Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/387

Rh post, in which he remained till 1851. He was a popular lecturer and preacher, and published oc- casional addresses and sermons.

'''RYDER. Platt Powell''', artist, b. in Brooklyn, X. Y., 11 June, 1821 ; d. 16 July, 1896. He stud- ied under Leon Bonnat in Paris in 1869-'70. Among his genre paintings are "Life's Evening," "Spinning." and "An Interior" (1879); "Fare- well" (1880); "Spinning-Wheel" (1881); "Read- ing the Cup" (1882); "Welcome Step" (1883); " Clean Shave," " Washing - Day," and " Bill of h'aiv " (1884) ; " Fireside " (1885)'; and "Watching and Waiting " (1886). He was elected an associate of the National academy in 1868, and was also a founder of the P.rooklyn academy of design.

RYDER, William Henry', clergyman, b. in Provincetown, Mass., 13 July, 1822; d. in Chicago, 111., 8 March, 1888. He received no collegiate edu- catiun. but at nineteen years of age began to preach the doctrine of universal salvation. At twenty-one he was pastor of the 1st Universalist society in Concord. X. H., and he subsequently preached at Nashua two years, after which he travelled two years in Europe and the Holy Land. On his re- turn he became pastor of the Universalist church in Roxbury, Mass., where he remained ten years. He resigned this post to accept a call to St. Paul's church, Chicago, in 1860. Lombard university fave him the degree of D. D. in 1803. Dr. Ryder equeathed more than half a million dollars to charitable, educational, and religious institutions. Among the bequests is one that provides for free annual lectures, to be under the control of the pas- tors of the 1st Universalist, 1st Presbyterian, and 1st Congregational churches and the mayor of Chi- cago " in aid of the moral and social welfare of the citizens of Chicago, upon an anti-sectarian basis."

RYERSON, Adolphus Egrerton, Canadian edu- cator, b. in Charlotteville, Upper Canada, 24 March. 1803; d. in Toronto, 19 Feb., 1882. His father, Joseph (1760-1854), was an American loyalist from New Jersey. The son received a classical edu- cation, and in 1829 founded the "Christian Guard- ian," of which he was appointed associate editor. He was chosen the first president of Victoria col- lege in 1841, and in 1844 was appointed superin- tendent of education for Upper Canada. In 1846 he induced the legislature to pass a school act that he had drafted, and he afterward published an elaborate report on methods of education (Mon- treal, 1847). He drafted the bill, in 1850, under which the public schools of Ontario are still main- tained. In 1855 he founded meteorological sta- tions in connection with county grammar-schools, and in 1860 drafted a bill for the further develop- ment of the system of public instruction. In 1876 he resigned. He received the degree of D. D. Trom Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn., in 1842, and that of LL. D. from Victoria college in 1866. Dr. Ryerson published " Letters in Defence of Our School System " (Toronto, 1859) and " The Loyalists of America and their Times 1620-1816" (1880). " The Story of My Life," an autobiography, which he left unfinished at his death, was completed and published by John George Hodgins (1883).

RYERSON, John, Canadian clergyman, b. in Norfolk. Ont., 12 June, 1800 ; d. in S'imcoe, Ont., 5 Oct., 1878. He received a fair education, became a Wesleyan preacher at the age of eighteen, and aided in founding many institutions of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. In 1854 the Canadian con- ference, with a view to assuming the direction and maintenance of the missions of the London Wes- leyan committee in the Northwest territory, sent Mr. Ryerson to explore the field. He travelled nearly 3.000 miles in the yacht of the Hudson bay company and in bark canoes, and, before returning, went to 'England and arranged for the transfer of the missions. His journey is described in "Hud- son's Bay, or a Missionary Tour in the Territory of the llun! Hiid-'iii'-. Hay CiiinpaiiN "(Toronto, Is.Vn.

'''RYERSON. Martin''', benefactor, b. in Paterson, N. J., 6 Jan., 1818 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 6 Sept., 1887. His early educational advantages were lim- ited. At sixteen years of age he left home alone, and in Detroit found employment with a fur-dealer. In 1836 he went to Muskegon, Mich., and. while trading with the Indians, learned to speak the Ot- tawa and Chippewa languages. In 1841 he em- barked in the lumber business on a limited scale, and in 1851 he established a yard at Chicago, by which his business was greatly increased, and he became wealthy. Mr. Ryerson gave freely to chari- table institutions and public enterprises, and, as a token of his friendship and appreciation of Indian character, he erected in Lincoln park, Chicago, a bronze group in memory of the Ottawa nation, of which tribe his wife was a member. He expressed a wish to his son that the income from a large busi- ness block, valued at $225,000, should be forever set apart and distributed equally among eight char- itable institutions of Chicago. The family have placed the property in trust for this purpose.

RYLANCE, Joseph Hine, clergyman, b. near Manchester, England, 16 June, 1826. He was graduated at KingV college, London, in 1801, and, after officiating as a curate in London for two years. came to the United States in 1863, and became rector of St. Paul's church, Cleveland, Ohio. In 1867-'71 he was rector of St. James's church, Chi- cago, 111., and since 1871 he has been rector of St. Mark's church, New York city. He received the degree of D. D. from Western Reserve college in 1867. Dr. Rylance belongs to the school of Chris- tian rationalists. He is the author of " Preachers and Preaching " (London, 1862) ; " Essays on Mira- cles " (New York, 1874) ; " Social Questions : Lec- tures on Competition, Communism, Co-operation, and Christianity aud Socialism " (New York, 1880) ; and Pulpit Talks on Topics of the Time " (1881). RYLAND, Robert, clergyman, b. in King and Queen county, Va., 14 March, 1805. He was gradu- ated at Columbian college. Washington, D. C.. in 1826, ordained to the Christian ministry in 1827, and in 1827-'32 was pastor of the Baptist church in Lynchburg, Va. In 1832 he took charge of the Manual-labor school in Richmond, and when that school was chartered in 1844 as Richmond college he was made its president, serving until 1866. For twenty-five years he acted as pastor of the 1st Af- rican Baptist church of Richmond, during which time he baptized into its fellowship nearly 4,000 persons. In 1868 he removed to Kentucky, where he has been engaged in the work of teaching and preaching. Dr. Ryland has been a friend of the colored people, and a promoter of higher education.

'''RYLE. John''', manufacturer, b. in Bollington, near Macclesfield, England, 22 Oct., 1817; d. in Macclesfield, England, 6 Nov., 1887. He worked in the silk-mills of Macclesfield when but five years of age, and, having become an expert weaver and throwster, emigrated to the United States in 1839, and was engaged to establish a silk-factory at Paterson, X. J., of which he became owner in 1846. He was the first to carry on this business with success in the United States. At first the production was limited to twists and floss silks. He tried weaving in 1846, and again in 1859-'60, but was not able to make the manufacture of broad silks remunerative until after the civil war.