f-. ■ f J -'''''■ ' ■' ■( '. [!■•'< '>■■!'. .', r '' !': i: ' -./^ \^'\ -V/^- \5^;^'^\\VV^'^./% ^^"^.^ '^ ■x^^ > ";>. v. 'Bit- °. AV ." / '-■'H^ V ' >^ A^ * jr-''^^. ■<■ . - ^" '"-^ ' -^ A>; ~ . ^ A^ " /" ,•••■•-/. ;v-'*/, .V'---v\ ■''-'••■\p^.••-•^V•■;>^■''••.^;••■■/■• .A ■ ' A ■ '', .o -^ '/ v"' ,A OO^ 'V' A v*"" -'*. v. •0^ •V, * ^ ■ '^^*^ ; A^^^ . s*^ V'; "^^ V^' - /■ ^/. ..^^^ .-- '-^^ '^^ C^^ -^• .^"^ ■'■*.. A*' %^' - A^''% X^"^ ''^. N«°<. 'A ^0 0"^ *^. o<- A^^^ .V •/ "*, ' .-6- % A\^ o 0' '<^. C^^ ,%*---:X-.:V' '^-V- >^"^^^''^'^ ' -r^ -6' C. v.* ♦ ' • " / x .A- s^ '/, C 1' K ^* V xO^x. JS5I A BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Q9_ OK SCHUYLER COUNTY NKW YORK ILLUSTRATED T'/te people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors vjill never achieve anything -worthy to be remembered 1.1:1 Ih pride by remote generations. — Macaulav. NEW YORK AND CHICAGO: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 190:i. FTzT Biography is the only true History. — Emerson. A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will nevei achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations. — Macaulay. -* i w W'/ PREFACE. HE greatest of English historians, Macaulay, and one of the most brilliant writers of tiic present century, has said : "The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its people." In con- formity with this idea, the BioCtKAphical Record has been prepared. Instead of going to musty records, and taking therefrom dry statistical matter that can be appreciated by but few, our corps of writers have gone to the people, the men and women who have, by their enterprise and industry, brought this county to a rank second to none among those comprising this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of their life struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelligent public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and economy, have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited advantages for securing an education, have become learned men and women, with an influence extending throughout the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and records how that success has usu- ally crowned their efforts. It tells also of those, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued the " even tenor of their way," content to have it said of them, as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy — "They nave done what they could." It tells how many, in the pride and strength of young manhood, left the plow and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's call went forth valiantly " to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was restored and peace once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every woman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those who follow after. Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from the fact that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which would otherwise be inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the'work and every opportunity possible given to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written ; and the publishers flatter themselves that they give to their readers a work with few errors of consequence. In addition to biographical sketches, portraits of a number of representative citizens are given. The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed in this volume. For this the publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper conception of the work, some refused to give the information necessary to compile a sketch, while others were indifferent. Occasionally some member of the family would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such opposition the support of the interested one would be withheld. In a few instances men never could be found, though repeated calls were made at their residence or place of business. April, 1903. The S. T- Ci.AiiKE Publishlng Co. CONTENTS GENERAL INDEX. Table of Contents, Introductory, - 3 11 Compendium of National Biography, - 13 Compendium of Local Biography, - 223 INDEX TO PART I. Compendium of National Biography. Biographical Sketches of National Celebrities. page Abbott, Lyman 144 Adams, Charles Kendall 143 Adams, John 25 Adams, John Quincy 61 Agassiz, Louis J. R 137 Alg-er, Russell A 173 Allison, William B 131 Allston, Washington 190 Altgeld, John Peter 140 Andrews, Elisha B 184 Anthony, Susan B 62 Armour, Philip D 62 Arnold, Benedict 84 Arthur, Chester Allen 168 Astor, John Jacob 139 Audubon, John James 166 Bailey, Tames Montgomery... 177 Bancroft, George 74 Barnard, Frederick A. P 179 Barnum, Phineas T 41 Barrett, Lawrence 156 Barton, Clara 209 Bayard, Thomas Francis 200 Beard, William H 196 Beauregard, Pierre G. T 203 Beecher. Henry Ward 26 Bell, Alexander Graham 96 Bennett, James Gordon 206 Benton, Thomas Hart 53 Bergh, Henry 160 Bierstadt, Albert 197 Billings, Josh 166 Blaine, James Gillespie 22 Bland, Richard Parks 106 page Boone, Daniel 36 Booth, Edwin 51 Booth, Junius Brutus 177 Brice, Calvin S 181 Brooks, Phillips 130 Brown, John 51 Brown, Charles Farrar 91 Brush, Charles Francis 153 Bryan, William Jennings 158 Bryant, William Cullen . 44 Buchanan, Franklin lO-i Buchanan, James 128 Buckner, Simon Boliver 188 Burdette, Robert J 103 Burr, Aaron Ill Butler, Benjamin Franklin 24 Calhoun, John Caldwell 23 Cameron, James Uonald 141 Cameron, Simon 141 Cammack, Addison 197 Campbell, Alexander 180 Carlisle, John G 133 Carnegie, Andrew 73 Carpenter, Matthew Hale 178 Carson, Christopher (Kit) 86 Cass, Lewis 110 Chase, Salmon Portland 65 Childs. George W 83 Choate, Rufus 207 Chaflin, Horace Brigham 107 Clay, Henry 21 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. . 86 Cleveland, Grover 174 Clews, Henry 153 PAGE. Clinton, DeWitt 110 Colfax, Schuyler 139 Conklin, Alfred 32 Conklin, Roscoe 32 Cooley, Thomas Mclntyre. .. . 140 Cooper, James Fenimore 58 Cooper, Peter 37 Copely, John Singleton 191 Corbin, Austin 205 Corcoran, W. W 196 Cornell, Ezra 161 Cramp, William 189 Crockett, David . , 76 Cullom, Shelby Moore 116 Curtis, George William 144 Cushman, Charlotte 107 Custer, George A 95 Dana, Charles A 88 "Danbury News Man" 177 Davenport, Fanny 106 Da vis, Jefferson 24 Debs, Eugene V 1:« Decatur, Stephen 101 Deering, William 198 Depew, Chauncey Mitchell... 209 Dickinson, Anna 103 Dickinson, Don M 139 Dingley, Nelson, Jr 215 Donnelly, Ignatius 161 Douglas, Stephen .Arnold 53 Douglass, Frederick 43 Dow, Neal 108 Draper, John William 184 TABLE OF CONTENTS— PART I PAGE Drexel, Anthony Joseph 124 Dupont, Henry 198 Edison, Thomas Alva 55 Edmunds, George F 201 Ellsworth, Oliver 168 Emerson, Ralph Waldo 57 Ericsson, John 127 Evarts, William Maxwell 89 Farragut, David Glascoe 80 Field, Cyrus West. . .• 173 Field, Uavid Dudley 126 Field, Marshall 59 Field, Stephen Johnson 216 Fillmore, Alillard 113 Foote, Andrew Hull 176 Foraker, Joseph B 143 Forrest, Edwin 92 Franklin, Benjamin 18 Fremont, John Charles 29 Fuller, Melville Weston 168 Fulton, Robert 62 Gage, Lyman J 71 Gallatin, Albert 112 Garfield, James A 163 Garrett, John Work 20O Garrison, William Lloyd 50 Gates, Horatio 70 Gatling, Richard Jordan 116 (George, Henry 203 Gibbons, Cardinal James 209 Gilmore, Patrick Sarsfield 77 Girard, Stephen 137 Gough, John B 131 Gould, Jay 62 Gordon, John B 215 Grant, Ulysses S 155 Gray, Asa 88 Gray, Elisha 149 Greeley, Adolphus W 142 Greeley, Horace 20 Greene, Nathaniel 69 Gresham, Walter Quintin 183 Hale, Edward Everett 79 Hall, Charles Francis 167 Hamilton, Alexander 31 Hamlin, Hannibal 214 Hampton, Wade 192 Hancock, Winticld Scott 146 Hanna, Marcus Alonzo 169 Harris, Isham G 214 Harrison, William Henry 87 Harrison, Benjamin 182 Harvard, John 129 Havemeyer, John Craig 182 Hawrhorne, Nathaniel 135 Hayes, Rutherford Birchard., . 157 Hendricks, Thomas Andrew.. 212 Henry, Joseph 105 Henry, Patrick 83 Hill,Uavid Bennett 90 Hobart, Clarrett A 213 Holmes, Oliver Wendell 206 Hooker, Joseph 52 Howe, Elias 130 Howells, William Dean 104 PAGE Houston, Sam 120 Hughes, Archbishop John 157 Hughitt, Marvin 159 Hull. Isaac 169 Huntington, Collis Potter 94 Ingalls, John James 114 Ingersoll, Robert G 85 Irving, Washington 33 Jackson, Andrew 71 Jackson, " -Stonewall " 67 Jackson, Thomas Jonathan 67 Jay, John 39 Jefferson, Joseph 47 Jefferson, Thomas 34 Johnson, Andrew 145 Johnson, Eastman 202 Johnston, Joseph Eccleston... . 85 Jones, James K 171 Jones, John Paul 97 Jones, Samuel Porter 115 Kane, Elisha Kent 125 Kearney, Philip 210 Kenton, Simon 188 Knox, John Jay 134 Lamar, Lucius Q. C 201 Landon, Melville D 109 Lee, Robert Edward 38 Lewis, Charles B 193 Lincoln, Abraham 135 Livermore, Mary Ashton 131 Locke, David Ross 172 Logan, John A 26 Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth 37 Longstreet, James 56 Lowell, lames Russell 104 Mackay, John William 148 Madison, James 42 Marshall, John 156 Mather, Cotton 164 Mather, Increase 163 Maxim, Hiram S 194 McClellan, George Brinton 47 McCormick, Cyrus Hall 172 McDonough, Com. Thomas.. . 167 McKinley, William 217 Meade, George Gordon 75 Medill, Joseph 159 Miles, Nelson A 176 Miller, Cincinnatus Heine 218 Miller, Joaquin 218 Mills, Roger Quarles 211 Monroe, James 54 Moody, Dwight L 207 Moran, Thomas 98 Morgan, John Pierpont 208 Morgan, John T 216 Morris, Robert 165 Morse, Samuel F. B 124 Morton, Levi P 142 .Morton, Oliver Perry 215 Motley, John Lathrop 130 "Nye, Bill" 59 Nye, Edgar Wilson 59 PAGE O'Conor, Charles 187 OIney, Richard 133 Paine, Thomas 147 Palmer, John M 195 Parkhurst, Charles Henry 160 "Partington, .Mrs." 202 Peabody, George 170 Peck, George W 187 Peffer, William A 164 Perkins, Eli 109 Perry, Oliver Hazard 97 Phillips, Wendell 30 Pierce, Franklin 122 Pingrce, Hazen S 212 Plant, Henry B 192 Poe, Edgar Allen 69 Polk, James Knox 102 Porter, David Dixon 68 Porter, Noah 93 Prentice, George Denison.. . . 119 Prescott, William Hickling 96 Pullman, George Mortimer 121 Quad, M 193 Quay Matthews 171 Randolph, Edmund 136 Read, Thomas Buchanan 132 Reed, Thomas Brackett 208 Reid, Whitelaw 149 Roach, John 190 Rockefeller, John Davison 195 Root, George Frederick 218 Rothermel, Peter F 113 Rutledge, John 67 Sage, Russell 211 Schofield, John McAllister 199 Schurz, Carl 201 Scott, Thomas Alexander 204 Scott, Winfield 79 Seward, William Henry 44 Sharon, William 165 Shaw, Henry W 166 Sheridan, Phillip Henry 40 Sherman, Charles R 87 Sherman, John 86 Shillaber, Benjamin Penhallow 202 Sherman, William Tecumseh.. 30 Smith, Eilmuiul Kirby 114 Sousa, John Philip 60 Spreckels, Claus 169 Stanford, Leiand 101 Stanton, Edwin McMasters... 179 .Stanton, Elizabeth Cady 126 Stephens, Alexander Hamilton 32 Stephenson, Adiai Ewing.. . . 141 Stewart, Alexander T 58 Stewart, William Morris 213 Stowe, Harriet Elizabeth Beecher 66 Stuart, James E. B 122 Sumner, Charles 34 Talmage, Thomas DeWitt . . 60 Taney, Roger Brook' 129 Taylor, Zacharv 108 Teller, Henry Si 127 TABLE OF CONTENTS— PART I PAGE Tesla, Nikola 193 Thomas, George H 73 Thomas, Theodore 172 Thurman, Allen G 90 Thurston, John M Itifi Tililen, Samuel J 48 Tillman, Benjamm Ryan 119 Toombs, Robert 205 "Twain, Mark" 86 Tyler, lohn 93 \'an Buren, Martin 78 X'anderbilt, Cornelius 35 Vail. Alfred 154 Vest, George Graham 214 PAGE Vilas, William Freeman 140 Voorhees, Daniel Wolsey 95 Walte, Morrison Remich 125 Wallace, Lewis 199 Wallack, Lester 121 Wallack, John Lester 121 Wanainaker, John 89 Ward, "Artemus" 91 Washlnirne, Elihu Benjamin. . 189 Washington, George ? 17 . Watson, Thomas E 178 Watterson, Henry 76 Weaver, James B 123 Webster. Daniel 19 PAGE Webster. Noah 49 Weed, Thurlow 91 West, Benjamin 115 Whipple, Henry Benjamin. . . . 161 White, Stephen \' 162 Whitelield, George 160 Whitman, Walt 197 Whitney, Eli 120 Whitney, William Collins 92 Whittier, John Greenleaf 67 Willard, Frances E 133 Wilson, William L 180 Winchell, Alexander 175 Windom, William 138 PORTRAITS OF NATIONAL CELEBRITIES. PAGE Alger, Russell A 16 Allison, William B 99 Anthony, Susan B 63 Armour, Philip D 151 Arthur, Chester A 81 Barnum, Phineas T 117 Beecher, Henry Ward 27 Blaine, James G 151 Booth, Edwin 63 Bryan, Wm. J 63 Bryant, William Cullen 185 Buchanan, James 81 Buckner, Simon B 16 Butler Benjamin F 151 Carlisle, John G 151 Chase, Salmon P 16 Childs, George W 99 Clay, Henry 81 Cleveland, Grover 45 Cooper, Peter 99 Dana, Charles A 151 Depew, Chauncey M 117 Douglass, Fred 63 Emerson, Ralph Waldo 27 Evarts, William M 99 Farragut, Com. D. G 186 Field, Cyrus W 63 PAGE Field, Marshall 117 Franklin, Bt-njamin 63 Fremont, Gen. John C 16 Gage, Lyman J 151 Garfield, James A 45 Garrison, William Lloyd 63 George, Henry 117 Gould, lay 99 Grant, Gen. U. S 185 Greeley, Horace 81 Hampton, Wade 16 Hancock, Gen. Winfield S 185 Hanna, ^L■^rkA 117 Harrison, lienjamin 81 Hayes, R. B 46 Hendricks, Thomas A 81 Holmes, Oliver W 151 Hooker, Gen. Joseph 16 Ingersoll, Robert G 117 Irving, Washington 27 Jackson, Andrew 45 Jefferson, Thomas 45 Johnston, Gen. J. E 16 Lee, Gen. Robert E 185 Lincoln, Abraham 81 Logan, Gen. lohn A 16 Longfellow, Henry W 185 PACE Longstreet, Gen. James 16 Lowell, James Russell 27 McKinley, William 45 Morse, S. F. B 185 Phillips, Wendell 27 Porter, Com. D. D 185 Pullman, George M 117 Quay, M. S 99 Reed, Thomas B 151 Sage, Russell 117 Scott, Gen. Wintield 185 Seward, William H 45 Sherman, John 99 Sherman, Gen. W. T 151 Stanton, Elizabeth Cady 27 Stowe, Harriet Beecher 27 Sumner. Charles 45 Talmage, T. DeWitt 63 Teller, Henry M 99 Thurman, Allen G 81 Tilden, Samuel J 117 Van Buren, Martin 81 Vanderbilt, Commodore 99 Webster, Daniel 27 Whittier, John G 2^ Washington, George 45 Watterson, Henry 63 INDKX PAGE Austin, Charles 485 Avers, \V. E 288 Bailey, Lewis 307 Bailey, Mrs. L. M 393 Baird, James 423 Baldwin. H. J 268 Baldwin, W. H 223 Ball, A. G 424 Ball, C. B 425 Barnes, George C 543 Beach, Oliadiah 413 Beahan, James 376 Beardslee, Amos 250 Beardsley, Philo 531 Becker, A. G 233 Beckwith, C. S 543 Beecher, Truman G 277 Bell. Dr. Robert 290 Bess, Lewis F 508 Bicknell, Dr. G. C 311 Birdsall, J. E 374 Bis.sell, E. R 427 Bower, O. P 482 Boyd, John A 450 Boyne, Edwin 285 Boyne, Moses 284 Bradley, L. H 333 Burch, Lester 527 Carey, Fred 501 Carney, Hugh 385 Carver, Ira 271 Case, G. A 284 Cass, M. M 383 Catlin, H. B 372 Catlin, Phineas 371 Chapman, A. F 521 Chapman, Charles 530 Chapman, George H 529 PAGE Charles, Simon 419 Clark. Thomas R 23s Clawson, Charles D 436 Coats, J. B 516 Cole, Fremont 251 Cole, S. B 481 Coon, Samuel M 411 Corbett, J. Wallace 316 Corbett, O. R 227 Corby. James H 453 Couch, Capt. H. L 326 Covert, S. H 532 Covert, Abraham C 534 Cramer, Michael 539 Crawford, Albert 401 Crawford, D. S 525 Crawford, J. B 467 Crawford. Leonard 466 Crippen. James 455 Cronk, William 278 Crout, W. A 443 Davies, J. L 536 Davis, Frederick 286 Day, Charles 355 Dean, Erastus 526 Decker, H. F 429 Dcmun. Matthias 414 Dcnison, William W 542 Denning. George 480 Dewey, George J 455 Dibble, Charles Schuyler 390 Dibble, Perry 331 Dickens, Clarence 305 Doty. Isaac E 249 Durgec, W. L 354 Dnrland, L. H 345 Dusenl)erry, Joseph R 358 Elli.s, C. N 240 PAGE Ely, George M 336 Ely, William B 374 Ennis, Fred S 500 Everts, C. H 295 Everts, C. M 488 Everts, J. B 283 Evleth, Atwood 337 Fcro, John 246 Finlan, J. T 421 Flanders, William 496 Foley, John 403 Ford, Alonzo 546 Fordham, Dr. G. C 331 Frost, C. S 321 Frost, M. L 392 Gano, L. M 360 tianung. Scely R 507 Gilison. Peter 384 Gile. Oiarles D 370 Goltry, Dr. G. H 347 Gould, George W 312 Grant, C. D 528 Graves, Avery P 426 Graves. Richard 412 Gunderman, W. S 289 Haddock, James A 404 Hager, Charles H 267 Hall, Jerome B 473 Halwick, John 242 Handrahan, John 332 Hanley, James 389 Hanley, S. 1 456 Haring. Charles 448 Haring. Garret 502 Haring, George 458 Haring, O. R 470 Harvey. Frank A 541 INDEX. PAGE Haubner. Ignatz 304 Hausmer, Jacob 524 Ha wes, P. Halsey 396 Heckman, George W 510 Henyan, Addison 388 Hicks, David 494 Hillemian, C. D 363 Hollett, B. B 403 Hope, J. D 342 Horning, G. C 439 Howard, Daniel 232 Howard, Henry S 462 Howell, Wellington 339 Hoxsie, Joshua 484 Hughey, Joseph H 490 Hughey, M. B 440 Hurley, David 392 Irish, F. F 319 Jackson, Charles N 402 Jayne. Ezra C 474 Jeffers. W. H 514 Jones, NicoII F 472 Kimble, Charles 495 Knapp, Albert 483 I.ackerby. John 449 LaDow, O. S 357 LaFever, Lovett 428 LaRuc. H. B 447 Lee, Franklin 468 Lee, George 465 Leffingwcll. W. E 308 Leonard, Herbert J 457 Lockwood, G. C 511 Mack, E. J 45 1 Macreery, John B 499 McCrecry, Mrs. Margaret.... 386 Magec, Duncan S 248 Magee, Gen. George J 223 Magee. Col. John 236 Magce, Hon. John 254 Mahoney, Mrs. Elizabeth 373 Main, Tracy M 505 Maloney. Richard 323 Martin. .'\. 1 231 ^rarti^, W. S 356 Matthews, Milford 359 PAGE Meeks, Ira B 312 Messig, Carrol 464 Messig. William 480 Miller, AnK>s 338 Miller, Frank L 378 Moore, E. V 454 Moran, W. J 306 Nagle, John 296 Nordike, J. L 538 Norrhrup. F. W 420 Northrup. Seaman F 421 Nye. Olin T 243 O'Day, Peter 519 Ogden, John W 264 Page. Jonathan 444 Palmer, Benjamin 364 Palmer, J. D 324 Palmer, S. H 366 Palmer. William C 395 Parker, Darius 474 Parker. George 475 Parker, Edmund 303 Patchen. Charles H 315 Patterson, James 520 Payne. C. A 426 Pecorara. .Albert 394 Piper, B. 1 476 Prentiss, Horace J 518 Price. John X 463 Quick. James M 517 Randall, John 446 Redncr, Herman L 509 Redncr. Virgil ' 506 Reich. Carl August 417 Reynolds. D. M 286 Rhodes. C. B 382 Rich, C. B 439 Ringer, George A 333 Rorick, Cornelius 537 Rorick, Peter 469 Rosebrook, Lorenzo 535 Rosenkrans. George W 344 Sayler, II. C 471 Schuyler. John Edwin 333 Scobcy. Benjamin W 430 PAGE Seaman, W. D 280 Shappie, David 484 Sherman, W. S 369 Shulcnburg. J. H 270 Sirrine, Fred B 538 Sloane, C. A 410 Smith. J. B 493 Smith, Osborn 331 Smith, William V 261 Soule, George Aiken 486 Stalcy, Luther C 281 Stewart. Alexander 526 Stilwell, Dr. H. Proper 349 Stoughton, James H 512 Sullivan, J. D 387 Sullivan, P. B 323 Suppler, William 498 Sutphen, Charles M 314 Sutphen, Peter 313 Swan, Elias 487 Swick, John H 367 Swick. Oliver P 435 Tompkins, Ira S 513 Townsend, J. W 241 Tucker, W. J 252 L'lman. Cyranus 340 Van .Mien, Cornelius 297 Van Allen, J. J 298 Vanderhoof. Dr. W. W 318 \'an Doren, H. W 301 Vedder, H. S 407 Wait, George C 276 Wait. Hon. W. H 272 Wallenbeck. W. G 318 Warden, William 491 Wangh, William 263 Waugh. W. S 330. Wickham, Clark 230 Wickham. M. L 247 Wickham, William 418 Williams, John D 498 Williams, O. H 266 Wilson, Peter 492 Wilcox, W. D 497 Winne. C. W 340 Wispert. George .^88 Woodward, .\rthur C 303 / i'c^^ Celebrated Americans ^^i^^i^^,^]^ COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY . . OF . . M^ '^1^'^^'^J^'^i^ L.^-^^0 |EORGE WASHINGTON, the first president of the Unit- ed States, called the "Father of his Country," was one of the most celebrated characters in history. He was born Feb- ruary 22, 1732, in Washing- ton Parish, Westmoreland county, Virginia. His father, Augustine Washington, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, and March t, 1730, he -married Mary Ball. Of six children by his second marriage, George was the eldest. Little is known of the early years of Washington, beyond the fact that the house in which he was born was burned during his early childhood, and that his father there- iip(jn moved to another farm, inherited from his paternal ancestors, situated in Stafford county, on the north bank of the Rappahan- nock, and died there in 1743. From earliest childhood George developed a noble charac- ter. His education was somewhat defective, being confined to the elementary branches taught him by his mother and at a neighbor- ing school. On leaving school he resided some time at Mount Vernon with his half brother, Lawrence, who acted as his guar- dian. George's inclinations were for a sea- faring career, and a midshipman's warrant was procured for him; but through the oppo- sition of his mother the project was aban- doned, and at the age of si.xteen he was appointed surveyor to the immense estates of the eccentric Lord Fairfax. Three years were passed by Washington in a rough fron- tier life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very essential to him In 1751, when the Virginia militia were put under training with a view to active service against France, Washington, though only nineteen years of age, was appointed adjutant, with the rank of major. In 1752 Lawrence Washington died, leaving his large property to an infant daughter. In his will George was named one of the executors and as an eventual heir to Mount Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece, soon succeeded to that estate. In 1753 George was commis- sioned adjutant-general of the Virginia militia, and performed important work at the outbreak of the French and Indian war, was rapidly promoted, and at the close of that war we find him commander-in-chief of •i^Trlxht ISV;. hj Gm. a, OfU * C«. 18 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. all the forces raised in Virginia. A cessation of Indian hostilities on the frontier having followed the expulsion of the French from the Ohio, he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Virginia forces, and then proceeded to Williamsburg to take his seat in the Virginia Assembly, of which he had been elected a member. January 17, 1759, Washington marred Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Curtis, a young and beautiful widow of great wealth, and devoted himself for the ensuing fifteen years to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, inter- rupted only by the annual attendance in winter upon the colonial legislature at Williamsburg, until summoned by his coun- try to enter upon that other arena in which his fame was to become world-wide. The war for independence called Washington into service again, and he was made com- mander-in-chief of the colonial forces, and was the most gallant and conspicuous figure in that bloody struggle, serving until Eng- land acknowledged the independence of each of the thirteen States, and negotiated with thetn jointly, as separate sovereignties. December 4, 1783, the great commander took leave of his officers in most affection- ate and patriotic terms, and went to An- napolis, Maryland, where the congress of the States was in session, and to tiiat body, when peace and order prevailed everywhere, resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon. It was in 1 789 that Washington was called to the chief magistracy of the na- tion. The inauguration took place April 30, in the presence of an immense multi- tude which had assembled to witness the new and imposing ceremony. In the manifold de- tails of his civil administration Washington proved himself fully equal to the requirements of his position. In 1792, at the second presi- dential election, Washington was desirous to retire; but he yielded to the general wish of the country, and was again chosen presi- dent. At the third election, in 1796, he was again most urgently entreated to con- sent to remain in the executive chair. This he positively refused, and after March 4, 1797, he again retired to Mount Vernon for peace, quiet, and repose. Of the call again made on this illustrious chief to quit his repose at Mount Ver- non and take command of all the United States forces, with rank of lieutenant-gen- eral, when war was threatened with France in 1798, nothing need here be stated, ex- cept to note the fact as an unmistakable testimonial of the high regard in which he was still held by his countrymen of all shades of political opinion. He patriotic- ally accepted this trust, but a treaty of peace put a stop to all action under it. ' He again retired to Mount Vernon, where he died December 14, 1799, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. His remains were depos- ited in a family vault on the banks of the Potomac, at Mount Vernon, where they still lie entombed. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, an eminent American statesman and scientist, was born of poor parentage, January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was appren- ticed to his brother James to learn the print- er's trade to prevent his running away and going to sea, and also because of the numer- ous family his parents had to support (there being seventeen children, Benjamin being the fifteenth). He was a great reader, and soon developed a taste for writing, and pre- pared a number of articles and had them published in the paper without his brother's knowledge, and when the authorship be- came known it resulted in difficuky for the COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAFHr. 1) young apprentice, although his articles had been received with favor by the public. James was afterwards thrown into prison for political reasons, and young Benjamin con- ducted the paper alone during the time. In 1823, however, he determined to endure his bonds no longer, and ran away, going to Philadelphia, where he arrived with only three pence as his store of wealth. With these he purchased three rolls, and ate them as he walked along the streets. He soon found employment as a journeyman printer. Two years later he was sent to England by the governor of Pennsylvania, and was promised the public printing, but did not get it. On his return to Philadelphia he estab- lished the '"Pennsylvania Gazette," and soon found himself a person of great popu- larity in the province, his ability as a writer, philosopher, and politician having reached the neighboring colonies. He rapidly grew in prominence, founded the Philadelphia Li- brary in 1842, and two years later the American Philosophical Society and the University of Pennsylvania. He was made Fellow of the Royal Society in London in 1775. His world-famous investigations in electricity and lightning began in 1746. He became postmaster-general of the colonies in 1753, having devised an inter-colonial postal system. He advocated the rights of the colonies at all times, and procured the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766. He was elected to the Continental congress of 1775, and in 1776 was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, being one of the commit- tee appointed to draft that paper. He rep- resented the new nation in the courts of Europe, especially at Paris, where his simple dignity and homely wisdom won him the admiration of the court and the favor of the people. He was governor of Pennsylvania tour vears; was also a member of the con- vention in 1787 that drafted the constitution of the United States. His writings upon political topics, anti- slavery, finance, and economics, stamp him as one of the greatest statesmen of his time, while his "Autobiography" and "Poor Richard's Almanac" give him precedence in the literary field. In early life he was an avowed skeptic in religious matters, but later in life his utterances on this subject were less extreme, though he never ex- pressed approval of any sect or creed. He died in Philadelphia April 17, 1790. DANIEL WEBSTER.— Of world wide reputation for statesmanship, diplo- macy, and oratory, there is perhaps no more prominent figure in the history of our coun- try in the interval between i8r5 and 1S61, than Daniel Webster. He was born at Salisbury (now Franklin), New Hampshire, January 18, 1782, and was the second son of Ebenezer and Abigail (Eastman) Webster. He enjoyed but limited educational advan- tages in childhood, but spent a few months in 1797, at Phillip Exeter Academy. He completed his preparation for college in the family of Rev. Samuel Wood, at Boscawen, and entered Dartmouth College in the fall of 1797. He supported himself most of the time during these years by teaching school and graduated in 180 1, having the credit of being the foremost scholar of his class. He entered the law office of Hon. Thomas \V. Thompson, at Salisbury. In 1S02 he con- tinued his legal studies at Fryeburg, Maine, where he was principal of the academy and copyist in the office of the register of deeds. In the office of Christopher Gore, at Boston, he completed his studies in 1804-5, ^^^ was admitted to the bar in the latter year, and at Boscawen and at Ports- mouth soon rose to eminence in his profes- 20 COMPENDIUM OF BTOGRAPHT. sion. He became known as a federalist but did not court political honors; but, at- tracting attention by his eloquence in oppos- ing the war with England, he was elected to congress in 1S12. During the special session of May, 1813, he was appointed on the committee on foreign affairs and made his maiden speech June 10. 1S13. Through- out this session (as afterwards) he showed his mastery of the great economic questions of the day. He was re-elected in 1S14. In 1 8 16 he removed to Boston and for seven years devoted himself to his profession, sarning by his arguments in the celebrated "Dartmouth College Case" rank among the most distinguished jurists of the country. !n 1820 Mr. Webster was chosen a member of the state convention of Massachusetts, to revise the constitution. The same year he delivered the famous discourse on the " Pil- grim fathers," which laid the foundation for his fame as an orator. Declining a nomi- nation for United States senator, in 1822 he was elected to the lower house of congress and was re-elected in 1S24 and 1826, but in 1S27 was transferred to the senate. He retained his seat in the latter chamber until 1 84 1. During this time his voice was ever lifted in defence of the national life and honor and although politically opposed to him he gave his support to the administra- tion of President Jackson in the latter's con- test with nullification. Through all these /-ears he was ever found upon the side of v'ight and justice and his speeches upon all ihe great questions of the day have be- come household words in almost every liinily. In 1841 Mr. Webster was appointed secretary of state by President Harrison and was continued in the same office by President Tyler. While an incumbent of thisofiice he showed consummate ability as a diplomat in the negotiation of the " Ash- burton treaty " of August 9, 1849, which settled many points of dispute between the United States and England. In May, 1843, he resigned his post and resumed his pro- fession, and in December, 1845, took his place again in the senate. He contributed in an unofficial way to the solution of the Oregon question with Great Britain in 1847. He was disappointed in 1848 in not receiv- ing the nomination for the presidency. He became secretary of state under President Fillmore in 1850 and in dealing with all the complicated questions of the day showed a wonderful mastery of the arts of diplomacy. Being hurt in an accident he retired to his home at Marshfield, where he died Octo- ber 24, 1852. HORACE GREELEY. —As journalist, author, statesman and political leader, there is none more widely known than the man whose name heads this article. He was born in Amherst, New Hampshire, Feb- ruary 3, 181 1, and was reared upon a farm. At an early age he evinced, a remarkable intelligence and love of learning, and at the age of ten had read every book he could borrow for miles around. About 1821 the family removed to Westhaven, Vermont, and for some years young Greeley assisted in carrying on the farm. In 1826 heentered the office of a weekly newspaper at East Poultney, \'ermont, where he remained about four years. On the discontinuance of this paper he followed his father's family to Erie county, Pennsylvania, whither they had moved, and for a time worked at the printer's trade in that neigh- borhood. In 1 83 1 Horace went to New York City, and for a time found emploj'- ment as journeyman printer. January, 1833, in partnership with Francis Story, he published the Morning Post, the first penny COMPENDIUM OF BIOGIiA/'// T. 21 paper ever printed. This proved a failure and was discontinued after three weeks. The business of job printing was carried on, however, until the death of Mr. Story in July following. In company with Jonas Winchester, March 22, 1S34, Mr. Greeley commenced the publication of the Nciu 1 orki-r, a weekly paper of a high character. For financial reasons, at the same time, Greeley wrote leaders for other papers, and, in 1838, took editorial ciiarge of the Jcffcr- sonian, a Whig paper published at Albany. In 1840, on the discontinuance of that sheet, he devoted his energies to the Log Cabin, a campaign paper in the interests of the Whig party. In the fall of 1S41 the latter paper was consolidated with the Nczo Yorker, un- der the name of the Tribune, the first num- ber of which was issued April 10, 184 1. At the head of this paper Mr. Greeley remained until the day of his death. In 1848 Horace Greeley was elected to the national house of representatives to fill a vacancy, and was a member of that body until March 4, 1849. In 1851 he went to Europe and served as a juror at the World's Fair at the Crystal Palace, Lon- don. In 1855, he made a second visit to the old world. In 1S59 he crossed the plains and received a public reception at San Francisco and Sacramento. He was a member of the Republican national con- vention, at Chicago in i860, and assisted in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for President. The same year he was a presi- dential elector for the state of New York, and a delegate to the Loj-alist convention at Philadelphia. At the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Greeley became a strong advocate of uni- versal amnesty and complete pacification, and in pursuance of this consented to be- come one of the bondsmen for Jefferson Davis, who was imprisoned for treason. In 1SG7 he was a delegate to the New York state convention for the revision of the constitution. In 1870 he was defeated for congress in the Si.xth New York district. At the Liberal convention, which met in Cincinnati, in May, 1872, on the fifth ballot Horace Greeley was nominated for presi- dent and Jul)' following was nominated for the same office by the Democratic conven- tion at Baltimore. He was defeated by a large majority. The large amount of work done by him during the campaign, together with the loss of his wife about the same time, undermined his strong constitution, and he was seized with inflammation of the brain, and died November 29, 1872. In addition to his journalistic work, Mr. Greeley was the author of several meritori- ous works, among which were: " Hint^ toward reform," "Glances at Europe," " History of the struggle for slavery cxten sion," "Overland journey to San Francis- co," " The American conflict," and " Rec- ollections of a busy life." HENRY CLAY.— In writing of this em- inent American, Horace Greeley once said: " He was a matchless party chief, an admirable orator, a skillful legislator, wield- ing unequaled influence, not only over his friends, but even over those of his political antagonists who were subjected to the magic of his conversation and manners. " A law- yer, legislator, orator, and statesman, few men in history have wielded greater influ- ence, or occupied so prominent a place ia the hearts of the generation in which they lived. Henry Clay was born near Richmond, in Hanover county, Virginia, April 12, 1777, the son of a poor Baptist preacher who died wlieii Henry was but five years 22 COMPENDIUM OF BJOGRAI'Hr. old. The mother married again about ten years later and :emoved xo Kentucky leav- ing Henry a clerk in a store at Richmond. Soon afterward Henry Clay secured a posi- tion as copyist in the office of the clerk of the high court of chancery, and four years later entered the law office of Robert Brooke, then attorney general and later governor of his native state. In 1797 Henry Clay was licensed as a lawyer.and followed his mother to Kentucky, opening an office at Lexington and soon built up a profitable practice. Soon afterward Kentucky, in separating from Virginia, called a state convention for the purpose of framing a constitution, and Clay at that time took a prominent part, publicly urging the adoption of a clause providing for the abolition of slavery, but in this he was overruled, as he was fifty years later, when in the height of his fame he again ad- vised the same course when the state con- stitution was revised in 1S50. Young Clay took a very active and conspicuous part in the presidential campaign in 1800, favoring the election of Jefferson; and in 1803 was chosen to represent Fayette county in the state 'egislature. In 1806 General John Adair, then United States senator from Kentucky, resigned and Henry Clay was elected to fill the vacancy by the legislature and served through one session in which he at once assumed a prominent place. In 1807 he was again a representative in the legislature and was elected speaker of the house. At this time originated his trouble with Humphrey Marshall. Clay proposed that each member clothe himself and family wholly in American fabrics, which Marshall characterized as the " language of a dema- gogue." This led to a duel in which both parties were slightly injured. In 1S09 Henry Clay was again elected to fill a va- cancy in the United States senate, and two years later elected representative in tne low- er house of congress, being chosen speaker of the house. About this time war was de- clared against Great Britain, and Clay took a prominent public place during this strug- gle and was later one of the commissioners sent to Europe by President Madison to ne- gotiate peace, returning in September, 181 5, having been re-elected speaker of the house during his absence, and was re-elect- ed unanimously. He was afterward re- elected to congress and then became secre- tary of state und^r John Quincy Adams. In 1 83 1 he was again elected senator from Kentucky and remained in the senate most of the time until his death. Henry Clay was three times a candidate for the presidency, and once very nearly elected. He was the unanimous choice of the Whig party in 1 844 for the presidency, and a great effort was made to elect him but without success, his opponent, James K. Polk, carrying both Pennsylvania and New York by a very slender margin, while either of them alone would have elected Clay. Henry Clay died at Washington Jurie 29, 1S52. JAMES GILLESPIE BLAINE was one of the most distinguished of American statesmen and legislators. He was born January 31, 1830, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and received a thorough edu- cation, graduating at Washington College in 1847. In early life he removed to Maine and engaged in newspaper work, becoming editor of the Portland ' -.Advertiser. " While yet a young man he gained distinction as a debater and became a conspicuous figure in political and public affairs. In 1862 he was elected to congress on the Republican ticket in Maine and was re-elected five times. In March, 1869, he was chosen speaker of the COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 28 house of representatives and was re-elected in 1 8/ 1 and again in I S73. IniS76hewas a representative in the lower house of con- gress and during that year was appointed United States senator by the Governor to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Morrill, who had been appointed secretary of the treasury. Mr. Blaine served in the senate until March 5, 1881, when President Garfield appointed him sec- retary of state, which position he resigned in December, 1881. Mr. Blaine was nom- inated for the presidency by the Republic- ans, at Chicago in June, 1SS4, but was de- feated by Grover Cleveland after an exciting and spirited campaign. During the later years of his life Mr. Blaine devoted most of his time to the completion of his work "Twenty Years in Congress," which had a remarkably large sale throughout the United States. Blaine was a man of great mental ability and force of character and during the latter part of his life %vas one of the most noted men of his time. He was the origina- torof what is termed the " reciprocity idea" in tariff matters, and outlined the plan of carrying it into practical effect. In 1876 Robert G. Ingersoll in making a nominating speech placing Blaine's name as a candidate for president before the national Republican convention at Cincinnati, referred to Blaine as the " Plumed Knight " and this title clung to him during the remainder of his life. His death occurred at Washington, January 27, 1893. f OHN CALDWELL CALHOUN, a dis- yJ tinguished .American statesman, was a native of South Carolina, born in Abbeville district, March 18, 1782. He was given the advantages of a thorough education, graduating at Yale College in 1804, and adopted the calling of a lawyer. A Demo- crat politically, at that time, he took a fore- most part in the councils of his party and was elected to congress in iSi i, supporting the tariff of 1816 and the establishing of the United States Bank. In 18 17 he be- came secretary of war in President Monroe's cabinet, and in 1 824 was elected vice-president of the United States, on the ticket with John Quincy Adams, and re-elected in 1 828, on the ticket with General Jackson. Shortly after this Mr. Calhoun became one of the strongest advocates of free trade and the principle of sovereignty of the states and was one of the originators of the doctrine that "any state could nullify unconstitutional laws of congress." Meanwhile Calhoun had be- come an aspirant for the presidency, and the fact that General Jackson advanced the interests of his opponent, \'an Buren, led to a quarrel, and Calhoun resigned the vice- presidency in 1832 and was elected United States senator from South Carolina. It was during the same year that a convention was held in South Carolina at which the " Nul- lification ordinance" was adopted, the ob- ject of which was to test the constitution- ality of the protective tariff measures, and to prevent if possible the collection of im- port duties in that state which had been levied more for the purpose of ' ' protection ' than revenue. This ordinance was to go into effect in February, 1833, and created a great deal of uneasiness throughout the country as it was feared there would be a clash between the state and federal authori- ties. It was in this serious condition oi public affairs that Henry Clay came forward with the the famous "tariff compromise " of 1833, to which measure Calhoun and most of his followers gave their support and the crisis was averted. In 1843 Mr. Cal- houn was appointed secretary ol state in President Tyiers cabinet, and it was under 24 COMI'EXDIUyf OF BIOGRAPHr. his administration that the treaty concern- ing the annexation of Texas was negotiated. In 1S45 he was re-elected to the United States senate and continued in the senate until his death, which occurred in March, 1 850. He occupied a high ranli as a scholar, student and orator, and it is conceded that he was one of the greatest debaters America has produced. The famous debate between Calhoun and Webster, in 1S33. is regarded as the most noted for ability and eloquence in the history of the country. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BUTLER, one of America's most brilliant and pro- found lawyers and noted public men, was a native of New England, born at Deer- field, New Hampshire, November 5, 18 18. His father. Captain John Butler, was a prominent man in his day, commanded a company during the war of 181 3, and served under Jackson at New Orleans. Benjamin F. Butler was given an excellent education, graduated at Watervilie College, Maine, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840, at Lowell, Massachusetts, where he commenced the practice of his profession and gained a wide reputation for his ability at the bar, acquiring an extensive practice and a fortune. Early in life he began taking an active interest in military affairs and served in the state militia through all grades from private to brigadier-general. In 1853 he was elected to the state legisla- ture on the Democratic ticket in Lowell, and took a prominent part in the passage of legislation in the interests of labor. Dur- ing the same year he was a member of the constitutional convention, and in 1859 rep- resented his district in the Massachusetts senate. When the Civil war broke out General Butler took the field and remained at the front most of the time during that bloody struggle. Part of tne time he had charge of Fortress Monroe, and in Febru- ary, 1S62, took command of troops forming part of the expedition against New Orleans, and later had charge of the department of the jGulf. He was a conspicuous figure dur- ing the continuance of the war. After the close of hostilities General Butler resumed his law practice in Massachusetts and in 1866 was elected to congress from the Es- sex district. In 1S82 he was elected gov- ernor of Massachusetts, and in 1884 was the nominee of the " Greenback" part}' for president of the United States. He con- tinued his legal practice, and maintained his place as one of the most prominent men in New England until the time of his death, which occurred January 10, 1893. JEFFERSON DAVIS, an officer, states- man and legislator of prominence in America, gained the greater part of his fame from the fact that he was president of the southern confederacy. Mr. Davis was born in Christian county, Kentucky, June 3, 1 808, and his early education and surround- ings were such that his sympathies and in- clinations were wholly with the southern people. He received a thorough education, graduated at West Point in 1828. and for a number of years served in the army at west- ern posts and in frontier service, first as lieutenant and later as adjutant. In 1835 he resigned and became a cotton planter in Warren county. Mississippi, where he took an active interest in public affairs and be- came a conspicuous figure in politics. In 1844 he was a presidential elector from Mississippi and during the two following years served as congressman from his dis- trict. He then became colonel of a iviissts- sippi regiment in the war with Mexico anfi participated in some of the most severe tui- COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHV 25 lies, being seriously wounded at Buena Vista. Upon his return to private life he again took a prominent part in political af- fairs and represented his state in the United States senate from 184710 185 1. He then entered President Pierce's cabinet as secre- tary of war, after which he again entered the United States senate, remaining until the outbreak of the Civil war. He then be- came president of the southern confederacy and served as such until captured in May, 1865, at Irwinville, Georgia. He was held as prisoner of war at Fortress Monroe, until 1867, when he was released on bail and finally set free in 1868. His death occurred December 6. 1889. Jefferson Davis was a man of excellent abilities and was recognized as one of the best organizers of his day. He was a forceful and liuent speaker and a ready writer. He wrote and published the " Rise and Fall of the Southern Confederacy," a work which is considered as authority by the southern people. JOHN .ADAMS, the second president of the United States, and one of the most conspicuous figures in the early struggles of his country for independence, was born in the present town of Quincy, then a portion of Braintree, Massachusetts, October 30, 1735. He received a thorough education, graduating at Harvard College in 1755, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1758. He was well adapted for this profes- sion and after opening an office in his native town rapidly grew in prominence and public favor and soon was regarded as one of the leading lawyers of the country. His atten- tion was called to political affairs by the passage of the Stamp Act, in 17G5, and he drew up a set of resolutions on the subject which were very popular. In 1768 he re- moved to Boston and became one of the most courageous and prominent advocates of the popular cause and was chosen a member of the Colonial legislature from Boston. He was one of the delegates that represented Massachusetts in the first Con- tinental congress, which met in September, 1774. In a letter written at this crisis he uttered the famous words: "The die is now cast; I have passed the Rubicon. Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish with my country, is my unalterable determination." He was a prominent figure in congress and advocated the movement for independence when a majority of the members were in- clined to temporize and to petition the King. In May. 1776, he presented a resolution in congress that the colonies should assume the duty of self-government, which was passed. In June, of the same year, a reso- lution that the United States "are, and of right ought to be, free and independent," was moved by Richard H. Lee, seconded by Mr. Adams and adopted by a small majority. Mr. Adams w-as a member of the committee of five appointed June 1 1 to prepare a declaration of independence, in support of wliich he made an eloquent speech. He was chairman of the Board of War rn 1776 and in 1 778 was sent as commissioner to France, but returned the following year. In 17S0 he went to Europe, having been appointed as minister to negotiate a treaty of peace and commerce with Great Britain. Con- jointly with Franklin and Jay he negotiated a treaty in 1782. He was employed as a minister to the Court of St. James from 1785 to 178S, and during that period wrote his famous "Defence of the American Con- stitutions." In 1789 he became vice-presi- dent of the United States and was re-elected in 1792. In 1 796 Mr. Adams was chosen presi- 26 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. dent of the United States, his competitor being Thomas Jefferson, who became vice- president. In 1800 he was the Federal candidate for president, but he was not cordially supported by Gen. Hamilton, the favorite leader of his party, and was de- feated by Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Adams then retired from public life to his large estate at Quincy, Mass., where he died July 4, 1826, on the same day that witnessed the death of Thomas Jefferson. Though his physical frame began to give way many years before his death, his mental powers retained their strength and vigor to the last. In his ninetieth year he was glad- dened by .the elevation of his son, John Quincy Adams, to the presidential office. HENRY WARD BEECHER, one of the most celebrated American preachers and authors, was born at Litchfield, Connec- ticut, June 24,1813. His father was Dr. Ly- man Beecher, also an eminent divine. At an early age Henry Ward Beecher had a strong predilection for a sea-faring life, and it was practically decided that he would fol- low this inclination, but about this time, in consequence of deep religious impressions which he experienced during a revival, he renounced his former intention and decided to enter the ministry. After having grad- uated at Amherst College, in 1834, he stud- ied theology at Lane Seminary under the tuition of his father, who was then president of that institution. In 1847 he became pas- tor of the Plymouth Congregational church in Brooklyn, where his oratorical ability and original eloquence attracted one of the larg- est congregations in the country. He con- tinued to served this church until the time of his death, March 8, 1887. Mr. Beecher alsr *'ound time for a great amount of liter- ary w.nk For a number of years he was editor of the "Independent" and also the "Christian Union." He also produced many works which are widely known. Among his principal productions are "Lectures to Young Men," " Star Papers. " "Life of Christ," "Life Thoughts," "Royal Truths" (a novel), "Norwood," " Evolution and Rev- olution," and " Sermons on Evolution and Religion. " Mr. Beecher was also long a prominent advocate of anti-slavery princi- ples and temperance reform, and, at a later period, of the rights of women. JOHN A. LOGAN, the illustrious states- man and general, was born in Jackson county, Illinois, February 9, 1824. In his boyhood days he received but a limited edu- cation in the schools of his native county. On the breaking out of the war with Mexico he enlisted in the First Illinois Volunteers and became its quartermaster. At the close of hostilities he returned home and was elected clerk of the courts of Jackson county in 1849. Determining to supplement his education Logan entered the Louisville Uni- versit}', from which he graduated in 1852 and taking up the study of law was admitted to the bar. He attained popularity and suc- cess in his chosen profession and was elected to the legislature in 1852, 1853, 1856 and 1857. He was prosecuting attorney from 1853 to 1857. He was elected to congress in 1858 to fill a vacancy and again in i860. At the outbreak of the Rebellion, Logan re- signed his office and entered the army, and in September, 1861, was appointed colonel of the Thirty-first Illinois Infantry, which he led in the battles of Belmont and Fort Don- elson. In the latter engagement he was wounded. In March, 1862, he was pro- moted to be brigadier-general and in the following month participated in the battles o' t^'ttslnirg Landing. In November, 1862, COMPEXDIUM OF JJ/OCKA/'J/l'. 29 for gallant conduct he was made major-;?en- eral. Throii;:;hoiit the Vicksburg campaign he was in command of a division of the Sev- enteenth Corps and was distinguished at Port Gibson, Champion Kills and in the siege and capture cf Vicksburg. In October. 1S63. he was placed in command of the Fifteenth Corps, which he led with great credit. During the terrible conflict before Atlanta, July 22, 1864, on the death of General McPherson, Logan, assuming com- mand of the Army of the Tennessee, led it on to victory, saving the day by his energy and ability. He was shortly after succeeded by General O. O. Howard and returned to the command of his corps. He remained in command until the presidential election, when, feeling that his influence was needed at home he returned thither and there re- mained until the arrival of Sherman at Sa- vannah, when General Logan rejoined his command. In May, 1865, he succeeded General Howard at the head of the Army of the Tennessee. He resigned from the army in August, the same year, and in November was appointed minister to Mexico, but de- clined the honor. He served in the lower house of the fortieth and forty -first con- gresses, and was elected United States sena- tor from his native state in 1S70, 1878 and 1885. He was nominated for the vice-presi- dency in 1 884 on the ticlcet with Blaine, but was defeated. General Logan was the author of "The Great Conspiracy, its origin and history," published in 1S85. He died at Washington, December 26, 1886. JOHN CHARLES FREMONT, the first dental possibilities in the Democratic convention held at St. Louis in 1 8/6. In 1888 he was the Democratic nominee for vice-president on the ticket with Grover Cleveland, but was defeated. Allen Cranberry Thurman died December 12, 1895, at Columbus, Ohio. CHARLES FARRAR BROWNE, better known as " Artemus Ward," was born April 26, 1834, in the village of Waterford, Maine. He was thirteen years old at the time of his father's death, and about a year later he was apprenticed to John M Ri.x, who published the "Coos County Dem- ocrat " at Lancaster, New Hampshire. Mr. Browne remained with him one year, when, hearing that his brother Cyrus was starting a paper at Norway, Maine, he left Mr. Rix and determined to get work on the new paper. He worked for his brother until the failure of the newspaper, and then went to Augusta, Maine, where he remained a few weeks and then removed to Skowhegan, and secured a position on the "Clarion." But either the climate or the work was not satisfactory to him, for one night he silently left the town and astonished his good mother by appearing unexpectedly at home. Mr. Browne then received some letters of recom- mendation to Messrs. Snow and Wilder, of Boston, at whose office Mrs. Partington's (B. P. Shillaber) ' ' Carpet Bag " was printed, and he was engaged and remained there for three years. He then traveled westward in search of employment and got as far as Tif- fin, Ohio, where he found employment in the office of the "Advertiser," and remained there some months when he proceeded to Toledo, Ohio, where he became one of the staff of thft "Commercial," which position he neid uniii 1857. Mr. Browne next went 10 Cleveland, Ohio, anc beca.me the local editor of the "Plain Dealer," and it was m the columns of this paper that he published his first articles and signed them "Artemus Ward." In i860 he went to New York and became the editor of " Vanity Fair," but the idea of lecturing here seized him, and he was fully determined to make the trial. Mr. Browne brought out his lecture, "Babes in the Woods " at Clinton Hall, December 23, 1861, and in 1862 he published his first book entitled, " Artemus Ward; His Book." He attained great fame as a lecturer and his lectures were not confined to America, for he went to England in 1S66, and became exceedingly popular, both as a lecturer and a contributor to "Punch." Mr. Browne lectured for the last time January 23, 1867. He died in Southampton, England, March 6, 1867. THURLOW WEED, a noted journalist and politician, was born in Cairo, New York, November 15, 1797. He learned the printer's trade at the age of twelve years, and worked at this calling for several years in various villages in centra! New York. He served as quartermaster-sergeant .during the warof 1812. In 18 18 he established the "Agriculturist," at Norwich, New York, and became editor of the " .\nti-Masonic Enquirer," at Rochester, in 1826. In the same year he was elected to the legislature and re-elected in 1830, when he located in Albany, New York, and there started the " Evening Journal," and conducted it in op- position to the Jackson administration and the nullification doctrines of Calhoun. \ii became an adroit party manager, and was instrilmental in promoting the nominations of Harrison, Taylor and Scott ior the pres- idency. In 1856 and in 1860 he threw his support to W. H. Seward, but when defeat- ed in his object, he gave cordiai supporc to 92 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPlir. Fremont and Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln pre- vailed upon him to visit the various capitals of Europe, where he proved a valuable aid to the administration in moulding the opin- ions of the statesmen of that continent favorable to the cause of the Union. Mr. Weed's connection with the " Even- ing Journal " was severed in 1862, when he settled in New York, and for a time edited the "Commercial Advertiser." In 1868 he retired from active life. His " Letters from Europe and the West Indies," published in 1 866, together with some interesting ' ' Rem- iniscences," published in the "Atlantic Monthly," in 1870, an autobiography, and portions of an extensive correspondence will be of great value to writers of the political history of the United States. Mr. Weed died in New York, November 22, 1882. WILLIAM COLLINS WHITNEY, one of the prominent Democratic politicians of the country and ex-secretary of the navy, was born July 5th, 1841, at Con- way, Massachusetts, and received his edu- cation at Williston Seminary, East Hamp- ton, Massachusetts. Later he attended Yale College, where he graduated in 1863, and entered the Harvard Law School, which he left in 1864. Beginning practice in New York city, he soon gained a reputation as an able lawyer. He made his first appear- ance in public affairs in 1871, when he was active in organizing a young men's Demo- cratic club. In 1872 he was the recognized leader of the county Democracy and in 1875 was appointed corporation counsel for the city of New York. He resigned the office, 1882, to attend to personal interests and on March 5, 1885, he was appointed secretary of the navy by President Cleveland. Under his administration the navy of the United States rapidly rose in rank among the navies of the world. When he retired from office in 1889, the vessels of the United States navy designed and contracted for by him were five double-turreted monitors, two new armor-clads, the dynamite cruiser "Ve- suvius," and five unarmored steel and iron cruisers. Mr. Whitney was the leader of the Cleveland forces in the national Democratic convention of 1892. EDWIN FORREST, the first and great- est American tragedian, was born in Philadelphia in 1806. His father was a tradesman, and some accounts state that he had marked out a mercantile career for his son, Edwin, while others claim that he had intended him for the ministry. His wonder- ful memory, his powers of mimicry and his strong musical voice, however, attracted at- tention before he was eleven years old, and at that age he made his first appearance on the stage. The costume in which he appeared was so ridiculous that he left the stage in a fit of anger amid a roar of laughter from the audience. This did not discourage him, however, and at the age of fourteen, after some preliminary training in elocution, he appeared again, this time as Young Norvel, and gave indications of future greatness. Up to 1826 he played entirely with strolling companies through the south and west, but at that time he obtained an engagement at the Bowery Theater in New York. F"rom that time his fortune was made. His man- ager paid him $40 per night, and it is stated that he loaned Forrest to other houses from time to time at $200 per night. His great successes were Virginius, Damon, Othello, Coriolanus, William Tell, Spartacus and Lear. He made his first appearance in London in 1836, and his success was un- questioned from the start. In 1845, on his 'OMPENDIUM OF BfOGRAPHr. 93 second appearance in London, he became involved in a bitter rivalry with the great English actor. Macready, who had visited America two years before. The result was that Forrest was hissed from the stage, and it was charged that Macready had instigated the plot. Forrest's resentment was so bitter that he himself openly hissed Macready from his box a few nights later. In 1848 Macready again visited America at a time when American admiration and enthusiasm for Forrest had reached its height. Macready undertook to play at Astor Place Opera House in May, 1849, but was hooted off the stage. A few nights later Macready made a second attempt to play at the same house, this time under police protection. The house was filled with Macready 's friends, but the vio- olence of the mob outside stopped the play, and the actor barely escaped with his life. Upon reading the riot act the police and troops were assaulted with stones. The troops replied, first with blank cartridges, and then a volley of lead dispersed the mob, leaving thirty men dead or seriously wounded. After this incident Forrest's popularity waned, until in 1855 he retired from the stage. He re-appeared in i860, however, and probably the most remunerative period of his life was between that date and the close of the Civil war. His last appearance on the stage was at the Globe Theatre, Boston, in Richelieu, in April, 1872, his death occurring December 12 of that year. NOAH PORTER, D. D.. LL. D., was one of the most noted educators, au- thors and scientific writers of the United States. He was born December 14, 181 1, at Farmington, Connecticut, graduated at Yale College in 183 1, and was master of Hopkins Grammar School at New Haven in 1831-33. During 1833-35 he was a tutor at Yale, and at the same time was pursuing his theological studies, and became pastor of the Congregational church at New Mil- ford, Connecticut, in April, 1836. Dr. Porter removed to Springfield, Massachu- setts, in 1843, and was chosen professor of metaphysics and moral philosophy at Yale in 1846. He spent a year in Germany in the study of modern metaphysics in 1853- 54, and in 1871 he was elected president of Yale College. He resigned the presidency in 1885, but still remained professor of met- aphysics and moral philosophy. He was the author of a number of works, among which are the following: "Historical Es say," written in commemoration of the 2ootb aniversary of the settlement of the town ol Farmington; " Educational System of the Jesuits Compared;" "The Human Intel- lect," with an introduction upon psychology and the soul; " Books and Reading;" "American Colleges and the American Pub- lic;" " Elementsof Intellectual Philosophy;" " The Science of Nature versus the Science of Man;" " Science and Sentiment;" " Ele- ments of Moral Science." Dr. Porter was the principal editor of the revised edition of Webster's Dictionary in 1864, and con- tributed largely to religious reviews and periodicals. Dr. Porter's death occurred March 4, 1892, at New Haven, Connecticut. JOHN TYLER, tenth president of the United States, was born in Charles City county, Virginia, March 29, 1790, and was the son of Judge John Tyler, one of the most distinguished men of his day. When but twelve years of age young John Tyler entered William and Mary Col- lege, graduating from there in 1806. He took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1809, when but nineteen years 94 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. of age. On attaining his majority in 1811 he was elected a member of the state legis- lature, and for five years held that position by the almost unanimous vote of his county. He was elected to congress in 1816, and served in that body for four years, after which for two years he represented his dis- trict again in the legislature of the state. While in congress, he opposed the United States bank, the protective policy and in- ternal improvements by the United States government. 1825 saw Mr. Tyler governor of Virginia, but in 1827 he was chosen member of the United States senate, and held that office for nine years. He therein opposed the administration of Adams and the tariff bill of 1828, sympathized with the nullifers of South Carolina and was the only senator who voted against the Force bill lor the suppression of that state's insip- ient rebellion. He resigned his position as senator on account of a disagreement with the legislature of his state in relation to his censuring President Jackson. He retired to Williamsburg, Virginia, but being regarded as a martyr by the Whigs, whom, hereto- fore, he had always opposed, was supported by many of that party for the vice-presi- dency in 1836. He sat in the Virginia leg- islature as a Whig in 1839-40, and was a del'^gate to the convention of that party in 1 8.-9. This national convention nominated him for the second place on the ticket with General William H. H. Harrison, and he was elect<;d vice-president in November, 1840. President Harrison dying one month after his inauguration, he was succeeded by John Tyler. He retained the cabinet chosen by his predecessor, and for a time moved in harmony with the Whig party. He finally instructed the secretary of the treasury. Thomas Ewing, to submit to congress a bill for the incorporation of a fiscal bank ol the United States, which was passed by con- gress, but vetoed by the president on ac- count of some amendments he considered unconstitutional. For this and other meas- ures he was accused of treachery to his party, and deserted by his whole cabinet, except Daniel Webs' er. Things grew worse until he was abandoned by the Whig party fortnally, when Mr. Webster resigned. He was nominated at Baltimore, in Afay, 1844, at the Democratic convention, as their pres- idential candidate, but withdrew from the canvass, as he saw he had not succeed- ed in gaining the confidence of his old party. He then retired from politics until February, 1861, when he was made presi- dent of the abortive peace congress, which met in Washington. He shortly after re- nounced his allegiance to the United States and was elected a member of the Confeder- ate congress. He died at Richmond, Janu- ary 17, 1S62. Mr. Tyler married, in 18 13, Miss Letitia Christian, who died in 1842 at Washington. June 26, 1844, he contracted a second mar- riage, with Miss Julia Gardner, of New York. COLLtS POTTER HUNTINGTON, one of the great men of his time and who has left his impress upon the history of our national development, was born October 22, 1 82 1, at Harwinton, Connecticut. He received a common-school education and at the age of fourteen his spirit of get- ting along in the world mastered his educa- tional propensities and his father's objec- tions and he left school. He went to Cali- fornia in the early days and had opportunities which he handled masterfully. Others had the same opportunities but they did not have his brains nor his energy, and it was he who overcame obstacles and reaped the reward of his genius. Transcontinental railways COMPEND/trM OF BTOGIiAPffr. <^ were inevitable, but the realization of this masterful achievement would have been de- layed to a much later day if there had been no Huntington. He associated himself with Messrs. Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker, and they furnished the money necessary for a survey across the Sierra Nevadas, secured a charter for the road, and raised, with the government's aid, money enough to construct and equip that railway, which at the time of its completion was a marvel of engineering and one of the wonders of the world. Mr. Huntington be- came president of the Southern Pacific rail- road, vice-president of the Central Pacific; trustee of the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company, and a director of the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company, besides being identified with many other business enterprises of vast importance. GEORGE A. CUSTER, a famous In- dian fighter, was born in Ohio in 1840. He graduated at West Point in 1861, an- served in the Civil war; was at Bull Run id 1861, and was in the Peninsular campaign, being one of General McClellan's aides-de, camp. He fought in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam in 1863, and was with General Stoneman on his famous cavalry raid. He was engaged in the battle of Gettysburg, and was there made brevet- major. In 1863 was appointed brigadier- general of volunteers. General Custer was in many skirmishes in central Virginia in 1863-64, and was present at the following battles of the Richmond campaign: Wil- derness, Todd's Tavern, Yellow Tavern, where hewasbrevetted lieutenant-colonel; Meadow Bridge, Haw's Shop, Cold Harbor, Trevil- lian Station. In the Shenandoah Valley 1 864-65 he was brevetted colonel at Opequan Creek, and at Cedar Creek he was made brevet major-general for gallant conduct during the engagement. General Custer was in command ot a cavalry division in the pursuit of Lee's army in 1865, and fought at Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, where he was made brevet brigadier-general ; Sailors Creek and Appomattox, where he gained additional honors and was made brevet major-general, and was given the command of the cavalry in the military division of the southwest and Gulf, in 1865. After the establishment of peace he went west on frontier duty and performed gallant and valuable service in the troubles with the Indians. He was killed in the massacre on the Little Big Horn river. South Dakota, June 25, 1876. DANIEL WOLSEY VOORHEES, cel- brated as " The Tall Sycamore of the Wabash," was born September 26, 1827, in Butler county, Ohio. When he was two months old his parents removed to Fount- ain county, Indiana. He grew to manhood on a farm, engaged in all the arduous work pertaining to rural life. In 1845 he entered the Indiana Asbury University, now the De Pauw, from which he graduated in 1849. He took up the study of law at Crawfords- ville, and in 1851 began the practice of his profession at Covington, Fountain county, Indiana. He became a law partner of United States Senator Hannegan, of Indi- ana, in 1852, and in 1856 he was an unsuc- cessful candidate for congress. In the fol- lowing year he took up his residence in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was United States district attorney for Indiana from 1857 until 1 86 1, and he had during this period been elected to congress, in i860. Mr. Voorhees was re-elected to congress in 1862 and 1864, but he was unsuccessful in the election of 1866. However, he was returned to con- 96 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. gress in 1868, where he remained until 1874, having been re-elected twice. In 1S77 he was appointed United States senator from Indiana to fill a vacancy caused by the death of O. P. Morton, and at the end of the term was elected for the ensuing term, being re- elected in 1885 and in 1891 to the same of- fice. He served with distinction on many of the committees, and took a very prom- inent part in the discussion of all the im- portant legislation of his time. His death occurred in August, 189 . ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, fa- mous as one of the inventors of the tele- phone, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 3rd, 1847. He received his early education in the high school and later he attended the university, and was specially trained to follow his grandfather's profes- sion, that of removing impediments of speech. He emigrated to the United States in 1872, and introduced into this country his father's invention of visible speech in the institutions for deaf-mutes. Later he was appointed professor of vocal physiology in the Boston University. He worked for many years during his leisure hours on his telephonic discovery, and finally perfected it and exhibited it publicly, before it had reached the high state of perfection to which he brought it. His first exhibition of it was at the Centennial Exhibition that was held in Philadelphia in 1876. Its success is now established throughout the civilized world. In 1882 Prof. Bell received a diploma and the decoration of the Legion of Honor from the Academy of Sciences of France. WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT, the justly celebrated historian and author, was a native of Salem, Massachu- setts, and was born May 4, 1796. He was the son of Judge William Prescott and the grandson of the hero of Bunker Hill, Colonel William Prescott. Our subject in 1808 removed with the family to Boston, in the schools of which city he received his early education. He entered Harvard College as a sophomore in 181 1, having been prepared at the private classical college of Rev. Dr. J. S. J. Gardi- jner. The following year he received an in- ury in his left eye which made study through life a matter of difficulty. He graduated in 18 14 with high honors in the classics and belle lettres. He spent several months on the Azores Islands, and later visited England, France and Italy, return- ing home in 18 17. In June, 18 18, he founded a social and literary club at Boston for which he edited "The Club Room," a periodical doomed to but a short life. May 4, 1820, he married Miss Susan Amory. He devoted several years after that event to a thorough study of ancient and modern history and literature. As the fruits of his labors he published several well written essays upon French and Italian poetry and romance in the " North American Review." January 19, 1826, he decided to take up his first great historical work, the " History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella." To this he gave the labor of ten years, publish- ing the same December 25, 1837. Although placed at the head of all American authors, so diffident was Prescott of his literarj' merit that although he had four copies of this work printed for his own convenience, he hesitated a long time before giving it to the public, audit was only by the solicitation of friends, especially of that talented Spanish scholar, George Ticknor, that he was in- duced to do so. Soon the volumes were translated into French, Italian, Dutch and German, and the work was recognized COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPIir. 97 throughout the world as one of the most meritorious of historical compositions. In 1843 he published the "Conquest of Mexi- co," and in 1847 the "Conquest of Peru." Two years later there came from his pen a volume of " Biographical and Critical Mis- cellanies." Going abroad in the summer of 1850, he was received with great distinction in the literary circles of London, Edinburgh, Paris, Antwerp and Brussels. Oxford Uni- versity conferred the degree of D. C. L. upon him. In 1855 he issued two volumes of his "History of the Reign of Philip the Second," and a third in 1858. In tlie meantime he edited Robertson's "Charles the Fifth," adding a history of the life of that monarch after his abdication. Death cut short his work on the remaining volumes Oi " Philip the Second," coming to him at Boston, Massachusetts, May 28, 1859. OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, a noted American commodore, was born in South Kingston, Rhode Island, August 23, 1785. He saw his first service as a mid- shipman in the United States navy in April, 1799. He cruised with his father, Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, in the West In- dies for about two years. In 1804 he was in the war against Tripoli, and was made lieutenant in 1S07. At the opening of hostili- ties with Great Britain in 18 12 he was given command of a fleet of gunboats on the At- lantic coast. At his request he was trans- ferred, a year later, to Lake Ontario, where he served under Commodore Chauncey, and took an active part in the attack on Fort George. He was ordered to fit out a squad- ron on Lake Erie, which he did, building most of his vessels from the forests along the shore, and by the summer of 1 8 r 3 he had a fleet of nine vessels at Presque Isle, now Erie, Pennsylvania. September loth he attacked and captured the British fleet near Put-in-Bay, thus clearing the lake of hostile ships. His famous dispatch is part of his fame, " We have met the enemy, and they are ours." He co-operated with Gen. Har- rison, and the success of the campaign in the northwest was largely due to his victory. The next j'ear he was transferred to the Po- tomac, and assisted in the defense of Balti- more. After the war he was in constant service with the various squadrons in cruising in all parts of the world. He died of yellow fever on the Island of Trinidad, August 23, 1 8 19. His remains were conveyed to New- port, and buried there, and an imposing obelisk was erected to his memory by the State of Rhode Island. A bronze statue was also erected in his honor, the unveiling taking place in 1885. JOHN PAUL JONES, though a native of Scotland, was one of America's most noted fighters during the Revolutionary war. He was born July 6, 1747. His father was a gardener, but the young man soon be- came interested in a seafaring life and at the age of twelve he was apprenticed to a sea captain engaged in the American trade. His first voyage landed him in Virginia, where he had a brother who had settled there several years prior. The failure of the captain released young Jones from his apprenticeship bonds, and he was engaged as third mate of a vessel engaged in the slave trade. He abandoned this trade after a few years, from his own sense of disgrace. He took passage from Jamaica for Scotland in 1768, and on the voyage both the captain and the mate died and he was compelled to take command of the vessel for the re- mainder of the voyage. He soon after became master of the vessel. He returned to Virginia about 1773 to settle up the estate J& COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. of his brother, and at this time added the name "Jones," having previously been known as John Paul. He settled down in Virginia, but when the war broke out in 1775 he offered his services to congress and was appointed senior lieutenant of the flag- ship "Alfred," on which he hoisted the American flag with his own hands, the first vessel that had ever carried a flag of the new nation. He was afterward appointed to the command of the "Alfred," and later of the "Providence," in each of which ves- sels he did good service, as also in the " Ranger," to the command of which he was later appointed. The fight that made him famous, however, was that in which he captured the " Serapis," off the coast of Scotland. He was then in command of the "Bon Homme Richard," which had been fitted out for him by the French government and named by Jones in honor of Benjamin Franklin, or ' ' Good Man Richard, " Frank- lin being author of the publication known as " Poor Richard's Almanac." The fight between the " Richard" and the "Serapis" lasted three hours, all of which time the vessels were at close range, and most of the time in actual contact. Jones' vessel was on fire several times, and early in the en- gagement two of his guns bursted, rendering the battery useless. Also an envious officer of the Alliance, one of Jones' own fleet, opened fire upon the " Richard " at a crit- ical time, completely disabling the vessel. Jones continued the fight, in spite of coun- sels to surrender, and after dark the " Ser- apis "struck her colors, and was hastily boarded by Jones and his crew, while the "Richard" sank, bows first, after the wounded had been taken on board the "Serapis." Most of the other vessels of the fleet of which the " Serapis" was con- voy, surrendered, and were taken with the "Serapis" to France, where Jones was received with greatest honors, and the king presented him with an elegant sword and the cross of the Order of Military Merit. Congress gave him a vote of thanks and made him commander of a new ship, the "America," but the vessel was afterward given to France and Jones never saw active sea service again. He came to America again, in 1787, after the close of the war, and was voted a gold medal by congress. He went to Russia and was appointed rear-admiral and rendered service of value against the Turks, but on account of personal enmity of the fav- orites of the emperor he was retired on a pen- sion. Failing to collect this, he returned to France, where he died, July 18, 1792. THOMAS MORAN, the well-known painter of Rocky Mountain scenery, was born in Lancashire, England, in 1837. He came to America when a child, and showing artistic tastes, he was apprenticed to a wood engraver in Philadelphia. Three years later he began landscape painting, and his style soon began to exhibit signs of genius. His first works were water-colors, and though without an instructor he began the use of oils, he soon found it necessary to visit Europe, where he gave particular at- tention to the works of Turner. He joined the Yellowstone Park exploring expedition and visited the Rocky Mountains in 1871 and again in 1873, making numerous sketches of the scenery. The most note- worthy results were his "Grand Canon of the Yellowstone," and " The Chasm of the Colorado," which were purchased by con- gress at $10,000 each, the first of which is undoubtedly the finest landscape painting produced in this country. Mr. Moran has subordinated art to nature, and the subjects he has chosen leave little ground for fault IrA '"'^^L^^ COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRA/'llV. 101 finding on that account. "The Mountain of the Holy Cross," "The Groves Were God's First Temples," " The Cliffs of Green River," " The Children of the Mountain," "The Ripening of the Leaf," and others have given him additional fame, and while they do not equal in grandeur the first mentioned, in many respects from an artis- tic standpoint they are superior. L ELAND STANFORD was one of the greatest men of the Pacific coast and also had a national reputation. He was born March 9, 1824, in Albany county, New York, and passed his early life on his father's farm. He attended the local schoolj of the county and at the age of twenty began the study of law. He entered the law office of Wheaton, Doolittle and Hadley, at Albany, in 1S45, and a few years later he moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he practiced law four years with moderate success. In 1852 Mr. Stanford determined to push further west, and, accordingly went to California, where three of his brothers were established in business in the mining towns. They took Leland into partnership, giving him charge of a branch store at Michigan Bluff, in Placer county. There he developed great business ability and four years later started a mercantile house of his own in San Fran- cisco, which soon became one of the most substantial houses on the coast. On the formation of the Republican party he inter- ested himself in politics, and in i860 was sent as a delegate to the convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln. In the autumn of 1861 he was elected, by an im- mense majority, governor of California. Prior to his election as governor he had been chosen president of the newly-orga- nized Central Pacific Railroad Company, 3 and after leaving the executive chair he de- voted all of his time to the construction of the Pacific end of the transcontinental rail- way. May 10, 1869, Mr. Stanford drove the last spike of "the Central Pacific road, thus completing the route across the conti- nent. He was also president of the Occi- dental and Oriental Steamship Company. He had but one son, who died of typhoid fever, and as a monument to his child he founded the university which bears his son's name, Leland Stanford, Junior, University. Mr. Stanford gave to this university eighty- three thousand acres of land, the estimated value of which is $S, 000,000, and the entire endowment is $20,000,000. In 1885 Mr. Stanford was elected United States senator as a Republican, to succeed J. T. Farley, a Democrat, and was re-elected in 189 1. His death occurred June 20, 1894, at Palo Alto, California. STEPHEN DECATUR, a famous com- modore in the United States navy, was born in Maryland in 1779. He entered the naval service in 1798. In 1804, when the American vessel Philadelphia had been run aground and captured in the harbor of Trip- oli, Decatur, at the head of a few men, boarded her and burned her in the face of the guns from the city defenses. For this daring deed he was made captain. He was given command of the frigate United States at the breaking out of the war of 1812, and in October of that year he captured the British frigate Macedonian, and was re- warded with a gold medal by congress. Af- ter the close of the war he was sent as com- mander of a fleet of ten vessels to chastise the dey of Algiers, who was preying upon American commerce with impunity and de- manding tribute and ransom for the release of American citizens captured. Decatur 102 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. captured a number of Algerian vessels, and compelled the dey to sue for peace. He was noted for his daring and intrepidity, and his coolness in the face of danger, and helped to bring the United States navy into favor with the people and congress as a means of defense and offense in time of war. He was killed in a duel by Commo- dore Barron, March 12, 1820. JAMES IvNOX POLK, the eleventh president of the United States, 1845 to 1849, was born November 2, 1795, in Meck- lenburg county, North Carolina, and was the eldest child of a family of six sons. He removed with his father to the Valley of the Duck River, in Tennessee, in 1S06. He attended the common schools and became very proficient in the lower branches of education, and supplemented this with a course in the Murfreesboro Academy, which he entered in 18 13 and in the autumn of 1S15 he became a student in the sopho- more class of- the University of North Caro- lina, at Chapel Hill, and was graduated in 181 8. He then spent a short time in re- cuperating his health and then proceeded to Nashville, Tennessee, where he took up the study of law in the office of Felix Grundy. After the completion of his law studies he was admitted to the bar and removed to Columbia, Maury county, Tennessee, and started in the active practice of his profes- sion. Mr. Polk was a Jeffersonian " Re- publican " and in 1823 he was elected to the legislature of Tennessee. He was a strict constructionist and did not believe that the general government had the power to carry on internal improvements in the states, but deemed it important that it should have that power, and wanted the constitution amended to that effect. But later on he became alarmed lest the general government might become strong enough to abolish slavery and therefore gave his whole support to the " State's Rights" movement, and endeavored to check the centralization of power in the general government. Mr. Polk was chosen a member of congress in 1825, and held that office until 1839. He then withdrew, as he was the successful gubernatorial candidate of his state. He had become a man of great influence in the house, and, as the leader of the Jackson party in that body, weilded great influence in the election of General Jackson to the presidency. He sustained the president in all his measures and still remained in the house after Gen- eral Jackson had been succeeded by Martin Van Buren. He was speaker of the house during five sessions of congress. He was elected governor of Tennessee by a large majority and took the oath of office at Nash- ville, October 4, 1839. He was a candidate for re-election but was defeated by Governor Jones, the Whig candidate. In 1844 the most prominent question in the election was the annexation of Texas, and as Mr. Polk was the avowed champion of this cause he was nominated for president by the pro- slavery wing of the democratic party, was elected by a large majority, and was inaug- urated March 4, 1845. President Polk formed a very able cabinet, consisting of James Buchanan, Robert J. Walker, Will- iam L. Marcy, George Bancroft, Cave John- son, and John Y. Mason. The dispute re- garding the Oregon boundary was settled during his term of office and a -new depart- ment was added to the list of cabinet po- sitions, that of the Interior. The low tariff bill of 1 846 was carried and the financial system of the country was reorganized. It was also during President Polk's term that the Mexican war was successfully conducted, which resulted in the acquisition of Califor- COMPEXDILM OF BJOGRAJ'Ur 103 nia and New Mexico. Mr. Polk retired from the presidency March 4, 1S49, after having declined a re-nomination, and was succeeded by General Zachary Taylor, the hero of the Mexican war. Mr. Polk retired to private life, to his home in Nashville, where he died at the age of fifty-four on June 9, 1849. ANNA DICKINSON (Anna Elizabeth Dickinson), a noted lecturer and pub- lic speaker, was born at Philadelphia, Oc- tober 28, 1842. Her parents were Quakers, and she was educated at the Frieinis' free schools in her native city. She early man- ifested an inclination toward elocution and public speaking, and when, at the age of iS, she found an opportunity to appear before a national assemblage for the discussion of woman's rights, she at tuice establislied her reputation as a public speaker. From i860 to the close of the war and during the ex- citing period of reconstruction, she was one of the most noted and influential speakers before the American public, and her popu- larity was uneqnaled by that of any of her sex. A few weeks after the defeat and death of Colonel Baker at Ball's Bluff, Anna Dickinson, lecturing in New York, made the remarkable assertion, " Not the incom- petency of Colonel Baker, but the treachery of General McClellan caused the disaster at Ball's Bluf?." She was hissed and hooted off the stage. A year later, at the same hall and with much the same class of audi- tors, she repeated the identical words, and the applause was so great and so long con- tinued that it was impossible to goon wiih her lecture for more than half an hour. The change of sentiment had been wrought by the reverses and dismissal of McClellan and his ambition to succeed Mr. Lincoln as presi- dent. Ten years after the close of the war. Anna Dickinson was not heard of on the lec- ture platform, and about that time she made an attempt to enter the dramatic profession, but after appearing a number of times in dif- ferent plays she was pronounced a failure. ROBERT J. BURDETTE.— Some per- sonal characteristics of Mr. Burdette were quaintly given by himself in the follow- ing words: "Politics.' Republican after the strictest sect. Religion .' Baptist. Per- sonal appearance .' Below medium height, and weigh one hundred and thirty- five pounds, no shillings and no pence. Rich .•" Not enough to own a yacht. Favorite read- ing.' PocLry and history — know Longfellow by heart, almost. Write for magizines I H.ive nio.e ' declined witli thanks ' letters- than would fill a trunk. Never able to get into a mag iziie with a line. Care about it.' Mad as thunder. Think about starting a magazine and rejecting everhody's articles except my own." Mr. Burdette was born at Greensborough, Pennsylvania, in 1844. He served through the war of the rebellion under General Banks " on an excursion ticket" as he felicitously described it, "good both ways, conquering in one direction and running in the other, pay going on just the same." He entered into journalism by the gateway of New York correspondence for the "Peoria Transcript," and in 1874 went on the "Burlington Hawkeye" of which he became the managing editor, and the work that he did on this paper made both him- self and the paper famous in the world of humor. Mr. Burdette married in 1870, and his wife, whom he called "Her Little Serene Highness," was to him a guiding light until the day of her death, and it was probably the unconscious pathos with which h« described her in his work that broke the barriers that had kept him out of the maga- 104 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. zines and secured him the acceptance of his "Confessions" by Lippincott some years ago, and brought him substantial fame and recognition in the literary world. WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS, one of the leading novelists of the present ■century and author of a number of works that gained for him a place in the hearts of the people, was born March i, 1837, at Martinsville, Belmont county, Ohio. At the age of three years he accompanied his father, who was a printer, to Hamilton, Ohio, where he learned the printer's trade. Later he was engaged on the editorial staff of the "Cincinnati Gazette " and the " Ohio State Journal." During 1861-65 he was the United States consul at Venice, and from 1 87 1 to 1878 he was the editor-in- chief of the "Atlantic Monthly." As a writer he became one of the most fertile and readable of authors and a pleasing poet. In 1885 he became connected with " Har- per's Magazine. " Mr. Howells was author of the list of books that we give below: "Venetian Life," " Italian Journeys," "No Love Lost," " Suburban Sketches," "Their Wedding Journey," "A Chance Acquaint- ance," "A Foregone Conclusion," "Dr. Breen's Practice," "A Modern Instance," "The Rise of Silas Lapham," "Tuscan Cities," "Indian Summer," besides many others. He also wrote the " Poem of Two Friends," with J. J. Piatt in i860, and some minor dramas: "The Drawing Room Car," "The Sleeping Car," etc., that are full of e.xqusite humor and elegant dialogue. JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL was a son of the Kev. Charles Lowell, and was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 22, J 8 19. He graduated at Harvard College in 1838 as class poet, and went to Harvard Law School, from which he was graduated in 1840, and commenced the practice of his profession in Boston, but soon gave his un- divided attention to literary labors. Mr. Lowell printed, in 1841, a small volume of poems entitled " A Year's Life," edited with Robert Carter; in 1843, "The Pioneer, " a literary and critical magazine (monthly), and in 1848 another book of poems, that con- tained several directed against slavery. He published in 1844 a volume of "Poems" and in 1845 " Conversations on Some of the Old Poets," "The Vision of Sir Launfal," " A Fable for Critics," and "The Bigelow Papers," the lattet satirical es- says in dialect poetry directed against slavery and the war with Mexico. In 1851-52 he traveled in Europe and re- sided in Italy for a considerable time, and delivered in 1854-55 a course of lectures on the British poets, before the Lowell Insti- tute, Boston. Mr. Lowell succeeded Long- fellow in January, 1855, as professor of modern languages and literature at Harvard College, and spent another year in Em ope qualifying himself for that post. He edited the " Atlantic Monthly" from 1857 to 1862, and the "North American Review" from 1863 until 1872. From 1864 to 1870 he published the following works: "Fireside Travels," " Under the Willows," "The Commemoration Ode," in honor of the alumni of Harvard who had fallen in the Civil war; "The Cathedral," two volumes of essays; "Among My Books" and "My Study Windows," and in 1867 he published a new series of the " Bigelow Papers." He traveled e.xtensively in Europe in 1872-74, and received in person the degree of D. C. L. at O.xford and that of LL. D. at the University of Cambridge, England. He was also interested in political life and held I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 105^ many important offices. He was United States minister to Spain in 1877 and was also minister to England in 1880-85. O" January 2, 1884, he was elected lord rector of St. Andrew University in Glasgow, Scot- land, but soon after he resigned the same. Mr. Lowell's works enjoy great popularity in the United States and England. He died August 12, 1891. JOSEPH HENRY, one of America's greatest scientists, was born at Albany, New York, December 17, 1797. He was educated in the common schools of the city and graduated from the Albany Academy, where he became a professor of mathemat- ics in 1826. In 1827 he commenced a course of investigation, which he continued for a number of years, and the results pro- duced had great effect on the scientific world. The first success was achieved by producing the electric magnet, and he next proved the possibility of e.xciting magnetic energy at a distance, and it was the invention of Pro- fessor Henry's intensity magnet that first made the invention of electric telegraph a possibility. He made a statement regarding the practicability of applying the intensity magnet to telegraphic uses, in his article to the ' 'American Journal of Science " in 1 83 1 . During the same year he produced the first mechanical contrivance ever invented for maintaining continuous motion by means of electro-magnetism, and he also contrived. a machine by which signals could be made at a distance by the use of his electro-magnet, the signals being produced by a lever strik- ing on a bell. Some of his electro-magnets were of great power, one carried over a ton and another not less than three thousand six hundred pounds. In 1832 he discovered that secondary currents could be produced •■. -1 long cr- -iuctor by the induction of the primary current upon itself, and also in the same year he produced a spark by means of a purely magnetic induction. Professor Henry was elected, in 1S32, professor of nat- ural philosophy in the College of New Jer- sey, and in his earliest lectures at Princeton, demonstrated the feasibility of the electric telegraph. He visited Europe in 1837, and while there he had an interview with Pro- fessor Wheatstone, the inventor of the needle magnetic telegraph. In 1846 he was elected secretary of the Smithsonian Insti- tution, being the first incumbent in that office, which he held until his death. Professor Henry was elected president of the Ameri- can Association for the Advancement of Science, in 1849, and of the National Academy of Sciences. He was made chair- man of the lighthouse board of the United States in 1871 and held that position up to the time of his death. He received the honorary degree of doctor of laws from Union College in 1829, and from Harvard University in 1851, and his death occurred May 13, 1878. Among his numerous works may be mentioned the following: "Contri- butions to Electricity and Magnetism," " American Philosophic Trans, " and many articles in the "American Journal of Science," the journal of the Franklin Insti- tute; the proceedings of the American As- sociation for the Advancement of Science, and in the annual reports of the Smith- sonian Institution from its foundation. FRANKLIN BUCHANAN, the famous rear-admiral of the Confederate navy during the rebellion, was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He became a United States midshipman in 18 15 and was promoted through the various grades of the service and became a captain in 1855. Mr. Buch anan resigned his captaincy in order to join 106 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. the Confederate service in 1861 and later he asked to be reinstated, but his request was refused and he then entered into the service of the Confederate government. He was placed in command of the frigate " Merri- mac " after she had been fitted up as an iron- clad, and had command of her at the time of the battle of Hampton Roads. It was he who had command when the " Merri- mac" sunk the two wooden frigates, " Con- gress" and "Cumberland," and was also in command during part of the historical battle of the "Merrimac" and the "Moni- tor," where he was wounded and the com- mand devolved upon Lieutenant Catesby Jones. He was created rear-admiral in the Confederate service and commanded the Confederate fleet in Mobile bay, which was defeated by Admiral Farragut, August 5, 1864. Mr. Buchanan was in command of the "Tennessee," an ironclad, and during the engagement he lost one of his legs and was taken prisoner in the end by the Union fleet. After the war he settled in Talbot county, Maryland, where he died May 11, 1874- RICHARD PARKS BLAND, a celebrated American statesman, frequently called "the father of the house," because of his many years of service in the lower house of congress, was born August 19, 1835, near Hartford, Kentucky, where he received a plain academic education. He moved, in 1855, to Missouri, from whence he went overland to California, afterward locating in Virginia City, now in the state of Nevada, but then part of the territory of Utah. While there he practiced law, dabbled in mines and mining in Nevada and California for several years, and served for a time as treasurer of Carson county, Nevada. Mr. Bland returned to Missouri in 1865, where he engaged in the practice ot law at RoUa, Missouri, and in 1869 removed to Lebanon, Missouri. He began his congressional career in 1873, when he was elected as a Demo- crat to the forty-third congress, and he was regularly re-elected to every congress after that time up to the fifty-fourth, when he was defeated for re-election, but was returned to the fifty-fifth congress as a Silver Demo- crat. During all his protracted service, while Mr. Bland was always steadfast in his support of democratic measures, yet he won his special renown as the great advocate of silver, being strongly in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver, and on ac- count of his pronounced views was one of the candidates for the presidential nomina- tion of the Democratic party at Chicago in 1896. FANNY DAVENPORT (F. L. G. Daven- port) was of British birth, but she be- longs to the American stage. She was the daughter of the famous actor, E. L. Daven- port, and was born in London in 1850. She first went on the stage as a child at the Howard Athenseum, Boston, and her entire life was spent upon the stage. She played children's parts at -Burton's old theater in Chambers street, and then, in 1862, appeared as the King of Spain in " Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady. " Here she attracted the notice of Augustin Daly, the noted mana- ger, then at the Fifth Avenue theater, who offered her a six weeks' engagement with her father in "London Assurance." She afterwards appeared at the same house in a variety of characters, and her versatility was favorably noticed by the critics. After the burning of the old Fifth Avenue, the present theater of that name was built at Twenty-eighth street, and here Miss Daven- port appeared in a play written for her by COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 107 Mr. Daly. She scored a great success. She then starred in this play throughout the country, and was married to Mr. Edwin F. Price, an actor of her company, in 1880. In 1882 she went to Paris and purchased the right to produce in America Sardou's great emotional play, "Fedora." It was put on at the Fourteenth Street theater in New York, and in it she won popular favor and became one of the most famous actresses of her time. HORACE BRIGHAM CLAFLIN, one of the greatest merchants America has produced, was born in Milford, Massachu- setts, a son of John Claflin, also a mer- chant. Young Claflin started his active life as a clerk in his father's store, after having been offered the opportunity of a college education, but with the characteristic promptness that was one of his virtues he exclaimed, "No law or medicine for me." He had set his heart on being a merchant, and when his father retired he and his brother Aaron, and his brother-in-law, Sam- uel Daniels, conducted the business. Mr. Claflin was not content, however, to run a store in a town like Milford, and accordingly opened a dry goods store at Worcester, with his brother as a partner, but- the partnership was dissolved a year later and H. B. Claflin assumed complete control. The business in Worcester had been conducted on ortho- dox principles, and when Mr. Claflin came there and introduced advertising as a means of drawing trade, he created considerable animosity among the older merchants. Ten years later he was one of the most prosper- ous merchants. He disposed of his busi- ness in W'orcester for $30,000, and went to New York to search for a wider field than that of a shopkeeper. Mr. Claflin and William M. Bulkley started in the dry goods business there under the firm name of Bulk- ley & Claflin, in 1843, and Mr. Bulkley was connected with the firm until 185 1, when he retired. A new firm was then formed under the name of Claflin, McUin & Co. This firm succeeded in founding the largest dry goods house in the world, and after weather- ing the dangers of the civil war, during which the house came very near going un- der, and was saved only by the superior business abilities of Mr. Claflin, continued to grow. The sales of the firm amounted to over $72,000,000 a year after the close of the war. Mr. Claflin died November 14, 1885. CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN (Charlotte Saunders Cushman), one of the most celebrated American actresses, was born in Boston, July 23, 1816. She was descended from one of the earliest Puritan families. Her first attempt at stage work was at the age of fourteen years in a charitable concert given by amateurs in Boston. From this time her advance to the first place on the American lyric stage was steady, until, in 1835, while singing in New Orleans, she suddenly lost control of her voice so far as relates to singing, and was compelled to re- tire. She then took up the study for the dramatic stage under the direction of Mr. Barton, the tragedian. She soon after made her debut as " Lady Macbeth." She appeared in New York in September, 1836, and her success was immediate. Her "Romeo" was almost perfect, and she is the only woman that has ever appeared in the part of "Cardinal Wolsey." She at different times acted as support of Forrest and Macready. Her London engagement, secured in 1845, after many and great dis- couragements, proved an unqualified suc- cess. 108 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Her farewell appearance was at Booth's theater, New York, November 7, 1874, in the part of " Lady Macbeth," and after that performance an Ode by R. H. Stoddard was read, and a body of citizens went upon the stage, and in their name the venerable poet Longfellow presented her with a wreath of laurel with an inscription to the effect that "she who merits the palm should bear it." From the time of her appearance as a modest girl in a charitable entertainment down to the time of final triumph as a tragic queen, she bore herself with as much honor to womanhood as to the profession she rep- resented. Her death occurred in Boston, February 18, 1876. By her profession she acquired a fortune of $600,000. NEAL DOW, one of the most prominent temperance reformers our country has known, was born in Portland, Me., March 20, 1804. He received his education in the Friends Seminary, at New Bedford, Massa- chusetts, his parents being members of that sect. After leaving school he pursued a mecrantile and manufacturing career for a number of years. He was active in the affairs of his native city, and in 1839 be- came chief of the fire department, and in 1851 was elected mayor. He was re-elected to the latter office in 1854. Being opposed to the liquor traffic he was a champion of the project of prohibition, first brought for- ward in 1839 by James Appleton. While serving his first term as mayor he drafted a bill for the " suppression of drinking houses and tippling shops," which he took to the legislature and which was passed without an alteration. In 1858 Mr. Dow was elected to the legislature. On the outbreak of the Civil war he was appointed colonel of the Thirteenth Maine Infantry and accompanied General Butler's e.xpedition to New Orleans. In 1862 he was made brigadier-general. At the battle of Port Hudson May 27, 1863, he was twice wounded, and taken prisoner. He was confined at Libby prison and Mobile nearly a year, when, being e.xchanged, he resigned, his health having given way under the rigors of his captivity. He made sev- eral trips to England in the interests of temperance organization, where he addressed large audiences. He was the candidate of the National Prohibition party for the presi- dency in 1880, receiving about ten thousand votes. In 1884 he was largely instrumental in the amendment of the constitution of Maine, adopted by an overwhelming popular vote, which forever forbade the manufacture or sale of any intoxicating beverages, and commanding the legislature to enforce the prohibition. He died October 2, 1897. ZACHARY TAYLOR, twelfth president of the United States, was born in Orange county, Virginia, September 24, 1784. His boyhood was spent on his fath- er's plantation and his education was lim- ited. In 1808 he v/as made lieutenant of the Seventh Infantry, and joined his regi- ment at New Orleans. He was promoted to captain in 18 10, and commanded at Fort Harrison, near the present site of Terre Haute, in 1812, where, for his gallant de- fense, he was brevetted major, attaining full rank in 1814. In 181 5 he retired to an es- tate near Louisville. In 18 16 here-entered the army as major, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and then to colonel. Having for many years been Indian agent over a large pordon of the western country, he was often required in Washington to give advice and counsel in matters connected with the Indian b ireau. He served through the Black Hawk Indian war of 1832, and in 1837 was ordered to the command of the COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 10& amy in Florida, where he attacked the In- dians in the swamps and brakes, defeated them and ended the war. He was brevetted brigadier-general and made commander-in- chief of the army in Florida. He was as- signed to the command of the army of the southwest in 1840, but was soon after re- lieved of it at his request. He was then stationed at posts in Arkansas. In 1845 he was ordered to prepare to protect and de- fend Texas boundaries from invasion by Mexicans and Indians. On the anne.xation of Texas he proceeded with one thousand five hundred men to Corpus Christi, within the disputed territory. After reinforcement he was ordered by the Mexican General Am- pudia to retire beyond the Nueces river, with which order he declined to comply. The battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma followed, and he crossed the Rio Grande and occupied Matamoras May i8th. He was commissioned major-general for this campaign, and in September he advanced upon the city of Monterey and captured it after a hard fight. Here he took up winter quarters, and when he was about to resume activity in the spring he was ordered to send the larger part of his army to reinforce General Scott at \'era Cruz. After leaving garrisons at various points his army was re- duced to about five thousand, mostly fresh recruits. He was attacked by the army of Santa Anna at Buena Vista, February 22, 1847, and after a severe fight completely routed the Mexicans. He received the thanks of congress and a gold medal for this victory. He remained in command of the "army of occupation" until winter, when he returned to the United States. In 1848 General Taylor was nominated by the Whigs for president. He was elected over his two opponents, Cass and Van Buren. Great bitterness was developing in the struggle for and against the extension of slavery, and the newly acquired territory in the west, and the fact that the states were now equally divided on that question, tended to increase the feeling. President Taylor favored immediate admission of California with her constitution prohibiting slavery, and the admission of other states to be formed out of the new territory as they might elect as they adopted constitutions from time to time. This policy resulted in the " Omnibus Bill," which afterward passed congress, though in separate bills; not, how- ever, until after the death of the soldier- statesman, which occurred July 9, 1850. One of his daughters became the wife of Jefferson Davis. M ELVILLE D. LANDON, better known as " Eli Perkins, " author, lecturer and humorist, was born in Eaton, New York, September 7, 1839. He was the son of John Landon and grandson of Rufus Lan- don, a revolutionary soldier from Litchfield county, Connecticut. Melville was edu- cated at the district school and neighboring academy, where he was prepared for the sophomore class at Madison University. He passed two years at the latter, when he was admitted to Union College, and graduated in the class of 1861, receiving the degree of A. M., in 1862. He was, at once, ap- pointed to a position in the treasury depart- ment at Washington. This being about the time of the breaking out of the war. and before the appearance of any Union troops at the capital, he assisted in the organiza- tion of the " Clay Battalion," of Washing- ton. Leaving his clerkship some time later, he took up duties on the staff of General A. L. Chetlain, who was in command at Mem- phis. In 1864 he resigned from the army and engaged in cotton planting in Arkansas 110 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. and Louisiana. In 1867 he went abroad, making the tour of Europe, traversing Rus- sia. While in the latter country his old commander of the " Clay Battalion," Gen- eral Cassius M. Clay, then United States minister at St. Petersburg, made him secre- tary of legation. In 1871, on returning to America, he published a history of the Franco-Prussian war, and followed it with numerous humorous writings for the public press under the name of "Eli Perkins," which, with his regular contributions to the " Commercial Advertiser," brought him into notice, and spread his reputation as a hu- morist throughout the country. He also pub- lished "Saratoga in 1891," "Wit, Humor .and Pathos," "Wit and Humor of the Age," " Kings of Platform and Pulpit," " Thirty Years of Wit and Humor," " Fun and Fact," and " China and Japan." LEWIS CASS, one of the most prom- inent statesman and party leaders of his day, was born at Exeter, New Hampshire, October 9, 1782. He studied law, and hav- ing removed toZanesville, Ohio, commenced the practice of that profession in 1802. He entered the service of the American govern- ment in 1 812 and was made a colonel in the army under General William Hull, and on the surrender of Fort Maiden by that officer was held as a prisoner. Being re- leased in 181 3, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and in 18 14 ap- pointed governor of Michigan Territory. After he had held that office for some sixteen years, negotiating, in the meantime, many treaties with the Indians, General Caos was made secretary of war in the cabi- .let of President Jackson, in 1831. He was, :n 1836, appointed minister to France, which office he held for six years. In 1844 ne - as elected United States senator from Michigan. In 1846 General Cass opposed the Wilmot Proviso, which was an amend- ment to a bill for the purchase of land from Mexico, which provided that in any of the territory acquired from that power slavery should not exist. For this and other reasons he was nominated as Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States in 1848, but was defeated by General Zachary Taylor, the Whig candidate, having but one hundred and thirty-seven electoral votes to his opponent's one hundred and sixty- three. In 1 849 General Cass was re-elected to the senate of the United States, and in 1854 supported Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska bill. He became secretary of state in March, 1857, under President Buchanan, but resigned that office in December, i860. He died June 17, 1866. The published works of Lewis Cass, while not numerous, are well written and display much ability. He was one of the foremost men of his day in the political councils of the Democratic party, and left a reputation for high probity and honor behind him. DEWITT CLINTON.— Probably there were but few men who were so popular in their time, or who have had so much in- fluence in moulding events as the individual whose name honors the head of this article. De Witt Clinton was the son of General James Clinton, and a nephew of Governor George Clinton, who was the fourth vice- president of the United States. He was a native of Orange county, New York, born at Little Britain, March 2, 1769. He gradu- ated from Columbia College, in his nativu state, in 1796, and took up the study of law. In 1 790 he became private secretary to his uncle, then governor of New York. He en- tered public life as a Republican or anti- Federalist, and was elected to the lover I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. Ill house of the state assembly in 1797, and the senate of that body in 1798. At that time he was looked on as " the most rising man in the Union." In 1801 he was elected to the United States senate. In 1803 he was appointed by the governor and council mayor of the city of New York, then a very important and powerful office. Hav- ing been re-appointed, he held the office of mayor for nearly eleven years, and rendered great service to that city. Mr. Clinton served as lieutenant-governor of the state of New York, 1811-13, and was one of the commissioners appointed to examine and survey a route for a canal from the Hudson river to Lake Erie. Dif- fering with President Madison, in relation to the war, in 18 12, he was nominated for the presidency against that gentleman, by a coalition party called the Clintonians, many of whom were Federalists. Clinton received eight-nine electoral votes. His course at this time impaired his popularity for a time. He was removed from the mayoralty in 1 8 14, and retired to private life. In 18 15 he wrote a powerful argument for the con- struction of the Erie canal, then a great and beneficent work of which he was the prin- cipal promoter. This was in the shape of a memorial to the legislature, which, in 18 17, passed a bill authorizing the construc- tion of that canal. The same year he was elected governor of New York, almost unani- mously, notwithstanding the opposition of a few who pronounced the scheme of the canal visionary. He was re-elected governor in 1820. He was at this time, also, presi- dent of the canal commissioners. He de- clined a re-election to the gubernatorial chair in 1822 and was removed from his place on the canal board two years later. But he was triumphantly elected to the of- fice of governor that fall, and his pet project, the Erie canal, was finished the next year. He was re-elected governor in 1826, but died while holding that office, February 11, 1828. AARON BURR, one of the many brilliant figures on the political stage in the early days of America, was born at Newark, New Jersey, February 6, 1756. He was the son of Aaron and Esther Burr, the former the president of the College of New Jersey, and the latter a daughter of Jonathan Edwards, who had been president of the same educa- tional institution. Young Burr graduated at Princeton in 1772. In 1775 he joined the provincial army at Cambridge, Massa- chusetts. For a time, he served as a private soldier, but later was made an aide on the staff of the unfortunate General Montgom- ery, in the Quebec expedition. Subse- quently he was on the staffs of Arnold, Put- nam and Washington, the latter of whom he disliked. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and commanded a brigade on Monmouth's bloody field. In '779. on account of feeble health. Colonel Burr resigned from the army. He took up the practice of law in Albany, New York, but subsequently removed to New York City. In 1789 he became attorney-general of that state. In 1791 he was chosen to represent the state of New York in the United States senate and held that position for si.x years. In 1800 he and Thomas Jefferson were both candidates for the presidency, and there being a tie in the electoral college, each having seventy-three votes, the choice was left to congress, who gave the first place to Jefferson and made Aaron Burr vice-presi- dent, as the method then was. In 1S04 Mr. Burr and his great rival, Alexander Hamil- ton, met in a duel, which resulted in the death of the latter. Burr losing thereby con- 112 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. siderable political and social influence. He soon embarked in a wild attempt upon Mexico, and as was asserted, upon the southwestern territories of the United States. He was tried for treason at Richmond, Virginia, in 1807, but acquitted, and to avoid importunate creditors, fled to Europe. After a time, in 18 12, he returned to New York, where he practiced law, and where he died, September 14, 1836. A man of great ability, brilliant and popular talents, his influence was destroyed by his unscrupu- lous political actions and immoral private life. ALBERT GALLATIN, one of the most distinguished statesmen of the early days of the republic, was born at Geneva, Switzerland, January 29, 1761. He was thesonof Jean de Gallatin and Sophia A. Rolaz du Rosey Gallatin, representatives of an old patrician family. Albert Gallatin was left an orphan at an early age, and was educated under the care of friends of his parents. He graduated from the University of Geneva in 1779, and declining employ- ment under one of the sovereigns of Ger- many, came to the struggling colonies, land- ing in Boston July 14, 1780. Shortly after his arrival he proceeded to Maine, where he served as a volunteer under Colonel Allen. He made advances to the government for the support of the American troops, and in November, 1780, was placed in command of a small fort at Passamaquoddy, defended by a force of militia, volunteers and Indians. In 1783 he was professor of the French language at Harvard University. A year later, having received his patrimony from Europe, he purchased large tracts of land in westtirn Virginia, but was prevented by the Indians from forming the large settle- ment he proposed, and. in 1786, purchased a farm in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. In 1789 he was a member of the convention to amend the constitution of that state, and united himself with the Republican party, the head of which was Thomas Jefferson. The following year he was elected to the legislature of Pennsylvania, to which he was subsequently re-elected. In 1793 he was elected to the United States senate, but could not take his seat on account of not having been a citizen long enough. In 1794 Mr. Gallatin was elected to the representa- tive branch of congress, in which he served three terms. He also took an important position in the suppression of the "whiskey insurrection." In 1801, on the accession of Jefferson to the presidency, Mr. Gallatin was appointed secretary of the treasury. In 1809 Mr. Madison offered him the posi- tion of secretary of state, but he declined, and continued at the head of the treasury until 1 812, a period of twelve years. He exercised a great influence on the other de- partments and in the general administration, especially in the matter of financial reform, and recommended measures for taxation, etc., which were passed by congress, and be- came laws May 24, 1 8 1 3. The same year he was sent as an envoy extraordinary to Rus- sia, which had offered to mediate between this country and Great Britain, but the lat- ter country refusing the interposition of another power, and agreeing to treat di- rectly with the United States, in 18 14. at Ghent, Mr. Gallatin, in connection with his distinguished colleagues, negotiated and signed the treaty of peace. In 181 5. in conjunction with Messrs. Adams and Clay, he signed, at London, a commercial treaty between the two countries. In 1S16, de- clining his old post at the head of the treas- ury, Mr. Gallatin was sent as minister to France, wh re he remained until 1823. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPfir. 118 After a year spent in England as envoy ex- traordinary, he took up his residence in New York, and from that time held no public office. In 1830 he was chosen president of the council of the University of New York. He was, in 1831, made president of the National bank, which position he resigned in 1839. He died August 12, 1849. M ILLARD FILLMORE, the thirteenth president of the United States, was born of New England parentage in Summer Hill, Cayuga county, New York, January 7, 1800. His school education was very lim- ited, but he occupied his leisure hours in study. He worked in youth upon his fa- ther's farm in his native county, and at the age of fifteen was apprenticed to a wool carder and cloth dresser. Four years later he was induced by Judge Wood to enter his office at Montville, New York, and take up the study of law. This warm friend, find- ing young Fillmore destitute of means, loaned him money, but the latter, not wish- ing to incur a heavy debt, taught school during part of the time and in this and other ways helped maintain himself. In 1822 he removed to Buffalo, New York, and the year following, being admitted to the bar, he commenced the practice of his profession at East Aurora, in the same state. Here he remained until 1830, having, in the meantime, been admitted to practice in the supreme court, when he returned to Buffalo, where he became the partner of S. G. Haven and N. K. Hall. He entered poli- tics and served in the state legislature from 1829 to 1832. He was in congress in 1833- 35 and in 1837-41, where he proved an active and useful member, favoring the views of John Quincy Adams, then battling almost alone the slave-holding party in na- tional politics, and in most 01 public ques- tions acted with the Whig party. While chairman of the committee of ways and means he took a leading part in draughting the tariff bill of 1842. In 1844 Mr. Fill- more was the Whig candidate for governor of New York. In 1S47 he was chosen comptroller of the state, and abandoning his practice and profession removed to Al- bany. In 1848 he was elected vice presi- dent on the ticket with General Zachary Taylor, and they were inaugurated the fol- lowing March. On the death of the presi- dent, July 9, 1850, Mr. Fillmore was in- ducted into that office. The great events of his administration were the passage of the famous compromise acts of 1850, and the sending out of the Japan expedition of 1852. March 4, 1853, having served one term, President Fillmore retired from office, and in 1855 went to Europe, where he received marked attention. On returning home, in 1856, he was nominated for the presidency by the Native American or " Know-Noth- ing" party, but was defeated, James Buch- anan being the successful candidate. Mr. Fillmore ever afterward lived in re- tirement. During the conflict of Civil war he was mostly silent. It was generally sup- posed, however, that his sympathy was with the southern confederacy. He kept aloof from the conflict without any words of cheer to the one party or the other. For this rea- son he was forgotten by both. He died of paralysis, in Buffalo, New York, March 8, 1874- PETER F. ROTHERMEL, one of Amer- ica's greatest and best-known historical painters, was born in Luzerne county, Penn- sylvania, July 8, 1817, and was of German ancestry. He received his earlier education in his native county, and in Philadelphia 114 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. learned the profession of land surveying. But a strong bias toward art drew him away and he soon opened a studio where he did portrait painting. This soon gave place to historical painting, he having discovered the bent of his genius in that direction. Be- sides the two pictures in the Capitol at Washington — ' 'DeSoto Discovering the Mis- sissippi" and "Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses" — Rothermel painted many others, chief among which are: "Columbus Before Queen Isabella," "Martyrs of the Colosseum," "Cromwell Breaking Up Service in an English Church," and the famous picture of the "Battle of Gettysburg." The last named was painted for the state of Pennsylvania, for which Rothermel received the sum of $25,- 000, and which it took him four years to plan and to paint. It represents the portion of that historic field held by the First corps, an exclusively Pennsylvania body of men, and was selected by Rothermel for that reason. For many years most of his time was spent in Italy, only returning for short periods. He died at Philadelphia, August 16. 1895. EDMUND KIRBY SMITH, one of the distinguished leaders upon the side of the south in the late Civil war, was born at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1824. After receiv- ing the usual education he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 1845 and entered the army as second lieutenant of infantry. During the Mexican war he was made first lieutenant and captain for gallant conduct at Cerro Gordo and Contreras. From 1849 to 1852 he was assistant pro- fessor of mathematics at West Point. He was transferred to the Second cavalry with the rank of captain in 1855, served on the frontier, and was wounded in a fight with Comanche Indians in Texas, May 13, 1859. In January, 1861, he became major of his regiment, but resigned April 9th to fol- low the fortunes of the southern cause. He was appointed brigadier-general in the Confederate army and served in Virginia. At the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, he arrived on the field late in the day, but was soon disabled by a wound. He was made major-general in 1862, and being trans- ferred to East Tennessee, was given com- mand of that department. Under General Braxton Bragg he led the advance in the invasion of Kentucky and defeated the Union forces at Richmond, Kentucky, August 30, 1862, and advanced to Frankfort. Pro- moted to the rank of lieutenant-general, he was engaged at the battle of Perryville, October 10, and in the battle of Murfrees- boro, December 31, 1862, and January 3, 1863. He was soon made general, the highest rank in the service, and in com- mand of the trans-Mississippi department opposed General N. P. Banks in the famous Red River expedition, taking part in the battle of Jenkins Ferry, April 30, 1864, and other engagements of that eventful cam- paign. He was the last to surrender the forces under his command, which he did May 26, 1865. After the close of the war he located in Tennessee, where he died March 28, 1893. JOHN JAMES INGALLS, a famous American statesman, was born Decem- ber 29, 1833, at Middleton, Massachusetts, where he was reared and received his early education. He went to Kansas in 1858 and joined the free-soil army, and a year after his arrival he was a member of the his- torical Wyandotte convention, which drafted a free-state constitution. In i860 he was I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 1'5 made secretary of the territorial council, and in 1861 was secretary of the state sen- ate. The next year he was duly elected to the legitimate state senate from Atchison, where he had made his home. From that time he was the leader of the radical Re- publican element in the state. He became the editor of the " Atchison Champion " in 1863, which was a "red-hot free-soil Re- publican organ." In 1862 he was the anti- Lane candidate for lieutenant-governor, but was defeated. He was elected to the Unit- ed States senate to succeed Senator Potn- eroy, and took his seat in the forty-third congress and served until the fiftieth. In the forty-ninth congress he succeeded Sen- ator Sherman as president pro tern., which position he held through the fiftieth con- gress. BENJAMIN WEST, the greatest of the early American painters, was of Eng- lish descent and Quaker parentage. He was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, in 1738. From what source he inherited his genius it is hard to imagine, since the tenets and tendencies of the Quaker faith were not cal- culated to encourage the genius of art, but at the age of nine years, with no suggestion except that of inspiration, we find him choos- ing his model from life, and laboring over his first work calculated to attract public notice. It was a representation of a sleep- ing child in its cradle. The brush with which he painted it was made of hairs which he plucked from the cat's tail, and the colors were obtained from the war paints of friendly Indians, his mother's indigo bag, and ground chalk and charcoal, and the juice of berries, but there were touches in the rude production that he declared in later days were a credit to his best works. The pic- ture attracted notice, for a council was called at once to pass upon the boy's con- duct in thus infringing the laws of the so- ciety. There were judges among them who saw in his genius a rare gift and their wis- dom prevailed, and the child was given per- mission to follow his inclination. He studied under a painter named Williams, and then spent some years as a portrait painter with advancing success. At the age of twenty- two he went to Italy, and not until he had perfected himself by twenty-three years of labor in that paradise of art was he satisfied to turn his face toward home. However, he stopped at London, and decided to settle there, sending to America for his intended bride to join him. Though the Revolution- ary war was raging, King George III showed the American artist the highest considera- tion and regard. His remuneration from works for royalty amounted to five thou- sand dollars per year for thirty years. West's best known work in America is, perhaps, "The Death of General Wolf." West was one of the thirty-si.\ original mem- bers of the Royal academy and succeeded Joshua Reynolds as president, which posi- tion he held until his death. His early works were his best, as he ceased to display originality in his later life, conventionality having seriously affected his efforts. He died in 1820. SAMUEL PORTER JONES, the famous Georgia evangelist, was born October 16, 1847, in Chambers county, Alabama. He did not attend school regularly during his boyhood, but worked on a farm, and went to school at intervals, on account of ill health. His father removed to Carters- ville, Georgia, when Mr. Jones was a small boy. He quit school at the age of nineteen and never attended college. The war inter- fered with his education, which was intended 116 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. to prepare him for the legal profession. After the war he renewed his preparation for college, but was compelled to desist from such a course, as his health failed him en- tirely. Later on, however, he still pursued his legal studies and was admitted to the bar. Soon after this event he went to Dal- las, Paulding county, Georgia, where he was engaged in the practice of his profession, and in a few months removed to Cherokee county, Alabama, where he taught school. In 1869 he returned to Cartersville, Georgia, and arrived in time to see his father die. Immediately after this event he applied for a license to preach, and, went to Atlanta, Georgia, to the meeting of the North Geor- gia Conference of the M. E. church south, which received him on trial. He became an evangelist of great note, and traveled extensively, delivering his sermons in an inimitable style that made him very popular with the masses, his methods of conducting revivals being unique and original and his preaching practical and incisive. SHELBY MOORE CULLOM, a national character in political affairs and for many years United States senator from Illinois, was born November 22, 1829, at Monticello, Kentucky. He came with his parents to Illinois in 1 830 and spent his early yearson a farm, but havingformed the purpose of devoting himself to the lawyer's profession he spent two years study at the Rock River seminary at Mount Morris, Illinois. In 1853 Mr. CuUom entered the law office of Stuart and Edwards at Springfield, Illinois, and two years later he began the independent prac- tice of law in that city. He took an active interest in politics and was soon elected city attorney of Springfield. In 1856 he was elected a member of the Illinois house of representatives. He identified himself with the newly formed Republican party and in i860 was re-elected to the legislature of his state, in which he was chosen speaker of the house. In 1862 President Lincoln appoint- ed a commission to pass upon and e.xamine the accounts of the United States quarter- masters and disbursing officers, composed as follows: Shelby M. Cullom, of Illinois; Charles A. Dana, of New York, and Gov. Boutwell, of Massachusetts. Mr. Cullom was nominated for congress in 1864, and was elected by a majority of 1,785. In the house of representatives he became an active and aggressive member, was chairman of the committee on territories and served in congress until 1868. Mr. Cullom was returned to the state legislature, of which he was chosen speaker in 1872, and was re-elected in 1874. In 1876 he was elected governor of Illinois and at the end of his term he was chosen for a second term. He was elected United States senator in 1883 and twice re-elected. RICHARD JORDAN CATLING, an Am.erican inventor of much note, was born in Hertford county. North Carolina, September 12, 1818. At an early age he gave promise of an inventive genius. The first emanation from his mind was the invention of a screw for the propulsion ot water craft, but on application for a patent, found that he was forestalled but a short time by John Ericsson. Subse- quently he invented a machine for sowing wheat in drills, which was used to a great extent throughout the west. He then stud- ied medicine, and in 1847-8 attended lectures at the Indiana Medical College at Laporte, and in 184S-9 at the Ohio \ Medical College at Cincinnati. He later I discovered a method of transmitting power 1 through the medium of compressed air. A COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAriir. 119 double-acting hemp break was also invented by him. The invention, however, by which Dr. Catling became best known was the famous machine gun which bears his name. This he brought to light in 1861-62, and on the first trial of it, in the spring of the latter year, two hundred shots per minute were fired from it. After making some improve- ments which increased its efficiency, it was submitted to severe trials by our govern- ment at the arsenals at Frankfort, Wash- ington and Fortress Monroe, and at other points. The gun was finally adopted by our government, as well as by that of Great Britain, Russia and others. BENJAMIN RYAN TILLMAN, who won a national fame in politics, was born August II, 1847, in Edgefield county, South Carolina. He received his education in the Oldfield school, where he acquired the rudiments of Latin and Greek, in addition to a good English education. He left school in 1864 to join the Confederate army, but was prevented from doing so by a severe illness, which resulted in the loss of an eye. In 1867 he removed to Florida, but returned in 1868, when he was married and devoted himself to farming. He was chairman of the. Democratic organization of his county, but except a few occasional services he took no active part in politics then. Gradually, however, his attention was directed to the depressed condition of the farming interests of his state, and in August, 1885, before a joint meeting of the agricultural society and state grange at Bonnettsville, he made a speech in which he set forth the cause of agricultural depression and urged measures of relief. From his active interest in the farming class he was styled the "Agricult- ural Moses." He advocated an industrial school for women and for a separate agri- 7 cultural college, and in 1887 he secured a modification in the final draft of the will of Thomas G. Clemson, which resulted in the erection of the Clemson Agricultural Col- lege at Fort Hill. In 1890 he was chosen governor on the Democratic ticket, and carried the election by a large majority. Governor Tillman was inaugurated Decem- ber 4, 1890. Mr. Tillman was next elected to the United States senate from South Carolina, and gained a national reputation by his fervid oratory. GEORGE DENISON PRENTICE.— No journalist of America was so cele- brated in his time for the wit, spice, and vigor of his writing, as the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. From Atlantic to Pacific he was well known by his witticism as well as by strength and force of his edi- torials. He was a native of Preston, Con- necticut, born December 18, 1802. After laying the foundation of a liberal education in his youth, he entered Brown University, from which he was graduated in 1823. Tak- ing up the study of law, he was admitted to the bar in 1829. During part of his time he was editor of the " New England Weekly Review," a position which he relinquished to go south and was succeeded by John Greenleaf Whittier, the Quaker poet. On arriving in Louisx'ille, whither he had gone to gather items for his history of Henry Clay, Mr. Prentice became identified with the " Louisville Journal," which, under his hands, became one of the leading Whig newspapers of the country. At the head of this he remained until the day of his death. This latter event occurred January 22, 1870, and he was succeeded in the control of the " Journal " by Colonel Henry Watterson. Mr. Prentice was an author of consider- able celebrity, chief among his works being 120 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. "The Life of Henry Clay," and " Prentice- ana," a collection of wit and humor, that passed through several large editions. SAM. HOUSTON, in the opinion of some critics one of the most remarkable men who ever figured in American history, was a native of Rockbridge county, Virginia, born March 2, 1793. Early in life he was left in destitute circumstances by the death of his father, and, with his mother, removed to Tennessee, then almost a boundless wilder- ness. He received but little education, spending the most of his time among the Cherokee Indians. Part of the time of his residence there Houston acted as clerk for a trader and also taught one of the primitive schools of the day. In 181 3 he enlisted as private in the United States army and was engaged under General Jackson in the war with the Creek Indians. When peace was made Houston was a lieutenant, but he re- signed his commission and commenced the study of law at Nashville. After holding some minor offices he was elected member of congress from Tennessee. This was in 1823. He retained this office until 1827, when he was chosen governor of the state. In 1829, resigning that office before the ex- piration of his term, Sam Houston removed to Arkansas, and made his home among the Cherokees, becoming the agent of that tribe and representing their interests at Washington. On a visit to Texas, just prior to the election of delegates to a con- vention called for the purpose of drawing up a constitution previous to the admission of the state into the Me.xican union, he was unanimously chosen a delegate. The con- vention framed the constitution, but, it be- ing rejected by the government of Mexico, and the petition for admission to the Con- federacy denied and the Texans told by the president of the Mexican union to give up their arms, bred trouble. It was determined to resist this demand. A military force was soon organized, with General Houston at the head of it. War was prosecuted with great vigor, and with varying success, but at the battle of San Jacinto, April 21,1 836, the Mexicans were defeated and their leader and president, Santa Anna, captured. Texas was then proclaimed an independent repub- lic, and in October of the same year Hous- ton was inaugurated president. On the ad- mission of Texas to the Federal Union, in 1845, Houston was elected senator, and held that position for twelve years. Oppos- ing the idea of secession, he retired from political life in 1861, and died at Hunts- ville, Texas, July 25, 1863. P' LI WHITNEY, the inventor of the cot- 1—/ ton-gin, was born in Westborough, Mas- sachusetts, December 8, 1765. After his graduation from Yale College, he went to Georgia, where he studied law, and lived with the family of the widow of General Nathaniel Greene. At that time the only way known to separate the cotton seed from the fiber was by hand, making it extremely slow and expensive, and for this reason cot- ton was little cultivated in this country. Mrs. Greene urged the inventive Whitney to devise some means for accomplishing this work by machinery. This he finally succeeded in doing, but he was harassed by attempts to defraud him by those who had stolen his ideas. He at last formed a part- nership with a man named Miller, and they began the manufacture of the machines at Washington, Georgia, in 1795. The suc- cess of his invention was immediate, and the legislature of South Carolina voted the sum of $50,000 for his idea. This sum he had great difficulty in collecting, after years of COMPEXDILM OF BlOGRAPIir. 121 litigation and delay. North Carolina al- lowed him a royalty, and the same was agreed to by Tennessee, but was never paid. While his fame rests upon the invention of the cotton-gin, his fortune came from his niiprovements in the manufacture and con- struction of firearms. In 1798 the United Status government gave him a contract for this purpose, and he accumulated a fortune from it. The town of Whitneyville, Con- necticut, was founded by this fortune. Whitney died at New Haven, Connecticut, January 8. 