Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/200

 PALMER

PALMER

des island for water and was captured by Chilian convicts. His identity as a Mason saved his life, but the convicts forced him to carry tlieni out of captivity. In December, 1833, he assumed com- mand of the packet ship Huntsville between New York and New Orleans; in 1835 the Hihernia to Rio Janeiro; in 1837 the ship Garrick of the Collins line to Liverpool; in 1838 the S/rfc7o7is to the same port, and in 1841 the Paul Jones to China. He modeled the clipper .ship Hoqiia for Brown & Bell, of New York, and made a voj'age in lier to Canton. He next modeled the Sam Iiii.<!sen, Ori- ental, David Brown and A'. B. Palmer for A. A. Low, and commanded the Oriental and Sam Russell in the China tea trade, making the cele- brated passage from Hong Kong to London in ninety-seven days. In 1848 he took the steamer United States to Germany, and in 1849 retired from active sea-service. He was the seventh charter member of the New York Yacht club, and held his membership over thirty years. He modeled and owned seventeen yachts. He was a member of the Currituck Gun club; a director of the Fall River line of steamers, and was in- strumental in building the Bristol and the Provi- dence. He bought the Great Republic for Low Brothers, and was in charge of that vessel for three years in London, until she was chartered by the French government. He corrected the U.S. coast survey of Stonington harbor. His brother, Alexander Smith Palmer, a famous sailor and commander and several years his junior, was pre- sented a silver cup for saving the passengers and crew of the English ship Dorothy, July 4, 1833, and a gold medal from Queen Victoriii for rescu- ing the survivors of the Eugenia in 1840. Capt. Alexander's son, Natlianiel Brown Palmer 2d, left San Francisco, Cal., for Cliina on a sailing vessel, with his uncle, Capt. Nathaniel, in 1876, for the benefit of the health of the younger man. They left Hong Kong on the return voyage on board the City of Peking, Maj' 15, 1877, and the nephew died wlien one day out, and Capt. Na- tlianiel Brown Palmer died in San Francisco, Cal.. June 21, 1877. Both were buried in Ston- ington. Conn.

PALMER, Potter, capitalist, was born in Potts Hollow. Albany county, N.Y., in 1826. His parents were Quakers. He was brought up on liis father's farm; attended the district school, and was a clerk in Lockport, N.Y., 1844-47. He en- gaged in business in Oneida, N.Y., 1847-49, and in Lockport, N.Y., 1849-52, and in 1852 removed to Chicago, 111., when the city had a population of 38,000. He established a dry goods store, which subsequently became Field, Palmer & Lieter, and from which he retired in 1867. invest- ing his large fortune in real estate and its im- provement, and becoming one of the largest real

estate owners in the city. The fire of 1871 swept away his improvements which were valued at several million dollars. He was active in re- building the burned district, erected a new hotel on the ruins of the Palmer house, and soon recovered his entire loss and largely augmented his fortune. He w;vs married in 1871, to Bertha, daughter of Henry H. Honore, of Cliicago, 111. He declined the position of secretary of the interior in President Grant's cabinet in 1870. He was an early mana- ger of the Young Men's Christian association of Cliicago, and was interested in the World's Col- umbian exposition of 1893, to which enterprise he gave the sum of f 200,000 to erect the Woman's building, his wife being president of the board of lady managers. He died in Chicago, May 3, 1902.

PALMER, Ray, jioet and author, was born at Little Compton.R.L, Nov. 12,1808; son of Thomas and Susanna (Palmer) Palmer. He prepared for college at Phillips Andover academy, was gradu- ated from Yale A.B., 1830, A.M., 1833; taught in a New York city school, 1830-31, and at the Young Ladies' institute. New Haven, Conn.. 1831-34. He was married Oct. 3, 1832, to Ann Maria, daughter of Marmaduke and Maria (Ogden) Ward, of Newark, N.J. Mrs. Palmer died March 8, 1886. Mr. Palmer was ordained to the Congre- gational ministry July 22, 1835, at Bath, Maine, and was pastor there, 1835-50, and at Albanj-, N.Y., 1850-66. He was secretary of the American Congregational union, 1866-78. and after 1870 re- sided in Newark, N.J.. where he was acting asso- ciate pastor of the Bellevue Avenue church, 1881- 84. He was a visitor to Andover Theological seminary, 1865-78; a corporate member of the A.B.C. of F.M., 1854-87, and a director of the American Home Missionary society, 1862-83. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by Union college in 1852, His first hymn, My Faith Looks up to Tliee, written in 1831, be- came widely known and was translated into over twenty languages. He is also the author of: Memoir of Charles Pond (1829); Memoir of C. L. Watson (1839); Doctrinal Text-Book (1839); Spiritual Improvement (1839); Hints on the Formation of Religious 02)inions (ISGO); Hymns and Sacred Pieces (1865); Hymns of My Holy JZbitrs (1866); Remember Me (\SGo); Home {\S68), Earnest Words on True Success in Life (1873); Complete Poetical Works (1876) and Voices of Hope and Gladness (1880), His name received one vote for a place in the Hall of Fame, New York university, October, 1900. He died in Newark. N.J., [March 29. 1887.

PALMER, Thomas Witherell, senator, was born in Detroit, Midi., Jan. 25, 1830; son of Thomas and Mary Amy (Witherell) Palmer; grandson of Thomas and Hannali (Barber) Pal- mer, and of Judge James and Amy (Hawkins)