Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/278

 DISOSWAY

DIVEN

congresses. 1849-r)5. He declined the mission to Spain offered liini by President Buchanan. He died in Washin-ton.D.C March 14. 1Sj7.

DISOSWAY, Gabriel Poillon, clergjnian. was born in New York city. Dec. (>, 1799. He was gmduated at Columbia college in 1819, receiving his A.M. degree in 1S2'S. He became a prominent MethodLst mi.ssionary and pastor and was one of the founders of Rinnloli)h-:Macon college. Boydton, Ya.. chartered in 1830. He was a member of the New York as.senibly. 1849. was founder of the Methodist missionary Sunday school, and was elected to memliership in the New York, the Long Island and the Btiltimore liLstorical societies. He received from Weslej-an university the hon- orary degree of A.M. in 1833. He wrote: The IIu- ijucnots a.i\i\ EarJiist Churches of \ew York (1864). He died on Staten Island. N.Y., July 9, 1868.

DISSTON, Henry, manufacturer, was born at Tewkesbury, England. May 24, 1819; son of Thomas Disston, a manufacturer of lace ma- chines. He was brought to America by his parents in 1833, and sei*ved an apprenticeship with a saw manufacturing concern. Acquiring a small capital he began business for himself in Philadelphia in 1840, under the name of the Di.sston Keystone .saw works. His business pro- gressed very slowly for some years, most pur- chasers preferring English saws. In 1861 the new tariff law so increased the expense of im- ported saws as greatly to stimulate the sale of those made in America, and Mr. Disston' s busi- ness soon assumed large proportions. He made many improvements in saws and machines and in- crea.sed his buildings until they covered twenty- four acres of land. He admitted his sons into the firm and in 1847 started a file factory. He also manufactured brass and woodwork used for various tools, and large quantities of sheet steel. He dind in Pliiladelphia, Pa., March 16, 1878.

DITSON, Oliver, publisher, was born in Boston, Mass., Oct. 20, 1811; son of Joseph and Lucy (Pierce) Ditson. In 1823 he entered the employ of Samuel Parker, book and music publisher in his native city, and in 1833 was admitted into partnership, the firm name being Parker & Ditson. In 1840, on the retirement of Mr. Parker, he became sole proprietor of the business. In 18oo John C. Haynes entered his employ as an office boy and in 1857 was made a partner, the firm name becoming Oliver Ditson & Company. His sons. Charles Healy and James Edward Ditson, were also t^ikcn into the firm, the former establi.shing a branch hou.se in New York city in 1867, and the latter, one in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1876. In 1889 the Oliver Ditson Company was incorporated and with it was included the house of John C. Haynes & Co., Mr. Haynes being presi- dent of the new corporation. Mr. Ditson was

president of the Continental bank of Boston, 1866-88; and a director of tlie Boston safe deposit company, of the Franklin savings bank, and of the Old Men's home. He bequeathed $25,000 to be used as a fvmd for assisting poor and needy musicians. He was married in 1840 to Catherine, daughter of Benjamin Delano, and a lineal de- scendant of Gov. William Bradford. He died in Bo.ston, :\rass., Dec. 21, 1888.

DIVEN, Alexander Samuel, representative, was born in Catherine, Tioga county, N.Y., Feb. 10, 1809; son of Capt. John and Eleanor (Means) Diven; and grandson of Alexander Diven, who came from County Tyrone, Ireland, early in the eighteenth century. His father was a captain in the Revolutionary army and his mother was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Clark)

Means, and a grand- daughter of Robert and Jane (Irving) Means. Alexander's earlv edu- cation was acquired in the schools of his native town and in the acad- emies at Penn Yan and Ovid. In 1830 he went to Elmira where he began his legal studies, completing them at Rochester, and main- taining himself in part by teaching school. He

was admitted to the bar in 1833, practising in Angelica, N.Y., until 1845, and after that in Elmira, N.Y. He served in the state senate, 1858-59, and in 1860 was elected as a Republican a representative in the 37th congress. In the summer of 1862, at the personal solicitation of President Lincoln and Secretary Seward, he left his seat in congress and went to his home to aid in raising the 107th N.Y. regiment, of which he was made lieutenant-colonel. He reached the front in time to take part in the battle of Antie- tam and soon succeeded to the colonelcy of his regiment, continuing in command until after the battle of Chancellorsville in which the regiment took part. Soon after this battle he was commis- sioned by President Lincoln as brigadier-general by brevet, and was appointed assistant provost- marshal-general, being assigned to the western district of New York, with headquarters at Elmira. This position he continued to hold until the close of the war. He was prominently iden- tified with the Erie railroad from an early period of its history, and in 1865 was elected its vice- president, which position he held until 1870. He resumed it again for a short time in 1872-73, and then he retired from active business. He was

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