The business of the Cleveland house of G. N. Abbey & Co. has gradually been increased by the introduction of other articles of a kindred nature, such as the brown and yellow ware, manufactured at East Liverpool, Ohio, glassware from Pittsburgh and New York, and fire-brick and fire-clay. The position of Cleveland renders it the natural distributing point for those wares, and the extensive facilities possessed by Mr. Abbey, and his long experience in the business, place the monopoly of the trade in his hands. That nothing but good has grown out of this virtual monopoly, is seen in the fact that the business is steadily increasing, that no dissatisfaction is expressed by the customers, and that no litigations have taken place during the long business career of the house, extending over a hundred years in Cleveland.
During the last six years the firm has had some interest in vessels on the lakes, and these interests have been carefully watched by Mr. Abbey, who has entire control.
It will be rightly inferred from what has already been said, that Mr. Abbey has achieved success in business. That success is due to no lucky accident or extraneous circumstances, but is the natural result of devoted attachment to business, keen insight, and a determination to follow, as far as practicable, the golden rule of doing as you would be done by, and of a desire to avoid all misunderstandings.
If there be one business faculty more than another, prominent in Mr. Abbey, it is that of ability to do a large business, on a small capital; having, like nearly all of our merchants, commenced business with nothing that his own hands had not earned, and passing through all the trials incident to mercantile life in a young country, he has become an excellent financier. Naturally of a genial temperament, and inclined to look on the bright side of things, he glides over reverses and difficulties easier than some people, yet he has always keenly felt, and often deplored, the want of such early advantages as children of the present day possess.
Being early interested in the cause of temperance, he has persistently endeavored to spread its beneficial effects by means of temperance organizations, and in April, 1869, he was nominated as temperance candidate for Mayor on the first strictly temperance municipal ticket ever put in nomination in Cleveland. The result was the polling of a temperance vote of about ten per cent, of the whole vote cast.
Twenty-seven years since, whilst in business at Akron, he was induced to make a profession of faith and be received into the Congregational church. The faith then professed has never been renounced, and he is now an active member of Plymouth Congregational church in Cleveland.
On November 4th, 1844, Mr. Abbey married Miss Sarah Goodale, of Kent, Ohio, but who came originally from Massachusetts. Of this marriage there were four children, three of whom are still living; the oldest being married to Charles H. White, of Chicago, Illinois. The other daughter and a son remain with the family at home.
B. W. Jenness.
Mr. Jenness was born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, July 14, 1806, received a good academical education and in 1823 removed from Deerfield to Strafford, in the same State, where he engaged in merchandizing, continuing in that occupation for thirty years, and finding it reasonably remunerative. In addition to keeping his store he filled the position of postmaster of the town for fifteen years, being appointed under several successive administrations. He represented the town in the lower branch of the State Legislature, and held the office of High Sheriff for over five years, the county which he officiated in having since been carved out into several counties. On leaving that office he became Probate Judge, which position he retained five years and then resigned, although the terms of office were such that he could have retained his position until he was seventy years of age. He was nominated by the Breckenridge party for Governor of the State, but declined. In 1845-6, he was appointed to the Senate of the United States, to fill out the unexpired term of the Hon. Levi Woodbury, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1850, he was a member of the Constitutional Convention to revise the constitution of New Hampshire, after which he retired to private life, and has allowed politics to take their own course without his aid.
Mr. Jenness came to Cleveland seven years ago, but immediately after his arrival started into the lumber business here with vigor, and has followed it up in the same way, until now he has become so intimately connected with Cleveland commerce that he seems like an old settler who has grown up with the city. He superintended the whole business here from the first, whilst his partners attended to the manufacturing department at their mills in Michigan, until May 1st, 1869, when Mr. Jenness bought out their entire interests. He has succeeded in building up a business equal to the best in that line in the short space of seven years, which speaks well for the energy and business ability displayed.