The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
the Mayoralty of Dayton, when he disposed of his business
in order to give his entire attention to the responsible duties
of the office to which he had been called by the suffrages of
his fellow-citizens. On April 6th, I874, he was elected, on
the'Democratic ticket, as Mayor, receiving a majority of
403 votes over his opponent, David A. Hook; and since his
inaugural in that office he has discharged its duties with
dignity, with great care and with fidelity, unbiased by any
partisan feeling. He has always been an active Democrat,
and for a long time was a member of the Central Comnmittee
for Montgomery county. He has always taken a deep interest in municipal affairs, supporting all public improve-.
ments, and exerting his influence and his energy as a business man to increase the mercantile welfare of the city over
which he now presides. For three years he served the
Eighth Ward in the City Councils, and also filled a term in
the Board of Health. He was married, on November 26th,
i86I, to Louisa Schafer, of Dayton, who was born July
ioth, 184I.
f TRIBLEY, GEORGE, Sho e Ma nuf acture r, was
born at St. Columb, Cornwall, Eng la nd, April
6th, I824. Hi s ancestors for many generations
back lived and died in this place. His father
was a miller, and naturally endowed with unusual
miechanical ability. He received the education
usually obtainedy y boys in his condition of life in England,
and, always a lover of lite rature, added greatly to his store
of attainments by a varie d course of r eading pu rsued on all
favorable occasions. At the age of fourteen he w as appren ticed to learn the trade of shoemaking, and, in accordance
with English custom, was engaged a t it dur ing the s ucceed iing perio d of six years. On the completion of his appren ticeship he remained in England for about three yea rs,
w orking at his trade during this t ime, a nd having heard
much concerning the golden opportunities offered to young
me n in the United States, decided to emigrat e to the land
of promise. Leaving his country, accordingly, he finally
arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Novembe r, i847, having be fore quitting England selected th at city as his objective
point. He t he n worked a s a j ourneyman in various shops
for several years, but not fi nding sufficient occupation to con sume all his tim e, purchas ed some stock, entered on the
role of manufacturer, and sold his work to the reta i l trad ers.
rDisposing profitably an d ea s ily of all his wares, he con
sthat prospects warranted the acquisition wit h its attendant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tinue84dt theficeo secretar of Stteuhihstaionpers"hs, machnebing th fishoatsknd usedn thesa
expense. In I854 he moved to Walnut Hills, where he
opened his business a f resh and c onducted it on a larger
scale. At the outbreak of the war of the rebe l lion he controlled a force of fifty hn s ands, and was the possessor of a
flourishing business. After the cessat ion of th e depressionr
attending the op e ning years ofo the cnflict tie demand forl
his wvork became great and pressing, and he rapidly accumu lated wealth. As early as October, I85I, be had made use
of the "Blodgett & Lerow stitching-machine for fitting uppers" —his machine be ing the first of its kind used in the
West-and in December, I862, he introduced into his busi ness the now celebrated " McKay sole sewinig-machine,"
the first one set up on the western side of the Alleghenies.
The initiatory introd-iction of this machinery required a
prolonged struggle on his part, for the machine accomplishinig successfully the work of many men, its overthrow was,
naturally, earnestly determined upon. Not only was the
opposition of workmen to be stemmed and turned, but also
ELL, HON. WILLIAM, JR., Secretary of State
for Ohio, was born in Licking county, August
23d, 1827, his parents having been Samuel and
Elizabeth (Hauger) Bell. His father was a
native of Greene county, Pennsylvania, and was
by occupation a farmer. His mother was a Virginian by birth, and her name is well known and -her coninections are many in the "Old Dominion" State. Mr. Bell
was educated at Martinsburg Academy, in Knox county,
Ohio, and made rapid progress in the various branches of
English culture. Upon leaving that institution he remained
with his father until I852, when he was elected Sheriff of
Licking county, and discharged all the duties of that station
with fidelity and intelligence. Soon after the expiration of
his term he was appointed Postmaster of Newark, and retained this position until i858,when the people of the county
again elected him to the Sheriffilty. In I86o they honored
him in the same form, and the care with which he administered his trust indicated how completely they had estimated
his character as a faithful and energetic official. He acted
as Auditor of Licking county from i864 to I870, serving three
successive terms. In I87I he was chosen from that county
to the lower House of the State Legislature, and in I873 was
re-elected. These distinctions, so thoroughly merited and
so generously conferred, prepared the way for hi s election
in I874 to the office of Secretary of State, which station
he now fills. While a member of the House of Representatives he was Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public
Works, and a member of the Committees on Insurance and
Municipal Corporations. He has been a life-long Democrat,
and has been prominently identified with the campaign organizations of that party. His friends are not all within the
lines of this party, however. His genial disposition, affable
manners, and sterling qualities have won the personal sup 13
97
port of many who differ with him in political doctrine. His
career has beell one of success, due perhaps entirely to'the
manner in which he has discharged the duties of ever trust;
and there is a fair probability that his progress will realize
the'expectations of his friends. On January ist, I856, be
married Lizzie A. Ocheltree, of Newark, and this wedlock
has been blessed with three children, one son and two
daughters.
so