The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEADIA.
doing, at the present time, an extensive and successful busi- Warden of that lodge, but owing to his superior knowledge
ness. He has always been a man of strictly temperate of the German language, it was imposed upon him to prehabits, and a warm advocate of temperanice. In I873 he side over the work of the lodge from the beginning; he has
was, against his own solicitation, made a candidate for now served the lodge for two years as Worshipful Master,
Lieutenant-Governor of Ohio, on the Prohibition ticket, and and devoted much time to the perfect translation of the
had the honor of receiving nearly eleven thousand votes, a English ritual into the German.
greater number than was given to any other candidate on
that ticket. He is a gentleman of firm integrity in all
transactions with his fellow-men, active and devsoted to A
business-a man whose kind words and genial affability EGHAN, HON. JOHN J., was born in Irelan,
endear him to his, numerous friends and acquaintances. May gth, 1845. hie came to this country i
I 1854 with his father and mother, who settled in
Cincinnati. John began his education in the
{I e~t2< common schools of Cincinnati, but was obliged
EITMANN, JOHN HENRY, Lawyer and Mayor to leave at the age of thirteen to do his share
of Columbus, Ohio, was born at Heiligenfelde, in toward the support of the family. He first wenit to wirorlk i
iL the province of Hanover, Prussia, on September a tobacco factory, learning a business which he has since
v iith, I842. He was educated il the common followed. Though he had to leave school, young Gegan
schools of the country, and also attended a nor- did not relinquish the idea of obtaining a good education.
real school held at Hanlover, to prepare himself He improved his leisure hours by study, and gradually
as a teacher. This being accomplished, he devoted two fitted himself for the position he has since been called to
years of his life to private teaching (a system of education fill. lie benefited himself greatly by attending a cormmercommon in that country), and three years more in the cial college when time allowed. He workled at the tobacco
capacity of a public teacher. In his early youth he formed business until he had reached his nineteenth year. He
the determination to select either England or the Un-ited then organized the Tolbacconiists' Association of Cincinnati,
States of America as his future and adopted home, and in of which he was chosen President. This action displeasel
order to be successful in this undertaking, he applied a good the employers, and they gave young Geghan to undei-stand
portion of his time diligently to the study and mastery of that he was not in favor with them. The effect of this disthe English language. This having been accomplished, in crimination was to move Mr. Geghan to go into business on
I866 he came to this country and located in the city of his own account. Accordingly, in March of 1865, he assoCincinnati, Ohio, where he was engaged as teacher in the ciated himself with two others, and formed the firm of
Ninth School District for the period of two years. At the Geghan, Porter & McHugh, for the manufacture of tobacco.
end of this time he located in Columbus, Ohio, where he In the latter part of the same year, he bought the interests
devoted the first three years of his residence to teaching and of his partners, and connected himself with Joseph Br-asacting in the capacity of Principal of the German schools hears, under the firm-n-ame of Geghan & Brashears. Iis
of that city. In the meantime, having selected thie profes- partner dying in May of I866, Mr. Geghan disposed of his
sion of law as his future vocation, he had applied himself entire interest in the concern, and temporarily turned his
with diligence and energy to its study, so much so, that in attention to pursuits of a different nature. He organized a
the spring of I871 he was admitted to the bar, and' per- company of volunteers for the Fenian raid on Canada. He
mitted to practise the profession of his choice. In politics was electedl captain of the company, and took part in the
he is a Democrat, and in I873 he, with the Hon. George fights at Ridgway and Fort Erie. Ile returned to CincinL. Converse, was elected to represent Franklin county in nati at the close of the demonstration, having lost all his
the Sixty-first General Assembly of Ohio, which position means, and became foreman in a leading tol)acco factory.
he filled with credit to himself and honor to his constituents. Hle continued to be employed in various branches of the
In the spring of I875 he was elected Mayor of the city of tobacco b)usiness, until I870, when he formed a partnership
Columbus, Ohio, a position that he fills with ability and in- with James W. Murphy, and established the Red Cloud
tegrity, dispensing justice with promptness and impartiality, Tobacco Works. The firm of Geghan & Murphy has been
protecting virtue, alleviating misery, and punishing vice. successful. It was not long after the beginning before
He is also an active and zealous Mason; he was initiated, more roomy quarters were found to be necessary, and
passed, and raised to the degree of Master Mason, in Messrs. Geghan & Murphy moved to No. 54 East Third
Magnolia Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, No. 20. On street, where they now conduct a large and growing husithe organization of a German lodge in Columbus, Ohio, ness. From early manhood Mr. Geghan has been active
(Humboldt Lodge, No. 456,) he was one of the charter in politics. His first connection was with the Repubmembers, and was appointed, by the Most Worshipfnl lican party. During the Grant campaign in I868, he and
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, the first Senior the Hon. J. W. Fitzgerald organized the Irish Grant &
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