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WILLIAM BEBB -
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JAMES E. CAMPBELL
JAMES E.
CAMPBELL was born in Middletown, July
7, 1843; was educated in the free schools of his native
town; subsequently he received instruction from Rev. John
B. Morton, a Presbyterian minister, an early,
accomplished and successful teacher ofthat place; read law
and taught school for a short time; in 1863 he enlisted in
the navy. He became a master's mate on the gun boats
"Elk" and "Naiad," serving on the Mississippi and Red river
flotillas, and taking part in several important engagements.
His health failed him after a year's service when he was
examined by a board of surgeons and discharged. After
regaining his health he resumed the study of law during the
winter of 1864 and 1865, and was admitted to the bar in
1865. In the spring of 1867 he began the practice of
his profession in this city, and was elected Prosecuting
Attorney of Butler county in 1875 and 1877. He filled
the office with honor to himself and acceptably to his
constituents. On Jan. 4, 1870, he was married to
Miss Libbie Owens. Mrs. Campbell is a woman
of rare intellect and tact, not to speak of beauty, and four
fine children grace the home circle. Mrs. Campbell's
strength rests on something more solid than the fact that
she has fine dark eyes, thick black hair, with a full
symetrical face, built on decidedly a classic model.
Her great strength lies in the fact that she has brains as
well as beauty. Mr. Campbell was a
representative in congress from
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1884 to 1889. During his term he participated in the
debates of the house and was recognized as an able speaker.
His campaign and election to the governorship of Ohio in
1889, made him a conspicuous national figure. It does
not take a long acquaintance with Gov. Campbell to
understand the secret of his remarkable personal popularity.
His cordiality is of an unaffected, natural sort, which, no
matter how warm its manifestations, never throws him off a
certain poise of dignity, which his clean cut, positive face
carries well. One often associates the popular man,
especially if he be prominent in politics, with a sort of
stage-propriety, galvanic smile, or with the nauseating,
shoulder lapping, bluff and hearty swagger of the
professional politician. There is not a trace of this
wretched affectation in Gov. Campbell. He acts
and acts quickly. In speech, manner and expression of
countenance he is quick and decisive-quick to grasp a point
and put it into practical use. When you meet a man who
from the first impresses you as being sincere, friendly in
temperament and the possessor of a bright, sound
intelligence, you like him, and that is the reason why
Gov. Campbell is liked, because he looks and is all of
this.
He is systematic in all his efforts. Socially no
man stands higher. He is courteous in manner, thorough
in his acquisition of detail, and of the highest integrity
of character. He is a good, clear, logical speaker,
and well informed on all questions of law and politics.
No man in Hamilton has a better or more honorable record,
and no one is deserving ofgreater credit than he.
At the Democratic Convention of 1895, he was nominated
for Governor and made a most gallant campaign in behalf of
his party.
JOHN C. ELLIOTT
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The rifle that killed Joe Smith is still
retained as a relic in the family of the late William C.
Stephenson.
REMINISCENCES
OF ELIJAH W. HALFORD
He was born in Nottingham, England, in 1841. While yet
a lad his parents emigrated to America, coming to Cincinnati
but shortly thereafter locating at Hamilton. They
resided in what is now known as the Dr. Mallory property
in West Hamilton. The elder Halford was
a tailor by trade; in religion an ardent follower of John
Wesley. He died in 1856. Young
Halford was then thrown upon his own resources, and it
became necessary for him to assist in the support of a
widowed mother with five children, of whom he was the
oldest. Selecting a trade of his own liking, Elijah
accepted a position in the Hamilton Intelligencer
office, then owned by D. W. Halsey. E. W.
Halford was a favorite of Colonel Millikin's and
was highly esteemed by the late Hon. Lewis D. Campbell
and the members of his family. After serving one year
as printer's "devil," young Halford was promoted and
persuaded the writer to take the place made vacant, and
which, humble as it was, he had so creditably filled.
Thus began an association which has continued for years, and
which today brings up a memory that is exceedingly pleasant,
and recollections of the routine duties of the quasi-printer
and "devil" enlivened by many boyish pranks born of desire
to have fun and sport at the expense of his fellow-workmen.
Mr. Halford soon forged his way to the front as a
painstaking, accurate and rapid compositor.
In December, 1860, Judge Dunlevy, of Lebanon,
formulated a compromise almost identical with the
Crittenden Compromise, and forwarded the same to the
Ohio State Journal for publication. There was not
a compositor in the office that could read the manuscript
and it was returned to the author, who sent it to the
Hamilton Intelligencer. Young Halford
set the article as readily as the rest of the printers could
set reprint. During the transmission of the manuscript
from Lebanon to Columbus and back to Judge Dunlevy,
thence to Hamilton,
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Hon. John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, had introduced
his famous compromise in the National House of
Representatives. The paper of Judge Dunlevy
ante-dated the Crittenden Resolutions.
"Lige," as the boys familiarly called him, was the
owner of the composing stick used by William Dean Howells
who learned his trade on the Intelligencer.
Mr. Howells is now a contributor to Harper's Monthly.
Halford prized the stick very highly.
His first effort in newspaper work was an article
written for the Intelligencer favoring the abandonment of
the old Fourth ward burying ground, and its transformation
into a public park.
For a number of years Mr. Halford was a member
of the old Franklin Literary club. He was an able and
enthusiastic member of this organization, which, in its days
was famous.
This Society secured some of the ablest men of the
country as lecturers. On Jan. 17, 1860, the
anniversary of Franklin's birthday, Horace Greeley
was invited to lecture before the society. This was
followed by are union and banquet in the old Hamilton House,
a famous hostelry. Owing to other engagements however,
Mr. Greeley was not able to attend and so informed
Mr. E. W. Halford, chairman of the committee on
invitations. The famous journalist instead, sent the
following toast for the banquet: "Faust and
Franklin one who taught metal to speak, the other
millions more to think ever green be their memory."
Jacob Troutman was Postmaster at the time, and the
letter remained in the office for a considerable time,
neither the Postmaster or his assistant being able to read
Mr. Greeley's writing. Halford was
called into the office by the assistant Postmaster to help
find the owner of the letter. He soon discovered the
letter was intended for him. This was just two days
before the banquet. Mr. Halford
responded to the sentiment in an able and happy manner and
won plaudits from his admiring hearers. Halford
treasured Greeley's letter and toast highly - in fact
the
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Franklin boys used to say that he slept with it in his
bosom. He was the only member of the society who could
read it.
One day as we were crossing the old wooden bridge that
spanned the Miami river, John Bruck, a
druggist in the employ of John O. Brown, accidently
dropped a two gallon jug of turpentine. The jug broke
and the inflammable liquid spread over the old oaken floor.
Young Halford applied a match to it, and in a moment
the bridge was in flames. The turpentine was consumed
without any damage to the structure. The fire
department was called out. We were not long in getting
off the bridge.
In the latter part of 1861, or early in 1862, E. W.
Halford left Hamilton for Indianapolis. From this
time onward his star of destiny was in the ascendancy.
Mr. Halford's reputation as a sagacious newspaper
writer is national.
His appointment as President Harrison's Private
Secretary was a just and fitting reward that came to him
after years of patient hard work. He was entitled to
the exalted position he occupied, and filled it with a
conscientious regard for the responsibilities which he thus
assumed.
In 1892, he was appointed paymaster of the United
States army, with the rank of Major. The position is a
life-time one.
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