The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-11-05
OUR COLUMBUS LETTER.
PROMINENT oHIOANS RECENT
LY PASSED AWAY.
The Services of Hon. Columbus De-
lano to the Agricultural Inter.
ests of the State.
Incidents In the Lives OF q Celebrated
theatrical Manager and of Well.
known Musician-A Page of our Mill.
tnry History Recalled by q Unique
soldiers Reunion.
special Correspondence.
Columbus, o., Oct. 81, II


Several distinguished Ohioans have re.
cJntly fallen victims to the grim reaper.
Of these none is more worthy of crate.
full remembrance on the part of the
people of the State than Hon. Columbus
Delano, of Mt. Vernon. 1t has been
many years since he retired from pub
lie life, and his chief political distinc.
tion lies In the fact that he was mem.
Der of President Grants Cabinet in the
capacity of Secretary of the Interior.
However faithful he may have perform
ed the duties involved in this and other
official positions, he rendered greater
service to his day and generation as an
Ohio farmer.
Mr.. Delano was one Of the great flock
masters of the State, and, perhaps, did
more than anyone else to improve the
quality of sheep in Ohio, and TO estab-
lish its reputation as wool-growing
State. Born n farmer, he always re-
mained one through choice, and his in.
terest in agriculture and grazing re.
mained one of the dominent instincts
of his life. Mr.. Delano was native of
Vermont, but came to Ohio when q
mere lad. He was an orphan boy, and
was raised in q crossroads hamlet in
Knox county. 1t may be observed, in
cidentally, that, while Delano was de-
veloping into lusty young farmer,
there lived poor boy in an ad Joining
village, in the same county, who was
also destined to become distinguished
Cabinet officer. This person was vii.
liam Window, twice Secretary of the
Treasury. 1t will be recalled that
Mr.. Window, in the prime of life
and at the height of his career as q
member of President Harrison's Cab-
nent, dropped dead while making a
speech at banquet in New York.
Mr.. Delano became an able criminal
lawyer and a member of Congress, but
his passion for farming led him to in
vest his earnings in land. He became
the owner of number of fine grazing
farms, well stocked with blooded sheep
and cattle. The allurements of life at
the National Capital, which his wealth
and official prestige would have permit
It'd him to enjoy, were not sufficient to
d tain i'm there after he had completed
ms term as Secretary of the Interior.
Returning to Mt. Vernon he transform.
ed large farm lying short distance
from that point into one of the few
really beautiful country places found
in Ohio outside of the vicinity of large
cities Here Mr.. Delano has spent many
quiet, happy years, gratifying his taste
for agriculture and sheep-raising, adj
ding by his experience and enterprise
to the welfare and dignity of the noble
occupation of farming.
The career of the late Henry A. Alb
bey, another Ohio man, illustrates the
possibilities for fame and influence
which are the heritage of of every class
of our citizenship. Opportunity when
taken at the flood leads on to fortune
is Shakespearean truism that certain
ly held good in Mr. Abbey's case. A
comparatively few years ago he was
an obscure jewelers. clerk at Akron.
and his first step in the theatrical bus
mess was in the nature of an accident.
Within brief period he rose to be the
most celebrated manager of his day,
controlling the great lyric and dra-
matte geniuses of the world, and en-
gaging in enterprises that involved
colossal fortunes. His name was known
in every land, and, be it said to his
credit, it stood as a guarantee of good
faith everywhere throughout the theat-
rical world.
Musical circles throughout the State
will recognize loss in the death of
Professor Herman EcKhardt, of Colum-
bus, who, for many years, has occupied
appointment position as a violinist and
a teacher. Professor Eckhardt was a
native of Saxony, and began bis musi-
cal career when only seven years of age.
While young he became member of the
royal orchestra, where he was associated
with the great musicians of his day, in
cluding Liszt, Wagner, and Joachim.
He was chosen by Wagner to play
violin part in the first presentation of
the opera "Tannhauser:" He came to
America in 1S48, as member of a Ger
man orchestra, making tour of the
country. He remained in America,
spending seven years as orchestra lead
err and teacher in Boston and other
eastern cities. Professor Eckhardt To-
Gated in Columbus in 1869, and has ever
since been prominently identified with
the musical history of Central Ohio.
Although dying at the ripe age of rs,
he retained full possession of his facul-
ties, and the last summons found him
active in the pursuit OF the art to which
he had devoted his life. The intelli-
gence of his death causes feeling of
regret of all who have ever come under
his instruction, or who have felt the in
huence of his kindly personality.
The dust of thirty-two years was
brushed off an interesting bit of State
military history, few days ago, by a
reunion of a handful of veterans at a
farm house in Clark county Every one
who had any personal knowledge of
the breaking out of the war will re-
member the common impulse with
which the flower of Ohio youth re-
sponded to the call of Governor Denni-
son for volunteers. At Columbus, in
anticipation of President Lincolns de.
mand upon the State for troops, mem
bers of existing military companies
haunted their armories for days, hop
ing TO be the first to tender their SER
vices. by reason of being the first TO
receive the intelligence the Capital City
was enabled TO have a company ac-
cepted before word reached other points
in the State. The same ready patriot
ism, however, was manifested every.
where, and in a very short period the
quota was filed.
Every city of any Importance had its
militia, and many companies enlisted
almost as body. The rural districts,
though actuated by the same loyal sen.
timents, suffered the disadvantage of
not being able to organize quickly, and
number of companies who desired ~
be among the first at the front found
themselves too late. In common with
volunteers in many other localities this
was the case with number of young
men, many living In several townthips