The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
untiring in his exertions to secure for the local and general
governments the services o.f those best qualified to fill the
various offices. He was married in 1837 to Miss Hargy,
of Cincinnati, Ohio.
of untiring application, lie passed through the course at
Woodward High School, Cincinnati, and was rapidly ad-vancing still farther, when failing health compelled him,
for the time at least, to give up the severe strain of so much
mental labor, and to relinquish his cherished project of
professional life. With a view to giving a full share of
work to his'body as well as his mind, he next took employ'
mrent in the moulding department of William Resor & Co.'s
foundry, in Cincinnati. He possessed great mechanical
and inventive genius, and very soon developed rare mechanical skill, and these qualities were speedily recognized,
and won for him rapid promotion. He possessed strong
and marked personal characteristics, and these gave him a
high degree of influence among those with whom he was
thrown in contact. During the remarkable strike of the
workmen in the stove manufactories of Cincinnati, in I848,
this influence was shown to be extraordinary, and directed
by his cool judgment and his clear perceptions, it enabled
him to prevent many an act of hostility and violence. He
could not bring himself to remain idle, during the strike or
at any other time, so he became salesman for Buss & Shephard, on Fifth street. He had long since determined to go
into business on his own account, and therefore he remained but a short time with this firm, notwithstanding
their tempting offer of fifty per cent. of the profits of a
branch establishment, on condition that he would manage
it. His sympathy with the striking mechanics was very
great, and h e became thei r active and zealo us a dvocate.
The workmen, on thei r part, ch ose him, ai skilled mechanic,
a promising merchant, and a man of r ar e and valuable
personal qualities, for their fitting champion, His interest
i n the workoinngmen's m ove ment, and his purpose to establish himself in business in some other capacity than that
of employ6, led him to develop a plan, striking in its boldness and comprehensiveness. In pursuance of this plan,
he organized a corporation, the stock of which was to be
paid in labor. This worlk he began and prosecuted on his
own personal resources and credit, and the result of his
exertions was the erection and the successful operation of
th- Moulders' Union Foundry, at California, Ohio, eight
miles above Cincinnati. When the success of this enterprise had become fully assured, be resigned his position as
President and Manager of the association, and engaged in
the hardware busn e iness Cin cinnati. In this he contin ued
for several years, and achieved great success in it. When
the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad was being built, he competed with the Eastern establishments for the supply of
bolts, etc., needed in the work. He was awarded a heavy
contract, to be fulfilled in thirty days, and, although he had
no factory of his own, he wras so energetic and enterprising
that his full supply of material wras forthcoming one day
befo~re the time stipulated. This success led to the organization of the firm of Holenshade & Brother, who owned
(OLENSHADE, JAMES C. C., Merchant and
Manufacturer, was born on May 12th, in828, in
te Cin cinnati, Ohio. He wa s of Scotch-Irish
h' descent o n both sides of his family, although his
fatther was born in B alti m ore, Maryland, and his
moth er at M arysville, Kentucky. His-father w as
an invalid, a nd the s o n was a mbitious to render himself
independ ofpaent of parenta l support at the earliest possible
moment. When he wa s only seven years of age he began
to work for his own livelihood. It may readily be supposed,
the refore, that h is educa ti onal advantages, dur ing his earlier
y ears, at least, were of the m ost limite d description. But
though he gained but a meagre supply of knowledge from
bookes, he put himself, thus early, in teway of acquiring a
practical knowledge which was to stand him in better stead,
later in lif e, th an a ny amo unt of mere bo ok-learning could
possibly have d one. Wh en he w as seven years old, he
went to work as a breaker of type ina the Cincinnati Type
Foundry of Wilsonl, Guilf ord & Co. He re he worked
through years of pati ent industry, graduating in every
de partment of the establishment. Then-for it was the
most natural thing in th e w orld to step from the making
of types to the usilbg thereof-he went to work in the
printing offic ofhof B rook s & Co. Her be he remained until
he ha d mastered the d etails of the business, and then, still
following the natural sequen ce of industrial progress, lhe
entered th e book-bi nding establishmen t of Cropper & Co.
H e re ma ine d in this bus iness long enough t o fit himself for
the p erform an c e of all the duties of every department.
Notwithstanding the fact that he had no school opportunities up to this time, c(r perhaps in consequence of that fact,
his love and respect for books wirere intense, and his present
occupation served to increase them. The opportunity to
develop and gratify his literary- taste was what he'earnestly
desired. Therefore, on leaving the bookbindery, he sought
and obtained employment ill the I)ook-store of J. C. & WN.
P. Jones. IHere he not only gratified the desire so long
felt, but also acquired a thorough knowledge of practical
business details. He was prepossessing in manner, and his
rare business capacity wvas manifest to all, and these qualities, attracting, as they did, the attention of many, led to
his engagement, at a lucrative salary, with one of the leading merchants of the city. For several years after this he
was employed in the dry-goods house of John M. Bradstreet, and was subsequently engaged in the queensware
business with William Lilley, and in both places he won
the high regard of employers and patrons. Still entertaining his literary ambition, and having in view a professional
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