Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/23

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STEPHENS


STEPHENS


as The Heiress of Greenhurst (New York, 1857) ; TJie Old Homestead (1855 ; 2d ed., 1860; 3d ed., 1889) ; Sybil Chase (1862) ; Ahmo's Plot (1863) ; Pictorial History of the War for tlie Union (1863) ; Phemie FrosVs Experiences (1874), and many other novels. T. B, Peterson & Co., Phila- delphia, Pa. , for whom she wrote under contract several years, published a uniform edition of her works in 1869, and a second edition in 1886. She died in Newport, R.I., Aug. 20, 1886.

STEPHENS, Charles Asbury, author, was born in Norway, Maine, Oct. 21, 1845; son of Simeon and Harriet N. (Upton) Stephens ; grandson of Joseph and Ruth (Bradbury) Ste- phens, and of Micah and Mary (Cordwell) Upton, and a descendant of Jonas and Elizabeth (Sher- man) Stephens. He was graduated from Bow- doin college, A.B., 1869, and from the Boston university, M.D., 1887. He was married in May, 1871, to Christine, daughter of Otis and (llhristine (Young) Stevens of Maine. He is the author of regular contributions of boys' stories to the Yoiiths Companion after 1870, and of : Camping Out (1872) ; Left on Labrador (1872) ; Off to the Geysers (1872) ; Lynx Hunting (1874) ; Fox Hunt- ing (1874) ; On the Amazon (1874) ; The Moose Hunters (1875) ; and TJie Knockabout Club (3 vols.). He also published the biological works : Living 3Iatter (1S88) ; Pluricellular Man (1892); Long Life (1896).

STEPHENS, John Hall, representative, was born in Shelby county, Texas, Deo. 22, 1847 ; son of Lemuel Henderson (born in Perry county, Tenn.) and Sarah Caroline (Truitt) Stephens ; grandson of John (born in South Carolina) and Mary (Truitt) Stephens, and of James and Sarah (Hall) Truitt, and a descendant of Josiah Stephens, who emigrated from England early in the seventeenth century and settled in Virginia. He was educated in Mansfield, Tar- rant county, Tex. ; graduated LL.B. from Cum- berland university, Lebanon, Tex., in 1872 ; and was married, May 8, 1873, to Annie, daughter of G. F. and Mary (Hightower) Chrisman of Mans- field, Texas. He practised law in Montague and Vernon, Texas, and served as state senator, 1889-92, and was a Democratic representative from Texas in the 55th, 56th, 57th and 58th congresses, 1897-1905, serving in the 57th con- gress as a member of the committee on Indian affairs.

STEPHENS, John Lloyd, author and archae- ologist, was born in Shrewsbury, N.J., Nov. 28, 1805. He was graduated from Columbia, A.B., 1822, A.M., 1827; practised law in New York city, 1825-34. He traveled in Europe, Palestine and Egypt, 1834-36, and in 1839 was appointed by President Van Buren, U.S. special agent to Cen- tral America ; but as the chaotic condition of


that country was not favorable to his object, in company with Frederick Catherwood, an English artist, he visited many of the ruined Indian cities of that region, and supplemented these ex- plorations by a second expedition in 1841. He was a member of the New York state constitu- tional convention in 1846 ; assisted in the organi- zation of the first line of ocean steamships be- tween New York city and Bremen ; was an officer of the company and a passenger to Bre- men on the Washington, the first vessel to make the voyage from that port ; was vice-president and subsequently president of the Panama Rail- way company, and served in 1849 as surveyor of the route and to make negotiations with the govern- ment of New Granada. He died from the results of exposure while personally superintending the work. A monument was placed to his memory on the highest point of the Panama railroad. He is the author of : Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia, Petrcea, and the Holy Land (3 vols. 1837); Incidents of Travel in Greece, Turkey, Russia and Poland (2 vols., 1838) ; Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan (2 vols., 1841) ; and Incidents of Travel in Yucatan (2 vols., 1843), both illustrated by Frederick Catherwood. He died in New York city, Oct. 10, 1852.

STEPHENS, Lawrence Vest, governor of Missouri, was born in Boonville, Mo., Dec. 21, 1858 ; son of Joseph L. and Martha G. Stephens. He attended the public schools and an academy, and was graduated from Washington and Lee university, Lexington, Va., LL.B,, 1878. He learned the printer's trade ; edited and became proprietor of the Boonville Advertiser, 1879, and was successively bank clerk, telegraph operator and lawyer. He was married, Oct. 5, 1880, to Margaret, daughter of James M. and Margaret J. Nelson of Boonville. He became connected with the Central National bank of Boonville as book- keeper in 1880 ; and as vice-president in the same year. He was state treasurer of Missouri for seven years, and governor, 1897-1901. On Feb. 3, 1902, he organized and was elected president of the Jef- ferson City Central Missouri Trust company.

STEPHENS, Robert Neilson, novelist and playwright, was born in New Bloomfield, Pa., July 22, 1867 ; son of James Andrew and Rebecca (Neilson) Stephens ; grandson of Robert Garrett and Martha (Jones) Stephens, and of John and Catharine (Painter) Neilson, and a descendant of Alexander Stephens, said to have come to Pennsylvania from England, in 1746. He at- tended his father's academy, and was graduated at the high school, both at Huntingdon, Pa.; was employed successively in a printing oflSce, book-store, and railroad office until December, 1886, when he became secretary to the managing editor of the Philadelphia Press. He was dra-