1825. The cotton-gin made the cultivation of cotton profitable, and this led to rapid in- troductio.i of sla\'ery in the south. His in- vention thus affected our national history in a manner little dreamed of by the inventor. LESTER WALLACK (John Lester Wal- lack), for many years the leading light comedian upon the American stage, was the son of James W. Wallack, the " Brum- mell of the Stage." Both father and son were noted for their comeliness of feature and form. Lester Wallack was born in New York, January 1, 18 19. He received his education in England, and made his first appearance on the stage in 1848 at the New Broadway theater, New York. He acted light comedy parts, and also occasion- ally in romantic plays like Monte Cristo, which play made him his fame. He went to England and played under management of such men as Hamblin and Burton, and then returned to New York with his father, who opened the first Wallack's theater, at the corner of Broome and Broadway, in 1852. The location was afterward changed to Thirteenth and Broadway, in 1861, and later to its present location, Broadway and Thirteenth, in 1882. The elder Wallack died in 18G4, after which Lester assumed management, jointly with Theodore Moss. Lester Wallack was commissioned in the queen's service while in England, and there he also married a sister to the famous artist, the late John Everett Miilais. While Les- ter Wallack never played in the interior cities, his name was as familiar to the public as that of our greatest stars. He died Sep- tember 6, 1888, at Stamford, Connecticut. GEORGE MORTLMER PULLMAN, the palace car magnate, inventor, multi-millionaire and manufacturer, may well be classed among the remarkable self-made men of the century. He was born March 3, 1 831, in Chautauqua county, New York. His parents were poor, and his education was limited to what he could learn of the rudimentary branches in the district school. At the age of fourteen he went to work as clerk for a country mer- chant. He kept this place three years, studying at night. When seventeen he went to Albion, New York, and worked for his brother, who kept a cabinet shop there. Five years later he went into business for himself as contractor for moving buiKlings along the line of the Erie canal, which was then being widened by the state, and was successful in thii. In 1858 he removed to Chicago and engaged in the business of moving and raising houses. The work was novel there then and he was quite success- ful. About this time the discomfort attend- ant on traveling at night attracted his at- tention. He reasoned that the public would gladly pay for comfortable sleeping accom- modations. A few sleeping cars were in use at that time, but tiiey were wretchedly crude, uncomtortable affairs. In 1859 he bought two old day coaches from the Chi- cago & Alton road and remodeled them some- thing like the general plan of the sleepine 122 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. cars of the present day. They were put into service on the Chicago & Alton and became popular at once. In 1863 he built the first sleeping-car resembling the Pullman cars of to-day. It cost $18,000 and was the " Pioneer." After that the Pullman Palace Car Companj' prospered. It had shops at different cities. In 1880 the Town of Pullman was founded by Mr. Pullman and his company, and this model manufac- turing community is known all over the world. Mr. Pullman died October 19, 1897. JAMES E. B. STUART, the most famous cavalry leader of the Southern Confed- eracy during the Civil war, was born in Patrick county, Virginia, in 1833. On graduating from the United States Military Academy, West Point, in 1854, he was as- signed, as second lieutenant, to a regiment of mounted rifles, receiving his commission in October. In March, 1855, he was trans- ferred to the newly organized First cavalry, and was promoted to first lieutenant the following December, and to captain April 22, 1 86 1. Taking the side of the south. May 14, 1 86 1, he was made colonel of a Virginia cavalry regiment, and served as such at Bull Run. In September, 1861, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-gen- eral, and major-general early in 1862. On the reorganization of the Army of Northern Virgmia, in June of the latter year, when R. E. Lee assumed command. General Stu- art made a reconnoissance with one thou- sand five hundred cavalry and four guns, and in two days made the circuit of McClel- lan's army, producing much confusion and gathering useful information, and losing but one man. August 25, 1862, he captured part of Pope's headquarters' train, including that general's private baggage and official correspondence, and the next night, in a descent upon Manasses, capturing immense quantities of commissary and quartermaster store, eight guns, a number of locomotives and a few hundred prisoners. During the invasion of Maryland, in September, 1862, General Stuart acted as rearguard, resisting the advance of the Federal cavalry at South Mountain, and at Antietam commanded the Confederate left. Shortly after he crossed the Potomac, making a raid as far as Cham- bersburg, Pennsylvania. In the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, Gen- eral Stuart's command was on the extreme right of the Confederate line. At Chancel- lorsville, after "Stonewall " Jackson's death and the wounding of General A. P. Hill, General Stuart assumed command of Jack- son's corps, which he led in the severe con- test of May 3, 1863. Early in June, the same year, a large force of cavalry was gathered under Stuart, at Culpepper, Vir- ginia, which, advancing to join General Lee in his invasion of Pennsylvania, was met at Brandy Station, by two divisions of cavalry and two brigades of infantry, under General John I. Gregg, and driven back. During the movements of the Gettysburg campaign he rendered important services. In May, 1864, General Stuart succeeded, by a detour, in placing himself between Richmond and Sheridan's advancing column, and at Yellow Tavern was attacked in force. During the fierce conflict that ensued General Stuart was mortally wounded, and died at Rich- mond, May II, 1864. FRANKLIN PIERCE, the fourteenth president of the United States — from 1853 until 1857 — was born November 23, 1804, at Hiilsboro, New Hampshire. He came of old revolutionary stock and his father was a governor of the state. Mr. Pierce entered Bowdoin College in 1820, COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 128 was graduated in 1824, and took up the study of law in the office of Judge Wood- bury, and later he was admitted to the bar. Mr. Pierce practiced his profession with varying successes in his native town and also in Concord. He was elected to the state legislature in 1833 and served in that body until 1837, the last two years of his term serving as speaker of the house. He was elected to the United States senate in 1837, just as President Van Buren began his term of office. Mr. Pierce served until 1842, and many times during Polk's term he declined important public offices. During the war with Mexico Mr. Pierce was ap- pointed brigadier-general, and he embarked with a, portion of his troops at Newport, Rhode Island, May 27, 1847, and went with them to the field of battle. He served through the war and distinguished himself by his skill, bravery and excellent judg- ment. When he reached his home in his native state he was received coldly by the opponents of the war, but the advocates of the war made up for his cold reception by the enthusiastic welcome which they ac- corded him. Mr. Pierce resumed the prac- tice of his profession, and in the political strife that followed he gave his support to the pro- slavery wing of the Democratic party. The Democratic convention met in Baltimore, June 12, 1852, to nominate a candidate for the presidency, and they con- tinued in session four days, and in thirty- five ballotings no one had secured the re- quisite two-thirds vote. Mr. Pierce had not received a vote as yet, until the Virginia delegation brought his name forward, and finally on the forty-ninth ballot Mr. Pierce received 282 votes and all the other candi- dates eleven. His opponent on the Whig ticket was General Winfield Scott, who only received the electoral votes of four states. Mr. Pierce was inaugurated presi- dent of the United States March 4, 1853, with W. R. King as vice president, and the following named gentlemen were afterward chosen to fill the positions in the cabinet: William S. Marcy, James Guthrie, Jeffer- son Davis, James C. Dobbin, Robert Mc- Clelland, James Campbell and Caleb Cush- ing. During the administration of President Pierce the Missouri compromise law was repealed, and all the territories of the Union were thrown open to slavery, and the dis- turbances in Kansas occurred. In 1857 he was succeeded in the presidency by James Buchanan, and retired to his home in Con- cord, New Hampshire. He always cherished his principles of slavery, and at the out- break of the rebellion he was an adherent of the cause of the Confederacy. He died at Concord, New Hampshire, October 8, 1869. JAMES B. WEAVER, well known as a leader of the Greenback and later of the Populist party, was born at Dayton, Ohio, June 12, 1833. He received his earlier education in the schools of his native town, and entered the law departrrtent of the Ohio University, at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in 1854. Removing to the grow- ing state of Iowa, he became connected with "The Iowa Tribune," at the state capital, Des Moines, as one of its editors. He afterward practiced law and was elected district attorney for the second judicial dis- trict of Iowa, on the Republican ticket in 1866, which office he held for a short time. In 1867 Mr. Weaver was appointed assessor of internal revenue for the first district of Iowa, and filled that position until some- time in 1873. He was elected and served in the forty-sixth congress. In 1880 the National or Greenback party in convention at Chicago, nominated James B. Weaver as. V2i COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPH7. its candidate for the presidency. By a union of the Democratic and National parties in his district, he was elected to the forty-ninth congress, and re-elected to the same office in the fall of 1886. Mr. Weaver was conceded to be a very fluent speaker, and quite active in all political work. On July 4, 1892, at the National convention of the People's party, General James B. Weaver was chosen as the candidate for president of that organization, and during the campaign that followed, gained a na- tional reputation. ANTHONY JOSEPH DREXEL, one of the leading bankers and financiers of the United States, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1826, and was the son of Francis M. Drexel, who had established the large banking institution of Drexel & Co., so well known. The latter was a native of Dornbirn, in the Austrian Tyrol. He studied languages and fine arts at Turin, Italy. On returning to his mountain home, in 1809, and finding it in the hands of the French, he went to Switzerland and later to Paris. In i8i2,aftera short visit home, he went to Berlin, where he studied paint- ing until 1 8 17, in which year he emigrated to America, and settled in Philadelphia. A few years later he went to Chili and Peru, where he executed some fine portraits of notable people, including General Simon Bolivar. After spending some time in Mex- ico, he returned to Philadelphia, and en- gaged in the banking business. In 1837 he founded the house of Drexel & Co. He died in 1837, and was succeeded by his two sons, Anthony J. and Francis A. His son, Anthony J. Drexel, Jr. , entered the bank when he was thirteen years of age, before he was through with his schooling, and after that the history of the banking business of which he was the head, was the history of his life. The New York house of Dre.xel, Mor- gan & Co. was established in 1850; the Paris house, Drexel, Harjes & Co., in 1867. The Drexel banking houses have supplied iand placed hundreds of millions of dollars n government, corporation, railroad and other loans and securities. The reputation of the houses has always been held on the highest plane. Mr. Drexel founded and heavily endowed the Drexel Institute, in Philadelphia, an institution to furnish better and wider avenues of employment to young people of both sexes. It has departments of arts, science, mechanical arts and domes- tic economy. Mr. Drexel,Jr. .departed this life June 30, 1893. SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE MORSE, inventor of the recording telegraph in- strument, was born in Charlestown, Massa- chusetts, April 27, 1791. He graduated from Yale College in 18 10, and took up art as his profession. He went to London with the great American painter, Washington Allston, and studied in the Royal Academy under Benjamin West. His "Dying Her- cules," his first effort in sculpture, took the gold medal in 1813. He returned to Amer- ica in 1 81 5 and continued to pursue his profession. He was greatly interested in scientific studies, which he carried on in connection with other labors. He founded the National Academy of Design and was many years its president. He returned to Europe and spent three years in study in the art centers, Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris. In 1832 he returned to America and while on the return voyage the idea of a recording telegraph apparatus occurred to him, and he made a drawing to represent his conception. He was the first to occupy the chair of fine arts in the University of New J COMPEXDJL'M OF BIOGRAPHY. 125 York City, and in 1835 he set up his rude instrument in his room in the university. But it was not until after many years of discouragement and reverses of fortune that lie finally was successful in placing his inven- tion befure the public. In 1844, by aid of the United States government, he had con- structed a telegraph line forty miles in length from Washington to Baltimore. Over this line the test was made, and the first tele- graphic message was flashed May 24, 1844. from the United States supreme court rooms to Baltimore. It read, "What hath God wrought!" His fame and fortune were es- tablished in an instant. \\'ealth and honors poured in upon him from that day. The nations of Europe vied with each other in honoring the great inventor with medals, titles and decorations, and the learned societies of Europe hastened to enroll his name upon their membership lists and confer degrees. In 1S58 he was the recipient of an honor never accorded to an inventor before. The ten leading nations of Europe, at the suggestion of the Emporer Napoleon, ap- pointed representatives to an international congress, which convened at Paris for the special purpose of expressing gratitude of the nations, and they voted him a present of 400,cx)o francs. Professor Morse was present at the unveil- ing of a bronze statue erected in his honor in Central Park, New York, in 1871. His last appearance in public was at the unveiling of the statue of Benjamin Franklin in New York in 1872, when he made the dedica- tory speech and unveiled the statue. He died April 2, 1872, in the city of New York. MORRISON REMICH WAITE, seventh chief justice of the United States, was born at Lyme, Connecticut, November 29, 1816. He was a graduate from Yale Col- lege in 1837, in the class with \\'illiam M. Evarts. His father was judge of the su- preme court of errors of the state of Con- necticut, and in his office young Waite studied law. He subsequently removed to Ohio, and was elected to the legislature of that state in 1849. He removed from Maumee City to Toledo and became a prom- inent legal light in that state. He was nominated as a candidate for congress re- peatedly but declined to run, and also de- clined a place on the supreme bench of the state. He won great distinction for his able handling of the Alabama claims at Geneva, before the arbitration tribunal in 1871, and was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of the United States in 1874 on the death of Judge Chase. When, in 1876, elec- toral commissioners were chosen to decide the presidential election controversy between Tilden and Hayes, Judge Waite refused to serve on that commission. His death occurred March 23, 1888. ELISHA KENT KANE was one of the distinguished American explorers of the unknown regions of the frozen north, and gave to the world a more accurate knowl- edge of the Arctic zone. Dr. Kane was born February 3, 1820, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a graduate of the universities of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and took his medical degree in 1843. He entered the service of the United States navy, and was physician to the Chinese embassy. Dr. Kane traveled extensively in the Levant, Asia and Western Africa, and also served in the Mexican war, in which he was severely wounded. His first Arctic expedition was under De Haven in the first Grinnell expedition in search of Sir John Franklin in 1850. He com- manded the second Grinnell expedition 126 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. in 1853-55, and discovered an open polar sea. For this expedition he received a gold medal and other distinctions. He published a narrative of his first polar expedition in 1853, and in 1856 published two volumes relating to his second polar expedition. He was a man of activ'e, enterprising and cour- ageous spirit. His health, which was al- ways delicate, was impaired by the hard- ships of his Arctic expeditions, from which he never fully recovered and from which he died February 16, 1857, at Havana. ELIZABETH CADY STANTON was a daughter of Judge Daniel Cady and Margaret Livingston, and was born Novem- ber 12, 181 5, at Johnstown, New York. She was educated at the Johnstown Academy, i^'here she studied with a class of boj's, and was fitted for college at the age of fifteen, ifter which she pursued her studies at Mrs. iViliard's Seminary, at Troy. Her atten- tion was called to the disabilities of her sex by her own educational experiences, and through a study of Blackstone, Story, and Kent. Miss Cady was married to Henry B. Stanton in 1840, and accompanied him to the world's anti-slavery convention in Lon- don. While there she made ihe acquain- tance of Lucretia Mott. Mrs. Stanton resided at Boston until 1847, when the family moved to Seneca Falls, New York, and she and Lucretia Mott signed the first call for a woman's rights convention. The meeting was held at her place of residence July 19-20, 1848. This was the first oc- casion of a formal claim of suffrage for women that was made. Mrs. Stanton ad- dressed the New York legislature, in 1854, on the rights of married women, and in i860, in advocacy of the granting of di- vorce for drunkenness. She also addressed the legislature and the constitutional con- vention, and maintained that during the revision of the constitution the state was resolved into its original elements, and that all citizens had, therefore, a right to vote for the members of that convention. After 1869 Mrs. Stanton frequently addressed congressional committees and state consti- tutional conventions, and she canvassed Kansas, Michigan, and other states when the question of woman suffrage was sub- mitted in those states. Mrs. Stanton was one of the editors of the " Revolution," and most of the calls and resolutions for con- ventions have come from her pen. She was president of the national committee, also of the Woman's Loyal League, and of the National Association, for many years. DAVID DUDLEY FIELD, a great American jurist, was born in Connecti- cut in 1805. He en.c.cd Williams College when sixteen years old, and commenced the study of law in 1825. In 1828 he was ad- mitted to the bar, and went to New York, where he soon came into prominence be- fore the bar of that state. He entered upon the labor of reforming the practice and procedure, which was then based upon the common law practice of England, and had become extremely complicated, difficult and uncertain in its application. His first paper on this subject was published in 1839, and after eight years of continuous efforts in this direction, he was appointed one of a com- mission by New York to reform the practice of that state. The result was embodied in the two codes of procedure, civil and crimi- nal, the first of which was adopted almost entire by the state of New York, and has since been adopted by more than half the states in the Union, and became the basis of the new practice and procedure in Eng- land, contained in the Judicature act. He I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 127 was later appointed chairman of a new com- mission to codify the entire body of laws. This great work employed many years in its completion, but when finished it embraced a civil, penal, and political code, covering the entire field of American laws, statutory and common. This great body of law was adopted by California and Dakota territory in its entirety, and many other states have since adopted its substance. In 1867 the British Association for Social Science heard a proposition from Mr. Field to prepare an international code. This led to the prepara- tion of his " Draft Outlines of an Interna- tional Code," which was in fact a complete body of international laws, and introduced the principle of arbitration. Other of his codes of the state of New York have since been adopted by that state. In addition to his great works on law, Mr. Field indulged his literary tastes by fre- quent contributions to general literature, and his articles on travels, literature, and the political questions of the hour gave him rank with the best writers of his time. His father was the Rev. David Dudley Field, and his brothers were Cyrus W. Field, Rev. Henry Martin Field, and Justice Stephen J. Field of the United States supreme court. David Dudley Field died at New York, April 1 3, 1894. HENRY M. TELLER, a celebrated American politician, and secretary of the interior under President Arthur, was born May 23, 1830, in Allegany county, New York. He was of Holhuidish ancestry and received an excellent education, after which he took up the study of law and was ad- mitted to the bar in the state of New York. Mr. Teller removed to Illinois in January, 1858, and practiced for three years in that state. From thence he moved to Colorado in 1 86 1 and located at Central City, which was then one of the principal mining towns in the state. His exceptional abilities as a lawyer soon brought him into prominence and gained for him a numerous and profit- able clientage. In politics he affiliated with the Republican party, but declined to become a candidate for office until the admission of Colorado into the Union as a state, when he was elected to the United States senate. Mr. Teller drew the term ending March 4, 1877, but was re-elected December 11, 1876, and served until April 17, 18S2, when he was appointed by President Arthur as secretary of the interior. He accepted a cabinet position with reluctance, and on March 3, 1885, he retired from the cabinet, having been elected to the senate a short time before to succeed Nathaniel P. Hill. IVfr. Teller took his seat on March 4, 1885, in the senate, to which he was afterward re-elected. He served as chairman on the committee of pensions, patents, mines and mining, and was also a member of commit- tees on claims, railroads, privileges and elections and public lands. Mr. Teller came to be recognized as one of the ablest advo- cates of the silver cause. He was one of the delegates to the Republican National conven- tion at St. Louis in 1S96, in which he took an active part and tried to have a silver plank inserted in the platform of the party. Failing in this he felt impelled to bolt the convention, which he did and joined forces with the great silver movement in the cam- paign which followed, being recognized in that campaign as one of the most able and eminent advocates of "silver" in America. JOHN ERICSSON, an eminent inven- tor and machinist, who won fame in America, was born ir. Sweden, July 31,1 803. In early childhood he evinced a decided in- 128 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. ciination to mechanical pursuits, and at the age of eleven he was appointed to a cadet- ship in the eng;ineer corps, and at the age of seventeen was promoted to a lieutenancj'. Jn 1826 he introduced a " ilame engine," ^vhich he had invented, and offered it to English capitalists, but it was found that it could be operated only by the use of wood for fuel. Shortly after this he resigned his commission in the army of Sweden, and de- voted himself to mechanical pursuits. He discovered and introduced the principle of artificial draughts in steam boilers, and re- ceived a prize of two thousand five hundred dollars for his locomotive, the "Novelty," which attained a great speed, for that day. The artificial draught effected a great saving in fuel and made unnecessary the huge smoke-stacks formerly used, and the princi- ple is still applied, in modified form, in boil- ers. He also invented a steam fire-engine, and later a hot-air engine, which he at- tempted to apply in tiie operation of his ship, "Ericsson," but as it did not give the speed required, he abandoned it, but after- wards applied it to machinery for pumping, hoisting, etc. Ericsson was first to apply the screw propeller to navigation. The English peo- ple not receiving this new departure readily, Ericsson came to America in 1839, and built the United States steamer, "Prince- ton," in which the screw-propeller was util- ized, the first steamer ever built in which the propeller was under water, out of range of the enemy's shots. The achievement which gave him greatest renown, however, was the ironclad vessel, the "Monitor," an CI tircly new type of vessel, which, in March, 18G2, attacked the Confederate monster ironclad ram, " Virginia," and after a fierce struggle, compelled her to withdraw from Hampton Roads for repairs. After the war one of his most noted inventions was his vessel, " Destroyer, " with a submarine gun, which carried a projectile torpedo. In 1886 the king of Spain conferred on him the grand cross of the Order of Naval Merit. He died in March, 1889, and his body was transferred, with naval honors, to the country of his birth. JAMES BUCHANAN, the fifteenth presi- dent of the United States, was a native of Pennsylvania, and was born in Frankliti county, April 23, 1791. He was of Irish ancestry, his father having come to this country in 1783, in quite humble circum- stances, and settled in the western part of the Keystone state. James Buchanan remained in his se- cluded home for eight years, enjoying but few social or intellectual advantages. His parents were industrious and frugal, and prospered, and, in 1799, the family removed to Mercersbur Pennsylvania, where he was placed in school. His progress was rapid, and in 1801 he entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle, where he took his place among the best scholars in the institution. In 1809 he graduated with the highest hon- ors in his class. He was then eighteen, tall, graceful and in vigorous health. He coir.- menced the study of law at Lancaster, and was admitted to the bar in 18 12. He rose very rapidly in his profession and took a stand with the ablest of his fellow lawyers. When but twenty-six years old he success- fully defended, unaided by counsel, one of the judges of the state who was before the bar of the state senate under articles of im- peachment. During the war of 18 12-15, Mr. Buch- anan sustained the government with all his power, eloquently urging the vigorous prose- cution of the war, and enlisted as a private I CO.^fPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. 129 volunteer to assist in repelling the British who had sacked and burned the public buildings of Washington and threatened Baltimore. At that time Buchanan was a Federalist, but the opposition of that party to the war with Great Britain and the alien and sedition laws of John Adams, brought that party into disrepute, and drove many, among them Buchanan, into the Re- publican, or anti-Federalist ranks. He was elected to congress in 1S28. In 1831 he was sent as minister to Russia, and upon his return to this country, in 1833, was ele- vated to the United States senate, and re- mained in that position for twelve years. Upon the accession of President Polk to office he made Mr. Buchanan secretary of state. Four years later he retired to pri- vate life, and in 1853 he was honored with the mission to England. In 1856 the na- tional Democratic convention nominated him for the presidency and he was elected. It was during his administration that the rising tide of the secession movement over- took the country. Mr. Buchanan declared that the national constitution gave him no power to do anything against the movement to break up the Union. After his succession by Abraham Lincoln in i860, Mr. Buchanan retired to his home at Wheatland, Pennsyl- vania, where he died June i, 1868. JOHN HARVARD, the founder of the Harvard University, was born in Eng- land about the year 1608. He received his education at Emanuel College, Cambridge, and came to America in 1637, settling in Massachusetts. He was a non-conformist minister, and a tract of land was set aside for him in Charlestown, near Boston He was at once appointed one of a committee to i formulate a body of laws for the colony. One year before his arrival in the colony [ the general court had voted the snm of four hundred pounds toward the establishment of a school or college, half of which was to be paid the next year In 1637 preliminary plans were made for starting the school. In 1638 John Harvard, who had shown great interest in the new institution of learning proposed, died, leaving his entire property, about twice the sum originally voted, to the school, together with three hundred volumes as a nucleus for a library. The institution was then given the name of Harvard, and established at Newton (now Cambridge), Massachusetts. It grew to be one of the two principal seats of learning in the new world, and has maintained its reputation since. It now consists of twenty-two separate build- ings, and its curriculum embraces over one hundred and seventy elective courses, and it ranks among the great universities of the world. ROGER BROOKE TANEY, a noted jurist and chief justice of the United States supreme court, was born in Calvert county, Maryland, March 17, 1777. He graduated fiom Dickinson College at the age of eighteen, took up the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1799. He was chosen to the legislature from his county, and in 1801 removed to Frederick, Mary- land. He became United States senator from Maryland in 18 16, and took up his permanent residence in Baltimore a few years later. In 1824 he became an ardent admirer and supporter of Andrew Jackson, and upon Jackson's election to the presi- dency, was appointed attorney general of the United States. Two years later he was appointed secretary of the treasury, and after serving in that capacity for nearly one year, the senate refused to confirm the ap- pointment. In I S3 5, upon the death of 130 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. Chief-justice Marshall, he was appointed to that place, and a political change having occurred in the make up of the senate, he was confirmed in 1S36. He presided at fais first session in January of the following year. The case which suggests itself first to the average reader in connection with this jurist is the celebrated " Dred Scott " case, which came before the supreme court for decision in 1856. In his opinion, delivered on behalf of a majority of the court, one remarkable statement occurs as a result of an exhaustive survey of the historical grounds, to the effect that " for more than a century prior to the adoption of the con- stitution they (Africans) had been regarded so far inferior that they had no rights which a white man was bound to respect." Judge Taney retained the office of chief justice until his death, in 1864. JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY.— This gen- tleman had a world-wide reputation as an historian, which placed him in the front rank of the great men of America. He was born April 15, 18 14, at Dorchester, Massa- chusetts, was given a thorough preparatory education and then attended Harvard, from which he was graduated in 183 1. He also studied at Gottingen and Berlin, read law and in 1836 was admitted to the bar. In 1 84 1 he was appointed secretary of the legation at St. Petersburg, and in 1866-67 served as United States minister to Austria, serving in the same capacity during 1869 and 1870 to England. In 1856, after long and e.xhau tive research and prep-iration,he publisliid ill London "The Rise of the Dutch Repiibi'C. " It embraced three vol- umes and irn nediately attracted great at- tention throughout Europe and America as a work of unusual merit. From 1861 to 1868 he produced "The History of the United Netherlands," in (our volumes. Other works followed, with equal success, and his position as one of the foremost his- torians and writers of his day was firmly established. His death occured May 29, 1877. ELIAS HOWE, the inventor of the sew- ing machine, well deserves to be classed among the great and noted men of Amer- ica. He was the son of a miller and farmer and was born at Spencer, Massachusetts, July 9, 1819. In 1835 he went to Lowell and worked there, and later at Boston, in the machine shops. His first sewing machine was completed in 1845, and he patented it in 1846, laboring with the greatest persistency in spite of poverty and haidships, working for a time as an engine driver on a railroad at pauper wages and with broken health. He then spent two years of unsuccessful ex- ertion in England, striving in vain to bring his invention into public notice and use. He returned to the United States in almost hopeless poverty, to find that his patent had been violated. At last, however, he found friends who assisted hini financially, and after years of litigation he made good his claims in the courts in 1 854. His inven- tion afterward brought him a large fortune. During the Civil war he volunteered as a private in the Seventeenth Connecticut Vol- unteers, and served for some time. During his life time he received the cross of the Legion of Honor and many other medals. His death occurred October 3, 1867, at Brooklvn, New York. PHILLIPS BROOKS, celebrated as an eloquent preacher and able pulpit ora- tor, was born in Boston on the 13th day of December, 1835. He received excellent COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 181 educational advantages, and graduated at Harvard in 1855. Early in life he decided upon the ministry as his life work and studied theology in the Episcopal Theolog- ical Seminary, at Alexandria, Virginia. In 1859 he was ordained and the same year became pastor of the Church of the Advent, in Philadelphia. Three years later he as- sumed the pastorate of the Church of the Holy Trinity, where he remained until 1870. At the expiration of that time he accepted the pastoral charge of Trinity Church in Boston, where his eloquence and ability at- tracted much attention and built up a pow- erful church organization. Dr. Brooks also devoted considerable time to lecturing and literary work and attained prominence in these lines. WILLIAM B. ALLISON, a statesman of national reputation and one of the leaders of the Republican part}', was born March 2, 1829, at Perry, Ohio. He grew up on his father's farm, which he assisted in cultivating, and attended the district school. When sixteen years old he went to the academy at Wooster, and subse- quently spent a year at the Allegheny Col- lege, at Meadville, Pennsylvania. He next taught school and spent another year at the Western Reserve College, at Hudson, Ohio. Mr. Allison then took up the study of law at Wooster, where he was admitted to the barini85i, and soon obtained a position as deputy county clerk. His political lean- ings were toward the old line Whigs, who afterward laid the foundation of the Repub- lican party. He was a delegate to the state convention in 1856, in the campaign of which he supported Fremont for president. Mr Allison removed to Dubuque, Iowa, in the following year. He rapidly rose to prominence at the bar and in politics. In i860 he was chosen as a delegate to the Republican convention held in Chicago, of which he was elected one of the secretaries. At the outbreak of the civil war he was ap- pointed on the staff of the governor. His congressional career opened in 1862, when he was elected to the thirty-eighth congress; he was re-elected three times, serving from March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1871. Hewas a member of the ways and means committee a good part of his term. His career in the United States senate began in 1873, and he rapidly rose to eminence in national affairs, his service of a quarter of a century in that body being marked by close fealty to the Republican party. He twice declined the portfolio of the treasury tendered him by Garfield and Harrison, and his name was prominently mentioned for the presidency at several national Republican conventions. MARY ASHTON LIVERMORE, lec- turer and writer, was born in Boston, December 19, 1821. She was the daughter of Timothy Rice, and married D. P. Liver- more, a preacher of the Universalist church. She contributed able articles to many of the most noted periodicals of this country and England. During the Civil war she labored zealously and with success on behalf of the sanitary commission which played so impor- tant a part during that great struggle. She became editor of the " Woman's JournaJ," published at Boston in 1870. She held a prominent place as a public speaker and writer on woman's suffrage, temperance, social and religious questions, and her influence was great in every cause she advocated. JOHN B. GOUGH, a noted temperance lecturer, who won his fame in America, was born in the village of Sandgate, Kent, 132 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. England, August 22, 18 17. He came to the United States at the age of twelve. He followed the trade of bookbinder, and lived in great poverty on account of the liquor habit. In 1843, however, he re- formed, and began his career as a temper- ance lecturer. He worked zealously in the cause of temperance, and his lectures and published articles revealed great earnestness. He formed temperance societies throughout the entire country, and labored with great success. He visited England in the same cause about the year 1S53 and again in 1878. He also lectured upon many other topics, in which he attained a wide reputa- tion. His death occurred February 18, 1886. THOMAS BUCHANAN READ, author, sculptor and painter, was born in Ches- ter county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1822. He early evinced a taste for art, and began the study of sculpture in Cincinnati. Later he found painting more to his liking. He went to New York, where he followed this profession, and later to Boston. In 1846 he located in Philadelphia. He visited Italy in 1850. and studied at Florence, where he resided almost continuously for twenty-two years. He returned to America in 1S72, and died in New York May 11 of the same year. He was the author of many heroic poems, but the one giving him the most re- nown is his famous "Sheridan's Ride," of which he has also left a representation in painting. EUGENE V. DEBS, the former famous president of the American Railway Union, and great labor leader, was born in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1855. He received his education in tlie public schools of that place and at the age of si.xteen years began work as a painter in the \'andalia shops. After this, for some three years, he was employed as a loco- motive fireman on the same road. His first appearance in public life was in his canvass for the election to the office of city clerk of Terre Haute. In this capacity he served two terms, and when twenty six years of age was elected a member of the legislature of the state of Indiana. While a member of that body he secured the passage of several bills in the interest of organized labor, of which he was always a faithful champion. Mr. Debs' speech nominating Daniel Voorhees for the United States senate gave him a wide reputation for oratory. On the expiration of his term in the legislature, he was elected grand secre- tary and treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 5'ireman and filled that office for fourteen successive years. He was always an earnest advocate of confederation of railroad men and it was mainly through his efforts that the United Order of Railway Employes, composed of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and Conductors, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association was formed, and he became a member of its supreme council. The order was dissolved by disagreement between two of its leading orders, and then Mr. Debs conceived the idea of the American Railway Union. He worked on the details and the union came into existence in Chicago, June 20, 1893. For a time it prospered and became one of the largest bodies of railway men in the world. It won in a contest with the Great Northern Railway. In the strike made by the union in sympathy with the Pullman employes inaugurated in Chicago June 25, 1S94, and the consequent rioting, the Railway Union COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPllT. IbiJ lost much prestige and Mr. Debs, in company with others of the officers, being held as in con- tempt of the United States courts, he suffered a sentence of six months in jail at Wood- stock, McHenry county, Illinois. In 1897 Mr. Debs, on the demise of the American Railway Union, organized the Social Democracy, an institution founded on the best lines of the communistic idea, which was to provide homes and employment for its members. JOHN G. CARLISLE, famous as a law- yer, congressman, senator and cabinet officer, was born in Campbell (now Kenton) county, Kentucky, September 5, 1835, on a farm. He received the usual education oi the time and began at an early age to teach school and, at the same time, the study of law. Soon opportunity offered and he entered an office in Covington, Kentucky, and was admitted to practice at the bar in 1858. Politics attracted his attention and in 1859 he was elected to the house of rep- resentatives in the legislature of his native state. On the outbreak of the war in 1861, he embraced the cause of the Union and was largely instrumental in preserving Kentucky to the federal cause. He resumed his legal practice for a time and declined a nomina- tion as presidential elector in 1864. In 1866 and again in i86g Mr. Carlisle was elected to the senate of Kentucky. He re- signed this position in 1871 and was chosen lieutenant governor of the state, which office he held until 1875. He was one of the presidential electors-at- large for Ken- tucky in 1876. He first entered congress in 1877, and soon became a prominent leader on the Democratic side of the house of rep- resentatives, and continued a member of that body through the forty-sixth, forty- seventh, forty-eighth and forty-ninth con- gresses, and was speaker of the house during the two latter. He was elected to the United States senate to succeed Senator Blackburn, and remained a member of that branch of congress until March, 1893, when he was appointed secretary of the treasury. He performed the duties of that high office until March 4, 1897, throughout the en- tire second administration of President Cleveland. His ability and many years of public service gave him a national reputa- tion. FRANCES E. WILLARD, for many years president of the -Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and a noted American lecturer and writer, was born in Rochester, New York, September 28, 1839. Graduating from the Northwestern Female College at the age of nineteen she began teaching and met with great success in many cities of the west. She was made directress of Genesee Wes- leyan Seminary at Lima, Ohio, in 1867, and four years later was elected president of the Evanston College for young ladies, a branch of the Northwestern University. During the two years succeeding 1869 she traveled extensively in Europe and the east, visiting Egypt and Palestine, and gathering materials for a valuable course of lectures, which she delivered at Chicago on her return. She became very popular, and won great influence in the temperance cause. Her work as president of the Wo- man's Christian Temperance Union greatly strengthened that society, and she made frequent trips to Europe in the mterest of that cause. RICHARD OLNEY.— Among the promi- nent men who were members of the cabinet of President Cleveland in his second administration, the gentleman whose nama IM COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr heads this sketch held a leading place, oc- cupying the positions of attorney general and secretary of state. Mr. Olney came from one of the oldest and most honored New England families; the first of his ancestors to come from Eng- land settled in Massachusetts in 1635. This was Thomas Olney. He was a friend and co-religionist of Roger Williams, and when the latter moved to what is now Rhode feland, went with him and became one of the founders of Providence Plantations. Richard Olney was born in Oxford, Massachusetts, in 1835, and received the elements of his earlier education in the com- mon schools which New England is so proud of. He entered Brown University, from which he graduated in 1856, and passed the Harvard law school two years later. He began the practice of his profession with Judge B. F. Thomas, a prominent man of that locality. For years Richard Olney was regarded as one of the ablest and most learned lawyers in Massachusetts. Twice he was offered a place on the bench of the supreme court of the state, but both times he declined. He was always a Democrat in his political tenets, and for many years was a trusted counsellor of members of that party. In 1874 Mr. Olney was elected a member of the legislature. In 1876, during the heated presidential campaign, to strengthen the cause of Mr. Tilden in the New England states, it was intimated that in the event of that gentleman's election to the presidency, Mr. Olney would be attor- Eey general. When Grover Cleveland was elected presi- ''«*nt of the United States, on his inaugura- tion in March, 1S93, he tendered the posi- tion of attorney general to Richard Olney. This was accepted, and that gentleman ful- Wled the duties of the office until the death of Walter Q. Gresham, in May, 1895, made vacant the position of secretary of state. This post was filled by the appointment of Mr. Olney. While occupying the later office, Mr. Olney brought himself into inter- national prominence by some very able state papers. JOHN JAY KNOX, for many yearscomp- troller of the currency, and an eminent financier, was born in Kno.xboro, Oneida county, New York, May 19, 1828. He re- ceived a good education and graduated at Hamilton College in 1849. p'or about thirteen years he was engaged as a private banker, or in a position in a bank, where he laid the foundation of his knowledge of the laws of finance. In 1862, Salmon P. Chase, then secretary of the treaiury, ap- pointed him to an office in that department of the government, and later he had charge of the mint coinage correspondence. In 1867 Mr. Knox was made deputy comptroller of the currency, and in that capacity, in 1870. he made two reports on the mint service, with a codification of the mint and ccinage laws of the United States, and suggesting many important amendments These reports were ordered printed by reso- lution of congress. The bill which he pre- pared, with some slight changes, was sub- sequently passed, and has been known in history as the " Coinage Act of 1873." In 1872 Mr. Knox wrs appointed comp- troller of the currency, and held that re- sponsible position until 1884, when he re- signed. He then accepted the position of president of the National Bank of the Re- public, of New York City, which institution he served for many years. He was the authorof " United States Notes," published in 1884. In the reports spoken of above, a history of the two United States banks is COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPIir. 135 given, together with that of the state and national banking system, and much valuable statistical matter relating to kindred sub- jects. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.— In the opinion of many critics Hawthorne is pronounced the foremost American novelist, and in his peculiar vein of romance is said to be without a peer. His reputation is world-wide, and his ability as a writer is recognized abroad as well as at home. He was born July 4, 1804, at Salem, Massa- chusetts. On account of feeble health he spent some years of his boyhood on a farm near Raymond, Maine. He laid the foun- dation of a liberal education in his youth, and entered Bowdoin College, from which he graduated in 1825 in the same class with H W Longfellow and John S. C. Abbott. He then returned to Salem, where he gave his attention to literature, publishing several tales and other articles in various periodi- cals. His first venture in the field of ro- mance, " Fanshaw,' proved a failure. In 1836 he removed to Boston, and became editor of the "American Magazine," which soon passed out of existence. In 1837 he published " Twice Told Tales," which were chiefly made up of his former contributions to magazines. In 1838-41 he held a posi- tion in the Boston custom house, but later took part in the " Brook farm c.vperiment," a socialistic idea after the plan of Fourier. In 1843 he was married and took up his residence at the old parsonage at Concord, Massachusetts, which lie immortalized in his next work, "Mosses From an Old Manse," published in 1846. From the lat- ter date until 1850 he was surveyor of the port of Salem, and while thus employed wrote one of his strongest works, "The Scarlet Letter." For the succeeding two 8 years Lenox, Massachusetts, was his home, and the " House of the Seven Gables" was produced there, as well as the " Blithedale Romance." In 1852 he published a "Life of Franklin Pierce, "a college friend whom he warmly regarded. In 1853 he was ap- pointed United States consul to Liverpool, England, where he remained some years, after which he spent some time in Italy. On returning to his native land he took up his residence at Concord, Massachusetts. While taking a trip for his health with e.\- President Pierce, he died at Plymouth, New Hampshire, May 19, 1864. In addition to the works mentioned above Mr. Hawthorne gave to the world the following books: " True Stories from History," "The Won- der Book," " The Snow Image," "Tangle- wood Tales," "The Marble Faun," and " Our Old Home. " After his death appeared a series of "Notebooks," edited by his wife, Sophia P. Hawthorne; " Septimius Felton," edited by his daughter, Una, and " Dr. Grimshaw's Secret," put into shape by his talented son, Julian. He left an unfinished work called " Dolliver Romance," which has been published just as he left it. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, sixteenth presi- dent of the United States, was born February 12, 1809, in Larue county (Har- din county), Kentucky, in a log-cabin near Hudgensville. When he was eight years old he removed with his parents to Indiana, near the Ohio river, and a year later his mother died. His father then married Mrs. Elizabeth (Bush) Johnston, of Elizabeth- town, Kentucky, who proved a kind of fos- ter-mother to Abraham, and encouraged him to study. He worked as a farm hand and as a clerk in a store at Gentryville, and was noted for his athletic feats and strength, fondness for debate, a fund of humorous 136 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. anecdote, as well as the composition of rude verses. He made a trip at the age of nine- teen to New Orleans on a flat-boat, and set- tled in Illinois in 1830. He assisted his father to build a log house and clear a farm on the Sangamon river near Decatur, Illinois, and split the rails with which to fence it. In 185 1 he was employed in the building of a flat-boat on the Sangamon, and to run it to New Orleans. The voyage gave him a new insight into the horrors of slavery in the south. On his return he settled at New Salem and engaged, first as a clerk in a store, then as grocer, surveyor and postmaster, and he piloted the first steamboat that as- cended the Sangamon. He participated in the Black Hawk war as captain of volun- teers, and after his return he studied law, interested himself in politics, and became prominent locally as a public speaker. He was elected to the legislature in 1834 as a " Clay Whig, " and began at once to dis- play a command of language and forcible rhetoric that made him a match for his more cultured opponents. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1837, and began prac- tice at Springfield. He married a lady of a prominent Kentucky family in 1842. He was active in the presidential campaigns of 1840 and 1844 and was an elector on the Harrison and Clay tickets, and was elected to congress in 1846, over Peter Cartwright. He voted for the Wiimot proviso and the abolition of slavery in the District of Colum- bia, and opposed the war with Mexico, but gained little prominence during his two years' service. He then returned to Spring- field and devoted his attention to law, tak- ing little interest in politics, until the repeal of the Missouri compromise and the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854. This awakened his interest in politics again and he attacked the champion of that measure, Stephen A. Douglas, in a speech at Spring- field that made him famous, and is said by those who heard it to be the greatest speech of his life. Lincoln was selected as candidate for the United States senate, but was defeated by Trumbull. Upon the pas- sage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill the Whig party suddenly went to pieces, and the Re- publican party gathered head. At the Bloomington Republican convention in 1856 Lincoln made an effective address in which he first took a position antagonistic to the ex- istence of slavery. He was a Fremont elector and received a strong support for nomina- tion as vice-president in the Philadelphia convention. In 1858 he was the unanimous choice of the Republicans for the United States senate, and the great campaign of de- bate which followed resulted in the election of Douglas, but established Lincoln's repu- tation as the leading exponent of Republican doctrines. He began to be mentioned in Illinois as candidate for the presidency, and a course of addresses in the eastern states attracted favorable attention. When the national convention met at Chicago, his rivals. Chase, Seward, Bates and others, were compelled to retire before the western giant, and he was nominated, with Hannibal Hamlin as his running mate. The Demo- cratic party had now been disrupted, and Lincoln's election assured. He carried practically every northern state, and the secession of South Carolina, followed by a number of the gulf states, took place before his inauguration. Lincoln is the only presi- dent who was ever compelled to reach Washington in a secret manner. He es- caped assassination by avoiding Baltimore, and was quietly inaugurated March 4, t86i. His inaugural address was firm but con- ciliatory, and he said to the secessionists: "You have no oath registered in heavea COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAP/fr. 18T to destroy the government, while I have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.' He made up his cabinet chiefly of those political rivals in his own party — Seward. Chase, Cameron, Bates — and se- cured the co-operation of the Douglas Dem- o.rats. His great deeds, amidst the heat and turmoil of war, were: His call for seventy-five thousand volunteers, and the blockading of southern ports; calling of con- gress in extra session, July 14, 1861, and obtaining four hundred thousand men and four hundred million dollars for the prosecu- tion of the war; appointing Stanton secre- tary of war; issuing the emancipation proc- lamation; calling three hundred thou- sand volunteers; address at Gettysburg cemetery; commissioned Grant as lieuten- ant-general and commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States; his secontl inaugural address; his visit to the army be- fore Richmond, and his entry into Rich- mond the day after its surrender. Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth in a box in Ford's theater at Washington the night of April 14, 1865. and expired the following morning. His body was buried at Oak Ridge cemetery, Springfield, Illinois, and a monument com- memorating his great work marks his resting place. STEPHEN GIRARD, the celebrated philanthropist, was born in Bordeaux, France, May 24, 1750. He became a sailor engaged in the American coast trade, and also made frequent trips to the West Indies. During the Revolutionary war he was a grocer and liquor seller in Philadelphia. He married in that city, and afterward separated from his wife. After the war he again engaged in the coast and West India trade, and his fortuiie began to accumulate from receiving goods from West Indian planters during the insurrection in Hayti, little of which was ever called for again. He became a private banker in Philadelphia in 181 2, and afterward was a director in the United States Bank. He made much money by leasing property in the city in times of depression, and upon the revival of industry sub-leasing at enormous profit. He became the wealthiest citizen of the United States of his time. He was eccentric, ungracious, and a freethinker. He had few, if any, friends in his lifetime. However, he was most chari- tably disposed, and gave to charitable in- stitutions and schools with a liberal hand. He did more than any one else to relieve the suffering and deprivations during the great yellow fever scourge in Philadelphia, devoting his personal attention to the sick. He endowed and made a free institution, the famous Will's Eye and Ear Infirmary of Philadelphia — one of the largest institu- tions of its kind in the world. At his death practically all his immense wealth was be- queathed to charitable institutions, more than two millions of dollars going to the founding of Girard College, which was to be devoted to the education and training of boys between the ages of six and ten years. Large donations were also made to institu- tions in Philadelphia and New Orleans. The principal building of Girard College is the most magnificent example of Greek architecture in America. Girard died De- cember 26, 183 1. LOUIS J. R. AGASSIZ, the eminent nat- uralist and geologist, was born in the parish of Motier, near Lake Neuchatel, Swit- zerland, May 28, 1807, but attained his greatest fame after becoming an American citizen. He studied the medical sciences at 138 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Zurich, Heidelberg and Munich. His first work was a Latin description of the fishes which Martius and Spix brought from Brazil. This was published in 1 829-3 1 • He devoted much time to the study of fossil fishes, and in 1832 was appointed professor of natural history at Neuchatel. He greatly increased his reputation by a great work in French, entitled " Researches on Fossil Fishes," in 1832-42, in which he made many important improvements in the classification of fishes. Having passed many summers among the Alps in researches on glaciers, he propounded some new and interesting ideas on geology, and the agency of glaciers in his "Studies by the Glaciers." This was published in 1840. This latter work, with his " System of the Glaciers," published in 1847, are among his principal works. In 1846, Professor Agassiz crossed the ocean on a scientific excursion to the United States, and soon determined to remain here. He accepted, about the beginning of 1848, the chair of zoology and geology at Harvard. He explored the natural history of the United States at different times and gave an impulse to the study of nature in this country. In 1865 he conducted an expedi- tion to Brazil, and explored the lower Ama- zon and its tributaries. In 1868 he was made non-resident professor of natural his- tory at Cornell University. In December, 1 87 1, he accompanied the Hassler expedi- tion, under Professor Pierce, to the South Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 14, 1873- Among other of the important works of Professor Agassiz may be mentioned the fol- lowing: "Outlines of Comparative Physi- ology," "Journey to Brazil," and "Contri- butions to the Natural History of the United States." It is said of Professor Agassiz, that, perhaps, with the exception of Hugh Miller, no one had so popularized science in his day, or trained so many young natural- ists. Many of the theories held by Agassiz are not supported by many of the natural- ists of these later days, but upon many of the speculations into the origin of species and in physics he has left the marks of his own strongly marked individuality. WILLIAM WINDOM.— As a prominent and leading lawyer of the great north- west, as a member of both houses of con- gress, and as the secretary of the treasury, the gentleman whose name heads this sketch won for himself a prominent position in the history of our country. Mr. Windom was a native of Ohio, born in Belmont county. May 10, 1827. He received a good elementary education m the schools of his native state, and took up the study of law. He was admitted to the bar, and entered upon the practice of his profession in Ohio, where he remained until 1855. In the latter year he made up his mind to move further west, and accordingly went to Minnesota, and opening an office, became identified with the interests of that state, and the northwest generally. In 1858 he took his place in the Minnesota delegation in the national house of repre- sentatives, at Washington, and continued to represent his constituency in that body for ten years. In 1871 Mr. Windom was elected United States senator from Min- nesota, and was re-elected to the same office after fulfilling the duties of the position for a full term, in 1876. On the inauguration of President Garfield, in March, 1881, Mr. Windom became secretary of the treasury in his cabinet. He resigned this office Oc- tober 27, 1 88 1, and was elected senator from the North Star state to fill the va- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 139- cancy caused by the resignation of A. J. Edgerton. Mr. Windoin served in that chamber until March, 1883. WilHain \\'indom died in New York City January 29, 1891. DON M. DICKINSON, an American poHtician and lawyer, was born in Port Ontario, New York, January 17, 1S46. He removed with his parents to Michigan when he was but two years old. He was educated in the public schools of Detroit and at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-one. In 1872 he was made secretary of the Democratic state central committee of Michigan, and his able man- agement of the campaign gave him a prom- inent place in the councils of his party. In 1876, during the Tilden campaign, he acted as chairman of the state central committee. He was afterward chosen to represent his state in the Democratic national committee, and in 1886 he was appointed postmaster- general by President Cleveland. After the expiration of his term of office he returned to Detroit and resumed the practice of law. In the presidential campaign of 1896, Mr. Dickinson adhered to the "gold wing" of the Democracy, and his influence was felt in the national canvass, and especially in his own state. JOHN JACOB ASTOR, the founder of the Astor family and fortunes, while not a native of this country, was one of the most noted men of his time, and as all his wealth and fame were acquired here, he may well be classed among America's great men. He was born near Heidelberg, Ger- many, July 17, 1763, and when twenty years old emigrated to the United States. Even at that age he exhibited remarkable business ability and foresight, and soon he was investing capital in furs which he took to London and sold at a great profit. He next settled at New York, and engaged ex- tensively in the fur trade. He exported furs to Europe in his own vessels, which re- turned with cargoes of foreign commodities, and thus he rapidly amassed an immense fortune. In 181 i he founded Astoria on the western coast of North America, near the mouth of the Columbia river, as a depot for the fur trade, for the promotion of which he sent a number of expeditions to the Pacific ocean. He also purchased a large amount of real estate in New York, the value of which increased enormously All through life his business ventures were a series of marvelous successes, and he ranked as one of the most sagacious and successful business men in the world. He diea March 29, 1848, leaving a fortune es- timated at over twenty million dollars to his children, who have since increased it. John Jacob Astor left $400,000 to found a public library in New York City, and his son, William B. Astor, who died in 1875, left $300,000 to add to his father's bequest. This is known as the Astor Library, one of the largest in the United States. SCHUYLER COLFAX, an eminent American statesman, was born in New York City, March 23, 1S23, being a grand- son of General William Colfax, the com- mander of Washington's life-guards. In 1836 he removed with his mother, who was then a widow, to Indiana, settling at South Bend. Young Schuyler studied law, and in 1845 became editor of the "St. Joseph Valley Register," a Whig paper published at South Bend. He was a member of the convention which formed a new constitu- tion fur Indiana in 1850, and he opposed 140 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. the clause that prohibited colored men from settling in that state. In 1851 he was defeated as the Whig candidate for congress but was elected in 1854, and, being repeat- edly re-elected, continued to represent that district in congress until 1869. He became one of the most prominent and influential members of the house of representatives, and served three terms as speaker. During the Civil war he was an active participant in all public measures of importance, and was a confidential friend and adviser of President Lincoln. In May, 1868, Mr. Colfax was nominated for vice-president on the ticket with General Grant, and was elected. After the close of his term he re- tired from office, and for the retnainder of his life devoted much of his time to lectur- ing and literary pursuits. His death oc- curred January 23, 1885. He was one of the most prominent members of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows in America, and that order erected a bronze statue to his memory in University Park. Indianapo- lis, Indiana, which was unveiled in May, 1887. WILLIAM FREEMAN VILAS, who at- tained a national reputation as an able lawyer, statesman, and cabinet officer, was born at Chelsea, Vermont, July 9, 1840. His parents removed to Wisconsin when our subject was but eleven years of age, and there with the early settlers endured all the hardships and trials incident to pioneer life. William F. Vilas was given all the advantages found in the common schools, and supplemented this by a course of study in the Wisconsin State University, after which he studied law, was admitted to the bar and began practicing at Madison. Shortly afterward the Civil war broke out .and Mr. Vilas enlisted and became colonel of the Twenty-third regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, serving throughout the war with distinction. At the close of the war he re- turned to Wisconsin, resumed his law prac- tice, and rapidly rose to eminence in this profession. In 18S5 he was selected by President Cleveland for postmaster-general and at the close of his term again returned to Madison, Wisconsin, to resume the prac- tice of law. THOMAS McINTYRE COOLEY, an em- inent American jurist and law writer, was born in Attica, New York, January 6, 1824. He was admitted to the bar in 1846, and four years later was appointed reporter of the supreme court of Michigan, which office he continued to hold for seven years. In the meantime, in 1859, he became pro- fessor of the law department of the Univer- sity of Michigan, and soon afterward was made dean of the faculty of that depart- ment. In 1864 he was elected justice of the supreme court of Michigan, in 1867 be- came chief justice of that court, and in 1869 was re-elected for a term of eight years. In 1881 he again joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, assuming the professorship of constitutional and adminis- trative law. His works on these branches have become standard, and he is recog- nized as authority on this and related sub- jects. Upon the passage of the inter-state commerce law in 1887 he became chairman of the commission and served in that capac- ity four years. TOHN PETER ALTGELD, a noted vj American politician and writer on social questions, was born in Germany, December 30, 1847. He came to America with his parents and settled in Ohio when two years old. In 1864 he entered the Union army COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 141 and served till the close of the war, after which he settled in Chicago, Illinois. He was elected judge of the superior court of Cook county, Illinois, in i8S6, in which capacity he served until elected governor of Illinois in 1892, as a Democrat. During the first year of his term as governor he at- tracted national attention by his pardon of the anarchists convicted of the Haymarket murder in Chicago, and again in 1894 by his denunciation of President Cleveland for calling out federal troops to suppress the rioting in connection with the great Pull- man strike in Chicago. At the national convention of the Democratic party in Chi- cago, in July, 1896, he is said to have in- spired the clause in the platform denuncia- tory of interference by federal authorities in local affairs, and "government by injunc- tion." He was gubernatorial candidate for re-election on the Democratic ticket in 1896, but was defeated by John R. Tanner, Re- publican. Mr. Altgeld published two vol- umes of essays on " Live Questions," evinc- ing radical views on social matters. ADLAI EWING STEVENSON, an Amer. ican statesman and politician, was born in Christian county, Kentucky, October 23, 1835, and removed with the family to Bloomington, Illinois, in 1852. He was admitted to the bar in 185S, and set- tled in the practice of his profession in Metamora, Illinois. In 1861 he was made master in chancery of Woodford county, and in 1864 was elected state's at- torney. In 1868 he returned to Blooming- ton and formed a law partnership with James S. Ewing. He had served as a pres- idential elector in 1864, and in 18C8 was elected to congress as a Democrat, receiv- ing a majority vote from every county in his district. He became prominent in his party, and was a delegate to the national convention in 1884. On the election of Cleveland to the presidency Mr. Stevenson was appointed first assistant- postmaster- general. After the expiration of his term he continued to exert a controlling influence in the politics of his state, and in 1892 was elected vice-president of the United States on the ticket with Grover Cleveland. At the expiration of his term of office he re- sumed the practice of law at Bloomington, Illinois. SIMON CAMERON, whose name is prominently identified with the history of the United States as a political leadef and statesman, was born in Lancaster coun- ty, Pennsylvania, March 8, 1799. He grew to manhood in his native county, receiving good educational advantages, and develop- ing a natural inclination for political life. He rapidly rose in prominence and became the most influential Democrat in PennsyJ' vania, and in 1845 was elected by that party to the United States senate. Upon the organization of the Republican party he was one of the first to declare his allegiance to it, and in 1856 was re-elected United States senator from Pennsylvania as a Republican. In March, 1861, he was appointed secretary of war by President Lincoln, and served until early in 1862, when he was sent as minister to Russia, returning in 1863. In 1866 he was again elected United States senator and served until 1S77, when he re- signed and was succeeded by his son, James Donald Cameron. He continued to e.xert a powerful influence in political affairs up to the time of his death, June 26, 18S9. James Donald Cameron was the eld- est son of Simon Cameron, and also attained a high rank among American statesmen. He was born at Harrisburg, 14S COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. Pennsylvania, May 14, 1833, and received an excellent education, graduating at Princeton College in 1852. He rapidly developed into one of the most able and successful business men of the country and was largely inter- ested in and identified with the develop- ment of the coal, iron, lumber and manu- facturing interests of his native state. He served as cashier and afterward president of the Middletown bank, and in 1861 was made vice-president, and in 1863 president of the Northern Central railroad, holding this position until 1874, when he resigned and was succeeded by Thomas A. Scott. This road was of great service to the government during the war as a means of communica- tion between Pennsylvania and the national capital, via Baltimore. Mr. Cameron also took an active part in political affairs, always as a Republican. In May, 1876, he was appointed secretary of war in Pres- ident Grant's cabinet, and in 1877 suc- ceeded his father in the United States senate. He w'as re-elected in 1885, and again in 1891, serving until 1896, and was recognized as one of the most prominent and influential members of that bodv. ADOLPHUS W. GREELEY, a famous American arctic explorer, was born at Nevvburyport, Massachusetts, March 27, 1844. He graduated from Brown High School at the age of sixteen, and a year later enlisted in Company B, Nineteenth Massachusetts Infantrj', and was made first sergeant. In 1863 he was promoted to second lieutenant. After the war he was assigned to the Fifth United States Cavalry, and became first lieutenant in 1873. He was assigned to duty in the United States signal service shortly after the close of the war. An expedition was fitted out by the United States government in 1881, un- der auspices of the weather bureau, and Lieutenant Greeley placed in command. They set sail from St. Johns the first week in July, and after nine days landed in Green- land, where they secured the services of two natives, together with sledges, dogs, furs and equipment. They encountered an ice pack early in August, and on the 28th of that month freezing weather set in. Two of his party. Lieutenant Lockwood and Ser- geant Brainard, added to the known maps about forty miles of coast survey, and reached the highest point yet attained by man, eighty-three degrees and twenty-four minutes north, longitude, forty-four degrees and five minutes west. On their return to Fort Conger, Lieutenant Greeley set out for the south on August 9, 1883. He reached Baird Inlet twenty da}S later with his entire party. Here they were compelled to abandon their boats, and drifted on an ice-floe for one month. They then went into camp at Cape Sabine, where they suf- fered untold hardships, and eighteen of the party succumbed to cold and hunger, and had relief been delayed two days longer none would have been found alive. They were picked up by the relief expedition, under Captain Schley, June 22, 1884. The dead were taken to New York for burial. Many sensational stories were published concerning the expedition, and Lieutenant Greeley prepared an exhaustive account of his explorations and experiences. LEVI P. MORTON, the millionaire poli- tician, was born in Shoreham, Ver- mont, May 16, 1824, and his early educa- tion consisted of the rudiments which he obtained in the common school up to the age of fourteen, and after that time what knowledge he gained was wrested from the hard school of experience. He removed to COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 148 Hanover, Vermont, then Concord, Vermont, and afterwards to Boston. He had worked in a store at Shoreham, his native village, and on going to Hanover he established a store and went into business for himself. In Boston he clerked in a dry goods store, and then opened a business of his own in the same line in New York. After a short career he failed, and was compelled to set- tle with his creditors at only fifty cents on the dollar. He began the struggle anew, and when the war began he established a banking house in New York, with Junius Morgan as a partner. Through his firm and connections the great government war loans were floated, and it resulted in im- mense profits to his house. When he was again thoroughly established he invited his former creditors to a banquet, and under each guest's plate was found a check cover- ing the amount of loss sustained respec- tively, with interest to date. President Garfield appointed Mr. Mor- ton as minister to France, after he had de- clined the secretaryship of the navy, and in 1888 he was nominated as candidate for vice-president, with Harrison, and elected. In 1894 he was elected governor of New York over David B. Hill, and served one term. CHARLES KENDALL ADAMS, one of the most talented and prominent educators this country has known, was born January 24, 1835, at Derby, Vermont. He received an elementary education in the common schools, and studied two terms in the Derby Academy. Mr. Adams moved with his parents to Iowa in 1856. He was very anxious to pursue a collegiate course, but this was impossible until he had attained the age of twenty-one. In the autumn of 1856 he began the study of Latin and Greek at Denmark Academy, and in September, 1857, he was admitted to the University of Michigan. Mr. Adams was wholly depend- ent upon himself for the means of his edu- cation. During his third and fourth year he became deeply interested in historical studies, was assistant librarian of the uni- versity, and determined to pursue a post- graduate course. In 1864 he was appointed instructor of history and Latin and was ad- vanced to an assistant professorship in 1865, and in 1867, on the resignation o\ Professoi White to accept the presidency of Cornell, he was appointed to fill the chair of profes- sor of history. This he accepted on con- dition of his being allowed to spend a year for special study in Germany, France and Italy. Mr. Adams returned in 1868, and assumed the duties of his professorship. He introduced the German system for the instruction of advanced history classes, and. his lectures were largely attended. In 1885^ on the resignation of President White at Cornell, he was elected his successor and held the office for seven years, and on Jan- uary 17, 1893, he was inaugurated presi- dent of the University of Wisconsin. Pres- ident Adams was prominently connected with numerous scientific and literary organ- izations and a frequent contributor to the historical and educational data in the peri- odicals and journals of the country. He was the author of the following: " Dem- ocracy and Monarchy in France," " Manual of Historical Literature," " A Pica for Sci- entific Agriculture," " Higher Education in Germany." JOSEPH B. FORAKER, a prominent po- litical leader and e.