A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time. Various
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the city of Kiel, on the shores of the Baltic sea, on the 25th of November, 1817. His father, Jacob Klotz, was the junior of the firm of Klotz & Son of that place. After the death of the senior member, the firm was continued for many years, first by Jacob Klotz, and subsequently by his younger brother, Christian Klotz, their business being chiefly the purchase of grain and shipping it to England. Otto Klotz received his primary education at a public school in his native place, but was subsequently educated in Luebeck; after having passed his final examination creditably, he was confirmed in conformity with the rites of the Lutheran Church at Kiel, and thereupon apprenticed to a wine merchant in Luebeck, where, in addition to his mother-tongue, he had ample opportunity of making use of French and English, which languages he had by this time fairly mastered. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, he returned home. In the spring of 1837, his uncle, Christian Klotz, under the old firm of Klotz & Son, sent on speculation a cargo of wheat to America (the crops having failed in 1836), and young Otto Klotz was permitted to make a trip to the new world in his uncle’s brig, laden with wheat. The requisite arrangements for that voyage were soon made, and since neither himself nor his relations and friends considered the departure as being of long duration, but rather a pleasure trip, the farewell at the wharf was neither gloomy nor sombre, although his father had advised him to inquire for a good situation, and if found to stay for a few years, and then return with a good store of general knowledge, as many young men of the town had done before him. On the 27th of March, 1837, the anchor was weighed, the sails set, and the Friedericke, heavily laden with wheat, sailed out of Kiel harbour with young Klotz on board. The voyage was completed in seventy-nine long days, and on the 14th of June, anchor was cast in the East River, at New York. On arrival it was found that the wheat was heated, and the market overstocked, hence the speculation was a failure. Otto Klotz found to his regret that owing to great depression in business and the numerous failures, he could not procure a situation in New York. He visited Newark, New Jersey, and there met a German farmer from Canada, who proposed to him the taking up of wild land and going into farming. The novelty of this proposal appeared to have some charm and was really entered upon. Writing to his father informing him of his resolution, he handed the letter to the captain of his uncle’s brig, bade him farewell, and left for Canada. Arrived in the township of McKillop, in the Huron Tract, he endeavoured to learn what was required in order to become a successful farmer, and soon ascertained that for a young man standing alone without relations or friends and without any knowledge of farming, it would be unwise to take up land and “roughing it in the bush;” however he stayed about two months, during which time he acquired considerable proficiency in the use of the axe, helping to chop and put up log houses in the neighbourhood. He left McKillop in October, 1837, and went to Preston, which place was then all alive with new settlers from Germany. He engaged for some time as clerk in a store, and thinking he saw a good opportunity, he started in business on his own account in February, 1838, using his father’s letter of credit in the purchase of his first stock of goods. In 1839, he married the daughter of a farmer of the township of Wilmot. This marriage proved to be a happy one, his good wife being an excellent helpmate, a good housewife, a dutiful mother and an exemplary spouse. Shortly after young Klotz had settled in Preston, he became acquainted with an old English gentleman, William Scollick, who was a surveyor, conveyancer and a commissioner of the Court of Request, and who took a particular fancy to him and his penmanship. He advised him to learn conveyancing, and promised to instruct him therein. This kind offer was readily accepted; the pupil employed his spare moments in studying to perfect himself, became an apt scholar, and after the death of old Mr. Scollick, became his successor as conveyancer, a business which proved no mean help for improving his pecuniary circumstances. Mr. Klotz was made a naturalized British subject in 1844, was appointed a notary public in 1846, a commissioner for taking affidavits in 1848, a clerk of the Division Court in 1848, and a justice of the peace in 1853. For a long term of years, he was director of the County Agricultural Society, and once its president. Of the Preston Mechanics’ Institute and Horticultural Society he has been president from the establishment of the same. Of the Executive Committee of the Association of Mechanics’ Institutes for Ontario, he was a member for twelve years, during six of which its