The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-05-02

Former Judge Herman Schalk, who
was the first brewer in Newark, died
today at his home, 1894 Quitman street,
after a long illness. He was so years
old.
Judge Schalk was one of the best
for sixty years. During that time he
was a prominent Democrat. He was
the man who came to the aid of he
city during the dark days of the Civil
War and financed the municipality,
when it could not get a dollar.
He had been alderman, judge of the
Court of Common Pleas. Criminal
Court Judge and excise commissioner.
He was of a most charitable DISPOSE
ton, and even when his circumstances
were not as good as they had been he
was ready tc give of his means.
Judge Schalk was born in Baden,
Germany, and came to Newark sixty
years ago and with his father and
brothers started a brewery at the corr
ner OF Hamburg place and Napoleon
street, and for many years Judge
Schalk was senior member of the firm
that is now Ballantine & Co. From
early manhood he was prominently
identified with the Democratic party
of this city. and in 1894 he was APP
pointed a lay judge of the Common
Pleas Court to succeed Carl Buttner,
and he filed this position until the
Office was abolished by the Legislature
in 1896. .
was Prisoners Friend. .
In the following year he was ap-
pointed judge of the Second Criminal
Court by Mayor Seymour, n during
his administration of police matters in
the local court he gained the reputation
and name of the prisoners friend. His
advice was always ready for those who
had fallen and if he thought there was
a chance for reformation, he always
gave the prisoner the nance.
lie was prominently identified with
the growth of the city from the, time
he returned from the Civil War. When
the city was without a municipal build
ing to conduct city affairs it was young
Major Schalk, then one of the wealth.
lest men in the city, who arose on the
floor of the Comomn Council chamber
and advanced the city money for the
purchase of the old City Hall, at Will
lam M Broad streets. and 1t was Ma
jor Schalk who, when the city needed a
police station, erected the building, and
ran the chance of getting his money
from the city later,
In philanthropic work he had always
been quietly identified, and was always
interested in police matters, Those who
knew him declare that he had saved
more who had transgresesd the law
than any other man, He was instru-
rental in having the first police civil
service bill passed, calling for a police
board of four commissioners. He was
the organizer of many business enter
prisea i'll the city.
Loaned the City Money.
His greatest and first fight was when
he was in the Common Council, 1862 to
1865. In the latter year he was chair
man of the finance committee. and
during the financial panic he advanced
money for the current expenses of the
city government, when the banks re-
fused to issue the money on temporary
loan bonds. He was a heavy depositor
in the local banks, n when the panic
was at its height and the city's credit
was not good for a penny, Major
Schalk went to the heads of the va
rious banks and threatened to with
draw his deposits if the city's needs
were not met, and he won out.
When he vas excise commissioner he
had passed a number of regulations for
the liquor traffic that have not been
improved upon.
The title of major was gained in 1858,
when he served in that capacity with
the Steuben Battalion. the crack regi-
ment of the State.
Among tho many enterprises that
owe their existence to the business abil-
ity of the late Judge was the Newark
and New York Railway Company.