Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . 1875he became president of the Atlantic and Pacifictelegraph company, and in 1880 president of theAmerican Union telegraph company. On the con-solidation of these companies with the WesternUnion telegraph company, in 1881, he returnedto the service of the latter company as vice-presi-dent and general manager. ECKFELDT, Jacob Reese, assayer, b. in Phila-delphia, Pa., in March, 1803 ; d. there, 9 Aug.,1872. He early entered the U. S. mint, where hisfather was chief coiner, and by his capabilitiesrapidly rose until he was made chief assayer. Dur-ing h
Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . 1875he became president of the Atlantic and Pacifictelegraph company, and in 1880 president of theAmerican Union telegraph company. On the con-solidation of these companies with the WesternUnion telegraph company, in 1881, he returnedto the service of the latter company as vice-presi-dent and general manager. ECKFELDT, Jacob Reese, assayer, b. in Phila-delphia, Pa., in March, 1803 ; d. there, 9 Aug.,1872. He early entered the U. S. mint, where hisfather was chief coiner, and by his capabilitiesrapidly rose until he was made chief assayer. Dur-ing his term of office some English sovereigns weresent to the mint for recoinage, and they were re-ported by him as below the standard claimed. Thiswas confidently denied by the English authorities,who said, It is impossible; the London mintmakes no mistakes. Mr. Eckfeldt maintainedthat he was right, and subsequently an investiga-tion showed that he was. The excitement in mone-tary circles that followed resulted in a parliamen- ECKFORD EDDY 299. x^_£^ tary law ordering the closest possible examinationof the weight and fineness of all the coins in theworld. It was found that those of the UnitedStates were more uniform than the coins of othernations, and thenceforth Mr. Eokfeldts reputationas an assayer was world-wide. The office to whichhe was appointed during Andrew Jacksons presi-dency He held until his death. ECKFOIII), Henry, naval architect, b. in Ir-vine, Scotland, 12 March, 1775; d. in Constanti-nople, 12 Nov., 1832. In his sixteenth year he wasplaced with a naval constructor at Quebec, and in1790 removed to New York, where he introducedimportant changes in the art of ship-building, andtook the lead in this business, his vessels provingsuperior in strength and speed. In the secondwar with Great Britain, 1812-15, he was employed by the governmentto construct ships-of-war on the lakes, andfilled the contractwith expedition andskill. After the warhe built the steam-er Robert F
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