Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/131

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plans a fair trial. He returned to England in March, 1837, was knighted, and at the close of that year was appointed lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, having also the rank of major-general on the staff. The state of Canada at this time was critical, as in both Upper and Lower Canada attempts had been made, a few months before Col. Arthur's arrival, to subvert the British authority, and, shortly after he had taken charge of the government. Upper Canada was invaded by a band of American sympathizers. The invasion was no more successful than the preceding attempts at revolt, and much credit was awarded to Sir George Arthur for his successful arrangements for the defence of the colony. The union of Upper and Lower Canada took place in 1841, Lord Sydenham being the first governor-general, and at his request Sir George Arthur continued for a time to conduct the administration of Upper Canada as deputy governor, it being specially stipulated by him that he would receive no remuneration for his services. He returned to England in 1841, and was created a baronet in recognition of his services in Canada. On 8 June, 1842, he assumed the office of governor of the Indian presidency of Bombay, which he retained until 1846. During this period (a most critical one in the history of India) he displayed great tact and ability, and assisted very materially in extending and strengthening British rule in that country. The suppression of the insurrection in Kolapun was largely due to his judicious and prompt measures, and he was appointed provisional governor-general, but did not assume office, as he was compelled by ill-health to leave India before Lord flardinge vacated the governor-generalship. Sir George Arthur, during his administration of the affairs of the presidency, perfected the Deccan survey, the object of which was to equalize and decrease the pressure of the land assessment on the cultivators of the Deccan; and gave his hearty support to the project of a railway line from Bom- bay to Callian, which may be regarded as the germ of the great Indian peninsular railway, while during his administration the reclamation of the foreshore of the island of Bombay was projected. On his return to England in 1846 he was made a privy councillor, and in 1853 he received the colonelcy of the 50th Queen's own regiment.


ARTHUR, Timothy Shay, author, b. near Newburg, N. Y., in 1809; d. in Philadelphia, 6 March, 1885. When he was about eight years of age his parents moved to Baltimore, Md., where he received a little education, was apprenticed to a trade, and was a clerk for several years. In 1833 he visited the west as the agent of a banking concern. He had meantime educated himself by reading and study, and when he returned to Baltimore he became editor of "The Athenteum." In 1841 he removed to Philadelphia, where the rest of his life was passed, and where, in 1852, he founded "Arthur's Home Magazine," of which he was editor until within a few weeks of his death. He was a voluminous writer of tales of domestic life, and also prepared, with the aid of W. H. Carpenter, a series of histories of the different states of the union. The entire number of volumes of Mr. Arthur's works exceeds one hundred, and of these more than half have been republished in England, where his writings have had a large circulation. Among his books are "Lights and Shadows of Real Life," "Tales for Rich and Poor" (6 vols.), "Library for the Household" (12 vols.), "Ten Nights in a Bar-Room," and "Steps to Heaven." His stories all have some moral end in view, many of them being devoted to the support of the temperance cause. Although they do not possess great merit as literature, they have been widely read and gained him much popularity. His book, "The Good Time Coming" (1855), was accused of "verging on spiritualism and Swedenborgianism."


ARTHUR, William, clergyman, b. in Antrim, Ireland, in 1796; d. in Newtonville, near Albany, N. Y., 27 Oct., 1875. He was graduated at Belfast college, came to the United States, studied law for a short time, and was then called to the Baptist ministry. After preaching in Vermont and western New York, he was settled as pastor of the Calvary Baptist church of Albany, N. Y., where he remained from 1855 to 1863. He afterward removed to Schenectady, where he published a magazine called the "Antiquarian," to whose pages he contributed much curious learning on a variety of topics. He published an "Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names" (New York, 1857), which was favorably received both in this country and in Europe. During the last ten years of his life he lived in retirement, preaching occasionally, and giving much time to literary pursuits. Dr. Arthur was noted for his attainments in the classics and in history, both sacred and profane. His son, Chester Alan Arthur, was twenty-first president of the United States.


ARTIGAS. José (ar-tee'-gas), a South American soldier, b. in Montevideo, 19 June, 1764; d. in Paraguay, 23 Sept., 1850. He was the son of a wealthy landed proprietor, and for a time led an adventurous life as a gaucho, and then served as captain in the light cavalry of the provinces, but on account of some difficulty with the governor passed in 1811 into the service of the junta of Buenos Ayres, then in insurrection against Spain. At the head of a band of gauchos he defeated the Spaniards in several encounters, and vigorously supported the republican army that besieged the Portuguese troops from Brazil, who then occupied Montevideo. But, being passionate and scheming, he soon acted independently, and finally detached his men from the besieging army, whereupon Posadas, director of the junta, outlawed him and set a price upon his head. But the gauchos flocked to his standard, and Artigas, having defeated the troops sent against him, obliged his enemies to cede to him the whole of Uruguay (1814). He then compelled the Portuguese to abandon their attempt to regain possession of Montevideo, which had surrendered. He now acted as dictator in Uruguay, and in 1815 made an unsuccessful attempt against Buenos Ayres. After various contests he was twice defeated, in 1819 and 1820, and fled to Paraguay, where Dr. Francia, the dictator, banished him to Candelaria. Here he devoted himself to husbandry and philanthropic work.


ARVELO, Rafael (arr-va'-lo), Venezuelan statesman, b. in Valencia, 1 June, 1784; d. 16 Oct., 1862. While quite young he went to Bogotá. where he finished his education. After returning to his own country he soon became noted for his political and literary abilities. He was provincial governor, minister of foreign affairs, and president of the republic of Venezuela, ad interim. But his greatest fame in that country he owed to his satirical poems and epigrams, which are very popular.


ARZAO, Antonio Rodriguez (ar-thah'-o), Brazilian traveller, who in company with Antonio Suarez explored in 1714 the deserts of Sao Paulo, where they discovered a large region rich in gold and diamonds, which the Indians called Hyvi-turuy ("place beaten by winds"), but the discoverers gave it the name of Cerro do Frio. Several other members of Arzao's family made similar expeditions and discoveries in the interior of Brazil.