Book of Biography ...

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The General favored with a Curtain Lecture-Anecdote - His great Wealth - Char-
acter of his Mother - Extracts from his Diary - His daily Life- His Habits

INAUGURATION OF GENERAL WASHINGTON.
Meeting of the First Congress - Counting the Electoral Votes - Unwillingness of
the General to leave Home - His triumphal Progress to New York - He takes
the Oath-The Inaugural Address

PAGE

OLD DR. NOTT.

The Life of a New England Boy - Early training of the Nott Brothers The Boy's

Love of Knowledge - Interview with the Physician - Pursues his Studies

while teaching School - Studies for the Ministry - Marries and Migrates

Settled at Albany His great Sermon against Duelling President of Union

College Makes a Fortune by his Stoves - His large Gift to the College

JOHN HOWARD.

The great Lisbon Earthquake Its Effects on the Mind of Howard - Business and
Wealth of his Father - His Apprenticeship to a Grocer - Death of his Father
-Inherits a large Estate - Makes the Tour of Europe - -Returns to England
His long Illness- Marries his aged Nurse - His happy Life with Her Her
Death Howard sets out for Portugal -A Prisoner of War - His Sufferings
in a French Dungeon - His Release and Return Home Procures the Release
of many of his Companions Marries again Builds Cottages for his Tenants
- His Benevolence as a Landlord - His religious Opinions - Was probably

acquainted with Franklin - Birth of his Son - Death of his Wife - Appointed

High Sheriff - Personally examines the Jail-Discovers the Horrors prevail-

ing in English Jails - Publishes the Results of his Investigations Receives

the Thanks of Parliament - Renews his Inquiries - A Candidate for Parlia

ment His Services to American Prisoners of War - His Travels on the Conti-

nent of Europe - Extracts from his Journal - His Interview with the Emperor

of Austria-The Black Assize of Oxford - His Travels in Sweden and Russia

-The Russian Knout - Ruin and Death of his Son His last Travels - His

Death

HOW PROFESSOR MITCHELL BUILT HIS OBSERVATORY.

The Professor's Birth and Education Enters West Point Settles at Cincinnati
Builds his Observatory there Anecdotes of his Operations - Death.

DEACON PARIS, THE FANATIC.

His Family and early Life - Unhealthiness of his Mind - Refuses to embrace his

Father's Profession Gives away his Inheritance - Retires from the World—

His Self-torture - His Miserable Death- The Miracles said to have been

performed at his Tomb - The Convulsions - A Woman crucified - Anecdotes

· Effect of these Events upon Voltaire

Superstition in France then - The Child bewitched

- His Talent for Mathematics His narrow Escape from Destruction -

Frightened into excessive Devotion - His Life of Self-torture - Specimens

of his "Thoughts"

FATHER MATHEW.

The Annual Ce ebration of his Birthday in New York - The Usefulness of the Father
Mathew Societies-Origin of Father Mathew's Interest in Temperance
Beginning of his Labors - His wonderful Success in Ireland - The beneficial
Effects of his Labors - Anecdotes - Extracts from one of his Sermons - His
last Sickness and Death

SCENE IN THE LIFE OF AARON BURR.

Burr severed from the human Race, and why Interest of the Ladies in his Sorrows

-A_Clergyman deputed to converse with Him - Dr. Mathews selected →→→

The Interview - Burr's subsequent Career as a Lawyer

His splendid Tomb at Pittsburg-

His early Life and Education - Makes his For-

tune at Pittsburg - Operates in Copper -His great Benevolence - - Founds

a Negro College - Why it has not succeeded

WAS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEAN?

Remark of Jefferson Davis - His Liberality in Childhood As a Youth - As a
Husband and Master - As a public Man - His Generosity to his poor Friends
and Relations

THE BROTHERS MONTGOLFIER.

Character and Vocation of the Brothers - Previous Attempts to navigate the Air-
The Balloon invented - First Exhibition- The First Ascensions from Paris-
Dr. Franklin interested - Little subsequent Progress of the Invention

JAMES WATT.

