Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/313

* MEIER. 281 MEILHAC. Athens appeared in 1817, had a great influence on Meier. His own first important publication dealt with a i|uestion in the legal antiquities of Athens, Hisluria Jiirix Allici dc liunis Vuiinia- tonim, ete. (I'.erlin, ISl'J) ; but his greatest work was written in collaboration with G. F. Schoemann, Der Attische Process (Berlin, 1824), and was crowned by the Berlin Royal Acad- emy. This treatise, now revised by J. H. Lipsius (Berlin, 188.3-87), remains the standard work on Athenian legal procedure to the present day. Meier also prepared an edition of De- mosthenes, Against Meidins, and published many opuscula on subjects relating to classical an- tiquity. Jluch of his energy, however, while resident at Halle, was spent on editorial duties, as lie was an editor of the Halle Allgemeine Zeitung for many years, and al.so co-editor of the AUgemeine Enri/clopiidie der Wisseyischaften und Kihisic from 18.30 to 18.55. MEIGGS, megz, Henry (1811-77). An Ameri- can contractor. He was born in Catskill, N. Y., was engaged in the lumber business in 1835. and failed in the commercial crisis of 1837. It was not until the outbreak of the gold excitement in California that he again became prosperous. He then shipped lumber in large quantities to the Pacific Coast, and his trade so increased that he was encouraged to Iniild a large number of ves- sels. At length a financial stringency in the San Francisco money market drove him to borrowing, and eventually, his business collapsing, he fled to South America. He settled in Cliile and en- tered into the business of bridge-building con- tractor. Later he devoted himself to railroad construction, and in Peru accomplisiied engineer- ing works which are objects of general admira- tion. He mnde contracts for the construction of six railroads in that country — one of which, the Callao, Lima and Oroya Railroad, over the Andes, ranks among the first public works of the kind in the world. MEIGS, Fort. See Fort Meigs. MEIGS, Montgomery Cunningham (1816- y-). An American soldier and military engineer. He was born in Augusta, Ga.. studied for a short time at the University of Pennsylvania, graduated at West Point in 183fi. and imme- diately afterwards became second lieutenant in an artillery companj'. In 1837 he was trans- ferred to the Corps of Engineers, in which he became a lieutenant in 1838 and captain in 1853. From 183(1 to 1852 lie was employed by the War Department on various important engineer- ing works. Between 1852 and 1800 he super- intended the construction of the Potomac Aque- duct from the Great Falls in JIaryland to Yash- ington, D. C. the erection of the Capitol exten- sion in Washington, the Post-Odice extension, and the great iron dome of the Capitol. In the winter of ISfiO-Cl he was engaged in placing Fort .TefTerson. Fla., in a condition for defense, and in .-pril; 1801. organized and conducted the Fort Pickens relief expedition. On May 15th he was appointed (Juartermaster-Oeneral of the United Stales Army, with the rank of brigadier- general. In this important position be had the direction of the supply and equipment of the United States forces in the field during the continuance of the war. Tlmugh generally sta- tioned at Washington, he frequently made per- sonal inspections of the quartermaster's depart- ments of the various armies during siege and field operations. On July 5, 18G4, he was brevetled major-general for 'distinguislied and meritorious services during the Rebellion." After the war until liis retirement in 1882, lie was a member of many important boards and commissions in connection with the War Department, .fter his retirement until 1887 he was employed as architect on the construction of the Pension Bureau Building in Washington. MEIGS, Return .JoxATii.vN (1734-1823). An -Vmerican soldier and pioneer, born in ^liddle- town. Conn. He joined the Continental troops before Boston shortly after the battle of Lexing- ton, and later in the same year, as a major of militia, accompanied Benedict Arnold on the lat- ter's expedition against (^luebee. He became a colonel in 1777, and participated in Anthony Wayne's storming of Stony Point in 1779. Afterthe close of the war he became interested in scliemes of Western colonization, was one of the promoters of the 'Ohio Company.' and cro.ssed the Al- leghanies himself in 1788 to settle at ^Marietta, Ohio. Later he was interested in the Muskingum settlement. In 1704 he was commissary-general of the troops in General Wayne's expedition against the Indians, and distinguished himself at the battle of Fallen Timbers. In 1801 he was appointed Indian agent, and took charge of the Cherokee agency in Georgia, where he re- mained until his death. His Journal of the Expedition, to Quebec was published in 1804. MEIGS, Return .J0N.4THAN (1705-1825). An American politician, born in iliddletown. Conn., son of Return .lonathan Meigs, the elder. He graduated at Yale in 1785, and studied law. In 1788 he removed with his father to Ohio Ter- ritory, and from 1803 to 1804 was Chief .lustice of the State. He was judge of the United States Court for Michigan Territory in 1807 and 1808 ; served as L'nited States Senator from Ohio in 1808-10: and from 1810 to 1814 was Governor of Ohio. His services during the War of 1812 were particularly efficient. In 1814 he Avas appointed Postmaster-General by President iladison, and he was continued in this office until 1823 by President Monroe. MEIKTILA, mik-te'la. A central division of Upper Biuiiia. comprising the districts of Meik- tila, Kyauske, ilyingyan, and Yamethin. Area, 10,854 square miles. "Population, in 1901, 994,- 432. Capital. Meiktila. MEILHAC, nia'yak'. Henri (1831-97). A French dramatist, who worked chiefly in col- l.aboration with Ludovic Halcvy (q.v. ). lie was born February 23. 1831, in Paris, where he studied at the LycCe Louis-le-Grand. From working in a book shop he turned to writing for the stage. Satania and Garde-toi, Je me garde, pleased the critics, who discerned ileilhae's cleverness and technical knowledge. He suc- ceeded not only in vaudeville, but in higher and more delicate comedy. It is. however, impos- sible to tell what behmgs to Meilhac and what to Halevy. so well did these two men blend their genius. Meilhac and Hah'vy excelled in operetta and opera lioufl'e. as well as in more dramatic, less musical composition. Together they wrote Frou-frou, and the librettos of La hellr Uelcne and La grande diicTiesse for Offenbach's music. Of Meilhae's work before 1801, La vertu de CHimetie is most significant; of that after 1881,