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“ As agent to Congress he was the prime factor in forcing upon that body the recognition of Vermont as a state. In this matter his motives and his loyalty to the colonists have been questioned, and were at the time open to reasonable doubt. He, however, appears to have had the confidence of Washington, and whatever lengths he went in way of deceiving the British with promises made to be broken, his whole life and especially his refusals to be bribed by the British when much larger and more alluring offers were held out, fully disproves any taint of treason. ”

“ A close student of the times and far in advance as to the trend of public affairs, he anticipated civil war and bent all his energies in putting the state in a position to promptly meet any emergency. His purpose was declared in his inaugural address. He not only sought to place the militia of Massachusetts in thorough preparation for war, but endeavored to induce the governors of Maine and New Hampshire to co-operate with him. ”

“ When the Federal government was established he was sent to Congress as the first representative of the Boston district, being elected over Samuel Adams, the most popular man in New England, and the one who, more than any other individual, was instrumental in bringing about the Declaration of Independence. No better evidence could be given of the high regard which the contemporaries of Fisher Ames had for his transcendent abilities. ”

“ Here lies buried, Azel Backus, D. D., a man of remarkable piety and learning, a zealous minister of the gospel, a distinguished president of Hamilton college; a man of extraordinary diligence, and greatly endeared to the members of the institution. In him were conspicuous the highest benevolence towards his fellow-men, incorruptible integrity and uncompromising truth. His wife survives to lament his loss; and we who knew him mourn also. The corporation of Hamilton college have erected this monument to the memory of their beloved and venerated president. ”

“ In 1783 he took ship for the United States, where his brother Henry had settled as a butcher in New York, having as his sole capital a small lot of musical instruments. He became interested in the fur trade from the accounts of a German furrier, whose acquaintance he made on shipboard. Resolving to learn all that he could of the business, he obtained a situation in the shop of a furrier in New York, and later commenced business for himself on Water street. Industry, enterprise, and business sagacity were marked qualities in the young trader. ”

“ ANDERSON, John Jacob, educator, was born in New York city, Sept. 30, 1821. He received his primary education at the New York public schools, and at Rutgers college. In 1845 he was appointed principal of one of the large public schools of New York city, and he held this position for upwards of twenty years, meanwhile having control of the evening schools in the city, and giving numerous lectures before educational bodies. It was while thus employed that he wrote his well-known series of school histories, which were literally a growth evolved out of his own experience as a teacher. ”

“ The son of an artist, bred in an atmosphere of art, his talent soon became manifest, and when quite a young man he gained favor as a successful painter of miniatures on ivory. From 1844 to 1846 he studied in Europe with good results, and devoted his time after his return almost wholly to the painting of life-size portraits. His best results were in painting portraits of women and children, in which line he was unexcelled by contemporary artists, and his pictures commanded large prices. ”

“ He received no salary for his pastoral services, depending for support on what his farm would yield, in return for his own hard labor in ploughing, sowing and reaping. So poor was he that he could not provide sufficient food or clothing for his children, nor could he offer them any further educational advantages than such desultory instruction as he—himself but slightly educated—could give in the few leisure moments which his toil-filled days afforded. ”

“ Miss Anthony's remarkable executive ability, her logical reasoning, and her simple, direct, and pertinent aptitude of expression soon gave her national prominence as an advocate of woman's rights. She was an ardent abolitionist, and in conjunction with her friend and co-worker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, rendered great assistance to the abolition party during the anti-slavery agitation. They obtained hundreds of thousands of signatures to petitions beseeching congress to abolish slavery as a war measure. ”

“ President Arthur proposed a monetary union of the American countries to secure a uniform currency basis, looking to the remonetization of silver. He strongly urged the construction of the interoceanic canal across the isthmus of Panama, and through correspondence with Great Britain asserted that the provisions of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty of April 19, 1850, could not be allowed to interfere with the rights of the United States in controlling such a route in view of the spirit of the "Monroe doctrine." ”

