Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/529

Rh of the Standard steel company, which place he still fills. His services were called for by the Baldwin locomotive-works in 1878 in order to aid them in their shipment of locomotives to Russia. Mr. Neilson has been active in the American institute of mining engineers as an official, and in 1876 he was secretary of the centennial committee of that organization. In addition to various reports for the American iron and steel association he pub- lished in 1868 a chart illustrative of the material progress of the United States, showing the costs of certain staple products during a series of years.

NEILSON, William Hiide, broker, b. in New York city, 7 May, 1816; d. in Far Rockaway, (Queens co., N. Y., 30 Dec, 1887. He received a liberal education, and early engaged in business in his native city, where his life was spent. When the Open board of brokers and the old Stock exchange were consolidated, largely through his efforts, he was chosen president of the new exchange, and re- elected for two succeeding terms. As president of the Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad company, he extricated that corporation from debt and placed it on a stable foundation. For forty years he took an active part in municipal affairs, especially those relating to the educational interests of the city, and to church work chiefly in the direction of Sun- day-schools. He was president of the board of education from 1855 till 1858, and again in 1873-'6, for years serving as chairman of the committee on normal schools. He was a member of the Com- mittee of Seventy during the campaign against Tweed, and was active in promoting every impor- tant measure of public reform.

NEISSER, George, clergyman, b. in Sehlen, Moravia, 11 April, 1715 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., in November, 1784. He was the son of George and Susanna Neisser, who fled from Moravia to Herrn- hut, in Saxony, in 1723, and were among the first of those Moravian refugees through whom the ancient vmitas fratrum was renewed. George ac- companied his parents in their flight, was educated at Herrnhut, and at the age of twenty years joined a company of Moravian immigrants who settled in Georgia in 1735. They were under the leadership of Bishop David Nitschmann, and sailed across the ocean in the same vessel with John and Charles Wesley, upon whose hearts a deep impression was made by the faith and courage that the Moravians displayed in the midst of a terrible storm. Neisser remained but a short time in Georgia. In 1737 he went to Pennsylvania, and in 1748 was ordained a deacon and entered the service of the Moravian church. He labored in New York city, Philadel- phia, York, and then in Philadelphia again. His remains, originally buried in the old Moravian church-yard of the last-named city, were removed in 1886 to the historic Moravian burial ground at Bethlehem, Pa. Neisser left behind many valuable manuscripts relating both to the history and the music of his church. Among them is a list of all the Moravian and Bohemian refugees that left their native country and constituted "the nucleus of the Renewed Brethren's or Moravian church.

NELATON, Hector Marie Louis (nay-lah- tong). South American explorer, b. in Demerara in 1775 ; d. near Cayenne in 1827. He received his early education in Guiana, but finished his studies in Paris. He obtained in 1794 an appointment in the colonial administration, was secretary to Gov. Victor Ungues (g. v.), and negotiated the capitula- tion with the English. For his conduct on this occasion he was indicted for treason, but the ac- quittal of Hugues caused the prosecution to be abandoned, and retiring to private life he explored the Guianas for seven years, and went afterward to Brazil. When Guiana was restored to the French in 1817, Nelaton went to Paris and tried to obtain his reinstatement in the colonial administration, but, failing, he returned to his native country and practised law in Cayenne till his death. He pub- lished " Histoire des voyages entrepris a la Guiane a la recherche de I'Eldorado, pendant la seizieme et dixseptieme siecle " (4 vols., Paris, 1819) ; " Me- moire an roi sur la capitulation de la Guiane " (1819); " Memoires et documents pour servir a I'histoire de la Guiane pendant I'administration de Victor Hugues " (1825) : " Statistique commerciale, agricole et medicale de la Guiane Fran9aise et Hollandaise " (Cayenne, 1825) ; " Journal de voy- age a travers la Guiane et le Bresil " (1826) ; and several less important works.

NELIGAN, William, clergyman, b. in Ireland early in the 19th century ; d. in New York city, 30 Jan., 1880. He was a brother of the celebrated surgeon of the same name. He was graduated at Dublin university in 1830, ordained a minister of the Anglican church in 1835, and was appointed rector of Milton Mowbray, but united with the Roman Catholic church, went to the Irish college of the propaganda, Rome, in 1850, and after his ordination came to New York in 1854. He was made professor in St. Joseph's seminary, Fordham, and assistant pastor of St. Columba's, New York. He was subsequently vicar-general of the Bahama islands. Mr. Neligan published several religious works, among them " Rome and her Institutions and Churches " (New York), " Saintly Charac- ters," " The Rosary," and a " Manual for Con- fraternities."

NELL, William Cooper, author, b. in Boston, Mass., 20 Dec, 1816 ; d. there, 25 May, 1874. He was of African descent. He was graduated at Boston grammar-school, winning a medal for scholarship, read law with William I. Bowditch, and was prepared for admission to the bar, but by advice of Wendell Phillips would not take the oath of allegiance to the constitution with slavery. He became a clerk in the Boston post-office in 1861, being the first colored man to hold a post under the National government, and remained there till his death. Mr. Nell was active in his efforts for the improvement of his race, obtaining equal school privileges for the colored youth of Boston, and forming many literary societies. Besides several pamphlets, he published " Services of Colored Amer- icans in the Wars of 1776-1812 " ; and " Colored Patriots of the American Revolution," with an in- troduction by Harriet BeecherSto we (Boston, 1855).

NELLES, Samuel Sobieski, Canadian educator, b. in Mount Pleasant, Ont., 17 Oct.. 1823 ; d. in Cobourg, 17 Oct., 1887. He was graduated at Wesleyan university in 1846, entered the ministry of the Methodist church in 1847, and preached succes- sively at Port Hope, Toronto, and London, Canada. He was appointed president of Victoria college in September, 1850, and held that office till his death. Queen's university gave him the degree of D. D. in 1860, and Victoria university that of LL. D. in 1873. He was the author of a text-book on logic.

NELSON, Charles Alexander, librarian, b. in Calais, Me., 14 April, 1839. He was graduated at Harvard in 1860, studied civil engineering at Lawrence scientific school and library science at the College library in Boston, but engaged in teaching. In 1864-'5 he was a civil engineer in government service at New Berne, N. C. He afterward engaged in business there, and was several times elected to civil offices. From 1874 till 1881 he was connected with the book-trade in Boston, and was employed