Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/344

 SHAW

SHAW

presented this garden to the city and generously endowed it. It at first comprised about GO acres, including a " Floretum."a " Friticetuni," and an "Arboretum." In 1870 he gave 190 additional acres contiguous to the garden to the city for a public park to be maintained by municipal appro- priation. By still further gifts of land the park cotnpriseil, in 1902. 207 acres. In 1885 he endowed a school of botany as a department of Washington university, St. Louis, by donating real estate, yielding an annual income of over $5,000, and placed it in relation with Missouri Botanical Gar- den and Arboretum, for the perpetual use of the School of Botany. He died in St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 25. 1889.

SHAW, Henry Wheeler (Josh Billings), humorist, was born in Lanesborough, Mass., April 21, 1818; son of Hem-y, and grandson of Samuel Shaw (q.v.). He received a public school educa- tion and intended to enter Hamilton college, Clinton, N.Y., in 1832, but went west instead, leading a varied and active life for several years. He was proprietor of a country store, farmer, cattle-driver, coal-operator, steam-boat captain on the Ohio river, teacher, real-estate agent, and owner of a steam-boat running between Charles- town and Galliopolis. On a visit to his father in 1845, he married a Miss Bradford of Lanesborough, seventh in direct descent from William Bradford, the emigrant. In 1858, in order to educate his two daughters, he settled at Pouglikeepsie, N.Y., where he became a successful auctioneer. He was persuaded by the editor of the local paper to contribute a series of humorous articles which appeared every week for six months, but at- tracted little attention. He then decided to fol- low the peculiar phonetic method of spelling em- ployed by Charles F. Browne (Artemus Ward), rewrote his "Essay on the Mule "'in 18(50. and sent it to the Neiv York Era. As a result it went the rounds of the press. The essay was signed "Josh Billings."' The New York Weekly immedi- ately secured liim as a contributor and he con- tinued with that paper up to the time of his death. In 1803 he began his career as a lecturer, often giving eiglity lectures in a single season. Of his publications, the most popular was his Farmer's AUminax (1870). which reached a sale of 90.000 copies the first year, 117,000 the second, and 100.000 the third. He is the author of: Josh Billinfja. His Sni/ings (1866); Josh Billings on Ice (1875); Every Body's Friend (1876); Josh Billings' Complete Works (\\o\., 1878); Josh Billings' Spice- Box (\m\). Francis S. Smith, his publisher, wrote and published his " Life " (1883). The simple mon- ument raised to his memory in lanesborough cemetery bears, at his request, his pseudonym " Josh Billings." He died in Monterev, Cal., Oct. 14, 1885.

SHAW, John, naval officer, was born at Mount Mellick, Queen's county, Ireland, in 1773; son of John and Elizabeth (Barton) Shaw. He came to the United States in 1790, and located in Phila- delphia, Pa., where he shipped before the mast on tiie merciiant ship Samson, making voyages to China. 1791-97, and serving as first oflfieer on the last trip. He was master of a brig in the West India trade. 1797-98; was appointed lieu- tenant in the U.S. navy, Aug. 3, 1798; cruised in the Montezuma in the West Indies, August, 1798 to October, 1799. and was given command of the schooner Enterprise in December, 1799, in which he cruised, giving chase and capturing the Seine, the Citoyenne. the Aigle, the Giiada- loupienne, the Flambeau, and three other French privateers, and was commended by President Adams for his service. He commanded the George Washington in the Mediterranean in 1801, and a merchant vessel on a voyage to Canton, China. 1803-04; was promoted commander, May 22, 1804, and commanded the John Adams on a voyage to Tripoli in 1805, which port he reached after peace had been concluded. He superin- tended the building of gunboats at New Orleans, La., was one of the government witnesses against Aaron Burr in 1807, and was promoted captain, Aug. 27, 1807. He commanded the navy yard at Norfolk, Va., 1808-10; directed the erection of defences for New Orleans, La., in 1811, and com- manded the U.S. naval force in the capture of Mobile, Ala., in 1813. He commanded the U.S. squadron blockaded bj- the British on the Tliames river near New London, Conn., in 1814; served under Commander Bainbridge in the Mediter- ranean in 1815, and as commander of the Medi- terranean station on the flagship Constellation, 1816-17. He subsequently commanded the navy yards at Boston, Mass., and Charleston, S.C. He was married to Elizabeth Palmer, member of a Quaker family of Pliiladelphia, Pa., and secondly in 1820, to Mary, daughter of Ebenezer and Jlary (Trumbull) Breed of Charlestown, Mass. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 17, 1823.'

SHAW, Lemuel, jurist, was born in Barns- table. Mass., Jan. 9, 1781; son of the Rev. Oakes and Susannah (Haywood) Shaw; grandson of the Rev. John Shaw (Harvard, A.B., 1729). His father was pastor of the West parish, Barns- table, 1760-1807, and from him Lemuel Shaw received his early education. He subsequently attended a preparatory school atBraintree. Mass.; was graduated from Harvard college, A.B., 1800, A.^L, 1803, and served as usher in the South Reading (Franklin) school, 1801, and also as as- sistant editor of the Boston Gazette. Having studied law in Boston and Amherst. Mass., he was admitted to the bar of Hillsborough county, N.II.. in September, 1804, and that of Plymouth