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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

C)hio, and there taught school, with young Thurman as one of his pupils, and who later entered an academy at Chillicothe, v.'here his proficiency in mathematics won for him the sobriquet of "right-angled, tri- angled Thurman." At the age of eighteen he began law studies under his uncle, William Allen, and after three years thus occupied, he became private secretary to Governor Lucas, of Ohio, at the same time continuing in law studies under Judge Swayne. After being admitted to the bar, he became a partner of his uncle at Chilli- cothe, who soon engaged in politics, Thur- man succeeeding to the business of the firm. In 1844 he was elected to congress, being the youngest member of that body. He de- clined a renomination, and practiced his pro- fession until 1851, when he was elected to the supreme court of Ohio, in which posi- tion he remained for four years, being chief justice for one-half of that period. He then resumed his law practice, in which he con- tinued until 1867, when he received the unanimous Democratic nomination for gov- ernor, and at the election was defeated by Rutherford B. Hayes (afterwards Presi- dent), but reduced the Republican majority of 42,000 the year before to less than 3,000. The legislature was Democratic, and Mr. Thurman was at once elected United States scnatnr, to succeed Ben Wade. He took his seat March 4, 1869, and at once became leader of the Democratic minority. His speeches on the Geneva award and the Pa- cific railway funding bill attracted wide at- tention. He was reelected, and closed his twelve years' service March 4, 1881, with a reputation which stood among the highest for judicial fairness, and for dignity and strength in debate, especially on questions

of constitutional law. He ser\ed usefully on the committees on the judiciary and pri- vate land claims. He was the author of an act ( the "Thurman Act") to compel the Pacific railroad corporations to fulfill their obligations to the government, and which he forced through the senate, in spite of the powerful railroad influences. On retiring fiom the senate, he resumed his law prac- tice, and was particularly prominent in the Bell Telephone patent contest, being on principal in opposition to a monopoly. In 1886 he was nominated by the Democratic caucus of the legislature for United States senate, but was defeated. In 1884 his name was brought forward for the Democratic presidential nomination, but was not seri- ously considered. In 1887 he declined a position on the interstate commerce com- mission. He was the Democratic nominee for vice-president in 1888, but his ticket was defeated. He married Mrs. Mary (Dun) Tompkins, of Chillicothe, Ohio. He died December 12, 1895.

English, Thomas Dunn, born in Philadel- I hia, Pennsylvania, June 29, 1819, of Quaker ancestors, who settled in New Jersey, in 1684. He was educated chiefly in private academies and at the Friends' boarding school in Burlington, New Jersey, ^^'hen only seventeen years of age he already wrote for the "Philadelphia Press." He graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1839, but after a short prac- tice he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He edited a daily paper in New "N'ork in 1844, and in 1845. issued a literary magazine, "The Aristidean." but only a single volume appeared. In 1848 he edited a humorous periodical. "John Donkey," and