Truth stranger than Fiction - How Watt conceived his Idea - The Ancestors of
Watt His great Invention - His long Struggle In Partnership with
Boulton- Character of Boulton - Great Success of the Firm - Anecdote of
Boswell-Watt and Sir Walter Scott - Great Importance of the Invention

POOR JOHN FITCH.

The First Exhibition of the Steamboat at Philadelphia - The early Misfortunes of
the Inventor - His miserable Marriage - Abandons his Wife - Serves in the
Revolutionary War - Conceives the Idea of a Steamboat - Great Progress of
the Invention - Fails from want of Capital -
- The Inventor broken-hearted -
A Suicide.

ROBERT FULTON.

Gets Idea of the Steamboat from poor John Fitch Not the Inventor - Never

claimed to be - Early Life - Troublesome Boy at School - Generosity to his

Mother Gives her a Farm - A Minature Painter in Philadelphia - Goes to

Europe - Lives with Benjamin West Paints a Panorama - Experiments on

the Steamboat in France - Partnership with Chancellor Livingston - First

Steamboat sinks - The "Clermont" on the Hudson-Brilliant Triumph-

Sickness and Death

Invents the Cotton Gin-Anecdote of the Suggestion of the Idea - Early Life of
Whitney Utility of his Invention - Cheated out the Benefit of it - Improves
and Manufactures Firearms - Marriage - The future Field for Improvers
in the South

ZERAH COLBURN.

Anecdote of the Discovery of his Talents His Father-Instances of the Boy's

wonderful Powers-Anecdotes of his Quickness - Exhibited as a Show in the

United States -Residence in England His great Exploits there - Goes upon

the Stage

-Turns Methodist Preacher - Loses his calculating Power

JOHN ADAMS.

PAGE

168

JOHN ADAMS AND MRS. ADAMS AT THE COURT OF GEORGE III.

John Adams presented to the King - His Speech The King's Reply - The Sub-
sequent Conversation - Mrs. Adams and the Queen - Mrs. Adams at Court

INAUGURATION OF JOHN ADAMS.

181

Mrs. Adams upon the Election of her Husband- General Washington's Joy on

retiring from Office- The Inauguration - Mr. Adams' own Account of

the Scene

STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS.

His Arrival in Illinois His early Life- A successful Politician

Congress - Scene at Chicago - Close of his Life

Member of

196

NICHOLAS COPERNICUS.

Great Men appear in Groups

Education of Copernicus- - His arduous Studies
His Discoveries - Danger of the Inquisition- - A good Churchman - His Work
published - His House still preserved His Death

Clocks in old Times - Yankee Clocks now - Family and Training of Jerome
Apprenticed to a Carpenter - Begins Clock making - The wooden Clock in-
vented Rapid Growth of the Business -Jerome sets up for Himself — A
magnificent Order - Invents the cheap Brass Clock - His great Success -
His Ruin - Finds Work in Chicago

Origin of his Interest in India Rubber - The India Rubber Mania in New England

Begins his Experiments - His many Failures Difficulties in the Way

Partial Successes lure him on - Extreme Poverty- Sufferings of his Family

His Final Triumph - Continues to Experiment - Dies insolvent

JOHN A. SUTTER.

Mar.

An Officer in the French Army - Emigrates to America - His Misfortunes_and
Wanderings here- Settles in California - Extent of his Possessions
shall joins Him - Gold discovered - The Secret divulged - The Rush of Gold
Seekers-Sutter and Marshall ruined — Marshall now a Grape-grower

DR. VALENTINE MOTT.

Receives his Death-Shock by hearing of President Lincoln's Assassination - His
early Life and professional Education Studies in Europe - Anecdote of his
procuring Bodies for Dissection His Success as a Surgeon -
His great

Operations

THEODORE R. TIMBY.

The thrilling News of our Deliverance by the Monitor - Timby the true Inventor of

the Revolving-Turret - His early Life - Invents the Floating-Dock Invents

and exhibits the Turret - Patents it in 1843 In 1848 exhibits it to Jefferson

Davis The Government acknowledged his Claim and paid him a Royalty