Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/356

 BLOW.

BLUNT.

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ato^T(I lie was unanimously nom- inated as lieutenant- governor by the state Democratic conven- tion, to fill a vacancy, and was elected after a spirited can vass, the first Democrat elected in Florida after the war. In 1872 he was nominated as the Democratic candidate for governor without opposition, but was defeated. In 1876 he ■was appointed secre- tary of state under the administration of Governor Drew. In IbbO he was again nominated for governor. Re- signing the office of secretary of state, he made an active canvass of the state, and was elected by over five thousand majority, and served as gov- ernor until Jan. fi, 188.1. His administration was very successful, and under it Florida de- veloped more rapidly than in any previous period of her history. In May, 1885, President Cleveland appointed Governor Bloxham minister to Bolivia, but he declined the office, and in November, the same year, accepted the appointment of United States surveyor-general for the district of Fhjri.la. which he held until October, 1889. Mr. Bloxham was, in August. 1892, unanimously nom- inated by the Dem<jcratic state convention for comptroller of the state of Florida, and was elected for a term of four years by over 23,000 majority — the largest majority ever given in the state. At the Democratic state convention held at Ocala, Fla., in June, 1896, he was unanimously nominated as the Democratic candidate for the governorship, and in October was elected for a term of four years.

BLOW, HENRY T., statesman, was born in Souiliampton county, Va., July 15, 1817. At the age of thirteen he removed to Missouri, and was graduated from the St. Louis university. Reen- gaged in the wliolesale drug business, and a.s a lead-miner, with financial success. He was an active al)olitionist, and after serving some years in the state senate of Missouri he was appointed, in 1861, by President Lincoln, minister-resident at Venezuela. In 1862 he was elected a repre- sentative from Missouri to the 38th Congress

and was re-elected to the 39th Congress. He was U.S. minister to Brazil under President Grant, 1869-'71,and a member of the commission for governing the District of Columbia, 1874-75. He died Sept. 11, 1875.

BLUM, Robert Frederick, painter, was born in Cincinnati. Ohio. July 9, l!:<57 ; son of Fred- erick and Mary (Haller) Blum, both of German birth. He was educated in the public schools of Cincinnati ; was an apprentice in a lithographing establishment, 1873-"75, and attended the school of design, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1875-76, and the Phil- adelphia academy of fine arts, 1876-77. He was an illustrator for Scribners Magazine, 1878, re- maining with the publication until its name was changed to the Century. He traveled in Holland and Italy, 1884-"86. and visited Japan in 1890 to make studies to illustrate Sir Edwin Arnold's articles for Scribners and to gather materials foj- pictures. He decorated Mendelssohn Hall (1894- '99); the music room of Mr. Borden's house in 1895, and painted decorations for the New Am- sterdam theatre, New York, with A. B. Wenzell in 1903. He received medals from the American Art association, 1888 ; from Paris, 1889, and from Chicago, 1893. He was made a member of the National Academy of design in 1893. He died in New York city. June 8, 1903.

BLUNT, Edmund, hydrographer. was born at NewburyiKHt, Mass., Nov. 23. 1799 ; son of Ed- mund March Blunt. In 1816 he surveyed New York harbor, and made the first correct chart of those waters. Three years later he surveyed the Bahama banks, and afterwards made important survej's of the Nantucket shoals, the New Jersey and Long Island coasts from Barnegat, N.J., to Fire Island, L.I.. and on the Isthmus from the mouth of the San Juan river to the Pacific ocean. In 1832 he was made first assistant on the newly established United States coast survey, and did important work by introducing an im- proved liglit-house system. He prepared many maps and charts, in connection with his brother, George W. Blunt, with whom he was associated in the publishing firm of E. & G. W. Blunt. He invented the dividing-engine, and wrote " The Merchant and Seaman's Expeditious Meas- urer" (1H45). He died Sept. 2, 1866.

BLUNT, Edmund March, author, was born at Portsmouth, N.IL, June 20, 1770. He was a book- seller, and the publisher of the Newburyport Herald, and wrote the " American Coast Pilot" (1796), which has, during its century of existence, reached its thirty-second edition, having been translated into many European languages. He wrote many books on subjects of interest to sea- men, and issued a number of charts. He pub- lished "Stranger's Guide to New York City" iu 1817. He died in Sing Sing, N.Y., Jan. 2, 1862.