Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/457

Rh he accompanied Gen. Jas. Grant Wilson, a friend of many years' standing, to his residence, No. 15 East Seventy-fourth street. Gen. Wilson reached his door with Mr. Bryant leaning on his arm; he took a step in advance to open the inner door, and while his back was turned the poet fell, his head striking on the stone platform of the front steps. It was his death-blow; for, though he recovered his consciousness sufficiently to converse a little, and was able to ride to his own house with Gen. Wilson, his fate was sealed. He lingered until the morning of 12 June, when his spirit passed out into the unknown. Two days later all that was mortal of him was buried at Roslyn, L. I., beside his wife, who died 27 July, 1865.

Since the poet's death the name of one of the city pleasure-grounds has been changed (in 1884) to Bryant park, where there will be soon unveiled a noble bronze statue of the poet, to be erected by his many friends and admirers. In the Metropolitan museum of art may be seen a beautiful silver vase, presented to Bryant in 1876, and an admirable bronze bust of heroic size, executed from life by Launt Thompson. Among the many portraits of Bryant, painted by prominent American artists, the poet preferred Inman's and Durand's; but these were supplanted in his estimation by photographs of later days, from one of which was taken the fine steel portrait that accompanies this article. A complete edition of his poetical and prose works (4 vols., 8vo) was published in 1883-'4. See &ldquo;Homes of American Authors&rdquo; (New York, 1853); &ldquo;The Bryant Homestead Book&rdquo; (1870); &ldquo;Presentation to Bryant at Eighty Years&rdquo; (1876); &ldquo;Bryant Memorial Meeting of the Goethe Club&rdquo; (1878); Symington's &ldquo;Biographical Sketch of Bryant&rdquo; (1880); Godwin's &ldquo;Life of Bryant&rdquo; (1883); Wilson's &ldquo;Bryant and his Friends&rdquo; (1886, two editions, one on large paper and illustrated). A new life of Bryant, by John Bigelow, was issued three years later. His brother, John Howard, b. in Cummington, Mass., 22 July, 1807. He studied at the Rensselaer polytechnic institute in Troy, N. Y., but was never graduated. He removed to Illinois in 1831, became justice of the peace for Putnam co. in 1834, and in 1837 was elected first recorder of deeds for the newly organized Bureau co. He was twice a member of the legislature, frequently served on the board of supervisors, and was for fifteen years a member of the board of education, and most of the time its chairman. President Lincoln made him collector of internal revenue in 1862, and he held the office till 1864. Until his sixtieth year Mr. Bryant took charge of the farm on which he has always lived, laboring on it with his own hands for the greater part of the time. He is the author of &ldquo;Poems,&rdquo; a small volume (New York, 1855); &ldquo;Poems written from Youth to Old Age; 1824-1884&rdquo; (printed privately, Princeton, Ill., 1885); and several addresses.

BRYANT, William Perkins, jurist, b. in Mercer co., Ky., 3 Aug., 1806 ; d. 10 Oct., 1860. He was educated in Shakertown, Ky., but removed to Rockville, Ind., in 1825. He was a member of the state house of representatives for Parke co. in 1832-'3, and of the senate in 1838-'9, served in the Black Hawk war, and subsequently emigrated to Oregon while it was still a territory. In 1849 he was appointed chief justice of the U. S. court for that district.

BRYCE, George, Canadian educator, b. in Mount Pleasant, Brant co., Ontario. 22 April, 1844. He was graduated at Toronto university in 1867, and at Knox college (Presbyterian) in 1871, having taken five out of the six scholarships open for competition. In 1871 he was selected as assistant and successor in Chalmer's church, Quebec, and in August of the same year was authorized by the home mission committee of the Presbyterian general assembly to found a college among the Selkirk settlers on Red river, and also to organize a Presbyterian church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The projected college was successfully organized by him and established at Kildonan, four miles from Winnipeg. In 1883 it was incorporated, and in 1884 removed to Winnipeg. Mr. Biyce, in 1877, was one of the principal founders of Manitoba university, which includes St. Boniface (Roman Catholic), St. John's (Episcopal), and Manitoba (Presbyterian) colleges. He was appointed first inspector of Winnipeg public schools in 1877, and has been an examiner in natural science in Manitoba university since 1878. He is trustee of all the Presbyterian Indian mission property in the north-west, and in 1884 was appointed moderator of the first Presbyterian synod of Manitoba and the northwest territories. He is the author of "Manitoba: its Infancy, Growth, and Present Condition" (London, 1882), and of "Manitoba" in the "Encyclopaedia Britannica," and is now (1886) writing a history of Canada and the northwest.

BRYDGES, Charles John, Canadian official, b. in England in February, 1826. He was in the service of the London and Southwestern railway company, ultimately becoming assistant secretary; appointed managing director of the Grand Trunk railway of Canada in September, 1862, and became intercolonial railway commissioner in December, 1868. He was made general superintendent of government railways in 1874. and, since the abolition of the Intercolonial railway commission, has had charge of the completion of the works of that railway, and also of the government railways east of Quebec.

BRYMNER, Douglas, Canadian archivist, b. in Greenock, Scotland, in 1823. He was educated at the Greenock grammar school, and received a thorough mercantile training. He began business, and subsequently admitted his brother as a partner, but was forced to retire in 1856 in consequence of failing health. In 1857 he emigrated to Canada, and subsequently became editor of the "Presbyterian," and about the same time was appointed associate editor of the Montreal "Herald." In 1872 he was made historical archivist of the Dominion, and in this capacity has been awarded much praise for his painstaking labors in collecting the historical records of the Dominion and the provinces and in their selection and arrangement. Under the pen-name of "Tummas Treddles" he wrote humorous articles for the Montreal "Herald," was for some time a contributor to the "Scottish American Journal," New York, and has translated the odes of Horace into verse in the Lowland Scottish dialect.