Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/99

ALTSHELER.ALVORD. awarded the silver medal. In 1896 he perfected his hydrocarbon motor, which was pronounced practicable for use in a motor carriage. Mr. Altham made experiments with Mexican asphalt, mixing it with peat and producing a fuel which would not "run," and which was superior to cannel coal in quick combustion and heat-giving properties. "The Altham fuel" was tried in February, 1896, in fire engines in Boston and other cities, and was highly successful. ALTSHELER, Joseph Alexander, author, was born at Three Springs, Ky., April 29, 1862; son of Joseph and Lucy C. (Snoddy) Altsheler. He was educated at the public schools, at Liberty college, Glasgow, Ky., and afterward attended Vanderbilt university one year. On leaving college he entered journalism and was connected with the editorial staff of the Louisville Courier-Journal. He went afterward to New York and became a member of the editorial staff of the New York World and a member of the Authors club. He is the author of: "The Rainbow of Gold" (1896); "The Hidden Mine" (1896); "The Sun of Saratoga" (1897); "A Knight of Philadelphia" (1897); "A Soldier of Manhattan" (1897); "A Herald of the West" (1898); "The Last Rebel" (1899); "My Captive" (1900); and "The Wilderness Road" (1901) and contributions to magazines. ALVARADO, Jean Bautista, governor of California. He led a revolt against the authority of Mexico. On the death of Governor Figueroa in 1835, an extremely unpopular man named Chico was put in authority by the Mexican government. Public opinion obliged him to surrender his office, and in November, 1836, Alvarado seized Monterey and held that city with a force consisting of native Californians and adventurers from the United States. Independence was declared, a legislature assembled, and Alvarado was elected as governor ad interim. For a time Lower California remained loyal to the Mexican rule, but it was not long before Alvarado, by shrewd diplomacy and by the display of force, won Santa Barbara and Los Angeles to himself. He declared, therefore, in January, 1837, that the whole of California was united, free, and independent. An emissary of the Mexican government was sent to treat with Alvarado, whose diplomacy converted him to the Californian view and he was sent back as a friend of the new government. To end this indeterminate state of affairs, the Mexican government appointed a governor without acquainting Alvarado of its action. Hostilities ensued, an engagement was fought in which one man was killed and the Mexicans were defeated. He was recognized as governor of what was called the "Department of California" by the central government 1840-'2, when he was deposed by the Mexican government. The conquest of California by the United States put an end to all attempts at revolution and ended the career of Alvarado. ALVEY, Richard Henry, jurist, was born at St Mary's county, Md., March 26, 1826; son of George N. and Harriet (Wicklin) Alvey; grandson of John Alvey; and a descendant of John Alvey, a Revolutionary soldier in the Maryland line. He was educated in the schools of St. Mary's county, Md., and was clerk in the office of the Charles county clerk, 1844-'50. Meanwhile he had studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1849. He engaged in the practice of law at Hagerstown, Md., 1850-'67. He was a Pierce and King presidential elector in 1852; a member of the Maryland state constitutional convention in 1867; chief judge of the 4th judicial circuit and a judge of the Maryland court of appeals, 1867-'83; chief justice of the Maryland court of appeals, 1883-'93; and chief justice of the court of appeals of the District of Columbia from 1893. He was appointed by President Cleveland in January, 1896, one of the Venezuela boundary commission. ALVORD, Benjamin, soldier, was born at Rutland, Vt., Aug. 18, 1813. He was graduated from West Point in 1833, and served in the Seminole war. In 1839 he was mathematical instructor at the U.S. military academy, and was employed in garrison and frontier duty from 1840 to 1846. He served in the Mexican war, being promoted for meritorious conduct to the rank of major, and was General Riley's chief of staff in the march from Vera Cruz. He was promoted to paymaster in 1854; to brigadier-general of volunteers in 1862; and in 1865 was breveted brigadier-general in the regular army. He was chief of the pay department from 1872 until 1881, in which year he was placed on the retired list. He wrote a number of essays on matters relating to his profession, and also a treatise on mathematics. He died Oct. 16, 1884. ALVORD, Henry Elijah, educator, was born at Greenfield, Mass., March 11, 1844. He was educated at Norwich university, where in 1863 he was given the degree of C.E. and B.S. In 1862 he joined the army as a private, and through meritorious service was promoted major in 1865, and at the close of the war was commissioned captain of the United States cavalry. In 1872 he was appointed a special Indian courier. In 1886 he accepted the professorship of agriculture in the Massachusetts agricultural college at Amherst, and wrote largely for the agricultural periodicals, of England and America. He also lectured extensively. He organized and became chief of the dairy division of the bureau of animal industry of the U.S. department of agriculture in 1895.