Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/463

 WALSALL often confined to limited districts far removed from each other; one of their favorite re- sorts is the sea about Kamtchatka and 10 to 15 degrees on each side on the American and Asiatic shores; another larger one extends from the mouth of the Yenisei, on the N. coast of Siberia, westward to Baffin bay and Prince Regent inlet ; its range extends as far as lat. 80 N., and formerly descended in the spring to the Magdalen islands in the gulf of St. Lawrence, in lat. 47 ; it occasionally wan- ders to the coasts of Iceland, and it is espe- cially abundant about Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla. The capture of the walrus is more dangerous and less remunerative than that of the seal, and is pursued both by land and sea. It is hunted for the tusks, oil, skin, and flesh. The tusks afford a very white and hard ivory. It does not yield more than 25 to 30 gallons of oil ; but, if extracted before putrefaction has commenced, it is transparent, free from odor, and not unpleasant to the taste, and is then more valued than that of the whale. The skin makes a porous leather more than an inch thick. The flesh is eaten by the Esquimaux and by arctic voyagers. WALSALL, a municipal and parliamentary borough of Staffordshire, England, 7 m. N. W. of Birmingham, and 110 m. N. "W. of London ; pop. in 1871, 46,447. It is built on a ridge above a stream of the same name, which joins the Tame below the town. It communicates with all parts by the London and Northwestern and the South Staffordshire railways. There are several fine churches, a public library, and one semi-weekly and two weekly newspapers. Saddlery and hardware of all kinds are the principal manufactures, and in the vicinity are extensive lime kilns, iron mines, and coal pits. Walsall is a place of considerable antiquity, but most of the present town is modern. WALSH, Robert, an American author, born in Baltimore in 1784, died in Paris, Feb. 7, 1859. He was educated at the Roman Catho- lic colleges of Baltimore and Georgetown, and relinquished the practice of law in Philadel- phia to devote himself to literature. About 1836 he went to reside in Paris, where from 1845 to 1851 he was United States consul. He published " A Letter on the Genius and Dispo- sition of the French Government," after a visit to Europe (1810); "The American Review of History and Politics" (quarterly, 1811-'12); "Correspondence respecting Russia," with Robert Goodloe Harper (1813); "Essay on the Future State of Europe" (1813); "An Appeal from the Judgments of Great Britain respecting the United States" (1819); and "Didactics, Social, Literary, and Political" (2 vols., 1836). He edited the "American Regis- ter" for 1817-'18, the "National Gazette" newspaper in Philadelphia in 1820-'36, and the " American Review " in 1827-'36. WALS1NGHABI, Sir Francis, an English states- man, born at Chiselhurst, Kent, about 1536, died near London, April 6, 1590. He was edu- WALTER 443 cated at Cambridge, and after the accession of Elizabeth was twice sent on missions to France. In 1573 he was made one of the principal sec- retaries of state and privy councillor, and knighted, and thenceforth was mainly occupied with the conduct of foreign affairs, in which he exhibited remarkable astuteness. He was ambassador to the Netherlands in 1578, to France in 1581, and to Scotland in 1583. In 1586 he took the chief part in the detection of Babington's conspiracy, and was one of the com- missioners for the trial of Mary Stuart, after which the chancellorship of the duchy of Lan- caster was added to his other offices. He is said to have delayed for a year by his intrigues the sailing of the Spanish armada. He died very poor. His only child, a daughter, married in succession Sir Philip Sidney, the earl of Es- sex, and the earl of Clanricarde. His state papers and letters were edited and published by Sir Dudley Digges, under the title of "The Compleat Ambassador " (London, 1655). WALTER. I. John, founder of the London "Times," born in 1739, died in Teddington, Middlesex, Nov. 16, 1812. He-was by trade a printer, and about 1780 became possessed of two patents issued to one Henry Johnson for an invention called logography, which con- sisted in printing with types representing en- tire words or their roots and terminations, instead of single letters. On Jan. 18, 1785, he published the first number of a newspaper enti- tled "The London Daily Universal Register, printed logographically." The logographic sys- tem proved a failure, but the paper prospered, and on Jan. 1, 1788, was issued under the title of "The Times, or Daily Universal Register." II. John, son of the preceding, born in London in 1784, died there, July 28, 1847. At the age of 19 he became manager of the "Times," which then circulated about 1,000 copies, and succeeded in increasing the circulation within 10 years to 5,000. He interested himself in the improvement of the printing press, and the number of the "Times" for Nov. 29, 1814, was announced as the first sheet ever printed by steam, being executed on Konig's press. (See PRINTING, vol. xiii., p. 853.) Mr. Walter was elected to parliament for Berkshire in 1832, was reelected in 1835, and resigned in 1837. In 1841 he was elected for Nottingham. III. John, son of the preceding, born in London, Oct. 8, 1818. He was educated at Eton and Oxford, and since his father's death has con- ducted the "Times." He was called to the bar in 1847, and represented Nottingham in parliament from 1847 to 1859, when he was elected for Berkshire. He was defeated in 1865, but reelected in 1868 and 1874. WALTER, Thomas Ustiek, an American archi- tect, born in Philadelphia, Sept. 4, 1804. He studied architecture with William Strickland, and began the practice of his art in 1830. In 1831 he designed the Philadelphia county prison. His designs for the Girard college were adopted by the city council in 1833, and