“ The decision of the court being adverse to New Hampshire, he was advised to go home and make the best terms he could for the settlers. His reply was: "The gods of the valleys are not the gods of the hills." He was offered land grants for himself, and office under the New York authority, which he spurned. New Hampshire practically abandoned the settlers, and Allen advocated armed resistance, and was chosen colonel of the regiment that became the historic "Green Mountain Boys," and of which Seth Warner, Remember Baker, Robert Cochrane and Gideon Olin were captains. ”

“ He was absent in the West Indies at the time of the Boston massacre in 1770, and thus wrote home regarding it: "Good God! are the Americans all asleep, and tamely yielding up their liberties? or are they all turned philosophers, that they do not take immediate vengeance on such miscreants?" ”

“ As one of the twelve children of a farmer not over well-to-do, he was compelled to begin work at an early age, and had little opportunity for education. But so well did he employ his leisure moments, that at the age of seventeen he taught the village school. When twenty years of age he set out for Maine, where, in the woods, two miles from any dwelling, he cleared some land and built a hut. ”

“ ARTHUR, Peter M., labor leader, was born in Scotland, about 1831. He came to America when a lad, and learned the blacksmith's and machinist's trades. He served his entire apprenticeship on the New York Central railroad and was one of the prime movers in the organization of the brotherhood of locomotive engineers in 1863. He was elected grand chief and engineer of the organization in 1876. The brotherhood has for its motto: "Sobriety, Truth, Justice and Morality," and its policy is to oppose strikes. ”

“ Captain John Ames laid the foundation of the family fortune by the manufacture of shovels in Bridgewater. His son Oliver learned the business, and in 1803 established it in Easton. Hitherto, shovels were very heavy, and of course more durable than lighter ones; but Mr. Ames said, "Iron is cheaper than muscle," and henceforth made lighter shovels, by which more work could be accomplished than with the old style tool. He would never allow an imperfect article to be put upon the market, and he thus established the great reputation which the Ames manufactures have since maintained. ”

“ He then began to preach universalist doctrines, supporting himself by teaching school during the week or by performing farm labor. At first he believed and taught, as all so-called Universalists of the time believed and taught, that salvation was for all, but only on the Calvinistic basis of atonement and imputed righteousness. By degrees, however, and after much careful study of the scriptures, he formulated the belief, now accepted by nine-tenths of the Universalist denomination, that "The Bible affords no evidence of punishment after death." ”

“ Removing to New York in 1847 he published, in co-operation with A. F. Boyle, a series of phonographic text-books, and edited two journals, the Anglo-Saxon and the Propagandist, which were printed in phonetic type, and devoted to phonography and spelling reform. He was the originator of a system of philosophy which he called "Integralism," and of a universal language which he called "Alwato." While still a young man he claimed to have discovered a unity of law in the universe, and on this his system of philosophy and language was based. ”

“ As a philanthropist he undertook to cope with the labor problem. He saw the inevitable result of the monopoly which foreign skilled labor was establishing in certain trades, and he quietly set about applying a remedy. In 1881, in connection with his wife, he established a training school in New York city, where indigent young men are given instruction in certain branches of industry — such as plastering, plumbing, tailoring, blacksmithing, carpentry, and house, sign and fresco painting. ”

“ An ardent patriot during the civil war, he was chosen by Congress to deliver a eulogy on Abraham Lincoln. In 1867 he went as minister to the German Empire. As such he negotiated with Bismarck, mainly through his great personal influence with that statesman, a treaty by which German citizens settled in America were relieved from compulsory military service in Germany, and allowed to throw off their allegiance to that country on becoming citizens of the United States. ”

“ Woodward was detailed by the surgeon-general, at the request of the secretary of war, as one of the staff surgeons to attend President Garfield, after the latter's assassination. The labors, anxiety and long, close confinement connected with his conduct of the case proved a tremendous strain on his health, already impaired by overwork, and hastened his death. Accurate notes of the Garfield case had been kept by him in view of publication, but he never prepared them for press. He frequently declined urgent invitations from medical colleges to accept chairs and devote himself to teaching. ”

