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 HERRINGSHAW'S LIBRARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY.

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1811-13 he was a representative from New York to the twelfth congress. In 1842-45 he was charge d'affaires to the Netherlands. He died July 19, 1847, in Albany, N.Y. Bleecker, John Van Benthuysen, soldier, was born Aug. 16, 1847, in Glen Cove, N.Y. In 1905 he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral. Bleecker, Richard Wade, merchant, philanthropist, was born Aug. 27, 1821, in New York City. He was engaged in business in New York City; and for some time was president of the North American fire insurance company. He was an active patron of the arts and sciences; and the literary receptions held at his residence were attended by prominent artists and authors. He died April 21, 1875, in New York City. Bleistein, George, journalist, was born Dec. 6, 1861, in BuflFalo, N.Y. In 1885 he was elected president and treasurer of the Courier company, which is said to have the largest and best equipped printing and lithographing establishment in the world. Blenk, James Hubert, educator, college president, archbishop, was born Aug. 6, 1856, in Bavaria. In 1885 he was ordained priest. In 1890-96 he was president of the Jefferson college convent of Louisiana. Since 1906 he has been archbishop of New Orleans, La.

Blenker, Louis, merchant, soldier, was born July 31, 1812, in Germany. He engaged in business in New York City. At the beginning of the civil war he organized the eighth regiment New York volunteers; and was commissioned colonel. He died Oct. 30, 1888. Blennerhassett,

Harman, lawyer, was born

Oct. 8, 1764, in England. He practiced law in England; and came to the United States to study. In 1806 he decided to join Aaron Burr in his planned expedition. In 1807 he was arrested for treason; but was acquit-

He died Feb. 1, 1831, on the island of Guernsey. Blewett, Benjamin Turner, educator, colted.

lege president,

was bom

Sept. 17, 1820, in

Bowling Green, Ky. He graduated from Georgetown college; and received the degree of LL.D. from Bethel college. In 184653 he had charge of the academy of Georgetown; and was president of the Bethel college

in

1853-61.

He was

president

of

Bracken college in 1861-71; and since 1871 has had charge of the St. Louis seminary at Jennings, Mo. Blish, George William, elocutionist, founder, was born March 1, 1837, in Rome, HI.

He

is the founder of the Blish school of elocution at Boston, Mass; and is one of the original organizers of the royal arcanum. He is a fine interpreter of dramatic, humorous and dialect sketches.

Bliss, Aaron T., soldier, lumber merchant, congressman, governor, was born May 32, 1837, in Peterborough N.Y. In 1861 he enlisted as a private soldier in the tenth New

York cavalry; and was confined

in the pris-

ons of Andersonville, Charleston, Macon and Columbia. He rose while in the service from private to captain. He has been president of the soldiers' and sailors' association of northern Michigan. In 1882 he was elected a member of the state senate. In 1889-91 he was a representative from Michigan to the fifty-first congress as a republican. In 190103 he was the twenty-fourth governor of Michigan. He died Sept. 16, 1906, in Milwaukee, Wis.

Alexander, soldier, diplomat, was 27, 1827, in Boston, Mass. Early in the civil war he entered the army as captain of volunteers; and later passed through the various grades of major, lieutenantcolonel and colonel by brevet in the regular army, his service being chiefly in the quartermaster's department. In 1868 he was appointed secretary of legation at Berlin. He died April 30, 1896, in Washington, D.C. Bliss,

born Dec.

Bliss, Archibald M., merchant, railroad president, congressman, was born Jan. 25, 1837, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was alderman of Brooklyn in 1864-68; was president of the board in 1867; and was defeated for mayor in the latter vear. He was a delegate to the Baltimore convention in 1864; to the Chicago convention of 1868; to the Cincinnati convention of 1872; and in 1869-70 was commissioner of public works for Brooklyn, N. Y. He is president of the Bushwick railroad

company. In 1875-89 he was a representative from New York to the forty-fourth, fortyforty-sixth, forty-seventh, forty-eighth, forty-ninth and fiftieth congresses as a repu-

fifth,

blican. Bliss, Cornelius Newton, merchant, was born Jan. 26, 1833, in Fall River, Mass. He was a, member of the Pan-American confer-

ence; was president of the protective tariff' league; was chairman of the republican state

committees New York of 1887 and 188^; was treasurer of the national republican committees in 1892, 1896, 1900 and 1904; and declined to be a candidate for the nomination for governor of his state in 1885 and in 1891. He was chairman of the business men's committee which tried to nominate President Arthur for a second term in 1884; and was chairman of the committee of thirty in 1893. In 1897 he was secretary of the interior; and resigned the following year. Bliss, Daniel, missionary, author, was bom Aug. 17, 1823, in Georgia, Vt. He is a congregational missionary; and since 1864 has been president of the protestant college at Beyrout, Syria. He is the author of Mental Philosophy; and Natural Philosophy, both in Arabic.