Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/542

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NEWBERRY
NEWCOMB

many years he carried all of his business papers in his hat, and was rarely seen uncovered. He was known as the “commodore” of the lakes, and was sometimes called “the steamboat king.” — His brother, Walter Loomis, merchant, b. in East Windsor, Conn., 18 Sept., 1804; d. at sea, 6 Nov., 1868, was educated at Clinton, N. Y., and fitted for the U. S. military academy, but, failing in the physical examination, entered commercial life in 1822 with his brother in Buffalo, N. Y. In 1828 he removed to Detroit, Mich., and there engaged in the dry-goods business with great success, but after a tour of observation about the great lakes with Gen. Lewis Cass and William B. Astor bought lands at various points, notably at Chicago, whither he removed in 1833, and entered in business with George W. Dole, as forwarding and commission merchants and dealers in general merchandise, afterward becoming a successful banker. Mr. Newberry was one of the founders of the Merchants' loan and trust companies bank, and long one of its directors. He was also a director and president of the Galena railroad (now the Great Northwestern railroad). He was for many years in the school board and twice its chairman, and for six years he was president of the Chicago historical society. In 1841 he was active in founding the Young's men's library association of Chicago, and was its first president. He sailed for Europe, and died on the voyage. By his will half of his estate, or more than $2,000,000, was left under certain conditions to found a library, to be named for him, and erected in the north division of Chicago. At the death of his widow in December, 1885, his two daughters having died unmarried, this bequest became available. The Ogden block, situated in the north division, and containing 68,000 square feet, is the site of the permanent building. The books were moved from their temporary quarters, November, 1893. William Frederick Poole, the first librarian, took office August, 1887. He died in March, 1894, and in December of that year John Vance Cheney became his successor. The Newberry library is a purely reference library. The books are arranged in departments. Some of these are already important. The medical department contained in January, 1898, 30,303 volumes and 24,642 pamphlets. The library has also a valuable collection of Americana. The total collection of the Newberry library, 1 Jan., 1898, was 144,938 volumes and 58,170 pamphlets, also about fifty portraits presented by the artist Healy. — His nephew, John Stoughton, lawyer, b. in Waterville, N. Y., 18 Nov., 1826; d. in Detroit, Mich., 2 Jan., 1887, was graduated at the University of Michigan in 1845, became a civil engineer, and engaged in the laying out and construction of the Michigan Central railroad on its line west of Kalamazoo. He then studied law and entered on the practice of that profession in 1853 in Detroit, where he soon acquired a large practice in admiralty and maritime cases before the U. S. courts. Eventually he made a specialty of that department of law, in which he acquired the distinction of being one of the foremost authorities in the west. In 1864 he became associated with James McMillan (q. v.) in the organization of the Michigan car company, a corporation that ultimately became the largest firm of car-builders in the United States, controlling similar factories in St. Louis, Mo., and London, Ont. He held the office of president, vice-president, or director in more than a score of incorporated companies that gave employment to more than 5,000 men, thus materially aiding in the development of Michigan. His time became gradually absorbed in the care of these enterprises until he entirely relinquished his law-practice. In 1862 he was appointed provost-marshal for Michigan, and served for two years, during which time he had charge of two drafts, with the forwarding of conscripts and enlisted soldiers to the seat of war. He was elected to congress as a Republican, and served from 18 March, 1879, till 4 March, 1881, but refused a renomination in order to give his attention more exclusively to his business enterprises. Mr. Newberry accumulated a large fortune, and gave $100,000 toward the building of a public hospital in Detroit. He bequeathed to various benevolent purposes $600,000 in addition to his other legacies. He edited “Reports of Admiralty Cases, 1842-'57” (New York, 1857).


NEWCASTLE, Thomas Pelham Clinton, Duke of. British soldier, b. in July, 1752; d. 17 May, 1795. He entered the army as ensign in the 12th foot in March, 1769. and became captain in the 1st dragoon guards in July, 1770. In April, 1775, he was exchanged into the 1st foot-guards, and came to this country, where he served as aide- de-camp to his second cousin. Sir Henry Clinton, with whose despatches, announcing the fall of Charleston, S. C, he went to England in 1780. Subsequently he became colonel and aide-de-camp to the king,' and was made major-general in 1787. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1794.


NEWCOMB, Harvey, clergyman, b. in Thetford, Vt., 2 Sept., 1803 ;' d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 30 Aug., 1863. He removed to western New York in 1818, engaged in teaching for eight years, and from 1826 till 1831 edited several journals, of which the last was the " Christian Herald," in Pittsburg, Pa. For the ten following years he was engaged in writing and preparing books for the American Sunday-school union. He was licensed to preach in 1840, took charge of a Congregational church in West Roxbury, Mass., and subsequently held other pastorates. He was an editor of the Boston "Traveller" in 1849, and in 1850-'l assistant editor of the " New York Observer," also preaching in the Park street mission church of Brooklyn, and in 1859 he became pastor of a church in Hancock. Pa. He contributed regu- larly to the Boston " Recorder " and to the " Youth's Cornpanion," and also to religious journals. He wrote 178 volumes, of which fourteen are on church history, the others being chiefly books for childi'en, including " Young Ladv's Guide " (New York, 1839) ; " How to be a Man " (Boston, 1846) ; " How to be a Lady " (1846) ; and "Cyclopasdia of Missions" (1854": 4th ed.. 1856). He also was the author of " Manners and Customs of the North American Indians" (2 vols., Pittsburg, 1835).


NEWCOMB, Simon, astronomer, b. in Wallace, N. S., 12 March, 1835. He is the son of a teacher of American descent, whose ancestors had settled in Canada in 1761, and who came to the United States in 1852. Simon was the eldest son, and, after being educated by his father, taught for some time. He came to the" United States in 1853, and during 1854r-'6 was engaged as a teacher in Maryland. There he became acquainted with Joseph Henry and Julius E. Hilgard, who, recognizing his aptitude for mathematics, secured his appointment in 1857 as computer on the "Nautical Almanac," which was then published in Cambridge, Mass. He entered the Lawrence scientific school, and was graduated in 1858, continuing thereafter for three years as a graduate student. In 1861 he was appointed professor of mathematics in the U. S. navy, and assigned to duty at the U. S. naval observatory in Washington. There he negotiated the contract