\-governor of Ohio, was born near Rainsboro, Highland county, Ohio, July 5, 1846. His parents operated a small farm, with a grist and sawmill, hav- 144 COMPENDIUM OF BJOGRAPHT. ing emigrated hither from Virginia and Delaware on account of their distaste for slavery. Joseph was reared upon a farm until 1862, when he enlisted in the Eighty-ninth Ohio Infantry. Later he was made ser- geant, and in 1S64 commissioned first lieu- tenant. The next year he was brevetted captain. At the age of nineteen he was mustered out of the army after a brilliant service, part of the time being on the staff of General Slocum. He participated in the battles of Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mount- ain and Kenesaw Mountain and in Sher- man's march to the sea. For two years subsequent to the war young Foraker was studying at the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, but later ■went to Cornell University, at Unity, New York, from which he graduated July i, 1869. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1879 Mr. Foraker was elected judge of the superior court of Cincinnati and held the office for three years. In 1883 he was defeated in the contest for the gov- ernorship with Judge Hoadly. In 1885, however, being again nominated for the same office, he was elected and served two terms. In 1889, in running for governor again, this time against James E. Camp- bell, he was defeated. Two years later his career in the United States senate began. Mr. Foraker was always a prominent figure at all national meetings of the Republican party, and a strong power, politically, in his native state. LYMAN ABBOTT, an eminent American preacher and writer on religious sub- jects, came of a noted New England family. His father. Rev. Jacob Abbott, was a prolific and popular writer, and his uncle. Rev. John S. C. Abbott, was a noted preacher and author. Lyman Abbott was born December 18, 1835, '" Roxbury, Massachusetts. He graduated at the New York University, in 1853, studied law, and practiced for a time at the bar, after which he studied theology with his uncle. Rev. John S. C. Abbott, and in i860 was settled in the ministry at Terre Haute, Indiana, re- maining there until after the close of the war. He then became connected with the Freedmen's Commission, continuing this until 1868, when he accepted the pastorate of the New England Congregational church, in New York City. A few years later he re- signed, to devote his time principally to lit- erary pursuits. For a number of years he edited for the American Tract Society, its "Illustrated Christian Weekly," also the New York "Christian Union." He pro- duced many works, which had a wide circu- lation, among which may be mentioned the following: "Jesus of Nazareth, His Life and Teachings," "Old Testament Shadows of New Testament Truths," "Morning and Evening Exercises, Selected from Writings of Henry Ward Beecher," " Laicus, or the Experiences of a Layman in a Country Parish," "Popular Religious Dictionary," and "Commentaries on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts." GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS.— The well-known author, orator and journal- ist whose name heads this sketch, was born at Providence, Rhode Island, February 24, 1824. Having laid the foundation of a most excellent education in his native land, he went to Europe and studied at the Uni- versity of Berlin. He made an extensive tour throughout the Levant, from which he returned home in 1850. At that early age literature became his field of labor, and in 1851 he published his first important work. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPIIT. 145 " Nile Notes of a Howadji." In 1852 two works issued from his facile pen, "The Howadji in Syria," and "Lotus-Eating." Later on he was the author of the well- known " Potiphar Papers," " Prue and L" and "Trumps." He greatly distinguished himself throughout this land as a lecturer on many subjects, and as an orator had but few peers. He was also well known as one of the most fluent speakers on the stump, making many political speeches in favor of the Republican party. In recognition of his valuable services, Mr. Curtis was ap- pointed by President Grant, chairman of the advisory board of the civil service. Al- though a life-long Republican, Mr. Curtis refused to support Blaine for the presidency in 1884, because of his ideas on civil ser- vice and other reforms. For his memorable and magnificent eulogy on Wendell Phillips, delivered in Boston, in 1884, that city pre- sented Mr. Curtis with a gold medal. George W. Curtis, however, is best known to the reading public of the United States by his connection with the Harper Brothers, having been editor of the "Har- per's Weekly," and of the " Easy Chair," in " Harper's Monthly Magazine, "for many years, in fact retaining that position until the day of his death, which occurred August 31. 1892- ANDREW JOHNSON, the seventeenth president of the United States, served from 1865 to 1869. He was born Decem- ber 8, 1808, at Raleigh, North Carolina, and was left an orphan at the age of four years. He never attended school, and was apprenticed to a tailor. While serving his apprenticeship he suddenly acquired a pas- sion for knowledge, and learned to read. From that time on he spent all his spare time in reading, and after working for two years as a journeyman tailor at Lauren's Court House, South Carolina, he removed to Greenville, Tennessee, where he worked at his trade and was married. Under his wife's instruction he made rapid progress in his studies and manifested such an interest in local politics as to be elected as " work- ingmen's candidate " alderman in 1S28, and in 1830 to the mayoralty, and was twice re-elected to each office. Mr. Johnson utilized this time in cultivating his talents as a public speaker, by taking part in a de- bating society. He was elected in 1835 to the lower house of the legislature, was re- elected in 1839 as a Democrat, and in 1 84 1 was elected state senator. Mr. John- son was elected representative in congress in 1843 ^'^^ was re-elected four times in succession until 1853, when he was the suc- cessful candidate for the gubernatorial chair of Tennessee. He was re-elected in 1855 and in 1857 he entered the United States senate. In i860 he was supported by the Tennessee delegation to the Democratic convention for the presidential nomination, and lent his influence to the Breckinridge wing of the party. At the election of Lin- coln, which brought about the first attempt at secession in December, i860, Mr. John- son took a firm attitude in the senate for the Union. He was the leader of the loy- alists in East Tennessee. By the course that Mr. Johnson pursued in this crisis he was brought prominently before the north- ern people, and when, in March, 1862, he was appointed military governor of Ten- nessee with the rank of brigadier-general, he increased his popularity by the vigorous manner in which he labored to restore order. In the campaign of 1864 he was elected vice-president on the ticket with President Lincoln, and upon the assassi- nation of the latter he succeeded to the 146 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. presidency, April 15, 1865. He retained the cabinet of President Lincoln, and at first exhibited considerable severity towards the former Confederates, but he soon inau- gurated a policy of reconstruction, pro- claimed a general amnesty to the late Con- federates, and established provisional gov- ernments in the southern states. These states claimed representation in congress in the following December, and then arose the momentous question as to what should be the policy of the victorious Union against their late enemies. The Republican ma- jority in congress had an apprehension that the President would undo the results of the war, and consequently passed two bills over the executive veto, and the two highest branches of the government were in open antagonism. The cabinet was reconstructed in July, and Messrs. Randall, Stanbury and Browning superseded Messrs. Denison, Speed and Harlan. In August, 1867, Pres- ident Johnson removed the secretary of war and replaced him with General Grant, but when congress met in December it refused to ratify the removal of Stanton, who re- sumed the functions of his office. In 1868 the president again attempted to remove Stanton, who refused to vacate his post and was sustained by the senate. Presi- dent Johnson was accused by congress of high crimes and misdemeanors, but the trial resulted in his acquittal. Later he was Uni- ted States senator from Tennessee, and died July 31, 1875. EDMUND RANDOLPH, first attorney- general of the United States, was born in Virginia, August 10, 1753 His father, John Randolph, was attorney-tjeneral of Virginia, and lived and died a royalist. Ed- mund was educated in the law, but joined the army as aide-de-camp to Washington in 1775, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was elected to the Virginia convention in 1776, and attorney-general of the state the same year. In 1779 he was elected to the Continental congress, and served four years in that body. He was a member of the con- vention in 17S7 that framed the constitu- tion. In that convention he proposed what was known as the " Virginia plan" of con- federation, but it was rejected. He advo- cated the ratification of the constitution in the Virginia convention, although he had re- fused to sign it. He became governor of Virginia in 1788, and the next year Wash- ington appointed him to the office of at- torney-general of the United States upon the organization of the government under the constitution. He was appointed secre- tary of state to succeed Jefferson during Washington's second term, but resigned a year later on account of differences in the cabinet concerning the policy pursued to- ward the new French republic. He died September 12, 1813. W INFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK was born in Montgomery county, Penn- sylvania, February 14, 1824. He received his early education at the Norristown Academy, in his native county, and, in 1840, was appointed a cadet in the United States Military Academy, at West Point. He was gr.iduated from the latter in 1844, and brev- etted as second lieutenant of infantry. In 1853 he was made first lieutenant, and two years later transferred to the quartermaster's department, with the rank of captain, and in 1863 promoted to the rank of major. He served on the frontier, and in the war with Mexico, displaying conspicuous gallantry dur- ing the latter. He also took a part in the Seminole war, and in the troubles in Kan- sas, in 1857, and in California, at the out- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 14T break of the Civil war, as chief quarter- master of the Southern district, he exerted a powerful influence. In 1861 he applied for active duty in the field, and was assigned to the department of Kentucky as chief quartermaster, but before entering upon that duty, was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers. His subsequent history during the war was substantially that of the Army of the Potomac. He participated in the campaign, under McClellan, and led the gallant charge, which captured Fort Magru- der, won the day at the battle of Wil- liamsburg, and by services rendered at Savage's Station and other engagements, won several grades in the regular service, and was recommended by McClellan for major-general of volunteers. He was a con- spicuous figure at South Mountain and An- tietam. He was commissioned major-gen- eral of volunteers, November 29, 1862, and made commander of the First Division of the Second Corps, which he led at Fred- ricksburg and at Chancellorsville. He was appointed to the command of the Second Corps in June, 1863, and at the battle of Gettysburg, July i, 2 and 3, of that year, took an important part. On his arrival on the field he found part of the forces then in retreat, but stayed the retrograde movement, checked the enemy, and on the following day commanded the left center, repulsed, on the third, the grand assault of General Lee's army, and was severely wounded. For his services on that field General Hancock received the thanks of congress. On recovering from his wound, he was detailed to go north to stimulate re- cruiting and fill up the diminished corps, and was the recipient of many public receptions and ovations. In March, 1S64, he returned to his command, and in the Wilderness and at Spottsylvania led large bodies of men successfully and conspicuously. From that on to the close of the campaign he was a prominent figure. In November, 1864, he was detailed to organize the First Veteran Reserve Corps, and at the close of hostilities was appointed to the command of the Mid- dle Military Division. In July, 1866, he was made major-general of the regular service. He was at the head of various military departments until 1872, when he was assigned to the command of the Depart- ment of the Atlantic, which post he held until his death. In 1869 he declined the nomination for governor of Pennsylvania. He was the nominee of the Democratic party for president, in 1880, and was de- feated by General Garfield, who had a popu- lar majority of seven thousand and eighteen and an electoral majority.of fifty-nine. Gen- eral Hancock died February 9, 1886. THOMAS PAINE, the most noted polit- ical and deistical writer of the Revolu- tionary period, was born in England, Jan- uary 29, 1737, of Quaker parents. His edu- cation was. obtained in the grammar schools of Thetford, his native town, and supple- mented by hard private study while working at his trade of stay-maker at London and other cities of England. He was for a time a dissenting preacher, although he did not relinquish his employment. He married a revenue official's daughter, and was employed in the revenue service for some time. He then became a grocer and during all this time he was reading and cultivating his literary tastes, and had developed a clear and forci- ble style of composition. He was chosen to represent the interests of the excisemen, and published a pamphlet that brought him considerable notice. He was soon after- ward introduced to Benjamin Franklin, and having been dismissed from the service on a 148 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. charge of smuggling, his resentment led him to accept the advice of that statesman to come to America, in 1774. He became editor of the " Penns\'lvania Magazine," and the next year published his "Serious Thoughts upon Slavery" in the "Penn- sylvania Journal." His greatest political work, however, was written at the sugges- tion of Dr. Rush, and entitled " Common Sense." It was the most popular pamphlet written during the period and he received two thousand five hundred dollars from the state of Pennsylvania in recognition of its value. His periodical, the "Crisis," began in 1776, and its distribution among the soldiers did a great deal to keep up the spirit of revolution. He was made secretary of the committee of foreign affairs, but was dis- missed for revealing diplomatic secrets in one of his controversies with Silas Deane. He was originator and promoter of a sub- scription to relieve the distress of the soldiers near the close of the war, and was sent to France with Henry Laurens to negotiate the treaty with France, and was granted three thousand dollars by congress for his services there, and an estate at New Rochelle, by the state of New York. In 1787, after the close of the Revolu- tionary war, he went to France, and a few years later published his " Rights of Man," defending the French revolution, which gave him great popularity in France. He was made a citizen and elected to the na- tional convention at Calais. He favored banishment of the king to America, and opposed his execution. He was imprisoned for about ten months during 1794 by the Robespierre party, during which time he wrote the " Age of Reason," his great deis- tical work. He was in danger of the guillo- tine for several months. He took up his residence with the family of James Monroe, then minister to France and was chosen again to the convention. He returned to the United States in 1802, and was cordially received throughout the coun- try except at Trenton, where he was insulted by Federalists. He retired to his estate at New Rochelle, and his death occurred June 8, 1809. JOHN WILLIAM MACKAY was one of J America's noted men, both in the de- velopment of the western coast and the building of the Mackay and Bennett cable. He was born in 1831 at Dublin, Ireland; came to New York in 1840 and his boyhood days were spent in Park Row. He went to California some time after the argonauts of 1849 and took to the primitive methods of mining — lost and won and finally drifted into Nevada about i860. The bonanza dis- coveries which were to have such a potent influence on the finance and statesmanship of the day came in 1S72. Mr. Mackay founded the Nevada Bank in 1878. He is said to have taken one hundred and fifty million dollars in bullion out of the Big Bonanza mine. There were as- sociated with him in this enterprise James G. Fair, senator from Nevada; William O'Brien and James C. Flood. When vast wealth came to Mr. Mackay he be- lieved it his duty to do his country some service, and he agitated in his mind the building of an American steamship line, and while brooding over this his attention was called to the cable relations betsveen America and Europe. The financial man- agement of the cable was selfish and ex- travagant, and the capital was heavy with accretions of financial " water" and to pay even an apparent dividend upon the sums which represented the nominal value of the cables, it was necessary to hold the rates I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 14» at an exorbitant figure. And, moreover, the cables were foreign; in one the influence of France being paramount and in the other that of England; and' in the matter of intel- ligence, so necessary in case of war, we would be at the mercy of our enemies. This train of thought brought Mr. Mackay into re- lation with James Gordon Bennett, the pro- prietor of the " New York Herald." The result of their intercourse was that Mr. Mac- kay so far entered into the enthusiasm of Mr. Bennett over an independent cable, that he offered to assist the enterprise with five hundred thousand dollars. This was the inception of the Commercial Cable Com- pany, or of what has been known for years as the Mackav-Bennett cable. ELISHA GRAY, the great inventor and electrician, was born August 2, 1835. at Barnesville, Belmont county, Ohio. He was, as a child, greatly interested in the phenomena of nature, and read with avidity all the books he could obtain, relating to this subject. He was apprenticed to various trades during his boyhood, but his insatiable thirst for knowledge dominated his life and he found time to study at odd intervals. Supporting himself by working at his trade, he found time to pursue a course at Oberlin College, where he particularly devoted him- self to the study of physicial science. Mr. Gray secured his first patent for electrical or telegraph apparatus on October i, 1867. His attention was first attracted to tele- phonic transmission during this year and he saw in it a way of transmitting signals for telegraph purposes, and conceived the idea of electro-tones, tuned to different tones in the scale. He did not then realize the im- portance of his invention, his thoughts being employed on the capacity of the apparatus for transmitting musical tones through an electric circuit, and it was not until 1874 that he was again called to consider the re- production of electrically-transmitted vibra- tions through the medium of animal tissue. He continued experimenting with various results, which finally culminated in his taking out a patent for his speaking tele- phone on February 14, 1876. He took out fifty additional patents in the course of eleven years, among which were, telegraph switch, telegraph repeater, telegraph annun- ciator and typewriting telegraph. From 1869 until 1873 he was employed in the manufacture of telegraph apparatus in Cleve- land and Chicago, and filled the office of electrician to the Western Electric Com- pany. He was awarded the degree of D. S. , and in 1874 he went abroad to perfect himself in acoustics. Mr. Gray's latest in- vention was known as the telautograph or long distance writing machine. Mr. Gray wrote and published several works on scien- tific subjects, among which were: "Tele- graphy and Telephony," and " Experi- mental Research in Electro-Harmonic Tele- graphy and Telephony." WHITELAW REID.— Among the many men who have adorned the field of journalism in the United States, few stand out with more prominence than the scholar, author and editor whose name heads this ar- ticle. Born at Xenia, Greene county, Ohio, October 27, 1837, he graduated at Miami University in 1856. For about a year he was superintendent of the graded schools of South Charleston, Ohio, after which he pur- chased the "Xenia News," which he edited for about two years. This paper was the first one outside of Illinois to advocate the nomination of Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Reid having been a Republican .«ince the birth of that party in 1856. After taking an active 150 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. part in the campaign, in the winter of i860— 61, he went to the state capital as corres- pondent of three daily papers. At the close of the session of the legislature he became city editor of the "Cincinnati Gazette," and at the breaking out of the war went to the front as a correspondent for that journal. For a time he served on the staff of General Morris in West Virginia, with the rank of captain. Shortly after he was on the staff of General Rosecrans, and, under the name of "Agate," wrote most graphic descrip- tions of the movements in the field, espe- cially that of the battle- ol Pittsburg Land- ing. In the spring of 1862 Mr. Reid went to Washington and was appointed librarian to the house of representatives, and acted as correspondent of the " Cincinnati Gazette." His description of the battle of Gettysburg, written on the field, gained him added reputation. In 1865 he accompanied Chief Justice Chase on a southern tour, and pub- lished "After the War; a Southern Tour." During the next two years he was engaged in cotton planting in Louisiana and Ala- bama, and published "Ohio in the War." In 1868 he returned to the " Cincinnati Ga- zette," becoming one of its leading editors. The same year he accepted the invitation of Horace Greeley and became one of the staff on the "New York Tribune." Upon the death of Mr. Greeley in 1872, Mr. Reid be- came editor and chief proprietor of that paper. In 1878 he was tendered the United States mission to Berlin, but declined. The offer was again made by the Garfield ad- ministration, but again he declined. In 1878 he was elected by the New York legis- lature regent of the university, to succeed General John A. Dix. Under the Harrison administration he served as United States minister to France, and in 1892 was the Republican nominee for the vice-presidency of the United States. Among other works published by him were the " Schools of Journalism," "The Scholar in Politics," "Some Newspaper Tendencies," and ' ' Town-Hall Suggestions. " GEORGE WHITEFIELD was one of the most powerful and effective preach- ers the world has ever produced, swaying his hearers and touching the hearts of im- mense audiences in a mannerthat has rarely been equalled and never surpassed. While not a native of America, yet much of his labor was spent in this country. He wielded a great influence in the United States in early days, and his death occurred here; so that he well deserves a place in this volume as one of the most celebrated men America has known. George Whitefield was born in the Bull Inn, at Gloucester, England, December 16, 1 7 14. He acquired the rudiments of learn- ing in St. Mary's grammar school. Later he attended Oxford University for a time, where he became intimate with the Oxford Methodists, and resolved to devote himself to the ministry. He was ordained in the Gloucester Cathedral June 20, 1836, and the following day preached his first sermon in the same church. On that day there commenced a new era in Whitefield's life. He went to London and began to preach at Bishopsgate church, his fame soon spread- ing over the city, and shortly he was en- gaged four times on a single Sunday in ad- dressing audiences of enormous magnitude, and he preached in various parts of his native country, the people crowding in multitudes to hear him and hanging upon the rails and rafters of the churches and approaches there- to. He finally sailed for America, landing in Georgia, where he stirred the people to great enthusiasm. During the balance oi COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 158 his life he divided his time between Great Britain and America, and it is recorded that he crossed the Atlantic thirteen times. He came to America for the seventh time in 1770. He preached every day at Boston from the 17th to the 20th of September, 1770, then traveled to Newbury port, preach- ing at Exeter, New Hampshire, September 29, on the way. That evening he went to Newburyport, where he died the next day, Sunday, September 30, 1770. " W'hitefield's dramatic power was amaz- ing, " says an eminent writer in describing him. " His voice was marvelously varied, and he ever had it at command — an organ, a flute, a harp, all in one. His intellectual powers were not of a high order, but he had an abundance of that ready talent and that wonderful magnetism which makes the pop- ular preacher; and beyond all natural en- dowments, there was in his ministry the power of evangelical truth, and, as his con- verts believed, the presence of the spirit of God." CHARLES FRANCIS BRUSH, one of America's prominent men in the devel- opment of electrical science, was born March 17, 1849, near Cleveland, Ohio, and spent his early life on his father's farm. From the district school at Wickliffe, Ohio, he passed to the Shaw Academy at Collamer, and then entered the high school at Cleve- land. His interest in chemistry, physics and engineering was already marked, and during his senior year he was placed in charge of the chemical and physical appar- atus. During these years he devised a plan for lighting street lamps, constructed tele- scopes, and his first electric arc lamp, also an electric motor. In September, 1867, he entered the engineering department of the University of Michigan and graduated in 1869, which was a year in advance of his class, with the degree of M. E. He theri returned to Cleveland, and for three years was engaged as an analytical chemist and for four years in the iron business. In 1875 Mr. Brush became interested in elec- tric lighting, and in 1876, after four months' e.xperimenting, he completed the dynamo- electric machine that has made his name famous, and in a shorter time produced the series arc lamps. These were both patent- ed in the United States in 1876, and he afterward obtained fifty patents on his later inventions, including the fundamental stor- age battery, the compound series, shunt- winding for dynamo-electric machines, and the automatic cut-out for arc lamps. His patents, two-thirds of which have already been profitable, are held by the Brush Electric Company, of Cleveland, while his foreign patents are controlled by the Anglo- American Brush Electric Light Company, of London. In 1880 the Western Reserve University conferred upon Mr. Brush the degree of Ph. D., and in 1881 the French government decorated him as a chevalier of the Legion of Honor. HENRY CLEWS, of Wall-street fame, was one of the noted old-time opera- tors on that famous street, and was also an author of some repute. Mr. Clews was born in Staffordshire, England, August 14, 1840. His father had him educated with the intention of preparing him for the minis- try, but on a visit to the United States the young man became interested in a business life, and was allowed to engage as a clerk in the importing house of Wilson G. Hunt & Co., of New York. Here he learned the first principles of business, and when the war broke out in 1861 young Clews saw in the needs of the government an opportunity to 154 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. reap a golden harvest. He identified him- self with the negotiating of loans for the government, and used his powers of pur- suasion upon the great money powers to convince them of the stability of the govern- ment and the value of its securities. By enthusiasm and patriotic arguments he in- duced capitalists to invest their money in government securities, often against their judgment, and his success was remarkable. His was one of the leading firms that aided the struggling treasury department in that critical hour, and his reward was great. In addition to the vast wealth it brought, President Lincoln and Secretary Chase both wrote important letters, acknowledging his valued service. In 1873, by the repu- diation of the bonded indebtedness of the state of Georgia, Mr. Clewf. lost six million dollars which he had invested in those se- curities. It is said that he is the only man, with one exception, in Wall street, who ever regained great wealth after utter dis- aster. His " Twenty-Eight Years in Wall Street " has been widely read. ALFRED VAIL was one of the men that gave to the world the electric telegraph and the names of Henry, Morse and Vail will forever remain linked as the prime fac- tors in that great achievement. Mr. Vail was born September 25, 1807, at Morris- town, New Jersey, and was a son of Stephen Vail, the proprietor of the Speedwell Iron Works, near Morristown. At the age of seventeen, after he had completed his stud- ies at the Morristown Academy, Alfred Vail went into the Speedwell Iron Works and contented himself with the duties of his position until he reached his majority. He then determined to prepare himself for the ministry, and at the age of twenty-five he entered the University of the City of New York, where he was graduated in 1836. His health becoming impaired he labored for a time under much uncertainty as to his future course. Professor S. F. B. Morse had come to the university in 1835 as professor of lit- erature and fine arts, and about this time, 1837, Professor Gale, occupying the chair of chemistry, invited Morse to exhibit his apparatus for the benefit of the students. On Saturday, September 2, 1837, the exhi- bition took place and Vail was asked to at- tend, and with his inherited taste for me- chanics and knowledge of their construction, he saw a great future for the crude mechan- ism used by Morse in giving and recording signals. Mr. Vail interested his father in the invention, and Morse was invited to Speedwell and the elder Vail promised to help him. It was stipulated that Alfred Vail should construct the required apparatus and exhibit before a committee of congress the telegraph instrument, and was to receive a quarter interest in the invention. Morse had devised a series of ten numbered leaden types, which were to be operated in giving the signal. This was not satisfactory to Vail, so he devised an entirely new instru- ment, involving a lever, or "point," on a radically different principle, which, when tested, produced dots and dashes, and de- vised the famous dot-and-dash alphabet, misnamed the " Morse." At last the ma- chine was in working order, on January 6, 1838. The machine was taken to Wash- ington, where it caused not only wonder, but excitement. Vail continued his experi- ments and devised the lever and roller. When the line between Baltimore and Washington was completed, Vail was sta- tioned at the Baltimore end and received the famous first message. It is a remarka- ble fact that not a single feature of the original invention of Morse, as formulated COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRArirr. 155. by his caveat and repeated in his original patent, is to be found in Vail's apparatus. From 1837 to 1844 it was a combination of tlie inventions of Morse, Henry and Vail, but the work of Morse fell gradually into desuetude, while \'airs conception of an alphabet has remained unchanged for half a century. Mr. Vail published but one work. "American Electro-Magnetic Telegraph," in 1845, ^n. Hayes was a very delicate child at his birth and was not expected to live, but he lived in spite of all and remained at home until he was seven years old, when he was placed in school. He was a very tractablepupil, being always very studious, and in 1838 entered Kenyon College, graduating from the same in 1842. He then took up the study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow at Colum- bus, but in a short time he decided to enter a law school at Cambridge, Massachusetts, where for two years he was immersed in the 158 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. study of law. Mr. Hayes was admitted to the bar in 1845 in Marietta, Ohio, and very soon entered upon the active practice of his profession with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont, Ohio. He remained there three years, and in 1849 removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his ambition found a new stimulus. Two events occurred at this period that had a powerful influence on his after life. One was his marriage to Miss Lucy Ware Webb, and the other was his introduction to a Cincinnati literary club, a body embracing such men as Salmon P. Chase, John Pope, and Edward F. Noyes. In 1856 he was nominated for "judge of the court of common pleas, but declined, and two years later he was appointed city solicitor. At the outbreak of the Rebellion Mr. Hayes was appointed major of the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry, June 7, 1861, and in July the regiment was ordered to Virginia, and October 15, 1861, saw him promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment. He was made colonel of the Seventy-ninth Ohio Infantry, but refused to leave his old comrades; and in the battle of South Mountain he was wounded very severely and was unable to rejoin his regi- ment until November 30, 1862. He had been promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment on October 15, 1862. In the following December he was appointed to command the Kanawa division and was given the rank of brigadier-general for meritorious services in several battles, and in 1864 he was brevetted major-general for distinguished services in 1864, during which campaign he was wounded several times and live horses had been shot under him. Mr. Hayes' first venture in politics was as a Whig, and later he was one of the first to unite with the Republican party. In 1864 he was elected from the Second Ohio district to congress, re-elected in 1866, and in 1867 was elected governor of Ohio over Allen G. Thurman, and was re-elected in 1869. Mr. Hayes was elected to the presidency in 1876, for the term of four years, and at its close retired to private life, and went to his home in Fremont, Ohio, where he died on January 17, 1893. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN became a celebrated character as the nominee of the Democratic and Populist parties for president of the United States in 1896. He was born March 19, i860, at Salem, Illi- nois. He received his early education in the public schools of his native county, and later on he attended the Whipple Academy at Jacksonville. He also took a course in Illinois College, and after his graduation from the same went to Chicago to study law, and entered the Union College of Law a*^ a student. He was associated with the late Lyman Trumbull, of Chicago, during his law studies, and devoted considerable time to the questions of government. He graduated from the college, was admitted to the bar, and went to Jacksonville, Illinois, where he was married to Miss Mary Eliza- beth Baird. In 1887 Mr. Bryan removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, and formed a law partnership with Adolphus R. Talbot. He entered the field of politics, and in 1888 was sent as a delegate to the state con- vention, which was to choose delegates to the national convention, during which he made a speech which immediately won him a high rank in political affairs. He declined, in the ne.xt state convention, a nomination for lieutenant-governor, and in 1890 he was elected congressman from the First district of Nebraska, and was the youngest member of the fifty-second congress. He cham- pioned the Wilson tariff bill, and served COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 159 three terms in the house of representatives. He next ran for senator, but was defeated by John M. Thurston, and in 1896 he was selected hy the Democratic and Populist parties as their nominee for the presidency, being defeated by William McKinley. MARVIN HUGHITT, one of America's famous railroad men, was born in Genoa, New York, and entered the railway service in 1856 as superintendent of tele- graph and trainmaster of the St. Louis, Al- ton & Chicago, now Chicago & Alton Rail- road. Mr. Hughitt was superintendent of the southern division of the Illinois Central Railroad from 1862 until 1864, and was, later on, the general superintendent of the road until 1870. He was then connected with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- road as assistant general manager, and re- tained this position until 1871, when he be- came the general manager of Pullman's Palace Car Company. In 1872 he was made general superintendent of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. He served during 1876 and up to 1880 as general manager, and from 1880 until 1887 as vice-presi- dent and general manager. He was elected president of the road in 1887, in recog- nition of his ability in conducting the affairs of the road. He was also chosen president of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minne- apolis & Omaha Railway; the Fremont, Elk- horn & Missouri Valley Railroad, and the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, and his services in these capacities stamped him as one of the most able railroad mana- gers of his day. JOSEPH MEDILL, one of the most eminent of American journalists, was born in New Brunswick, Canada, April 6, 1823. In 1 83 1 his father moved to Stark county, Ohio, and until 1841 Joseph Medill worked on his father's farm. Later- he studied law, and began the practice of that profession in 1846 at New Philadelphia, Ohio. But the nesvspaperfield was more attractive to Mr. Medill, and three years later he founded a free-soil Whig paper at Coshocton, Ohio, and after that time jour- nalism received all his abilities. "The Leader," another free-soil Whig paper, was founded by Mr. Medill at Cleveland in 1852. In that city he also became one of the first organizers of the Republican party. Shortly after that event he removed to Chicago and in 1855, with two partners, he purchased the " Chicago Tribune." In the contest for the nomination for the presidency in i860, Mr. Medill worked with unflagging zeal for Mr. Lincoln, his warm personal friend, and was one of the president's stanchest sup- porters during the war. Mr. Medill was a member of the Illinois Constitutional con- vention in 1870. President Grant, in 1871, appointed the editor a member of the firsi^ United States civil service commission, and the following year, after the fire, he was elected mayor of Chicago by a great ma- jority. During 1873 and 1874 Mr. Medill spent a year in Europe. Upon his return he purchased a controlling interest in the " Chicago Tribune." CLAUSSPRECKELS, the great " sugar baron," and one of the most famous representatives of commercial life in Amer- ica, was born in Hanover, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1840, locating in New York. He very soon be- came the proprietor of a small retail gro- cery store on Church street, and embarked on a career that has since astonished the world. He sold out his ousmess and went to California with the argonauts of 1849, IGO COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. not as a prospector, but as a trader, and for years after his arrival on the coast he was still engaged as a grocer. At length, after a quarter of a century of fairly prosperous business life, he found himself in a position where an ordinary man would have retired, but Mr. Spreckles did not retire; he had merely been gathering capital for the real work of his life. His brothers had followed him to California, and in combination with them he purchased for forty thousand dollars an interest in the Albany Brewery in San Francisco. But the field was not extensive enough for the development of his business abilities, so Mr. Sprecklas branched out extensively in the sugar business. He suc- ceeded in securing the entire output of sugar that was produced on the Sand- wich Islands, and after 1885 was known as the "Sugar King of Sandwich Islands." He controlled absolutely the sugar trade of the Pacific coast which was known to be not less than ten million dollars a year. CHARLES HENRY PARKHURST, famous as a clergyman, and for many years president of the Society for the Prevention of Crime, was born April 17, 1842, at Framingham, Massachusetts, of English descent. At the age of sixteen he was pupil in the grammar school at Clinton, Massachusetts, and for the ensu- ing two years was a clerk in a dry goods store, which position he gave up to prepare himself for college at Lancaster academy. Mr. Parkhurst went to Amherst in 1862, and after taking a thorough course he gradu- ated in 1866, and in 1867 became the prin- cipal of the Amherst High School. He re- tained this position until 1870, when he visited Germany with the intention of tak- ing a course in philosophy and theology, but was forced to abandon this intention on account of illness in the family causinsr his early return from Europe. He accepted the chair of Latin and Greek in Williston Semi- nary, Easthampton, Massachusetts, and re- mained there two years. He then accom- panied his wife to Europe, and devoted two years to study in Halle, Leipsic and Bonn. Upon his return home he spent considerable time in the study of Sanscrit, and in 1874 he became the pastor of the First Congrega- tional church at Lenox, Massachusetts. He gained here his reputation as a pulpit ora- tor, and on March 9, 1880, he became the pastor of the Madison Square Presbyterian church of New York. He was, in 1890, made a member of the Society for the Pre- vention of Crime, and the same year be- came its president. He delivered a sermon in 1S92 on municipal corruption, for which he was brought before the grand jury, which body declared his charges to be without suffi- cient foundation. But the matter did not end here, for he immediately went to work on a second sermon in which he substantiated his former sermon and wound up by saying, "I know, for I have seen." He was again summoned before that august body, and as a result of his testimony and of the investi- gation of the jurors themselves, the police authorities were charged with incompetency and corruption. Dr. Parkhurst was the author of the following works: ' ' The Forms of the Latin Verb, Illustrated by Sanscrit," "The Blind Man's Creed and Other Ser- mons," "The Pattern on the Mount," and " Three Gates on a Side." HENRY BERGH, although a writer, diplomatist and government official, was noted as a philanthropist — the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. On his labors for the dumb creation alone rests his fame. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 161 Alone, in the face of indifference, opposition and ridicule, he began the reform which is now recognized as one of the beneficent movements of the age. Through his exer- tions as a speaker and lecturer, but above all as a bold worker, in the street, in the court room, before the legislature, the cause he adopted gained friends and rapidly in- creased in power until it has reached im- mense proportions and influence. The work of the society covers all cases of cruelty to all sorts of animals, employs every moral agency, social, legislative and personal, and touches points of vital concern to health as well as humanity. Henry Bergh was born in New York City in 1823, and was educated at Colum- bia College. In 1863 he was made secre- tary of the legation to Russia and also served as vice-consul there. He also de- voted some time to literary pursuits and was the author of "Love's Alternative," a drama; "Married Off," a poem; "'The Portentous Telegram, " "The Ocean Para- gon;" "The Streets of New York," tales and sketches. HENRY BENJAMIN WHIPPLE, one of the most eminent of American di- vines, was born in Adams, Jefferson county. New York, February 15, 1822. He was brought up in the mercantile business, and early in life took an active interest in polit- ical affairs. In 1847 he became a candidate for holy orders and pursued theological studies with Rev. W. D. Wilson, D. D., afterward professor in Cornell University. He was ordained deacon in 1849, in Trinity church, Geneva, New York, by Rt. Rev. W. H. De Lancey, D. D., and took charge of Zion church, Rome, New York, Decem- ber I, 1849. fn 1850, our subject was or- dained priest by Bishop De Lancey. In 1857 he became rector of the Church of the Holy Communion, Chicago. On the 30th of June, 1859, he was chosen bishop of Minnesota, and took charge of the interests of the Episcopal church in that state, being located at Faribault. In i860 Bishop Whipple, with Revs. I. L. Breck, S. W. Mauncey and E. S. Peake, organized the Bishop Seabury ^Kssion, out of which has grown the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior, the Seabury Divinity School, Shattuck School and St. Mary's Hall, which have made Faribault City one of the greatest educational centers of the northwest. Bishop \\'hipple also became noted as the friend and defender of the North American In- dians and planted a number of successful missions among them. EZRA CORNELL was oneof the greatest philanthropists and friends of education the country has known. He was born at Westchester Landing, New York, January II, 1807. He grew to manhood in his na- tive state and became a prominent figure in business circles as a successful and self-made man. Soon after the invention of the elec- tric telegraph, he devoted his attention to that enterprise, and accumulated an im- mense fortune. In 1865, by a gift of five hundred thousand dollars, he made possible the founding of Cornell University, which was named in his honor. He afterward made additional bequests amouiitingto many hundred thousand dollars. His death oc- curred at Ithaca, New York, December 9, 1874- IGNATIUS DONNELLY, widely knowi, 1 as an author and politician, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 3, 183 1. He was educated at the public schools of that city, and graduated from the 162 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Central High School in 1849. He studied law in the office of Judge B. H. Brewster, and was admitted to the bar in 1852. In the spring of 1856, Mr. Donnelly emigrated to Minnesota, then a new territory, and, at Hastings, resumed the practice of law in partnership with A. M. Hayes. In 1857, and again in 1858, he was defeated for state senator, but in 1859 he was elected by the Republicans as lieutenant-governor, and re- elected in 1 86 1. In 1862 he was elected to represent the Second district of Minnesota in congress. He was re-elected to the same office in 1S64 and in 1866. He was an abolitionist and warmly supported President Lincoln's administration, but was strongly in favor of leniency toward the people of the south, after the war. In many ways he was identified with some of the best meas- ures brought before the house during his presence there. In the spring of 1868, at the request of the Republican national com- mittee, he canvassed New Hampshire and Connecticut in the interests of that party. E. B. Washburne about this time made an attack on Donnelly in one of the papers of Minnesota, which was replied to on the floor of the house by a fierce phillipic that will long be remembered. Through the inter- vention of the Washburne interests Mr. Don- nelly failed of a re-election in 1870. In 1 873 he was elected to the state senate from Dakota county, and continuously re-elected until 1878. In 1886 he was elected mem- ber of the house for two years. In later years he identified himself with the Popu- list party. In 1882, Mr. Donnelly became known as an author, publishing his first literary work, "Atlantis, the Antediluvian World," which passed through over twenty-tsvo editions in America, several in England, and was trans- lated into French. This was followed by " Ragnarok, the Age of Fire and Gravel," which attained nearly as much celebrity as the first, and these two, in the opinion of scientific critics, are sufficient to stamp the author as a most capable and painstaking student of the facts he has collated in them. The work by which he gained the greatest notoriet}', however, was ' ' The Great Cryp- togram, or Francis Bacon's Cipher in the Shakespeare Plays." "Caesar's Column," " Dr. Huguet," and other works were pub- lished subsequently. STEVEN V. WHITE, a speculator of Wall Street of national reputation, was born in Chatham county. North Carolina, August 1, 1 83 1, and soon afterward re- moved to Illinois. His home was a log cabin, and until his eighteenth year he worked on the farm. Then after several years of struggle with poverty he graduated from Knox College, and went to St. Louis, where he entered a wholesale boot and shoe house as bookkeeper. He then studied law and worked as a reporter for the "Missouri Democrat." After his admission to the bar he went to New York, in 1865, and became a member of the banking house of Marvin & White. Mr. White enjoyed the reputa- tion of having engineered the only corner in Wall Street since Commodore Vander- bilt's time. This was the famous Lacka- wanna deal in 1883, in which he made a profit of two million dollars. He was some- times called " Deacon" White, and, though a member for many years of the Plymouth church, he never held that office. Mr. White was one of the most noted characters of the street, and has been called an orator, poet, philanthropist, linguist, abolitionist, astronomer, schoolmaster, plowboy, and trapper. He was a lawyer, e.x-congress- man, expert accountant, art critic andtheo- COMPEXniLM OF BIOGRArilT i63 logian. He laid the foundation for a "Home for Colored People," in Chatham county, North Carolina, where the greater part of his father's life was spent, and in whose memory the work was undertaken. JAMES A. GARFIELD, the twentieth president of the United States, was born November 19, 1831, in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, and was the son of Abram and Eliza (Baliou) Garfield. In 1833 the father, an industrious pioneer fanner, died, and the care of the family devolved upon Thomas, to whom James became deeply indebted for educational and other advantages. As James grew up he was industrious and worked on the farm, at carpentering, at chopping wood, or anything else he found to do, and in the meantime made the most of his books. Until he was about si.xteen, James' high- est ambition was to become a sea captain. On attaining that age he walked to Cleveland, and, not being able to find work, he engaged as a driver on the Ohio & Penn- sylvania canal, but quit this after a short time. He attended the seminary at Ches- ter for about three years, after which he entered Hiram Institute, a school started by the Discip)les of Christ in 1850. In order to pay his way he assumed the duties of janitor and at times taught school. After completing his course at the last named edu- cational institution he entered Williams Col- lege, from which he graduated in 1856. He afterward returned to Hiram College as its president. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859. November 11, 1858, Mr. Garfield and Lucretia Rudolph were married. In 1859 Mr. Garfield made his first polit- ical speeches, at Hiram and in the neighbor- hood. The same year he was elected to the state senate. On the breaking out of the war, in 1861, he became lieutenant-colonel of the Forty- second Ohio Infantry, and, while but a ne^ soldier, was given command of four regi- ments of infantry and eight companies of cavalry, with which he drove the Confeder- ates under Humphrey Marshall out of Ken tucky. January II, 1862, he was commis- sioned brigadier-general. He participated with General Buell in the battle of Shiloh and the operations around Corinth, and was then detailed as a member of the Fitz John Porter court-martial. Reporting to General Rosecrans, he was assigned to the position of chief of staff, and resigned his position, with the rank of major-general, when his immediate superior was superseded. In the fall of 1862 Mr. Garfield was elected to congress and remained in that body, either in the house or senate, until 1880. June 8, 1880, at the national Republican convention, held in Chicago, General Gar- field was nominated for the presidency, and was elected. He was inaugurated March 4, 1881, but, July 2, following, he was shot and fatally wounded by Charles Guiteau for some fancied political slight, and died Sep- tember 19, 1881. INCREASE MATHER was one of the 1 most prominent preachers, ediicators and authors of early times in the New England states. He was born at Dorchester, Massa- chusetts, June 21, 1639, and was given an excellent education, graduating at Harvard in 1656, and at Trinity College, Dublin, two years later. He was ordained a min- ister, and preached in England and America, and in 1664 became pastor of the North church, in Boston. In 1685 he became president of Harvard University, serving until 1701. In 1692 he received the first doctorate in divinity conferred in English 164 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. speaking America. The same year he pro- cured in England a new charter for Massa- chusetts, which conferred upon himself the power of naming the governor, Heutenant- governor and council. He opposed the severe punishment of witchcraft, and took a prominent part in all public affairs of his day. He was a prolific writer, and became the author of nearly one hundred publica- tions, large and small. His death occurred August 23, 1723, at Boston. COTTON MATHER, a celebrated minis- ter in the "Puritan times" of New England, was born at Boston, Massachu- setts, February 12, 1663, being a son of Rev. Increase Mather, and a grandson of John Cotton. A biography of his father will be found elsewhere in this volume. Cotton Mather received his early education in his native city, was trained by Ezekiel Cheever, and graduated at Harvard College in 1678; became a teacher, and in 1684 was ordained as associate pastor of North church, Boston, with his father, having by persistent effort overcome an impediment in his speech. He labored with great zeal as a pastor, endeavoring also, to establish the ascendancy of the church and ministry in civil affairs, and in the putting down of witchcraft by legal sentences, a wo/k in which he took an active part and through which he is best known in history. He re- ceived the degree of D. D. in 17 10, con- ferred by the University of Glasgow, and F. R. S. in 17 1 3. His death occurred at Bosion, February 13, 1728. He was the author of many publications, among which were " Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft," "Wonders of the Invisible World," "Essays to Do Good," " Mag- nalia Christi Americana," and " Illustra- tions of the Sacred Scriptures." Some of these works are quaint and curious, full of learning, piety and prejudice. A well- known writer, in summing up the life and character of Cotton Mather, says: " Mather, with all the faults of his early years, was e man of great e.xcellence of character. He labored zealously for the benefit of the poor, for mariners, slaves, criminals and Indians. His cruelty and credulity were the faults of his age, while his philanthro- phy was far more rare in that age than in the present." WILLIAM A. PEFFER, who won a national reputation during the time he was in the United States senate, was born on a farm in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, September 10, 1831. He drew his education from the public schools of his native state and at the age of f.fteen taught school in winter, working on a farm in the summer. In June, 1853, while yet a young man, he removed to Indiana, and opened up a farm in St. Joseph county. In 1859 he made his way to Missouri and settled on a farm in Morgan county, but on account of the war and the unsettled state of the country, he moved to Illinois in Feb- ruary, 1862, and enlisted as a private in Company F, Eighty-third Illinois Infantry, the following August. He was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in March, 1863, and served successively as quartermaster, adjutant, post 'Adjutant, judge advocate of a military commission, and depot quartermaster in the engineer department at Nashville. He was mustered out of the service June 26, 1865. He had, during his leisure hours while in the army, studied law, and in August, 1865, he com- menced the practice of that profession at Clarksville, Tennessee. He removed to Kansas in 1870 and practiced there until COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 165 1878, in the meantime establishing and conducting two newspapers, the " Fredonia Journal " and " Coffey ville Journal." Mr. Peffer was elected to the state senate in 1874 and was a prominent and influential member of several important committees. He served as a presidential elector in 1S80. The year following he became editor of the " Kansas Farmer," which he made a promi- nent and useful paper. In 1890 Mr. Peffer was elected to the United States senate as a member of the People's party and took his seat March 4, 1891. After six years of service Senator Peffer was succeeded in March, 1897, by William A. Harris. ROBERT MORRIS.— The name of this financier, statesman and patriot is closely connected with the early history of the United States. He was a native of England, born J[anuary 20, 1734, and came to America with his father when thirteen years old. Until 1754 he served in the counting house of Charles Willing, then formed a partnership with that gentleman's son, which continued with great success until 1793. In 1776 Mr. Morris was a delegate to the Continental congress, and, although once voting against the Declaration of Inde- pendence, signed that paper on its adop- tion, and was several times thereafter re- elected to congress. During the Revolu- tionary war the services of Robert Morris in aiding the government during its finan- cial difficulties were of incalculable value; he freely pledged his personal credit for sup- plies for the army, atone time to the amount of about one and a half million dollars, with- out which the campaign of 1781 would have been almost impossible. Mr. Morris was appointed superintendent of finance in 1781 and served until 1784, continuing to employ his personal credit to facilitate the needs of his department. He also served as mem- ber of the Pennsylvania legislature, and from 1786 to 1795 was United States sena- tor, declining meanwhile the position of sec- retary of the treasury, and suggesting the name of Alexander Hamilton, who was ap- pointed to that post. During the latter part of his life Mr. Morris was engaged ex- tensively in the China trade, and later be- came involved in land speculations, which ruined him, so that the remaining days of this noble man and patriot were passed in confinement for debt. His death occurred at Philadelphia, May 8, 1806. WILLIAM SHARON, a senator anr* capitalist, and mine owner of na tional reputation, was born at Smithfield, Ohio, January 9, 1821. He was reared upon a farm and in his boyhood given excel- lent educational advantages and in 1842 entered Athens College. He remained in that institution about two years, after which he studied law with Edwin M. Stanton, and was admitted to the bar at St. Louis and commenced practice. His health failing, however, he abandoned his profession and engaged in mercantile pursuits at Carrollton, Greene county, Illinois. During the time of the gold excitement of 1849, Mr. Sharon went to California, whither so many went, and engaged in business at Sacramento. The next year he removed to San Francisco, where he operated in real estate. Being largely interested in its silver mines, he re- moved to Nevada, locating at Virginia City, and acquired an immense fortune. He be- came one of the trustees of the Bank of California, and during the troubles that arose on the death of William Ralston, the president of that institution, was largely in- strumental in bringing its affairs into a satis- factory shape. 166 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. Mr. Sharon was elected to represent the state of Nevada in the United States senate in 1S75, and remained a member of that body until 1881. He was always distin- guished for close application to business. Senator Sharon died November 13, 1885. HENRY W. SHAW, an American hu- morist who became celebrated under the non-de-pliaiw of " Josh Billings," gained his fame from the witticism of his writing, and peculiar eccentricity of style and spell- ing. He was born at Lanesborough, Mas- sachusetts, in 18 1 8. For twenty-five years he lived in different parts of the western states, following various lines of business, including farming and auctioneering, and in the latter capacity settled at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1858. In 1863 he began writing humorous sketches for the news- papers over the signature of "Josh Bill- ings," and became immediately popular both as a writer and lecturer. He pub- lished a number of volumes of comic sketches and edited an " Annual Allminax " for a number of years, which had a wide cir- culation. His death occurred October 14, 1885, at Monterey, California. JOHN M. THURSTON, well known throughout this country as a senator and political leader, was born at Mont- pelier, Vermont, August 21, 1847, of ^n old Puritan family which dated back their ancestry in this country to 1636, and among whom were soldiers of the Revolution and of the war of 18 12-15. Young Thurston was brought west by the family in 1854, they settling at Madison, Wisconsin, and two years later at Beaver Dam, where John M. received his schooling in the public schools and at Wayland Uni- versity. His father enlisted as a private in the First Wisconsin Cavalry and died while in the service, in the spring of 1863. Young Thurston, thrown on his own resources while attaining an education, sup- ported himself by farm work, driving team and at other manual labor. He studied law and was admitted to the bar May 21, 1869, and in October of the same year located in Omaha, Nebraska. He was elected a member of the city council in 1872, city attorney in 1874 and a member of the Ne- braska legislature in 1874. He was a mem- ber of the Republican national convention of 1884 and temporary chairman of that of 1888. Taking quite an interest in the younger members of his party he was instru- mental in forming the Republican League of the United States, of which he was presi- dent for two years. He was then elected a member of the United States senate, in 1895, to represent the state of Nebraska. As an attorney John M. Thurston occu- pied a very prominent place, and for a num- ber of years held the position of general solicitor of the Union Pacific railroad sys- tem. JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, a celebrated American naturalist, was born in Louis- iana, May 4, 1780, and was the son of an opulent French naval officer who owned a plantation in the then French colony. In his childhood he became deeply interested in the study of birds ami their habits. About 1794 he was sent to Paris, France, where he was partially educated, and studied de- signing under the famous painter, Jacques Louis David. He returned to the Unit- ed States about 1798, and settled on a farm his father gave him, on the Perkioinen creek in eastern Pennsylvania. He mar- ried Lucy Bakewell in 1808, and, disposing of his property, removed to Louisville, Ken- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAnir. lt')7 tucky, where he engaged in mercantile pur- suits. About two years later he began to make extensive excursions through the pri- meval forests of the southern and south- western states, in the exploration of which he passed many years. He made colored drawings of all the species of birds that he found. For several years he made his home with his wife and children at Henderson, on the Ohio river. It is said that about this time he had failed in business and was re- duced to poverty, but kept the wolf from the door by giving dancing lessons and in portrait painting. In 1824, at Philadelphia, he met Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who encouraged him to publish a work on ornithology. Two years later he went to England and com- menced the publication of his great work, "The Birds of America." He obtained a large number of subscribers at one thousand dollars a copy. This work, embracing five volumes of letterpress and five volumes of beautifully colored plates, was pronounced by Cuvier " the most magnificent monument that art ever raised to ornithology." Audubon returned to America in 1829, and explored the forests, lakes and coast from Canada to Florida, collecting material for another work. This was his " Ornitho- logical Biography; or. An Account of the Habits of the Birds of the United States, Etc." He revisited England in 1831, and returned in 1839, after which he resiaed on the Hudson, near New York City, in which place he died January 27, 1851. During his life he issued a cheaper edition of his great work, and was, in association with Dr. Bachman, preparing a work on the quadrupeds of North America. the superior British squadron, under Com- modore Downie, September II, 18 14. Com- modore McDonough was born in Newcastle county, Delaware, December 23, 1783, and when seventeen years old entered the United States navy as midshipman, serving in the expedition to Tripoli, under Decatur, in 1803-4. In 1807 he was promoted to lieutenant, and in July, 181 3, was made a commander. The following year, on Lake Champlain, he gained the celebrated victory above referred to, for which he was again promoted; also received a gold medal from congress, and from the state of Vermont an estate on Cumberl-and Head, in view of the scene of the engagement. His death oc- curred at sea, November 16, 1825, while he was returning from the command of the Mediterranean squadron. COMMODORE THOMAS McDON- OUGH gained his principal fame from he celebrated victory which he gained over CHARLES FRANCIS HALL, one of America's most celebrated arctic ex- plorers, was born in Rochester, New Hamp- shire, in 1 82 1. He was a blacksmith by trade, and located in Cincinnati, where later he became a journalist. For several years he devoted a great deal of attention to cal- orics. Becoming interested in the fate of the explorer. Sir John Franklin, he joined the expedition fitted out by Henry Griiinell and sailed in the ship "George Henry," under Captain Buddington, which left New Lon- don, Connecticut, in 18C0. He returned in 1862, and two years later published his " Arctic Researches." He again joined the expedition fitted out by Mr. Grinnell, and sailed in the ship, " Monticello," under Captain Buddington, this time remaining in the arctic region over four years. On his return he brought back many evidences of having found trace of Franklin. In 1 87 1 the " Polaris " was fitted out by the United States government, and Captain 168 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Hall again sailed for the polar regions. He died in Greenland in October, 1871, and the "Polaris" was finally abandoned by the crew, a portion of which, under Captain Tyson, drifted with the icebergs for one hundred and ninety-five days, until picked up by the " Tigress," on the 30th of April, 1873. The other portion of the crew built boats, and, after a perilous voyage, were picked up in June, 1873, by a whaling vessel. OLIVER ELLSWORTH, the third chief justice of the United States, was born at Windsor, Connecticut, April 29, 1745. After graduating from Princeton, he took up the study of law, and was licensed to practice in 177 1. In 1777 he was elected as a delegate to the Continental congress. He was judge of the superior court of his state in 1784, and was chosen as a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1787. He sided with the Federalists, was elected to the United States senate in 1789, and was a firm supporter of Washington's policy. He won great distinction in that body, and was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of the United States by Washington in 1796. The relations between this coun- try and France having become violently strained, he was sent to Paris as envoy ex- traordinary in 1799, and was instrumental in negotiating the treaty that averted war. He resigned the following year, and was suc- ceeded by Chief Justice Marshall. His death occurred November 26, 1807. MELLVILLE WESTON FULLER, an eminent American jurist and chief justice of the United States supreme court, was born in Augusta, Maine, in 1833. His education was looked after in boyhood, and at the age of sixteen he entered Bowdoin College, and on graduation entered the law department of Harvard University. He then entered the law office of his uncle at Ban- gor, Maine, and soon after opened an office for the practice of law at Augusta. He was an alderman from his ward, city attorney, and editor of the " Age," a rival newspaper of the "Journal," which was conducted by James G. Blaine. He soon decided to re- move to Chicago, then springing into notice as a western metropolis. He at once iden- tified himself with the interests of the new city, and by this means acquired an experience that fitted him for his future work. He devoted himself assiduously to his profession, and had the good fortune to connect himself with the many suits grow- ing out of the prorogation of the Illinois legislature in 1S63. It was not long before he became one of the foremost lawyers in Chicago. He made a three days' speech in the heresy trial of Dr. Cheney, which added to his fame. He was appointed chief jus- tice of the United States by President Cleve- land in 1888, the youngest man who ever held that exalted position. His income from his practice had for many years reached thirty thousand dollars annually. CHESTER ALLEN ARTHUR, twenty- first president of the United States, was born in Franklin county, Vermont, Octo- ber 5, 1830. He was educated at Union College, Schenectady, New York, from which he graduated with honor, and en- gaged in teaching school. After two years he entered the law office of Judge E. D. Culver, of New York, as a student. He was admitted to the bar, and formed a partner- ship with an old room-mate, Henry D. Gar- diner, with the intention of practicing law in the west, but after a few months' search for a location, they returned to New York and opened an office, and at once entered COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 169 upon a profitable practice. He was shortly afterwards married to a daughter of Lieu- tenant Herndon, of the United States navy. