Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/258

 SAWYER

SAXE

sin in the 39111-43-1 congresses, lS6.}-To. He w-as elev'tei U-S. senator. Jan. 26. IS-Sl : was re- elected. Jan. 26. ISST, and was defeated for re- election in 1 J93 by John R. Mitcliell, Democrat. He served in the senate as chairman of the com- mittee on poet offices and post roads. He was a delegate to the Republican national conventions of ISW. 1S76 and ISSO. He contributed to many relii^ious and benevolent institutions ; gave $12,000 toward a building for the Young Men's Christian asf^ocialion of Oshkosh.and bequeathed $I0.0«.» to t!ie Ladies Benevolent society of that place- He Hevl in Oshk-^sh. Wis.. March 29. 1900.

S.WV'YER, Sylvanus, inventor, was born in Templeton. Mass.. April 15. 1822. While a boy at work on his father's farm he invented a practical reed organ. In i839 he engaged in the gunsmith business with his brother-in-law in Augusta. Maine, and invented a steam-engine, a screw propeller and a foot-power car. In 1843 he remove<i to Boston and invented a machine for making chair-cane from rattan ; and in 1851 he established a manufactory at East Temple- ton. He was a director and manager of the American Rittan Co., formed in December, 18ol. In 1S53 he invented improvements in rifled can- non projectiles, arranging the percussion-cap so as to cause the explosion of the shell on impact. He made experiments with this invention in ISoT-oS. and it was approve-! by the U.S. ord- nance bureau- During the civil war his guns were placed at Newport News and at Fort- Wood, and at the latter place they created havoc with the iron-clad batteries at Se well's Point, a dis- tance of three and one half miles. After the war. he furnished the first batteries of cast-steel rifled guns made in America. His other inven- tions include: patent dividers and calipers in 1867 : a steam generator in 1868 ; a sole sewing machine. 1876, and a centering watchmaker's lathe in 1882. He died in Templeton, Mass., Oct. 2o. 1«*9.5.

SAWYER, Thomas Jefferson, educator, was bom m Rea-ling, Vt.. Jan. 9, 18<)4; son of Ben- jamin and Sally (York) Sawyer; grandson of Joseph and Hannah (Hutchens) Sawyer ; and a descen<iant of John Sawyer of Lincolnshire, England, whose son Thomas came to New Eng- land in 1639. was probably a resident of Rowley. Mass.. in 1643. and was afterwards one of the first settlers of Lancaster. Mass. Tliomas J. Saw- yer was graduated at Middlebury college, A.B., 1829. A.M.. 1833 : studie<l theology, and was pastor of a Universalist church in New York city, 1830- 45 and 1852-61. He was marrie^i. Sept. 21. 1831. to Caroline Mehitable Fisher (q.v.), of Newton, Mass. He was principal of Clinton Liberal institute. 184-V-52. and lived on a farm in Clinton. N.Y., 1861-63. He was greatly interested in

training men for the Universalist ministry, and in 1847. with the Rev. Hosea Ballou. 2d. and the Rev. Tliomas Whittemore, began the movement which resulted in the founding of Tufts college, chartere«l in 1852. He was also instrumental in establishing the theological school of St. Law- rence university, Canton, N.Y., in 1856. and be- tween the years 1861 and 1863 declined tiie pre- sidency of St. Lawrence university, of Lom- bard university and of Tufts college. He edited the Christian Anibassudor in New York city, 1863-66, and lived on a farm in New Jersey, 1866-69. In 1869 he accepted the Packard chair of systematic theology at Tufts, which position he held until 1892. when he was made professor emeritus. He was also the first dean of the faculty, 1882-92. He was secretary and librarian of the Universalist Historical society, 1834-99. and was a valiant champion of the Universalist faith, in magazine articles and in debate. He re- ceived from Harvard the honorary degree of S.T.D. in 185<) and from Tufts that of LL-D. in 1896. He is the author of : Letters to Rev. Ste- phen Remington in Revietc of his " Lectures on Universalism " (1S39) ; Revieic of Rev. E. F. Hat- Jleld's '• Universalism as it Is" (1843) ; Endless Punishment (1845); Memoirs of Rev. Stephen R. Smith i 1852) : Discussions with Rev. Isaac West- cott on the Doctrine of Endless Misery (1853); The Doctrine of Cniversal Salmtion (1854) ; Who is our God. the Son of the Father .? (1859), and Endless Punishment in the Very Words of Its Advotyjtes (188<)). He died in Somerville, Mass., July 24. 1^*99.

SAXE, John Godfrey, poet, was born in High- gate. Vt., June 2, 1816. He was brought up on a farm : attended St. Albans (Vt.) grammar school and Wesleyan university. 1835-36, and was grad- uated from Miildlebury college. .\.B.. 1839. A.M., 1842. He studied law at Lockport. N.Y., and St. Albans. Vt.; was admitted to the bar in St. Albans in September. 184^3, and practised in Franklin county. 1843-50, being also superintendent of the county schoob. 184^3-45. He became the pro- prietor of the Burlington, Vermont, Seiitinel in 1850. which he edited until 1856 ; was state's at- torney for Chittenden county. 1850-51 ; attorney- general of Vermont, 1856-59 ; deputy -collector of customs, and the unsuccessftd Demixratic nomi- nee for governor of tlie state in 1859 and in 186«). He removed to New York in 1860. and engaged in literary work and lecturing until 1872. when he remove<i to Albany and became editor of the Evening Journal. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Middlebury college in 1860. He is the author of many poems which he contributed to the Knickerbocker Magazine; Harper's Magazine and the Atlantic Monthly. They include : Rhyme of the Rail ; The Briefless