"PSI" stands for Photo Story Investigation and I may or may not use the terminology again. But it seemed just too clever for words when I got up this morning. Clever, however, wears thin sometimes.
The physical remains consist of this small photograph given to the Lucas County Historical Society during 2019 by William Wortman of Oxford, Ohio.
It was among seven images found years ago among the possession of his paternal grandmother, Gertrude (Allen) Wortman, mounted on cards with Chariton or Russell imprints. She was a Russell native who taught school in Chariton for a time before marrying and moving elsewhere in the 1890s. Some were identified, others weren't.
This elaborate inscription on the back tells us who the gentleman was, but it had been misinterpreted as "R. Herbert Chatham, Z. Y." The first step in identification involved interpreting it correctly --- as "R. E. Herbert, Chatham, N.Y."
Once armed with the correct name, it was a simple matter to determine from digitalized editions of Chariton newspapers that Mr. Herbert arrived in Chariton during April of 1896 as half the partnership of Herbert & Sleeper to gather information and sell subscriptions and advertising for Chariton's only comprehensive city directory, issued that year. This is a magnificent little publication, loaded with information, and if I were working at the office rather than at home at 5 a.m. on a Monday I'd show you a copy.
As part of the process of preparing the directory, Herbert & Sleeper for the first time assigned numbers to each home and business building in the city. So there's a good chance, if you live in Chariton, that your street address was assigned by young Mr. Herbert.
Mr. Herbert appears to have been a dashing young man who cut a wide social swath during his residence here, most likely making the acquaintance of Gertrude Allen as well as many others in the process.
To give you an idea, The Democrat of June 25, 1896, reported that, "On Tuesday evening, a moonlight party composed of the following young people went out five and a half miles west of town: Misses Ida Hickman, Jennie Law, Jessie Myers, Minnie Best, Emilie Rogers, Edith Fountain; Messrs. R.E. Herbert, Will Wilson, Hol Hatcher, Roy Gittinger.
And on July 10, "A merry picnic party composed of Messrs. Clarence Dalin, Roy Gittinger, J.H. Darrah, Will McDougall, R.E. Herbert, and the Misses Edna and Ora Sheller, May Bridge, Pearl and Beryl Coles and Daisey Dent spent Saturday at New York bridge and in the evening drove over to Russell and took in the fireworks."
Mr. Herbert seems to have been scrupulously honest, but he did face challenges when his partner turned out to be a crook, as this report from The Herald of Oct. 1, 1896, makes clear:
"The Herald is pleased to announce that Mr. R.E. Herbert, of the old firm of Herbert & Sleeper, publishers of the Chariton City Directory, has not only returned and taken up the work of numbering the residences as originally designed, but has also brought with him a new partner in the person of Mr. O.L. Early of Des Moines, whose gentlemanly bearing, business enterprise, tact and ability seem to be fully equal to those of Mr. Herbert, which we can assure our readers is no small praise. On account of the manner in which Mr. Sleeper left here, taking all of the available money of the firm and leaving unpaid debts, Mr. Herbert has experienced no little embarrassment in getting matters straightened up.
"But we are glad to know that the new firm of Herbert & Early are rapidly bringing order out of chaos, settling up all the old debts and pushing the business to completion. The Directory, which has been completed some time, is now being distributed much to the delight of our citizens, but few of whom are lacking in appreciation of the importance and convenience of such a work.
"Copies of the book will be furnished free of charge to all persons holding coupons or having numbers placed on their houses by Herbert & Early, which none should fail to do, as they are both ornamental and convenient, entailing but a small expense. Other parties wishing copies of the directory can procure them of Herbert & Early or at the Herald office at a cost of 15 cents."
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The work of Herbert & Early in Chariton had been completed by the end of November and the partners moved on to Hutchinson, Kansas, to repeat the city directory process there.
I never did figure out what "R.E." stood for --- something that would involve more time than I was willing to invest. So can't tell you more about his final outcome.
But at least we know now what R.E. Herbert of Chatham, New York, was doing in Chariton and why he left this small memento behind.
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