Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/569

Rh The two other parts relating to Cundinamarca are yet in manuscript, the second in the library of the Rnyal historical society, and the third in the National library of Madrid. Henri Ternaux- Coinpans, although he says he purchased them, can only have obtained copies, which he used for his sur 1'ancien Cundinamarca" (Paris, 1842).

SIMOND, Alfred, South American botanist, b. in the province of Sao Paulo in 1740; d. in Rome, Italy, in 1801. His father, who was a Frenchman by birth, served in the Portuguese army, and ob- tained with his discharge a land-grant in the prov- ince of Sao Paulo ; and his mother was an Indian. The son was destined for the church, and was about to enter the Jesuit order when it was expelled from Brazil. Returning to his father's farm, he began there the study of agriculture and natural history, which he finished at Paris under the direction of Buffon, who induced him in 1776 to accompany Baron Malouet to Guiana. Here he was employed in draining marshes, and established a model farm for the improvement of agricultural methods. Af- ter Malouet's withdrawal in 1780, Simond remained in the colony without government support, and for several years tried vainly to establish a settlement east of Essequibo river. Returning to France at the beginning of the revolution, he was instructed by the Constituent assembly's committee on foreign affairs to write a detailed memoir concerning the disputed border-line between the French and Por- tuguese possessions in South America, and in 1795 he was sent to Guiana to draw a map of the basin of the Orinoco river. Simond's works include " Memoirs sur les limites veritables de la Guiane FranQaise " (Paris, 1791) ; " Enumeratio plantarum in Guiana crescentium " (2 vols., 1793) ; " Conspec- tus Polygarum florae Guiana? meridionalis " (2 vols.. Rome, 1797) ; and " Flora Brasilia exhibens charac- teres generum et specierum plantarum in provincia Sancti Pauli crescentium " (2 vols., 1800).

SIMONDS, William, author, b. in Charlestown, Mass., 30 Oct., 1822 ; d. in Winchester, Mass., 7 July, 1859. After attending school at Salem and spend- ing some time in learning the jewelry business at Lynn, Mass., he was apprenticed to a Boston printer in 1837. While thus engaged he wrote his first book, " The Pleasant Way " (1841), which was pub- lished by the Massachusetts Sabbath-school society. This was followed in 1845 by "The Sinner's Friend." which was also well received. In December, 1845', he left the printing-office where he had spent nearly nine years, and early in 1846 began the publication of " The Boston Saturday Rambler," of which, after the first six months, he became the sole editor. In November, 1850, " The Rambler " was merged in the "New England Farmer," of which Simonds was general editor until his death. In 1848 he began the publication of a monthly entitled " The Pictorial National Library," but was unable to issue it longer than eighteen months. Mr. Simonds was convinced that he had a mission to perform in writing for the young, and he employed every means in his power to render his tales natural and attractive, and to make them accurate reflections of life. His chief work is " The Aitnwell Stories," written under the pen-name of Walter Aimwell. These stories deal chiefly with New England farm-life. The first, " Clinton," appeared in 1853. He purposed to ex- tend the series to twelve volumes, but lived to complete only six. The last one, "Jerry," was left unfinished, and to it is added a memoir of the author. Besides the books already mentioned, he published " Thoughts for the Thoughtless " (Bos- ton, 1851); "The Boy's Own Guide " (1852); and " The Boy's Book of Morals and Manners " (1855).

SIMONIN, Louis Laurent (se-mo-nang), French geologist, k in Marseilles, 22 Aug.. 1830. He studied at the School of mines at Saint Etienne, was graduated as engineer in 1852, and held after- ward various posts in connection with mines in Italy and France. He made several voyages to the United States by order of the French government, visited Cuba, the West Indies, Central America, the Isthmus of Panama, and Mexico, and travelled ex- tensively through California and most of the Tinted States. In 1867 he was placed at the head of a French commission charged to study the laying out of the Pacific railroad and the preliminary surveys, and in his report greatly praised the work. In 1 N 7i> he was made a member of the international jury for the Centennial exhibition in Philadelphia, and before returning to France he made a special study of the mines in Pennsylvania and in the Reading valley. Simonin is an admirer of American insti- tutions. He has been several times a candidate for the chamber of deputies, promising that if he were elected he would support free democratic in- stitutions as they are understood on this side of the Atlantic, and he has been called the American candidate. Since 1860 he has contributed articles to French magazines describing his travels and Ameri- can scenery. Since 1877 he has been scientific critic of " La France." He has also greatly interested him- self in the Panama canal, and his advocacy has con- tributed to the authorization by the government of a lottery loan in its behalf. His works include '' Le grand ouest des Etats-Unis " % (Paris, 1869) : "L'homme Americain" (1870); "A travers les Etats-Unis " (1875) ; "Le monde Americain, sou- venirs de mes voyages aux Etats-Unis" (1S76); " L'oret 1'argent," a study of gold- and silver-mines in both Americas (1877) : and " Resume d'une con- IV 1 r<- sin- le Ciiinil de Panama" (1884).

SIMONS, Michael Laird, journalist, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 7 Sept., 1843 : d. there, 17 Nov.. 1880. He was graduated at the Central high- school of his native city, and entered journalism when quite young in the employ of the Philadel- phia " Inquirer." subsequently engaging with the "Evening Telegraph." and contributing to various literary journals. Mr. Simons was identified with the establishment of the Reformed Episcopal church, served as a delegate to its councils, and was secretary of the synod of Philadelphia at the time of his death. He edited "Stodart's Review." condensed D'Aubigne's " History of the Refor- mation " (1870), published " Half-Hours with the Best Preachers" (1871), and continued Duyck- inck's " Cyclopaedia of American Literature," add- ing about one hundred new names, down to 1*73. His last work, an extensive " History of the World," is still unpublished.

SIMONS, Thomas Young, lawyer, b. in Charles- ton, S. C., 1 Oct.. 1828; d. there, 30 April, 1878. He was graduated at Yale in 1847, and two years later began to practise law in his native city. In 1854-'60 he was a member of the legislature, and in the latter year a presidential elector. He was also a member of the convention that passed the ordinance of secession in December, 1860, and in the civil war be served as captain of the 27th South Carolina regiment, and later as judge-advo- cate. He was sent to the National Democratic conventions of 1860, 1868, and 1872, and was a member of the executive committee of his party from the latter year till 1876. Besides his other labors, he was editor of the Charleston " Courier " in 1865 '73. In the tax-payers' conventions of 1871 and 1874 he was an active member, and his later years were identified with the efforts to pro-