Brinton.] 1"*^ [May 4, 



war of the Revolution, from whom our late member derived his name. 

 The de Bennevilles were a French Huguenot family who joined the 

 settlement at Oley in the early years of the eighteenth century. 



His parents were George M. Keim and Julia C. Mayer. At the 

 time of his birth, the date of which was December lo, 1831, they 

 resided in Reading, Pa. There he received his preliminary 

 education, and later was at school in Georgetown, District of 

 Columbia. At an early age he matriculated at Dickinson C'ollege, 

 Carlisle, Pa., where he graduated in 1S49, when eighteen years 

 old. 



His first intention was to prepare himself as a mining engineer, 

 and with that object in view he removed to Philadelphia and 

 entered the laboratory of Dr. Charles M. Wetherill, where he 

 engaged in the study of chemistry with especial reference to assa}'- 

 ing and mineralogical analysis. 



Soon, however, his predilection for a more strictly professional 

 life asserted itself, and in the following year, 1850, he returned to 

 Reading, and began reading law in the office of Charles Davis. 

 Two years later he was admitted to the bar, and began practice in 

 the same city. 



At that time, the titles to many of the anthracite coal-bearing 

 tracts in Eastern Pennsylvania were by no means clear, and costly 

 and protracted litigation about them occupied the attention of the 

 courts. To these intricate questions Mr. Keim early devoted 

 himself, and rapidly acquired a remarkable familiarity with their 

 confusing details. This special knowledge brought him into con- 

 tact with many prominent owners and operators, and at the sugges- 

 tion of some of these he transferred his office to Pottsville, Pa., in 

 the year 1855. 



Here he formed a friendship which lasted for many years and 

 materiallv influenced his after-life. It was with Mr. Franklin B. 

 Gowen, who about that time began the practice of his profession at 

 the Schuylkill county bar. They were closely associated in many 

 important cases, and Mr. Keim's intimate knowledge of most of 

 the valuable titles in the anthracite coal basin soon obtained for him 

 a large and remunerative practice. 



When the Presidency of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad 

 Company became vacant through the resignation of Mr. Charles E. 

 Smith, at the request of the Board of Directors Mr. Gowen pro- 

 visionally accepted the position. His remarkable abilities, forci- 