vice-president and for two years its president, and by virtue of these offices a member of the Agricultural Council of Ontario. But the office which he has occupied longest and in which he has worked with greater energy than in any other, is that of School Trustee. When in 1841, the Public Schools Act became law, he was elected one of the School Commissioners in the township (the title was subsequently changed to School Trustee); at the expiration of his term he was re-elected, and has been so re-elected ever since. A good stone school building with a teacher as good as in those days could be obtained was the result of his early work in the cause of education. He next succeeded in getting permission from the District Council to have all property in the Preston school section taxed for a free school, and that school has been free ever since, although in former years it was optional with the rate-payers whether their school should be free or supported by a rate bill per pupil attending school. After Preston became incorporated, he was appointed local superintendent of schools, and in that capacity he was seventeen years a member of the County Board of Examiners of Teachers. The scarcity of good teachers was often severely felt, while at present they are plentiful, and Mr. Klotz obtained permission for German teachers to be examined in German, and he had charge of preparing the questions for such examinations. At the insistance of several teachers, he prepared and published a German grammar for use of German pupils and others studying German. In 1853, he agitated a public examination of all the schools in the county; in this move he was ably assisted by the late Dr. Scott, who was then the warden of the county. The county council granted $100 for the purchase of prizes to be distributed among the successful competitors, and appointed Mr. Klotz to make the requisite arrangements, which were successfully carried out. In 1865, Mr. Klotz, assisted by two of the teachers of the Preston school, prepared an exposé of “The Irish National Readers,” which at that time were the authorized readers for the common schools. In that exposé the writer criticised the spelling, grammatical construction, historical blunders, unsuitable words and expressions for children, unfitness of the books for Canadian schools, and the entire absence therein of any article which might tend to cultivate in the minds of the pupils a patriotic feeling. A lengthy and animated correspondence between the chief superintendent, the Rev. Dr. Ryerson, and Mr. Klotz was the result; but notwithstanding the same, Mr. Klotz had the gratification of seeing “The Irish National Readers” superseded by a Canadian series of Readers. As president of the Mechanics’ Institute, Mr. Klotz has been indefatigable in providing for the inhabitants of Preston and neighbourhood a large library of well selected books, numbering in 1886 4,000 volumes, of which 2,800 are English, and 1,200 German. In politics Mr. Klotz commenced as early as 1838, then hardly a year in Canada, to take an active part, having been required to shoulder a gun and to stand guard at the Grand River bridge, upon a report that a band of rebels under lead of one Duncan, was coming from London to invade Waterloo, which, however, afterwards proved a false report. He concluded that if, though yet an alien, he was required to risk his life in defence of Canada, he would claim it as a right to speak and vote upon political questions. Shortly after the Earl of Durham’s Report had been published, mass meetings were held in several parts of Upper Canada to discuss the same; and Mr. Klotz was one of thirty-six men, mostly old settlers of Waterloo county, who by hand-bills called a public meeting to be held at Preston, on the 10th day of August, “to take into consideration the deplorable state of the province of Upper Canada, and to express their opinion thereon, in concurrence with the great county meeting lately held at Dundas, upon the glorious report of the Earl of Durham.” One of those handbills is still preserved by Mr. Klotz as a relic of his younger days. The first parliamentary election which came on was held at Guelph, and Mr. Klotz went there to vote. A scrutineer, the late Colonel Hodgins, asked him: “How long are you in this country, sir?” The answer was given with firmness: “Not quite ten years, sir;” the response was: “Oh, that will do; for whom do you vote?” “for Mr. James Durand, sir,” said Mr. Klotz and left the polling place. Mr. Durand was afterwards declared elected. After responsible government had been granted to the people of Canada, and the political party which adopted the name “Conservatives” had been formed, Mr. Klotz joined that party, and he has ever since supported it with all his energy. He held for a number of years the office of secretary of that party in his electoral division, and in later years that of president of the same. For the celebration of the Peace Jubilee, held at the county town,