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* FOETEE. 267 POET HXTDSON". Press sent him to Europe to study industj-ial conditions, and in 1SS8 be joined Franli Hatton in founding the New York Press. From 1S89 to 1893 lie was superintendent of tlie Eleventh Cen- sus. Later he went to Japan to report on the industries and commerce of that couutrj- for the Manufacturers' Association of the United States, and in 1898-99 he acted as special commissioner of the United States to Cuba and Porto Kico. Besides his contributions to the periodical press, he published a number of books, including: I'lie West in ISSO ; Life of William McKinlcy (l89G) ; Municipal Oionership at Home and Abroad (1808) ; and Industrial Cuha (1899). POETEE, Thomas Cokead (1822-1901). An American botanist. He was born at Alexandria, Pa., was educated at Lafayette College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and preached for tive years. In 1849 he was appointed to the chair of natural science in Marshall College, and after serving in the same capacity in Franklin and Marshall College (formed bj- the consolida- tion of Franklin College and Marshall College) in ISGO became professor of botany in Lafayette College. Porter retired from active duties in 1897, but I'emained curator of the botanical col- lections and dean of the Pardee Scientific School. He wrote several essays on Finnish literature, and published: Hketch of the Flora of Pennsylva- nia (1872) ; Hkefch of the Botany of the United States{187S) ; The Flora of Colorado (with Coul- ter, 1874) : The Varices of Pennsylvania (188^) ; and The Grasses of Pennsylvanda (1893). POETEE, William David (1809-e4). An American naval officer, son of Commodore David Porter and brother of Admiral David D, Porter, born at Xew Orleans. La. He entered the United States Xa^•y as a midshipman in 1823, rose to the rank of lieutenant in 1833, was placed on the reserved list in 18.55, but later was restored to active service with the rank of commander. He saw active service in the Mexican War, organized the United States lighthouse system, and at the outbreak of the Civil War was assigned to service on the ilississippi. where he commanded the iron- clad Essex. He took part in the captui'e of Forts Henry and Donelson ; ran the gauntlet of the Confederate batteries from Cairo to New Orleans; fought two engagements with the Confederate ram Arkansas, destroying her in the second (August 6, 1862) ; and later in the same year shelled the batteries at Natchez, Vicksburg, and. Port Hudson. He was promoted to the rank of commodore on .July 10, 1862. POETE SAINT-DENIS, port sfix'de-ne'. An arch on the Boulevard Saint-Denis in Paris, erected from designs by Blondel in 1672 to com- memorate the victories of Louis XIV. in Holland and on the Lower Rhine, typified by a dead lion and a river-god of the Rhine at the base of the arch. It is 81 feet in lieight, 82 in width, and 16 in thickness, with a single archway 50 feet high. With the Porte Saint-Martin, the arch was the scene of revolutionarv conflicts in 1830, 1848, and 1871. POETE SAINT-MAETIN. saN'mar't.lx'. A triumphal arch at the end of the Boulevard Saint- Martin, Paris, built in 1674 in honor of Louis XIV. It is 57 feet in height and has three arch- ways. POETPOLIO, TnE. A periodical edited in Philadelphia from 1801 to 1812 by Joseph Den- VoL. ivr — 18. nie. Among the contributors were Charles Brockden Brown and Jolin Quiney Adams, whose Letters from Silesia appeared in it. POET aLASGOW, ghls'ko. A seaport in Renfrewshire, Scotland, on the Clyde, two miles east of Greenock, and 17 miles west-northwest of Glasgow ( Map : Scotland, D 4 ). It was founded in 1663 by the magistrates of Glasgow as a harbor for the ships that belonged to or traded with their city — the Clyde at Glasgow being in- conveniently shallow. The deepening of ' the Clyde, enabling large vessels to ascend to Glas- gow, seriously injured its commercial prosperity, but the trade has been for many years improving; the shipping employed is considerable. Port Glasgow is a well-built town. The principal buildings are the town-house and custom-house. It has extensive manuiactures of sail-ropes, chain-cables, sugar refineries, foundries, ship- building yards, commodious quays, and an exten- sive wet dock. The municipal iudu.stries include the gas and water works, abattoirs, baths, and wash-hotLses. A free library and cemetery are maintained. In 1695 the town and a small ad- jacent district were made into an independent parish; in 1710 it was constituted the principal custom-house on the Clyde, and for a while took the lead of Greenock; in 1775 it was incorporated as a municipality, and by the reform bill of 1832 it was raised to the rank of a Parliamentary burgh. Population, in 1891, 14,624; in 1901, 16,840. POET HOPE. A town and port of entry in Durham County, Ontario, Canada ; on Lake On- tario and the Grand Trunk Railroad; 63 miles east; of Toronto ( Map : Ontario, E 4 ). It is in a beautiful valley, on a hillside. It has water power, a fine harbor, and an active trade in lum- ber and grain. There ai-e a large fleet of fishing vessels, and manufactories of woolen goods, but- tons, leather, wooden ware, steam-engines, ma- chinery, iron castings, etc. Population, in 1891, 5042: in 1901, 4188. POETHOS, por'tos'. One of the three guards- men in Duiiias"s Musketeer romances. He is gi- gantic in size, boastful, vain, and indiscreet, but lovable for the honest simplicity of his character. POET HTJD'SON. A small village in Loui- siana, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, about 135 miles above X'ew Orleans, lo- cated at the outward angle of an abrupt bend of the river. In 1862, during the Civil War, the Con- federates constructed formidable batteries for a distance of three miles along the high bluffs around Port Hudson, and thus secured effectual control of the river at this point. In the spring of 1863 General Banlis, with a large Federal force, proceeded against the position, and after trying ineffectually to turn it on the west, in- vested it on March 26th, Admiral Farragtit hav- ing previously, on the night o£ March 14th-15th, run by the batteries with two vessels of his fleet, the Hartford and the Albatross, and thus secured the control of the river both above and below Port Hudson. This control, however, was bought at the cost of one vessel, the Mississippi, de- stroyed, and four vessels, which had been forced to turn back, disabled. On March 27th Banks made a determined but unsuccessful assault, and on the following day began a regular siege. On .Tune 14th another unsuccessful assault was made, and then the siege continued until earlv