Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/725

Rh ginia. was clerk of Tazewell county, and a member of tin' house of burgesses, and in 1824 was admitted to the bar. He returned to New York in 182s. ami in 1829 was elected to the legislature, where he con- tinued until 1833. In 1S34 he became a candidate for lieutenant-governor on the ticket with William II. Si'ward. He was elected alderman in New York city in 1833, and made chairman of the board '. the political parties were then equally divided, and as he had the casting-vote on all appointments he became popularly known as King Caucus. He va> the acting mayor at the time of the great fire in ls:>5. On "Gen. Harrison's election to the presi- dency he was offered a cabinet appointment, but, having lost his fortune in the panic of 1837, he declined, but he was with Harrison during most of the latter'* short term of office, and after his deal li accepted the appointment of U. S. marshal for the southern district of New York, which he held during Tyler's administration. At this time he was sent on a special mission to the Hague to in- quire as to the feasibility of negotiating a loan for the U. S. government. At the end of his term he resumed the practice of law. Mr. Stilwell was the author of the act entitled " An act to abolish im- prisonment for debt and to punish fraudulent debtors/' which was passed, 26 April, 1831. This wa- commonly called the Stilwell act. He was also the author of the banking laws of the state of New York, of the general bankrupt act, and of the national banking act and system of organ- ized credits in 1863. He wrote a great deal on questions of finance, beginning in 1837. His first pamphlet was entitled " A System of Credit for a Republic and Plan of a Bank for the State of New York" (1838). Others were "Notes Explana- tory of Mr. Chase's Plan of National Finance," and " National Finances : a Philosophical Examina- tion of Credit" (1866). Many of his articles ap- peared in the " Herald," from 1860 till 1872, under the pen-name of '-Jonathan Oldbuck."

STIMPSON, William, naturalist, b. in Rox- bury, Mass., 14 Feb., 1832 ; d. in Ilchester Mills. Md.'. 2l> May, 1872. He was early led to the study of natural history, and made extensive collections. It is claimed that he was the first to enter upon the work of deep-sea dredging in searching for specimens. He became a pupil of Louis Agassiz, and accompanied that naturalist in 1852 on his ex- pedition to Norfolk, Va., and Charleston. S. C.. to investigate the marine fauna of that region. Later in the year he was appointed naturalist to the North Pacific expedition, and spent three years and a half in making observations and collections. On his re- turn he settled in Washington, and for nine years was engaged in classifying the results that he had obtained. In 1864 he became curator of the Chi- cago academy of sciences, and subsequently he was its secretary. While holding this office he organized a system of exchanges by which the library of the academy was supplied with scientific journals and transactions, and enriched its muse- um with specimens of natural history from all parts of the world. These collections, as well as much other valuable material, including his own manuscripts, which represented the researches of more than twenty years, were destroyed by the fire of 1871. For several years he visited Florida on scientific expeditions, and during the early part of 1872 he was engaged in superintending deep-sea dredging, under the auspices of the U. S. coast sur- vey, in the Gulf of Mexico. The thoroughness of his researches, with the clearness and accuracy of his descriptions, gained for him a high rank as a scientific observer, and it was said of him that he described more new species of marine animals than any naturalist except James D. Dana. He was a member of various scientific societies, ami was early elected to membership in the National academy of sciences. During his connection with the Chicago academy of sciences he edited its "Transactions" and its animal reports. I;. -Mr, I his various contributions to scientific proceedings, he published numerous memoirs, including "A Revision of the Synonymy of the Testaceous Mol- lusks of New England'" (Boston, 1851) : Synop- sis of the Marine liivertebrata of Grand Manan." in the "Smithsonian Contributions" (Washington, 1N.">:;> ; Crustacea and Echinpdermata of the IV i.'itic Shores of North America" (Boston, l. s ">7) : " Descriptiones Animalium Evertebratorum " (Philadelphia, 1857-'00): and "Notes on North American t'ru-taoea " (New York, 1859). He was associated in the preparation of " Check-Lists of the Shells of North America" (Washington. IsiiO). and " Researches upon the Hydrobiina; and Allied Forms" (1863).

STIMSON, Alexander Lovett, author, b. in Boston, Mass., 14 Dec., 1816. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in Georgia in 1840, and was also connected with the press in Boston. New York, and New Orleans for many years. Mr. Stimson established in 1852. and for several years edited, the "Express Messenger." He is the author of a " History of the Boston Mercantile Library Asso- ciation "; "Easy Nat, or the Three Apprentices" (New York, 1850 ; republished as " New England Boys "): " [Iistory of the Express Companies. and the Origin of American Railroads "(18.79: new ed.. 1581): " \\'ai1‘\\ood." a novel (1515-1): and many tales in periodicals.

'''STIMSON. Frederic Jesup'''. author. b. in Dedhain. Mass. :3." July. 18-7-7. lie was graduated at Harvard in 1.876. and at the law-school m 1575. and was assistant attorney—general of Massachusetts from 15.4 till 18%. He has pursued literature with law. writing his -arlier novels under the pen-name of " J. of Dale." He has published " Stimson's Law Glossary " (Boston. 1881); "Guerndale.” a novel (New York. 1582): “ The Crime of Henry Yane" (155-1): “ The King's Men." in collabora- tion (ls-$4): " American Statute Law " (Boston, lssﬂ); "The Sentimental Calendar " (New York. 1886): “ First. llarvests" (1588): and “The Re- siduary Legatee “ (IS-SB). lie was also one of the authors of “ Rollo's Journey to Cambridge.” which ﬁrst appeared in the " Harvard Lampoon " and afterward in hook-form ( Boston. 1879).

'''STIMSON. John Ward'''. artist. b. in Paterson. N. J .. 16 Dec.. ISM). He was graduated at Yale in I 1872. and then studied art at the Ecole des beaux arts in Paris. France. ( In his return to this coun— try he became art instructor and lecturer at Prince- ton. but on the establishment of the art-schools that are connected with the Metropolitan museum in New York city he was appointed their superin- tendent. During the four years that he had charge of these schools Mr. Stimson increased the mem- bership from thirty pupils to nearly four hundred. with seventeen classes. Owing to differences be- tween himself aml the trustees. who showed a desire to restrict his power. he resigned. In Feb- ruary. 1-888. he announced his desire to found a New York uniiersity for artist artisans. and he has received substantial support for his scheme from the citizens of New York city. Mr. Stimson has meanwhile continued his artistic work. and ihas contributed to various exhibitions. He has 'also written for periodicals, and has published " The Law of Three Primaries " (New York, 1884).