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He adds, “ Was one of the original stockholders of the Shelby Incandescent Lamp Company and one of its directors until it moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Also the Shelby Printing Company, until they consolidated with the Simple Account Salesbook Company of Fremont and founded The Salesbook Company. Am still a stockholder, but not a director.”
Throughout the roaring 20’s, Shelby had indoor baseball games where various Shelby companies played one another in summer leagues, beginning in May. Of course Henry had a team - “Henry Wentz Insurance Company”- and played other businesses such as Shelby Furniture Company, American Legion, Metal Products Company, Salesbook Company, The Shelby Hinge Company, and Brox Oil Company. When reporting the weekly games and scores, The Daily Globe in Shelby would call the teams in shortened names like “The Furnitures scored big this week”.
****To see an extensive collection of Shelby Baseball pictures, stories and memorabilia - go here (put link to your page)
Perhaps the best way to close Henry’s story is to share a very special surprise letter he received when he was 67 years old. It was written by one of the most significant figures in his life (although he was only 22 yrs old- just 1 year older than Henry), the man he met at the Evelyn Hotel in Fort Wayne who handed Henry the enlistment paper he signed to fight in the Civil War: Captain D. W. C. Rugg.
In 1906, the Daily Globe published a story- “Councilman Henry Wentz Received A Letter From His Captain He Had Not Heard From In 44 Years”. In the story, it says, “Mr. Wentz was the first man to enlist in Capt. Rugg’s company for three year service.” (J. D. Leichty, Henry’s new life-long friend, also signed with Captain Rugg the very next day.)
The article continues, “After his enlistment, his Captain was transferred in 1862 and he has not seen or heard of him for 44 years. Danton Mickey and James Moore were at Hot Springs for several weeks and while there they received an industrial issue of the Daily Globe. It contained the half-tone of our townsman Henry Wentz. His old captain in looking over the paper came across his picture and the write-up of the Mutual Plate Glass Company. He at once wrote Henry the following letter:
Hot Springs, Arkansas April 12, 1906
I can not tell you the pleasure I have had in talking to your townsman about you. I do not think I have had any track of you since ‘61. It was in the fall of that year we got separated, as I remember, and I have thought of you many times since. Your fellow townsman tells me you are a prosperous, respected citizen of Shelby, and that you remember me, all of which makes me very glad and proud. I have your picture before me, printed in the Globe, and while I would not recognize you, I can see that you might look like that. If I had a picture of myself I’d send it to you. I have been living here for 30 odd years, and am in good health, though not so young as when we knew each other. For you I had an especial liking, and have wished many, many times to get word of you and now at last my wish is realized and I am very glad. I should be very glad if you would write me a letter telling me about yourself all these years. I think we are very nearly the same age, I’ll be 68 next fall.
With the very highest regard I am,
Sincerely your friend and Comrade,
D. C. Rugg
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“The Autobiography of a Soldier Boy and Businessman” by Henry Wentz (1924).
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