USA > Iowa > Mills County > A biographical history of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa > Part 23
USA > Iowa > Fremont County > A biographical history of Fremont and Mills Counties, Iowa > Part 23
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ALISHA B. ANDREWS, noted as an ed- ucator and college president, was born at Hinsdale, New Hampshire, January 10, 1844, his father and mother being Erastus and Elmira (Bartlett) Andrews. In 1861, he entered the service of the general gov- ernment as private and non-commissioned officer in the First Connecticut Heavy Ar- tillery, and in 1863 was promoted to the
rank of second lieutenant. Returning home he was prepared for college at Powers In- stitute and at the Wesleyan Academy, and entered Brown University. From here he was graduated in 1870. For the succeeding two years he was principal of the Connecti- cut Literary Institute at Suffield, Connecticut. Completing a course at the Newton Theo- logical Institute, he was ordained pastor of the First Baptist church at Beverly, Massa- chusetts, July 2, 1874. The following year he became president of the Denison University, at Granville, Ohio. In 1879 he accepted the professorship of homiletics, pastoral duties and church polity at Newton Theological Institute. In 1882 he was elected to the chair of history and political economy at Brown University. The Uni- versity of Nebraska honored him with an LL. D. in 1884, and the same year Colby University conferred the degree of D. D. In 1888 he became professor of political economy and public economy at Cornell University, but the next year returned to Brown University as its president. From the time of his inauguration the college work broadened in many ways. Many timely and generous donations from friends and alumni of the college were influenced by him, and large additions made to the same.
Professor Andrews published, in 1887, " Institutes of General History," and in 1888, " Institutes of Economics."
JOHN WILLIAM DRAPER, the subject of the present biography, was, during his life, one of the most distinguished chemists and scientific writers in America. He was an Englishman by birth, born at Liverpool, May 5, 1811, and was reared in his native land, receiving an excellent education, graduating at the University of London. In 1833 he came to the United States, and
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settled first in Pennsylvania. He graduated in medicine at the University of Philadel- phia, in 1836, and for three years following was professor of chemistry and physiology at Hampden-Sidney College. He then be- came professor of chemistry in the New York University, with which institution he was prominently connected for many years. It is stated on excellent authority that Pro- fessor Draper, in 1839, took the first photo- graphic picture ever taken from life. He was a great student, and carried on many important and intricate experiments along scientific lines. He discovered many of the fundamental facts of spectrum analysis, which he published. He published a number of works of great merit, many of which are recognized as authority upon the subjects of which they treat. Among his work were: " Human Physiology, Statistical and Dyna- mical of the Conditions and Cause of Life in Man," "History of Intellectual Develop- ment of Europe," "History of the Ameri- can Civil War," besides a number of works on chemistry, optics and mathematics. Pro- fessor Draper continued to hold a high place among the scientific scholars of America until his death, which occurred in January, 1882.
G EORGE W. PECK, ex-governor of the state of Wisconsin and a famous journalist and humorist, was born in Jeffer- son county, New York, September 28, 1840. When he was about three years of age his parents removed to Wisconsin, settling near Whitewater, where young Peck received his education at the public schools. At fifteen he entered the office of the "Whitewater Register," where he learned the printer's art. He helped start the "Jefferson County Republican" later on, but sold out his interest therein and set type in the office of 1]
the "State Journal," at Madison. At the outbreak of the war he enlisted in the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry as a private, and after serving four years returned a second lieutenant. He then started the "Ripon Representative," which he sold not long after, and removing to New York, was on the staff of Mark Pomeroy's "Democrat." Going to La Crosse, later, he conducted the La Crosse branch paper, a half interest in which he bought in 1874. He next started "Peck's Sun," which four years later he removed to Milwaukec. While in La Crosse he was chief of police one year, and also chief clerk of the Democratic assembly in 1874. It was in 1878 that Mr. Peck took his paper to Milwaukee, and achieved his first permanent success, the circulation increasing to 80,000. For ten years he was regarded as one of the most original, versa- tile and entertaining writers in the country, and he has delineated every phase of country newspaper life, army life, domestic experience, travel and city adventure. Up to 1890 Mr. Peck took but little part in politics, but in that year was elected mayor of Milwaukee on the Democratic ticket. The following August he was elected gov- ernor of Wisconsin by a large majority, the "Bennett School Bill" figuring to a large extent in his favor.
