Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/178

 FOSTER

FOSTER

Spain, 1883-85, under appointment by President Arthur. He resigneii in March, 1885, after nego- tiating a commercial treaty, the terms of which the U.S. senate failed to confirm and which President Cleveland tlien withdrew for reconsid- eration. President Cleveland then appointed him to a special mission to Spain to continue the negotiations for a modified treaty, which mission was unsuccessful and he returned to his law practice in Washington. In November, 1890, lie was appointed by President Harrison special com- missioner of the state department to negotiate reciprocity treaties with Canada, France, Ger- many, Austria, Spain, Santo Domingo, and the South American republics, in all of which he was successful, with the exception of Colombia and Venezuela. He also aided in the Chilian affair and in the Bering sea controversy, being the attorney for the United States to prepare and conduct the case before the arbitration tribunal. On the resignation of Secretary Blaine, June 4, 1892, President Harrison appointed Mr. Foster secretary of state, June 29, 1892, and he held this portfolio up to the close of the administration, when he sailed to Europe to represent the United States in the Bering sea arbitration. He was the advisor of Li Hung Chang, viceroy of the Chinese empire, in the peace negotiations with Japan, December, 1891^ July, 1895, which led to the treaty of Shimo- noseki, and for which service he is accredited with having received as a coimsel fee, §100,000. He entertamed the viceroy on his visit to the United States in 1896, and in 1897 was appointed by President McKinley to negotiate a tripartite agreement or treaty between the United States, Russia and Japan for the protection of the seals, which action was rendered necessary by the failui'e of Great Britain to co-operate in prevent- ing poaching in Bering sea, in the discharge of which duty he visited England and then pro- ceeded to Russia. In 1898 he was appointed a member of the joint high commission for the adjustment of differences with Canada. He was elected permanent vice-president of the American Bible society in 1880, and was elected to honorary membership in the geographical, historical and scientific societies of Mexico and Russia. He was married in 1859 to Mary Parke, daughter of Eliza J. McPherson of Glendale, Ohio. He pub- lished in the Ct'iitimj (August, 1896) a sketch of the life and character of Li Hung Chang whom he ranked among the greatest men of his age. He is the axithor of: A Century of American Dipliimac// (1900); and Our Diplomacy in the Orii'iif (I!io;!).

FOSTER, John Wells, geologist, was born in Briiiifiel.l. Miiss., March 4. 1815. He completed a scientific course at Wesleyan university in 1834

and was admitted to the bar in 1835, practising at Gainesville, Ohio, 1835-37. He assisted Wil- liam Williams Mather in the geological survey of Ohio, 1837-44; investigated the copper mines of the Lake Superior region in behalf of various mining companies in 1845-46, and with Josiah Dvvight Whitney assisted Charles J. Jackson in a government survey of the region, 1847—19. He was a resident of Massachusetts, 1844-58, and in 1854 was the unsuccessful candidate of the Re- publican party for representative from the 10th Massachusetts district to the 34th congress. He removed to Chicago, 111., in 1858 and was land commissioner for the Illinois central railway. He made extensive archaeological surveys in the Mississippi valley, studying mounds and other evidences of prehistoric races. He was a mem- ber of the American association for the advance- ment of science, 1840-73; its president, 1869; president of the Chicago academy of sciences and a member of other learned societies. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. His published works include: Meport Upon the Mineral Eesources of the Illinois Central Bailway (1856); The Mississippi Valletj: its Physical Oeography, in- clii(li»(i Sketches of III r Ti'pin/rajthy, Botany, Climate, Gi'ohiiiij and Mine ml I,: sm,,;; s (1869); and Prehis- toric liares of the Viiiliil SiitiiK of America (XUTi). He died in Chicago. 111., June 29, 1873.

FOSTER, Joshua Hill, educator, was born in Tuscaloosa county, Ala., March 17, 1819; son of James and Mary Ellen (Hill) Foster: grandson of Jolxn and Elizabeth (Savidge) Foster, and of Joshua and Nancy (Collier) Hill; and great- grandson of Arthur Foster and of Lovelace Sav- idge. The father of Arthur Foster came from (jirobably Yorksliire) England and settled in Southampton county, Va., about 1730. Jo.shua was graduated with honors at the University of Alabama, A.B., 1839. A.M., 1842. He was tutor in the university, 1841^4; teacher in the male high school, Tuscaloosa, 1844; spent 1845-49 on a farm; was tutor of mathematics. University of Alabama, 1849-50; pastor of the Baptist church. Tuscaloosa, 1853-54; joint principal of Alabama central female college, 1869-71; president of the college, 1871-73; professor of moral philosophy. University of Alabama, 1873-74: and of natural philosophy, 1874^-76; and of philosophy and astronomj' from 1876 to June, 1892. He recei\ed the degree of D.D. from Howard college in 1879.

FOSTER, Judith Ellen (Morton), lecturer and lawyer, was born in Lowell, Mass., Nov, 3, 1840; daughter of Jotham and Judith (Delano) Horton; granddaughter of Roby Warren and of Abigail Pearce; and a descendant from Cape Cod people of Plymouth stock on her mother's side and from Boston Puritans on her father's side. Her father was a Methodist preacher and