when he became county judge and surrogate, held both offices till their separation in 1883, when he was elected surrogate.
McMASTER, John Bach, historian, b. in
Brooklyn, N. Y., 29 June, 1852. His father, a
native of New York, was a banker and planter at New
Orleans at the beginning of the civil war. The
son was educated in the public schools, and graduated
at the College of the city of New York in
1872. He taught grammar in that institution for
a year, spent several months in the study of civil
engineering, and in the autumn of 1873 devoted
himself to the work of writing his “History of the
People of the United States,” for which he had
been gathering material since 1870. He was
appointed instructor in civil engineering at Princeton
in 1877, and in 1883 became professor of American
history in the University of Pennsylvania.
The first volume of his “History of the People of
the United States from the Revolution to the Civil
War” (New York, 1883) achieved an immediate
success. His other writings include numerous
magazine articles; four volumes of his history
(1885-1900); and “Life of Benjamin Franklin” in
the “Men of Letters” series (Boston, 1887).
McMASTER, William, Canadian merchant, b.
in Tyrone, Ireland, 24 Dec, 1811 ; d. in Toronto,
23 Sept., 1887. He came to Canada in 1833, en-
tered the wholesale mercantile establishment of
Robert Cathcart, in Toronto, and afterward en-
gaged in business on his own account. Mr. Mc-
Master was a member of the legislative council of
Canada, for the Midland division, from 1862 till
1867, when he was called to the senate by royal
proclamation. He was noted for his liberality in
behalf of the educational and religious institutions
of the Baptist denomination, to which he belonged.
He was a liberal supporter of the Canadian liter-
ary institute at Woodstock, to whose building fund
alone he contributed $12,000 : erected and furnished,
at an expense of over $100,000, McMaster Hall,
the new Baptist college in Toronto ; and, with his
wife, gave over $60,000 toward the building of the
Jarvis street Baptist church. Toronto. He was in-
strumental in establishing the Superannuated min-
isters' society of the Baptist church, was for many
years treasurer of the Upper Canada Bible society
and among its most generous subscribers, and was
chairman of the board of trustees of the Baptist
college. He was also a member of the senate of
the University of Toronto, chairman of the Canada
board of the Great Western railway, president of
the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and was con-
nected with other institutions. While speaking in
McMaster Hall, he fainted, and remained uncon-
scious till his death on the following morning.
McMlCHAEL, Morton, journalist, b. m Bur-
lington, N. J., 2 Oct., 1807; d. in Philadelphia,
Pa., 6 Jan., 1879. He was educated in the schools
of his native town and at the University of Penn-
sylvania, read law, and in 1827 was admitted to the
Philadelphia bar. He became editor of the " Sat-
urday Evening Post" in 1826, from 1831 to 1836
was editor-in-chief of the " Saturday Courier," and
during the latter year, with others, began the pub-
lication of the "Saturday News." In 1844 he as-
sociated himself with Joseph C. Neal in the editor-
ship of the " Saturday Gazette," and in 1847 he
acquired an interest in the "North American."
which journal was, during that year, consolidated
with the " United States Gazette," and under this
union the publication was thereafter known as the
" North American and United States Gazette."
He was sole proprietor of this journal from 1854
till his death, and under his management and edi-
torship it grew to be one of the best-known jour-
nals in the country. While a young man he served
several years as an alderman of Philadelphia, from
1843 till 1846 he was sheriff of the county, from
1866 till 1869 mayor of the city, in 1867, on the or-
ganization of the park commission, was chosen
president of that body, which post he held till his
death, and in 1873 he was appointed a delegate at
large to the fourth Constitutional convention of
Pennsylvania. He was frequently invited to ad-
dress public audiences on great occasions, and
achieved note as an orator. Of his speeches a
critic has written : " Prepared or unprepared, they
were always finished models." A bronze statue
of him. in Fairmount park, bears the inscription,
" An honored and beloved citizen of Philadelphia." — His third son, William, lawyer, b. in
Philadelphia, 4 March. 1841 ; d. in New York city,
20 April, 1893, was graduated at University of Penn-
sylvania, and had begun law studies when he enlist-
ed as a private under President Lincoln's first call
for troops. He was afterward promoted to captain
and aide-de-camp, then major, and later brevetted
colonel, acting under Gen. Grant, Gen. Rosecrans,
and Gen. Thomas. After serving through the war
he resumed his law studies, and was admitted to
the Philadelphia bar in 1865. He was appointed
solicitor of internal revenue of the treasury depart-
ment soon after Gen. Grant's first election to the
presidency, and resigned the office in 1871 to be-
come U. S. assistant attorney-general. That office
he held until 1877, when he was appointed U. S.
district attorney for the eastern district of Pennsyl-
vania, but he resigned in 1885 to enter into private
practice. He was appointed by President Garfield
a member of the U. S. board of Indian commis-
sioners. In 1882 he was a candidate for congress-
man-at-large on the Independent Republican tick-
et. He was always an active participant in public
affairs, and in 1858 he became a member of the
bar of New York city. He inherited in a large de-
gree the oratorical gifts of his father. Among his
addresses is a eulogy on Gen. George H. Thomas
at a memorial meeting at the Academy of Music,
and an oration at the unveiling of the Lincoln
monument in Fairmount park. — Morton's fourth
son, Clayton, journalist, b. in Philadelphia, Pa.,
30 June, 1844, was educated in private schools, en-
listed in the army in April, 1861, and was commissioned 2d lieutenant in the U. S. army on 5 Aug. He resigned, 27 Sept., 1865, with the brevet rank of major in the regular army. After leaving the army he began journalistic work in connection with his father's newspaper, and a few years before the latter's death succeeded him in its editorship,
in which post he has since continued. In 1872 he was appointed commissioner to the International exposition at Vienna, and in December, 1882, became U. S. marshal for the District of Columbia. He resigned, 4 March, 1885, but his resignation was not accepted by President Cleveland until 3 Dec.
McMICKEN, Gilbert, Canadian member of parliament, b. in London in 1813 ; d. 6 March, 1890. He came to Canada in 1832, was for many years a resident of the Niagara district, and held several municipal offices there. He represented Welland county in the legislative assembly of Canada from 1857 till 1861, was stipendiary magistrate
for Canada West during the civil war in the United States, and was specially thanked by Lord Monk for the efficient discharge of his duties. During the Fenian excitement he was commissioner of police for the Dominion, and contributed to the repulse of the raiders in 1870. After his removal to Manitoba he performed a similar service in con-