Mr. Peck, besides many newspaper arti- cles in his peculiar vein and numerous lect- ures, bubbling over with fun, is known to fame by the following books: "Peck's Bad Boy and his Pa," and "The Grocery Man and Peck's Bad Boy."
C HARLES O'CONOR, who was for many years the acknowledged leader of the legal profession of New York City, was also conceded to be one of the greatest lawyers America has produced. He was
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born in New York City in 1804, his father being an educated Irish gentleman. Charles received a common-school education, and early took up the study of law, being ad- mitted to practice in 1824. His close ap- plication and untiring energy and industry soon placed him in the front rank of the profession, and within a few years he was handling many of the most important cases. One of the first great cases he had and which gained him a wide reputation, was that of " Jack, the Fugitive Slave," in 1835, in which his masterful argument before the supreme court attracted wide attention and com- ment. Charles O'Conor was a Democrat all his life. He did not aspire to office- holding, however, and never held any office except that of district attorney under Presi- dent Pierce's administration, which he only retained a short time. He took an active interest, however, in public questions, and was a member of the state (New York) con- stitutional convention in 1864. In 1868 he was nominated for the presidency by the "Extreme Democrats." His death occurred in May, 1884.
S IMON BOLIVAR BUCKNER, a noted American officer and major-general in the Confederate army, was born in Ken- tucky in 1823. He graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1844, served in the United States infantry and was later as- signed to commissary duty with the rank of captain. He served several years at fron- tier posts, and was assistant professor in the military academy in 1846. He was with General Scott in the Mexican war, and en- gaged in all the battles from Vera Cruz to the capture of the Mexican capital. He was wounded at Cherubusco and brevetted first lieutenant, and at Molino del Rey was brevetted captain. After the close of the
Mexican war he returned to West Point as assistant instructor, and was then assigned to commissary duty at New York. He re- signed in 1855 and became superintendent 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 1860 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, April 3, 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.
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For 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 struggling colonists, participated in the war for independence west of the Alle- ghanies. In 1784 he returned to Virginia, but did not remain 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 through ignorance of law, and the growing value of the land, lost it all and was reduced to poverty. During the war with England in 1812-15, 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.
E "LIHU 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. Washburne died at Chicago, Illinois, October 22, 1887.
W ILLIAM CRAMP, one of the most extensive 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 1860 wood was used in building vessels, al- though pace was kept with all advances in the art of shipbuilding. At the opening of
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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.
W ASHINGTON 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 painter 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 ISog 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 1818 for America. The same year he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy. During the next few years he painted "Jeremiah," "Witch of Endor," 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-
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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 cominenced 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 the two great painters who laid the foundation of true American art, was born in Boston in 1737, one year earlier than his great contemporary, Benjamin West. His education was limited to the common schools of that time, and his training in art he ob- tained by his own observation and experi- ments solely. When he was about seven- teen years old he had mapped out his future, however, by choosing painting as his pro-
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fession. If he ever studied under any teacher in his early efforts, we have no au- thentic account of it, and tradition credits the young artist's wonderful success en- tirely to his own talent and untiring effort. It is almost incredible that at the age of twenty-three years his income from his works aggregated fifteen hundred dollars per annum, a very great sum in those days. In 1774 he went to Europe in search of ma- terial for study, which was so rare in his native land. After some time spent in Italy he finally took up his permanent residence in England. In 1783 he was made a mem- ber of the Royal Academy, and later his son had the high honor of becoming lord chancellor of England and Lord Lyndhurst.
Many specimens of Copley's work are to be found in the Memorial Hall at Harvard and in the Boston Museum, as well as a few of the works upon which he modeled his style. Copley was essentially a portrait painter, though his historical paintings at- tained great celebrity, his masterpiece being his " Death of Major Pierson," though that distinction has by some been given to his "Death of Chatham." It is said that he never saw a good picture until he was thirty-five years old, yet his portraits prior to that period are regarded as rare speci- mens. He died in 1815.
