The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
getic and successful worker of any pastor in the city. He
has great influence with the young people of his church
and congregation, by whom he is very highly esteemed.
He is by no means ministerial in appearance, but is one of
the most sociable, genial and lovable men in the city. He
was married, April I9tlh, I86I, to Josephine Harman,
of Schenectady, New York.
and, after beautifying them, transferring the.property to the
existing corporation. In I853 work was commenced for
building the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad. The company, of which he was President, he having been very inm
fluential in procuring the charter, had but a small stock
subscription, and the tightening of the money market worked
to prevent much. increase. The bonds were disposed of
with great difficulty, and when the financial crisis came the
road was still unfinished, and the bonds could not be sold.
Railroads which were to connect with the Mahoning, to
prolong the route to the sea, were abandoned, and the
prospects were thus more gloomy. One of two things had
to be done: either abandon the enterprise and lose all that
had been done, or complete it, at the risk of the private
fortunes of the managers, from Cleveland to the coal fields.
They chose the latter, by Mr-. Perkins agreeing, ill case of
disaster, to pay the first one hundred thousand dollars of
loss, and to share equally with the others in any further loss.
In 1854 he went to England to raise money, but was unsuccessful. In I856 the road was completed to Youngstown, and. the development of the coal and ir-on bzusi'ness
commenced. In June, 1857, his wife, to whom he was
most devotedly attached, died of consumption; and his
close attention to her sick-bed broke down his constitution.
The next winter he spent in the Southern States, and the
summer of I858 he returned again to the South; but his
disease was beyond cure, and on the I12th of January, I859,
he died in Havana, Cuba. His remains were embalmed
and brought home, and interred in his beautiful Woodland
Cemetery, in Warren. Richly endowed with natural gifts,
he sacrificed, in the interest of humanity and freedom, all
hope of a political career he was so well fitted to adolrn.
l Ie cheerfully laid on the altar for the public benefit, ease,
wealth, health, and his fond love of study. One of his last
remarks was that on his tomb stone might justly be engraved: "Died of the Mahoning Railroad." He was
mnarlried, October 24th, I850, to Elizabeth 0. Tod, daughter
of Dr. J. I. Tod, of Milton, Trumbull county, Ohio. His
wife and two of his three children died before his own
death. His son, Jacob B. Perkins, is still living.
ERK'INS, JACOB, Capitalist, was born in Warren,
Trumbull county, Ohio, Sept ember Ist, 1822, and
was the second son of Simon Perkins. H e was
I of studious disposition from boyhood, and after a
mos eloquetly. searly son beam Simnteresedins poitcs hoeowasitclcre e a owl ite oaon
eri thorough prepar ation i n Burton Academy, Ohio,
and at Middletown, Connec tic ut, he entere d Yale
College, in I837. H e was noted among his cl assm ate s fo r
his literary and oratorical abilities, delivering the philosophic
oration at his junior exhibition, and being chosen second
e ditor of the Y vale itewray ofatoazine, a position h e filled
to the satisfaction and pride of his classmates. His strength
was not sufficient to enable him to continue his studies and
other additional literary labor, and before the close of his
junior year be was obliged to relinquish his stud ies, and
go h om e wi thou t gr adua ting with his ow n class. The next
year, his health having greatly improved, he returned and
graduated with the class of I842. From college, he retu rne d to his home and remained in hi s father's office until
ph is father's death, and then, with his brothers, was engaged
some time in settling the large estate. He was frequently
called to add ress t he people on pub lic occasions, and always
most eloquently. Early h e became interes ted in politics,
and made many effective speeches, adv ocating the principles
of the anti-slavery side, whic h at that Y tine was not in
popular favor. III I848 he made a very bold speech, declaring that every human being had a right tu, own himself;
it attracted much attention, because of its clearness and
unanswerable arguments. Ill I85i he was chosen by the
people of hi s d istrict to represent them in the Const ttitutional
Co nvention, which f rame d the State Constitution which wass
adopted that year. His political principlc3 placed him wnith
the minority in that body' but his influence and position
,were equalled by very few of those in tLn. majority. He
never held but one other political position, that of Senatorial
Presidential Elector for Ohio, in I856, on the Fremont
ticket. Being an earnest friend to all educational enterprises, it was his suggestion and persistence which induced
the authorities of Western Reserve College to adopt the
conditions of a permanent fund rather than to solicit unconditional contributions; and he and his brothers made
the first contribution to that fund. This permanent fund
saved the college in subsequent years, when the institution
became crippled and embarrassed by dissensions. Another
noble and generous act was in uniting with two others in
purchasing the grounds for Woodland Cemetery, in Warren,
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ROOK, GI,:NERAL GEORGE, was born near
Dayton, Ohio, September 8tb, I828.'He entered
West Point in 1848, and in 1852 was appointed
to -L Brevet Second Lieutenancy in a regiment
serving in California. He saw much service in
the Indian country, and was once severely
wounded. He w-as promoted to a Captaincy in the regular
army, May 4tb, i86i. Leaving San'Francisco for New
York in Autist of this year, upon his arrival be was teii-.
dered the Coloiielcy of the 36th Ohio Infantry. Accepting
the position, be at once' entered active service.. Earl ill
y
the spring of -i 862, he.was placed in command'of the Third