Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/364

 CONE

CONGER

repeatedly in the legislature and was a represen- tative in the 22d congress, 1831-33. He was a member of the conAention which framed the state constitution of 1844, and was president of the Newark banking company. He was married May 9, 1799, to Elizabeth, daughter of John Smith. He died in Newark, N.J., Nov. 29, 1861. CONE, Orello, educator, was born in Linck- lean, Chenango county, N.Y., Nov. 16, 1835; son of Daniel Newton and Emily (Sadd) Cone ; and grandson of Asa Cone. He studied at Cazenovia seminary, became a public school teacher, and instructed hmiself in the Latin, Greek, German and French languages. In 1857 he became prin- cipal of the prepara- tory department of St. I 'aul'scollege, Palmyra, Mo., studied for the Episcopal ministry in ISfil, and in 1862 be- came a Universalist clergyman, settling in Little Falls, N.Y. In 1865 he accepted the chair of Biblical lan- guages and literature in the theological de- partment of St. Lawrence university. Canton, N. Y., and in 1880 was elected president of Buchtel college. Akron, Ohio. In 1892 he became one of the editorial board of the Xeio World. Boston, Ma.ss. He travelled and studied in Europe in 1897, and settled as minister of a Unitarian church in Lawrence, Kan., in 1898. His published works include: Monograph on Salvation (1889); Gospel Criticism and Historical Christianity (189L); The Gospel and Its Earliest Interpretations (1893) ; Paul : the Man, the Missionary, and the Teacher (1898).

CONE, Spencer Houghton, clergyman, was born in Princeton, N.J., April 30, 1785. His father was a native of East Haddam, Conn., where for several generations the family had lived, and his mother was the daughter of Joab Houghton of New Jersej', who was active in the war of the Revolution. The son attended the College of New Jersey, 1797-99, and after teach- ing school he removed in 1802 to Philadelphia, Pa., where he became an instructor in an acad- emy. A natural talent for acting led him to adopt that profession. He made his first appear- ance in July, 1805, at the Chestnut street theatre, Philadelphia, as Achmet in "Mahomet." At that time he was almost the only American on the stage, and he attained great jjopularity, playing principally in Philadelphia. His intense dislike for stage life induced him to seek other emploj-ment. He obtained a position as clerk in the office of the Baltimore American in 1812, and

in 1813 purchased an interest in the Whig. He was then enabled to leave the stage and for some months published with success the THuV/. He was married in 1810 to Sail}* Wallace of Philadel- phia. In 1814 he removed to Washington, D.C., where he occupied a government position. He was licensed a Baptist minister and in 1815-16 was chaplain of the House of Representatives. He preached at Alexandria, 1817-24, and in New York city from 1824 until his death. His grand- daughter, Kate Claxton, daughter of Spencer W. Cone, became a well-known actress. He died in New York city. Aug. 28, 1855.

CONGDON, Charles Taber, journalist, was born in New Bedford, Mass., April 7, 1821; son of Benjamin Taber and Deborah (Hart) Congdon ; and grandson of Caleb and Su.sannah (Taber) Congden. He attended Brown university, but was not graduated, and entered the employ of his father, the publisher and printer of the New Bedford Courier from June 12, 1827. About 1840, soon after leaving the university, he edited in Providence, R.I., The Xeic Age, a suffrage paper, and afterward became editor of the New Bedford Daily Evening Bulletin and associate editor of the New Bedford Mercury and the New Bedford Shipping List. In 1854 he removed to Boston, where he edited the Atlas, a leading Whig jour- nal, and in 1857, at the invitation of Horace Greeley, he went to New York and until 1882 was a member of the Tribune staff. He was married April 13, 1846, to Charlotte E., daughter of John Baylies of New Bedford. In 1879 Brown university conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. He published: Ekncers Plucked by a Traveller on the Journey of Life (1840) ; Tribune Essays (1869) ; Carmen Seculare, a centennial ode (1876) ; The Last Welcome — Bayard Taylor ; J. E. G. Hassard: Poems (1879) ; Beminiscences of a Journal- ist : the Becord of Fifty Years (1879-80); and Papers on Autobiographers (1881-82). He died in New York city, Jan. 18, 1891.

CONGER, Edwin Hurd, representative, was born in Knox county, 111., March 7, 1843. He was graduated at Lombard university in 1862. He served in the civil war in the 102d Illinois volunteers, attaining the rank of captain and receiving the brevet of major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the field. He was gradu- ated at the Albany law school in 1866 ; practised in Galesburg, 111., 1866-68; was a farmer, stock- man and banker at Dexter, Iowa, after 1868; was sui^ervisor, 1870-72 ; treasurer of Dallas county, 1877-80; and state treasurer, 1881-85. He was a representative in the 49th, 50th and 51st congresses, 1885-90, and United States min- ister to Brazil, 1890-93, by appointment of Presi- dent Harrison, and 1897-98, by appointment of President McKinlej'. In January, 1898, Presi.