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before his nomina- tion for the vice-presidency. In 1856 a colored woman in New York was ejected from a street car and retained Mr. Arthur in a suit against the company, and obtained a verdict of five hundred dollars. It result- ed in a general order by all superintendents of street railways in the city to admit col- ored people to the cars. Mr. Arthur was a delegate to the first Republican national convention, and was appointed judge-advocate for the Second Brigade of New York, and then chief engi- neer of Governor Morgan's staff. At the close of his term he resumed the practice of iaw in New York. In 1872 he was made collector of the port of New York, which position he held four years. At the Chi- cago convention in 1880 Mr. Arthur was nominated for the vice-presidency with Garfield, and after an exciting campaign was elected. Four months. after the inau- guration President Garfield was assassinated, and Mr. Arthur was called to take the reins of government. His administration of affairs was generally satisfactory. At its close he resumed the practice of law in New York. His death occurred November 18, 1886. ISAAC HULL was one of the most con- spicuous and prominent naval officers in the early history of America. He was born at Derby, Connecticut, March 9, 1775, be- ing the son of a Revolutionary officer. Isaac Hull early in life became a mariner, and when nineteen years of age became master of a merchant ship in the London trade. In 1798 he became a lieutenant in the United States navy, and three years later was made 10 first lieutenant of the frigate "Constitution." He distinguished himself by skill and valor against the French on the coast of Hayti, and served with distinction in the Barbary expe- ditions. July 12, 1 812, he sailed from Annapolis, in command of the "Constitu- tion," and for three days was pursued by a British squadron of five ships, from which he escaped by bold and ingenious seaman- ship. In August of the same year he cap- tured the frigate " Guerriere," one of his late pursuers and for this, the first naval advantage of that war, he received a gold medal from congress. Isaac Hull was later made naval commissioner and had command of various navy yards. His death occurred February 13, 1843, ^^ Philadelphia. MARCUS ALONZO HANNA. famous as a prominent business man, political manager and senator, was born in New Lis- bon, Columbiana county, Ohio, September 24, 1837. He removed with his father's family to Cleveland, in the same state, in 1852, and in the latter city, and in the Western Reserve College, at Hudson, Ohio, received his education. He became an em- ploye of the wholesale grocery house of Hanna, Garrettson & Co., his father being the senior member of the firm. The latter died in 1862, and Marcus represented his interest until 1867, when the business was closed up. Our subject then became a member of the firm of Rhodes & Co., engaged in the iron and coal business, but at the e.xpira- tion of ten years this firm was changed to that of M. A. Hanna & Co. Mr. Hanna was long identified with the lake carrying business, being interested in vessels on the lakes and in the construction of them. As a director of the Globe Ship Manufacturing Company, of Cleveland, president of the 170 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. Union National Bank, of Cleveland, president of the Cleveland City Railway Company, and president of the Chapin Mining Com- pany, of Lake Superior, he became promi- nently identified with the business world. He was one of the government directors of the Union Pacific Railroad, being appointed to that position in 1885 by President Cleve- land. Mr. Hanna was a delegate to the na- tional Republican convention of 1884, which was his first appearance in the political world. He was a delegate to the con- ventions of 1888 and 1896, and was elect- ed chairman of the Republican national committee the latter year, and practically managed the campaign of William McKin- ley for the presidency. In 1897 Mr. Hanna was appointed senator by Governor Bush- nell, of Ohio, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Sherman. GEORGE PEABODY was one of the best known and esteemed of ail philan- thropists, whose munificent gifts to Ameri- can institutions have proven of so much benefit to the cause of humanity. He was born February 18, 1795, at South Danvers, Massachusetts, which is now called Pea- body in honor of him. He received but a meager education, and during his early life he was a mercantile clerk at Thetford, Ver- mont, and Newburyport, Massachusetts. In 1 8 14 he became a partner with Elisha Riggs, at Georgetown, District of Columbia, and in 1 8 1 5 they moved to Baltimore, Mary- land. The business grew to great propor- tions, and they opened branch houses at New York and Philadelphia. JNir. Peabody made several voyages to Europe of com- mercial importance, and in 1829 became the head of the firm, which was then called Peabody, Riggs & Co., and in 1838 he re- moved to London, England. He retired from the firm, and established the cele- brated banking house, in which he accumu- lated a large fortune. He aided Mr. Grin- nell in fitting out Dr. Kane's Arctic expedi- tion, in 1852, and founded in the same year the Peabody Institute, in his native town, which he afterwards endowed w-ith two hun- dred thousand dollars. Mr. Peabody visited the United States in 1857, and gave three hundred thousand dollars for the establish- ment at Baltimore of an institute of science, literature and fine arts. In 1862 he gave two million five hundred thousand dollars for the erecting of lodging houses for the poor in London, and on another visit to the United States he gave one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to establish at Harvard a museum and professorship of American archaeology and ethnology, an equal sum for the endowment of a department of physical science at Yale, and gave the "Southern Educational Fund " two million one hundred thousand dollars, besides devoting two hun- dred thousand dollars to various objects of public utility. Mr. Peabody made a final visit to the United States in 1869, and on this occasion he raised the endowment of the Baltimore Institute one million dollars, created the P.eabody Museum, at Salem, Massachusetts, with a fund of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, gave sixty thou- sand dollars to Washington College, Vir- ginia; fifty thousand dollars for a "Peabody Museum, " at North Danvers, thirty thousand dollars to Phillips Academy, Andover; twen- ty-five thousand dollars to Kenyon College, Ohio, and twenty thousand dollars to the Maryland Historical Society. Mr. Peabody also endowed an art school at Rome, in 1868. He died in London, November 4, 1869, less then a month after he had re- turned from the United States, and his COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPJ/r 171 remains were brought to the United States and interred in his native town. He made several other bequests in his will, and left his family about five million dollars. MATTHEW S. QUAY, a celebrated public man and senator, was born at Diilsburgh, York county, Pennsylvania, September 30, 1833, of an old Scotch-Irish family, some of whom had settled in the Keystone state in 1715. Matthew received a good education, graduating from the Jef- ferson College at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at the age of seventeen. He then traveled, taught school, lectured, and studied law under Judge Stcrrett. He was admitted to the bar in 1854, was appointed a prothon- otaiy in 1855 and elected to the same office in 1856 and 1859. Later he was made lieutenant of the Pennsylvania Ke serve-, lieutenant-colonel and assistant com- missary-general of the state, private secre- tary of the famous war governor of Pennsyl- vania, Andrew G. Curtin, colonel of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Pennsylva- nia Infantry (nine months men), military state agent and held other offices at different times. Mr. Quay was a member of the house of representatives of the state of Pennsylvania from 1865 to 1868. He filled the office of secretary of the commonwealth from 1872 to 1878, and the position of delegate-at- large to the Republican national conventions of 1872, 1876, 1880 and 1888. He was the editor of the "Beaver Radical" and the "Philadelphia Record" for a time, and held many offices in the state conventions and on their committees. He was elected secre- tary of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1869, and served three years, and in 1885 was chosen state treasurer. In 1886 his great abilities pointed him out as the natural candidate for United States senator, and he was accordingly elected to that posi- tion and re-elected thereto in 1892. He was always noted for a genius for organiza- tion, and as a political leader had but lew peers. Cool, serene, far-seeing, resourceful, holding his impulses and forces in hand, he never quailed from any policy he adopted, and carried to success most, if not all, of the political campaigns in which he took part. JAMES K. JONES, a noted senator and political leader, attained national fame while chairman of the national executive committee of the Democratic party in the presidential campaign of 1896. He was a native of Marshall county, Mississippi, and was born September 29, 1839. His father, a well-to-do planter,setLled in Dallas county, Arkansas, in 1848, and there the subject of this sketch received a careful education. During the Civil war he served as a private soldier in the Confederate army. From 1866 to 1873 he passed a quiet life as a planter, but in the latter year was admitted to the bar and began the practice of iaw. About the same time he was elected to the Arkansas senate and re-elected in 1874. In 1877 he was made president of the senate and the following year was unsuccessful in obtaining a nomination as member of con- gress. In 1880 he was elected representa- tive and his ability at once placed him in a foremost position. He was re-elected to congress in 1882 and in 1884, and served as an influential member on the committee of ways and means. March 4, 1885, Mr. Jones took his seat in the United States senate to succeed James D. Walker, and was after- ward re-elected to the same office. In this branch of the national legislature his capa- bilities had a wider scope, and he was rec- 172 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. ognized as one of the ablest leaders of his party. On the nomination of William J. Bryan as its candidate for the presidency by the national convention of the Democratic party, held in Chicago in 1896, Mr. Jones ■was made chairman of the national com- mittee. THEODORE THOMAS, one of the most celebrated musical directors America has known, was born in the kingdom of Han- over in 1835, and received his musical educa- tion from his father. He was a very apt scholar and played the violin at public concerts at the age of six years. He came with his parents to America in 1845, and joined the orchestra of the Italian Opera in New York City. He played the first violin in the orchestra which accompanied Jenny Lind in her first American concert. In 1861 Mr. Thomas established the orchestra that be- came famous under his management, and gave his first symphony concerts in New York in 1864. He began his first "summer night concerts" in the same city in 1868, and in 1869 he started on his first tour of the principal cities in the United States, which he made every year for many years. He was director of the College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, but resigned in 1880, after having held the position for three years. Later he organized one of the greatest and most successful orchestras ever brought together in the city of Chicago, and was very prominent in musical affairs during the World's Columbian Exposition, thereby add- ing greatly to his fame. CYRUS HALL McCORMICK. the fa- mous inventor and manufacturer, was born at Walnut Grove, Virginia, February 1 5, 1809. When he was seven years old his father invented a reaping machine. It was a rude contrivance and not successful. In 1 83 1 Cyrus made his invention of a reaping machine, and had it patented three years later. By successive improvements he was able to keep his machines at the head of its class during his life. In 1 845 he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and two years later located in Chicago, where he amassed a great fortune in manufacturing reapers and harvesting machinery. In 1859 he estab- lished the Theological Seminary of the Northwest at Chicago, an institution for pre- paring young men for the ministry in the Presbyterian church, and he afterward en- dowed a chair in the Washington and Lee College at Lexington, \'irginia. He mani- fested great interest in educational and re- ligious matters, and by his great wealth he was able to extend aid and encouragement to many charitable causes. His death oc- curred May 13, 1884. DAVID ROSS LOCKE.— Under the pen name of Petroleum \'. Nasby, this well-known humorist and writer made for himself a household reputation, and estab- lished a school that has many imitators. The subject of this article was born at Vestal, Broome county. New York, Sep- tember 30, 1833. After receiving his edu- cation in the county of his birth he en- tered the office of the ' ' Democrat, " at Cort- land, New York, where he learned the printer's trade. He was successively editor and publisher of the "Plymouth Advertiser," the "Mansfield Herald," the " Bucyrus Journal," and the "Findlay Jeffersonian." Later he became editor of the "Toledo Blade." In i860 he commenced his " Nasby" articles, several series of which have been given the world in book form. Under a mask of misspelling, and inn auaiut COMPENDIUM OF B/OGRAPHr. l.'S and humorous style, a keen political satire js couched — a most effective weapon. Mr. Locke was the author of a num- ber of serious political pamphlets, and later on a more pretentious work, " The Morals of Abou Ben Adhem." As a news- paper writer he gained many laurels and his works are widely read. Abraham Lincoln is said to have been a warm admirer of P. V. Nasby, of " Confedrit X Roads" fame. Mr. Locke died at Toledo, Ohio, February 15, 1888. RUSSELL A. ALGER, noted as a sol- dier, governor and secretary of war, was born in Medina county, Ohio, February 27, 1836, and was the son of Russell and Caroline (Moulton) Alger. At the age of twelve years he was left an orphan and pen- niless. For about a year he worked for his board and clothing, and attended school part of the time. In 1850 he found a place which paid small wages, and out of his scanty earnings helped his brother and sister. While there working on a farm he found time to attend the Richfield Academy, and by hard work between times managed to get a fair education for that time. The last two years of his attendance at this institu- tion of learning he taught school during the winter months. In 1857 he commenced the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. For a while he found employ- ment in Cleveland, Ohio, but impaired health induced him to remove to Grand Rapids, where he engaged in the lumber business. He was thus engaged when the Civil war broke out, and, his business suf- fering and his savings swept away, he en- listed as a private in the Second Michigan Cavalry. He was promoted to be captain the following month, and major for gallant conduct at Boonesville, Mississippi, July i. 1862. October 16, 1862, he was made lieutenant-colonel of the Si.xth Michigan Cavalry, and in February, 1863, colonel of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry. He rendered e.xcellent service in the Gettysburg cam- paign. He was wounded at Boonesboro, Maryland, and on returning to his command took part with Sherman in the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. For services ren- dered, that famous soldier recommended him for promotion, and he was brevetted major-general of volunteers. In 1866 Gen- eral Alger took up his residence at Detroit, and prospered exceedingly in his business, which was that of lumbering, and grew quite wealthy. In 1884 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention, and the same year was elected governor of Michigan. He declined a nomination for re-election to the latter office, in 1S87, and was the following year a candidate for the nomination for president. In 1889 he was elected commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, and at different times occupied many offices in other or- ganizations. In March, 1897, President McKinley appointed General Alger secretary of war. CYRUS WEST FIELD, the father of submarine telegraphy, was the son of the Rev. David D. Field, D.D., a Congre- gational minister, and was born at Stock- bridge, Massachusetts, November 30, 18 19. He was educated in his native town, and at the age of fifteen years became a clerk in a store in New York City. Being gifted with e.xcellent business ability Mr. Field pros- pered and became the head of a large mer- cantile house. In 1853 he spent about six months in travel in South America. On his return he became interested in ocean teleg- raphy. Bein^ solicited to aid in the con- 174 C0MPENI)IUM OF BIOGRAPHY. struction of a land telegraph across New Foundland to receive the news from a line of fast steamers it was proposed to run from from Ireland to St. Johns, the idea struck him to carry the line across the broad At- lantic. In 1850 Mr. Field obtained a con- cession from the legislature of Newfound- land, giving him the sole right for fifty years to land submarine cables on the shores of that island. In company with Peter Cooper, Moses Taylor, Marshall O. Roberts and Chandler White, he organized a company under the name of the New York, New- foundland & London Telegraph Company. In two years the line from New York across Newfoundland was built. The first cable connecting Cape Breton Island with New- foundland having been lost in a storm while being laid in 1855, another was put down in 1856. In the latter year Mr. Field went to London and organized the Atlantic Tele- graph Company, furnishing one-fourth of the capital himself. Both governments loaned ships to carry out the enterprise. Mr. Field accompanied the expeditions of 1857 and two in 1858. The first and second cables were failures, and the third worked but a short time and then ceased. The people of both continents became incredulous of the feasibility of laying a successful cable under so wide an expanse of sea, and the war breaking out shortly after, nothing was done until 1865-66. Mr. Field, in the former year, again made the attempt, and the Great Eastern laid some one thousand two hun- dred miles when the cable parted and was lost. The following year the same vessel succeeded in laying the entire cable, and picked up the one lost the year before, and both were carried to America's shore. After thirteen years of care and toil Mr. Field had his reward. He was the recipient of many medals and honors from both home and abroad. He gave his attention after this to establishing telegraphic communication throughout the world and many other large enterprises, notably the construction of ele- vated railroads in New York. Mr. Field died July 1 1, 1892. G ROVER CLEVELAND, the twenty- second president of the United States, was born in Caldwell, Essex county, New Jersey, March 18, 1837, and was the son of Rev. Richard and Annie (Neale) Cleve- land. The father, of distinguished New England ancestry, was a Presbyterian min- ister in charge of the church at Caldwell at the time. When Grover was about three years of age the family removed to Fayetteville, Onondaga county. New York, where he attended the district school, and was in the academy for a short time. His father be- lieving that boys should early learn to labor, Grover entered a village store and worked for the sum of fifty dollars for the first year. While he was thus engaged the family re- moved to Clinton, New York, and there young Cleveland took up h's studies at the academy. The death of his father dashed all his hopes of a collegiate education, the family being left in straightened circum- stances, and Grover started out to battle for himself. After acting for a j-ear (1853- 54) as assistant teacher and bookkeeper in the Institution for the Blind at New York City, he went to Buffalo. A short time after he entered the law office of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, of that city, and after a hard struggle with adverse circumstances, was admitted to the bar in 1859. He be- came confidential and managing clerk for the firm under whom he had studied, and remained with them until 1863. In the lat- ter year he was appointed district attorney COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 175 of Erie county. It was during his incum- bency of tiiis office that, on being nominated by the Democrats for supervisor, he came within thirteen votes of election, although the district was usually Republican by two hundred and fifty majority. In i866Grover Cleveland formed a partnership with Isaac V. Vanderpoel. The most of the work here fell upon the shoulders of our subject, and he soon won a good standing at the bar of the state. In 1869 Mr. Cleveland associated himself in business with A. P. Laning and Oscar Folsom, and under the firm name of Laning, Cleveland & Folsom soon built up a fair practice. In the fall of 1870 Mr. Cleve- land was elected sheriff of Erie county, an office which he filled for four years, after which he resumed his profession, with L. K. Bass and Wilson S. Bissell as partners. This firm was strong and popular and shortly was in possession of a lucrative practice. Mr. Bass retired from the firm in 1879, and George J. Secard was admit- ted a member in 188 1. In the latter year Mr. Cleveland was elected mayor of Buffalo, and in 1882 he was chosen governor by the enormous majority of one hundred and ninety-two thousand votes. July 11, 1884, he was nominated for the presidency by the Democratic national convention, and in November following was elected. Mr. Cleveland, after serving one term as president of the United States, in 1888 was nominated by his party to succeed himself, but he failed of the election, being beaten by Benjamin Harrison. In 1892, however, being nominated again in opposition to the then incumbent of the presidency. Mr. Har- rison, Grover Cleveland was elected pres- ident for the second time and served for the usual term of four years. In 1897 Mr. Cleveland retired from the chair of the first magistrate of the nation, and in New York City resumed the practice of law, in which city he had established himself in 1889. June 2, 1886, Grover Cleveland was united in marriage with Miss Frances Fol- som, the daughter of his former partner. ALEXANDER WINCHELL, for many years one of the greatest of American scientists, and one of the most noted and prolific writers on scientific subjects, was born in Duchess county. New York, Decem- ber 31, 1824. He received a thorough col- legiate education, and graduated at the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connect- icut, in 1847. His mind took a scientific turn, which manifested itself while he was yet a boy, and in 1848 he became teacher of natural sciences at the Armenian Semi- nary, in his native state, a position which he filled for three years. In 185 1-3 he oc- cupied the same position in the Mesopo- tamia Female Seminary, in Alabama, after which he was president of the Masonic Fe- male Seminary, in Alabama. In 1853 he became connected with the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, at which institu- tion he performed the most important work of his life, and gained a wide reputation as a scientist. He held many important posi- tions, among which were the following: Professor of physics and civil engineering at the University of Michigan, also of geology, zoology and botany, and later professor of geology and paleontology at the same insti- tution. He also, for a time, was president of the Michigan Teachers' Association, and state geologist of Michigan. Professor Winchell was a very prolific writeron scien- tific subjects, and published many standard works, his most important and widely known being those devoted to geology. He also contributed a large number of articles tc scientific and popular journals. 176 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. ANDREW HULL FOOTE. of the United States navy, was a native of New England, born at New Haven, Con- necticut, May 4, 1808. He entered the navy, as a midshipman, December 4, 1822. He slowly rose in his chosen profession, at- taining the rank of lieutenant in 1830, com- mander in 1852 and captain in 1861. Among the distinguished men in the break- ing out of the Civil war, but few stood higher in the estimation of his brother officers than Foote, and when, in the fall of 1861. he was appointed to the command of the flotilla then build. ng on the Mississippi, the act gave greac satisfaction to the service. Although embarrassed by want of navy yards and supplies, Foote threw himself into his new work with unusual energy. He overcame ail obstacles and in the new, and, until that time, untried experiment, of creat- ing and maintaining a navy on a river, achieved a success beyond the e.xpectations of the country. Great incredulity existed as to the possibility of carrying on hostilities on a river where batteries from the shore might bar the passage. But in spite of all, Foote soon had a navy on the great river, and by the heroic qualities of the crews en- trusted to him, demonstrated the utility of this new departure in naval architecture. All being prepared, February 6, 1862, Foote took Fort Henry after a hotly-contested action. On the 14th of the same month, for an hour and a half engaged the batteries of Fort Donelson, with four ironclads and two wooden gunboats, thereby dishearten- ing the garrison and assisting in its capture. April 7th of the same year, after several hotly-contested actions, Commodore Foote received the surrender of Island No. 10, one of the great strongholds of the Confederacy on the Mississippi river. Foote having been wounded at Fort Donelson, and by neglect it having become so serious as to endanger his life, he was forced to resign his command and return home. June 16, 1862, he re- ceived the thanks of congress and was pro- moted to the rank of rear admiral. He was appointed chief of the bureau of equipment and recruiting. June 4, 1863, he was ordered to the fleet off Charleston, to super- cede Rear Admiral Dupont, but on his way to that destination was taken sick at New York, and died June 26, 1863. NELSON A. MILES, the well-known sol- dier, was born at Westminster, Massa- chusetts, August 8, 1 839. His ancestors set- tled in that state in 1643 among the early pioneers, and their descendants were, many of them, to be found among those battling against Great Britain during Revolutionary times and during the war of 1812. Nelson was reared on a farm, received an academic education, and in early manhood engaged in mercantile pursuits in Boston. Early in 1 86 1 he raised a company and offered hi? services to the government, and although commissioned as captain, on account of his youth went out as first lieutenant in the Twenty-second Massachusetts Infantry. In 1862 he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel and colonel of the Sixty-first New York In- fantry. At the request of Generals Grant and Meade he was made a brigadier by President Lincoln. He participated in all but one of the battles of the Army of the Potomac until the close of the war. During the latter part of the time he commanded the first division of the Second Corps. General Miles was wounded at the battles of Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg and Chan- cellorsville, and received four brevets for distinguished service. During the recon- struction period he commanded in North Carolina, and on the reorganization of the I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPIIT. 177 regular army he was made colonel of in- fantry. In 1880 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and in 1890 to that of major-general. He successfully con- ducted several campaigns among the In- dians, and his name is known among the tribes as a friend when they are peacefully inclined. He many times averted war with the red men by judicious and humane settlement of difficulties without the military power. In 1892 General Miles was given command of the proceedings in dedicating the World's Fair at Chicago, and in the summer of 1894, during the great railroad strike at the same city, General Miles, then in command of the department, had the disposal of the troops sent to protect the United States mails. On the retirement of General J. M. Schofield, in 1895, General Miles became the ranking major-general of the United States army and the head of its forces. JUNIUS BRUTUS BOOTH, the great erintendent of construction of the Chicago custom house. He was made adjutant-general, with the rank of colonel, of Illinois militia, and was colonel of Illinois volunteers raised for the Utah expedition, but was not mustered into service. In i860 he removed to Kentucky, where he settled on a farm near Louisville and became inspector-general in command of the Kentucky Home Guards. At the opening of the Civil war he joined the Con- federate army, and was given command at Bowling Green, Kentucky, which he was compelled to abandon after the capture of Fort Henry. He then retired to Fort Don- elson, and was there captured with sixteen thousand men, and an immense store of pro- visions, by General Grant, in February, 1862. He was held as a prisoner of war at Fort Warren until August of that year. He commanded a division of Hardee's corps in Bragg's Army of the Tennessee, and was afterward assigned to the third division and participated in the battles of Chickamauga, and Murfreesboro. He was with Kirby Smith when that general surrendered his army to General Canby in May, 1865. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the vice- presidency on the Gold Democratic ticket with Senator John M. Palmer in 1896. SIMON KENTON, one of the famous pio- neers and scouts whose names fill the pages of the early history of our country, was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, Aprils, 1755. In consequence of an affray, at the age of eighteen, young Kenton went to Kentucky, then the "Dark and Bloody Ground," and became associated with Dan- iel Boone and other pioneers of that region. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT 189 hor a short time he acted as a scout and spy for Lord Dunmore, the British governor of Virginia, but afterward taking the side of the strugghng colonists, participated in the war for independence west of the Alle- ghanies. In 1784 he returned to Virginia, but did not reiiiiiin there long, going back with his family to Kentucky. From that time until 1793 he participated in all the combats and battles of that time, and until "Mad Anthony" Wayne swept the Valley of the Ohio, and settled the suprem- acy of the whites in that region. Kenton laid claim to large tracts of land in the new country he had helped to open up, but throu;;h ignorance of law. and the growing value of the land, lost it all and was reduced 10 po\(,-rty. During the war with England in I.- 12-15, Kenton took part in the inva- sion of Canada with the Kentucky troops and participated in the battle of the Thames. He finally had land granted him by the legislature of Kentucky, and received a pen- sion from the United States government. He died in Logan county, Ohio, April 29. 1836. ELIHU BENJAMIN WASHBURNE, an American statesman of eminence, was born in Livermore, Maine, September 23, 1816. He learned the trade of printer, but abandoned that calling at the age of eight- een and entered the Kent's Hill Academy at Reading, Maine, and then took up the study of law, reading in Hallowell, Boston, and at the Harvard Law School. He began prac- tice at Galena, Illinois, in 1840. He was elected to congress in 1852, and represented his district in that body continuously until March, 1869, and at the time of his retire- ment he had served a greater number of consecutive terms than any other member of the house. In 1873 President Grant ap- pointed him secretary of state, which posi- tion he resigned to accept that of minister to France. During the Franco- Prussian war, including the siege of Paris and the reign of the Commune, Mr. Washburne re- mained at his post, protecting the lives and property of his countrymen, as well as that of other foreign residents in Paris, while the ministers of all other powers abandoned their posts at a time when they were most needed. As far as possible he extended protection to unfortunate German residents, who were the particular objects of hatred of the populace, and his firmness and the suc- cess which attended his efforts won the ad- miration of all Europe. Mr. \\'ashburne died at Chicago, Illinois, October 22, 1887. WILLIAM CRAMP, one of the most e.xtensive shipbuilders of this coun- try, was born in Kensington, then a suburb, now a part of Philadelphia, in 1806. He received a thorough English education, and when he left school was associated with Samuel Grice, one of the most eminent naval architects of his day. In 1830. hav- ing mastered all the details of shipbuilding, Mr. Cramp engaged in business on his own account. By reason of ability and excel- lent work he prospered from the start, until now, in the hands of his sons, under the name of William Cramp & Sons' Ship and Engine Building Company, it has become the most complete shipbuilding plant and naval arsenal in the western hemisphere, and fully equal to any in the world. As Mr. Cramp's sons attained manhood they learned their father's profession, and were admitted to a partnership. In 1872 the firm was incor- porated under the title given above. Until i860 wood was used in building vessels, al- though pace was kept with all advances in the art of shipbuilding. At the opening of 190 COMPENDIUM OF BJOGRAPHT. the war came an unexpected demand for war vessels, which they promptly met. The sea-going ironclad "New Ironsides" was built by them in 1862, followed by a num- ber of formidable ironclads and the cruiser "Chattanooga." They subsequently built several war vessels for the Russian and other governments which added to their reputation. When the American steamship line was established in 1870, the Cramps were commissioned to build for it four first- class iron steamships, the "Pennsylvania," "Ohio," "Indiana" and "Illinois," which they turned out in rapid order, some of the finest specimens of the naval architecture of their day. William Cramp remained at the head of the great company he had founded until his death, which occurred January 6, 1879. Charles H. Cramp, the successor of his father as head of the William Cramp & Sons' Ship and Engine Building Company, was born in Philadelphia May 9, 1829, and received an excellent education in his native city, .which he sedulously sought to sup- plement by close study until he became an authority on general subjects and the best naval architect on the western hemis- phere. Many of the best vessels of our new navy were built by this immense con- cern. WASHINGTON ALLSTON, probably the greatest American painter, was born in South Carolina in 1779. He was sent to school at the age of seven years at Newport, Rhode Island, where he met Ed- ward Malbone, two years his senior, and who later became a pamter of note. The friendship that sprang up between them un- doubtedly influenced young Allston in the choice of a profession. He graduated from Harvard in 1800, and went to England the following year, after pursuing his studies for a year under his friend Malbone at his home in South Carolina. He became a student at the Royal Academy where the great American, Benjamin West, presided, and who became his intimate friend. Allston later went to Paris, and then to Italy, where four years were spent, mostly at Rome. In 1809 he returned to America, but soon after returned to London, having married in the meantime a sister of Dr. Channing. In a short time his first great work appeared, "The Dead Man Restored to Life by the Bones of Elisha," which took the British Association prize and firmly established his reputation. Other paintings followed in quick succession, the greatest among which were "Uriel in the Center of the Sun," "Saint Peter Liberated by the Angel," and "Jacob's Dream," supplemented by many smaller pieces. Hard work, and grief at the death of his wife began to tell upon his health, and he left London in 18 18 for America. The same year he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy. During the next few years he painted "Jeremiah," "Witch ofEndor," and "Beatrice." In 1830 Alls- ton married a daughter of Judge Dana, and went to Cambridge, which was his home until his death. Here he produced the "Vision of the Bloody Hand," "Rosalie," and many less noted pieces, and had given one week of labor to his unfinished master- piece, "Belshazzar's Feast," when death ended his career July 9, 1843. JOHN ROACH, ship builder and manu- facturer, whose career was a marvel of industrial labor, and who impressed his in- dividuality and genius upon the times in which he lived more, perhaps, than any other manufacturer in America. He was born at Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ire- I COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRATHr. 191 land, December 25, 1815, the son of a wealthy merchant. He attended school until he was thirteen, when his father be- came financially embarrassed and failed and shortly after died; John determined to come to America and carve out a fortune for himself. He landed in New York at the age of sixteen, and soon obtained employ- ment at the Howell Iron Works in New Jer- sey, at twenty-five cents a day. He soon made himself a place in the world, and at the end of three years had saved some twelve hundred dollars, which he lost by the failure of his employer, in whose hands it was left. Returning to New York he began to learn how to make castings for marine engines and ship work. Having again accumulated one thousand dollars, in company with three fellow workmen, he purchased a small foundry in New York, but soon became sole proprietor. At the end of four years he had saved thirty thou- sand dollars, besides enlarging his works. In 1856 his works were destroyed by a boiler explosion, and being unable to collect the insurance, was left, after paying his debts, without a dollar. However, his credit and reputation for integrity was good, and he built the Etna Iron Works, giving it capacity to construct larger marine engines than any previously built in this country. Here he turned out immense engines for the steam ram Dunderberg, for the war ves- sels Winooski and Neshaning, and other large vessels. To accommodate his increas- ing business, Mr. Roach, in 1869, pur- chased the Morgan Iron Works, one of the largest in New York, and shortly after sev- eral others. In 1871 he bought the Ches- ter ship yards, which he added to largely, erecting a rolling mill and blast furnace, and providing every facility for building a ship out of the ore and timber. This immense plant covered a large area, was valued at several millions of dollars, and was known as the Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding and Engine Works, of which Mr. Roach was the principal owner. He built a large percentage of the iron vessels now flying the American flag, the bulk of his business being for private parties. In 1875 he built the sectional dry docks at Pensacola. He, about this time, drew the attention of the government to the use of compound marine engines, and thus was the means of im- proving the speed and economy of the ves- sels of our new navy. In 1883 Mr. Roach commenced work on the three cruisers for the government, the "Chicago," "Boston" and "Atlanta," and the 'dispatch boat " Dolphin." For some cause the secretary of the navy refused to receive the latter and decided that Mr. Roach's contract would not hold. This embarrassed Mr. Roach, as a large amount of his capital was in- volved in these contracts, and for the pro- tection of bondsmen and creditors, July 18, 1885, he made an assignment, but the financial trouble broke down his strong con- stitution, and January 10, 1887, he died. His son, John B. Roach, succeeded to the shipbuilding interests, while Stephen W. Roach inherited the Morgan Iron Works at New York. JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY, one of publican convention in 1892, and was in- structed to support the nomination of Mr. Harrison. He was chairman of the con- vention, and was the only man from Ohio to vote for Mr. Harrison upon the roll call. In November, 1892, a number of prominent politicians gathered in New York to discuss the political situation, and decided that the result of the election had put an end to Mc- Kinley and McKinleyism. But in less than four years from that date Mr. McKinley was nominated for the presidency against the combined opposition of half a dozen rival candidates. Much of the credit for his suc- cess was due to Mark A. Hanna, of Cleve- land, afterward chain.ian of the Republican national committee. At the electinn which occurred in November, 1896, Mr. McKinley was elected president of the United States by an enormous majority, on a gold stand- ard and protective tariff platform. He was inaugurated on the 4th of March, 1897, and called a special session of congress, to which was submitted a bill for tariff reform, which was passed in the latter part of July of that year. 218 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. CINCINNATUS HEINE MILLER, knovn in the literary world as Joaquin Miller, " the poet of the Sierras," was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1841. ^^'hen only about thirteen years of age he ran away from home and went to the mining regions in California and along the Pacific coast. Some time afterward he was taken prisoner by the Modoc Indians and lived with them for five years. He learned their language and gained great influence with theni, fight- ing in their wars, and in all modes of living became as one of them. In 1858 he left the Indians and went to San Francisco, where he studied law, and in i860 was ad- mitted to the bar in Oregon. In 1866 he was elected a county judge in Oregon and served four years. Early in the seventies he began devoting a good deal of time to literary pursuits, and about 1874 he settled in Washington, D. C. He wrote many poems and dramas that attracted consider- able attention and won him an extended reputation. Among his productions may be mentioned " Pacific Poems," " Songs of the Sierras," "Songs of the Sun Lands," " Ships in the Desert," " Adrianne, a Dream of Italy," "Danites, " "Unwritten Histdry," " First Families of the Sierras " (a novel), " One Fair Woman " (a novel), " Songs of Italy," " Shadows of Shasta," "The Gold- Seekers of the Sierras," and a number of others. GEORGE FREDERICK ROOT, a noted music publisher and composer, was born in Sheffield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, on August 30, 1820. While working on his father's farm he found time to learn, unaided, several musical instru- ments, and in his eighteenth year he went to Boston, where he soon found employ- ment as a teacher of music. From 1839 until 1844 he gave instructions in music in the public schools of that city, and was also director of music in two churches. Mr. Root then went to New York and taught music in the various educational institutions of the city. He went to Paris in 1850 and spent one year there in study, and on his re- turn he published his first song, "Hazel Dell." It appeared as the work of " Wur- zel," which was the German equivalent of his name. He was the originator of the normal musical institutions, and when the first one was started in New York he was one of the faculty. He removed to Chicago, Illinois, in i860, and established the firm of Root & Cady, and engaged in the publication of music. He received, in 1872, the degree of "Doctor of Music" from the University of Chicago. After the war the firm became George F. Root & Co., of Cincinnati and Chicago. Mr. Root did much to elevate the standard of music in this country by his compositions and work as a teacher. Besides his numerous songs he wrote a great deal of sacred music and pub- lished many collections of vocal and instru- mental music. For many years he was the most popular songwriter in America, and' was one of the greatest song writers of the war. He is also well-known as an author, and his work in that line comprises: " Meth- ods for the Piano and Organ," " Hand- book on Harmony Teaching," and innumer- able articles for the musical press. Among his many and most popular songs of the wartime are: " Rosalie, the Prairie-flower," " Battle Cry of Freedom," " Just Before the Battle," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching, ' " The Old Folks are Gone," "A Hundred Years Ago," "Old Potomac Shore, "and " There's Music in the Air." Mr. Root's cantatas include "The Flower Queen'' and "The Haymakers." He died in 1896. BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF SCHUYLER COUNTY NEW YORK /J. BIOGRAPHICAL GENERAL GEORGE J. MAGEE. Honored and respected l)y all. there has been no resident of Schuyler county who iias occupied a more important ])osition in industrial and commercial circles than did General George Jefferson Magee of Wat- kins, not alone on account of tlie brilliant success he achieved, hut alsii because of the honorable, straightforward business policy he ever followed. He possessed untiring energy, was quick of perception, formed his ])lans readily and was determined in their execution and his close applicatii)n to busi- ness and his excellent maiingement brought to him a high degree ui ])r(isperity. Ir. a large measure he puslied forward the wheels of progress, upon which rested the material and substantial upbuilding of the state. He controlled interests of vast mag- nitude with an ability that indicated a mas- ter mind, a clear calm judgment, and ac- curate recognition of possibility. General Magee was born in Bath, Steu- ben county. New York. March 17. 1840. His father was the late John Magee. a suc- cessful banker of Bath, who became the owner of extensive coal mines in Pennsyl- vania and was likewise interested in the or- ganization and construction of railroads in New York and in the Keystone state. He also figured prominently in public affairs and for four ysu's represented his district in the council chambers of the nation as a member of congress. His paternal ances- tors came from County Antrim. Ireland, in 1756. and settled near Easton, Pennsyl- \ania. and the faniih- historv is gi\en more fully on another page of this \olume. His mother's people came from Ayrshire, Scot- land, and his mother from the north of I'jigland, settling in Loudoun county. \'ir- ginia, about the time the Magee family was established here. In the public schools of Bath General Magee began his education, which he con- tinued in Albany and in Lawrence\illc. New- Jersey, and in i860 he was graduated in Princeton College, lie then entered upon liis business career as an employe of the Steuben County Bank at Bath, and later became connected with the mining interests at I'all ProDk. Pciiusyl\-auia. Subseciuently he spent about eighteen months in traveling in Tuu-ope, after which he returned to the of- fice of the Fall Brook Coal Company in W'atkins. New York, and became familiar with his f.ilher's extensive business invest- 224 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ments and interests, so that he was well qualilied to assume an important business relation in these connections, at his father's dejith. On the death of John Magee, the president of the Eall Brook Coal Company and of the Blossburg & Corning Railroad Comi)any, ( leneral Magee became the vice president of each and upon the death of Duncan S. Magee, in June, 1869, he suc- ceeded to the presidency of both concerns. At the deatii of his father, on the 5th of April, 1868, (iencral Magee inherited a large property and was thereafter accupied with the interests which engrossed his fa- ther's attention. He became a trustee of his father's estate, which included the entire ownership of the bituminous coal interests represented by the Fall Brook Coal Com- pany in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, to- gether with the railroad property connected with the mines. The development and ex- tension of these interests formed the life work of General Magee. He was instru- mental in the building of the Wellsboro & Lawrenceville Railroad, later a part of the Fall Brook Railway system and now a part of the Xew York Central & Hudson River Railroad, projected and secured the build- ing of the Syracuse. Geneva & Corning Railway, also the 15eech Creek Railway, and the Pine Creek Railway, so that begin- ning with the ownership by the estate of his father of a railroad line of fifteen miles in length, capitalized at less than five hundred thousand dollars, having an eijuipmcnt of ten l(;comotives and a corresponding num- ber of cars, the lines of railroad now owned by the same interests aggregate about ono hundred miles with a capital sti>ck of i\\e million dollars and an equipmait of sev cnty-six locomotives and three thousand three hundred cars used in operating two hundred and fifty miles of owned and leased lines. The old Blossburg Railroad, fifteen miles in length, was the nucleus and later a part of through system of railroad known as the Fall Brook line, reaching from the Xew 'S'crk Central & Hudson River Railroad at Lyons and from Geneva to Williamsport, Pennsyl- vania, a distance of one hundred and eighty-five miles, connecting with the Phila- delphia & Reading road. These extensions and connections were made during the presidency of General ALigee and were planned and carried to a successful com- pletion by him. The Cowanesque \'alley branch of the same system was l)uilt in the same period from the main line to Ulysses in Potter comity, Pennsylvania. In connection with his railroad jjuild- ing (ieneral Magee had other extensive Insiness interests, which proved of great value and importance to the state as well as contributing to his individual prosperity. He was the projector, contractor and first general manager of the well known Beech Creek Railroad, having one hundred and fifty miles of line and now a part of the New "S'ork Central .system, reaching fmni Jersey Shore on the Pine Creek i^'ailway to the coal mines in Clearfield and Cambria counties, Pennsylvania. He was also the president of the I'all Brook Coal Company, the I'all Brook Railroad, the Morris Run C(5al Mining Company, the Tioga Improve- ment Company, and tlie Syracuse, Geneva 1^ Corning Railroad Company; vice presi- dent of the Pine Creek Railroad ; and a di- rector of the Chest Creek Land & Improve- ment Company, of Cambria county, Peim- -sylvania, the Beech Creek Cannel Coal Company, of Clearfield county, Pennsyl- \ania, the Beech Creek Railroad, the Cen- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 225 tial Dock & Terminal Cumpaiiy. of Jjiiltalu. New York, the Xortli River Coal & Wliarf Company, of Jersey City, and of the Knick- erbocker Trust Company, of Xew York city. These but serve to indicate the vol- ume and importance of the business interests with wliich General Magee was associated. In 1865 General Magee was united in marriage to Miss l-jiima Stothoff, of Hur- dett. Schuyler count)', New ^(lrk. and unto them w ere born seven children : .Anna Stot- hotY. John. Kathleen, Stewart, Arabella Helen, Emma Marie. Lusyd and (ieorge J. To a man of domestic tastes, such as Mr. Magee possessed, one of the greatest pleas- ures which came to him from his wealth, was in providing royally for his family. No other interest was so dear to his heart as the welfare of his wife antl children, lie had social relations, too, of a very pleasant character and was a popular and honored member of a number of the leading clubs of the Iimpire state, including the Lawyers,, the L'niversity, the Manhattan and the Princeton Clubs of Xew Ynrk city. His military title was received in 1869 under ap- pointment of Governor Hoffman to the po- sition of paymaster general of the state of New "S'ork. It is almost impossible to sum- marize a life record such as that of (jeneral Magee, for so \aried were his business in- terests and so active was he in lines of life, pertaining to the general progress of his na- tive state. His career was ever such as to warrant the trust and confidence of the busi- ness world, for he ever conducted all trans- actions on the strictest ))rinci])les of iionor and integrity. His devotion to the public goo\\e\er. has a good circulatif)n and is published weekly. It is neat and attractive in its make-up and is always found the earnest advocate of Wat- kins' prosperity and its iniprovcmcnt and progress. When Mr. Baldwin came to Wat- kins there w ere but three papers in the coun- ty, but at the present writing in 1903 there is one paper in Montour Falls, three in Wat- kins, one in Burdett and one in Odessa. He does all kinds of job printing and has a thoroughly complete and modern plant, the building being seventy-five by twenty-five feet and three stories high. It is heated by steam, lighted by gas and electricity, is supi)lierl with city water and connected \\ itli tlie .sewer system and has excellent ])lunili- ing arrangements. On the 3d of January. i(Sr>3. Mr. Bald- win was united in marriage to Miss Louise E. Lo.sey, a daughter of John and Laura (John.son) Losey. They became the pa- rents of four children : Donna Madelon, who died at the age of twelve years; John, who died at the age of five years : Marian P., the wife of .\lfrelution. Rf)bert Corbett of the Revolution, great- grandson of Robert Corljett of King Phil- ip's war, was born in 1745, and m.irried F.lizabeth Daniels in 1769. They were the ixirents of eleven children, eight of whom became heads of families. Robert Corbett was born in that portion of the town of Mendon which was set off as Milford, and in i7r;o he named his settlement on the Salt THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 229 Lick creek, near tlie <;reat bend ni the Sus- quehanna river, as Xew Milford, in honor of his former home. He left I'cnnsylvani.i in 1 80 1 and founded Corbeltsville. now in Broome county. Xew ^'ork, wiiere his dcjith occurred in if^^.v Of liis sons, Asaph Cor- belt, Sewell and Cooper, the latter two re- mained witii him, and were jointly inter- ested in extensive timber operations. On their large land holdings in Potter county, Pennsylvania, is located Corbett, the site of the largest wood alcoiiol factory in America, and in which the great-grandsons of Rob- ert Corbett, Marshall Corbclt and Julius Corbett I-'ish, have ownersliii). Another great-grandson was the late Llias J. Beards- ley, lV)r many years superintendent of pub- lic instruction in I-Llmira. A granddaugh- ter. Charlotte Lc.ich Drake, who died in 1901, aged eighty-six years, was the author of a descriptive poem on W'atkins (ilen. Asaph Corbett, eldest son of Robert Corbett, was born in Milford, Massa-, chusetts, in 1769, and there married Ma- ti'd.i Read in 1790. He accompanied his father to New Milford, Pennsylvania, and built the first frame house in the place. He bought a farm in the town of Catharine, now in Schuyler county, Xew York, in 1804, but in 181J, having sold it, he pur- chased lands on the west shore of Seneca lake, in the town of Reading, and made it his home until his death in 1847. His son. Chester L"orbett, was with him in all his business operations and inherited the home- stead. His daughters were I'etsev, who became the wife of Charles Deming; Nancy, wife of William Lord; and Emma, wife of Daniel Miller. I'hester Corbett was born in 1705 ami married Sally i.ehexre in 181S. She was the daughter of Lewis LeFe\re of the Huguenot family of Ulster county, Xew York, ami a pioneer of the town of Hector in 1804 and the town of Reading in 181 2. Her birth occurred in 1800 and her death in 1864. Chester Cor- bett dying in 1869. Their children who be- came heads of families were Otis Read Cor- bett; Matilda, wife of Samuel K. (lilbert; Xancy, wife of John \V. Warner; Charles M. Corbett, and John Wallace Corbett, all of v.hom remained in the town of Reading. Otis R. Corbett was born September 27, 1818, and is still in the enjoyment of good health and all his faculties at the age of e'ghty-four years. He has exemplified the principles of his father, who was a Whig and a Republican and an advocate of tem- perance reform, liaving as early as 1828 de- sisted from furnishing spirits in the haying and harvest fields. He was an exemplary member of the Methodist Episcopal church, long holding oi't'cial position in the or- ganization, and e\er acti\e in town af- fairs, and in these respects his son has emu- lated his example. After recei\ing a good cifuinion school education, Otis R. Corbett, at the age of eighteen, entered an ;irtillery company, commanded by Captain Reuben I.el'evre, of Reading, and in 1839 was or- ilcrly under Captain John Roycc, of luldy- ti>wn. In 1842 he was promoted to first lieutenant, and to captain in 1844, the fol- lowing year he being" appointed president (if the board of court marli.d. liaving satis- fied not only the re(|uirements of the law by ten years of military ser\ice, but his own as])irations in th.il line, he turned his atten- tion to the more important duties of life. In i8f>o and for six years thereafter lie was assessor of the town of Reading, and diu'ing the Ci\il war, under the directif whom Ine are decejised. Three sons grew to ex- emplary manhood before their demise, and none but called them friends. They were Walter S. Corbett, aged twenty-seven years: Chester I.. Corbett. age.l forty-se\en years, and (jeorge .\. (."orbelt, ageil thirt_\- eight years. .\ daughter and a son died in in- fancy. The living children are John Cor- bett, who has sijmewhat of r reputation as a newspaper writer on local historical sub- jects, anil is now with the Fdniira .\dver- tiser: Mary T. Corbett, Sophia C. Corbett and William Corbett. of the homestead; and Joseph J. Corbett of ihc Topeka, Kansas. Mail and Breeze. The farm which has been the home of this family for half a cen tury, is a monument of the enterprise and in- dustry of ihe faliier and the co-operative efforts of the mother and children. Re- verses have come at times, the home having been destroyed by fire in 1874. but ad\ance- ment has always ensued. I'rom the heights of Seneca, near the family dwelling, the shores and surface of this peerless lake are visible for a score of miles. At the water front of the old farm a great salt plant is in operation, and on the original homestead one mile northward, a test well is now being dri\en, through the co-operation of the Corbetts and others. A man"s life cannot be fully written until it is past, and there may be important events yet in store for Otis R. Corbett. him a golden tribute fur the care and lalmr lie beslcnvs u])on it. In 185S .Mr. W'ickham was united in marriage to Miss Maryette Pratt, a daugh- ter of Seth and Sarah ( Runyan ) Pratt, who were residents of I'.urdett at one time. In 1875 Mr. Wickiiam was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died in that year. Six years later he married Helen Herrick, of Catharine. Xew \'ork. The children by his first marriage are Clarence. Alice, Oscar, Carrie, Henry. May. Cor- nelius and Cora. Clarence is now engaged in the grocerv business,- which he has fol- lowed for thirteen years. He married Alice Shoemaker and they have four children : Edward and Randolph, twins; and Clar- erce Ely and .\melia, also twins. .Mice is the wife of Clark Smith, proprietor of a hotel in Elmira, and they have one son, Harry. Oscar is a resident farmer residing in Odessa, and his wife bore the nriidcn name of Kate Monlgomcrv. Carrie is the wife of Clarence Dunham, of Montour balls. Henry married Almira Fowler and has one child. Clarence. By his second marriage our subject has three childrai : Omar Clark, l-juma I'llvira and Miner Loyal. .Mr. and Mrs. W'ickham have a pleasant home upon their fariu. and through the exercise of industry, enterprise and capable management he has met with well merited success and is now numljered among the substantial agriculturists of his communitv. wideK known and valued for his sterling worth. .\. 1. M.XRTIX. .\n enterprising business man connected with the industrial business interests of Schuyler comity. Mr. Martin, as proprietor of the Watkins Chilled Plow Works, is car- rying on a prosperous undertaking. He is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred near Bradford, October 23, 1861. His paternal great-grandfather. William M;nlin. familiar! v known as I'ncle Billv in ihe commuml\- where he S(j long resided, w as born in Connecticut, and when a young man removed to what was then considered the "far west." settling in Schuyler county. Xew York, near Burdett. There he took up a large tract of land — a soldier's claim — and to the (leveloi)mcnl and cultivation of his farm he devoted his energies until he had reached an adxanced age. when he re- nnived to Horseheads. this state, and there spent his remaining days. .Xrchibald Mar- tin, the grandfather of our subject, was a farmer and livetl and died in Schuyler coimty. Among his children was W. S. Martin, the father of our suliject, who was born in this county, Xovember 20, 1S3J, and has always lived in this portion of the state with the exception of a few years passed in Pennsylvania. In politics he is a Democrat but has never been a i)olitician in the sense of office seeking, giving his entire attention to his agricultural pursuits. He marrietl .\l)igail Davis. When ;il)out se\'eii or eight years of age 232 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Mr. Martin of tliis re\ie\v accompanied his parents on their return to Sclniyler county and upon tlie liome farm lie was reared, ac- quiring a common scliool education. W'lien sixteen years of age lie accepted a clerkship in a railroad office and Mas promoted to po- sitions of respcjnsihility. When the road changed hands he left his position and re- turned to Schuyler county in 1902. In Jul}- of the same year, in company with others, he leased the plant of the W'atkins Chilled Plow Company and has since Ijeen manager of the business. When running to its full capacity the business rec|uircs the ser\ices of ten men. Under the capable control of the men who are at its head, the enteq)rise has already made an encouraging start and has a bright outlook before it. On the 1st of May, 1889, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss I'annie Maltby, a native of Corning, and a daugh- ter of Jerome and Mary (Beers) Maltby. Our subject and his wife now have three children : \nna and William S., both lK)rii in Corning; and Wellington, born in Wat- kins. Mr. Martin is a Republican, ha\ing supported the party since he cast his first vote for James G. Blaine in 1884. He be- longs to one of the oldest families of this ])art of the state, the name of Martin having been associated with the history of Schuyler county from the pioneer ei)och down to the presait. DAX'IF.L HOWARD. Daniel Howard is now living a retired life. The fitting rewards of an active and useful career have been vouchsafed to him — rest from further labor and the enjoy- ment of the fruits of former toil. Import- ant and extensive business affairs claimed his attention and energies and were conducted with marked enterprise and skill. Thereby ho won a handsome competence and, more- over, he commanded the respect of all with whom he was associated because his n:ethods were honorable and would 1)ear the closest in\estigation. Mr. Howard was born in Steuben countx', near Watkins, in what is now- Schuyler county. Xew York, March 24, 181 6. and is a son of Joseph and Christine (Hill) Howard. His father was born in Xew Hampshire in 1792 and when a young man remo\ed to Steuben county. His pa- ternal grandfather, Joseph Howard, was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, and the father was a soldier of the war of 181 2. The family has ever been noted for loyalty to the country and for tidelity to the public good and this reputation has been well sustained by the subject of this review. Daniel Howard j^ursued his early edu- cation in the subscription >chools common a! that day and also in the district schools, which were established. At tb.e age of fourteen years he started out in life for him- self, going to li\e with .a cousin, Jonathan T. .\l)le, a merchant at Rock Stream, Yates comity, for whom he clerked until his re- moval to Tyrone. Several years later he went to .\lbany with ;\Ir. .Vble's brother- in-law, Mr. Patterson, who was also a mer- chant, and had full control of his business for four years. .\t the end of that time he returned to his former employer, with whom he remained until eighteen years of age, when he went to Italy, Yates county, and embarked in linsiness on his own ac- count under tlie (irm style of D. Howard & Company but fourteen days later his store was ilest roved bv fire, so that he lost every- THE BJUGRAPHICAL RECORD 233 tiling", being left se\en thousand duUars in debt. Later lie resunied merchandising at tliat place, erected a nice store l)uilding, and was there engaged in business for twenty years with good success. While a resident of Italy lie Ijecame converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church, l)ecoming one of its most acti\e and influential members. He contributed almost the entire amount re- quired to erect the church tliere and at dil- fcrent times tilled all of its otilices. Selling out at that place, Mr. Howard bought a farm near (icncva, New York, where he spent five years engaged in specu- lation, and then disposed of his interests there and removed to W'atkins, where he was engaged in the hardware business for four years, at the end of w hich time he sold out to his partner, J. 1). I'axne. He was one of the organizers of tiic Second Nation- al Bank of W'atkins and became its presi- dent, serving in that capacity for four years. He then resigned that postion and built a large and magniliccnt residence on his farm adjoined the village, wliere lie has since resided, looking after his business interests. In 1847 -^1'- Howard was united in marriage to Miss Hannah P. Robinson, a native of Yates county. New York, and a daughter of .\ndrew and Phyllis ( Straugh- an) Robinson. Her mother was born in England. Our sul)ject ami his wife have two chihlreu : Mary, now the wife of b'd- win Rumsey, a resident of W'atkins; and Alice, the wife of DeW'itt C. Jaiisen, who is operating her father's farm. In his political views Mr. Howard was a Whig in early life and upon the dissolution of the party he joined the ranks of the new Republican party, of which he has been a stalwart advocate. At present he is serv- ing as stewanl and a class leader in the Methodist Episcopal church of W'atkins .111(1 has e\er put forth effective effort \.'> promote the welfare and upbuilding of the same. At one time he was identified with the Odd Fellows society and was one of the organizers of the lodge in Yates county. He has now passed the eighly-si.xth mile- stone on life's journey and he receives the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded to one of advanced years, whose life has been honorable and upright. Mr. Howard has ever been loyal in citizenship, true to the duties and obligations of home life, faithful in friendship and reliable in business. Such qualities have made his ca- reer one well worthy of emulation. ALLEN C.EORCE BECKER. riirougliout his entire life .\llen Ceorge Becker has devoted his energies to agricul- tural pursuits and is to-day classed among tlie leading, progressive . and successful farmers of his native town of Hector. He was born here on the 28th of .