Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/230

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TYSON
TYTLER

in exploring the neighborhood. He cautioned his followers to keep together and return to sleep at their quarters. But one evening Tyrker did not return with his party. In great sorrow Leif, at the head of twelve men, went in search of him. He had not gone far when he discovered the old German, evidently greatly excited and gesticulating wildly. “Why, my fosterer,” cried Leif, “have you come so late? What made you leave your companions!” Tyrker answered in German, but, remembering that the Scandinavians could not understand him, he spoke, after some time, in Norsk. “I have not gone very far; still I have some news for you. I have discovered vines loaded with grapes.” “Are you telling the truth, my fosterer?” exclaimed Leif. “I am sure of telling the truth,” he returned, “for in my native land there are vines in plenty.” This caused Leif to give the country the name of Vinland. See Adam of Bremen's “Historia Ecclesiastica.”


TYSON, Elisha, philanthropist, b. in Mont- gomery county, Pa., in 1749 ; d. in Baltimore, Md., 16 Feb., 1824. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and an early member of the Maryland society for the abolition of slavery, appeared fre- quently before the judicial tribunals in behalf of negroes, and procured the passage of several laws to ameliorate their condition. In 1818 he retired from business to devote his attention to the aboli- tion movement, and established the Protection so- ciety of Maryland, to insure the colored population of the state the enjoyment of their legal privileges. See his " Life," by a citizen of Baltimore (Bal- timore, 1825). — His grandson, Philip Thomas, chemist, b. in Baltimore, Md., 23 June, 1799; d. there. 16 Dec, 1877, was educated in his native city. At the beginning of the gold fever he went to California, and there made numerous geological re- searches. On his return he published "Geology and Industrial Resources of California" (Balti- more, 1851). In 1856 he was appointed state agri- cultural chemist, which place he held until 1860, and in that capacity made two biennial reports that were published by the house of delegates of Maryland (2 vols., Annapolis, 1860-'2). He was first president of the Maryland academy of sciences, and contributed papers to its proceedings.


TYSON, James, physician, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 26 Oct., 1841. His father, Henry (1815-'72), was graduated at Pennsylvania medical college in 1843, and practised in Reading until his death. He was active in prison-reform, and established the first Sundav-school in the Hicksite Society of Friends. The son was graduated at Haverford college, Pa., in 1860, and at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1863. He was appointed lecturer on microscopy there in 1868, and on urinary chemistry in 1870. In 1870-'8 he was professor of physiology and microscopy in the Pennsylvania college of dental surgery. On the organization of the new university hospital in 1874 he was made lecturer on pathological anat-. omy and histology. In 1876 he was elected pro- fessor of general pathology and morbid anatomy in the medical department of the university. He is now (1889) dean of the medical faculty, president of the board of the Philadelphia hospital, and a member of various medical societies. In 1871-2 he assisted in editing the " Philadelphia Medical Times," and he also edited four volumes of the pub- lications of the Pathological society of Philadelphia (1871-'7). In addition to numerous papers on his- tology and pathology, and clinical lectures, he has published " The Cell Doctrine : its History and Present State " (Philadelphia, 1870) ; " An Intro- duction to Practical Histology " (1873) ; " Practical Examination of the Urine "(1875); and "A Trea- tise on Bright's Disease and Diabetes " (1881).


TYSON, Job Roberts, lawyer, b. in Philadel- phia, Pa., 8 Feb., 1803; d. at Woodlawn Hall, Montgomery co., Pa., 27 June, 1858. Entering business at an early age, he devoted his leisure to self-education, became a proficient linguist, and taught in Hamburg. Pa., and afterward in the first public school of the state, which was established in 1822. At this period he was director of the public schools of Pennsylvania, a member of the prison society, manager of the apprentice's library, and among the first to organize the temperance movement in Pennsylvania. He was admitted to the bar in 1827, and became solicitor for the Pennsylvania railroad, the completion of which had been secured mainly through his efforts. He was a member of the city council and of the legislature, and was elected to congress as a Whig, serving from 3 Dec, 1855, till 3 March, 1857. Dickinson gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1851. Mr. Tyson was instrumental in the publication of the archives of Pennsylvania. He was vice-president of the Historical society of Pennsylvania, and vice-pro- vost of the Philadelphia law academy. He was the author of an "Essay on the Penal Laws of Pennsylvania " (Philadelphia, 1827) ; " The Lottery System of the United States " (1833) : " Social and Intellectual State of the Colony of Pennsylvania Prior to 1743 " (1843) ; " Discourse on the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of William Penn " (1844) ; " Letters on the Resources and Commerce of Phila- delphia " (1852) ; and a " Report on the Arctic Ex- plorations of Dr. Elisha K. Kane." with a resolu- tion to provide for the publication of Dr. Kane's book by congress, which was adopted by the house. His reports on the Delaware breakwater, and sug- gestions for improvement of the navigation of that river, exhibit a clear comprehension of the com- mercial interests of his state and city. He had collected material for a history of Pennsylvania.


TYTLER, James, scholar, b. in Brechin, Forfarshire, Scotland, in 1747 ; d. near Salem, Mass., in 1805. He was educated for the church, and afterward for the medical profession. He was commonly called " Balloon Tytler," from being the first in Scotland to ascend in a fire-balloon on the plan of Montgolfier. He belonged to the Friends of the People, and, to avoid political persecution, fled to Ireland about 1793, and to this country about 1796. He was drowned near Salem, Mass. Robert Burns describes him as "a mortal who, though he drudges about Edinburgh as a common printer, with leaky shoes, a sky-lighted hat, and knee-buckles as unlike as George-by-the-grace-of-God and Solomon-the-son-of-David, yet that same unknown mortal is author and compiler of three fourths of Elliot's pompous ' Encyclopaedia Britannica,' which he composed at half a guinea a week ! " Besides contributing to magazines, he was the author of anonymous works and of popular songs, including " I ha'e laid a Herring in Saut," or" I canna Come ilka Day to Woo, and " The Pleasures of the Abbey." His publications include " Essays on the Most Important Subjects of Natural and Revealed Religion," which he set in type without manuscript in Holvrood (Edinburgh, 1772); "System of Geography " (1788); "History of Edinburgh"; "Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar" (2 vols.): "Review of Dritchken's Theory of Inflammation"; "Answer to Paine's ' Age of Reason ' " ; " On the Excise " ; " System of Surgerv " ; and " Treatise on the Plague and Yellow Fever" (Salem. 1799).