166 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



two daughters. He had many friends and was held in 

 high esteem in the social circles of Salem. Admitted to 

 membership, May 25, 1874. 



James R. Nichols died at his home, on Summer street, 

 Haverhill, Monday, Jan. 2, 1888. He was the son of 

 Stephen and Ruth Nichols and was born at Merrimac, 

 Mass., July 20, 1819, and went to Haverhill in early life 

 and filled a position in Dr. M. Nichols' drug store. At 

 the age of twenty-one he commenced the study of medi- 

 cine ^\^ith Dr. Kimball Flint ; attended medical lectures 

 at Dartmouth College. Ho opened a drug store in Hav- 

 erhill in 1843, continuing until 1856, when he removed to 

 Boston and established a wholesale drug and chemical store. 

 He returned to Haverhill in 1872. He visited Europe in 

 1855 and again in 1867. He founded in 1868 the " Jour- 

 nal of Chemistry" and was its editor for many years and 

 afterwards the senior editor of the popular "Science News." 

 He found time during his business career to write books 

 and give attention to inventions and discovery, lecturing 

 frequently upon science and agriculture and serving in va- 

 rious public and private capacities ; a pioneer in chemical 

 discoveries in which he has acquired great wealth ; the 

 author of several volumes, the last of which entitled 

 "Whence, What, Where," has had a great sale and has 

 passed through several editions. Since relinquishing his 

 business in Boston he has devoted himself to railroad man- 

 agement, a director in the Boston and Maine from 1873 

 to his decease. In 1867, he was appointed b}^ Mr. Pea- 

 body a trustee of the Peal^ody Academy of Science lo- 

 cated in Salem. Admitted to membership^ Dec. 9, 1857. 



Col. Samurl Cook Oliver, eldest son of the late Gen. 

 Henry Kemble and Sarah (Cook) Oliver, died at Salem, 

 Sunday, March 25, 1888, a graduate of the Salem Latin 



