Hotel in Cambridge City, John was walking with his son. Seeing a car coming toward them, John pushed his son to safety. However, he ended up with broken ribs and an injured lung. Later, when trying to relieve congestion in the lung, poison was accidentally released from the damage portion of the lung into his system.
By 1920, John and his family headed west to California for his health, selling his nice home in East Cambridge City. The home was later known as Cambridge Manor and used as a hotel.
In California, John worked in advertising at the Santa Ana Register. He died in 1927 in Burbank, California at age 35.
Robert Peelle, son of C.C. Peelle; Source: Palladium-Item, Richmond, Indiana.
Robert Smith Peelle
Robert Smith Peelle was known to friends as “Bob.” He was the oldest of Christopher’s three sons and also got started in the publishing and printing business at an early age.
Success
Robert, along with Omar and John bought their first newspaper around 1908 or 1909. They changed the name to the National Road Traveler. However, by 1915, Robert ventured out on his own starting a new newspaper Old Trails Echo.
In 1920, he bought a plant in Butler, Ohio. It was the location where the Butler County Citizen had previously been published. He planned to continue to manage the Old Trails Echo and to use the new location to publish weekly or semi-weekly news of the Ford Tractor Plant at Hamilton, Ohio as well as the Miami College paper. By 1923, he was also publishing the Fountain City Times, The New Paris Leader, and the Boston Traveler.
Robert was quite successful. It appears that he may have eventually published 5 or 6 newspapers. He was able to purchase a new car and even donated a water fountain to the city.
Trouble
Robert, however, couldn’t quite keep himself out of trouble. Much of his trouble began when he testified against the local bully. That led to several altercations between them and subsequent arrests of the two. However, the town bully wasn’t the only person that he fought. When a printer that worked for Robert had a patchy print, Robert knocked him to the floor. The fights with the bully at least were fueled by alcohol, which brought many issues on its own.
Numerous times, Robert was picked up for public drunkenness or driving while intoxicated. One time he was accused of stealing $20 from a guy when they were both drunk. It also led him into gambling, having motor car accidents, accidentally discharging a gun in a store, and other trouble. When his wife filed for divorce, she also claimed that he treated her badly and that he caroused with women who had bad reputations. Robert was even arrested once on suspicion of being someone else that was wanted by law enforcement.
Some of his biggest trouble, however, came during Prohibition when the local clergy, Law Enforcement League, and federal officers started a war with him. Officers raided his shed behind his duplex and found 192 pints of home-brewed beer. He claimed it belonged to the other tenant in the duplex and visa versa. With his previous record, which even included being charged with taking whiskey out of state, it was speculated that if charged with violating the National Prohibition Act, he would go to prison for two years. However, sentencing was deferred for a year so that he could “take the cure.”
Well, after a year, he was no more sober than he was when he was arrested. So, the judge sentenced him, but only to 30 days in jail and $100 fine. Well, that is until Robert said that he needed time to get things in order since he published several newspapers and his wife spoke up out of turn admonishing him for requesting time to get his affairs in order since it was only 30 days. At that point, the judge changed his sentence to 60 days in jail.
Luck Ran Out
He just kept bouncing back and likely got a few breaks from law enforcement since he was a successful businessman. His luck ended in 1948 at age 60.
One day he said that “if he died the following day he would have lived 100 years – and seen everything.” [National Road Traveler] Two weeks later, he checked himself into the hospital in Richmond, Indiana for a checkup because he said that when he couldn’t drink a beer, there must be something wrong with him. [National Road Traveler] That night, he had a heart attack and died.
When he was 7 years old, Omar began doing typeset. As a teen, he worked for his father’s newspaper as a junior printer, reporter, and errand boy. By the time he was 17, as editor of the Ridgeville News, he was the youngest editor in Indiana.
The National Road Traveler
In 1908-1909, Omar, Robert, and John purchased the Lewisville Freeman. They changed the name to the National Road Traveler as Lewisville was on the National Road. In 1911, they added the Knightstown Star to their newspaper business. By 1912, the National Road Traveler was claimed to have circulation five to six times the population of the town of Lewisville. Additionally, articles from their publication were often carried in other area publications.
By 1915, all wasn’t well in the working relationship between the brothers. Lawsuits primarily between Omar (Associate Editor) and Robert (Editor), were filed in each direction. It seems each claimed the other was getting too much of the profits. Additionally, Omar stated that Robert was using business funds for personal use while not reporting business income. In the end, Omar bought out his brothers and they moved on to other ventures while he continued to build the National Road Traveler.
In 1916, he upgraded the printing machinery, purchasing a linograph typesetting machine. Then in 1920, Omar took a huge step when he raised the price of the paper from $1 per year to $2 per year. However, he had bigger things in mind. In 1924, Omar moved the National Road Traveler to Cambridge City, Indiana, where he also purchased the Cambridge City News. The following year he merge the two newspapers under the name of the National Road Traveler.