“ In 1849 Miss Anthony began to speak in public in behalf of the temperance cause, of which she was an earnest advocate. In 1851, being refused admission to a temperance convention on account of her sex, she called a convention of women to discuss temperance in Albany, N.Y., and in 1852 was mainly instrumental in organizing the Woman's New York State temperance society. She soon realized that the ballot would give to women more power to combat intemperance and other evils than any arguments that she could wield ”

“ Bancroft was a man of fine presence, and possessed in a remarkable degree the quality of youth; age did not seem to touch him; his vigor, his upright carriage, his vivacity and joyous bearing did not desert him as his years increased. ”

“ BARBER, John J., artist, was born at Sandusky, Ohio, Sept. 21, 1840. In 1862 he obtained admission to the bar, but never practised the law, joining the army the following year. Under the hardships of army life his health became impaired, and he was compelled to return home, where he began to paint, first as an avocation and later as a vocation. He may be called a wholly self-taught painter. In 1871 he established a working studio at Columbus, Ohio, where he painted many successful pictures, several of which were exhibited at the National academy of design in New York city. ”

“ BALLARD, Bland, pioneer, was born at Fredericksburg, Va., Oct. 16, 1761. When he was eighteen years old he emigrated to Kentucky, and became one of its earliest settlers. He joined a volunteer force which,. under Colonel Bowman, was attempting to free the district of the savages, and served in the expedition into Ohio. A year later he took part in George Rogers Clark's raid against the Piqua towns, and in 1794 he was with General Wayne at the battle of the Fallen Timbers. He was a man of great bravery, and became one of the most renowned of Indian fighters. ”

“ An emissary of the Mexican government was sent to treat with Alvarado, whose diplomacy converted him to the Californian view and he was sent back as a friend of the new government. To end this indeterminate state of affairs, the Mexican government appointed a governor without acquainting Alvarado of its action. Hostilities ensued, an engagement was fought in which one man was killed and the Mexicans were defeated. ”

“ A difference between himself and Bishop Flaget, in regard to the title of certain church property, in 1808, caused Father Badin to leave Kentucky in 1819. He spent nine years in Europe, and on his return again took up missionary work, this time in Michigan, under Bishop Fenwick, where he labored for more than a year among the new settlers, when he was sent to the Pottawatomie Indians on St. Joseph's river, Indiana, where he spent the years 1830 to 1836 in Christianizing and civilizing these primitive people. ”

“ Benedict as a boy was high-spirited, daring and reckless, the leader of his companions in all their boyish escapades, generous and courageous, always giving his protection to those smaller and weaker than himself. ”

“ Mr. Ames enjoyed a well-deserved reputation as a business man and financier, and was conspicuous in railroad, banking and manufacturing enterprises, by means of which he acquired a large fortune. In 1880 he was elected to the state senate, and was re-elected to the same position in 1881. In 1882 he was elected lieutenant-governor on the Republican ticket, although the candidate for the governorship on the same ticket was defeated by Gen. B. F. Butler, the opposing candidate. Mr. Ames was re-elected to the same office for three successive years, with George D. Robinson as governor. ”

“ After leaving that paper, he engaged in agriculture, and became active in advocating the establishment of a law by which western settlers could obtain a homestead from the government. After travelling throughout the country delivering lectures and spending more than $60,000, he had the satisfaction of seeing the homestead law adopted by Congress, allowing one hundred acres of land to each actual settler. This expenditure of time and money crippled him financially, so that he never rallied, his last years being spent in abject poverty. ”

“ In 1831 he went to Texas, where he took an active interest in the politics of that revolutionary period. In 1835 a convention of the American settlers was called for the consideration of Texas independence, over which Archer presided, and he was selected, with Stephen Austin and N. H. Wharton, commissioner to Washington to obtain aid from the United States government. He became a very prominent figure in Texas politics, being a member of the first Texan congress, speaker of the house of representatives of the republic, and its secretary of war from 1839 to 1842. ”

“ ALLIBONE, Samuel Austin, author, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., April 17, 1816. He received a liberal education, and was a man of literary taste, but at first did not confine his attention to literature, being in business in his native city. Gradually his leisure hours were spent in literary labor, and, as an amateur, he began the great work with which his name is so widely associated and to which he devoted many years of his life. ”