palace car. It meant long and tedious days of staging--a monotonous ride
along the Erie canal from Schenectady to some point a little farther west,
and finally, when the lake was not frozen over, the perils of lake
navigation. In 1835, Cleveland, Erie and Sandusky were all struggling for
supremacy. When Mr. Raymond got as far west as Erie, he thought that might
be a good place for him "to drive a stake," but the number of newly made
graves suggested to him, on second thought, the propriety of getting out
of the place as speedily as possible. Cleveland at that time was beginning
to put on city airs--Kellogg's great hotel (the American) was slowly going
up. The only vacant store to be had by Mr. R. was a little wooden building
on the site of the present Rouse block--a location at that time about as
far out of town as it would be safe for a prudent merchant to venture.
Henry W. and Marvin Clark were associated with him in business, under the
firm name of Raymond & Clark.

Mr. Raymond was a merchant of more than ordinary business ability, a man
of scrupulous exactness in his business dealings. His extreme conservatism
in business management carried him safely through every commercial crisis.

Like most business men Mr. Raymond had but little time to devote to
political discussions. He voted the Whig ticket as long as the old Whig
party had an existence. In religions principles he was a Presbyterian, and
united with the First Presbyterian Church in 1840, at that time under the
pastoral charge of Rev. Dr. S. C. Aiken.

In the Winter of 1866, in compliance with his physician's advice, he took
a journey south for the benefit of his health, which had been impaired by
his unremitting devotion to business. In company with a party of friends
from Cincinnati, he and his wife left Louisville for Havana, in January.
On the 2d of February a telegram was received by the remaining members of