Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/588

554 Meanwhile, in 1863, he served as aide on the staff of Gen. Darius N. Couch (then in command of the Department of the Susquehanna), and had charge of the construction of fortifications at Harrisburg and vicinity. In 1875 he was engaged as consult- ing engineer on the construction of the buildings for the World's fair in Philadelphia, and since January, 1876, he has been a partner in the firm of Wilson Brothers and Company, civil engineers and architects. Mr. Wilson has been chief engi- neer for various railroads in Pennsylvania and New York ; also has been connected with lumber-manu- facturing and coal-mining interests in Pennsyl- vania. A large number of railway structures, in- cluding bridges, have been built by him, especially along the lines of the roads with which he has been connected. He is a member of the Franklin insti- tute, the American institute of mining engineers, the American society of civil engineers, and other technical societies. — His brother, Joseph Miller,  civil engineer, b. in Phoenix ville, Pa., 20 June, 1838, was graduated at the Rensselaer polytechnic institute in 1858, and studied chemistry. He en- tered the service of the Pennsylvania railroad in March, 1860, as assistant engineer, and in 1867 was given jurisdiction as engineer of bridges and building over all lines that were controlled by the Pennsylvania company from New York on the east to Pittsburg on the west, and from Canan- daigua, N. Y., »n the north to Quantico, Va., on the south. This office he resigned in 1886. In 1874-'6 he was joint engineer and architect with Henry Pettit for the main exhibition building and machinery hall of the World's fair in Philadel- phia, and in January, 1876. in association with his brother, he organized the firm of Wilson Brothers and Company, with which he is still connected. Among the important structures that he has built are the Susquehanna bridge at Harrisburg, the Schuylkill river bridge of the Filbert street line in Philadelphia, and bridges at Trenton, and New Brunswick, N. J. Mr. Wilson designed the Drexel bank and the Drexel building in Phila- delphia, the St. Francis de Sales industrial school in Eddington, Pa., and other buildings. He re- ceived medals and awards for his plans of bridges and buildings at the World's fair in 1876, and the degree of A. M. was conferred on him by the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1877. He is a member of the London institution of civil engineers, of the American society of civil engineers, and other so- cieties, and was president of the Franklin insti- tute in 1887-'8, and of the Engineers' club of Philadelphia in 1888. In addition to various tech- nical papers in scientific journals, he wrote the mechanical, scientific, and historical parts of the " Illustrated Catalogue of the International Ex- hibition of 1876" (Philadelphia, 1876-'8).

WILSON, John Grover, clergyman, b. in Mid- dletown, New Castle co., Del., in 1810 ; d. in Phil- adelphia, Pa., 20 Feb., 1885. He was educated at Delaware college, and became a minister of the Methodist Protestant church. This connection he severed in 1855, but while affiliating with the sect called Christians, or Campbellites, he never formally joined them. On the contrary, he and the church to which he ministered in Philadelphia continued until his death to be free from any denominational associations. The society still exists, and is known as the " Ebenezer Independent Christian church." Mr. Wilson never used the prefex M Rev." in writ- ing his name, but instead preferred the initials V. D. M., a contraction for " Verbi Dei Minister" — minister of the word of God. He expounded his peculiar views in various periodicals, and es- pecially in the " Homiletic Magazine and Reposi- tory of Pastoral Theology " (1843-'4), which was founded by him. From 1842 till 1845 he was secretary of the Baltimore annual conference of the Methodist Protestant church. He published, among other works, " Discourses on Prophecy " (Philadelphia, 1850) ; " A Vindication of the Scheme of Redemption " (1858) ; " Writings in Prose and Verse " (1860) ; " The Gospel of the Epiphany "and "The Branch of David" (1867); " The Sabbath and its Law " ; " Lyre of my Youth"; and "God, All in All," a prize poem. WILSON, John Henry, Canadian educator, b. near Ottawa, 14 Feb., 1833. He was educated at the Grammar-school, St. Thomas, and at the Uni- versity of the city of New York, and was graduated as a physician at Victoria university, Cobourg, Ont.. in 1858. He subsequently became professor of anatomy in Victoria university, and was a member of the legislative assembly of Ontario from 1871 till 1879. He was elected to the Dominion parlia- ment in 1882, and re-elected in February, 1887. WILSON, John Laird, journalist, b. in Croft- head, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, Scotland, 20 Sept., 1832. He is the eldest son of Alexander Wilson, an architect and surveyor. He was gradu- ated at the University of Glasgow in 1852, studied at the Theological hall of the United Presbyterian church in Edinburgh, and was licensed as a preacher of the gospel in 1857. In the same year he accepted a call to the west of Scotland. After several years' successful work he resigned this charge, on account of feeble health, and went to Egypt, where he re- gained his strength. In the summer of 1866 Mr. Wilson came to this country, and was on the edi- torial staff of the New York " Herald " before the close of the year. In 1874 he retired from the " Herald," and, at the head of a joint-stock com- pany, established the New York "Scotsman," but the following year he abandoned the enterprise. He has contributed largely to periodicals, and has published "The Battles of the Civil War" (2 vols., New York, 1878), and "John WyclifTe, Patriot and Reformer — a Biography" (1884). He is now pre- paring a history of the Huguenots.

WILSON, John Leighton, missionary, b. in Sumter county, S. C, 25 March, 1809; d. near Mayesville, S. C., 13 July, 1886. He was graduated at Union college in 1829, and at the Columbia (S. C.) theological seminary in 1833, being a member of the first class that was educated in that institution. He was ordained as a missionary the same year, and, after study- ing Arabic at An- dover seminary, sailed in Novem- ber on a voyage of exploration to western Africa, re- turning in the following spring. As a result of his investigations, he decided that Cape Palmas was a  promising field for missionary work. In May, 1834. he was married, and returned with his wife to Africa before the close of that year. Here they labored until 1841, during which period they organised a church of forty members, educated more than one hundred