Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/501

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BURRINGTON
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of the department of natural sciences, and in 1882 he became vice-president of the university. In connection with his botanical studies, Prof. Bur- rill has travelled extensively through the United States and Central America, and was a member of Maj. J. W. Powell's first expedition to the Rocky mountains in 1867. He has made careful studies of the diseases of plants, and, after his investiga- tions on the " Pear-Tree Blight " during 1878-'80, announced that bacteria were a cause of disease in plants. In 1878 he was president of the Illinois state horticultural society, during 1888-'4 vice- president of the American horticultural society, vice-president of the section of biology of the American association for the advancement of sci- ence, and in 1885-6 president of the American society of microscopists. He edited the biennial reports of the University of Illinois during the years 1874 to 1886, and has written many papers and pamphlets, among which are " The Bacteria "' (Springfield, 1882) and the " Uredineae, or Para- sitic Fungi of Illinois " (Peoria, 1885).


BURRINGTON, George, colonial governor of North Carolina, d. in 1734. He was appointed governor, 15 .Jan., 1724, because his father had been active in support of the British government at the accession of George I. Burrington was ignorant and profligate, and on 7 April, 1725, was succeeded by Sir Richard Everard. His retirement angered him so much that he proceeded to make himself disagreeable to Everard in various ways, and was several times indicted for disorderly conduct, once for knocking loudly on the new governor's door, calling him " a noodle and an ape," and declaring that he was " no more fit to be governor than Sancho Panza." Burrington did not appear at the time set for his trial, and a nolle prosequi was finally entered by the governor's order. Burrington left the colony, and in 1730, when Everard was removed, the home government, strangely enough, considering his previous experi- ence, sent him out again as governor of North Carolina. He arrived in February, 1731, and con- ducted himself with such a want of prudence as to increase the number of his enemies. Riding across the country one day, and observing that a poor man had built a cabin on his land, the governor ordered his servant to burn the cabin. Finally, knowing that Smith, late chief justice of the colony, had been sent to England by the council to com- plain of him, Burrington left, in April, 1734, osten- sibly on a visit to South Carolina, but went im- mediately to England. Some time after this he engaged in a drunken frolic in London, and was found murdered one morning in St. James's park.


BURRITT, Elihu, reformer, b. in New Britain, Conn., 8 Dec, 1810 ; d. there, 9 March, 1879. He was the son of a shoemaker, was educated in the common schools of his native place, and in 1828, after his father's death, was apprenticed to a blacksmith. The stories of the old revolutionary soldiers who came to his father's house had given him a desire to know more of books, and, when his apprenticeship was ended, he studied Latin, French, and mathematics with his brother, the principal of a small boarding-school. He attempted to perform the duties of a teacher as a means of support, but poor health prevented success. He returned to his forge, still continuing his studies, often watching the castings in his furnace with a Greek grammar in his hand. After beginning the study of He- brew, he thought of going to sea and using his wages to buy oriental books at the first port, but gave up this plan, and, going to Worcester, Mass., resumed work at the anvil and the study of Ianguages, for which the antiquarian library there gave him special facilities. Here he translated all the Icelandic sagas relating to the discovery of America, and obtained the name of the " learned blacksmith." In 1839 he published for a year a monthly pe- riodical to teach French, called " The Literary Gemini." Mr. Burritt made his first public ap- pearance in 1841 as a lecturer, maintaining the doctrine that all mental attainments are the result of persistent study and effort. In 1842 he established the "Christian Citizen" at Worcester, a weekly

journal, devoted to anti-slavery,

peace, temperance, and self-culture. Four years later he went to Europe, and during a visit of three years devoted him- self to co-operation with the English peace advocates. During this time also he developed the basis of an international association known as the League of universal brotherhood, which aimed at the abolition of war and the promotion of frater- nal relations and feelings between different coun- tries. At this time he was proprietor and editor of the " Peace Advocate," and published a periodi- cal tract, the " Bond of Brotherhood." He was prominent in orga,nizing the first peace congress, and took part in two subsequent congresses, in 1849 and 1850. In 1852 he became editor of the "Citizen of the World," Philadelphia, in which he urged the compensated emancipation of southern slaves. His disappointment at the failure of his project was great. He had advocated it clearly and forcibly, and to its advancement had devoted all his time and resources, living at times almost in r.overty. Mr. Burritt then retired to a small farm which he owned at New Britain. He made a brief visit to England in 1863, and during the following two years he published three new books and several volumes of general writings. He was appointed U. S. consul at Birmingham in 1865, returned to America in 1870, and spent the remainder of his days in his native village. He published " Sparks from the Anvil " (London, 1848) ; " Miscellaneous Writings " (1850) ; " Olive Leaves " (1853) ; " Thoughts of Things at Home and Abroad " (Boston, 1854) ; " Hand-Book of the Nations " (New York, 1856) ; " A Walk from John O'Groat's to Land's End " (London, 1864) ; " The Mission of Great Sufferings " (1867) ; " Walks in the Black Countrv " (1868) : " Lectures and Speeches " (1869) : "Ten Minute Talks" (1873); and "Chips from Manv Blocks " (1878). See " Life of Elihu Burritt," by Charles Xorthend (New York, 1879).


BURROUGHS, Charles, clergyman, b. in Boston, Mass., 27 Dec, 1787; d. in Portsmouth, N. H., 5 March, 1868. He was graduated at Harvard in 1806, studied theology, was ordained a priest of the Protestant Episcopal church in 1812, and was rector of St. John's church, Portsmouth for nearly half a century. He was for thirty years president of the New Hampshire insane asylum;