saved a small sum of money, invested it during the financial crisis of 1837 in depreciated currency, which, upon its subsequent rise, yielded him a handsome profit. He then bought Canadian bank-notes at a discount from residents of the American frontier, and cashed them at par in Canada. In this way he amassed sufficient capital to establish a bank at Watertown, N. Y., and afterward founded several other country banks. He then removed to New York, and became largely interested in railroads and railroad stocks. In 1861-'3 he was treasurer of the Michigan Southern railroad, and for six months of 1866 was president of the New York Central railroad. From June, 1868, until the time of his death, he was president of the Chicago and Northwestern, controlling manager of the North Indiana, and president of the Cleveland and Toledo railroad.
KEEP, John, clergvman, b. in Long Meadow, Mass., 20 April, 1781 ; d. in Oberlin, Ohio, 11 Feb., 1870. He was graduated at Yale in 1802, studied
theology, was licensed to preach in 1805, and for sixteen years was pastor of the Congregational church at Blanford, Mass. He removed to Homer,
N. Y., in 1821, and was pastor there till 1833, when he resigned. The year following he organized and became pastor of the 1st Congregational church,
Cleveland, and in 1835 became agent to raise funds for Oberlin college, leading the subscription by his own donation of $10,000. Soon after his election as a trustee of Oberlin, he gave as president of the
board the casting vote that admitted colored students. In 1837 he returned to pastoral work, then went on a mission to England to raise funds for
Oberlin, and in 1850 settled in Oberlin. He was the last surviving founder of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions.
KEESE, John, auctioneer, b. in New York
city, 24 Nov., 1805; d. in Brooklyn, 30 May, 1856.
He received an academical education, and at the
age of eighteen entered as clerk with a book-publishing
house in his native city. Several years
afterward he became partner in the concern, and
from 1842 until 1853 he was engaged in the
book-auction business. In 1854 Mr. Keese received the
appointment of appraiser of books in the New
York custom-house, which office he filled until his
death. While in office he devoted many evenings
to his former vocation of book auctioneer. During
his career Mr. Keese became widely known among
literary men and booksellers as a humorous off-hand
speaker, editor, and wit. He was the author
of many verses that appeared anonymously in the
periodicals of his time. In 1852 he delivered a
lecture on “The Influence of Knowledge” at the
Broadway tabernacle in New York city. After
the formation of the auction firm of Cooley, Keese
and Hill he began his opening address at the book-trade
sales, saying: “Gentlemen: You have a
right to know something about our methods and
plans of business. First, we shall on all occasions
take everything Cooley. As for the security of
your goods, they will always be under the
protection of excellent locks and Keese; and you may
rely on our stability, for we rest upon one of the
granite Hills of New Hampshire.” At another
time he offered a collection of poems by some
unknown author, remarking: “This is a book by a
poor and pious girl, who wrote poor and pious
poetry.” Again a parcel of books was knocked
down to one Owen Phalen, with the remark: “Don't
know about selling to a man who is always Owen
and Phalen.” Mr. Keese edited “The Poets of
America” (2 vols., New York, 1839-'40); “The
Poetical Remains of Lucy Hooper” (1842);
“Poems by Elizabeth Oakes Smith” (1843); “The
Mourner's Chaplet” (Boston, 1844); “The Winter-Green,”
an annual (1844); “The Opal,” an annual
(2 vols., 1846-'7); “The Forest Legendary” (1848);
and “The Floral Keepsake” (1850). He also
furnished a large part of the text for “North American
Scenery,” by Whitefield (1845). See “John
Keese — Wit and Litterateur,” by William L. Keese
(New York, 1884). — His son, William Linn, b.
in New York city, 25 Feb., 1835, was educated at
schools in Brooklyn and New York, and received a
mercantile training. He has frequently written in
prose and verse for newspapers and magazines, and
contributed articles to “Actors and Actresses of
Great Britain and the United States” (5 vols.,
New York, 1886). He has published, besides the
memoir of his father, mentioned above, “William
E. Burton — Actor, Author, and Manager” (1885).
KEHR, Gustav Herman (kair). German botanist,
b. in Freysingen in 1581; d. in Magdeburg
in 1639. He was professor in the universities of
Tübingen and Halle, and afterward librarian of
the Prince of Lippe-Detmold, who sent him in 1621
to America to study the plants of that country.
Kehr went first to New Spain, and after several
years crossed the Isthmus of Panama, and, sailing
for Patagonia, studied the plants of the country
that is now the Argentine Republic from 1624 till
1629, visiting afterward Chili, Brazil, and Peru. On
his return he published, among other works, “De
Sexu plantarum” (Magdeburg, 1631); “Aphorismi
botanicae” (Tübingen, 1633); “Historia generalis
plantarum Americanarum” (3 vols., Halle, 1635);
“Grundlehren der Anatomie und Physiologie der Pflanzen von Amerika” (Magdeburg, 1636); “Sertum Patagonicum et florula peruviensis” (2 vols., Dresden, 1636); “Criptogamæ Brasilienses ab Gustavius Kehr collectæ” (Magdeburg, 1632);
and “Reisen in Amerika” (2 vols., 1639).
KEIM, William High, soldier, b. near Reading, Pa., 25 June, 1813 ; d. in Harrisburg, Pa., 18 May, 1862. He was educated at Mount Airy military academy, Pa., was mayor of Reading in 1848, was elected to congress as a Democrat to fill a vacancy, and served in 1858-'9, and then became
surveyor-general of the state. In 1861 he was commissioned major-general of the Pennsylvania volunteers that were sent by order of the governor, under Gen. Robert Patterson, to defend the towns of Chambersburg, Pa., Hagerstown, Md., Harper's
