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656 for college, but impaired health prevented his enter- ing. On attaining his majority he came to New York city and engaged in literary pursuits. In 1858 he became editor and proprietor of "Merry's Museum," and was widely known as "Robert Merry." He joined the order of the Sons of Tem- perance when it was in its infancy, and in 1866 was chosen most worthy patriarch, its highest office in this country. At his suggestion, in 1865, the National temperance society and publication-house was organized, and he was appointed its corre- sponding secretary and publishing agent. In 1865 he also became the editor of the " National Tem- perance Advocate," and he had since held that place as well as having charge of the "Youth's Temper- ance Banner." In addition to his editorial work, he had issued annually since 1869 " The National Temperance Almanac and Teetotaler's Year-Book," and he had published "The Temperance Chorus" (New York, 1867); "The Temperanee Speaker" (1869); "The Centennial Temperance Volume" (1876); "The Prohibition Songster" (1885); and " One Hundred Years of Temperance " (1885).

STEARNS, John William, educator, b. in Sturbridge, Mass., in 1840. He was graduated at Harvard in 1860, was appointed professor of Latin in the University of Chicago in 1865, and in 1874 became director of the National normal school in the Argentine Republic. In 1878 he became presi- dent of the normal college at Whitewater, Wi-.

STEARNS, Jnnius Brutus, artist, b. in Arling- ton, Vt,, 2 July, 1810 ; d. in Brooklyn. N. Y., 17 Sept., 1885. He was a pupil at the Academy of de- sign. New York city, where in 1848 he became an associate, and an academician the following year. In the same year he went to Europe and spent some time in London and Paris. On his return he became in 1S51 recording secretary at the National academy, holding that post until 1865. His work was mainly in portraiture, but he painted also numerous historical subjects. Of these the best known are the " Washington Series," five paintings representing Washington as a citizen, farmer, sol- dier, statesman, and Christian. His " Millennium " is in the Academy of design, New York.

STEARNS, Oakman Sprogue, b. in Bath. Me., 20 Oct., 1817 : d. in Newton Centre, 21 April, 1893. He was graduated at Waterville college and at Newton theological institution in 1846, and was instructor in Hebrew there in 1846-'7. He was pastor of the Baptist church at Southbridge, Mass., in 1847-'54, at Newark, N. .1.. in 1854-'5, and at Xewton Centre. Mass., in 1*55-'68. Since 1868 he has been professor of biblical interpretation of the Old Testament in Newton theological institution. Colby u'.ne him the degree of D. D. in 1863. He has translated Sartorius's "Person and Work of Christ" (Boston, 1848), and was the author of "A Syllabus of the Messianic Passages in the Old Testament" (1884).

STEARNS, Ozorn Pierson. senator, b. in De Kalb, Lawrence co., N. Y., 15 Jan., 1831 ; d. in San liir_'n. CaL, 3 June. 1896. lie was educated at Michigan university, where he was graduated in the literary department and in law in 1860. Imme- diately after his graduation he began practice in Rochester, Minn., and shortly afterward was elected prosecuting attorney for Clinton county. In August, 1862. he entered the National army as 1st lieutenant in the 9th Minnesota volunteer in- fantry, and in April, 1864, he was commissioned colonel of the 39th regiment of U. S. colored in- fantry. His regiment suffered severely at the mine-explosion before Petersburg on 30 July. He accompanied Gen. Benjamin F. Butler on his Port Fisher expedition, was with Gen. Alfred H. Terry at the capture of that fort, and afterward remained with his command in North Carolina until he was mustered out of the service in De- cember. 1865. He then returned to Rochester. Minn., was soon afterward offered the professor- ship of agriculture in Cornell university, which he declined, was again elected county attorney, and then appointed register in bankruptcy. In 1871 he was elected U. S. senator for the unex- pired term of Daniel S. Norton, deceased, and served for a short period. In the spring of 1872 he removed with his family to Duluth, and two years later became judge of the llth judicial dis- trict of Minnesota, which office he had held ever since. He was in favor of granting the right of suf- frage to women. His wife, Sarah Burger, re- former, b. in New York city, 30 Nov., 1836, is the daughter of Edward G. Burger. She was educated chiefly at the Ann Arbor high-school, and the State normal school, Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1858 and afterward she made formal application to be admitted as a student to the Michigan state uni- versity, which, though it was refused, had an in- fluence in finally deciding the regents in 1869 to make their classes open to women. During the civil war Mrs. Stearns was well known as a worker on the sanitary commission, and lectured on behalf of the soldiers' societies in Michigan and else- where. She married Col. Stearns in 1863, and re- moved to Minnesota in 1866. For many years she had been vice-president for Minnesota of the Na- tional woman suffrage association. She is presi- dent of the Duluth home society, and was instru- mental in establishing a temporary home for needy women and children in that city. She has been active for years as an advocate of woman's rights. STEARNS, Samuel, author, b. in Bolton. Mass., in 1747; d. in Brattleborough, Vt.. 8 Aug., 1819. He became a physician and astronomer, practising his profession first in Worcester. Mass., then in New York, and finally in Brattleborough, Vt. For his supposed loyalty to King George III. he suffered greatly from the persistent attacks of the Sons of Liberty, and was confined for nearly three years in a prison in Worcester, Mass. While he was a resi- dent of New York lie made the calculations for the first nautical almanac in this country, which he published. 20 Dee., 1782. He edited the Philadel- phia Magazine" in 1789, and published "Tour to London and Paris" (London, 1790); "Mystery of Animal Magnetism " (1791) ; " American Oracle " (171)1); and "The American Herbal, or Materia Medica" (Walpole, N. H., 1801). He labored twenty-eight years on a "Medical Dispensatory." and to obtain information for it travelled fur nine years in Europe and this country, but died before its completion. On the list of subscribers for this work were the names of George Washing- ton and Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia.

STEARNS, Samuel Horatio, clergyman, b. in Bedford. Mass., 12 Sept., 1801; d. in Paris, France, July. 1837. His father, Samuel, was for forty years pastor of the Congregational church in Bedford, Mass. The son was graduated at Harvard in is-j:>, became a minister of the Congregational church, and was pastor of the Old South church, Boston, from April, 1834, till his death. A volume of his discourses, with a memoir by his brother, William A. Stearns, was published (Boston, 1838). His brother. William Augustus clergyman, b. in Bedford, Mass., 17 March, 1805; d. in Amherst. Mass.. s June, 1876, was graduated at Harvard in 1*27, studied theology at Andover, and, after teaching for a. short time at Duxbury, was ordained a mill-