career by going to San Francisco, California, where he became a stockbroker. Instituting operations in this line in the year 18:74, his success was almost phenomenal, as is shown in the fact, already referred to incidentally, that he was able to retire at the age of twenty-seven years, having accumulated a fortune by his wise manipulations and rare business discrimination. The story of his brilliant success is as brief as it was astonishing, taking into consideration his youth and the difficulties with which he naturally had to contend.
After retiring from business in California, Mr. Jacobi devoted fourteen years to travel and recreation in Europe, and while thus journeying about from one place of interest to another he chanced to form the acquaintance of Dr. Leo Baekeland, who is now associated with him in the great enterprise which they have built up in Westchester county. A more formal description of this industry appears in connection with the sketch of Dr. Baekeland, which is published on other pages of this work. Suffice it to say at this point that the enterprise was inaugurated in 1893, when the Nepera Chemical Company was organized, its principal product being the celebrated Velox photographic paper — a sensitized paper for use in printing from ordinary photographic negatives, and one whose facility in manipulation is bound to revolutionize this feature of the photographic processes. The paper is described more fully in the review of the life of its inventor, Dr. Baekeland, but it will not be out of place to state here that the pronounced points of superiority in the product are that it is sensitive to what the photographer would call very "slow" light— that is, prints can be made with utmost facility not alone by daylight, but from the light of ordinary gas or lamp; while the process of developing and fixing the prints is by gas light or any artificial light. The Velox paper, however, gives results which equal anything that can be obtained from aristo papers, and also gives the depth of tone-shadows and lights which the aristo paper invariably blurs. In this respect the Velox is superior to both the aristo and the old-time albumen paper, which likewise had its elements of superiority over the former in the preservation of the more delicate values of the various negatives.
The Nepera Chemical Company has an extensive and finely equipped plant, which covers a large area, and here employment is afforded to one hundred individuals. The Velox paper met with an almost instantaneous favor on the part of photographers, and the product of the factory is now shipped to every civilized country in the world, foreign agencies having been established in a number of the principal cities abroad. In addition to these agencies in foreign lands, a number have been established in the various sections of the United States, and a large corps of traveling salesmen is employed by the company in the introducing and sale of the Velox paper. Besides Velox, however, the Nepera Chemical Company has the only manufactory in the world that produces all kinds of photographic papers, other manufacturers having their specialties only. In this respect the Nepera Chemical Company stands unique in its branch of industry. The enterprise has important bearing on the industrial status and prosperity of Yonkers, and is duly appreciated by all classes of citizens who are interested in the progress of the city. The company largely employ home labor and skill and pay good salaries, much of the work requiring the co-operation of practical chemists and men of education.
Personally Mr. Jacobi is a man of most pleasing personality, genial and affable in manner, and he has gained a distinctive popularity in both business and social circles. He is a thorough business man, alert and progressive, and a hard worker. He is quick and energetic, and is recognized for his superior ability in handling affairs of great breadth. He has pushed the business of the Nepera Chemical Company to the front with great rapidity, expending each year many thousand dollars in advertising, realizing that by this typical American method a business may be built up in one year to a point which could not be reached in ten by the slow system of gradual introduction of products by personal solicitation alone. He stands distinctively as the business head of the enterprise; Dr. Baekeland devotes his attention to the development and improvement of the manufacturing processes, by continued investigation and experimentation, being also secretary of the company; while Albert G. C. Hahn, M. S., is treasurer. Mr. Jacobi took up his residence in Yonkers in 1897.
KEAR, EDWARD B.
The present well known and popular supervisor of Yorktown township, Westchester county, was born March 24, 1866, and is a representative of an old and highly respected family of this county. His paternal great-grandfather, Jonathan Kear, who was of Welsh descent, settled near the present village of Yorktown some time prior to the Revolutionary war. His son, Peter Kear, the grandfather of our subject, was here reared to manhood and married Miss Susan Anderson, who was born at Croton-on-Hudson and was of German descent. To them was born a family of nine children, and of those who reached maturity we offer the following brief record: Peter is a resident of Geneva, New York; Amos died in 1891, his being the first death in the family for forty years; Henry C. is the father of our subject; William and George are both residents of Seneca Falls, New York; Cyrus resides at Almont, Michigan; Sarah Dean has her home at Rochester, New York; and Daniel also resides at Almont, Michigan. The mother of these children died at the age of eighty-two years, and the father two or three years later. By occupation he was a farmer, and in politics was a Republican.
Henry C. Kear, the father of our subject, is a native of Westchester county, born December 18, 1836, and was reared on the homestead at Yorktown, receiving his education in the public schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty-seven years he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Farmer, a native of Ireland, and to them were born two children: William C. , of Yorktown; and Edward B., of this sketch. The Kear homestead consists of two hundred and fifty-six acres of choice farming land, which has been placed under a high 'state of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. In fact it is one of the most valuable and attractive farms in the vicinity. To its further improvement and cultivation father and sons still devote their energies with most gratifying results, and Mr. Kear also owns a valuable farm of one hundred and forty acres in the town of Somers.
Edward B. Kear obtained his early education in the public schools near his boyhood home, and later attended the Hackettstown Institute, where he was graduated in the class of 1884. Since attaining his majority he has been a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and has taken an active and prominent part in local politics. His fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, elected him township clerk in 1889, and he has also been called upon to fill the offices of justice of the peace and township supervisor, in which he has served with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. Mr. Kear was again re-elected to the office of supervisor of the township in the spring of 1899, by an increased majority over his former opponent. In 1894 Mr. Kear was elected a justice of sessions of Westchester county, and filled that office till its abolishment by the constitutional amendment.
On the 3rd of June, 1896, Mr. Kear was carried to Miss Josephine Reynolds, of Croton Lake, a daughter of Lockwood Reynolds, of that place, and in the social circles of the community they occupy an enviable position
SHEPHERD, EUGENE P.
The well-known proprietor of the Croton Valley Poultry farm, at Croton Falls, Westchester county, is Eugene Purdy Shepherd, who was born in New Jersey, in 1864, the son of C. C. and Ann (Purdy) Shepherd. His maternal grandfather was Joel B. Purdy, a member of one of the old and prominent families of New York.
During his boyhood and youth Eugene P. Shepherd received a good practical education and also learned the jewelry trade, which he followed for a time. For some years he was also employed as a traveling salesman for a New York firm, but for the past seven years has engaged in his present business. He was married in 1895, the lady of his choice being Miss Ella Bailey, who died November 24, 1898, leaving two daughters, — Florence B. and Helen.
The Croton Valley Poultry farm is one of the best and most widely known farms of the kind in the state. The grounds are large, and a good residence has been erected on a natural building site. Mr. Shepherd has spent over four thousand dollars for stock and buildings and has converted it into an ideal poultry ranch. He makes a specialty
