Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/78

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BURROUGHS.


BURROUGHS.


lecture, " Universal Peace," was delivered before a large audience at Boston. He was warmly wel- comed as an able co-worker by the prominent little band of peace advof'ates at Boston, and, upon his return to Worcester, estabhshed and edited The Christian Citizen, a journal advocating, among other reforms, the peaceable settlement of inter- national disagreements. In 1846 he sailed for England, where he accomplished much good work in conjunction with the peace advocates of that country, and while there he laid the founda- tion for the international association, called " The League of Universal Brotherhood." with which his name is indissolubly linked. He edited and published for many years The Bond of Brothei'Jiood, a periodical which he established while in England, and he was prominently instru- mental in organizing the first peace congress, held in 1848, and also those held in 1849 and 1850. In the latter year he returned to America, lec- turing on peace, temperance, anti-slavery and self -culture. In 1852 lie assumed editorial charge of the Citizen of the World, a Philadelphia paper, and in its columns he strenuously advocated the emancipation of the slaves by purchase. The fail- ure of this project caused him bitter disappoint- ment. He was successful in his efforts to secure cheap ocean postage. In 1865 he was appointed U. S. consul at Birmingham, retaining that office until the inauguration of President Grant. The later years of his life were spent in retirement on his farm at New Britain, where he devoted himself to study, to literary work, and to the moral, religious, and educational development of his fellow-citizens. A list of his books includes some thirty-two volumes, among which the more notable are: Sparks from the Anril (1847); Peace Papers for the People (1848); Olive Leaves (1850-'53); Tlioughts and Tilings at Home and Abroad (1854); Year Book of Nations (1856); Walk from London to John CGroaVs, icith Notes by the Way (1864); Walk from London to Land's End and Back (1865): Lectures and Speeches (1866); The Mission of Great Sufferings (1867); Walks in the Black Country and its Green Border- land (1868); Ten Minute Talks on all Sorts of Subjects: ivith Autobiography (1873); Why I left the Anvil (1877); and Chips from Many Blocks (1878). See Elihu Burritt; A Sketch of His Life and Labors, by Charles Northend (1879). He died in New Britain, Conn., March 9, 1879.

BURROUGHS, John, naturalist, was born in Roxbury, Delaware county, N. Y.. April 3, 1837, son of Chauncy A. and Amy (Kelh') Burroughs; grandson of Edmund Burroughs; and a remote descendant of the Rev. George Burronglis: born about 1650; graduated at Harvard, 1670; minister


at Falmoutli, 1672-"80. and at Salem. 1680-'90; tried for witchcraft, Aug. 6, 1692. for tormenting one Mary Wolcott; condemned to death and exe- cuted at Salem, Mass., Aug. 19, 1692. John Burroughs's boyhood was passed on his father's farm, and his education was ac- quired at the district school and in the neighboring acade- mies, after which he taught school for sev- eral years. In 1864 he was employed in the treasury depart- ment at "Washington as clerk in the office of the comptroller of . ■ -^ the currency, and /f^ £miM^. later as chief of the / /

organization division "

of that bureau. In 1872 he resigned, having been appointed receiver of the Wallkill national bank at Middletown, N.Y., and afterward national bank examiner. He settled on a fruit farm at Esopus-on Hudson, Ulster county, N.Y. A lover of nature from childhood, he early learned to record his observations, his most congenial study being the habits and peculiarities of birds, animals, trees, flowers and insect life. His first magazine article Expression, was published in the At- lantic Monthly, in 1860. His published books include: Notes on Walt ^Miitman. as Poet and Person (1867); Wake Robin (1871); Winter Sunshine (1875): Birds and Poets (1877): Locusts and Wild Honey (1879): Pepacton (1881); Fresh Fields (1884): Signs and Seasons (1886); Indoor Studies (1S89): Whitman: a Study (1896); Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers.

BURROUGHS, John Curtis, educator, was born in Stamford, Delaware county, N. Y., Dec. 7, 1818. After graduation at Yale college in 1842, and at Drew theological seminary in 1846, h© preached for a year at Waterford, N. Y., and for five years held a pastorate at West Troy. In 1852 he accepted a call from the First Baptist church of Chicago, 111., and helped to found the Chris- tian Times, afterwards the Standard. In 1855, in. connection with Senator Douglas, who donated ten acres of ground for the university site, he in- augurated a movement which resulted in the establi-shment of the Chicago university, and in 1856 became its first president and after 1876 its chancellor. For many years he devoted his entire time and energies to the interests of the institu- tion, and to him is largely due its continued ex- istence. He resigned the chancellorship in 1878, subsequently becoming a member of the Chicago