Biography of 	WERMUTH, Charles E., C. P. A., Berne, Switzerland, then Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

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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.

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.