Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/41

 CRANE

CRANE

character. She refused publicity for her voice save in the direction of duty to society or char- ity. Slie was elected a director of the Woman's educational and industrial union of Boston and an officer of the Beneficent society organized to aid talented and needy students to complete the course of study in the New England conservatory of music. Her benevolent work included that of the church, the educational institutions of Massachusetts, the general theological library and the prisons and reformatory schools of the state. Her kind words and sweet songs were freely given to prisoners and the inmates of the hospital wards. She read before literary associa- tions elaborate essays, notably " Cordova under the Moors in the Tenth Century " and " The His- tory of Music from the early Egyptian down to the present time,"' which she illustrated with her voice, giving interpretations of native songs as heard by her in her extensive travels in Europe and the Orient. She was married to tlie Rev. Dr. Oliver Crane in September, 1891. She published GU)ii2)ses of the Old World (1881). Slie died in Boston, Mass., Jan. 31, 1902.

CRANE, Silas Axtell, clergyman, was born in Berkley, Mass.. Oct. 21, 1799. He was gradu- ated at Brown in 1823 and was a teacher in the university, 1823-24, tutor in mathematics, 1824— 28. and principal of a school for j-oung ladies, 1828-33. He was admitted to holy orders in the Episcopal church in 1833 and was rector of St. Stephen's church, Middlebury, Vt., 1833-37. He was president of Kemper college, St. Louis, Mo. , 1837-39, and rector of St. Luke's church. East Greenwich, R.I., 1839-72. He received the degree of D.D. from Brown in 1855; and that of A.M. from Middlebury in 1832 and from Trinity in 1851. He died in East Greenwich-, R.I., July 16, 1872.

CRANE, Stephen, author, was born in New- ark, N.J., Nov. 1. 1871. He was educated at the public schools and attended 'for a time Lafayette college and Syracuse university. In 1887 he be- gan newspaper work and in 1891 wrote under the pen-name " Johnson Smith,'' " Maggie, A Girl of the Streets,'" a story of life in the New York slums, which was not offered to a publisher but was printed by the author and not regularly pub- lished till 1896. His first volume to attract at- tention was " The Black Riders," a small book of verses written in less than three days, and pub- lished in 1895. In the same year he published " The Red Badge of Courage, " one of the niost successful books of the year. He joined the staff of a news syndicate in 1894 and in 1895 was sent on a journalistic tour through Mexico. In 1896-97 he was at the seat of war in Greece as special correspondent of the New York Journal. In 1897 he made! an attempt to reach Cuba but was shipwrecked and obliged to turn back. In

1898 lie was correspondent for tlie New York World during the war between the United Stales- and Spain. Besides the books mentioned above he publislied George's Mother (1896); The Little Regiment, and Other Episodes of the Civil War (1896) ; The TJiird Violet (1897) ; The Open Boat (1898). He died at Baden. Germany, June 5, 1900.

CRANE, Thomas Frederick, educator, was. born in New York city. July 12, 1844; son of Thomas Sexton and Charlotte (Nuttman) Crane. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1864. He was assistant professor of Southern European languages in Cornell uni- versity, 1868-73 ; professor of the Italian and Span- ish languages, 1873-81, and of romance languages and literature after 1881. He was acting presi- dent of Cornell university in 1899, during the ab- sence of President Schurman as head of the U.S. commissioners to report on the condition of the peoples of the newly acquired colony of the Phil- ippine islands. He helped to found the American folk-lore society in 1888. He is the author of many articles on folk-lore contributed to the principal American periodicals. Among his pub- lished writings are: Italian Popular Tales (1885); La Societe Franraise au Dix-Septihne Steele (1889) ; The Exempla, or Illustrative Stories from the Ser- niones Vtdgares of Jacques de Vitry (1890) ; Le Bomantisme Francais (4th ed., 1895) ; Chansons Populaires de la France (1891) ; and Tahleaux de la Bevolution Frauf^aise (6th ed., 1892) ; covering the history of romance languages during the middle ages.

CRANE, Wniiam Carey, educator, was born in Richmond, Va., March 17, 1816; son of Wil- liam and Lydia (Dorset) Crane. His father was- a philanthropist, founder of the Riclimond Bap- tist missionary society and originator and patron of Richmond college. The son was graduated at Colimibian college in 1836 and in theology at Mad- ison university in 1838. He was ordained in Bal- timore, Md., at the request of the Calvert street church and was a missionary and school teacher in Georgia, 1837-39. He was pastor at various churches in Alabama and Mississippi, 1839-51, and subsequently served as president of Yazoo classical hall, Mississippi female college, Semple Broadus college, and Mt. Lebanon university. In July, 1863, he was elected president of Baylor university, Texas, remaining at the head of that institution till his death. He was for twelve years secretary of the Southern Baptist conven- tion and for four years its vice-president. He was president of the Mississippi Baptist state convention two years, of the Louisiana state con- vention three years, and of the Texas state con- vention, 1871-85. When Baylor university and female college were removed from Independence to Waco, Texas, in 1885, the property, buildings