Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/725

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vented improvements in freight engines. He then connected himself with the “Railroad Journal,” and in 1854 established in New York city the “Railroad Advocate,” which he sold in 1855, and bought lands in Iowa. He visited England and France, and gave an account of the machine and iron works there in letters to the “Advocate.” In 1857, with Mr. Holley, he again visited Europe at the request of several railroad presidents, and in 1858 they published a report on European railway systems and machinery. They resumed their researches in 1858, in which year Mr. Colburn began writing for the London “Engineer,” and soon became its editor. After several years of hard work he returned to the United States and began the publication of an American “Engineer” in Philadelphia. Only a few numbers were issued, and he soon resumed the editorship of the London paper. In 1866 he established in London a new journal called “Engineering,” which he continued to edit until a few weeks before his death. In 1870 overwork and irregularity of habits drove him into partial insanity. He came back to this country in April, avoided all his old friends, strayed away to a country town in Massachusetts, and died there by his own hand. During his residence in London, Mr. Colburn was employed as consulting engineer on many important constructions, and prepared numerous valuable papers in addition to his editorial labors. The more noted of these were his papers before the Institution of civil engineers (of which he was a member) on “Iron Bridges” and on “American Locomotives and Rolling Stock,” both of which received medals. He was considered a high authority on all subjects connected with mechanical engineering. He published “The Locomotive Engine” (Boston, 1851), and wrote a supplement on “American Practice” for a new edition of Clark's “Locomotive Engine” (1859).


COLBY, Anthony, governor of New Hampshire, b. in New London, N. H., 13 Nov., 1792; d. there, 13 July, 1873. He was a member of the Baptist church, and did much toward consolidat- ing the interests of the denomination in the state. He was major-general of militia, president of a railroad, and a large owner of factories. In 1846-7 he was governor of the state. Dartmouth gave him the honorary degree of A. M. in 1850, and he was one of its trustees from 1850 till 1870. Dur- ing the civil war he was adjutant-general of the state. Gov. Colby was a personal friend of Daniel Webster. His last work was the establishment of Colby academy, a Baptist institution in New Lon- don. N. IL, endowed by his family.


COLBY, Charles Galusha, editor, b. in Roch- ester, N. Y., in 1830; d. in New York city, 30 Oct., 1866. He was graduated at Wesleyan uni- versity, Middletown, Conn., in 1848, and soon afterward began teaching and lecturing on astron- omy. In 1850 he was engaged with Prof. Bond, of Cambridge observatory, and calculated the eclipses for July, 1851, publishing his results in " Harper's Magazine" of that month. He also wrote an article on telescopes for the New York " Inde- pendent," which attracted the attention of scien- tific men. In the latter part of 1851 he removed to New York, where he was first employed in the office of the "American Railroad Journal," and then aided Dr. R. S. Fisher in the preparation of his " Statistical Gazetteer of the United States " and "American Statistical Annual" (New York, 1853). He afterward became assistant editor of Hunt's "Merchant's Magazine," and held the place till, on the death of Mr. Hunt, the property passed into other hands. Mr, Colby wrote the de- scriptive and statistical letter-press for Morse's "Geography of the World" (New York, 1850), Morse's " Diamoud Atlas," and several smaller works. He was also the author of numerous cyclopaedia articles. He removed to Boston in 1861, where he was engaged on the " Commercial Bulletin," but was compelled by failing health to return to New York in 1864.


COLBY, Gardner, philanthropist, b. in Bow- doinham. Me., 3 Sept., 1810 ; d. in Newton Centre, Mass., 2 April, 1879. After receiving the rudi- ments of an English education, he entered the dry-goods business in Boston, and afterward en- gaged in manufacturing woollen goods. During the civil war he was a large contractor for the sup- ply of clothing to the national army, and in 1870 became president of the Wisconsin central rail- road. Mr. Colby was distinguished for his liberal contributions to benevolent objects. Newton theological seminary. Brown university, and the American Baptist missionary union received large sums from him. A gift of $50,000 to Waterville college, Maine, caused the name of that institution to be changed to Colby university. He occupied many important places of trust and honor in the Baptist denomination, and for years was treasurer of Newton theological seminary. — His son, Charles Lewis, b. in Roxbury, Mass., in 1839, was graduated at Brown in 1858. He removed to Milwaukee, Wis., about 1874, and became president of the Wisconsin central railroad. He was a member of the legislature in 1880. and became a trustee of Brown university in 1879.— Another son, Henry Francis, clergyman, b. in Boston Highlands (Roxbury), Mass., 25 Nov., 1842, was graduated at Brown in 1862, and at Newton theological semi- nary in 1867. He has been pastor of the 1st Baptist church in Dayton, Ohio, since his ordina- tion in 1868, and in 1883 was president of the Ohio Baptist convention. He has travelled ex- tensively in Europe. He has published a class poem (1862), and sketches of Gardner Colby, Caleb Pai'ker, and Ebenezer Thresher.


COLCUR (coal'-kur), Araueanian cacique of Angol, b. in that territory, Chili, in 1555; d. in Coya in 1589. He was the grandson of Caupoli- Ciin, and, after taking part in almost every battle against the Spaniards from 1583 till 1591, was elected chief of the united forces of the Arauea- nians in 1592. He surprised Sotomayor, the governor of Chili, who, being defeated, returned to Peru for re-enforcements. From 1593 till 1596 Colcur kept up the war by means of continuous skirmishes, without accepting battle in open field, and giving not a moment of rest to Gov. Loyola, who in 1597 fell, with sixty men of his escort, in an ambuscade. On the death of the governor, the Spanish troops scattered, when the cacique attacked and captured the defenceless cities, slaugh- tering every Spaniard that fell into the hands of his Indians. In 1598 he besieged the city of Coya, stormed it several times without success, and was killed during the final attack, which proved disas- trous to the Araucanians.


COLDEN, Cadwallader, physician, b. in Dunse, Scotland, 17 Feb., 1688; d. on Long Island, 28 Sept., 1776. His father. Rev. Alexander Coldcn, prepared him for the University of Edinburgh, where he was graduated in 1705. He then spent three years in studying medicine and mathematics, and in 1708 came" to this country and practised successfully as a physician in Philadelphia till 1715, He then visited London, and met Halley, the as- tronomer, who was so pleased with a paper on "Animal Secretions," written by Colden some years