Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/144

120 mouth college, and in 1877 professor of general and applied chemistry in Rutger's college, New Brunswick, N. J. In 1872 he was chemist to the Richmond co., N. Y., board of health, and in 1885 was chemist to the Newark board of health. Pie became a member of the New Brunswick board of health in 1885. Since 1884 he has been president of the Union Paint Company, Newark, N. J. He is a member of the London, Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, and other chemical societies, and also a fellow of the American association for the advancement of science. Dr. Austen has been an industrious worker, and while much of his investigation has been for industrial purposes, he has found time to devote some attention to purely scientific research. His papers, which inchute nearly fifty titles, have appeared principally in the proceedings of the Berlin chemical society, and in the "American Chemical Journal." He is a regular contributor to the "Textile Colorist" of Philadelphia, and to the "Druggists' Circular" of New York, and he has published "Kurze Einleitung zu den Nitroverbindungen" (Leipsic, 1876). "Pinner's Organic Chemistry" was translated and revised by him (New York, 1883), and he has lectured on "Science-teaching in Schools," "Scientific Speculations," and "The Chemical Factor in History."

AUSTIN, Benjamin, merchant, b. in Boston, 18 Nov., 1753; d. there, 4 May, 1820. He was a merchant in Boston, and was a political writer before the revolution. In the controversy that raged during the administration of John Adams he wrote fierce newspaper articles, filled with personalities, in advocacy of republican views, and was bitterly assailed in turn. After the triumph of the republican party President Jefferson appointed him commissioner of loans for Massachusetts. He was a member at different times of both houses of the Massachusetts legislature. He wrote a series of articles for the "Independent Chronicle," under the name of "Honestus," and another series signed "Old South." The latter were printed in a volume in 1803. His son,, in 1806 assailed Thomas O. Selfridge in State street, Boston, for slandering his father, and was killed by Selfridge, who was tried and acquitted. A report of the trial was published in Boston in 1807.

AUSTIN, Coe Finch, botanist, b. in Finch-Tille, Orange co., N. Y., 20 June, 1831 ; d. in Closter, N. J., 18 March, 1880. He was educated chiefly at Rankin's academy, Deckertown, N. J. Subsequent to his graduation he devoted some time to lecturing on chemistry and botany, but afterward settled in Closter, where he resided during the latter part of his life. For many years he was curator of the herbarium at Columbia college. He was recognized as an authority on mosses, both in this country and in Europe. His published work includes "Musci Appalachiani" (1870), a valuable description of American mosses, for the preparation of which he made numerous journeys through the eastern, middle, and southern states.

AUSTIN, David, clergyman, b. in New Haven, Conn., in 1760; d. in Norwich, Conn., 5 Feb., 1831. He was graduated at Yale college in 1779, and in 1788 was settled as the Presbyterian minister in Elizabethtown, N. J. In 1795, after his recovery from a fever, he began to preach the second advent of Christ, which he prophesied would occur in May, 1796. When the day passed by he renewed his predictions, which created great excitement, and in 1797 he was dismissed from his church. After recovering from his delusion he was installed, in 1815, as pastor at Bozrah, Conn., where he officiated until his death. He published "The American Preacher," by various ministers; "The Downfall of Bal)ylon": a "Commentary on the Bible," and several millennial pamphlets and sermons.

AUSTIN, James Trecothic, lawyer, b. in Boston, 7 Jan., 1784; d. there, 8 May, 1870. He was the son of Jonathan L. Austin, and was graduated at Harvard in 1802. In 1806 he married the daughter of Elbridge Gerry. He was town advocate in 1809, member of the state legislature and attorney for the county of Suffolk in 1812-32, and attorney-general of Massachusetts in 1882-'43. He delivered an oration at Lexington on the 4th of July, 1815, and subsequently was called upon for like services on other public occasions. Many of these orations were published, and he published a "Life of Elbridge Gerry " (Boston, 1828). In politics he was an anti-federalist, and was a pronounced opponent of the abolition movement.

AUSTIN, Jonathan Loring, patriot, b. in Boston, 2 Jan., 1748; d. there, 10 May, 1826. He was graduated at Harvard college in 1766, and became a merchant in Portsmouth, N. H, When Langdon's regiment was raised he became its major, and subsequently was aide to Gen. Sullivan. He was secretary to the Massachusetts board of war until October, 1777, and was sent to France with despatches to Dr. Franklin announcing the defeat of Burgoyne and asking for clothing and stores for the army. He remained with Dr. Franklin as his private secretary, being sent as his agent to London. In May, 1779, he arrived in Philadelphia with despatches from the commissioners to congress. Fle was sent to Europe again in January, 1780, to negotiate a loan for the state of Massachusetts, and was captured on the way, but was set free in England. He failed to secure the loan, and returned in the autumn of 1781. In 1786 he delivered the 4th of July oration in Boston. He was a state senator for several terms, and elected state treasurer, and subsequently secretary of state.

AUSTIN, Jonathan Williams, soldier, b. in Boston, 18 April, 1751 ; d. in the south in the summer of 1778. He was graduated at Harvard in 1769, studied law in the office of John Adams, and admitted to the bar in 1772. In the Middlesex convention in 1774 he was chairman of the committee that drew up the resolutions. He served as a major in the revolutionary war, and was commandant at Castle William in 1776.

AUSTIN, Moses, Texan pioneer, b. in Durham, Conn.; d. in Louisiana, 10 June, 1821. He removed to the west in 1798, and engaged in lead-mining. In 1820 he went to Texas, and from Bex- ar forwarded to the Mexican commandant at Monterey a petition for permission to colonize 800 American families in that section. Returning to Missouri in search of emigrants, he was robbed and exposed to hardships that caused his death. The Mexican authorities granted a tract of land for a colony, and his son, Stephen P. Austin, founded the settlement.

AUSTIN, Samuel, clergyman, b. in New Haven, Conn., 7 Oct., 1760; d. in Glastonbury, Conn., 4 Dec, 1830. He was graduated at Yale in 1783, studied theology, was ordained, and settled for three years m Fair Haven, Conn. He was dismissed 19 Jan., 1790, and became pastor of the First Congregational church in Worcester, Mass., where he remained until 1815. In 1807 he received the degree of S. T. D. from Williams college. After leaving Worcester he was chosen president of the university of Vermont, where he remained until 1821, when he resigned on account of ill health and removed to Newport, and there preached for several years. His published writings include