Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/169

AVERY.AXTELL. Atlanta and became editor-in-chief of the Constitution. In 1872 he was elected by the Democrats a delegate-at-large to the presidential convention, and was also a member of the state Democratic executive committee, and its secretary and manager the same year. From 1877 to 1883 he was secretary of the Georgia executive department, and from 1885 to 1889 was chief of the public debt division, U. S. treasury. In 1892 he began his work of establishing direct lines for commerce between the southern ports of North America and foreign countries which resulted in an enormous increase in foreign trade in the South. General Avery managed the Atlanta Constitution; became a commissioner at large in 1893, for the Cotton states and the International exposition, held at Atlanta. Ga., and in 1895 visited the United States, South America and Mexico in their interests, securing commissioners to the exposition and oreignforeign [sic] exhibits. He published "Digest of Georgia Supreme Court Reports" (1866); "History of Georgia" (1881). He died at Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 8, 1887. AVERY, John, representative, was born in Watertown, N.Y., Feb. 29, 1824. He removed to Michigan in 1836; was graduated at the Medical college, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1850, and engaged in practice at Greenville, Mich. He was surgeon of the 21st Michigan infantry and served with the Army of the Cumberland, 1861-'65; was a member of the state legislature, 1869-70; a member of the state board of health in 1880 and 1886, and its president in 1889, and was appointed U.S. pension examiner in 1879. He was a member of the Stanton board of U.S. examiners in 1889, and was elected a Republican representative from the 11th Michigan district in 1893-’97. AVERY, Samuel P., art connoisseur, was born in New York city, March 17, 1822; son of S. P. and Hannah Ann Avery. After receiving a public-school education he entered the service of a bank-note company to learn the art of engraving. Subsequently he took up wood-engraving, and was engaged for many years in making illustrations for leading periodicals, and in compiling books which he illustrated and published. He was an enthusiastic advocate of the development of an American school of art, and in 1867 was appointed commissioner in charge of the American fine arts department at the Paris exhibition. In 1868 he established himself in New York as an art dealer, and became prominently identified with the art interests of the country. He made frequent visits to Europe, and was the means of introducing the works of many renowned foreign artists into American galleries. He was largely instrumental in establishing the Metropolitan museum of art, was a trustee of that institution from its foundation in 1870, chairman of its art committee, and a contributor of many valuable additions to its collections. He was a member of the Union League, Century and other clubs, president of the Grolier club, and a life member of the historical, geographical, archæological, and kindred societies of New York. He founded the Avery architectural library at Columbia college, in memory of his son, Henry Ogden Avery, who was a promising architect, and who died April 30, 1890. He served for many years as a trustee of the Astor library, the Tilden Foundation and the New York public library. He is the author of "Progress of the Fine Arts in New York during Fifty Years," in Lossing's "History of New York City." Columbia college conferred upon him the degree of M. A. in 1896, "for services to art and the art interests of this country." AVERY, Waitstill, revolutionary patriot, was born at Groton, Conn., May 3, 1745. He was graduated at Princeton college in 1770, removed to Mecklenburg county, N. C., was admitted to the bar, and took an active part in the political agitation that followed the battle of the Alamance. In 1775 he was a member of the celebrated Mecklenburg convention, signed the "Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence," and was a member of the Hillsborough congress. In 1776 he was elected to the state congress, and in 1777 was appointed the first attorney-general of the state. In the following year he was given command of a regiment of state troops, and served with credit in that capacity till the close of the war. He died in Burke county, N. C., in 1821. AXTELL, Samuel Beach, governor of Utah, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, Oct. 4, 1809. His father was born in New Jersey, but removed to Ohio, and was one of the earliest settlers in Franklin county. He was a farmer and had twelve children. His grandfather (Axtell) was a colonel of a New Jersey regiment in the war of 1812, and his great-grandfather (Axtell) was a major in the revolutionary army. The family trace their lineage to Daniel Axtell, the regicide, who was beheaded under Charles II. of England. Samuel studied at Oberlin, supporting himself by manual labor. He was graduated at the Western Reserve college, and admitted to the bar in Ohio. In the gold excitement of 1848 he sought his fortune in California, and engaged in practical mining. As soon as counties were organized he was elected district-attorney of Amador county, and was twice re-elected. He removed to San Francisco in 1860, and was elected to represent his district in the 40th Congress in 1866 as a Democrat, and re-elected to the 41st Congress. He was an admirer of General Grant, united with the Republican party, and in 1874 was appointed governor of Utah, and