Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/325

Rh ter being a quarto volume issued in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of that road.

WATSON, John Crittenden, naval ofTicer, b. in Frankfort, Ky.. 14 Aug., 1842. He was gradu- ated from the naval academy in 1800 ; was pro- moted to master in 1861 and attached to the frigate "Sabine," subsequently serving on the steam-sloop "Hartford" in the West Gulf squadron. He was commissioned lieutenant in July, 18C2, and was engaged in the bombardment and passage of Ports Jackson and St. Philipand t'halmette batteries, in the passage of the Vicksburg batteries, passage of Port Hudson, and battle of Mobile Bav, where he was wounded and where he lashed p"'arragut to the rigging. He served afterward on the sltfam- frigate "Colorado," flag-ship of the European squadron. He was commissioned lieutenant-com- mander in July, 1860, and assigned to the " Frank- lin." flag-ship of the European squadron. In 1868-'9 he served on the steam-sloop "^'anan- daigua." was on special duty at Philadelphia, on the " Alaska," Asiatic squadron, later commanding the store-ship "Omaha," He was commissioned commander in 1874 ; was on duty at the navy- yard at Mare island, California, 1875-'"; com- manding the " Wyoming," Kuro|)ean station, 1877- '80; atid was promoted captain in 1887. He com- maniled at the navy-yard at Mare island, 1890-'2, and later was in command of the " San Francis- co"; was a member of the retiring board and governor of the naval home at Philadelphia. He was promoted to commmlore in 18i)7, and given command in June, 1808, of the squadron intended to have been sent against Spanish ports. A year later Watson became rear-admiral, succeeding Ad- miral Dewev in the command of the Asiatic squad- ron at Manila, in June, 1899. As flag-lieutenant he was known in the fleet as "Johnny" Wat.«<)n: now his sailors call him " Able Seaman Johnny," as great a compliment as could be paid the ad- miral. He was a great favorite with Farra^t.

WATSON, Thoniait Evanm lawyer, b. in Co- lumbia county, Ga., .5 Sept., 1856. He entered Mer- cer university, at Macon. He remained there for two years, biit poverty forced him to withdraw and supiiort himself by teaching. Heal.so studied law, and in 1876 si-cured admi.ssion to the liar, open- ing an oflice in Thompson, Ga. In 1882-3 he served as a member of the Georgia legislature, and in 1888 he was a Democratic elector-at-large. He was elected to the .52d congress in 1890, but served only one term, for he ran as a Populist for the next congress, and was defeated bv the regular Democratic candidate, J. C. C. Black. The lat- ter defeated him for I he 54th congress also. In the presidential campaign of 1892 he published, for the use of Populist speakers, a book that gave him much notoriety, because of the grave charges against the character and qualifications of the house of representatives. For these statements he was called to account in the house. After his second campaign with Black he chargeil that the ballot-boxes had l)cen stuffed ; his adversary ac- cepted his challenge and resigned; the election was held again, and Black elected a third time. On 25 July. 1896, he was nominated vice-president on the Populist ticket, with William J. Bryan (q. v.). After his congressional career he edited a Popu- list paper, published in Atlanta. He is the author of "Till-Storu of Illiniois" (3 vols.. New York. 1899).

'''WEATHERBEE. Robert Linton'''. Canadian ju- ri.st. b. in Bedeque, Prince Edward island, 7 April, 18H6. He was graduated at Acailia college, and was called to the bar in 1863, soon attaining to a high position as a brilliant and successful lawyer. He was selected by Edward Blake as one of the Canadian counsel in the fisheries commission which sat for six months at Halifax in 1877, te- sulting in an award of five and a half million dol- lars for the Dominion. In the following year, having previously been made a Q. C, he was ap- [jointed a judge of the supreme court of Nova Scotia, which position he still retains. Judge Weatherbe became the president of the Nova Sco- tia historical society on the death of Sir Adams Archibald. His residence is in Halifax and his summer home at Grand Pre, in the valley of Gas- pereaux. where he has apple orchards containing over eight thousand trees of almost every known variety, which are chiefly exported to England.

WEBB, William Seward, financier, b. in New York city, 31 Jan., 1851, is the son of James Wat- son Webb (q. v.). He was sent to a Sing Sing military school, and spent two years at Columbia; he then studied meilicine abroad, and returned to New York to take the regular course at the College of physicians and surgeons, where he was grad- uated in 1875. He then received an appointment as physician in St. Luke's hospital. At the end of two vears and a half he took u|) general prac- tice in ifew York city. He soon gave up his prac- tice and joined his brother as a stock-broker. On 20 Dec., 1881, he married Eliza Osgood Van- derbilt. In 1883 he became prcsiiient of the Wag- ner palace car company. He is also a director in several railroads, trust, and life insurance com- panies. The sanitarium for sufferers from pul- monary diseases recently built near .Saranac lake is on ffround given bv him for that purpose.

WEIK, Jesse William, b. in Greencastle, Ind., 23 Aug., 1857. His father emigrated from Ger- many to the United States in 1848; his mother was a native of Cincinnati. His education, begun in the public schools of his native town, was com- pleted at Asbury— now Dc Pauw — university, from which institution he was graduated in 187,5. After two years s|>ent in business with his father, he be- gan the study of law, and in 1880 he was admitted to practice. In 1882 he received an ajipointment as sjiecial examiner of the U. S. pension bureau, and was detailed to examine the merits of certain i)en.sion claims in the neighl)orhood of Springfield. While in the latter localitv he began to familiarize himself with the life and fiistory of Abraham Lin- coln. He interviewetl carefully and in detail all persons there ami elsewhere who had been asso- ciated with or had known Lincoln in his lifetime. He also visited that section of Kentucky in which he was born, giving sjieiMal attention to the ques- tions of his birth and descent, and travelled through southern Indiana amid the scenes of his obscure and humble boyhood. The results of these re- searches are embodied in a " Life of Lincoln," which he, in company with Lincoln's law partner, Mr. William H. Hcrndon, produced in 188.5-'9 (Chicago, 1889). A revised edition of this work, entitled "Herndon and Weik's Lincoln," was is- .sued in two volumes (New York. 1892). He has also Ijeen a frequent contributor to the newspapers in the west, his interesting articles being devoted to certain jihases of President Lincoln's career and oilier contemporary historical subjects.

WEISE, Arthur James, author, b. in Shep- herdstown. Va.. 15 Aug., 1838. He was graduated from Pennsylvaniacollege. Gettysburg. in 1859, and from the Lutheran theological seminary there in 1861 ; was licensed to preach that year by the West PennsvlvHiiia synod ; and served in the civil war as a lieutenant in the 7th infantry regiment of Maryland volunteers. Army of the Potomac, in