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LEFT BIEVBE 24 BIGELOW BIEVBE (byav're), MARQUIS DE, born in 1747; served in the corps of the French musketeers, was a life guard of the King of France, and acquired much reputation by his puns and repartees. He is the author of several amusing pub- lications, including "Le Seducteur," a comedy in verse; an "Almanach des Calembourgs," or collection of puns. He died in 1789. BIFFIN, a variety of excellent kitchen apple, often sold in a dry and flattened state. BIFROST (bef'rost), in Northern mythology the name of the bridge rep- resented as stretching between Heaven and Earth ^ (Asgard and Midgard) ; really the rainbow. BIGAMY, in civil law: (1) English, the act of marrying a second time, while the first husband or wife is still known to be living. By a law passed in 1276, it was punished with death. In 1603, during the reign of James I., it was made felony, without benefit of clergy. By a law passed in 1794, the capital penalty was modified into imprisonment or transportation. (2) In the United States, the statutory provisions against bigamy or polygamy are in general sim- ilar to, and copied from, the statute of James I., excepting as to punishment, and the Congressional legislation against those practicing polygamy as a part of their religious belief. Under the Fed- eral laws, bigamy in the Territories is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years and a fine not exceed- ing $500. The different States vary in the punishment attached to the crime. In many States fines are imposed in ad- dition to a prison sentence and a fail- ure to pay the fine results in a length- ening of the sentence. BIG BETHEL, a village in Virginia, on the peninsula between the York and James rivers; the scene of a battle, June 10, 1861, between the Federal and Con- federate forces. It resulted in the de- feat of the Federal army with the loss of about 100 men. Maj. Theodore Winthrop was killed in this battle. ^ BIG BLACK RIVER, a river of Mis- sissippi, flowing into the Mississippi at Grand Gulf. Its valley constitutes a fine cotton region 200 miles long. The name is also applied to Black river, in south- eastern Arkansas. BIG BONE LICK, a salt spring, in Boone co., Ky., 11 miles S. of Burling- ton, where fossil remains of mastodons and other extinct fauna have been found. BIGELOW, ERASTUS BRIGHAM, an American inventor, born in Boylston, Mass., April 2, 1814; became a leading manufacturer in Clinton, Mass.; in- vented looms for suspender weaving, for counterpanes, for coach lace and for car- pets; and published a text book on shorthand writing, "The Tariff Ques- tion" (1862), and other works. He died in Boston, Dec. 6, 1879. BIGELOW, JOHN, an American au- thor, born in Maiden, N. Y., Nov. 25, 1817; graduated at Union College, in 1835, and became first a lawyer and afterward a journalist. In 1845-1846 he was inspector of Sing Sing prison; in 1849-1861 one of the editors of the New York "Evening Post"; in 1861-1864, United States Consul-General at Paris; JOHN BIGELOW and in 1864-1867, Minister to France. He was Secretary of State of New York in 1875-1877. In his will Samuel J. Tilden appointed him his biographer and one of the three trustees of the bulk of his estate, set apart for the establish- ment of a public library in New York City. Mr. Bigelow was elected Presi- dent or the consolidated Board of Trus- tees of the library and appointed Chair- man of the Executive Committee. His works include "Molinos the Quietist," "France and the Confederate Navy,** "Life of William Cullen Bryant," "Life of Samuel J. Tilden," "Some Recollec- tons of Edouard Laboulaye," "A Life of Franklin." In 1885 he published "The Writings and Speeches of Samuel J. Tilden," and in 1888 "The Complete