Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/368

 MERGENTHALER

MERIWETHER

Democrat, and in 1874, upon the consolidation of the Globe and Democrat, he accepted a position with the Western Bank Note company of Cliicago, and was employed there until July 1, 1«89, when he was appointed by Secretary Win- dom, chief of the bureau of engraving and print- ing, which |)osition he held until July 1, 1893, when he resumed his position with the Western Bank Note company. On Nov. 23, 1900, he was re-appointed director of the bureau of engraving and printing.

MERGENTHALER, Ottmar, inventor, was born in Wiirtemburg, Germany, May 11, 1854. He received his education at a school conducted by his father, and was apprenticeil to a watch- maker at an early age. He immigrated to the United States in 1872, to escape service in the German army, and engaged in the making of electrical clocks and meteorological instruments used by the Weather bureau. This'business was removed to Baltimore, and about 1876 he was constructing experimental maciiines, the inven- tion of Mr. Charles T. Moore, for producing jus- tified printed matter without the use of type, the first to make lithographic origin- als, and later ones to make stereotype ma- trices of papier ma- ch^. Although these machines and pro- cesses bordered on commercial success they never reached it. In 1883 Mr. Mergen- thaler started in busi- ness for himself in Bank lane, Balti- more, and thereafter conceived the idea of assembling (by touching finger-keys on a machine) brass matrices con- taining the required characters and spaces to make a justified line of matter. A cast in type- metal was automatically taken from these mat- rices, which was the equivalent of and used as a solid justified line of type. This plan overcame all the inherent defects of the previous ones. He made successively three different machines of this type, and the last one, finished about 1890, was practically the same as the standard linotype machine used in 1902 the world over. The staid art of printing which for over 400 years had dei)ended upon individual movable type was revolutionized. He received during his lifetime over $1,500,000 in royalties, and was awarded the Cresson medal by the Franklin institute, Phila- delphia, Pa. He died at his home in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 28, 1899.

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MERIWETHER, Colyer, educator, was born at Clark's Hill, S.C. ; sou of Nicholas and Emily (Collier) Meriwether ; grandson of Thomas and Margaret (Barksdale) Meriwether and of Hillary Mosely and Frances (Quarles) Collier, and a de- scendant of William Meriwether (born 1751) and of Joseph Collier (born 1749). He attended Fur- man university, Greenville, S.C, and Vanderbilt university, Nashville, Tenn., and was graduated from Johns Hopkins university, A.B., 1886. Ph.D.» 1893. He was in the employ of the educational department of the Japanese government in Sendai, Japan, 1889-92. He was married, in 1893, to Elizabeth S. Quynn, of Frederick, Md. He was elected a member of the Asiatic society of Japan and of the American Historical association, and secretary and treasurer of the Southern History association, Washington, D.C. He is the author of: History of Higher Education in South Carolina (1889); Date Masamune and his Embassy to Rome ; Asiatic Society of Japan (1892), and articles in leading periodicals.

MERIWETHER, David, representative, was born in Virginia in 1755. He joined the 14th Virginia regiment, Nov. 14, 1776, for service in the Revolutionary war. He was promoted 2d lieutenant, Dec. 28, 1777, served in New Jersey, and after Sept. 14, 1778, his regiment was desig- nated as the 10th Virginia. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, May 7, 1779, and served in tlie siege of Savannah, where he was taken prisoner, Oct. 9, 1779. He was exchanged and was again taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C, May 12. 1780. On his release he was transferred to the 1st Vir- ginia, Feb. 12, 1781, where he served till the close of the war. He settled in Wilkes county, Ga., in 1785, and represented that county in the Georgia legislature for several terms. He was elected a Democratic representative in the 7th congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Benjamin Taliaferro, Sept. 3, 1821, and wao re-elected to the 8th and 9th congresses, serving 1802-07. President Jefferson appointed him a commissioner to treat with the Creek Indians in 1804, and he was a commissioner with Andrew Jackson and Gov. Joseph McMinn. of Kentucky, in the Cherokee treaty of 1817, whereby a large territory west of the Appalachee river was ceded to the United States. He died near Athens, Ga., Nov. 16, 1822.

MERIWETHER, David, senator, was born in Louisa county, Va., Oct. 30, 1800. He removed to Kentucky with his parents in childhood, en- tered the employ of the American Fur company in 1818, and in 1819 was sent with a party of Pawnee Indians to open trade with New Mexico. The party was attacked by Mexican troops, most of the Indians were killed and he was captured