USA > Michigan > Gratiot County > Biographical memoirs of Gratiot County, Michigan : compendium of biography of celebrated Americans > Part 48
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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 resided 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.
C OMMODORE THOMAS McDON- OUGH gained his principal fame from he celebrated victory which he gained over
the superior British squadron, under Com- modore Downie, September 11, 1814. 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, 1813, 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 Cumberland 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.
C HARLES FRANCIS HALL, one of America's most celebrated arctic ex- plorers, was born in Rochester, New Hamp- shire, in 1821. 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 Grinnell and sailed in the ship "George Henry," under Captain Buddington, which left New Lon- don, Connecticut, in 1860. 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 1871 the " Polaris " was fitted out by the United States government, and Captain
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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.
O LIVER 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 1771. 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.
M ELLVILLE WESTON FULLER, an I 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 1863. 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.
C HESTER 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
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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 law 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, 1812, 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, at Philadelphia.
M ARCUS 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 expira- 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
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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.
G I EORGE PEABODY was one of the best known and esteemed of all 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 1814 he became a partner with Elisha Riggs, at Georgetown, District of Columbia, and in 1815 they moved to Baltimore, Mary- land. The business grew to great propor- tions, and they opened branch houses at New York and Philadelphia. Mr. 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 with 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 archæology 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 Peabody 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
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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.
M ATTHEW S. QUAY, a celebrated public man and senator, was born at Dillsburgh, 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 Sterrett. He was admitted to the bar in 1854, was appointed a prothon- otary in 1855 and elected to the same office in 1856 and 1859. Later he was inade lieutenant of the Pennsylvania Re serves, 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 few 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, settled 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 law. 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-
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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 4 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.
C YRUS HALL McCORMICK, the fa- mous inventor and manufacturer, was born at Walnut Grove, Virginia, February 15, 1809. When he was seven years old his
father invented a reaping machine. It was a rude contrivance and not successful. In 1831 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 1845 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, Virginia. 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.
D AVID ROSS LOCKE .- Under the pen name of Petroleum V. 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 1860 he commenced his " Nasby " articles, several series of which have been given the world in book form. Under a mask of misspelling, and in a quaint
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and humorous style, a keen political satire is couched-a most effective weapon. Mr. Locke was the author of a number of seri- ous political pamphlets, and later on a more pretentious work, "The Morals of Abou Ben Adhem." As a newspaper writ- er he gained many laurels and his works are widely read. 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.
R USSELL A. ALGER, noted as soldier, governor, secretary of war and senator was born in Medina county, Ohio, Feb- ruary 27, 1836, son of Russell and Caroline (Moulton) Alger. At the age of twelve he was left an orphan and penniless. 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 ti me to attend the Richfield Academy, and by hard work between times managed to get a fair education for that time. The Ias two years of his attendance at this institu_ t 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 em_ ployment 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 in the Second Michigan Cavalry. He was promoted to be captain the follow- ing month, and major for gallant conduct at Booneville, Mississippi, July 1, 1862. October 16, 1862, he was made lieutenant-
colonel of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry, and in February, 1863, colonel of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry. He rendered excellent service in the Gettysburg campaign. 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 rendered, that famous soldier recommended him for promotion, and he was brevetted major- general of volunteers. In 1866 General 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 office in 1887, and the next year was a candidate for the nomina- tion for President. In 1889 he was elected commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, and at different times occu- pied many offices in other organizations.
In March, 1897, President Mckinley ap- pointed General Alger secretary of war, from which office he resigned in 1899. He was appointed United States senator September 27, 1902, to succeed James Mc- Millan, deceased, and was elected in Feb- ruary, 1903, for the term expiring in 1907. The Spanish-American, published by Har- per Brothers in 1901, was from his pen.
C YRUS WEST FIELD, the father of submarine telegraphy, was born at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, November 30, 1819, son of Rev. David D. Field, D. D., a Congregational minister. He was educated in his native town, and when fifteen became a clerk in a store in New York City. Being gifted with excellent business ability Mr. Field prospered and became the head of a
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large mercantile house. In 1853 he spent about six months in travel in South America. On his return he became interested in ocean telegraphy. Being solicited to aid in the con- struction of a land telegraph across New- foundland to receive the news from a line of fast steamers it was proposed to run from Ireland to St. John, 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 Coop- er, Moses Taylor, Marshall O. Roberts and Chandler White, he organized the New York, Newfoundland & London Telegraph Co. In two years the line from New York across Newfoundland was built. The first ca- ble 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 un- der 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 hundred miles when the cable parted and was lost. The following year the same ves- sel 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 11, 1892.
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