Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/542

508 Wiley was instrumental in establishing a publish- ing-house at Greensboro' to supply the state with text-books ; also in organizing at Columbia, S. C, an educational association for the Confederacy, and in establishing a North Carolina state educa- tional association, of whose journal he was one of the editors. He founded with William D. Cooke the "Southern Weekly Post" of Raleigh, which he also edited, published and edited the " Oxford Mercury," was one of the founders of the " North Carolina Presbyterian," and contributed to other journals. In addition to school-books, he pub- lished " Alamance, or the Great and Final Experi- ment." a novel (New York, 1847) ; " Adventures of Old Dan Tucker with his Son Walter" (London, 1851) ; " Utopia : a Picture of Early Life at the South " (Philadelphia, 1852) ; " Life in the South : a Companion to ' Uncle Tom's Cabin ' " (1852) ; " Scriptural Views of National Trials " (Greens- boro', 1863) ; and " Roanoke ; or Where is Uto- pia?" (Philadelphia, 1886).

WILEY, Harvey Washington, chemist, b. in Kent, Jefferson co., Ind., 18 Oct., 1844. He was graduated at Hanover college in 1867, and was professor of Latin and Greek in 1868-71 at Butler university, Indianapolis, also studying at Indiana medical college, where he received the degree of M. D. in 1871. After teaching science for a year in the Indianapolis high-school, he entered the Lawrence scientific school at Harvard, where he was graduated with the degree of S. B. in 1873, and then accepted the chair of chemistry at Butler university, which institution gave him the degree of Ph. D. in 1876. He studied chemistry at the University of Berlin in 1878, and during 1874-'83 was professor at the Agricultural college of Indiana (now Purdue university). He also held in 1881-'3 the office of state chemist of Indiana, and in 1883 he was appointed chemist of the L T. S. department of agriculture in Washington, which place he has since held. Prof. Wiley is a member of scientific societies, and in 1886 was vice-president of the American association for the advancement of science, with charge of the section of chemistry. He was also in 1886 president of the Chemical society of Washington and of the Association of official agricultural chemists. His work has been chiefly in technology, and more especially in rela- tion to food-products. The subjects of glucose and grape-sugar were veiy thoroughly studied by him while he was state chemist, and since his appoint- ment in Washington he has investigated sorghum- sugar. Prof. Wiley has published presidential and college addresses, and his papers number more than fifty. These include the results of his re- searches, and have been published in scientific journals, the transactions of societies of which he is a member, and government reports.

WILEY, Isaac William, M. E. bishop, b. in Lewistown. Pa., 29 March, 1825; d. in Foochow, China, in November, 1884. At fourteen years of age he went to an academy to fit for college, hoping to be a minister, and in his eighteenth year he was licensed as lay preacher. Owing to impaired health, he gave up the idea of entering the ministry, and in 1844 he was graduated at the medical depart- ment of the University of the city of New York. In 1846 he began medical practice in western Penn- sylvania, where he continued several years with success. In 1850 he offered himself as a minister to the Philadelphia conference, but there was no room for him. At this time Dr. John P. Durbin, hearing of his abilities as a physician and his desire to enter the ministry, induced him to go to China as medical missionary. At Foochow, in, his wife died, and in the following year he brought back his motherless children to the United States. He entered the ministry in New Jersey, and, after filling pastorates for four years, became principal of Pennington seminary, which post he filled until 1863. In 1864 the general conference elected him editor of the "Ladies' Repository," published in Cincinnati. In 1872 he was made bishop. As a pastor Dr. Wiley was useful and highly respected, as principal of a seminary he was greatly beloved, and as an editor his taste was excellent and his style chaste. As a bishop he was prudent, deliberate, and clear, and seldom fell into any error either of the interpretation of constitu- tional or parliamentary law, or the selection of men for particular posts. He died in China on an episcopal tour to the missions that he had done so much to found. His death took place in a house on the very lot that he had occupied as a missionary thirty-two years before. Bishop Wiley received the degree of D. D. from Wesleyan university in 1864, and that of LL. D. from Ohio Wesleyan university in 1879. He published " The Fallen Missionaries of Fuh-Chau" (New York, 1858), and "Religion in the Family " ; and among other works edited Rev. Thomas R. Birks's " The. Bible and Moslem Thought " (Cincinnati, 1864) ; " The Life and Work of Earnest Men," by Rev. W. K. Tweedie (1864) ; and Friedrich Tholuck's "Christ of the Gospels and of Criticism " (1865).

WILHORST, Cora de, singer, b. in New York city, 16 Oct., 1835. Her maiden name was Withers, and her father belonged to a well-known New York family. Her maternal grandfather, David Dun- ham, was associated with Robert Fulton in the construction of the first steamboat. Cora was educated in her native city, studied music, and became separated from her family through her marriage with her music-teacher Henri, Comte de Wilhorst. She then appeared in concerts with Sigismund Thalberg, the pianist, her debut tak- ing place at Newport, R. I., 21 Aug., 1856. She made her first appearance in opera at the New York academy of music as Lucia, 28 Jan., 1857. After visiting Paris and singing with Mario in "Don Pasquale," she returned to this country and began an operatic engagement in Philadelphia, 2 Nov., 1858. During the next four years Mme. de Wil- horst sang in the United States, opening the first opera-house in Cincinnati and trie first music- hall in Chicago. She retired from the stage in 1860, but resumed her profession in Paris in 1869, singing in concerts. In 1870 she appeared in " Rigoletto " in that city, taking the place of Adelina Patti, who had gone to Russia. The Franco-Prussian war compelled her to give up a three- vears' engagement to sing in the French capi- tal. In February, 1871, she sang for the first time in Great Britain, appearing with Sims Reeves at the Crystal palace, Sydenham. She remained in England, taking part in oratorios, concerts, and festivals until 1874, when she married Oliver de Raucourt, and retired from the stage. In 1880 she returned to the United States, where she has since devoted herself to teaching singing. Mme. de Wilhorst claims to be the first American singer that began her operatic career in this country be- fore studying abroad.

WILKES, Charles, naval officer, b. in New York city, 3 April, 1798 ; d. in Washington, D. C., 8 Feb., 1877. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 1 Jan.. 1818, and was promoted to lieutenant, 28 April, 1826. He was appointed to the department of charts and instruments in 1830. and was the first in the United States to set up fixed astro-