A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 20

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806

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1878, in the meantime establishing and conducting two newspapers, the "Fredonia Journal " and " Coffeyville 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 1880. 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.

R OBERT 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 January 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, at one 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.

W ILLIAM SHARON, a senator and 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.

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Mr. Sharon was elected to represent the state of Nevada in the United States senate in 1875, 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.

H ENRY W. SHAW, an American hu- morist who became celebrated under the non-de-plume 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 1818. 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 an 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 1812-15.

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 J 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 and their habits. About 1794 he was sent to Paris, France, where he was partially educated, and studicd 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 Perkiomen creek in eastern Pennsylvania. He mar- ried Lucy Bakewell in 1808, and, disposing of his property, removed to Louisville, Ken-

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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 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 arctie 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 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 EORGE PEABODY was one of the best known and esteemed of all phiian- 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 mouth 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 made 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 18,8, 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-clected thereto in 1892. He was always noted for a genius for organiza- tion, and as a political leader had but tew 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 J 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 18So 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 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.

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A Biographical history of Darke County, Ohio : compendium of national biography, Part 20

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 806

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 806