\ugust, 1831, his parents being Cjeorge and Anna (Gar- rison) Becker. His grandfather, Peter Becker, was of Holland-Uutch lineage and it is supposed he ser\ed as a .soldier in the war of iSiJ, probably enlisting from Dutchess county. New NOrk. His wife be- longed to an old Knickerbocker famil\\ George Becker, the father of our subject, was bom in December, 1799. in Dutchess county, and in the year i8-'4 he came from Rensselaer county to Schuyler county, cast- ing in his lot with the early settlers who laid broad and deep the foundation for the [nesent (le\elopmcnt and jirospcritv of this 234 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD IJortion uf the state. He was a fanner by occupation and cnt the lirsl stick of tinii)er on his own farm. He also rolled up the logs with which to build the house and soon his family were established in a comfortable log cabin, which in later years was re- placed by a more commodious residence. With characteristic energy he continued the task of clearing his land, preparing it for the plow and in cultivating the fields, and ultimately became the owner of a very valu- able tract of one hundred ;md thirty acres, also one hundred acres in the town of Cat- lin, Chemung county, \ew ^'ork. He was a prominent and influential citizen of the ciimmunity and left the impress of his indi- viduality upiin many lines cif public im- Ijrovement. Having located near Uennetts- burg. he assisted in organizing the Baptist church there, became one of its charter members and served as one of its deacons until his death. The organization has since been maintained and the present house of W(jrship stands on the ground where the tirst church building was erected. Mis death occurred in 18O3 and his wife i)assed away on the iilh of November. 1879. I'or many years he .served as superintendent of the poor and was also prominent in military circles, serving for many vears as captain of the state militia. He married Anna (Har- rison, a member u( an old Connecticut family, and she was born November i, 1803. They had nine children: Elizabeth. Harlow, LeRoy. Marium G.. Allen G., Maretta R.. .\manda .M.. Charles V.. and Julia \i. Of their sons, all were farmers with the e.xception of the youngest, Charles I".., who became a minister of the Baptist church and devoted his life to the work of ]iroclaiming the Gos])el until he was called to his final rest. Allen George Becker is indebted to the early subscription schools and to the district schools of his town for the educational ])rivileges which he enjoyed and when he completed his nwn literary course he then turned his attention to teaching in this coun- t\- for h\e years. He jjroved a capable ed- ucator, being accurate and concise in impart- ing his knowledge to others. When he left the school room he turned his attention to farming, which he has since followed in his native town with credible and gratifying success, and upon the farm he has reared his family. He has one hundred and two acres of fine farming land upon which lie has lived continuously for <'i third of a century. Here lie carries on general farming and he also lias a large apple orchard, from w Inch he an- nually gathers good crops that find a ready sale on the market. 1 k' was united in marriage on the 1st of July, 1856, to Lydia Maria \'aughan, a daughter of Samuel and .\nn (Rauh) \'auglian. Airs. Becker's grandfather, Daniel \ auglian, was born June 17, 1746, and was one of three broihers who came from England to America, settling in New Jersey, where the grandfather died. He was twice married, his fii^st union being with Dinah Watkins. who was born March 8 1748, .and for his second wife he chose li.'um.'di Reed, who was the widow of Ben- jamin Ogden. By the first marriage of Daniel X'aughan there were eleven children : Elizabeth, Jacob, Rachel, Richard, Lydia, Sarah, Rhoda. Din.-di. Daniel, David and Tf>hn. The chililren of the scnrond marriage were: Samuel. Benjamin, .\znbah. Han- nah. Phoebe. William and Amanda. By her liist marriage Mrs. Hannah Vaughan had four children : .\mos, Mary, Joseph and Sarah. Mr. \'auglian was a Baptist THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 235 minister. Saimiel X'aiig^lian. ilic lather ul Mrs. Becker, was Ixini in December, 1795, and came from Blairstown, Warren ct)nnt\-. New Jersey, to Scluiyler county. Xew York, in the year iSjj. taking np his abode in the town of Hector. Tliroughout liis en- tire hfe he carrieil on agricultural pursuits and at one time he owned ti\ e hundred acres of valuable land, of whicli three hundretl acres was in the town of Hector, while i\\" hundred acres were situated in the town of Big I'lats, Chenning county. He was also quite prominent in public affairs and filled a number of local offices with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constitu- ents. He died in April, 1864. and his wife, \\ho was born in 1797, passed away in Xo- veniber, 1876, at the achanced age of sev- enty-nine years. They were the parents of twelve children: .Michael, Hannah, William K.. Daniel. Sally .\nn. Amos O., Johnson, Rachel. Rhoda. Lydia Al.. .\zubah and Catharine, all of whom reached years of maturity. The father of this fainil\' was ;i member of the Presbyterian church and f^r many years served as its elder, liolding the position up to the time of his death, when he v.as succeeded by his son. Daniel. lie aid- ed in laying out the various road-; of Schuy- ler county and was one of the leading agri- culturists of the county. His sons also be- came farmers. Mr. and Mrs. Becker hold membership in the Presbyterian church and are worthy Christian people. In politics he was a Whig in early life and cast his first presidential vote for General Scott. When the Republi- can party was formed in 183O he jcjined its ranks and has since been one of its stal- wart advocates. In 1882 he was elected supervisor of the town of Hector and his term of service extended to the vear of 1884. During his term he was the promoter and organizer of the first board of health of the town, the records of which stand among those I if the first boards of health in the state. l-iir many years he was a notary public and through a long ])eri(id he was a n.ember of the town b\ ed to Schuyler county in the year 1840, locating on a farm in the town of Reading. There the son, Thomas R., was reared to manhc>od, acquir- iiig a common-school education. His fa- ther was a stiiue mason and laborer, and be- ing in somewhat limited linancial circum- stances, the son was earlv forced to begin work on his own account. At the age of e.ghteen he went west, joining a surveying party, and for a number of years he followed that profession, visiting various cities. In this time he accumulatetl some capital, and, upon his return fn«n the west, he engagetl in the grocery trade, establishing a small re- tail business. This he developed as the 235 THE BlOGRAi'lllCAL RECORD years passetl by until he Ijecam-? the lead- ing wholesale and retail merchant of Schuy- ler county. When he arrived here he leased a business property which he afterward pur- chased and about 1898 he erected a hue brick block, in which he was doing business at the time of his tleath, and in it his widow now maintains her home. Mr. Clark's bus- iness methods were such as neither recjuired nor sought disguise, but would bear the most rigid in\estigation and scrutiny. He gained his success along legitimate lines of trade, and through his perseverance, energy and sound business judgment he won pros- perity. yiv. Clark was first marrietl in the year 1875 to Miss Nora Powers, who died about eight years later. They were the parents of three children : Ada, a graduate of the business college at Elniira, was married in Watkins on the 22d of September, 1902. to Michael llaubuer, of Clifton Springs, Xew ■^'ork. Helen was marrietl on Thanksgiv- ing day of 1900 to William Rooney, a resi- dent of Watkins, and they have one child. Thomas Clark. Francis, the youngest chikl, of the lirst marriage, is about twenty years of age and is now learning the ;nachinist's trade. On the 14th of September, 1888, in the town of Watkins, Mr. Clark was again married, his second imion being with Miss Ella Maloney, who v.as born in the town of Di.x, Schuyler county, and is a daughter of Richard and Bridget (Hicky) Maloney. This union was blessed with one child, Alice, who was born in Watkins. Mr. Clark was an active worker in the ranks of the Democratic party but was never an ofilice seeker. He and his wil'e were reared in the faith and were communi- cants of the Catholic church. He died August I r, 1900. and was laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery of Watkins. In his life there was nuicli that was commendable and worthy of enudation. His strong force of character enabled him to overcome the diffi- culties with which he was surrounded in his business career, and to work his way up- ward until he stood among the most suc- cessful men of his adopted county. COLONEL JOHN MAGEE. An enumeration of those men of the present genei'ation who have won honor and public recognition for themselves and at the same time ha\'e honored the state to which they belong, would incomplete were their failure to make prominent reference to the one whose name initiates this paragraph, His business interests have been of a most imjjortant and extensi\e character, and his marked enterprise and extensive control of industrial and commercial interests have made him a le.'iding factor in the Empire state and one whose intluence is felt even be- yond its borders. He has been and is dis- tinctively a man of affairs and one w ho has wielded a wide influence. .A strong niental- il\', an in\incil)le courage, a most determined individualit\' have so entered into his make- up as to render him a natural leader of men and a director of opinion. It is true that he became interested in a business already es- tablished, but in controlling and enlarging l)usiness enterprises many a man of even considerable resolute purpose, courage and industry has failed. Colonel Magee has demionstrated the trulh of the ma.xim that success is not the result of genius but the outcome of a clear jun in lun-ope under the direction of a private tutor. After his return to America he became identified with the l'"all Brook Coal Company and for one year was located in Antrim, I'ennsvlvania. .Mthongh the son of a wealthy father he did not choose to be- come a simple looker-on in the business world hut desired to become a factor in con- trolling extensive business interests and to this end he closely applied himself to the mastery of the business in all of its branches, both in principle and detail. Removing from Antrim to Corning, New York, he was there identified with the shops of the l""all Brook Railway Company for a year aiid later he spent several months in the Schenectady Locomotive \\'orks, of Schenectady, Xev.- York, returning thence to Corning. lie famaliarized himself with the work of the many offices of the fall lirook Railway Coiupany, gaining a practical knowledge of all branches of railroading and of the coal and coke business which was operated by his father, General Magee. Sul)sef|uently the son was made secretary of the Fall Brook Railway and acted in that capacity until his father's death in 1897, when he was chosen to the presidency of the Fall Brook Coal Company, the Morris Run Coal Company, the Chest Creek Land and Improvement Company, and the Tioga Im])rovement Com- pany, oi which he was also a director, llis pievious thorough training well fitted him 14 to take up the onerous and responsible duties which now devolve upon him. With broad foresight he looked over the business field, recognized its possibilities and became an ac- tive factor in directing the work. He was; also elected the president of the Syracuse, Geneva & Corning Railroad. The extent and volume of his business interests indicate his marked capaljility and the workings of a master mind. He is a director of the Knickerbocker Trust Company, of Xew York City; the Troy Trust Company, of Troy, New York; the Xorlh River Coal & Wood Company, the I'hiladelphia Dock and Terminal Company; the Elmira Trust Com- pany, of ]<'lmira, Xew York; the Clark Hoisting & Barge Company; the Beech Creek Coal & Coke Company f)f Xew York; tlie Pocahontas Collieries Com])any of Poca- hontas, Virginia ; and is identified with many other business enterprises of broad scope and magnitude. On the 4th of Xovember, 1891, Colonel Magee was unileil in marriage to Miss Flor- ence Wetmore Seeley, a daughter of Dr. X. K. and Mary (Stewart) Seeley, of Flmira, Xew \'ork. He has many social relations, being connected with a large number of the most intlucntial clubs of the city, of which the following is but a partial list: The Union, Racquet, Tcimis. Calumet, Midday, Jockey, Jekyl Island, Elmira City, Elmira Country, Corning City, Corning Country, (iene.see N'alley, Watkins City, Ardsley, Casino and many other clubs. While Colo- nel Magee has never sought political prom-, inence he has figured to some extent in ])nblic affairs relating to the welfare of the state. In 1X91 he was appointed state engineer for .\'ew ^■o|•k by Governor blower, and later resigned that position to accejit the ])ositioii it aid <\c camp to Go\crnor Flower, acting in 2 40 THE UIUGRAPHICAL RECORD tliat capacity for tliree \ears. Colonel Alagee stands to-day as one of tlie best known men of New York and Pennsylvania, and liis influence is felt in business relations throughout much of the east. His career has ever been such as to warrant the trust and confidence of the business world, for he has ever conducted all transactions on the strict- est principles of honor and integrity. His devotion to the public good, is unquestioned and arises from a sincere interest in his fel- low men. He has a wonderful capacity for work and the supervision of the details as well as the principles in his extensive busi- r.ess affairs. What the world needs is such men — men cajjable of managing extensive Concerns and C(jn(luctiug business on terms that are alike fair to the employer and to the employe. His personal characteristics are such as made him a social favorite and those who meet him in such relation are glad to number him as a friend. CLARENCE NEWELL ELTJS. Clarence Newell Ellis, who is occupying the position of station agent of Watkins on the line of the Pennsylvania Railroad sys- tem, was born October 12. 1864, at Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Charles B. and Lucy (Newell) Ellis. The father was born in Enfield, Tompkins coun- t\, New York, October 26, 1824, was a well educated man and had a wide acquaintance and reputation as a successful teacher in both Lycoming and Tioga counties of Penn- sylvania, where he followed his chosen pro- fession for many years. Later in life he re- tired to a farm in Tioga county, where he spelt liis rcmainintr da\-s. Mr. Ellis, of this review, was born upon that farm and there passed the period of his boyhood and youth, accjuiring his education in the country schools, his father being his teacher a part of the tiiue. At seventeen years of age he was himself .|u.".lified for teaching and for a year he followed that profession. He then entered the telegraph office of Roaring Branch in May, 1883, and had so thoroughly mastered the business by the following September that he was ap- pointed station agent at Fields, Pennsyl- vania. He worked in various offices and from 1885 until 1892 he was serving as station agent at Roaring Branch. While there Mr. Ellis was united in mar- riage on the 24th of October, 1885, to Miss I'anny J. Gray, of Newark, New Jersey, and unto them was born one daughter, Marion v. The wife and mother died in Roaring Ihanch aiid Mr. Ellis was again married in April. 1888, his second union being with Miss Kathryn De Courcy, of that place. Two children graced this union : Hazel R. and l"".(ina K., the former born in Roaring Branch and the latter in Montour Falls, to which place Mr. Ellis was transferred in 1892. There he remained until 1900, when he came to \\"atkins, where he has since lived. Mr. Ellis is independent in his political \ icw s. and has never taken any active part in in ixilitics. I'>om the age of about twenty- two he has been a member of the Methodist I-4)iscopal church and while residing at Montour I'rdls he served as a member of the board of stewards and was superintendent of the Sunday-school for several years. In Watkins he has al.so served as steward, trus- tee and Sunday-school superintendent and he is very active in church work, doing cvervthing in his ]H)wer to pn)mote the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 241 growth of tlie' cliiircli and extend its in- tUicuce. In February, 1894, he Ijecanie a member of tlie Masonic fraternity at Mon- tonr Falls and there lillcd the office of junior warden and senior warden. In 1897 he was elected master and served also in the years of 1S98 and 1899, during" wliich time the lodge was greatly strengthened in both member- shi]) and interest, the lodge room enlarged and refurnished and a banquet room com- l)letely ef^uipped. On the 2d of July, 1901, Mr. Ellis was exalted to the degree of a Royal Arch Mason in Watkins Chapter. In the years 1901 and 1902 he was honored by the grand lodge of the state of \ew York with the appointment of district deputy giand master of the twenty-ninth district. At the last annual convocation of Watkins Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, he was elected to the highest office in the chapter, that ot high priest. Mr. Ellis is also a Knight Templar, being a member of St. Omer's Commanderv of Elmira. New York. JOHX W". TOWXSEXD. John W. Townsend. who is an honored veteran of the Civil war and upon the b'lttle- fields of the south manifested his loyalty to the Union, is a representative of one of the prominent families of Schuyler county. In days of peace he has been e(|ually faith- ful to his country and is now regarded as one of the leading representatives and valued citizens of Schuyler county, making his home in North Hector, where he is cap- ably filling the office of justice of the ])cace and is also engaged in the real estate busi- ness. lohn W'eslev Townsend was born in Hector, Schuyler county, June 11, 1838, and is a son of Jeremiah and Belinda (Bai- ley) Townsend. The father was a native of Delaware and when a young man came to New Yt)rk, becomang one of the early settlers of Schuyler county. He was a sol- dier of the war of 1812 and was taken pri.s- oner at Black Rock near Buffalo. He was married in Schuyler county to Miss Belinda Bailey, a daughter of John Bailey, who came here from Connecticut at an early day. Our suljject pursued his education in the early subscription schools and when he had put aside his te.xt books he began learning the wagon-maker's trade, which he' fol- lowed continuously until after the Civil war liroke out. Being unable to content him- self longer at home wliile the Union was in danger, he offered his .services to the gov- ernment, enlisting as one of the boys in blue of Companv .\. b'iflielh Regiment of \'ol- unteer Engineers. He was mustered in at F.lmira as a musician. It was on the 18th of September. 1861, and he served contin- uous! v until June. iSO^, in the meantime being promoted to the rank ot corporal July 28, 1862. He w'as made sergeant on the 5th of January. 1863, and on the 22(1 oi Feb- ruary, 1864. he re enlisted at Washington. 1). C.. as sergeant, being mustered out with that company on the 13th of June. 1865, at Fort Barry. N'irginia. He participated in the battle of ^'orktown and those of the jieninsular camnaigTi muler General Mc- Clellan. He took ])art in tlie battle of I'redericksburg under General Burnside, December 11. 1862: the battle of Chancel- lorsvillc; I'ranklin Crossing, June 5. 1863; the Clettysburg campaign: and the engage- ment at Harper's berry. After the battle of iM-edericksburg a pontoon bridge was swung across the Rappahannock ri\er, the 242 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Union troops beino' on one side, tlie Con- federates on the other. One night at a council of the Union officers it was decided to send the Fiftietli New York Infantry to take this bridge, but before sending the whole regiment it \\as deemed advisable to send a dozen meii as scouts into the hollow where the bridge spanned the stream to see what was to be seen, and Mr. Townsend Avas one of the brave men wlio volunteered. Before the battle of Frederickslnirg Cap- tain Perkins had been shot and killed on the bridge, and our subject was one of the four chosen for the daring undertaking of bring- ing the body to the shore. He was with the comjjany and regiment in all of their campaigns, and was ever a faithful soldier, always found at his post of duty, whether in the thickest of the fight or on the lonely picket line. He then returned to Hector, where he engaged in wagoii-making. fol- lowing that pursuit for many years, but for the past twenty years he has devoted his attention to the undertaking business, and lias the i)atronage of many of the best families of this portion of the county. Mr. Townsend was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Milliman. a daughter of An- drew and Cornelia (Henry) .Milliman. Tw(i children were born unto them: Bert M., who is now living in Philadelphia, P'ennsyhania : and Walter J., who makes his home in Xew ^'ork City, so that Mr. und Mrs. Townscml are aga"in as they were when they started out ui)on their married life — alone in their own home. In religious faith Mr. Townsend is a Methodist, belonging to the church at North Hector, in which he has .served as steward for a number of years. He is a stanch Republicin in his political views, un- .»;\ver\ing in his .allegiance to the ])arty and lie has been honored with a number of lo- cal offices. For fifteen years he has held the office of justice of the peace and he dis- charges his duties without fear or favor, his decisions being strictly fair and impar- tial. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster of North Hector so that he is holding the office at the present time. He was also appointed justice of the sessions and held that office for one year. Socially he is identified with Daniel B. Smith Post, No. 423, G. A. R., of North Hector, and has served as officer of the day almost continu- ously since the organization of the ])ost. Mr. Townsend is a gentleman of genuine worth of character and genial manner and of marked enterprise. His record as a sol- dier, as a private citizen and as a public official is above reproach and all who know him entertain for him warm regard. B(jth he and his wife have a large circle of friends in Schuyler county and the hospitality of the best homes of North Hector and the communitv is extended to them. JOHN HALWICK. Among the men who have been num- bered as \alued and representative citizens of Sciiuyler county, and who have now passed away, is Jolin llalwick. lie is, however, remembered 1)\- many friends because of the sterling traits of character which he pos- sessed and which endeared him to those with whom he came in contact. .\ native son of the Empire state, he was lK)rn in Ulster county on the JOth of April. \>^2-,. His l)arents were also natives of L'lster county, while his paternal grandparents were born in England, whence they emigrated to I THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 243 America alxnit 1800. sctllin*;- in Ulster county. At the usual -.ige John lialwick entered the puljlic scli(X)ls. there Id ac(|uire the edu- cation which would fit him for life's practi- cal and responsible duties. \\'hen fourteen years of age he left school and began farm- ing, continuously following that pursuit until after the beginning of the Civil war, when, feeling that his duty was to his coun- try, be offered his services to the government and joined the army in 1862. He ser\e(l for three years as a memlier of the One Hundred and Seventh Regiment of Xew York \'iil- unteers, under the command of Captain Slo- cum. of Eimira, the regiment being attaciied to the command of (General Mulford. He took part in a number of important engage- ments and was ever found as a faithful and loyal soldier, facing danger and death in defense of the Union. .At the close of the v.ar lie received an iidndrable discharge anul)lic health and revision com- mittees, and is not only an active worker in the committee rooui but also upon the floor of the house and is lea\ing the impress of his indivduality upon much of the legisla- tion that has been enacted during his service. The Elniira Daily (iazette. in speaking of his legislative career, said : "He secured the passage of a number of important bills of local benefit, and although some were \e- toed most of them became laws and all were strongly api)roved by bis constituents. Among these was the W'atkins Ciien reser- vation bill, one amending the village charter and |)ro\i(lnig for the election of a village ])residcut directly, one amending the char- ter of Montour b'alls. one ajipropriatiug fif- teen thousand dollars ;ind six tlidusand dol- lars for improvements in W'alkius harbor and (ilen creek, rue permitting fishing (^n Seneca lake with seines of two-inch mesh and extending the season of seining to cor- respond with the open season for trout, one ]}reventing adulteration ami deception in the sale of drugs, and sc\eral other measures of equal imixirtance. Mr. Xye won the con- fidence and good will of his fellow members and was a strong man in the halls of legis- lation." While Mr. Xye is prominent in ])olilical circles he has by no means neglected the profession wluch he Itas chosen as a life work, and he has already secured a distinct- i\ely representati\e clientage. He is re- markable among lawyers for the wide re- search and provident care with which he pre])ares his cases. In no .instance has his reading e\er been confined to the limita- tions of the question at issue: it has gone lieyond and compassed every contingency and provided not alone for the expected, but for the unexpected, which h.appens in the courts c|uite as frecjuently as out of them. His logical grasp of facts and ])rincii)les and of the law apjilicable to them has been an- other potent element in his success, and a re- markable clearness of expression, an ade- quate and precise diction w hich enables him to make others understand not only the salient points of his argument but his every fine gradation of meaning, may be accounted one of his most conspicuous gifts and ac- 246 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD complishments. Mr. Xvc has liis offices in a pleasant suite of rooms on I'ranklin street, in Watkins. He is a valued member of Cliecjuaga Lodge, K. P.. of Montour Falls, wliich he joined on its organization. He has passed all of the chairs of the local lodge and has taken the (irand (Orient degree at Elmira. In 1893 he became a member of Chequaga Tribe of Red Men in \\'atkins. and at the present time is the great senicjr sagamore of the state and is in line for the highest office of the order. He also belongs to Canadasaga Lodge, I. O. O. F.. at Watkins. Pcrhajis no better sun.nmarv of his character can be given than that which appeared in an edi- tiirial. as follnws: "Mr. Nye is a man among men and his cordial greeting to all and generous trails have given him a strong personal following all over Schuyler comity. He has alread}- achiexcd the highest success and iiis many friends anticipate for him an even more distinguished career as a tyj^i- cal statesman of the Empire state. l>ut Itc thai as It may. tlic lion. Olin T. Xye ])os- sesses the true metal of a man which will stand the trials of adversity as well as shine in the hour of success, and so let the hand of fate sha])e his career as it will, his future is safe and his career will reflect honor u\neconiing its first settler. He made his way westward from Orange county. Xew York, and settled on the land nowl owned by nur subject, erect- ing a log cabin on what is now the Lake road near the i)resent liomc (>f his grand- son. .At the rate of ten shillings per acre he purchased si.\ hundred and forl\- acres from his cousin, George Wickham. who wa- an Orange countv banker and also dealt in real estate. Jnhn Waldron (l)ctter knowti as Deacon Waldron) brought the first team into the tow n of I lector — a pair of three-year-old steers — which were subse- quently i)urchased by William Wickham. He then did all the teaming for his neigh- bors, who were widely scattered at that time, living miles apart. While yoking his cattle one day the sta])le dropped from the yoke broken, and in order to get it welded he was compelled to walk to Elmira. a dis- tance of twenty-eight miles, the only i)atb being an Intlian trail. That city contained the nearest blacksmith shop at that time. William Wickham bought fifteen sheep, which, he brought from Easton, Pennsyl- vania. The.se he usually herded at night. but one evening they were not to be found and during the night the fiock was entirely destroyed by a pack of wolves. .\t that time Lidians were fpiite numerous but friendly, and had a peach orchard on the [■n\nt that extends into the lake about a mile north of the Wickham log cabin. It was from this orchard that the little village on the Lake road directly above derived its name of Peach Orchard. On coming west William W ickham was acconi])anied by bis wife, who bore the maiden name of Phebe Rose and was a na- li\e of Long Islanalh, .\ew N'ork. November 21, 1831. and died in W'atkins 'i\Iay 8. 1869. at the early age of thirty-eight years. His parents were lohn and \r;i- bella (Stuart) Magee. In the schools of his native place he accpiired a good educa- tion and while still a youth engaged in bus- iness with his father, who was then controll- ing many extensive and important enter- jirises. .Mthough his father wris a man of THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 249 wealtli. the son did nut iVel that lie coukl enter the olVice as a mere looker-on, but be- came a valuable assistant, familiarizing him- self with the \arious departmeiUs of tlie business and proving capable in the con- trol of its branches. In tlie i^nrchase and iniprovemciit nf the lilnsshiiri;' ivaihuad he took a leading' pari and was also especially active in the purchase any) was hrgcly the result of his business sagacity and foresight, as was also the introductions and subsequent extensive use of the celebrated Blossburg coal. A large market was created for this product and the cnterjirise of Duncan Magee enabled hiin to snpi)ly this. When twenty-two years of age Mr. Ma- gee was united in marriage to Catherine E. Gansevoort, a daughter of Dr. Ten Eyck Gansevoort. I'uto them were born two children: .\rabella S.. now the wife of .\1- frcd L. Edwards of New ^'ork : and Helen G., the wife of Lewis Edwards, of New York city, .\fter his marriage Mr. Magee resided for a time in Coming, Xew York. but later removed to Watkins, wliere in con- junction with his fatlier's interests he pur- sued an active and successful career until his death. lie doubtle.ss inherited from his father the marked ability he displayed in grasjjing and executing plans of great mag- nitude. He entered u|)on no project with- out duly weighing in his nn'nd the ditificulties presented, but once having decided u\nm a plan of action he threw his whole energies into it and rarely, if ever, failed of success. He possessed bn.ail and unselfish views and constantly bore in mind the ])ublic weal. even in enteqiriscs he conducted for his per- sonal gain. The remarkable hold he had upon the affection and esteem of his neigh- bors was tlue to qualities of heart as well as head for he was uniformly kind-hearted and generous and was the possessor of many other noble trails of character. I'or several years Mr. Magee was a member of the Democratic state committee and prominent in the councils of that ])art\. To few ha ; it been given to accomplish so much in so brief a career and the premature termination of his life was justly regard with genuine sorrow in the comnninity which his energy and abilitv had done so iviuch to develop. IS.\AC E. DOTY Isaac E. Dot\' has taken advantage of the excellent o|)])()rtunitics which Schuyler county affords for the raising of grain, vege- tables and fruit. Its rich lands are very ])roductive and it is one of. the garden spots of the great Empire state. Oiir subject is engaged in the production of vegetables for the city markets and in his business he is !neeling with very creditable and well mer- ited success. Mr. Doty was born in the town of Cay- ma. Schuyler county. Xew ^'ork. then '!'om])kins county, on the i ith of I'ebruary, 1S36. His parents. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Doty, came from Dryden. Xew York, anil .settled in Catlin in a very early day. The father was a blacksmith by trade and fol- lowed that pursuit in eastern Xew York for sixteen years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Cayuta, where he made his home for ,1 (inarter of a centurv. 2 to THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD He next located in Ha\ana, Xew York, where he yet carries on farming and is ac- counted one of the leading and enterprising residents of that locality. His children are Nathaniel, John. Mary, Isaac and Elizabeth. Of this number John and Isaac are the only ones now living. The former resides in the town of Candor, Tioga county, Xew York, and is engaged in hunting. Early in the spring he goes to the woods, where he car- ries on his work as a hunter until the return of winter makes further labor in that direc- tion impossible. He wedded ^Matilda Mc- Carthy and unto them have been born four children : Mary, Loraine. Frank and Ed- ward. In taking up the personal history of Mr. Doty, whose name introduces this review, we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Sclunlcr county, where his entire life has been passed. At the usual age he entere 1 the public schools, acquiring a common- school education and when seventeen years of age he entered upon his business career. He began farming and has fi^llowed various other pursuits, although the greater part of his attention has been devoted to agricul- ture. In 1862 he sought a companion and helpmate for life's journey and in that year was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Carey. Her father, .\lanson Carey, had mar- ried Margaret Henderson and their chil- dren were: Elizabeth, Ellen, Xettie, Fran- ces, William and George. In 187J Mr. Doty was called upon to niorun llie loss of his first wife, who died in that year leaving two children. He afterward married Miss Ellen Carey of the town of Catharine, their wedding being celebrated in 1877. They have one child. Margaret, who is still under the parent.'d roof. Having always lived in Schuyler county. Mr. Doty has a wide ac- quaintance here with whom he has Ijeen Ijrought in contact through Ixith business and social relations. He is know as a man of genuine worth, trustworthy in his trade transactions and deserving the esteem of his fellow men, because of his fidelity to duty in evcrv relation of life. AMO.^ P.F. ARDSLEE. Amos Beardslee. who follows farming in Schuyler county, was born in the town of Xewfield in 1841. and acquired a common- school education. He put aside his text- books at the age of fifteen to take his place in the business world, and throughout the greater part of his life he has carried on agricultural pursuits. After the Civil war broke out he left the plow and shouldered the mu.sket in defense of his country, en- listing on the 13th of June, 1862. He was assigned to the One Hundred and Thirty- seventh Xew \'ork \'olunteer Infantry and participated in many important battles which had marked effect in winning the splendid victories of the north. He re- luained in the army for three years and ele\en days, and was never in the hospital during all that time. He was one of the first men to plant the American flag on the top of Lookout Mountain and was always found at his post of duty, whether it led liim into the thickest of the fight or caused him to stand as a picket in the lonely hours of the night. He was in the battles of Chancellorsville, Virginia, May i, 2. 3. 4, 1063; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July i, 2, 3. 1863; W'auhatchie. Tennessee, October 20. 1863; Lookout Mountain. Tennessee, THE BIOGRAPHICAL KECURU 251 November 24. 1863; Mission Ridge, Ten- nessee, November 25, 1863-, I'ea Vine Creek, (ieorgia, November 26, 1863; Ring- gold, (ieorgia. Xoveml)er 2~. 1863; Resaca, Georgia. May 14. 15, 1864: Xewliope Cliurch. (ieorgia. May 25. 26. 1864; Lost Monntain. Georgia. June 13. 14. 1864; Pine Knob, Georgia. June 15. 1864; Moses Creek, (ieorgia, June 17. 1864: Kulp's Farm, (ieorgia. June 12, 1864; Kenesaw Mountain. Georgia. June 2~. 1864: Peacli Tree Creek, Georgia. July 20. i8()4: siege of Atlanta. Cieorgia. July 22 to September 2, 1864; siege of Savannah. December loth to December 21, 1864; and South Edisoe river. South Carolina. February 12. 1865. After his return home Mr. IJeardslec resumed blacksmithiug. which he has fol- lowed since the age of thirteen years. In the year 1872 he was united in marriage to >.liss Christine Henderson, who died March 8, 1899. since which time he has lived alone. He has two children, .\nnie and Estella. The former married William Young in 1897. and they reside in New ^'ork city, her husband being a prominent and Ijright young business man there. The other daughter also resides in New \'ork city, aufl is a professional nurse, making her home with her sister. Mr. Beardslee has spent his entire life in Schuyler county and has a wide acquaintance, many of those who have known him from boyhood being num- bered anionc his stanch friends. FRE.MOXT COLi':. One of the most distinguished members of the bar of the Empire state, I'remont Cole is alniosl f(|n:dlv well known on the northern Pacific coast ami in both sections of the country his leadership in political cir- cles is recognized. Schuyler county is proud to number him among her residents, but while he makes W'alkins his head(|uar- ters. he is a man of too great talent and abil- it\- to belong to one communitx . Mr. Cole is yet a young man. 1 le was born on the i8th of September. 1856. on a farm in the town of Covert, Seneca county, a son of Ira H. and Carf)line ( Dennison) Cole. Tiie father, who was born in 18 17, is still living at the age of eighty-live years on the farm on which his birth occurred and on which th.e grandfather of our subject had settled in the year 1801. Upon the ancestral farm I'remont Cole spent the days of his boyhood and youth, attending first the dis- trict schools and later the Union school of I'armersville, then taught by Professor Isaac W. Stout, now supervisor of the teachers' institutes of the state of New York, .\fter completing his education Mr. Cole was em- ployed in railway offices for a few months, but his ambition was to become a lawyer and in April. 1877. he entered the law office of Judge Oliver P. Hurd. of W'atkins. under whose ilirection he coutimied his reading until admitted to the bar in May. 1880. Entering upon j^ractice in connection with W, L. Norton, the district attorney, under the tirm name of Norton & Cole, the pirt- nership was continued for about a year, after which Mr. Cole was alone until his brother was admitted to the bar and joined him in a partnership relation that was continued un- til 1890. when, attracted by the northwest, our subject removed to Seattle, where he practiced for five years, lie then estab- lished an office in New ^'ork and now h.is an extensive i)ractice. reaching across the Continent. \\\^ '\< -i illsiiiu-tixcK- rciircs^nt'i- >52 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD live clientage, connecting him witli much of the important litigation tried in the courts of the Empire state. In 1888, in Watkins, Mr. Cole marricl Miss Charlotte Roberts, a daughter of Cy- rus and Frances (Shei^perd) Roberts, both of whom belonged to prominent pioneer families of the town of Reading. Schuyler county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cole has been born a daughter, Eaith, whose l)irth oc- curred in Watkins. From the time of attaining his majority down to the present Mr. Cole has figured in political circles, his leadership in the local ranks of the Republican party being fol- lowed by prominence in the state organiza- tion, nor is his reputation limited by the boundaries of New York. Of the questions concerning the public welfare, of the domi- nant issues before the people and of the con- cerns of public policy, he has I)een a close, earnest and discriminating student, and as a logical, forceful speaker and with natural fitness for leadership, he soon became a po tent factor in the councils of his party. In 1884 he was chosen to represent his district in tlie general assembly, where he served for five successive terms, and in 1888-9 he was the speaker of the house. An excellent par- liamentarian, a man of profound legal learn- ing, and one who placed the good of the commonwealth liefore partisanship or per- sonal aggrandizement, he proved one of the best presiding otVicers the house has ever had, and while an active working member of the house he secured the passage of a numljer of legislative measures of much value, which were heartily endorsed by his constituents, as shown by the many times he was re-elected to the office. In 1894. while living in Seattle, he became the candi- date of his party for state senator, but ow- ing- to the fusion of the Democratic and I'opulist forces on the silver issue he was defeated by ninety-two votes, being a pro- nounced advocate of the gold standard. Soon afterward Mr. Cole returned to Wat- kins and while making his home here he has since engaged in the practice of law in the courts of the state, being one of the emi- nent members of the New- York bar. WILLIAM JOHX TUCKER. William John Tucker is well entitled to representation in the history of Schuyler cfjunty, for he is a citizen of distinction and ])romincnce who many times has been hon- ored with offices of public trust and who in the Masonic fraternity has attained to high rank and is widely known as a worthy ex- emplar of the craft which is based upon nuitual heljjfulness and brotherly kindness. He is now filling the position of county sher- iff and no more worthy incumljent has ever held the office. Discharging his duties with- out fear or favor, such a man is regarded as a bulwark of safety by the law abiding citi- zens and is a menace to all evil doers. Mr. Tucker was born in the town of Or- ;ip.ge, Schuyler county, on the I7t!; of Decem- 1 or. 1853, and is a son of Alonzo and Selec- ta (Matthews) Tucker. During his early boyhood his parents removed to W'ellsboro. Penn.sylvania, and in 1872 the father went to Monterey. Xew "^'ork. He served as supervi.sor of the town of Orange and was elected county superintendent of the poor. 1 le was a tinner by trade and for many years was engaged in the hartlware business but at length met with disaster, his store being de- stroyed by fire. Widely known as an enter- THE UlUGRAl'lllCAL RECORD 253 prising', reliable niecliant and as a capable official, he commaiuletl the respect and con- fidence of bis fcilinv men and at bis deatb. wbicb occurred in October, 1888, the com- numity felt tbat it bad lust a valued citizen. His wife died in I'eljruary. u^oo. Thcs were tbe jjarents of ibree children: Will- iam J., of this review; Hattie. who is the wife of E. \\ Moore, a lousiness man of Beaver Dams; and Frank, who is engaged in merchandising in Odessa, New York. William J. Tucker began his educ ition in the district schools of tbe town of Orange and afterward coTitinued his studies in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, to which place he had accompanied his parents during boy- hood. For fourteen years be worked at the tinner's trade, having learned tbe business under tbe direction of his father, and later he went to Savona, where be embarked in tbe hardware Inisiness, conducting his anter- prise there for some years. On the expira- tion of that period be removed to Beiver Dams and four years later to Monterey, con- tinuing to successfully carry on tbat busi- ness until his election to the office of county sheriff. As a merchant be studied closely the needs and demands of tbe public and l)y liis courteous treatment of bis customers, bis reasonable prices and bis fair and honest dealing be won a liberal patronage. Mr. 'i"\icker's worth and ability being recognized by his fellow townsmen he has been frequently called to public office, and in tbe discharge of his official duties he has shown kiyalty and public spirit. He is a stalwart Republican and keeps well informed on the issues of tbe day, and is infie.xible in his support of the principles of the party. He was first elected town constable and has since served as town clerk, constable and collector, and cbairm.nn of tbe board of supervisors for one year. He was elected supervisor by a majority of forty in a Demo- cratic township. On tbe expiration tjf his first term be was ag:iin nominated, running against the man who had been his first o])po- !ie;U, and that he received the endorsement of tbe public is shown by the fact tbat he was once more elected, the second time re- ceceiving a majority of twenty-six. De Zeng Seaman was his opponent during his race for the office of sheriff, and at that elec- tion, whicli occurred in 1900, he defeated his opponent by a majority of three hundred and twenty-seven. He is now serving in tbe office in a manner tbat shows tbat the trust reposed in him is well placed. He dis- plays neither fear nor favor in discharging his official duties but stands for law, order and justice. On tbe 22(1 of June, 18S2, Mr. Tucker was unilevl in marriage to Miss Dort)tby Moore, ;i daughter of Martin and Catherine ( Putnam) ]\Ioore, nati\es oi I'ulton county, New York. Unto our subject and his wife have been bom three chiMren : Ola, who is now a student in the schools of Wat- kins; I-'rank B., who is also attending school ; and Clayton A., a little lad oi four summers. When but twenty-two years of age Mr. Tucker w.is made a member of the Masonic fraternity, becoming a member of Orange Podge, Xo. 621, F. & .\. M. He passed all oi the chairs and served as master in tbat lodge. After bis removal to Steuben coun- ty. .\e\\ York, be also served as master of Savona Podge, Xo. 762. filling tbat position with markeil ability until bis return to Schuyler county. He raised ft)rty-eigiit Masons in four years. He has i)assed all of the chairs of Orange Podge and is one of the distinguished members of the craft in this 254 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD portion of the slate. He has also taken tlie degrees of tlie cliai)ter and belongs to St. Omer's Coniniandery, No. 19, K. T. of EI- mira, and to Kalurah Temple, of Bingham- ton. Mr. Tucker is likewise connected witli Tomoka Lodge, Xo. 196. 1. O. O. I-". He is widely and favorably known throughout this portion of the .state, his ability well fitt- ing him for leadership in political, business and fraternal life. The terms progress and patriotism niii;ht well be considered the key- note of his character, for throughout his career he has labored for the improxement of every line of business or public interest with which he has been associated and at all times has been actuated by fidelity to his counlrv and welfare. HON. JOHX MAGEE. Hon. John ^Nlagce, of W'atkins. was born near Easton, Xorthampton county, I'ennsylvania, September 3. 1794. and died in Schuyler county, Xew Viirk. .\pril 5, ]868. His i)arents, Henry and Sarah ( Mul- holland) Magee, in 1794 emigrated from County Antrim, Ireland, to America, taking up their abode in what was known as the Irish settlement in the vicinity of hnston. Pennsylvania. Henry Magee was descended from an ancient Irish family, one of con- siderable note and often mentioned in the earlv annals of Ireland. His imntediate connections were hii;hl\' rcs])ectablc peo- ple, one of them, a first cousin, iieing the Rev. William Magee, D. D., a T'rotestant archbishop of Dublin, widely known as an author. In icSo5 Henry Magee removed with his family from Pennsylvania to Groveland, Livingston county, Xew "S'ork. wliere he successfully engaged in farming and was rapidly attaining a competence when, through the failure of a neighbor whose notes he had endorsed, he was re- duced to almost penury. Everything he pos.se.ssed was sold by the sheriff. He was left without any resources for the support of Ill's family, save his own strength and energy. Unfortunately, too, his wife died in the fall of 1805, and thus he had the train- ing of his children in addition to his busi- ness cares. In 1838 he removed with his f.'imily to Michigan, settling in the vicinity of Detroit, then a frontier village. The count)' was but sparsely inhabited and many difficulties and privations were en- dured and dangers were experienced by the Magees in their new home. In the early part of 1812 Mr. J^Iagee entered the Ameri- can army, and in May his son John, though not yet eighteen years of age, also enlisted for twelve months, in the rifle company of Captain A. De Quenebra, which was re- cruited at Detroit. His army e.\i)erience was a stirring one. The company immedi- ately went into active service, had a num- ber of skirmishes with hostile Indians and took part in the battle of Brownstown, Aug- ust 8. and as a part of General Hull's army was surrendered to the British on the i6th of the .same month. John M;igee remained a prisoner on parole initil Jamiary. 1813. when he was sent with a body of ca|)tured troops at St. Catherine's, Canada West, and thence across the country to Fort George. In March. 1813. he obtained his release, and at once joined the mounted rangers un- der command of Alajor Cyrenius Chapin. The capture of Forts Erie and (icorge by the .\merican army under General Dearborn forced the I'.rilish troops to retreat, and .scattered their supplies all over the country. n^.^ THE BlOGRAnilCAL RECORD 257 Tlie supplies tlie mounted rangers busied themselves in gritliering and found furtlier occupation in making numerous foraging expeditions between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. ' .At the battle of Beaver Dam, near St. Catherine's, in June, 1813, John .Magee was again taken prisoner. The irk- someness of confinement, coupled witli a natural desire for youthful freedom, proved more potent than the logic of his command- ing oflicer, who attempted to dissuade him from trying to regain his freedom. Ob- taining possession of a liorse he lost no time in mounting and, although discovered, set off at full speed across the lines to Fort George, followed by a perfect hail of bul- lets. On the way his companions were ex- cited by the piteous pleadings of a small boy who begged to be permitted to ride behind him on the horse and takes his chances for escape. The poor lad was, however, killed by the fire of the sentinels, while young Ma- gee escaped with slight injuries, although his clothing was pierced in several places by the balls, and his horse, wounded, fell un- der him just as he gained the .American lines. On reaching the fort he reported the disaster at P.eaver Dam. .Admiring his courage and address, the officer in command immediately appointed him a messenger to carry dispatches between Fort Niagara and Washington and to points along the fron- tier. His skill and endurance in perform- ing this duty, attended almost constantly by hardships and peril, were truly remarka- ble. On one occasion, when intrusted with dispatches of great importance to carry to the war department at Washington, he con- tinued in his saddle forty-eight hours, pro- curing fresh horses from time to time as required until he arrived at Northumber- land. Pennsylvania, when, becoming com- 15 pletely e.xhausted, he pnicures 204 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and Mari,^-iret (Hiigiiey) W'aug-h. He spent tlie first eleven years of his life in his native country and then with his parents crossed the hroad Atlantic to America, the family settling in the town of Orange, Steu- ben county, now a part of Schuyler coun- ty. There the parents remained until called to their final rest, the father passing away in 1887, \\hile the mother's death occurred in 1866. They were the parents of six chil- dren : Mary; Betsy, deceased; Margaret; William; James; and Jane, who has also passed away. From the time that he came as a boy to the new world William Waugh has always resided in this part of the Umpire state. He soon liecame thoroughly identified with American interests and upon the home farm he worked through the period of his boy- hood and youth, while in the district schools of the neigh1)orhood he acquired his Eng- lish education. The occupation to which lie was reared he has made his life work and in his inidertakings he has prospered. He has followed progressive methods and has kept in touch with the advancement of the time. He not only engages in the raising of the cereals best adapted to the soil and climate, but he also gives much attention to the cultivation of fruit and the annual sales from his orchards amount to a considerable figure. He has a broad and accurate knowl- edge concerning farming and horticulture, and, having maile a close .study of the needs of different kinds of trees and of grains, he is thus enabled to use his land to the best advantage. In 1855 Mr. W :ingli w.is vnntecl m mar- riage to Miss Margaret Hughey, a daughter of Joseph and Jane (Hughes) Hughey. The lady is a native of the town of Orange and has alwavs lived within a few miles of her birth place. By her marriage she lias become the mother of three children : Frank, w ho married Clara Pangburn ; Joseph ; and Mary Elizabeth. The family is one well known in the community, and the circle of tlieir friends is almost co-extensive with the circle of their acquaintances. Mr. ^^'augh has taken quite an active part in political afifairs and is a .stanch advo- cate of the Democratic party and its prin- ciples. His fellow townsmen recognizing his worth and ability have frequently called him to public office and he Jias served as road commissioner for fnur years. His re- ligious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church and his entire life has been in harmony with his profession. He represents one of the old families of this county and has ever taken a deep and abiding interest in the jjrogress and improvement of this section of tlie state. All who know him esteem him highly for his sterling worth for he possesses many excellencies of character. JOHN WHITF OGDEX. John White Ogden. who is filling the position of collector of school taxes for the \\'atkins Union school district and is also constable for the town of Dix, was Iwrn in tlie town of \^'ayne. Steuben county, Oc- tober 4. 183:. and when l)ut two years of age was taken by his parents, Horace and Mary (White) Ogden, to Irelandville, in Reading township, where the father engaged in mer- cantile'pursuits from 1833 "'iti' 1836. He then sold out to William Ilaring and re- moved to \\'atkins, A\here he began working at his trade of harness-making, which he fol- lowed up to the time of his death, residing THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 265 continuously in \\'atkins, with tlie exception of a period of eigliteen months, which he passed in ^lillport, where he con(hicted a liotel. He then returned to W'atkins and once more engaged in the harness business. In liis pohtical views he was a Democrat and cast his first vote when only eighteen years of age. He was elected justice of tlie peace, serving for four years and after an interval was again chosen to that office. At the time of his first term he was elected associate jus- ice at Elmira and in 1853 he was postmaster of Watkins, serving in that capacity until 1858. Xo dicision which he ever rendered on the liench was ever reversed and his course was truly equitable, fair and just. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of \\*atkins and in his life exemplified the helpful brotherly spirit of that fraternity. His death occurred Mav 12, 1878. ^vhen he \\as about seventy years and twelve day of age, for he was born May I. 1S08. In his family were two children, .one of whom died in infancy, while John White of this review is the only survivor of the family. \\'hen a mere lad John White Ogden and his mother accompanied the husband and father on a trip to New York city, fur at that time Mr. Ogden was engaged in boat- ing on the Chemung and Erie canals in Xew "\'r)rk, following that business in the '40s. When sixteen years of age our subject be- came his father's assistant in this business and in 1848, in connection with his father, he bought a boat and coneen established here by the great-grandfather of our subject who cast in his lot with tlie pioneers who were re- claiming the district for the uses of the white race. The paternal grandfather was Free Gift P. Hager, of Logan. Fie of whom we write pursued his edu- cation in the public schools of Logan, and after putting aside his text books entered upon his business career as a clerk in the store of which he is now proprietor. This establishment was then the property of Coyle & Sargent, for whom Mr. Hager Avorked for three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased Mr. Sargent's interest, becoming a partner of Mr. Coyle, and has since been identified with merchan- dising here. In 1891 Mr. Coyle died and his interest in the business was purchased by Mr. Howard. The firm of Hager & How- ard was then formed and the partner.ship was maintained for about seven years, when in 1898 our subject purchased his partner's in- terest and has since been alone in business. He carries a good and well selected stock of general merchandise and his trade is increas- ing because of his fair dealing, his reason- able prices and his e.-irne>t desire to please his customers. On the 19th of September. 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Hager and Miss Ida M. Close, a daughter of Edwin and Mary (Coggin) Close. Three children have been born imto them, Mabel Emma, Charles Earl and Harold \'ose, all of whom 268 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD are still with tiieir parents. Socially Mr. Hager is connected with the Knights of Pyth- ias, of North Hector, his meniljership be- ing in Hector Lodge, X'o. 311. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, taking an active part in its work and contributing generously to its support for a quarter of a century. He has served as church steward for about fifteen years, has been chorister and for a number of years has served as Sunday-school superintendent. In his po- litical views he is an earnest Republican and was a delegate to the state convention in New York city in 1900. As a business man he has been conspicuous among his associ- ates, not only for his success but for his probity, fairness and honorable methods. In everything he has been eminently prac- tical and this has been manifest not only in his business undertakings, but also in his private and social life. HORACE J. BALDWIN. The lives of few men illustrate more clearly the truth of the saying that success is not a matter of genius but the outgrowth of e.xperience, sound judgment and enter- prise. Horace Jerome Baldwin is now liv- ing a retired life in the enjoyment of a com- fortable competence and is the possessor of consideral)le valuable property and yet in his early life he had no capital and for many years he labored early ami late in order to gain a living. Such a life record should serve as a source of encouragement to others. Mr. Baldwin was liorn in Burdett, Schuyler county, January 8, 1825, a son of Willis and Phcbe (Velsie) Baldwin, who removed to W'alkins in the fall before their son was three years of age. The paternal grandparents were Joseph and Rosanna (Melvey) Baldwin, who lived and died in Connecticut, the grandfather there carry- ing on manufacturing interests and becom- ing a wealthy man. Their son Willis was born in Bran ford, Connecticut, December 25, 1758. His wife was twice married, her first husband having been William Kinner, by whom she had four children. By her marriage to Mr. Baldwin she became the mother of ten children. The father of our subject was a Democrat, but never sought ofiice. He held membership in the Masonic lodge in Ithaca before the establishment of a lodge in Watkins, and he died in the lat- ter city, October 14. 1831. His wife sur- \ived him until December 17, 1845, when she passed away at the age of sixty-se^■en years, one month and twenty-nine days. In the common schools Mr. Baldwin, of this review, obtained his education, but in his youth he largely had to assist his mother, who was left with the care of a large family upon the father's death. When a youth of fifteen he began to learn the carpenter's trade and was to receive his board and five dollars per month the first year, ten dollars per month the second year, and fifteen dol- lars the third year. Mr, Baldwin was thus employed until he attained his majority, and tlien determined to engage in other business. Knowing that he coul tion to other business concerns. He had be- come a stock-holder in the Glen City laundry and at once became its manager, in which THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 271 capacity he lias since served. This is tii.e only laundry in Watkins and is doing a llonrishing business, not only having a large local patronage but also receiving the sup- port of the adjoining territory for many miles. Mr. Shulenburg is a capable business man and has the respect and confidence of all with whom he has been associated. In public affairs he has also figured prom- inently for a number of years and is ever prompt and faithful in the discharge of the duties devolving" upon him. In 1887 he ^vas elected overseer of the poor of the town of Dix and held that office for two years, so managing the affairs of the institution that its expense to the tax holders was decreased fifty per cent. In December, 1890, he was appointed to the office of county superinten- dent of the poor to fill the unexpired term of Charles \V. Davis, and during the three suc- ceeding terms he was elected to the office and succeeded in reducing the expense about seventy-live per cent, while the pauperism of the county was lessened until from two hundred and thirty-four inmates of the poor farm the numl^er was decreased to twenty. In 1902 Mr. Shulenburg refused to again become the candidate for the office. He had always been elected on the Republican ticket and is regarded as one of the leading mem- bers of the party in the locality, having been one of its stanch supporters and active workers since casting his first presidential vote for U. S. Grant in 1873. He is equally prominent and honored in fraternal cir- cles. In 1879 he became a member of Jefferson Lodge, No. 332, F. & A. M., cF Watkins, and in the years 1884, 1884 and 1892 and 1893 he served as its master, while in 1886 he attended the session of the grand lodge as proxy for L. M. Gano. He likewise belongs to W'alklns Chnpler Xo. 182, R. A. M. He further continued his Masonic advancement by beconn'ng a mem- ber of St. Omer Commandery, No. 19, K. T., of Elmira, New York, and he also belongs to Hector Lodge, Xo. 311, K. P., of North Hector. On the nth of October, 1872, :Mr. Shul- enburg was united in marriage to Miss S. Elizabeth Freer, a daughter of Henry and Myra (Wilson) Freer. They have one child, Frances Grace, who is now the wife of Charles E. Rogers, a clerk in the Forbes clothing store in VVatkins. Mrs. Shulen- burg is a native of Lima, Michigan, and when about twehe years of age accompanied lier parents on their removal to Watkins. New York. Ffer father was a native of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Shulenburg have one grandchild, Harold E. Rogers. Our subject belongs to the Glen City Club of Watkins and is one of the representative men here. His activity in business has re- sulted in due recognition of labor and to- day he is numbered among the substantial citizens of his commimit)-. His genial man- ner, his deference for the opinion of others and his upright character have won him warm personal regard and the circle of his friends is almost co-extensive with the cir- cle of his acquaintances. IRA CARVER. Ira Car\er is a young man and yet he has been quite successful in business and has shown himself a worthy and enterprising citizen, who well deserves to be classed among the representative men of Schuyler county. He was born in the town of Caton, Steuben county, in the year 1872, .md is a 272 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD son of John Carver, who comes of an old English family and was a native of Suffolk, England. In early life he left the old world and crossed the Atlantic to America, taking up his abode in Caton, where he followed the butcher's trade for twenty years. In the con- duct of his market he met with success, secur- ing a liberal patronage, which annually re- turned to him a good financial income. He married Maggie McXamara, and unto them was bom but one child, Ira, whose name in- troduces this record. At the usual age Ira Carver entered the public schools, and therein mastered the branches of Enghsh learning which consti- tute the curriculum of such institutions. After putting aside his text books he worked upon the farm for eight years, and then learned the blacksmith's trade. He -after- ward went to Canisteo, New York, where he entered the employ of F. B. Belhron, with whom he remained for three years. On the expiration of that period he removed to De- posit, Delaware count}-, New York,where he entered into partnership with John Turner, in the establishment of a smithy. This re- lation was maintained for two years, on the expiration of which period ^Mr. Carver re- moved to Elmira, New York, making his home there for two years. He next came to Montour Falls, and has since been engaged in blacksmithing here. He is an expert work- n;an, having thoroughly mastered his trade in principle and detail, and because of his skill and ability combined with his correct business principles, he has acquired a large and growing trade. He is well known and is a popular young man of Montour Falls. In his social relations he is a member of Moun- tain Lodge, No. 503, 1. O. O. F., of Canisteo, and politically is identified with the Republi- can party. On the 31st of May, 1893, Mr. Carver was united in marriage to Miss Anna Ploss, and to them has been born one son, Aubrey, now seven years of age. Mrs. Carver was born in Jasper, Steuben county, New York, March 11, 1876, and was educated in the public schools of that place. She was reared by her maternal grandparents, Simeon H. and Ami M. (France) Ploss, whose family were early settlers of Jasper, having located in that section in pioneer days. They were originally from Schoharie county, New York. Simeon H. Ploss, who was a farmer by occupation, was born in Cherry Valley, New York, about 1823, and died May 8, 1884, while his wife was born in Schoharie, in 1825, and died March 28, 1898. Mrs. Carver's mother was Nancy E. Ploss, who died on the twenty-seventh anniversary of her birth, February 7, 1880. She had four children : Anna J., now the wife of our sub- ject; Emma J., wife of F. C. Laine, of Sara- toga, New York; Clarence \V., a resident of Montour Falls; and Russell Otis, who died at the age of fourteen months. HON. \^TLLIAM II. WAIT. By the death of this honorable and up- right citizen Watkins and Schuyler county sustained an irreparable loss and were de- pri\ed of the presence of one who had come to be looked upon as a guardian, benefactor, and friend. Death often removes from our midst one whom we can ill afford to spare, those whose lives have been all that is ex- emplary- of the true and thereby really great citizai. Such a citizen was Mr. Wait, whose whole career, in a business way, politically and socially, served as a model to the young and as an inspiration to the aged. He shed WM. H. WAIT THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 275 a brightness around everything witli wliich he came in contact and by his usefulness and general benevolence he created a memory whose perpetuation does not depaid upon brick or stone, but upon the spontaneous and free-will ofifering of the grateful and eirlightened people. Xo citizen did more for W'atkins than Mr. Wait. His connec- tion with its development and growth and with the work of improvement was largely; instrumental in placing \\'atkins in the posi- tion which it to-day occupies. A native of Rensselaer county, Xewi "^I'ork. Mr. Wait was born at Hoosic Cor- ners, on the 26th of July, 1842. and was a son of X^athan and Maria (Bowers) Wait, being their only child. The father was a na- tive of Seneca county, Xew York, and af-- ter removing to Hoosic Corners became an extensive manufacturer of cotton goods, ac- quiring a very gratifying competence through the careful control of his business interests. He a,fterward removed to the town of Hector, then in Tompkins county, tcrking up his abode there in the year 1843. He served as justice of the peace for several years and was also elected justice of the .ses- sions. In his political affiliations he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. He gave an earnest support to the principles in which he believed. He remained a resi- dent of the town of Hector until his death, which ocurred on the 23d of October, 1863, while his wife, who long survived him, I^assed away in 1889. William- H. \\'ait was but two years of age when his parents removed to Schuyler county, and upon the home farm he was reared, while his education was acquired under the direction of Professor Gilette, in his famous old time school at Peach Orch- ard. Later he pursued a course of study in 16 the Rochester Business College. L'pon ka\ing school he returned to the home farm and devoted his energy to agricultural pur- suits until he was elected county treasurer, when he removed to Watkins. In 1881 Iig . established the I'armers and Merchants Bank, in which he associated with him his son George, and in the conduct of the enter- prise he was engaged up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 13th of Feb- ruary, i(jo2. lie made this one of the lead- ing financial institutions of the county, chielly because of the safe, conservative business policy which he inaugurated and because of the uniform confidence which was reposed in William H. Wait as a man of ir- reproachable business integrity. In 1888 he was again elected county treasurer and still higher political honors awaited him, for in the year 1891 he was chosen to represent his district in the general assembly, whert' he served so capably and with such fidelity to the interests of his constituents that in 1892 he was re-elected. As presidential elector he represented the twenty-eighth district of X'cw York in 18S0 when Garfield and Arthur were chosen for the two highest executive offices within the gift of the peo- ple of the nation. Various local public offices were conferred upon Mr. Wait. In 1887 and 1888 he served as supervisor of the town of Dix, W'hile for several years he was one of the water and sewer commissioners of the village, serving as president of that l)oard at the time of his death. The cause of education also found in him a warm friend and for a number of terms he served as a member of the school board, doing exerything in his power to raise the stand- ard of intellectual development among the young of this locality. There was no in- terest or movement that gave promise of 276 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD promoting" the welfare and substantial up- building of Watkins and the county that did not receive the endorsement and co-opera- tion of Mr. W'ait, who became a valued citi- zen, his worth to the community being widely acknowledged. In the year 1872 Mr. W'ait was united in marriage to Miss ]Mary E. W'ickham, the only child of George C. and Martha Wick- ham, of Hector. Theirs was an ideal home life, their mutual love and confidence in- creasing as the years passed, and the devo- tion of the husband and father to the happi- ness of the W'ife and children was most no- ticeable. He counted no personal sacrifice on. his part too great if it would advance the welfare of his family. There were five chil- dren born of this union, four of whom are still living, namely: George C, who is president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Watkins ; Esther W. ; Robert D. ; and William B. Upon removing to Wat- kins Mr. ^Vait purchased the Magee house at the corner of Decatur and Fifth streets and there the family are still living. Mrs. Wait, a most estimable lady, holds member- ship in the Presbyterian church and Mr. \\''ait contributed generously to the support of the church. He held membership in the Masonic fraternity and was a gentleman of broad humanitarian spirit, whose region was not that of profession but of practice, for the poor and needy found in him a friend and the distressed a ready sympa- thizer, and the principles of an upright man- hood were ever manifest in his business and social relations. The news of no death ever came with a greater shock to the people of Watkins than that of Hon. William H. Wait, who on Saturday evening as he was returning from home spoke to friends concerning his health, saying that he liad never felt better. A few moments later he arrived at his own residence and while turning to greet a friend who was visiting there he fell unconscious to the floor, passing away a few moments later, the physician pronouncing the cause of his death as heart disease. One of the local pa- pers said of him : "Personally Mr. Wait was held in high esteem by a very large circle of friends. Perhaps there was no man in our count}- who was better known, and from whom advice and assistance were more often sought. He was a man of few words, always a notably good listener, though he could, when he felt strongly on a sul)ject, express himself both forcibly and Huently. In general, however, he gave thoughtful consideration to the subject under discussion, viewing it from different sides, and the conclusion he came to was pretty apt to be correct. He was thus a man of good judgment, a conservative, reliable man of the right temperament to make a safe and successful banker. As such he has always enjoyed and merited the confidence of the community, and his bank has usually been the depository of much public money — county, town and school. Mi. Wait al- ways gave earnest attention to his civic du- ties and to the duties devolving upon him as a public ofificial or member of a board, and it is not too much to say that no other citizen of our county would be more missed." < « » GEORGE C. W.MT. George C. Wait is the president of the Farmers and ^Merchants Bank of Watkins, Xew York, and in the house in which he THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 277 yet lives he was burn July 4. 