Colonel, as Omar was often called, was a man of integrity and hard work. He was self-educated and self-made. Yet, he remained humble. Unlike some publishers, he knew when to write a story and when not to write a story. He didn’t write a sensational story if it was going to negatively impact a family, particularly if it could affect young children.
Omar had a good relationship with his employees and trusted them. When someone would get upset about something said in the newspaper, he would calmly ask the employee if what they wrote was true. It was and he eventually gave up on even asking his employees about the integrity of what they wrote. Bob Gray, Sr., an employee of the National Road Traveler stated that Colonel “published about the truest freedom of the press newspaper in America.”
Personal Life
Unlike his good relationship with his employees, Omar seemed to have issues with his first two wives. Each of them filed for divorce. His second wife, Myrtle, filed for divorce at least three times. At one point, she had a restraining order against him, claiming that he was a drunk, threatened her, and even choked her when they separated. She started by requesting (demanding) very significant compensation including $12,000, $25 per week, and a stake in his newspaper business. They ended up attempting to reconcile and he bought the Tumble Inn for her to run. Each time, reconciliation did not work out. Eventually, they divorced and he married a third time. His third wife joined him working at the National Road Traveler.
Eugene Lincoln “Bud” Peelle; Source: Virginia Wherry-Beeman via Ancestry.com
Gene Lincoln “Bud” Peelle
Source: National Road Traveler
Omar brought his son Gene Lincoln Peelle, who was better known as “Bud,” into the newspaper business while he was still going to school. Bud began writing a column in the newspaper when he was going to Lincoln High School.
Bud’s writing and publishing career was interrupted by World War II. Bud spent a lot of time state-side learning many technical aspects of B-24 bomber before going overseas. Before he was discharged, Bud had spent over three years in the Army Air Force and reached the rank of Technical Sergeant.
Bud’s overseas service included time in Italy when my Uncle Howard was there. Christmas of 1944, Bud and Howard would have been in very close proximity to each other, although their paths likely never crossed.
During his time in the service, Bud wrote a column here or there for the newspaper. Later, a few of his letters home were printed in the newspaper. His letters contrasted greatly to the ones Howard sent home. You could tell Bud was a talented writer and not a farm boy writing home to his folks.
After Bud returned home, he continued to write for the National Road Traveler and worked his way up to associate editor. He was married and starting to build a house for him and his wife when his life was cut short in a horrific automobile accident.
Life After Bud
Omar carried on without his son, the planned heir to the newspaper. For years to come, he continued to mentioned Bud in the pages of his newspaper. And, it was said that Omar wasn’t quite the same after losing Bud. It seems he wasn’t the only one affected by Bud’s death. Although Omar was thought of as a talented writer, people reported missing Bud’s writing. He just seemed to have a flair with words.
Omar died in 1961 at age 71. His obituary ran in his newspaper the same day he died, but it was not front-page news simply because page 1 had already been printed at the time of his death. Instead, a corner of page 2 was wiped clean and his obituary was inserted.
When he died, Omar was still the owner and publisher of the National Road Traveler, although he hadn’t been in the office for about a month. However, his wife was listed with him as publisher the last five years of his life. His wife continued on with the paper for some time after his death. Still, reading issues after his death, his absence could be seen.
He was the last newspaperman in the family.
Afterward
I have to wonder what publishing legacy these men might have left if they had lived longer than an average of 48 years. Perhaps there would have been more generations of publishers. Or, perhaps a much larger publishing empire.
Must say that I am not 100% sure of some of the “facts” contained in this story as many of them were taken from various newspapers and I found numerous errors that were confirmed by official records.
Bonus Story 1
Always Neighbors
In an odd coincidence, Bud lived at one time across the street from the mayor of Straughn. They ended up being buried in the same cemetery – across the aisle from each other.
Bonus Story 2
The Story of the Torn Dollar Bill
A young waitress died in an auto accident. When she was sent to the mortuary, they looked in her purse and found half of a dollar bill. This caused the staff to wonder how she came to have it and where the other half of the dollar might be.
When Bud died less than two weeks later, he was taken to the same mortuary. And, they found the other half of the dollar. It seems that when he was picking up the tab one day at the restaurant where the young lady worked, he was down to his last dollar when it was time to give the waitress a tip. And, a dollar was quite a tip. Thus, he gave her half with the plan to give her the other half the next time he owed her a tip.
Adapted from stories in The Tri-County Banner and the National Road Traveler.]
Wittmer Ice Company
Xavier’s son George X. Wittmer became the secretary/treasure of the company. He also invented several devices for use in the gas business. One of those inventions was a recording apparatus for fluid meters granted December 30, 1902. It measured both pressure and volume flowing throw it.
His Career
Trouble
