Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/138

 CARLISLE.

CARLL.

at Cumberland university ; graduated at Beech Grove college, Tennessee, A.B., 1876, and was professor of mathematics in that institution, 1876-'78. He had charge of an academj- in Lincohi county, Tenn., for a short time and then removed to Texas, where he became principal of a private normal school at Whitesboro. He occupied this position for more than seven years, and in 1887 was elected superintendent of the Corsicana city schools. He was elected in 1890 superintendent of Fort Worth city schools and in 1891 was chosen superintendent of public instruction for the state of Texas, and successively re-elected by popular vote to that position.

CARLISLE, John Griffin, statesman, was born in Campbell (now Kenton) county, Ky., Sept. 5, 1835. He was the son of a farmer, was educated at the common school and for a time employed himself with farm work and in teach- ing school at Covington. He was admitted to the

bar in March, 1858, and within two years he acqviired a large practice. During 1858- '61 he was a member of the state house of representa- tives. In 1864 he was nominated for presidential elector on the Democratic ticket but declined to run. He was elec- ted to the state sen- ate in 1867 and again in 1869. He served as a delegate-at-large from Kentucky to the national Democratic convention at New York, in July, 1868. In June, 1871, he resigned his seat in the state senate, and was elected lieu- tenant-governor of Kentucky, serving until 1875. In 1876 he was chosen alternate presidential elec- tor for the state and the same year was elected a representative to the 45th Congress, being re- elected to every succeeding Congress up to and in- cluding the 51st. He immediately acquired prominence as a legislator, and made a notable speech on revenue reform in which policy, as well as in the revival of American shipping, he was greatly interested. The Carlisle internal rev- enue bill, introduced in the house during the 46th Congress, made him the recognized leader of the Democratic party on the tariff question. He was elected speaker of the house of representatives upon the assembling of the 48th Congress. Dec. 3, 1883, over Samuel J. Randall, and served during the 48th. 49th and 50th congresses. He obtained the respect of the house by the impartial manner

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in which he performed his duties in the midst of much confusion and opposition, and he became an authority on parliamentary law. He was an advocate of tariff for revenue, though in no sense a free-trader, and he successfully headed the several campaigns against the Republican party on the issue of protection. He was elected to the United States senate as a Democrat, to fill the unexpired term of James B. Beck, deceased, and took his seat May 26, 1890. He resigned his seat in March. 1893, on liis appointment as secre- tary of the treasury in President Cleveland's cabinet, and entered upon the duties of liis office March 7, 1893. In February. 1895, the depletion of the gold reserve made it necessary for the government to issue $62,300,000 worth of thirty- four-year 4 per cent bonds, and through Mr. Car- lisle an arrangement was made \Wth a syndicate of New York bankers to take the whole loan at 104f. The bonds were soon after quoted on the market at 118, which result greatly alarmed the people as to the wisdom of the financial policy of the administration, and when in 1896 it was announced that there would be another issue of bonds to supply a further necessity for gold, and that Mr. Carlisle intended to again sell the bonds to the New York syndicate, the public journals look up the matter and demonstrated that the people could be depended on to take all the issue if they were permitted to do so. This led the government to invite a popular subscription to the loan, which resulted in estabHshing a much higher market price and called from the same syndicate a bid by which they bought the larger part of the issue at 110.6877, a saving to the coun- try of $20,000,000, principal, and accruing interest for thirty years. Mr. Carhsle in this seeemingly unbusiness-like transaction was severely criti- cised and the majority of his party repudiated his action. He retired from the cabinet in March. 1897. and resumed the practice of his profession in New York city.

CARLL, John Franklin, civil engineer, was born in Bushwick, Long Island, N. Y., May 7, 1828. He was educated at the Union Hall academy at Flushing, N. Y.. and in 1849 purchased an interest in the Newark Eagle, of which he was associate editor. In 1853 he abandoned journalism and be- came a civil engineer and land surveyor in Flush- ing. N. Y. He removed to Pleasantville. Pa., in 1864, and remained there ten years, engaged in the oil industry. Meanwhile he produced several valuable inventions for developing oil, including a static pressure sand pump, and an adjustable sleeve for piston rods. As a member of the Penn- sylvania geological survey he contributed several papers descriptive of petroleum districts to the annual reports of 1874-'85. known as I (1874) ; 1* (1877) ; P (1880) ; I* (1883), and P (1885).