The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
ous association of over thirty years. The new firm of
J. & L. Seasongood & Co. was then formed. This house,
still in prosperous life, continues the business at the old
stand, and retains its prestige as the leading cloth house of
the city. In the spring of I864 he returned to Europe, and
sought at the famous Kissingen Springs the reestablishment
of his failing health, taking with him his two sons, whom
he left at the college of Professor Hohagen, in Frankforton-the-Main, where they remained three years for the purpose of completing their education. He then visited his
former employers, with whom he now sustains business
relations of an important nature, and also the home of his
childhood, which was marred only by the demise of his
father, who, at the age of eighty-nine years, had passed
away in I855. The banking-house of Seasongood, Notter
& Co. was formed January 15th, 1870, and, having speedily
outgrown its original quarters, was, in February, I873, removed to the handsome building, erected by the firm to
meet its wants, at 74 West Third street, where the business
is now successfully prosecuted. He has been for nearly a
quarter of a century a Director of the Hebrew Relief
Society, and for many years Director of the Jewish Hospital,
and Trustee of the Mound Street Temple and Broadway
Synagogue. Over the latter institution he presided for two
terms, having been the first President under the Reform
movement, inaugurated by Rev. Dr. Max Lilienthal. He
now enjoys the legitimate fruits of enterprise and honest
labor, and is happy as the patriarch of an affectionate family,
whose revered centre he is, each of his married daughters
residing in houses adjoining the homestead on Eighth
street. He is unassuming but liberal in his charitable
works, and has, on many occasions, given generously of
his means to denominational and public charities; and to
his encouragement and material assistance many of his
countrymen, now prosperous merchants, owe their present
business success. lie was married, April 3d, I1839, to
Lena Kiefer, a lady of excellent attainments, by whom he
has had eight children; of those six survive: Emma, the
wife of his partner, Lewis Seasongood; Laura; Jennie, the
wife of Joseph Bohm, of Bohm, Mach & Co.; Julia, the
wife of Julius Reis, of Reis Brothers & Co., President of
the Cincinnati Boa,rd of Aldermen; and Adolph and
Charles, who are associated with him in business.
outERION, NATHANIEL, was b orn in Franklin
county, Ohio, February x6tha, I84, of French
theSolidescent. His fathe r was William Merion, of
Massachusetts; his mot her, Sally Wait, of Dex ter, New York. He received his e ducation
principally in log-cabin school-houses near his
home, south of Columbus. He remained with his father
on the farm until that parent's d eath, in I837, and then with
his mother until he was thirty-three, wi th the exc eption of
a short period of independence. When about twenty years
old he, like m an y boys, felt equal to thetask of taking care
of himself, and left his home, with th e knowledge of his
parents. They, wisely, made no effort to retain him or
bring him back; and after visiting Cincinnati and Portsmouth, and being left without money at the mercy of
strangers, dluring a spell of sickness, he willingly, of his
own accord, returned to his home. His coming, as his
going, excited no'comment, and affairs went on as usual,
-until November 8th, I846, when he married Madeline
Watkins. He was for over ten years Superintendent of
Wood's Starch Factory, and for several years engaged in
real estate business. In August, i86I, he was appointed
Commissary of Subsistence by President Lincoln, and held
this position until June, I862, under General Rosecrans
and General Milroy, at Beverly, West Virginia. At this
time he resigned from ill health. He was appointed
Warden of the Penitentiary in July, I862; was legislated
out in April, I863, but afterward reappointed for two
years, and served for that length of time. At the expiration of this' term of office he engaged in and is still
carrying on the grocery business, under the style of N.
Merion & Co., the Co. being his son Frank. In May,
I873, he was elected President of the Central Bank, which
position he still holds. In early life Mr. Merion was a
Whig, and on the dissolution of that party became, and is
at the present time, a Liberal Republican. Mr. Merion has
always taken an active interest in the affairs and growth
of the city, and justly merits the high esteem and regard in
which he is held by his fellow-citizens.
legl,pa LMES, WEBSTER, Ch ief Cleik of the Office of
(W|/ F K the Solicitor of United States Treasury, was born
in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 6th, I834. His
parents were Lazel and Mary E. (Candler)
Elmes. Having graduated at the High School
of Philadelphia, at the age of eighteen he returned to Cincinnati and entered the law office of Salmon
P. Chase and- Flamen Ball. Here he qualified himself for
legal practice, was admitted to the bar in I858 and engaged
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in the duties of his profession until the breal,,ing out of the
war...During his residence in Clifton, a suburban town of
Cincinnati, be was honored by being chosen Mayor of the
town. In i86i be removed to Washington to accept a position under the gove i-nment. January, I87i, be was appointed Chief Clerk of the office of the Solicitor of the
Treasury, the duties - in this position. being more congenial and in keeping with his professional training as a lawyer. His continuance in positions of honor and trust for a
period of fifteen years bears ample testimony to his ability
and integrity as a public servant. He was married in June,
i864, to Rosa E. S. White, daughter of Littleton S. White,
of Maryland.
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