1-S74. liis pa- rents being William H. and ^lary E. (Wickham) Wait. He is their eldest son and luuler the parental roof ho spent his boyhood tlays, acquiring his education in the schools of Watkins. When about sev- enteen years of age he began assisting his father in the Farmers and Merchants Bank, which Mr. Wait, Sr., had established ill the year 1881, and from that time down to the present the subject of this review has been an active factor in the control of the institution of which he is now at the head. For some time he served as assistant cashier of the bank and upon his father's death he was chosen by the other members of the family to act as its president. The com- iTicndable business policy which had been instituted at the time of the organization of the bank has been maintained under the di- rection of George C. Wait, who is a young man of excellent business ability and execu- tive force, possessing a thorough knowl- edge of the banking business, while keen sa- gacity and marked energy are numbered among the strong points of his character. But while Mr. Wait has gained a dis- tinctive position in financial circles he is also recognized as a leader in the political ranks of the Republican party and in 1896, following in his father's footsteps, he cast his first presidaitial ballot for William Mc- Kinley. Even previous to this time, how- ever, he had been a student of tlie political issues and questions of the day and was able t(j maintain his position in argument. He has served as a delegate to various conven- tions of his party and in IQOO he was elected county treasurer of Schuyler county, in which capacity he is now serving, the duties of the position being discharged with promptne^'i. fidelity, method and accuracv. When twenty-two years of age he became a member of Jefferson Lodge, Xo. 332, F. & A. yi., of Watkins, and he now belongs to Watkins Chapter, No. 182, R . A. M.; St. Omer's Commandery, K. T., of Elniira; and Kalurah Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Bingliamton, New York. TRUMAN G. BEECHER. Truman G. Beecher, now deceased, whose family resides in Di.K township, near ]3eaver Dams, Schuyler county, was one of the worthy citizens that the Green Moun- tain state furnished to New York. His l.'irth occurred on the 21st of May, 1831, in llinesburg, Chittenden county, Vermont, and he represented one of the old families of that state, which was probably estab- lished there in early colonial days. His father, Almon Beecher, was born in Hines- bvirg. in 1806, and was reared in the place i)f his nativity, after which he married Han- nah Baldwin and they became the parents of three children : Harmon, Jane S. and Tru- man G.. all now deceased. A common-school education prepared Truman G. Beecher for the practical and responsible duties of a business career. He continued his studies until eighteen years of age, and then started out in life for himself. He had been a resident of Schuyler county since 1835. Here he followed farming to a considerable extent and also engaged in speculating in land. He was a man of good business aiiility, resourceful and entei-pris- ing. an.d his keen discernment cnableil him to so place his investments that he accumu- lated a gocil property. The farm which his widow now owns is pleasantly located near licavcr Dams, in Dix township. It has be- 2/8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD come very productive under her care and supervision antl constitutes one of the most valuable tracts of land in that portion of the county. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey, Mr. Beecher chose ^liss Minerva Brisco, their marriage being celebrated on the 29th of September, 1858. The lady is a daughter of Xathan and Clarissa (Van Gorder) Brisco. Her father was born in Connecticut, September 24, 1796, and on the 1st of January, 1824, he married Clar- issa \'an Gorder. They became the parents of the following named : Roxanna, the eld- est, married Charles Brown, who was a farmer and died ]\Iay 24, 1901, at an ad- vanced age. His widow, however, still lives in the town of Veteran, Chemung count}'. Isiiac, the second member of the Brisco family, is deceased. Clarissa is the wife of Erving Hewett, by whom she has three sons, Myron H., Frank A. and Charles B., and theirs is one of the best homes of Montour Falls. Charlotte is the widow of L. H. Crandall, who resided in Pine Valley, New York, and died in 1893, since which tim^ Mrs. Crandall has lived with her son-in-law, Harry Worth, in Elmira. Minerva, now I\Irs. Beecher, is the ne.xt of the Brisco fam- ily. Matilda is the wife of Joel Mallory, a resident of Winona, Minnesota. They have two children, George and Fred. Xathan Brisco has passed away. Rowcna, the youngest of the family, is the widow of \\'allace Eronson, and since his death she has resided in Sullivanville, with her two children. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Beecher was blessed with five children. Elmer L. was married in Beaver Dams, December 10, 1882, to Miss Libbie Russell, who died in 1897, and since then he has married Miss Ella Russell. They live in Schenectady, Xew York. Mark A. married Loretta Terwilli- ger, and they also make their home in Schenectady, with their two children. Err T. and I-'lorence X. Xathan J., the third member of the family, is deceased. Clara Jane is li\ ing at home with her mother, and they have a nice residence in Beaver Dams. I'lora Emeline is the wife of W. H. Curtis, a resident of X^ew York city, and they have one child, Bradley Beecher. After a useful and well spent life Mr. Beecher passed awa\- March 28, 1888. His religious faith was in harmony with the teachings of the Universalist church. His political support was given the Republican party, and he earnestly endorsed its prin- ciples. During the years of his residence in Schuyler county, he gained a witle acquain- tance among the best class of citizens who entertained for him warm regard. WTLLIAM CRONK. William Cronk, of Montour Falls, one of the prominent citizens of central Xew York, is widely known as the superintend- ent of the Cronk Hanger Company. This company was incorporated in 1888, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, its officers being as follows : C. R. ]^ratt. a member of the law ilrm of Pratt & Joery, of Elmira, president ; C. F. Carrier, secretary and treas- urer; and William Cronk, superintendent. 'i"he factory of the company is located at Montour i-'alls, where a force of about eighty skilled workmen are employed. The Cronk family is of English extrac- tion, and the first to come to America were tliree brothers, who located on Long Island. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 279 From one of these sprang Arnold Cronk, our subject's fatlier. who was torn in W'est- cliester county. Xew York, and was a son ot John Cronk. The latter's father was James t ronk, wlio served witli distinction as a cap- tain in the Revohitionary war, and who had a brother, Jacob, who was killed in the ser- vice. Our subject's great-uncle. Jliraia Cronk. was a soldier of the war of 181 2, and is still li\ing'. having celebrated his one hundred and second birthday on the 28th of .\pril. igo2. When a lad of sixteen years Arnold Cronk accompanied a brother, three years older than himself, to Seneca county, the two making the journey on foot. The father of our subject was a man of great determination and force of character, and after coming to this part of the state workeil for a time at whatever he could find to do, and finally settled down to farming, which vocation he followed through life. He lived for several years in Seneca. Schuyler and Chemung counties, and at the time of his death was three score years and ten. Arnold Cronk was one of a family of four sons and one daughter. He was married to Miss Mary Howell, a native of Xew Jersey, who was of German extraction, and lived to be seventy-seven years of age. The union was blessed by the birth of eleven children of whom Henry, Jonathan and Catharine, the l.'.tter now the widow of Reswell Wakely, live in Montour l-'alls. Abbie is the wife of Orrin J. Stone, and resides in Elmira. J';hn is a resident of O.sborne, Kansas. William, of this sketch, was the seventh in order of birth. Xelson and .Mbert are residents of Montour I'alls. Mary, now Mrs. Frank Smith, n^akes her home at IJinghamton. ^Varren is living in Horseheads. \\'^illiam Cronk was born in the town of Dix, this county, May 30, 1837. and was there reared to the life of a farmer, in the meantime closely pursuing his studies in the common schools. On attaining his eight- eenth year he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade, at which he worked for a l^eriod of ten years. About that time he abandoned the vocation and engaged in the hardware business, conducting a paying en- terprise for fourteen years. Mr. Cronk is a natural machinist, and in 1885 in a small way began the manufacture of the Cronk barn door hanger, of which he was the in- \entor. The business grew to such propor- tions that the present company was incor- porated in 1888. He has full charge of the mechanical work, and designs and manu- factures all the machinery used in turning out his numerous inventions. In all his un- dertakings it has been his ambition to excel, and he has devoted himself with ardor to the ])roduction of a class of specialties which would not only vie in excellence and utility with both domestic and imported wares, but when once introduced and tested, would be preferred .by dealer and consumer alike over all other similar productions. That he has succeeded in tins laudable endeavor there is no longer any doubt, as the superiority' attained in the manufacture of his inventions is such as to have created a ]>ermanent and constantly increasing demand from all jiarts of the coiuitry. Paying close and undixided at- tention to the e.xcellence of their productions rather than to the amount of sales or mone- tary retinues, the company's trade has stead- ily grown from year to year, until they have reached a high mark in their industry, of which they have every reason to be ])roud. Their resources are ample, their facilities for rapid and perfect productions are comjilete 28o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD and conipreliensive, and the quality of their goods can be implicitly relied upon. The Cronk Manufacturing Company have re- cently made an addition to their factory, and now ha\-e a large cutlery department, known as the Carrier Cutlery Company, from which is liu^ned out an extra cjuality of pocket knives. They also handle the new Cronk griddle, which is so devised that the heat is equally distributed over the eiuire upper surface and very desirable results are ob- tained in cake baking. One of their best sell- ing articles is the sliding door latch with at- tachment for lock, also the Queen City six- bladed chopping knife, which is made so strong and durable as to give satisfaction in eveiy respect. The company have for sale the patent expansive rubber valve for chain puni])s. which was patented in 1886 and of which a great numljer have been sold. The plier department is one of their most imix)r- tant departments, doing the largest business of any concern in the United States engaged in the manufacture of pliers, and they make a large line of trimming shears different from those manufactured by any other house. Cronk's anti-friction and steel barn door hanger is made from heavy steel and is so arranged that it will carry the door with perfect ease. The double braced steel rail is braced so that it will not sag and is by far the best and strongest rail in the market. The adjustable stay roller is made with wrought steel straps and a cast block with a slot in it, so that it can be easily adjusted. Cronk's inside adjustal)le stay is simple and durable, and is nuich better than a cleat nailed on the lloor, for it avoids all friction and leaves no place for dirt to accumulate. The garden rake and garden mattock are both articles of superior make and find ready markets. During the hard times which succeeded the \\'orld's Fair, the Cronk Manufacturing Company continued to run full force, and even then were not able to fill all their orders promptly. They man- ufacture Cronk's combination gas pliers, pruning shears, hedge shears and wire cut- ter and bender. In March, 1898, a dis- astrous fire destroyed all their buildings, but by the ist of the following July they were running again in their own building. In i860 Mr. Cronk was united in mar- riage to ^liss Mary E. Brink, a native of Sclnu'ler county, and the daughter of Sam- uel Brink, a prominent resident of this sec- tion. To them have been born three chil- dren, namely: Elmer L., Edna G. and Grace \'. Mr. Cronk is a Republican in politics and, although never an office seeker, has been an official member of the school board for the past twenty-two years, serv- ing several years of that time as president. He has represented his fellow-townsmen as trustee of the village board for many years,, and for several years was its president. In religious affairs he is one of the valued mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has been president of the board of trustees. Too much cannot be said in praise of the in- terest he has taken in the growth and devel- opment of the industrial portion of Montour I'alls, as during his entire life here he has taken an acti\e part in all its progressive measures. WllJ.l.XM DE ZEXG SEAMAN. The prosperity of any comnumity, town fir city tlepends u))on its commercial activity, its intlustrial interests and its trade relations, and therefore the real upbuilders of a town are those who stand at the head of its im- THE lilUGRAl'HlCAL RECORD 281 portant enterprises. Mr. Seaman is a pro- gressive, wide-awake business man now jictiveiy engaged in the ice trade and in gen- eral contracting. He was born in Ontario county, New York, March 4, 1836, liis par- ents being Orison and Sarah (Kress) Sea- man. To the public school system of Wat- kins he is indebted for the educational privileges he enjoyed, his parents having re- moved to this town when he was only ten years of age. When his school life was ended he began work on the canals, acting as a boatman for a quarter of a century. He ran away from home in order to do this, through a long period he served as a Ixjat- man between Buffalo and New York city. In the meiintime he was drafted for service in the war of the Rebellion, but sent a sub- stitute to the front. In 1881, with the cap- ital he had acquired through his own energy-, diligence and economy, he embarked in bus- iness on his own account as a dealer in ice in Watkins, and this enterprise has since claimed his attention. He has secured a good patronage which returns to him a de- sirable income. He is also engaged in gen- eral contracting here. He owns stone quarries and sand pits, and furnishes con- tracts for sand and stone used in building operations in this portion of the state. He is a man of soinid business judgment and keen sagacity, and in the control of his af- fairs has met very creditable and gratifying r-i;ccess. On the 4th of March, 1858, Mr. Sea- man was united in marriage to Miss Emily, M. Beckwith, a daughter of Charles S. and Sarah (Foster) Beckwith. They became the l,>arents of three children : Carrie Ann, who married George Case and is now deceased; Lillian, the wife of F. R. Knapp; and Anna B., the wife of Fred l.adow. Mrs. Seaman was called to her final n.>i .\prii o, iSyi, w hen about fifty years of age, her birth hav- ing occurred February 20, 1841. On the 6ih of August, 1893, Mr. Seaman was again married, liis second union being with l"rances Smith, a daughter of Henry Martin and Catherine (Smith) Smith. In his religious faith Mr. Seaman is a Baptist, attending the .services of that church flit hough he is not a member. Politically he is a Democrat, and has been honored with local offices, having served as trustee of A\'atkins for three years, and supervisor of the town of Reading for several terms. He belongs to \\'atkins Lodge, No. 225, A. O. U. W., of Watkins, in which he has filled all of the offices, and is now grand master. He likewise holds membership with Canada- saga Lodge, No. 196, I. O. O. F., of Wat- kins, has passed all of the chairs, and in 1899 served as representative to the grand lodge. In political thought and action he has al- ways been independent, carrying out his honest views without fear or favor. In busi- ness he has achieved success through honor- able effort, untiring industry and capable management, and in private life he has gained that warm personal regard which arises from true nobility of character, defer- ence to the ojiinions of others, kindliness and genialit)'. LUTHER C. STALE Y. The story of the suffering and bravery of those whci wore the blue uniform and fought for the preservation of the Union, now so great and prosperous, can not Ijc told too often. It is especially well that those of the younger generations should have im- pressed upon their minds that the liberty and 282 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD happiness wliicli they eiijoy freely now was purchased for them at an awful price and though naught but actual civil war can give the picture in its entirety, a faint i'lea of what it means can he gained in the perusal of the history of those who have experienced the horrors of war in many of its worst phases. Luther C. Stale\' joined the army as a de- fender of the L'nion and made a great sacri- fice for its preservation. I'or many years he has been unable to engage actively in busi- ness, owing to ill health as a result of his mil- itary e.xperience. Mr. Staley was born on the loth of -\ug- ust, 1844, in the town of Dix, Schuyler county. His father. Jacob H. Staley, was a native of New Jersey, born February 4, 1796, and in the year 1818 he married Miss Estiier Robin.son. They became the parents of ten children, of whom (ieorge and I'rad- ley are now deceased, while Joseph, the fourth member of the family, has also passed away. John, the eldest living son, is a resi- dent of Ithaca, Xew York, and married Emi- line Kane, by whom he had three children, Arminda, .\delaide and Taber. Roljert, a resident of Xew York, wedded Adeline Keene. Luther C. is the ne.xt of the family. Margaret is the widow of Robert Helpen and resides in Odes.sa, Schuyler county, and their children are Robert, John, Ann, Esther, Elizabeth and Marilla. After the death of Mr. Helpen his widow became the wife of -Manson Kendall. Malinda is the wife of James McDonald, by whom she has three children, Henry, Ella and Isaiah. Jane is the wife of John Wade and they have seven chil- dren, Mary, Margaret, Martin, Jacob, Esther, Radley and Salina. Sallie, the youngest member of the Staley family, is the wife of Patrick Magee, a resident of Horse- heads, Xew York, and their children are Esther, Edward, Sarah, Jay, Ida and Philip. Reared under the parental roof to habits of industry and economy, Luther C. Staley has found that the lessons which he learned and the habits which he formed have been important elements in his success in later years. He left school at the age of thirteen, and was but eighteen years of age when he joined the army, enlisting on the 23d of August, 1862, under the command of Captain Pursonious, of Company G, Fiftieth Regiment of Volunteer Engineers. He served until the 17th of July, 1865, when the war having ended, he received an honorable discharge and returned home. On again reaching" Schuyler county he took up the work of a marine engineer. In the year 1 87 1 lie chose as a companion and helpmate, for life's journey. Miss Eunice .\. Mastin, a daughter of DeWitt and Dor- othy (Kniffen) Mastin, who are residents of Geneva, Xew York. In their family were eight children: Isaac P., the eldest, is mar- ried and lives in Cleveland. Ohio, and has two children. Sophia J. is tiie wife of Charles Du B(jis, of Moreland, Schuyler county, and they have two children, Carrie and Burton. George D. is married and, with his wife and one child, resides in Michigan. Xile F. is a resident of Montana, where he is engaged in gold mining. Fannie I', makes her home in Gaieva, New York, with her brother, Daniel. Matthew is deceased. Daniel, be- fore mentioned, is the next meir.ber of the family. Edith, now deceased, completes the record. At the time of their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Staley removed to their present home, in Dix township, near Moreland, where they have since lived. Mr. Staley was connected with the .\nchor line for nine years as an en- gineer on freighters running between Piuffa- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 2S3 lo and Toledo, and was also in the service of the Erie Railroad for two years on a tug running out of Xew York city, and for about eighteen years was an engineer on the lakes of central Xew York. As the years progressed, however, his health failed more and more, as the result of his army experiences, until now he is unable to engage in any ^vork, but the gov- ernment grants him a pension as a partial recognition of his services, although the na- tion owes to him a debt of gratitude that it can never repay. He endorses the Republi- can part}-, believing that its principles con- tain the best elements of good government, and his right of franchise is therefore e.xer- cisecl in support of its men and measures. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church, of which he has long been a member. JOSIAII n. EX'ERTS. Josiah Banker Everts is the official sten- ographer of Schuyler county, and through the years of his business career has been con- nectetl with this profession, in which he has attained marked proficiency. He was Ixirn in the village of Farmer, Seneca county. Xew York, February 25, 1861, a son of Charles H. and Eliza A. (Banker) Everts. They re- moved to Scliuyler county, locating in Wat- kins, when our subject was only almut three or four years of age. The son attended the public schools of this town and afterward continued his education in Starkey Seminary tin'ough two terms. fi)llin\ed by study in .Alfred C'niversity. in .\ilegany county. New York, in which institution he was grad- uated with the class of 1885. Mr. E\erts then took up the study of law with his father, but becoming convinced tiiat stenography would prove a more paying pro- fession, he abandoned his law course and be- gan preparing for shorthand writing. In- deed, he had already taken up the study in his father's office, and perfecting himself in the work he was appointed, in 1887, sten- ographer for the Xew York state reforma- tory, which position he occupied for two years. He held two different positions there, receiving si.xty dollars per month after the first month. On leaving the reformatory he came to Watkins and was appointed an offi- cial stenographer for Seneca and Schuyler counties, acting in that capacity continuously through fifteen years. He also teaches a class of shorthand pupils. While at the reformatory Mr. Everts was married on the 9th of Ma\-, 1887. to Miss Mary B. Hardin, of Montour Falls, who was I)orn in Jerse>' City, X^ew Jersey, a daughter of Elisha C. and Martha (Gould) Hardin, the mother a distant relative of Jay Gould. In his political \icws Mr. Everts has been an earnest Democrat since casting his first presidential ballot for Grover Cleve- land, and for two years he served as town clerk of the town of Dix, while for nine years he filled the ofifice of justice of the peace, and only two decisions which he rendered at that time were ever reversed. A prominent Mason and a worthy exemplar of the craft, he was raisfed in Jefferson Lodge, F. & .\. M., has filled most of its offices and for two terms scr\ed as senior warden. He also be- longs to Watkins Chapter, Xo. 182, R. .\. M., in which he has held several offices, to St. Omer's Commandery, Xo. 19, K. T., of El- niira, and in the Scottish Rite he has attained to the thirty-second degree. He likewise be- longs to the Improved Order of Red Men. of Watkins, in wliich he has filled all of the 284 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD chairs, and he is a member of llic St. James Episcopal church. During Iiis long ser- \ice as court stenographer he has become widely known to the county and bar of this portion of the state, and enjoys the high es- teem of the members of the legal fraternity, as well as the many friends whom lie has gained in social life. GEORGE A. CASE. George Alfred Case, who is a representa- tive of the commercial interests of Watkins, is now engaged in dealing in ice. He was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, De- cember 4, i860, and is a son of Ephraim and Harriet (Heebe) Case. In the schools of his native town the subject of this review gained his early education which was later continued in the city of Washington, D. C. ^^'hen his literary course was completed he began learning the machinist's trade, which he followed for a year. He then became con- nected with the Pennsylvania system of rail- roads, as news agent, making his home at Williamsport. Later he became brakesman on the road, but subsequently he returned to the news business, which he conducted for ten years. On the expiration of tliat period he accepted a position in a sash and blind factory in Watkins, where he was employed continuously until 1894, when, with the cap- ital he had acquired through his energy, per- severance and business capacity, he began dealing in ice, For eight years he has car- ried on business in this line and has met with commendable and gratifying success, having a large and growing patronage, which is in- dicative of his honorable business methods and the confidence reposed in him by the public. On Christmas day of 1880 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Case and Miss Carrie M. Seaman, a daughter of W. D. and Emily M. ( Beckwith) Seaman. After the death of his first wife Mr. Case was again married on the 14th of February, 1898, his second union be- ing Carrie M. Newman, a daughter of Hosea and Sarah (Edwards) Newman. The lady is a native of Steuben county, New York, born Januar)' 24, 1869, and has become the mother of two children. Pearl and Alice. Fraternally Mr. Case is connected with the Tribe of Red Men, of Watkins, and was at one time a member of tiic Junior Order of I'liited American Mechanics. He holds membership in the Baptist church, and polit- ically is connected with the Grand Old party, having always been a stanch advocate of Re- publican principles. He has proven himself in all relations of life an earnest, honest, upright man, a progressive representative of commercial interests, and a citizen of whom any comminiity might well be proud. MOSES BOYNE. Moses Boyne is now living a retired life after many years of honorable connection with business affairs. His rest is well mer- ited, for in all of his trade relations he was industrious and reliable. As a citizen, too, he has ever been loyal to the welfare of his county, and at the time of the Civil war he donned the blue uniform of the United States army and fought for the supremacy of the stars and stripes, the emblem of t!ie national union. He was born in County Wexford, Ireland, on the 4th of July, 1827, and pursued his ed- ucation in the common schools of his native I THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 28s country, where lie remainctl until about twenty-eiglit years of age. He then bade adieu to friends in his native land and in 1855 sailed for the new world, establishing his home in Covert, Xew York. There he secured employment upon the farm of Harry Boardman, of Seneca county, in whose ser- vice he remained for five years. At the end ot that time he put asiile all business and per- sonal considerations, for the country was still engaged in the Civil war, and he felt that he must aid in preserving the union. In the fall of 1864, therefore, he enlisted as a member of Company C, Eirst New York Light Artil- lery, at Covert, and was mustered in at Albany. He participated in the battles of Petersburg, Fredericksburg and others of considerable importance, and on one occa- sion he w^as drilling when a shell, shot from a Rebel camp, bursted near him and he was struck l)y a piece in the left eye, which caused him to lose the entire sight of that member. In Virginia the regiment went into winter quarters and there he received his discharge, being mustered out at Elmira, New York. After his return from the army Mr. Boyne worked upon a farm for a num- ber of years, afterward operating a tract of land on shares. He next purchased five acres of land at Mechlenbin-g, which he still owns and upon it iie has erected a beautiful residence. Since 1890 he has lived a retired life, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly merits. In the year 1858 Mr. Boyne was united ir. marriage to Elizabeth Donohue, a daugh- ter of Nicholas and Nancy (Egan) Dono- hue. In the family were seven children : George and I'rank, who are now deceased ; \Villiam, Moses, Edward and Ella, who are residents of Watkins; Elizabeth, the wife of Harry Eggert; and William, who has passed away. Moses Boyne is a citizen of worth, a loyal son of his adopted land, and in the com- munity where he resides he is held in high esteem. EDWIN BOYNE. Perhaps no one business enterprise or in- dustry indicates more clearly the commercial and social status of a town than its hotels. The wide-awake, enterprising villages and cities must have pleasant accommodations for visitors and traveling men and the for- eign public judges of a community by the entertainment afforded to llie strangers. In this regard the Watkins Hotel, of which Mr. Boyne is proprietor, is an indication of the character and advantages of the town in which it is located, for the hostelry will rank favorably with those of many a larger place, and its genial proprietor neglects nothing that can add to the comfort of its guests. Mr. Boyne is a native of Tompkins county. New York, born January 29, 1870, his parents being Moses and Elizabeth Boyne. He pursued his education in the public schools of Trumansburg, New York, pursuing a high school course, and after putting aside his text books he engaged in the hotel business in Watkins, in connection with his brother William. They are propri- etors of the Glen City Hotel, which is situ- ated at the corner of East I'ourth and De- catur streets. It is a well equipped building, the original residence of John Magee, Sr. It contains thirty-five rooms and has all the modern appointments of an up-to-date hos- telry. The proprietors are lioth enterprising young business men, who put forth every ef- fort to please their patrons and are thus pop- ular with the traveling public. 285 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD * Edwin Boyne is a mcml)er of Itliaca Lodge, No. 71, I. O. O. P., and bas held the office of left supporter of the noble grand. Religiously he is connected with the Presby- terian church, attending its services, al- though not a member. Politically he is a Democrat. \\'hile he has a deep interest in the growth and success of the party, he has never Ijeen an aspirant for office, preferring to devote his attention to his busmess inter- ests. He is a genial and popular young man, widely known in \\'atkins, and a favorite in social circles. D. -AI. REYNOLDS. D. M. Reynolds is a native of the neigh- boring state of Pennsylvania, his birth hav- ing occurred in Alba, Bradford county, in 1854. His father, William Reynolds, was a native of Connecticut, born in 1812, and in early life he became a resident of New York, settling in Sullivanville. Chemung county. He was united in marriage to Miss Sallie IMalloiy. and they became the parents of five children. Abrgail, the eldest, is the wife of J. W. Packard, a resident of Alba, Pennsyl- vania, and they have five children: .Mice, George, William, .\rdell and Guy. Martha, the second member of the .Reynolds family, became the wife of Charles Manly, and they. too, live in Alba. Seven children have been i)orn of their union, namely : I'rank, Fred, Minnie, Floyd, Ford, h'ay and Finas. George the eldest son of William and Sallie Rey- nolds, is engaged in blacksniilhing in .Mba. Edward, the second son, is livir.g in Wat- kins, in the township of Reading, Schuyler county. He wedded Julia B. Saylor. a daughter of Hiram and Harriet (Burnett') Savior, in whose familv were seven children. namely: Luther, John, Louise, Julia. Cath- erine, Deborah and Sarah. Unto Edward and Julia B. (Saylor) Reynolds have been bom two children : Lillian and Catherine. The youngest member of the family of Will- iam Reynolds is the subject of this review. Daniel AI. Reynolds entered the public schools at the usual age, continuing his stud- ies until he reached the age of fourteen, when he began earning his own living, accepting a position in a carriage factory. For two years he has given his attention to agricultur- al pursuits and is now a well known fanner of Schuyler county. He took up his abode on his present place in Reading township, in the year 1901. and here has one hundred and sixty acres of land. The aiterprise and progressive spirit so characteristic of the owner are indicated by the neat and thrifty ai>pearance of his place. It is now well im- proved with modern ecpiipnients and acces- sories. In 1897 Mr. Reynolds was united in mar- riage to Miss Mary Eggleston, and they have an attracti\e home, which is the favorite re- sort of their friends. In his political views Mr. Reynolds is a Democrat, and keeps well informed on the issues of the day. His re- ligious faith is indicated by his membership iii the church of the Disciples. FREDERICK D.WTS. The historv of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society. The world judges the character of a coninumity by that of its representative citizens and yields its tributes of admiration and respect for the genius. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 287 learning or \irtues of those whose works and actions constitute the record of a state's pros- perity and pride; and it is in tlieir character as excniplitied in probity and benevolence, kindly virtues and integrity in tiie affairs of hie tliat they are ever affording worthy ex- amples lor ennilatiiin and valuable lessons of incentive. Schuyler county has no citi- zen more highly honored or more worthy of honor than is Frederick Davis, and this rec- ord would be incomplete without the history of his career. A native of Newbury, England, he w-as born October 22, 1824, a son of Frederick and Esther (Lake) Davis. The father was also born in Newbury, in 1797, and died in Rochester, New York, in 1890, while the mother was bom in London, England, in 1889, and died in Mount Morris, New York, in 1843. When he was eight years of age the family emigrated to the new world, locating in Mount Morris, New York, and he pursued his education in the public schools of that place, where he resiiled until eighteen years 01 age, when he left for the west, going to St. Louis, ^lissouri. For two years he en- gaged in teaching school in Pike county, Missouri, and then on account of failing heallli he rcmo\ed to Mississippi, where he was employed as a teacher for one year. On the expiration of that period he returned to Mount Morris and embarketl in merchandis- ing, carrying on business with success until about 1850. While there Mr. Davis was married, in 1849, to Miss Rebecca McHenry, who was bom April 2, 1828, a niece of John Magee, Sr., and a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Magee) McHenry. Three children, Harry, Frederick and Minnie were born of that un- ion, the last two being now deceased. The mother of these children died in 1869, and April I, 1872, Mr. Davis was again married, h.is second union being with Frances Hewett, a daughter of D. Judson and Sarah (Smith) Hewett. One son blessetl this marriage, Cameron Josiah, born December 13, 1S73. He was graduated with honors in Trinity College, at Hartford, Connecticut, and in the general Theological Seminary of New York city. Having prepared for the ministiy he then entered upon active work as a priest of the Episcopal church, accepting the position of assistant to Dr. Lobdell, rector of Trinity church, of Buffalo. Upon the death of the Doctor, the Rev. Cameron J. Davis was chosen as his successor. Though only twen- ty-eight years of age, he has already become one of the distinguished divines of his de- nomination. Mrs. Frances Davis died on the 6tli of February, 1889. In the year 1852 the subject of this re- \\q\\ accepted the position of secretary of the Buffalo, Corning & New York Railroad Compau}-, whose line running from Corning to Buffalo by way of Avon, now forms a part of the Erie Railroad. Subsequently he was also made treasurer and acted in the dual ca- pacity until 1857, during the period of the construction of the road. He was located successfully at Coming, Bath, Le Roy and Avon, in the discharge of his oflicial duties. Severing his connection with the railroad company, he then removed to Watkins, and erected a malt house which is now occupied b} the firm of Lembeck & Bctz, and also the one of which William V. Smith is manager, situated on the lake shore. Mr. Davis con- tinued to conduct these malt houses until about 1882, when on account of the destruc- tion by fire of one plant and the decline of the value of property, owing to the compe- tition of western firms, he was forced out of business. In 1895 he took charge of the 288 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Watkins public library and for seven years has acted in the capacity of public librarian, and being a man of scholarly attainments and broad general knowledge, he is well qualified for this work. Mr. Davis has been most active and influ- ential in the moral development of his com- munity. He is a member of the Episcopal church in Watkins. In 1836 a house of wor- ship was erected by this society, crude in style and insuflicient for the demands of the congregation. In i860 Mr. Davis was instru- mental in reorganizing the congregation and building the first brick church in Watkins, erecting this chiefly at his own expense. He has ever been most generous in his support 01 the church and his religion has formed a part of his daily life. In 1863 he became one of the charter members of the board of edu- cation, in Watkins, was elected its president, and held that position for twenty consecu- tive years. With one exception he is the only surviving member of the original board. They purchased the old frame Presbyterian church and used it as a school until the erec- tion of the present brick structure. After serving for twenty years Mr. Davis declined a re-election, but the city will always owe to him a debt of gratitude for what he accom- plished in behalf of the public school system. He labored earnestly, untiringly and ef- fectively in raising the standard of education here and in establishing a system of public instruction that is indeed creditable to the city. In politics Mr. Davis has long been an earnest Democrat and at one time was nom- inated by his party for congress, but could not entirely overcome the large Republican majority of the district. At this point it would be almost tautological to enter into any series of statements as showing Mr. Davis to be a man of broad intelligence and genuine public spirit, for these have been shadowed forth between the lines of this re- view. Strong in his individuality, he never lacks the courage of his convictions, but there are as dominating elements in this individual- ity a lively human .sympathy and an abid- ing charity, which, as taken in connection with the sterling integrity and honor of his character, have naturally gained for him the respect and confidence of men. WH.LI.\M E. AYERS. ^'Vmong the brave boys in blue who went to the south to defend the Union in the hour of our country's peril, \Villiam E. Ayers was numbered. He is a son of Andrew and Su- san M. (Clauharty) Ayers, and was bom July 30, 1845, ^^ tli^ town of Montour, Schuyler county. At the usual age he en- tered school, therein pursuing his studies un- til sixteen years of age, when he began his Imsiness career as a well driver, following that occupation continuously for thirty years. I'ew men in the county have driven as many wells as has Mr. Ayers and his capability in that line has secured to him a good patron- age, his services being constantlj' in demand. On the 1st of October, 1895. ^^^ turned his attention to draying and the transfer business, which he has followed continuous- ly to the present. In this work he is also prosperous, many who need such services em- ploying him in transfer work. On the 28th of December, 1863, when I)Ut eighteen years of age, \\'illiam E. Ayers joined the Union army, becoming a mem- ber of Company C, Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery, under the command of Cap- tain George A. Foote. He served continu- THE lilUGRAl'HlCAL RECURD 259 oiisly until July 25. 1865, when, tlie war having ended, he received an honorable dis- charge. He was in a number of important battles and his fidelity to duty was a marked characteristic of his military service. In the year 1868 Mr. ,A.yers was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A. Forrest, who t was l>oni November 17, 1846, and they be- gan their domestic life in Montour Falls, where they are now living. Six children have been bom unto them : Estella, born Decem- ber 21, 1869; Mary B., who was born May 15, 1870, and died July 19. 1879 ; Grace, born May 24, 1873 ; Charles, born March 4, 1875 ; Plarry, born September 29, 1879 ! ^'^'^ Frank, born August 25, 1881. Mr. Ayers and his family attend the services of the Baptist church. His study of the political questions has led him to endorse the principles and platform of the Republican party, of which he has been an advocate since attaining his majority. He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in the Grand Amiy Post. WINFIELD S. GUNDERMAN. A leading factor in commercial circles in North Hector is Winfield Scott Gunderman, who is there conducting a harness store, and is also connei'tcd with the fire insurance busi- ness. A native of the Empire state, his birth occurred in the town of Lodi, Seneca county, on the 23d of August, 1864, his parents be- ing Conrad and Deborah (Howell) (Gunder- man. His father was born in Steuben county. New York, and during his boyhood became a resident of Seneca county, where he re- mained until his life's labors were ended in death. By occupation he was a farmer, throughout his business career carrying on iliat pursuit, tiius providing a comfortable home for his family. At the time of the Civil war he responded with patriotic ardor to the call of his country and joined the Union army, enlisting at Lodi and being mustered in at Geneva, as a member of Com- pany C, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment. He served for only about six months, for at the battle of Harper's Ferry he lost an arm and was thus rendered unfit for further field duty. Returning to his home in Seneca county, he continued farming there until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-three years of age. tie was a member of Daniel B. Smith Post, G. A. R. His wife died on the 14th of October, 1902, at the age of seventy-three years. Under the parental roof Winfield S. Gun- derinan spent the days of his childhood and i;i the public schools of Lodi he pursued his education. He then learned the harness- maker's trade in Nortii Hector under the di- rection of his brother, A. M. Gunderman, who is now deceased. Our stibject has since followed the Inisiness and prior to his broth- er's death he purchased his shop v.hich he has since conducted. He is a good workman and his sales are growing year by year. He is also agent for two well known and reliable fire insurance companies, the Glen Falls and the Commercial Union, and the policies which he writes each year amount to a considerable figure. On the 30th of January, 1890, ^[r. Gun- derman was happily married to Miss Florence I'aync, and unto them have been born two children, Enna and Ray, both of whom are at home. Mr. Gunderman is a member of Hector Lodge. No. 31 r, K. P., and that he cnjt]ier very ill with congestion of the brain. He did everything in his power and also sent to Montour Falls (then Havana) for his old preceptor, Dr. W'inton, but their combined elTorts couKl not save her. While minister- ing to his mother he was often called upon to make professional calls in Montere\', and finally yielded to an appeal from the citi- zens of that locality to locate permanently here. Since then he has successfully en- gaged in practice at this place, his patron- age steadily increasing as he manifests his ability to successfully cope with the intricate problems that continually face the physi- cian. He has read broadly and w ith under- standing and his knowledge of the science of medicine is comprehensive and accurate and everything which tends to bring to man the kej-^ of that complex mystery which we call life is of interest to Dr. Bell. He has a \ery fine medical library, containing the latest works on the science, and also has an extensive private library. In 1846 he joined the Steuben Medical Society and is to-day its oldest meml)er. lie also belongs to the Medico Legal ScKiety of New York city. In 1849 Dr. Bell was united in marriage to Miss Harriet M. Haring, and they Ijegan their domestic life in the town of ^Monterey, In the sjiring of 1878 they went on an ex- tensive trip through the west and south, with the hope of benefiting Mrs. Bell's 17 b.calth, antl after spending S(^)mc lime in St. Louis returned to Elniira, Xew York, where the Doctor opened an ofl'ice, locating there on account of his wife's health, l)ut it was her desire to return to ^lonterey and in less than a year they again took up their residence here. She seemed much benefit- ed by the change, and here the Doctor erect- ed a very fine residence at cost of eight thousand dollars. He has since been called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 3d of September, 1902, and was laid to rest in Glenwood cemetery, W'atkins, where the Doctor owns a beautiful lot, oc- cu])yng an clexated and central position Here he has erected to her memory a costly monument of artistic design, on wliich is cut in a prominent, bold and strong hand, the imperishable words of Toplady : "Rock of i\ges cleft for me." Mrs. Bell was a most estimable lady, dearly beloved by all who knew her. She was an active antl in- fiuential menibei- of the Presbyterian church being at the head of all prominent societies, especially the missionary organizations, and in her last will she left to the Monterey Presbyterian church a sum of money, the in- terest of which is equivalent to her annual subscription. By this beiiutiful act her memor}' will be perpetuated long after those whom she endeavored to help during life have passed away and will keep her name fragrant and in loxing remembrance as "ointment i)oured forth." In e;irly life Dr. Bell united with the Presbyterian church of Montour Falls, of which he is still a member, and in his will has bequeathed one thousand dollars to that society. He is also a liberal contributor to the suppnri of the Presbyterian church of Monterey and is seldom absent from its ser- vices. Like most village churches its mem- 294 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD bership is small and consequaitly its sub- scriptions limited, but it is believed tliat the Doctor will walk in the footsteps of his be- loved wife and in his will donate a sum, the interest of which will be equal to his yearly subscription. This will place him among the public benefactors and philanthropists of the county and he will live on and on in the minds and affections of the descendants of the people with whom he has come in con- tact and assisted both in business and pro- fessional life for over half a century, and also aid the church on whose services his at- tendance has been marked and regular. Dr. Bell still occupies the fine home which he built and which is elegantly fur- nished, being the most beautiful and tasteful residence in Monterey. He has been very acti\e and prominent in the public affairs of his place. He erected a large block for the postoffice and three stores, above which is a large hall in which entertain- ments are held. The citizens of Monterey donated to this hall two beautiful and almost life-like photographs of the Doctor and his wife at its opening and they are still on ex- hibition there as a reminder of the high and sincere appreciation in which Dr. and Mrs. Bell are held. The hall has a kitchen, sit- ting room and unique oval entrance and is artistically furnished, there being beautiful and rare pictures on the walls, as well as a piano for the music lovers. It was all con- structed after the Doctor's own designs. In September, 1891, he bought what was known as the opera house block in Elmira, on Lake street, which contains four store rooms and their attachments, paying for the same three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. After keeping it for a year or over and making needful repairs, he sold it for four thousand two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, it being too far from home for his personal supervision. This was the largest sale ever made by one man in that city. The Doctor has become (juite wealthy, owning many valuable farms besiiles his city and town prop- erty. This includes a large farm adjoin- ing Monterey, which is one of the best improved places in the county. The fa- cilities for burying the dead in Monterey being very poor. Dr. Bell laid out a ceme- tery upon his place in 1901 for the use of all Protestant denominations and to it has given the name of Bell Mont cemetery. It is a lovely spot, being rising round which faces the south and east, and has been beau- tifully laid out by the Doctor into lots, walks and driveways, and adorned with evergreens. The soil is very dry and it is a convenient distance from town and so situated that the entire cemetery can be seen in one view. Further lots will be laid off to meet the demand and n^.ore shrubs and trees will be added. The Doctor still enjoys a large and lu- crative ])ractice and is often called in con- sultation in critical cases, where his diag- nosis invariably proves correct, though he may have dift'ered radically in his opinion from the other physicians, lie is always agreeable, especially with his fellow practi- tioners, yet on many occasions he differs with thejn and refuses to be led beyond the limits of his own judgment. No notoriety, distinction or selfish consideration would cause him to. deviate from his purpose when that decision is once formed by the dictates of his judgment. He is go\erned by integ- rity and is always strict and honest in all his dealings, keeping correct accounts, and giv- ing and receiving receipts in all business tiansactions. In the practice of his pro- THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 295 sions he always promptly responds to the calls of the poor and needy, from whom he knows he will receive no rennineration, as well as from the wealthier classes, and this has made him very popular with all. Dr. Bell has no children, hut was very much attached to his wife, and has taken much interest in all his relatives. As a pre- ceptor he lias given many young men a good start in the medical profession, and has done all in his power to aid in their advance- ment. He is noted for his kindness of heart and charitable deeds, and e\'er contrib- utes liberally to any worthy cause. In 1894 he donated two thousand dollars to the Young Men's Christian Association of El- mira. A number of years ago when Mont- erey was small and had no church bell, the Baptist denomination asked all the people of the town to contribute to the buying of a bell to be placed upon their church but for the use of all denominations, but sometime later the pastor then in charge refused to let the other congregations use it. Finally, in Sei)tember. 1889, an indignation meeting was called with the intent of compelling the Baptists to let others use the bell. The Doctor, however, came forward at this crisis and offered to buy a bell to be placed upon the Presbyterian church for the use of both that denomination and the Methodists, both to contribute toward keeping it in or- der. The Doctor went himself to Troy, New York, and selected the bell at the fac- tor>' of Meneely & Company and ordered it sent to Monterey, where it has since rung joyously at weddings and solemnly tolled at the passing away of the citizens of Mon- terey and vicinity. It is very rich in tone and is highly prized by the people of the town who look upon Dr. Bell as a public benefactor. Although eighty-seven years of age he is strong and vigorous and still takes an active interest in those enterprises calculated to advance the moral, social or material welfare of his town and county. He is a \er}' genial gentleman of strong in- tellectual endowments, of scholarly attain- ments, of marked force of character, and those qualities, together with his kindly na- ture, have made him a favorite in the com- munity. Physically he is not a large man, but has a fine cast of countenance, his feat- ures being pleasing, strong, fascinating and attractive. •-•-• CHARLES II. EVERTS. Charles II. Everts, attorney and counsel- or-at-law and one of the influential citizens of Watkins, was born in the town of Di.x, Schuyler county, October 4, 1835, being the .son of Alanson G. and Anna (Levitt) Everts. The family of which he is an hon- ored representative has for three generations been closely identified with the growth and development of this section of the state. The first of the name to come hither was his great-grandfather, Daniel Everts. He and Reuben Smith left Salisbury, Connecticut, for the western country and arrived at Hec- tor, June I, 1793. They remained that sea- son, putting in crops of corn and wheat, and after harvest returned to Connecticut. In the spring of 1794 Daniel Everts, with his wife and eight children, anIr. \'an.\llen, although thus disap- l)ointed in his hope of finding in Oswego the necessary succor for his recovery, yet prom- ised us two places in his vessel. They set 1 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 301 sail the next day and "it took main- days to make our trip to Albany. "Mr. \'an.-\l!en, in whose \essel we totik passage, is a member of the congress for the county of .\ll)aiiy in the state of X'ew York. He is also a geometer and surveyor. His age, and no doubt, his talents, seem to have procured him the confidence of his country. He is charged with the commission of sur- veying upwards of half a million of acres, situated on Lake Ontario, and tlie River St. Lawrence. Mr. Van Allen is justice of the peace, and for this reason styled 'Squire' by his people, if he does not swear at them. He is about fifty years old, is said to possess a tolerable store of infomiation, and seems in fact to be a worthy and intelligent man." The Mr. VanAllen mentioned was John E. \'anAllen, who was a well known and prominent man in All)any county about the close of the Revolution, and for many years thereafter, he rc])resented Albany county in congress from 1793 to 1799, and was in private life a civil engineer and surveyor, in which calling he attained a high reputation. Congressman \'an.\llen was a half-lirother of President Martin \^an Buren, and is the congressman of that name mentioned by Washington Ir\ing in a letter to Jesse Alerwin. of Kinderhook (the original of Ichabod Crane) in his "Life and Letters," by I'ierre M. Ir\ing. .V number of very interesting letters and papers left by Mr. Van Allen have heretofore appeared in this (lc])artment. — Ed. Jnlm E. Van Allen mentioned above was great-uncle of Cornelius Van.Mlen. the subject of this review, and it may be with ])ride that the direct connections are made to such worthy men. who have done so much in making good history for .\merica. ITORATTO W. \'AX DOREX. Horatio W. Wan Doren is a representa- tive of one of the old families, not only of this county, where his people located at an early day, but also of the country, for his ancestors came to America from Holland in early colonial days and settled in New Jer- sey, where they became \ery prominent. They founded the Dutch Reformed churcli in Xew Jersey and many of the early repre- sentatixes of the family are buried around that church. Their descendants are now scattered throughout the various states of the Union. John W. \'an Doren, the father of our subject, was torn at Millstone. Xew Jersey, in the house which General George \\'ashington made his headquarters during the Revolutionary war. The hou.se is still standing just as it was at that time, with its old lire])lace and andirons and prim- iti\e furniture, including the old tall clock, wliich struck the quarters of an hour with chimes ringing out different tunes. During the Revolutionary war this clock was Ijuried in the bcjttom of the Rariton' river. Mr. Van Doren's great-grandmother had two verv frightful experiences at that time, being twice hung in her own cellar, first bv the Elessians, but fortunatcl\- she \\ as discovered by a negro servant before much harm was done, and later when hung by the Tories she was again saved. The British were then in possession of Millstone. On leaving his native state, in 1817, John W. \'an Doren came to Xew York and look up his abode in Seneca county. In 1S30 he ronioNcd to the town of Hector, in what was then Tomi)kins county, but is now Schuyler county, and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, which he carried on 302 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD success fully until his death, in 1876. He married }iJiss ^lary Thomas, whose father \\as one of the heroes of the Revolution, valiantly aiding in the struggle for inde- pendence. Unto this worthy couple were born se\en children : Maria, Leah, Thomas, Hellen, William H., Horatio W. and Augusta. Of this number two are still liv- ing. Leah and Horatio. For more than three score years and ten Horatio W. \'an Doren has lived in Schuy- ler county, his birth having occurred in the town of Hector, on the 7th of December, 183 1, and under the parental roof he spent the days of his boyhood and youth. He pursued his early education in the sub- scription schools, for at that time the public school system had not been instituted in this portion of the state. .\t the age of twenty- two he left school and turned his attention to farming. He had already had consider- able experience in this line through the as- sistance which he gave his father. He aided in clearing twelve acres of land on his father's farm and when twenty-five years of age he left home and started out on an in- dependent business career. That occupation to which he had been reared he has made his life work. He began farming in his na- tive town of Hector, and has always lived there. .\bi)nt 1877 he purchased his present place, comprising fourteen acres of land, all of which is placed in fruit. The improve- ments upon the farm have all been placed tliere by Mr. Van Doren. He has many kinds of fruit of good grades, and is con- stantly endeavoring to improve the kinds of fruit which he raises, to that his products find a ready sale upon the market, because of the size, cpiality and flavor. He is regarded as one of the substantial, progres- sive and enterprising horticulturists of his township, and a visit to his fann is always of interest. On the 13th of November, 1855, Mr. Van Doren was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Angeline Elliott, a daughter of George and PZlizabeth (Wright) Elliott, and a nati\e of Schoharie county. New York, born on the ist of February, 1830. Her maternal grandfather. George \\'right. ^\as a soldier of the war of 181 2, enlisting in the American army from Schoharie county. New York, and remaining with his com- mand until the close of hostilities. L'nto Mr. and ]\Irs. V'an Doren were bom three children. Charles F. married Emma Dusen- berry, and died at the comparatively early age of thirty-two years, leaving a widow and two children, Grace and J. Ward, but the latter was drowned on the 22(1 of Febru- ary, 1900, when eleven years of age. Carrie, the second member of the family, is a lady of talent and culture, who for sixteen years has devoted her attention to teaching, being connected with the primary department of the L'nion school at liurdett, where she has now taught for fourteen years. She seems naturally adapted to this work, and has been very successful, winning tlie confidence of her pupils. Jennie is the wife of Nelson Van Doren. and resides at the birthplace of her grandfather, in Millstone, New Jersey. Mr. Van Doren was at one time a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, being affiliated with the lodge at Bur- dett. In his religious faith he is a Presby- terian, holding membership in the church in Burdett in which he has long been honored with offices, having served as a deacon, while at the present time he is filling the po- sition of elder. At one time he gave his sup- port to the Know Nothing party, but is now a Dejnocrat, and ^•oted for President THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 303 Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. Van Doren are most highly respected residents of the com- munity in which they live and have many friends in this portion of the county. He has always been public spirited, taking an active interest in whatever tends to promote the welfare of the county and its progress along' substantial lines of improvement, lie has always li\'ed here and is therefore widely known. He is still an active factor in busi- ness afifairs and his record should put to shame manj- a man of younger years, who, grown weary of the struggle of business life, would relegate to others the burdens that he should bear. Mr. \':m Doren has always been a busy and industrious man, and in the supervision of his fruit raising interests he is now gaining a good annual income. ♦-•-• EDMUND PARKER. Edmund Parker, now deceased, was a leading business man of Watkins, actively associated with its building interests, and his honesty and reliability made him a valued representative of industrial life here. He was born in England, March 25, 1813, his parents being Edward and Elizabeth (Nor- ris) Parker. He spent the first fifteen years of his life in his native country and then bade adieu to friends and native land, sailing for the new world. He took up his abode in Utica, New York, and in the year 1858 came to Schuyler county. In eirly life he learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner and throughout his business career he carried on that pursuit. When a young man lie followed carpentering in Rochester, New York, and later became a factor in the building interests of Watkins, where many substantial struct- ures still stand as monuments to his thrift. enterprise and diligence. He always lived faithfully up to the terms of a contract, was trustworthy and prompt and enjoyed in a high degree the confidence of the public. Mr. Parker was first married in 1838 to Jane Isabelle Stringer, by whom he had four children, namely: Elizabeth, the wife of Charles B. Newell, of Watkins, who was a member of Company D, One Hundred and Sixty-first New York \'oIuntecr Infantry during the Civil war ; Mary, the wife of John Hendy, also a resident of Watkins; Clara, deceased, who was the first wife of Joha Hendy ; and James, a general contractor and shipbuilder now living in Milwaukee, Wis- consin. The mother of these children died in 1862, when about forty-two years of age. On the 1 8th of January, 1865, Mr. Park- er was united in marriage to Mary Jane Tracy, who was born in Coxsackie, Greene county, New York, July 29, 1842, a daugh- ter of John and Alice (McGuire) Tracy. Her father was born in county Kilkenny, Ireland, about 1800, and came to America in 1831. Here he married a former school- mate, a Miss Talbot, by whom he had one daughter, Ellen Louise, who married Cap- tain George R. Bill and resides in New Haven, Connecticut. After the death of his first wife Mr. Tracy married .Mice McGuire, and to them were born two children who reached years of maturity, the older being Mrs. Parker. Her brother, John B. Tracy, was born in Stanwich, now Rome, Oneida county, New York, July 5, 1844, and died uimiarried, being killed in Chemung county, March 29, 1879. He always followed the vocation of a traveling salesman. He served throughout the Civil war as a member of Company M, Second New York \'olunteer Artillery, and afterward joined the standing army. 304 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Unto Mr. and IVIr. Parker were born nine children : John Tracy, a resident of Wat- kins, who married Elsie White, of the town of Dix, and has two children. Alary Jane and Doris Elizabeth ; William and Charles, who have both passed away; Josiah D., who married Ellen Seigler, of Geneva, and now lives in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he is engaged in painting, paper-hanging and decorating; two, who tlied in infancy; Ellen Louise, who resides with her mother in Wat- kins; Edmund X., who married Katherine Harvey and is a representative of the .Ameri- can Bridge Company, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Edith M., the wife of John Mason, of Elmira, who is assistant superintendent of the Prudential Company and resides in Corning, New York. Mr. Parker was a member of the Odd I'"ello\vs lodge at Watkins and in politics was largely independent, although in matters of national importance he ga\e his support to the Republican party. All who knew him regarded him as a man wortiiy of respect be- cause he was honorable in business, loyal in citizenship and faithful in friendship. He passed away May 18, 1890, his death being deeply mourned by a large circle of friends. In childhood Mrs. Parker accompanied her parents on their removal to Rome, New York, where she pursued her education in the public schools, but her father and mother died when she was quite young and her op- portunities in school were limited. In 1S88 .she embarked in the millinery business in Watkins. establishing a store in the business center of the town, where she remained until 1901, when, on account of her health, she removed her stock of goods to her home on Fifth street, where she is now doing business. In cunnection with her millinery goods she also carries hosierv, ladies' furnishings and children's dresses and is doing a good and profitable business. In the town she is widely known and her circle of friends is an exten- sive one. IGNATZ HAUBNER. Ignatz Ilaubner, one of the successful young business men of Watkins, now con- ducting a baker\- on iM-anklin street, was born in Boehmischdorf, Bohemia, Austria, on February i, 1870, and is a son of Aton and Anna (Bergman) Haubner. The father was a farmer and the family lived in a small German village, where the subject of this rc\iew attended school until he was fourteen \-ears of age, when he began to learn the baker's trade, serving an apprenticeship of two and one-half years without receiving any pecuniar}- ccjmpensation for his labors. He afterward worked for a time as a journey- man and then, when a young man of eighteen years, thinking to better his financial condi- tion in the new world, he crossed the Atlantic to America, settling lirst in Rochester, New York, where he worked for a time as a jour- neyman. During the three years in which he was thus employed he .saved much of his wages and then went to Clifton Springs, where he also worked for a year. He next came to ^^'atkins in 1893, and after six months purchased the shoji in which he is now doing business, his trade being a profita- ble one constantly increasing both in extent and importance. On the 27th of May, 1898, in W^atkins, Mr. Haubner was married to Miss Edith Williams, of this village, a native of New- field, Tompkins county. New York, and a daughter of De iMirest and Carrie (Van Gonliiii) Williams. The mother died when I THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 305^ Mrs. Haubner was but two years of age; but tlie fatlier is still living and makes his home with his (laughter. Unto our subject and his wife have been born two children : Jo- sephine Anna, who was born Sc|)tember 9, 1899; and Estella Catherine, born April 8, 1901. After coming to the United States Mr. Haubner took out naturalization papers and for a time voted with the Republican party, but is now a Democrat. When fifteen years of age he was confirmed in the Catholic church. His thorough understanding of his trade, his close application and his business abilities have enabled him to rise from a humble financial position until he is now suc- cessfully engaged in a well established busi- ness in Watkins. Though born across the water, he is thorough]}- American in thought and feeling and is patriotic and sincere in his love for the stars and stripes. His career is identified with the history of Watkins, where he has acquired a competence and where he is an honored and respected citizen. CL.\RE.\'CE DICKEXS. Clarence Dickais, a farmer of Montour townshij), is a native of the town of Catha- rine, Schuyler county, his birth having oc- curred there on the 27th of March, 1852. His father, Robert Dickens, was born in Hector. After arriving at years of ma- turity he wedded Lydia Beebe. Their chil- dren were: Clarence, Josephine, Lucy, Ida L. and Edith E. The eldest daughter is now the wife of Fred Tucker, a resident of Newfield, and tiiey have three children, Ly- dia, lunniet and l.uelia. The second named is the wife of Dewit Ilar\ev, a resident of Mechlenburg. Edith E. Dickens became the wile of 1-rank H-..rvey, also a resident of Mechlenburg. I'o the common school system of his na- tive county, Clarence Dickens is indebted for the educational privileges which he received and which he pursued until sixteen years of age, wlien he entered upon his business ca- reer. He began threshing and farming and has followed those two pursuits continu- ously since, with the result that through his industry and capable management he has won a good living and is now accounted one of the substantial farmers of his locality. He married Hulda Depew and they became the parents of two children, Howard and Emily. The latter is now living with her aunt, in Cayuta, New York. The mother died on the 19th of March, 1887, and about ten years later Mr. Dickens was again mar- ried, his second union being with Mary J. Doolittle, on the 4th of .