Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/347

 BLANCHET.

BLAND.

patent, which had expired, and explained that he had derived no profit beyond that expended in litigation in defending it, a resolution was intro- duced into the senate by Webster, and the patent was renewed for a number of years. Rufus Choate, who had been retained as opposing counsel, wittily remarked, '' Blanchard had turned the heads of Congress and gained his point." In 1825 Mr. Blanchard built a steam car- riage to travel on common roads, which was easily controlled, could turn corners and climb hills. In 1826 he invented a steamboat which would ascend the rajiids on the Connecticut, between Spring- field and Hartford, an improvement which ren- dered possible the navigation of many of the western rivers. In 1830 he built a steamboat to voyage between Pittsburg and Olean Point, where the fall was six himdred feet, and the river in many places extremely rapid. He next contrived a process for bending timber without weakening the fibres of the wood on the outer circle, which proved of more financial value to the inventor than the lathe. He also invented a machine whereby envelopes cotdd be cut and folded at the same time. He took out in all more than twenty-five patents, realiz- ing large amounts from some of them. He died in Boston, Mass., April 16, 1864.

BLANCHET, Augustih MagHore Alexander, R.C. bishop, was born at St. Pierre, Quebec, Aug. 23, 1797 ; brother of Francis Norbert Blan- chet. He was educated at the little and great seminaries of the Sulpicians at Quebec. He was ordained in 1821, and began his labors in the missionary field in Canada. Later he was made canon of the cathedral in Montreal, where he remained till he was nominated bishop of the newly erected diocese of Walla-Walla in 1846. He was consecrated by Bishop Bourget on Sept. 27, 1846. In 1847 he went to his diocese, taking with him four Oblate fathers as weU as two secular priests ; here he remained for one year, doing meritorious work among the Indians, until the outbreak of the Cayuse war. On May 31, 1850, he was appointed first bishop of the dio- cese of Nesqually, the see of Walla Walla being suppressed. Bishop Blanchet was trans- lated to the see, June 28, 1850. He built a cathedral and erected churches at Olympia and Steilacoom on the Cowlitz river, and among the Chinooks. Failing health induced him to resign in 1879, and he was made titular bishop of Ibora. He founded twenty-four churches, as well as colleges at Vancouver and Walla-WaUa ; several charitable and educational institutions, managed by the Sisters of Mercy, and planted flourishing Indian missions at Yakima, Fort Colville, and Tulalip. He died at Vancouver, Wash., Feb. 25, 1887.

BLANCHET, Francis Norbert, R.C. arch bishop, was born in the parish of St. Pierre, Riviere du Siid, Province of Quebec, Sept. 30, 1795 ; brother of Augustin Magliore Alexander Blan- chet. He was educated in the little semin- ary of Sulpicians at Quebec, and made his theo- logical course at the great seminary of the same order. He was ordained priest by Archbishop Plessis of Quebec in 1819, and imtil 1827 had charge of the mission of Richibucto in New Brunswick, meanwhile building three churches in the wilderness. He was then assigned to the church of St. Joseph de Soulanges at the Cedars, in the district of Montreal. Here he remained until 1826. After the establishment of the Hud- son Bay company in Oregon there was a large influx of Canadian Catholics into the territory, and the archbishop of Quebec sent Fathers Blan- chet and Demers to take pastoral charge. Fatlier Blanchet was stationed at Vancouver. On May 4, 1844, he was made vicar apostolic of Oregon, being consecrated by Mgr. Bourget, as- sisted by Mgr. Flavien and Bishop Power at Montreal, July 25, 1845. The vicarate of Oregon became an ecclesiastical province in 1846, and Bishop Blanchet was made archbishop July 24, 1846. He retired from active life in 1880, and died at Portland, Ore., June 18, 1883.

BLAND, Richard, delegate, was born in Wil- liamsburg, Va., May 6, 1710. He was graduated at William and Mary college, and was a student at tlie University of Edinburgh. He became leader of the Virginia house of burgesses in 1748 ; served in the committee appointed to consult with parliament on the question of taxation in 1768, and strenuously opposed the stamp act. He signed the non-importation agreement in 1769 ; served on the committee of correspondence in 1773, and was a delegate to the Continental congress, 1774, and re -elected in 1775, but de- clined. He published "An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies " (1766). He died at Williamsburg, Va., Oct. 26, 1778.

BLAND, Richard Parks, representative, was born in Ohio county, Ky.. Aug. 19, 1835. Richard's first occupation was teaching school in Ken- tucky and afterwards in Mis.souri, and in 1855 he went to California, and spent the next ten years in that state and in Utah, fighting the Indians, teacliing school, and studying law. He became interested in mining properties in California and Nevada, and settled in Virginia city in 1860, where he practised law and served as treasurer of Carson county until the admission of the terri- tory as a state in 1864, when he returned to Misssouri, and, with his brother, C. C. Bland, continued the practice of law at RoUa, removing from there to Lebanon, Mo., in 1868. In 1873 he was married to a daughter of Gen. E. Y. Mitchell