Wermuth, Charles Ernst, C. P. A.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Wermuth, Charles Ernst, C. P. A., is one of New Orleans' most valuable and well-known citizens. He is a son of John and Katherine (Luthi) Wermuth, and was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1859. His father was also born in that city and lived there all his life, having been a maker of cutlery and surgical instruments and having received a diploma in 1851 from the World's Fair in London. He attended public school in his native city and learned his trade in Tuttlingen, Germany, a town noted for its blades. Katherine Luthi was born in Berne and bore her husband 11 children 6 daughters and 5 sons, of which Charles E. was the second youngest. When the last-named was only 2 years old the father died. Five daughters are still living, four in Berne, Switzerland, and one in Cannstadt, Germany.

Charles is the only living son. He received his early education in a preparatory school in Zofingen, Switzerland, and the remainder in Berne, where he prepared for the law by taking a course of one year and a half. He then came to America and settled in Nebraska in the employ of the Union Pacific R. R., where he remained until 1887, when he removed to New Orleans and became chief clerk of one of the branches of the accounting departments of the Southern Pacific. He remained with this company until 1904; the last 8 years of the time he was auditor of the Southern Pacific comipany's Atlantic system railroad and steamship lines. Since 1904 Mr. Wermuth has been a public accountant with offices 718 to 720 Hennen building in New Orleans, and also maintains offices in Jackson, Miss., New York and London, England.

The quality of Mr. Wermuth's work and his standing as an accountant may be judged by a letter of which the following is a copy: "I beg to say that through Mr. Wermuths' talent and industry I was enabled to win the important lawsuit which was handled by me in behalf of the railroad commission of Louisiana against the Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Co., wherein the general public was saved charges on long distance telephone rates an amount exceeding $100,000.00 per annum. It was entirely and exclusively through Mr. Wermuth's work and his testimony that the case was brought to a successful termination, for without him it would have resulted in defeat. Moreover, his testimony as an expert in the case, both on direct and cross examination, should be read in order to be appreciated, for it was not only through his studies and auditing of the books of the telephone company that the case was decided, but also on account of the expert evidence given by him." (Signed) "E. Howard McCaleb." Mr. McCaleb was retained by the attorney-general to represent the State of Louisiana in this case. Other expressions as strong as the above in regard to the value of Mr. Wermuth's work have been made by officials in Louisiana and Mississippi, also. He has devised and installed an up-to-date system of accounting for the city of New Orleans. Mr. Wermuth was one of the first to engage in the profession here, and by some contributions through the daily press has helped to make known the functions of public accountants. He was appointed a member of the first board of public accountants and reappointed by Gov. Hall and made its chairman. It was largely through his efforts that Act 125 of 1908 was passed. This is a law regulating the practice of public accounting. He has been retained by the state insurance department, the state railroad commission and attorney general's office of Louisiana in many important cases.

Mr. Wermuth is a member of the Chess, Checkers & Whist, the Southern Yacht, the Audubon Golf and the Young Men's Gymnastic clubs, and some of the carnival organizations. Mr. Wermuth was married April 10, 1890 to Miss Marie Pichet, daughter of Louis and Marie (Nora) Pichet, of New Orleans, and they have 1 daughter, Marie Louise, wife of Wm. A. Shibley. Mr. and Mrs. Shibley have 2 daughters.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 461-463. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.