\pril, 1897. She was the widow of John Doolittle, who was born in the town of Newfield, Tompkins county. New York, in 1828. He acquired a common-school education which he com- pleted at th.e age of sixteen years. His wife was born in the year 1838 and their chil- dren were. Jay, Frank. Fred, Edith, Charles, and Evelyn. Jay. who is now li\ing in l-^ir- mer. New York, married Carrie Bennett and they have two children, Oliver and Walter. Frank, a resident of Michigan, wedded ]\Iary Turner, and they have two children, Lottie and Helen. Fred, who makes his home in Farmer, New York, wedded Kate W'ood, and their children are Albert and Hazel. Edith is the wife of William draves. of Montour Falls, and they have one son, Elmer. Mrs. Dickens was a daughter of Ezra and Caroline (Lanning) Tucker. Her father was Ixirn in the town of 0\id. New 3o6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD York, in 1827, and followed blacksmithing for a half century. His children were as follows: Marj- Jane is now Mrs. Dickens. William, who was born in 1840. now resides in Enfield, where he follows farming. He was married in 1864 to Delia Hosmer, and their children are, Carrie, the wife of Frank Beardsley; Adeline, at home; Olive, the wife of John Ritemore, by whom she has one daughter, Delia; and Jennie. Albert, the next member of the Tucker family, is de- ceased. Smith was the fourth in order of birth. Ezra, Charles and Amos are all de- ceased. At the time of his second marriage Clar- ence Dickens and his wife began keeping house at the place \\here they now li\e in Montour township, three miles from Mon- tour Falls. Here they have a pleasant home which is celebrated for its gracious hospital- ity, and Mr. Dickens is devoting his energies with creditable success to the work of the farm which he has placed under a high state of cultivation and supplied with all modem equipments and accessories. \MLLTAM J. MORAN. William J. Moran is general superin- tendent of the estate of Colonel John Magee and Mrs. E. S. Magee, of Watkins. He was born at Painted Post, Steuben county, New- York, March 29, 1863, and is a son of James and Ann (Olcott) Moran, both of whom were natives of county Sligo, Ireland, and Avere bom in the year 1822. In the county of their nativity they were reared to adult age and were there married, coming to America soon after their marriage in the year 1847. For a time they lived among the Quakers on Long Island, but when a year or two had passed, they removed to Steuben county, New York, where the father was employed by Mr. Hodgeman as general gardener. Later he became acquainted with John Magee, at Bath, New York, and with him came to Watkins, occupying the po- sition which is now filled by our subject, and in that capacity he served until his death, which occurred in the year 1884. His wife was of Scotch ancestry, although bom on the Emerald isle, and her death occurred in the year 1900. William J. Moran, of this review, was brought to Watkins by his parents during his infanc)', and in the common schools he acquired a fair English education. Enter- ing upon his business career he worked upon the Magee estate, and as his years and efifi- ciency increased, greater responsibilities were entrusted to him and now he is general superintendent. He has remained continu- ously upon this state with the exception of a period of eight years, and his business ability and fidelity are recognized by those whom he serves and who place in him the utmost confidence as a man of executive force, keen discrimination and trustworthi- ness, Mr, Moran was married in Watkins on the 20th of Decemlier, 1893, to Miss Jo- hanna Foley, who was born in Bingham- ton. New York, a daughter of John and Mary (Hughes) Foley, Two children were born unto them, Louise and Margaret, Iiut on the 28th of January, 1900, the wife and mother was called to her final rest, Mr. Moran was reared in the Roman Catholic church, being confirmed when about thirteen years of age. He cast his first presidential vote for Cleveland in 1884, and has since been a stalwart Democrat. THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 307 LTpon the ticket of his party he was elected trustee of W'atkins, in whicli position he is now serving for a second term, and for one year during his first term he was president of tlie lioard. He lias taken quite an active interest in politics, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party, and his labors have not been without good result to the Democracy. LEWIS BAILEY. Lewis Bailey has passed the seventy- seventh milestone on life's journey and he is one of the native sons of Schuyler county, who through many decades has been a wit- ness of the changes which have occurred here, of the work that has been carried on and the transformation that has been wrought. He has long been an active factor in agricultural circles, thus representing the leading industry of this portion of the state, Schuyler county being one of the garden spots of New York. Mr. Bailey was born September 23, 1825, in the town of Catlin, now Dix, his parents being Wilson and Fannie (Bump) Bailey. The father was bom in Connecticut, March 3, 1799, and the mother's birth occurred in Madison county, New York, on the 8th of May, 1797. L'nto them were born the fol- lowing children : Alanson, Lucinda, Lorin- da, Sarah and Catharine, all deceased : Lewis; Candace; Mark; and Carrie. \Vhen Schuyler county was emerging from primitive conditions, such as are found in frontier settlements, when its citizens were reclaiming its lands and making it a valu- able farming district, Lewis Bailey was grow- ing to years of maturity in its nn'dst and in the early district schools he was pursuing his education, which he continued until he reachetl the age of eighteen. In the year 1845, when he was twenty years of age, he chose a conipani(jn and helpmate for life's journey, wedding Miss B. Lavinia Alvord, a native of Waterville, Oneida county, New York, born in 1826. They became the par- ents of four children : Oscar Augustus, Frank, Frank Otis and Lucy, all of whom are now deceased. Mr. Bailey and his wife began their do- mestic life upon a farm in Schuyler county, removing in 1859 to one in Chanung county, which he continued to cultivate until after the beginning of the Civil war, when he went to the front. He did not enlist, but fell right into the ranks of the Thirteenth New York Volunteer Infantry under Colonel Quinby, and participated in the famous first battle of Bull Run. He was at the front for three months and then returned to his home. On the 2 1 St of August, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-first Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, for three years' service, or during the war, and again proceeded southward, where he participated in the important battles of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, and Sherman's march to the sea, which added to the num- ber of victories achieved by the Union armies. He was ever a loyal soldier, true to the old flag and the cause it represented, and his valor was tested on many a field of battle. While he was at the front his wife died and after his return from the war he was again married, his second union being with Emily S. Claghorn, who was born in Erie county. New York, in 1842. fler father, James M. Claghorn, was born in Cumming- ton, Massachusetts, on the i6th of August, 1S04. His wife bore the maiden name of 3o8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Electa Lvman and they had eight children, as follows: Josiah L., James A., Ellen E., Henrj^ Dwight, Emily S., Adelaide E., Lucia M. and Josephine. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey was blessed with six cliildren : Julia E., a pro- fessional nurse in Rochester, Xew York; Kate R., who married Rev. George W. Hini- nan and is a missionary in China; Ruth A., who is also a professional nurse in Rochester ; Nellie F., who is employed as a bookkeeper by the firm of Sibley, Lindsay & Curr, of Rochester; George A., who is employed in connection with the operation of the electric light plant of Rochester; and Bertha E. Throughout his business career Lewis Bailey has carried on agricultural pursuits and in the evening of life he is now enjoying a competence which has come to him as the result of his former toil. He has a pleasant home supplied with all of the necessities and comforts of life and many of its luxuries. His study of the political issues and questions of the day has led him to give support to the Republican party since its organization, pre- vious to which he was a Whig. His church relation connects him with the Presbyterian denomination and it has ever been his life endeavor to make his career in consistent harmony with his professions. WILLIAM ELDERKIN WELL. LEFFIXG- William Elderkin LeCfingwell, the pres- ident and general manager of the Glen Springs, is the youngest son of Dr. Elisha Leffingwell, a distinguished physician of western New York, and was born at Aurora on Cayuga lake, July lo, 1855. He pre- pared for college in Cayuga Lake Acad- emy, and entered Cornell University in September, 1871, in the class of '75 but left before graduation to continue his studies in the collegiate department uf the Polytech- nic Institute in the city of Brooklyn. With the financial department of this institution, he became connected as registrar and cash- ier in 1875, remaining over seven years. In the summer of 1882, the sanitarium at Dansville having been destroyed by fire ]\Ir. Lefiingwell was invited to join his brothers and cousins in the organization of a new institution (now known as the Jack- son Sanitarium) and of this he was treas- urer and manager for several years. In Januar}-, 1890, while visiting the site of the present famous resort at Watkins, he be- came convinced that with its singular variety of valuable mineral springs and magnificent situation, o\erlooking Seneca lake, it was an ideal place for a great health resort. He was so strongly im- pressed with the great advantages which the location offered that he abandoned an option which he and his brother then held upon the "^lurray Hill" property at ]\Iount Morris, New York, with the view of establishing a sanitarium there, and returning to Watkins, organizeil the Glen Springs Sanitarium Company and purchased the property, which under his management and direction has become so widely known as the Glen Springs. In iMasonry he has taken an active in- terest; — he is a Knight Tenii)lar, a Thirty- second degree Mason — and in 1897 was district deputy grand master of the twen- tietli ^lasonic district of the state of New York. He is a member of the Mystic Shrine, of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, the Hamilton Club of Brooklvn. the Craft- W. E, LEFFINGWELL K M w z w JO o THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 311 men's Club of New York, the Rochester Club, the Elmira City Club, the Coming Club, and the^ Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. His ancestry- on both sides were prominent in colonial af- fairs, eight of his ancestors being Rc\olu- tionar}' patriots. In 1884, ^Ir. Leftingwell was elected president of the village of Dansvillc. He was elected a meniljer of the board of trus- tees of the village of Watkins in 1899, be- coming president of the board in 1901, and in 1902 under an amendment to the village chartei" he was elected the first pnsident of the village. ♦-•-♦ GEORGE CHASE BICKXELL, D. D. S. The state of New York with its pul- sing industrial activities and rapid de- velopment has attracted within its con- fines men of marked ability and high character in the various professional lines, and in this way progress has been con- served and social stability fostered. He whose name initiates this review has gained recognition as one of the able and successful dentists of the state, and by his labors, his high professional attainments and his sterling characteristics has justified the respect and confidence in which he is held by the dental fraternity and the local public. Dr. George Chase Bicknell, a son of Isaiah and Patience Chase, was born in Og- den, Monroe county, New York, October 20, 1850. At the death of his parents, when about one year of age, he was placed in the orphan asylum at Rochester and afterward formally adopted by Caleb H. Bicknell, of Watkins, who died a few years later. He has one brother who served as a soldier of 18 I he Civil war, enlisting first from Niagara and afterward from Lansing, Michigan. The Doctor attended Normal School in Brockport, this state, and afterward Ijecame a student in the Normal School in Geneseo, New York, thus completing his literary education. Turning his attention to farm- ing, he was engaged in agricultural pur- suits for ten years and tiien, having re- solved to enter upon the practice of den- tistry, he becnme a student in the office and under the direction of Dr. Luther T. Dick- enson, of Lockport, Niagara county, New York. He was licensed to practice, passing an examination before the state board in 1879, and opened an office in Albion, Or- leans county, X^ew York, where he remained for four years. His eyesight then failed and through the succeeding- four years he was largely retired from practice. In 1888, how- ever, he established an office in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, whence, in 1892, he removed to Watkins, where he has since lived, being successfully engaged in the performance of his professional duties. On the 18th of March. 1890. Dr. Bick- nell married Miss I'lorenceMcEllven. a daughter of William Henry and Carrie Matilda (Gourley) McEllven. Her father and some of her uncles were valued soldiers of the L'nion army in the Civil war. Mrs. Bicknell is a natix'e of Genesee county, New \ ork, and is an estimal)le lady, who presides with gracious hospitality over her pleasant home. The Doctor is a valued and prom- inent member of Canadasaga Lodge, No. 196, I. O. O. F., and of Jefferson Lodge, !•'. & .\. M. He has passed all of the chairs in the former and is now acting past grand. He also belongs to Che(|uaga Tribe of Red Men. in which he has filled all of the offices and is now. past sachem. In his political be- 312 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD lief he is a stalwart Republican, and he is a me-nber of the Baptist church. The Doc- tor has strong regard for professional ethics, and in the practice of his profession has gained the recognition of the dental frater- nity as well as of the public. He reads broadly, comprehensively and understaud- ingly, and is thus continually adding to his knowledge and promoting his efficiency as a representative of one of the most im- portant callings to which man can devote his IRA B. :\IEEKS. Ira B. Meeks has passed the eighty-sec- ond mile-stone on life's jounrey, and is to- day a respected and venerable citizen of Schuyler county, highly esteemed because his life has ever Ijeen upright and worthy of regard. He was born in Dryden, Tomp- kins county, Xew York, October 12, 1820, and is a son of Daniel and Sarah (Broas) Meeks, both of whom were natives of Dutchess county, this state, but little is known of the family, as at the age of twelve years our subject went to live with his grandfather, his father having remo\-ed to Michigan. The latter was a farmer by oc- cupation. During his boyhood and youth Ira B. Mecks acquired a common-school education and later entered upon his business career by learning the blacksmith's trade at Enfield Center, Tompkins county. He remained at that place for six years, following his chosen pursuit and on the expiration of that period lie removed to Howard, Steuljen county. New York, which w-as also his place of abode for six years. He next disposed of his smithy there and returned to Enfield, where he conducted a shop for four years, and then came to the town of Cayuta, where he had a blacksmith shop for eighteen years. Dur- ing that time he enjoyed a large patronage because he had thoroughly mastered the bus- iness, his expert workmanship securing for him a large trade. He is obliging and re- liable, and these qualities have been im- portant factors in his success. At length he sold his property in Cayuta and removed to Montour Falls, where he has since engaged in business. He continues to work at his trade, and although now eighty-two years of age, he is one of the best preserved old men in the county. Mr. Meeks has been twice married, his first wife being Jane Ann Smith, by whom he had three children, namely : Chauncy, Charles and Cora S., who are still living. For his second wife he wedded Sarah E. House, and one child, Seward E., graces this unoin. Through many decades Mr. Meeks has been a witness of the coiuity's progress and advancement and has ever taken a deep interest in what has been ac- complished, keeping in touch with the times. His life has been honorable, his actions manly, his conduct sincere and his word ;ibove question, and today, among the ven- erable residents of Schuyler county, he cer- tainlv deserves to be mentioned. GEORGE W. GOULD. Throughout his entire life George W. Gould has been a resident of the Empire state. He was bom May 4, 1859, in the town of Catlin, Steuben county, and is a son of Jacob and Susan (Cable) Gould. The father was a native of New Jersey and at an early I THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 3'3 day he removed from Sussex county, that state, to the Empire state, settling in tlie town of Cathn, four miles north of Big Flats, Xew York. Here he remained throughout his re- maining days. He was united in marriage to Miss Susan Cable and they became the par- ents of the following children : Hilary, Will- iam, Nick, George, Harriet, Grant, James, Henry, Benjamin, Giddie, Ella and Satie. Under the parental roof George W. GouUl was reared to manhood and his father prepared him for the practical duties of life by sending him to the common schools, where he acquired a good English education. He has always made his home in this part of the state and is a man of genuine worth whose entire life has been in harmony with his pro- fession as a member of the Methodist church. In his political views he is a Rq^ublican, but has never sought or desired oftice, although he keeps well informed on the issues and questions of the day that concern the welfare and policy of the nation. In 1887 he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Stokes, of Catlin. They had two children, Clementine and Fannie, the latter now deceased. Mr. Gould is a citizen of worth, taking an active interest in all that pertains to general progress and improvement along material, social, in- tellectual and moral lines. His word has ever been as good as his bond, his integrity standing as an unquestioned fact in his career. PETER OSCAR SUTPHEN. Seventy-three years ago Peter Oscar Sutphen was born upon the farm in the town of Hector, where he is now living. The place is therefore endeared to him through recollections of bovhood as well as the as- sociations of later years. His natal day was September 22, 1829, and his parents were Peter and Rebecca (Matthews) Sutphen. His father settled in the town of Hector about 1795, coming to this portion of the state from Monmouth county. New Jersey. There were no railroads at that time and he thereiore crossed the country on horseback. A young man of twenty-two j-ears he then desired to make a home in what was then a fnintier district. He took up a farm of three hundred and sixty acres of land and later sold his rights to that property and pur- chased other land. When the country again became involved in war with Great Brit- ain, he was drafted for service in the American army, and went to Buffalo, continuing with his command until after the cessation of hostilities. He lived to see a rcmarkalile growth in this section of New York. This district has Ijeen divided into four counties, and he witnessed the trans- formation of its wild land into fine and producti\e farms which became the homes of a contented and prosperous people. He bore his part of the work of improvement and was well known in the first half of the nineteenth century. When about six years of age, Mr. Sut- phen, of this review, entered the subscrip- tion schools and there gained a knowledge of the branches of English learning usually taught at that time. Later he turned his at- tention to farming. For one year he was a student in the high school at Danby, New York, i'lu-oughout his entire manhood be has carried on agricultural pursuits in Schuyler county, with the exception of a period of three \ears. In 1856 he went west, spending one year in Illinois and two years in Iowa, being engaged in the hotel business in Rockford, Illinois, and afterward in In- 314 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD dependence, Iowa. However, he became convinced that he hked Scuyler county the best as a place of residence, and upon re- turning- liere he once more resumed farming on tlie old home place, where he has since li\ed. Under his careful supervision the land has been well tilled and the fields have yielded him good returns for the care and labor bestowed upon them. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey, ■Mr. Sutphen chose Miss Phoebe Jane Jaquish, their wedding being celebrated on the 23d of February, 1853. The lady was born in the town of Hector on the i8th of July, 1830, her parents Ijeing Matthias J. and Phoebe (Reynolds) Jaquish. This mar- riage was blessed with six children. Mat- thias J., the eldest, died at the age of ten months. Charles M. is now residing at North Plector. Myron R. is acting as man- ager of his father's farm. Anna ^lay died in November, 1901, at the age of thirty-nine years and seven months. Dora died at the age of twenty months. Minnie M. is now the wife of Reginald G. McLaughlin, a resident of LFarri-sburg, Pennsylvania. For almost a half centiuy !Mr. and ^Irs. Sutphen have traveled life's journey together, their mutual love and confidence increasing as the years have gone by, bringing to them the joys and the sorrows, the prosperity and adversity which fall to the lot of all human families. In 1901 Mr. Sutphen suffered a stroke of paralysis which has largely rendered his left side useless. He has l)een a man of iron will, of strong constitution, equalled by an ambition as great. His marked energy and determination have enabled him to success- fully carry on his work, and to secure for his family many of the comforts of life. In 1852 he cast his first presidential vote. Four years later he cast his ballot for John C. I'remont, the first candidate of the new Re- publican party, and since that time he ha.s never wa\ered in his allegiance to the party and its principles. He has been honored with a number of local offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promjjtness and fidelity. For six years he served as as- sessor and for nine years or three terms he was overseer of the poor. Religiously he and his family have been identified with the Presbyterian church of Hector for many years. He was also a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Grangers, and of the Independent Order of Good Templars, the last named indicating his attitude on the temperance question. He is now practically living a retired life upon liis valuable farm of one hundred and thirty acres. This is one of the valuable tracts of land in the township, ha\ing been largely made so through the untiring efforts and en- terprise of Mr. Sutphen. CHARLES AIUNSON SUTPHEN. Charles I\Iunson Sutphen, a son of Peter Oscar ;uid Jane (Jaquish) Sutphen, was born in the town of Hector. July 23. 1858, and is now widely and favorably known there as the proprietor of the leading hotel, the Exchange Hotel, of North Hector. In the district schools he acquired his educa- tion which he completed at the age of eight- een, although during the last six years of that time he was only enabled to spend a few months each year in .school. Subsequently he engaged in threshing for one year, after w hich he went to Toledo, Ohio, where he se- cured work as a pile driver. .\ vear later, however, he returned to THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 3'5 Schuyler county, and was liere married, on the 26th of April, 18S2, to Miss Sadie H. Hull, a daughter of Emniett and Abigail (Cudd) Hull. Seven children have l)cen born of this union : Bessie, Helen. Abigail, Oliver, Earl, Thomas and Ruth, and the family circle yet remai'ns unbroken by the hand of death, all of the children being still under the parental roof. After returning from the west ^Ir. Sut- phen workeil upon different farms for ten years, operating land on shares. With the capital he had acquired he then purchased a tract of land, but after four months he sold out anil purchased the Exchange Hotel at North Hector, it is a summer hotel, con- taining thirteen sleeping rooms and three of these rooms have two beds in them, so that he has altogether seventeen betls. He has conducted the hotel continuously since 1892. and receives a liberal patronage. The hos- telry is beautifully and pleasantly located within one hundred rods of the lake shore, and North Hector is considered one of the finest summer resorts along Seneca lake. It is located twelve miles distant from four dif- ferent towns. W'atkins, Trumansburg, Far- mersville and Ovid. Here all of the joys of a summer outing are to lie had, and Mr. Sutphen puts forth e\'ery effort in his power to please his patrons and secure their com- fort and pleasure. He also conducts a liv- ery Ixirn in connection with the hotel, and is agent for the Adriance-Platt Company, handling machinery. He has likewise been engaged in l)u\ing fruit for some time, ami in his various business interests he is meet- ing with creditable and well merited success. Mr. Sutphen belongs to Hector Lodge. Xn. 311, K. P., and attends the services of the Baptist church. Politically he is a Republi- can and his support has \xen given entirely to the i)arty since he cast his first presidential ballot for General Cirant, at his first election. CHARLl-.S H. P.VTCHEX. Charles H. Patchen, whose earnest and indefatigable labors have made him one of the leading and successful farmers of Dix township, Schuyler county, was born on the 14th of January, 1839, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and is a son of Harvey and Rachel (Brown) Patchen. His parents were also natives of the Old Bay state. The father was born in 1801 and in 1841 he l)rought his family to Schuyler county, New York, where he spent his remaining days, his death here occurring in the year 1856. By his marriage to Miss Brown he had the following children : Louisa, who is the wife of Dr. E. B. Wager, and resides in Nash- ville. Tennessee; Sarah, deceased wife of E. J'", (ianung, of Morcland : Rose Alpha, the wife of Rev. William Sharp, a resident of Rochester, !\ew ^'ork, by whom she has four children, William. Ella, Edith and Dewey; and Charles, of this review. In taking uj) the personal history of Charles H. Patchen, we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably kmiwn in Schuyler county, where almost his entire lite has been passed. He was only two years of age when brought hy his parents to this state and here he was reared and educated, spending his boyhood days under the parental roof, while in the iniblic .schools he gained a knowledge of the branches of English learning usually taught in such institutions. The familv home was 3i6 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD in the town of Aloreland and there lie early became familiar with the task of cultivating and improving the fields, so that he gained experience in the work which he has since followed in order to provide for his own family. On the 3d of October, 1861, Mr. Patchen was united in marriage to Miss Angie Cor- win, a daughter of William G. Corwin, a native of New Jersey. Her mother bore the maiden name of Mary Christler, and had four children: Orlando F., William C, Oscar P. and Angie. By her marriage Mrs. Patchen became the mother of two children, Delia M., deceased; and Jay H. After the inauguration of the Civil war Mr. Patchen responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting with the boys in blue of Company B, One Hundred and Forty-first Regiment, of New York Volunteers, on the loth of September, 1862. He was under the command of Captain A. J. Compton and of Colonel Samuel G. Hathaway, and with his regiment he went to the front, there to serve for three years. He participated in many important aigagements, including the Atlanta campaign, and the celebrated march under General Sherman to the sea. Thai, on account of ill health, he was sent to the United States hospital in Jefifersonville, In- diana, and on the 22d of June, 1865, he re- turnerJ home, for the war had ended and his services were no longer needed. The country owes him and his comrades a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid, but the brave soldier boys will ever be honored as long as history endures and the story of their heroism and fidelity is told. Again locating in Schuyler county, Mr. Patchen resumed farming, which he has fol- lowed continuously since and he has pro- vided for his family a comfortal)le livintr and good home. True to the political party which stood as the defender of the Union in the dark days of Civil war, he has ever been an earnest Republican, believing firmly in the principles of the organization. He be- longs to Montour Post, No. 22, G. A. R., of Montour Falls, and his wife is connected with the Presbyterian church. J. WALLACE CORBETT. J. Wallace Corbett, a farmer and fruit raiser of the town of Reading, was born on the upper portion of the farm which is now his home, his natal day being January 7, 1843, while his parents were Chester and Sally (LaFever) Corbett. The father was- I'orn in Massachusetts and the mother was a native of Seneca county. New York, and a daughter of Lewis La Fever. The sub- ject of this review is the youngest of a fam- ily of five children, four of whom are living: Otis, a prominent citizen of Schuyler county; Nancy, the wife of John W. War- ner, of Watkins, by whom she has two chil- dren ; and Charles, who wedded Mary Ann Breeze, by whom he had two children. Ma- tilda, the second of the family, became the wife of Kirtland Gilbert, and died in Mon- tour Falls, leaving five children. The par- ents of this family spent their last days at_ tiie home of their son, J. Wallace, the mother passing away in 1862, while the father died in 1899, and was laid to rest by the side of his wife in Lake Road cemetery. Under llic parental roof the subject of this review spent his boyhood days, and in the common schools he acquired his educa- tion, w hilc in the fields and meadows he was trained to the labors of the farm, assisting THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 3«7 his fatlier until eighteen years of age, when he was given liis time and allowed to engage in business on his own account. The father became tofcilly blind, and our subject then assumed the management of tlie old home place, comprising one hundred acres. In 1S62, wlien the country was engaged in Civil war, he entered the employ of the United States government, becoming con- nected with th.e construction company, with which he was sent to Nashville, remaining in its service for about one month, after which he was taken ill and returned home, receiving then an honorable discharge. Mr. Corbett continued to operate the home farm until his marriage, which oc- curred October 17, 1866, in the town of Reading, the lady of his choice being Miss Lucy M. Gabriel, a daughter of Plummer and Elizabeth (Cleveland) Gabriel. IMrs. Corbett was born on a farm adjoining the one where she now lives, July 26, 1847. while her father, a son of Alanson and Per- melia (Plummer) Gabriel, was a native of the town of Starkey, Yates county. The mother was bom in the town of Dix, near Moreland, Schuyler county, was a daughter of Luther and Eliza (Lee) Cleveland, and a distant relative of both President Cleveland and General Robert E. Lee. Mr. Corbett received from his father forty-five acres of the home farm, while fifty-five acres was given to his brother, Charles, and this latter tract our subject pur- cha.sed. In 1S73 he also bought sixty-eight acres, so that he now has a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty-two acres, upon which he is carrying on the work of raising grain and fruit. He has practical experi- ence in this line of activity and his energies arc bringing to him good harvests, his prod- ucts finding a ready sale upon the market. Tie is also interested in the breeding of horses, owning a fine pacing stallion. Double Hal, that is a light bay with large star and white hind ankles, sired by Royal Hal, 2 :i9'4, his dam being Susie Bnjwn, 2 :20%. Double Hal is a natural pacer with a 2 :20 gait, as a two-year-old. The home has been blessed with tliree children: Lee Cleveland, lx)rn October 21, :S67, was graduated in Cornell University with the class of 1890, afterward pursued a post-graduate course and is professor of horticulture for the L^nited States govern- ment at Washington, D. C, having charge of tlie Arhngton farm (m the Potomac river, just across from the capital city. He mar- ried Evelyn Northrop in the town of Dix Schuyler county, and they have four chil- dren, Ruth Eleanor, Frances L., Roger Bailey and Lawrence Northrop. Gabriel, the second son, was born December 21, 1 87 1, and having graduated from the Balti- more Medical College, is now engaged in the practice of his profession at Hampton, Florida. He married Ida Jones, and is a member of the Masonic fraternit}-. Louis La Fever, born March 27, 1875, was grad- uated in the law department of the Univer- sity of \\'est Virginia, in the class of 1897, was admitted to the bar of both Georgia and West Virginia, and practiced in the former named state in the years 1898 and T899. Mr. Corl)ett, of this review, cast his first jiresidential ballot in \^^(^, and is an earnest Republican, never wavering in his allegiance to the party. In 1895 '^^ ^^'^^ elected justice of the peace and he has never tried a case in which a decision of his has been rc\ersed, a fact which is indicative of his ecpiity as a presiding judge. Formerly he was a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal cIuutIi, and 3i8 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Having spent his entire life in this county, Mr. Corbett is widely known, and the salient features of his career have ever been such as to merit the confidence and good will of his fellow citizens. W "AI.Tl^K W". \-AXDERHOOF. Among the practitioners of dentistry in Watkins is Dr. ^^■alter Ward \^anderhoof, a young man thoroughly in touch with the progress which has characterized the pro- fession in recent years. He was born in Waterloo, New York, October 13, 1868, and is a son of \\'illiani Morris and Fannie (Ward) Vanderhoof. His father was a na- tive of New Jersey, and the mother's birth occurred in Buffalo. She was of English descent, while Mr. Vanderhoof was of Ger- man lineage, ^\'hen the question of slavery involved the country in Civil war, William M. Vanderhoof offered his services to the government as a defender of the Union. l)c- coming a member of the Twcnty-si.xth New Jersey Regiment. He continued with his command until seriously wounded at Chan- cellorsville. For two days and two nights he lay upon the battlefield and his injuries were so serious that it was necessary to ampu- tate his leg. Shortly after this he received an honorable discharge, being no longer fit- ted for field duty. At the usual age Dr. \'anderhoof began liis education, entering the schools of Seneca Falls. He pursued his studies in Miners Academy, where he comjjletcd his literary education and then as a prei)aration for pro- fessional life he entered the Philadelphia Dental College in 1803. ^'^ ''"-' uieantime. however, he had been a student in Olean Westbrook Commercial College, and return- ing to his home he was for two years a stu- dent in the oftice of Dr. Belcher, a dentist of Seneca Falls. He pursued a three years' course in the Philadelphia College, being graduated in 1896, and he received a special certificate for work done in the Philadelphia School of Anatomy. In 1897 he was licensed to practice and, coming to Watkins, opened an ofifice, buying out a dentist already established here. He soon demonstrated his al)ility in the line of his profession and is accorded a good practice, making him one of the successful professional men of the town. On the 15th of September, 1897, the Doctor was married to Miss JeSsie Rider Ellerby, a daughter of Thomas and Mary Rider Ellerby, and they have one son, Thomas \\'ard, who was born May 9, 1902. riie Doctor belongs to Watkins Lodge, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the Episcopal church. His political support is given to the Republican ])arty, but he has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to devote his energies to securing advancement professionally. He has Avon success through liis earnest pur- pose, broad knowledge and efficient . capa- bility. * ■ > WILLI.\M G. \\'ALLENBECK. William George Waller.beck, one oi the enterprising yoiuig business men of Watkins, is a representative of an honored pioneer f;uuily of Schuyler county, and from an early epoch in the de\eIopment of this por- tion of the state members of the Wallenbeck family ha\e Iieen active and helpful factors THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 319 ill tlie suljstantial growtli aiul upbuilding. The grandfather of our subject was a native of Holland ami after crossing th.e Atlantic to the new woritl lie settled in Schuyler coun- ty, being one of the first residents of \\'at- kins. When he took up his abode there the site of the village was a wilderness and swamp, little of tiie land having been re- claimed for the purpose of cultivation ajid tiie county gave no indication of the transfor- mation which was soon to be wrought within its borders by the sturdy, resolute pioneer set- tlers. Mr. W^allenbeck settled on the east side of the lake, cleared a small tract of land of the rocks and built a log house, one of the primitive homes of the county. Fish and wild game were then \-ery plentiful and furnished many a meal for the early settlers. The grandfather of our subject continued the work of improving his place and in course of time transformed it into a productive farm. John Wallenbcck, the father of our sub- ject, was born in this countj-, and was here reared amid the wild scenes of pioneer life. He married Miss Edna Reddener, and unto them was Ix)rn but one child, the subject of this review. In Dundee. Xew York, in the year 1879, William George Wallenbeck was born and under the parental roof he spent the period of his youth, entering the common schools at the usual age and therein pursuing his studies until he had largely mastered the com- mon branches of English learning. When the country became engaged in war with Spain his patriotic spirit was aroused and he offered his services to the government in July, 1898. In the same year he returned to the Empire state, going lirst to Geneva and afterward to Penn Yan. From the latter place he came to Watkins, where he is now living. He has a bicycle store and repair shop ami in both branches of his business is meeting with success, having secured a liberal patronage. Mr. Wallenbeck was united in marriage to Miss Elthia, a daughter of Alford and ]'rancalie (Hill) McConnell. She was the only cliild born to her parents. Like her husband she has many friends in Watkins, and their own pleasant home is most hospita- ble. Mr. Wallenbeck is a member of the Baptist church, and in his political affiliations he is a Republican, deeply interested in the growth and success of the party, A young man of undaunted spirit, strong character and laudable ambition, he has already won success which argues well for the future. FRANK F. IRISH. l~rank F. Irish, who is dealing in crock- fry, toys, stationery and sporting goods in Watkins, where he is accounted an enterpris- ing and prosperous merchant, was Iwrn in Paterson, Xew Jersey, October 12, 1858, his parents being Hugh C. and Betsy A. (Haight) Irish. The father was born in \'ic- tor\- township, Cayuga county. Xew \'ork, August 10, 1832, and when si.xteen years of age left his native place, going to Paterson, Xew Jersey, where his brother had secured him a position in the office of the "Guardian," a newspaper published in that town by L. R. Stelle. From office boy and newspaper car- rier he worked his way up to the position of foreman before he was twenty years of age and became an adept in all departments of the business. Leaving Paterson he was em- ployed as a journeyman printer in Xew York and other places, and finally returned to his native county, establishing a ]irinting office ■?20 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD in Auburn. Xew York. On tlie 2d of April, 1854, Mr. Irish was united in marriage to Miss Betsy Ann Haight. After some time spent in Auburn trying to establish himself in the newspaper business, he returned to Paterson, where he became a partner with Orin Durhop Van Derhover, in the publica- tion of the "Guardian" in May, 1856, and assisted in establishing a tri-weekly instead of a weekly. Later they startetl the first suc- cessful daily paper in Paterson. In 1862, however, Mr. Irish sold his interest in the newspaper and embarked in the grocery busi- ness. While publishing his paper he had wanted to enlist as a soldier in defense of the L'nion, but had allowed himself to be dis- suaded from taking this step, .\iter he had been in the grocery business for two weeks, however, he concluded to join the army, ami when his friends found that they could no longer prevail upon him to remain at home they suggested that he secure a commission. He took no part in this, but his friends labored in his behalf in this direction. Mr. Irish organized a company of which he be- came captain and which became Company K of the Thirteenth New Jersey Volunteers. His men had been in line but twice when the command was ordered south and Captain Irish had hardly become acquainted with his soldiers when he was ordered into battle at Antietam, on the 17th of September, 1862. He was leading his men in making a charge in which they had to scale a fence, and was several paces ahead of them urging them on when a bullet from the enemy jjierced his breast, striking his heart, and he was instant- ly killed, l^eing the first man in the regiment to fall. Heber Wells, who was near him and saw him fall, rushed to him, supporting his head and asking him if he was badly hurt. He replied. "Heber. I am killed." They were his last words. The battle raged so that Mr. Wells could not care for the body, but gave it in charge of three others, who, however, \\ ere ordered to other duty and his body lay upon the field from eight o'clock in the n:orning of ^\'ednesday until the succeeding Friday, when it was secured and interred on the battle-field. Mr. Weils secured posses- sion of his sword, his watch, his diary, and some letters from his pockets. Before he had left his friends asked him in case of his death it his lx)(ly should be brought back and he replied that as it would cost from one to two hundred dollars and that his family would be left with little means, he would prefer to be buried on the battle-field and save the ex- pense. He also made recjuest of his friends who were taking steps to secure money for the purpose of an elaborately carved sword, that they would wait and see the outcome and if he fell, to give the money instead to his wife and children, three in number. Al- though at first interred on the battle-field his remains were afterward takai to Paterson and buried in the Baptist cemetery at Sandy Hill, while later they were removed to Cedar Lawn, on the 25th of November, 1870. Mrs. Irish survived her husband only until Febru- ary, 1863. The children are all living; Frank F. ; Mrs. Gertrude Wright, of Buffalo ; and Stelle. named for Captain Irish's first employer, Mr. Stelle, of the "Guardian" newspaper. The funeral of Captain Irish was conducted by the Masonic fraternity, of which he was a consistent member, and was largely attended, for he had many friends. After the mother's death, Lewis Irish, of Hackensack, New Jersey, a brother of the captain, became the children's guardian and gave them a good home, carefully rearing them to manhood. Frank F. Irish, of this re- \iew. acquired a good common school educa- 1 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 321 tion in Hackensack and when about tliirtecn years of age lie went to Binglianiton, New York, where he continued liis education for a time. At about tlie age of fifteen he began learning the molder's trade in the foundry of that place, and from the start lie svas able to eani a dollar per day. When he had com- pleted his apprenticeship he worked at his trade in different parts of the country for twenty-two years, and in 1879 he came to Watkins, where he secured a position in the foundn.'. In 1888 he sought a home in the far west, locating at Whatcom, in the state of Washington. There he etigaged in sur- veying for the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad for about five years, mak- ing his home at Xew Whatcom, which town he helped to lay out, witnessing its growth from a village of six hundred to thirteen thousand inhabitants. In 1894, however, Mr. Irish returned to Watkins, where for a time he was employed in the loundr}% and then in 1898 he opened his present business on a small scale, having merely a news room, but subseciuently he purchased the Fair, of Mr. Davis, and has built up a good trade, dealing in crockery, toys, stationery and sporting goods. On the I2tli of April, 1881, in Watkins, was celebrated the marriage of Frank IrisJi and Miss Alice I. Sherman, who was born near Syracuse, at W'eedsport, New York, a daughter of Ora and Charlotte (Russell) Sherman, residents of Watkins, in which place the daughter was reared and educated. Two sons lia\e been born unto them : Charles H., whose birth occurred in Seneca Falls, .■\pril 18, 1882, and Leonard C, who was born in Xew Whatcom, Washington, June 19. 1892. Mr. Irish is a stalwart Republican in pol- itics, but has never been an office seeker. So- cially he is connected w ith the Improved Or- der of Red r^len and the Knights of the Mac- cabees, having filled most of the chairs in these lodges. He is a gentleman of good business ability, sagacity and strong purpose, and ill the control of the enterprise of which he has now beai the proprietor for several years, he is meeting with well merited suc- cess. CHARLES SHERWOOD FROST. In viewing the mass of mankind in the various occupations of life, the conclusion is forced upon the observer that in the vast ma- jority of cases men ha\e sought employment not in the line of their peculiar fitness but in those fields where caprice or circumstances have placed them, thus explaining the reason of the failure of ninety-five per cent of those who enter professional or commercial circles. In a few cases is seems that men with a pecul- iar fitness for a certain line have taken it up, and marked success has followed. Such is the fact in the case of the subject of this biography, who is to-day one of the most prominent business men of Watkins, con- trolling extaisive and important interests. Charles Sherwood Frost was born in Chemung county, in the town of Catlin, No- vcml:)er 3, 1835, and is a son of Thomas Sher- wood and Lydia (Cogswell) Frost. The family is a very old and prominent one in the Empire state and was established in .\merica by English ancestors in an early epoch of the development of the new world, but the early records of the family were lost in a fire which destroyed the court house in Fairfax, Connecticut, in the seventeenth cen- tury. The great-grandfather of our subject, Joseph Frost, Jr., in company with his par- 322 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD ents, came to tlie town of Catharine, Schuy- ler county. They cast in tlieir lot with its first settlers and secured a tract of land before any roads were cut througli this portion of the state. They began the work of clearing and developing a farm and from that time to the present representatixes of the Frost family have been proiuinent and active in affairs pertaining to the upbuilding and ad- vancement of this portion of the state. Jo- seph Frost, Sr.. the great-great-grandfather of our subject, died in 1810, having attained to an advanced age. The great-grandfather, Josqih Frost, Jr., was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war who fought for the independence of the nation and was after- ward pensioned in recognition of his services. Jonathan I""rost, the grandfather of our subject, died in the town of Catharine in the year 1859. Like others of the family as far back as the history can be traced, he had de- voted his attention to agricultural pursuits. Fie married in Connecticut and the wedding journey of the young couple was made on horsel>ack from that state to the town of Catharine in Schuyler county, Xew ^'^rk. Thomas Sherwood l-'rost. the father of our subject, was a millwright by trade Imt turned his attention to general farming. He was bom in the town of Catharine, now ]\Iontour I^'alls, December 26, 1809. The farm which he purchased was surveyed by Mr. Pompclla, of Owego, in 1817, and was a part of the old Watkins and Flint purchase. These old farm properties which belonged to the ancestors of our subject are still in the possession of the family, and the old home- stead, which was the property of Thomas Slierwood I*"roSt, came into the possession of Charles S. Frost of this review in 1879. Throughout the greater part of his business career the fallu-r carried on agricultural pur- suits. He married Lydia Cogswell, who was born October 5, 1811, and both attained to an advanced age, the father passing away July 12, 1885, while the mother's death oc- curred on the 28th of December, 1893. In the early district schools Charles S. Frost of this review acquired his preliminary education and later continued his studies in the Lima Seminary of Lima, New York. When he put aside his text books he turned his attention to farming and lumbering, which he followed for a short tinie, but not long had he been engaged in business on his own account when the Civil war broke out and with patriotic spirit he responded to the government's call for aid, enlisting in Au- gust, 1 86 1, as a member of the Forty-eighth New York Volunteer Infantry, becoming a member of the regimental band. He joined the organization at Millport and was mus- tered in at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. After serving for thirteen months he was then jion- orably discharged at F'ort ]''ulaski, Georgia, and was there mustered out. Mr. Frost returned home and was en- gaged in the marble business in Millport, New York, from February, 1863, until the follow- ing fall, although in April of that year he took up his residence in Wat!:ins. where he has now lived for almost forty years. Here he continued in the marble business, to which he has since given his attention, although he has not confined his energies entirely to this line. He is a man of marked resources and business ability and his efforts have been potent factors in the successful control of other concerns. He erected the building for the Schuyler Agricultural works in 1873. He is now connected with the machine foun- dry and milling business with which two of his sons, John E. and Charles H.. are also associated, the former being a partner in the THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 323. mill and the latter in the machine works, fdundry and marble shop. These have be- come leading industrial concerns of Schuyler county and are paying investments. Mr. I'rost is also the proprietor of the (ilen Park Hotel, a large and roomy structure contain- ing two hundred and fifty rooms, of which one hundred and fourteen are sleeping apart- ments. This is one of the finest hotels in this section of the state antl is a credit alike to its owners and to the locality in which it is situated. On the 3d of September, 1863, Mr. Frost was married to Miss Teressa Frost, a daugh- ter of George and Catherine L. (Sherman) Frost. Her father was born in 181 1 near Reynoldsville, in what was then Seneca coun- ty, New York. In 1824 his parents settled at Beaver Dams, in what was then Tioga county, where they resided until called to their final rest. George Frost was a black- smith by trade and in the year 1861 moved to Watkins, where he became connected with mercantile interests as a dealer in hardware and lumber. For a long period he was thus actively associated with business affairs in Schuyler county. He died July 9, 1899, and his wife passed away August 14, 1891. Unto our subject and his wife have been born six children: George \V., who died at the age of thirty-eight years, had married Minnie I'Viist and had four children, Helen, Louise, Alice and George ; John E. married Cora B. Smith ; Willis L. married Eva Sisson and has one child, Teressa; Charles H. wedded Elena Holmes and has a son, Clarence; P'rank mar- ried May Catlin and has a daughter, Emily May ; and Glenn H. wedded Mary E. Robin- son. In politics Mr. Frost has been an earnest Republican since casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856. He has served as supervisor in the town of Dix for several terms and held other minor offices, and is now the president of the board of trade of Watkins. To him there has come the at- tainment of a distinguished position in con- nection w ith the grait material industries of the count)', and his efforts have been so well directed along plainly defined lines that he seems to have realized at any one point of progress the full measure of his possibilities for accomplishment at that point. A man of distinct and forceful individuality, of broad mentality and most mature judgment, he has left and is leaving his impress upon the in- dustrial world. For years he has been an important factor in the development of the natural resources of the state, in the upbuild- ing of and in the promotion of the enterprises which add not alone to his individual pros- perity, but also advance the general welfare and prosperity of the city in which he makes his home. RICHARD MALONEY. .Among the residents that Ireland has furnished to Schuyler county and who have become important factors in its business life is Richaril Maloney, who was Ijorn t>n the JCmerald isle, in the year 1825. He acquired his education in his nati\e country and there entered upon bis business career, but he real- ized that advancement was slow in his native land and resolved to come to America to en- joy its greater opportunities. Accordingly he crossed the Atlantic in 1850, first locating in Watkins, where he followed farming and general jobbing. There he remained until 1892, when he removed to Odessa, purchas- ing a farm of seventy-five acres four miles from liunlett. Here he carried on general 324 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD farming until the time of his death, which occurred July 6, 1900. Mr. Malone\- was always energetic, progressive and industrious and his efforts were attended with creditable success. In i860 Mr. Maloney w-as united in mar- riage to Bridget Hickey, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, and came to this coun- try in 1842, living in Watkins until her mar- riage. Their children are: Ella; John; James, who passed away; Thomas; \\'illiani, who is also deceased; and William, who is still with his mother. Of this family, Ella is the wife of Thomas Clark, who died in Wat- kins, where she made her home. John mar- ried Marie Dugeon, and lives in Corning. Thomas was united in marriage to Minnie Chapman and they make their home in Odes- sa. Their children are Floyd and Daniel. The latter is foreman of the Lehigh \'alley Railroad at this place and has been in the employ of the company for nine years. W^ill- iam is also in the employ of the same road. Mr. Maloney left to his family an un- tarnished name. His upright life and sterl- ing qualities of manhood had endeared him to many friends who also deeply regretted his loss. In his nature and manner he was always genial, generous and courteous and he e\er favored any cause for the general welfare of his community. JAMES D. PALMER. Prominent among the leading agricultur- ists and horticulturists of Schuyler county is James D. Palmer, a very enterprising and successful business man whose fine farm and valuable orchards are the visible evidences of his life of industry and earnest toil guided by sound judgment. He has now passed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, having reached the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey. His birth oc- curred in the town of Ohio, Herkimer county. New York, on the 12th of October, 1827. He acquired his education in the com- mon schools which he left at the age of nine- teen in order to become a factor in the busi- ness world. He began learning the car- penter's trade, which he followed for some time in Elmira and Horseheads, New York. He possesses much natural ability as a me- clianic and draughtsman. On the 1st of October, 1853, Mr. Palmer vras united in marriage to Miss Marilla Baker, a daughter of Harmon and Ilulda (Goodsell) Baker, who removed from the state of Vermont to New York, settling in the town of Hornby, Steuben county. In 1853 her father went to California, where he has since made his home. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Palmer has been blessed with three children: Arthur O., who wedded Grace Edgecomb, by whom he has two chil- dren; Edward C, who married Harriet Smith, has four children and is a resi- dent of Williston, North Dakota, where he is prominently known as a government engi- neer and as a representative of his district in tl;e general assembly of that state; and Lena ]., who is now deceased. Coming to Schuyler county in early life James Palmer has here advanced to a very* prominent and gratifying position. He is a representative of the leading business inter- ests of the county — farming and fruit grow- ir.g. By capable management, industry and economy he has been enabled to make large purchases of land and is to-day the owner oi a good farm, comprising eighty-eight acres, l^pon this he has mnde excellent im- 1 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 325 provenieiits in keeping willi a model farm of tlie twentieth century. He has erected a good residence, substantial barns and out- buildings, and has planted twenty-one hun- dred fruit trees, including pciches, pears, apples and plums. There is also a consider- able quantity of small fruit upon the place and his opinions concerning horticulture in any department are regarded as authority. His fields of grain, too, are highly cultivatetl and yield to him good crops. Everything about his place is attractive, presenting a pleasing feature in the landscape. Through his efforts his farm has become very valu- able as well as productive and the owner well merits the excellent success which has crowned his well directed efiforts. He is a man of genuine worth, honesty and reliabil- ity, his word being as good as any bond ever solemnized by signature or seal. He has been called upon to settle up several es- tates, having recently assisted in the settle- ment of one estate of seventeen thousand dollars, in which every cent was accounted for. He has erected many of the buildings ia his section of the countiy, which to-day stand as monuments to his handiwork. In politics Mr. Palmer was formerly a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Martin Van P>uren in 1848, but he now supports the Prohibition party. At one time he was a member of the Grange and Good Templars society in his community, but since the discontinuance of those lodges he stands alone as a representative of the organiza- tions. He represented the Grange in the state organization and was elected the first presi- dent of the Farmers' Alliance, which office he filled for two years. Religiously he is an earnest and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a trustee at one time. P. B. SULLU'AX. P. B. Sullivan, a dealer in coal and wood in W'atkins, was born in the town of Read- ing, Schuyler county, Xew York, January 11, 1862, and is a son of Owen and Mary (Conley) Sullivan, both of whom were na- tives of County Cork, Ireland, where they were reared and married. In their early married life they determined to seek a home in the new world, and, crossing the .\tlantic to the United States, they lived for a time in Yates county. New York, coming thence to Schuyler county. The mother died in Wat- kins in 1880 and was buried in the Catholic cemetei")'. The father, however, is now liv- ing in Utica with his children. Of his ten ciiildren, eight still survive. These are : Mag- gie, the wife of Thomas Fletcher, who is a molder and is serving as sujjervisor of the city of Utica; Mary, the wife of Edward Gray- stone, a barber; Hannah, the wife of Charles Folk, who is foreman for Armour in Rome, New York; Daniel J., a Rochester phar- macist who is now conducting a drug store in Utica ; and Kittie and Jennie, who are with their father. For a time the family resided at Coal Point, where P. B. Sullivan spent his boy- hood days and acquired his education in the public schools, and at the age of thirteen he began working at ten dollars per munth and was afterward employed in the handling of coal at Coal Point, being thus engaged until he was thirty years of age, during which time he won advancement from the position of the boy who carried the water until he be- came foreman and later agent, acting in the Inst named capacity for about five years. On the 1 8th of April, 1892, Mr. Sullivan was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Kel- ley, who was born, reared and educated in 320 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD Watkins, a daughter of John and Bridget (O'Day) Kelley. They now have three children, John K., M. Grace and Florence Monica. They liave a pleasant home in Watkins and Mr. Sullivan provides for his family by engaging in the coal trade in which he embarked in 1894, since which time he has secured a large and growing patronage which brings to him a good profit. He ships coal by lake and canal, handling three thou- sand tons at Coal Point for one company alone. His business has now reached profit- able proportions and Mr. Sullivan is num- bered among the successful men of his com- munity. He cast his first presidential vote for Grover Cleveland and is a Democrat but has never been an aspirant for office. At the age of thirteen he was confirmed in tlie Roman Catholic church by Bishop Ryan, of Buffalo. His life has been one of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition of labor, and to-day he is num- bered among the substantial citizens of his native countv. CAPTAIN HIRAM L. COUCH. Hiram L. Couch, a son of Eli and Har- riet (St. John) Couch, was born October 10, 1823, in the town of Catharine, then Ti- oga, and later Chemung, but now Schuyler county, and is therefore one of the oldest native sons residing here, his life span hav- ing covered almost eighty years. His fa- ther, Eli Couch, came to the Empire state from Reading, Connecticut. He wedded Harriet St. John, of Silver Mine, Fairfield county, Connecticut, and on removing to New York they took up their abode in Hopewell, near Canandaigua, Ontario county. They became the parents of four children, of whom the subject of this re- view is the eldest. Samuel P. is a farmer residing in Montour Falls. Mary E. is the wife of Giles Piatt, also living in Montour Falls, and their children are four in num- ber; Harriet C, deceased wife of Edwin T. Tracy, of Montour Falls; Martha A. and Ella E., yet with their parents; and Her- man L., who married Emma Zimmerman, by whom he had one child, Ethel M., now deceased. Eleanor E., the youngest mem- ber of the Couch family, is also deceased. The parents of our subject have long since passed away. The early schools which had been estab- lished in Scliuyler county afforded to Hi- ram L. Couch his educational privileges and after he put aside his text books he learned the molder's trade and mastered all of the dift'erent kinds of work executed in a foun- dry. He became quite expert in that line of industrial activity and for twenty-one years followed the business, commanding excel- lent wages by reason of his efficiency and his reliability. At the end of that time he joined the army. Hardly had the smoke from Fort Sumter's guns cleared away whai he offered his services to the govern- ment, for he had watched with interest the progress of events in the south and resolved that if an attempt at secession was made he would strike a blow in defense of the Union. Accordingly, on the 21st of April, 1861, he enlisted and on the 14th of May following he was mustered into the United States ser- vice as a first lieutenant of Company K, Third New York Infantry, of which com- pany General Mulford was then captain. He first went to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, and afterward was transferred with his regiment to Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Later he was ordered to Suft'olk, Virginia, CAPT. H. L. COUCH THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 3=9 and from tlial point went to l'"ortress .Mon- roe. At the time wlien Lee made liis ad- vance on Ciettysl)urg Mr. Coucli was or- dered with his regiment to tiie north to aid ill cliecking- the advance ot the Confederate commander, and after tiie hatlle he was again sent with his rcj^imen.t. Colonel E. G. Floyd commanding, to Norfolk, Virginia, and from tiicre to Charleston. South Caro- lina. Sul)sequently tiiey landed on h'olly Inland. At that place he was promoted to the rank of captain and placed in command of the hattery at Pawnee Landing, I'olly Island, South Carolina. With his regiment he had control of two batteries situated .-ihout twenty rods apart. On the 19th of .\pril, 1S64, Captain Couch went from Folly Isl- and to Hilton Head and subscr|uently to Fortress Monroe. They were sent from there up the York river to West Point. \'ir- ginia. Subsequently they proceeded up the James river to Bermuda Hundred and ;if- terward to Petersburg, tearing up a part of the Petersburg & Richmond Railroad at tliat place, where he remained with his com- mand for about a week and in the charge which w'as made alwut sundown on Satur- day evening, he was wounded. .\ shell crashed into a pine tree and a piece of it cut his left hand. Ilowever, he had his wound bound up and was again ready for duty after a few hours' rest. On the following Monday morning, on the 16th of .May. the enemy broke through the lines and started on a run. The Third Xew York, com- manded by Colonel E. (]. I''loyd, was or- dered to hold them bnck. They had only one hnndred and ninety-six muskets left with which to make the charge but they suc- ceeded in the attemjit. dri\ing the Confed- erates back and taking some of them prison- ers. Their colonel, E. G. Floyd, was 19 wounded, and other officers were also dis- abled. ^ In that engagement Captain Couch was shot through the arm by an explosive bullet, w hich so shattered the arm that it U.id U) be amputated and he lay in the hospital for seven months. He was then carried to Point Lookout Hospital and as soon as he could he moved he -was transferred t- 1(1 t.aiia(la,s;iiL;;i l.udgc, Xo. 201. 1 O. O. F., of Watkins and to other fraternal organizations. lie has passed through all the chairs of ihe Odd I'ellows society in its local hranch and has repre- sented his home lodge in the grand lodge of 1898 and 1899. His political support is given to the Democracy, and he is a member of the Presbyterian chtirch. Starting out on his business career in early life, he found the opportunities he sought — which, by the way, are always open to the ambitious, energetic man — and making the l)est of these he has steadily worked his way upward. He pos- sesses the resolution, perseverance and relia- bility so characteristic of liis Irish ancestry, and his name is now numbered among the I)cst citizens of Watkins and of Schuyler countv. PERRY DIBBLE. Perry Dibl)lc, who is a representative of agricultural interests in Montour town- ship, was born in the town of Montour I'"alls, on the oth of March, 1851. and is a son of S. W. and Hannah (Owens) Dibble. His father is a native of Pennsylvania, born on the 1st of July, 1802, in the town of .Athens, near Tioga Point, and when (juite young he came to ]\b)ntour township, Schuyler county, Xew York, ante.l by his study and research. Anything that tends to bring to man the key to that mystery which we call life is of interest to Dr. ImihI- liam, and be is regarded as a man lving- upon him. Soon after his arrival in America .Mr. Handrahan accepted a position on the Erie Railroad, working at grading in Delaware county, New York, for two months, and then accompanied his brother to Millers Corners, where he remained two years, during which time he was engaged in grading and laxing track and in the general cnersight of a gang of workmen. When he left that place he en- tered the employ of the Pennsyhania Rail- road Company at Havana, now .Montmu- Falls. Here he acted as general overseer of men for five yeirs and on the expiration of that period he accepted a position on a wood machine for the same company, sawing wood for the railroad engines. At that time wood was used entirely for fuel on the railroads and had to Ije sawed in lengths ready for the engines. His next position was with the Erie Railroad Company, with which he re- mained for nine years, walking and inspect- ing the tracks. At the end of that time the road changed hands, becoming a part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, and its em- ployes remained with the new company, with which Mr. Handrahan was connected for seven years. He then lost his position tlirough the neglect of a flagman. During this time, however, he had been economical and industrious and his savings enabled him to purchase a good farm. Since 1882 he has carried on agricidlural pursuits and is now the owner of a large and ^ ahiahlc tract of Ir.nd which is under a hif cultiva- tion, everything about the place being neat and thrifty in appearance. Mr. Handrahan was united in marriage to Miss Catherine O'Hare, a most estimable lady of sterling worth. They have six chil- dren : Patrick, who is employed as an engi- neer on the Black Diamond of the Lehigh Valley Railroad; John, deceased; Maggie; Catherine; 'Henry, who is a conductor on the F.imira & Watkins trolley line and makes his home with his father ; and Marion, who has passed away. Mr. Handrahan is entirely a self-made man. He was in limited circumstances on his arrival in .America but he has worked hard and continuously and his labors have brought to him a very comfortable com- petence. He certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished and merits the high regard in which he is universally held. He has lived peaceably with all men, having never had a law-suit, and he is noted for his honesty, his word being considered as good as his bond. .Although past the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten. he has never Ijeen ill in his life, and is still hale and hearty. « « » PROFESSOR LEWIS 11. P.K.XDLEY. Professor Lewis Har\ey Bradley has a wide acquaintance in Schuyler county and throughout this portion of Xew York, while his skill as an o])tician has won him an en- \ iable reputation. He makes his home in Watkins, but travels quite extensively in the interest of his business. His birth occurred in the town of Enfield. Tompkins county, March r, 1845, his parents being Edwin and Julia .\. (Shelton) Bra.lley. The Bradley familv is of Irish lineage and in the earlv 334 THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD days of American liistory was estalilishecl in New Bedlord, Connecticut. Tlie paternal grandfatlier of our sul)ject was Searles Bradley. Tlie father. F,f.)4, and included Shelton Hall. ;i noble mansion, which has now long been in ruins. Daniel .Shelton. the founder of the Xew England family, was born at Deptford, Yorkshire, luiglanroricicnt representative of the business, lie under- stands thoroughly the great mechanical principles which underlie the profession ,ind his efficiency enables him to give entire sat- isfaction to those who engage his services. Professor I5radlcy is a member of Havana Lodge, Xo. 56, I. O. O. F. ?lis re- ligious faith is that of the Episcojjal churcli, of which he has long been a devoted and ac- tive member. I'or twenty years he has served as a l;iv reader in the clnu'ch. still rc- taitu'ng that position, and is also vestryman. He served as superiiuendent of the Sunday school for twenty years, in his political views he is a Republican, but the honors and emohunents of office have had no attraction for him as he has jireferred to devote his at- tention to his ijrofessional duties. He is a man of strong force of character, marked individuality and upright ])rinciples, and wherever he goes he conunands the confi- dence, respect and friendship of those with whom he is brought in contact. On the .nst of June. 1S79, Professor I'.radley was united in luarriage to .\nna A. Smith, a daughter of Dr. 1 larvey and Hulda Ann ((ioodsell) Smith, residents of Schuy- ler coiuit}'. Mrs. P)ra worth being widely acknowledged by all who knew him. lie had but one son. who grew to man- hood, ll.-irry lily, the father of our subject, who was reared to manhood in this county, and was educated in the subscription and THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 337 district sclioc)ls. 1 ie engaged in farming as a means of livliiiood and in 1860 he secured as a companion and liel])niate tor the journey of life, Miss Harriet Huwcll. a daughter of f^Geof^ and Sallie (Durland) Howell, the , former an early settler oi Schuyler county. who on coming to this portion of the state ■^ took up his al)ode in Hector township. Mr. V Ely first ])urchased one humlred and sixty acres of lafid and continued its culti\ation until the spring of 1868, when he purchased the farm upon which our suhject now re- siiles. the land heing then improved. To tin." further development and cultivation of that property he devotetl his energies tlu^ongh many years, making the i)lace his home until he was called to his final rest. In his fra- ternal relation he was a Mason and in pcjli- tics was a Democrat, giving loyal su])port to tlie party. On its ticket he was once the candidate for county sherifY. hut was de- feated. His death occurred July 22, 1899. In the family were five sons and two daugh- ters, hut the latter. Emma and Carrie, died in infancy. The sons are: George M., of this rc\iew ; Edward, who is engaged in mining', in Ouray. Colorado; Frank, who is engaged in cahinet-making and mining, at Silverton. Colorado. Richard, who is liv- ing on the old family homcstcatl and mar- rieil Mahcl