H ENRY B. PLANT, one of the greatest railroad men of the country, became famous as president of the Plant system of railway and steamer lines, and also the Southern & Texas Express Co. He was born in October, 1819, at Branford, Connecticut, and entered the railroad serv- ice in 1844, serving as express messenger on the Hartford & New Haven Railroad until 1853, during which time he had entire charge of the express business of that road.
He went south in 1853 and established ex- press lines on various southern railways, and in 1861 organized the Southern Express Co., and became its president. In 1879 he purchased, with others, the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad of Georgia, and later reorganized the Savannah, Florida & Western Railroad, of which he became president. He pur- chased and rebuilt, in 1880, the Savannah & Charleston Railroad, now Charleston & Savannah. Not long after this he organ- ized the Plant Investment Co., to control these railroads and advance their interests generally, and later established a steamboat line on the St. John's river, in Florida. From 1853 until 1860 he was general superintendent of the southern division of the Adams Express Co., and in 1867 be- came president of the Texas Express Co. The "Plant system" of railway, steamer and steamship lines is one of the greatest business corporations of the southern states.
W TADE HAMPTON, a noted Confeder- ate officer, was born at Columbia, South Carolina, in 1818. He graduated from the South Carolina College, took an active part in politics, and was twice elected to the legislature of his state. In 1861 he joined the Confederate army, and command- ed the " Hampton Legion " at the first bat- tle of Bull Run, in July, 1861. He did meritorious service, was wounded, and pro- moted to brigadier-general. He command- ed a brigade at Seven Pines, in 1862, and was again wounded. He was engaged in the battle of Antietam in September of the same year, and participated in the raid into Pennsylvania in October. In 1863 he was with Lee at Gettysburg, where he was wounded for the third time. He was pro- moted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and commanded a troop of cavalry in Lee's
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army during 1864, and was in numerous en- gagements. In 1865 he was in South Car- olina, and commanded the cavalry rear guard of the Confederate army in its stub- born retreat before General Sherman on his advance toward Richmond.
After the war Hampton took an active part in politics, and was a prominent figure at the Democratic national convention in 1868, which nominated Seymour and Blair for president and vice-president. He was governor of South Carolina, and took his scat in the United States senate in 1879, where he became a conspicuous figure in national affairs.
N TIKOLA TESLA, one of the most cele- brated electricians America has known, was born in 1857, at Smiljau, Lika, Servia. He descended from an old and representative family of that country. His father was a a minister of the Greek church, of high rank, while his mother was a woman of reinarka- ble skill in the construction of looms, churns and the machinery required in a rural home. Nikola received early education in the public schools of Gospich, when he was sent to the higher " Real Schule" at Karl- stadt, where, after a three years' course, he graduated in 1873. He devoted him- self to experiments in electricity and magnetism, to the chagrin of his father, who had destined him for the ministry, but giving way to the boy's evident genius he was allowed to continue his studies in the polytechnic school at Gratz. He in- herited a wonderful intuition which enabled him to see through the intricacies of ma- chinery, and despite his instructor's demon- stration that a dynamo could not be oper- ated without commutators or brushes, began experiments which finally resulted in his rotating field motors. After the study
of languages at Prague and Buda-Pesth, he became associated with M. Puskas, who had introduced the telephone into Hungary. He invented several improvements, but being unable to reap the necessary benefit from them, he, in search of a wider field, went to Paris, where he found employment with one of the electric lighting companies as electrical engineer. Soon he set his face westward, and coming to the United States for a time found congenial employment with Thomas A. Edison. Finding it impossible, overshadowed as he was, to carry out his own ideas he left the Edison works to join a company formed to place his own inven- tions on the market. He perfected his rotary field principle, adapting it to circuits then in operation. It is said of him that some of his proved theories will change the entire electrical science. It would, in an article of this length, be impossible to ex- plain all that Tesla accomplished for the practical side of electrical engineering. His discoveries formed the basis of the at- tempt to utilize the water power of Niagara Falls. His work ranges far beyond the vast department of polyphase currents and high potential lighting and includes many inventions in arc lighting, transformers, pyro and thermo-magnetic motors, new forms of incandescent lamps, unipolar dyna- mos and many others.
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