Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/366

 CONKLING

CONKLING

of New York, and of the American ornithological union. After 1893 he engaged in New York city tn importing living wild animals.

CONKLING, Alfred, jurist, was born at Ama- gansett, N.Y., Oct. 12, 1789; son of Benjamin and Esther (Hand) Conkling. His ancestors emigrated from England early in the seven- teenth century. He was graduated at Union coUege in 1810, pursued his legal studies under Daniel Cady, justice of the supreme court, and in 1812 was admitted to the bar of that court, and of the court of chancery. In this year he was married to Eliza Cockburn, a granddaughter of General Frey of Revolutionary fame, and removed to Canajoharie, N.Y., where for sevei-al years he successfully practised his profession. In 1818 he was elected district attorney of Mont- gomery county : and was a representative in the 17th congress, 1821-23. In 182-5 President Adams appointed him to the office of U.S. judge of the northern district of New York and he remained on the bench for twenty-seA'en years. In 1852 he resigned his judgeship to accept the appoint- ment of U.S. minister to Mexico, made by Presi- dent Fillmore. On his return to the United States in 1854 he removed to Omaha, Neb., where he practised his profession. In 1861 he returned to his native state, where he passed the remaining years of his life, chief!}' occu- pied in literary work. He resided successively in Rochester, Geneseo and Utica, N.Y. Union coUege conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. in 1847. He published: The Young Citi- zen's Manual (1836) ; a Treatise on the Organization and Jurisdiction of the Supreme, Circuit and Dis- trict Courts of the United States (1842) ; Jiirisdic- ' tion, Law and Practice in Admiralty and Maritime Causes (1848) ; Poicers of the Executive Depart- inent of the United States (1866). He died at Utica, N.Y., Feb. 5. 1874.

CONKLING, Alfred Ronald, lawyer and au- thor, was born in New York city. Sept. 28, 1850 ; son of Frederick Augustus and Eleonora (Ron- alds) Conkling. He was graduated at Yale col- lege in 1870, taking the degree of Ph.B. He then spent a year at Harvard as a resident grad- uate in the Museum of comparative zoology. In the spring of 1872 he travelled through the British isles, Belgium and Switzerland, and in November of that year entered the University of Berlin as a student of geology and mineralogy. After a six-months' term at Berlin he travelled over the continent, and then went to Egypt and the East Indies. He returned to New York in 1874 and in the following spring was appointed U.S. geologist on AVheeler's geographical explo- rations and surveys west of the one hundredth meridian. He examined the geological formation

and mineral wealth of portions of Colorado, New Mexico, California and Nevada. His observations were published in the annual reports of the chief of engineers, U.S.A.. for 1875, 1876 and 1877. Upon leaving the government service he studied law and was graduated at the law school of Columbia college in 1879. He then associated liimself in legal practice with Erwin W. Stough- ton, and devoted especial attention to patent law. In 1881 he was appointed assistant U.S. district attorney for the southern district of Ne'w York. In the autumn of 1882 he resigned and resumed the practice of law. He made a ti'ip ta Mexico in the following year and wrote the first guide book to that country. In 1887-88 he was a member of the common council of the city of New York. As an active member of the Repub- lican organization he made campaign addresses to the Germans, French and Italians in their own languages. In 1891 he was elected to the New York assembly and served on the con\mittees on labor and indu.stries and on that on federal relations. In 1894 he was returned to the New York assembly. He wrote, besides his guide book of Mexico: The Life and Letters of Eoscoe Conkling (1889) ; City Government in the United States (1894) ; A Handbook for Voters (1894).

CONKLING, Frederick Augustus, merchant, was l)orn at Canajoharie, N.Y., Aug. 22, 1816; son of Alfred and Eliza (Cockburn) Conkling. He received an academic education, became a merchant in New York city, and was for three years a member of the New York assembly. He was a representative from New York in the 37th congress, 1861-63. After the outbreak of the civU. war he organized and equipped at his own ex- pense the 84tli New York regiment, was com- missioned its colonel, and did important service with it in Virginia. He was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for mayor of New York in 1868 ; supported Horace Greeley for President in 1872, and thereafter the successive Democratic candidates, except in 1888, when he voted for Benjamin Harrison. He was a trustee of the College of physicians and surgeons, an active member of the New York historical society, and the author of numerous pamphlets. He died in New York city, Sept. 18, 1891.

CONKLING, Howard, merchant, was born in New York city, Dec. 5, 1855; son of Frederick Augustus and Eleonora (Ronalds) Conkling. He was educated at private schools in New York city. In 1883 he accompanied his brother Alfred to Mexico, and upon returning to New York he wrote a book of travels entitled, Mexico and the Mexicans. He entered the law school of the New York university in 1895 and was graduated in 1897.