Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/668

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SPOFFORD
SPOONER

New England mind. It is ideal, intense in feeling, and luxuriant in expression. In her descriptions and fancies she revels in sensuous delights and every variety of splendor. In 1865 she married Richard S. Spofford, a lawyer of Boston, cousin of Henry M. Spofford, mentioned below. Their home is now on Deer island, in Merrimack river, in the suburbs of Newburyport. Mrs. Spofford's books are “Sir Rohan's Ghost” (Boston, 1859); “The Amber Gods, and other Stories” (Boston, 1863); “Azarian” (1864); “New England Legends ” (1871); “The Thief in the Night” (1872); “Art Decoration applied to Furniture” (New York, 1881); “Marquis of Carabas” (Boston, 1882); “Poems” (1882); “Hester Stanley at St. Mark's” (1883); “The Servant-Girl Question” (1884); and “Ballads about Authors” (1888).


SPOFFORD, Henry Martyn. jurist, b. in Gilmanton. N. H., 8 Sept., 1821; d. in Red Sul- phur Springs, W. Va., 20 Aug., 1880. He was graduated at Amherst, at the head of his class, in 1840, was tutor there in 1842-'4, and after remov- ing to Louisiana, where he taught and at the same time studied law, was admitted to the bar of that state at Monroe in 1846, and practised in Shreve- port. He rose rapidly in his profession, was elected a district judge in 1852, and from 1854 till his resignation in 1858 sat on the supreme bench of the state. He then practised in New Orleans, herc, after the civil war, he was in partnership with John A. Campbell. After 1S70 he spent much of his time in Pulaski, Tenn., engaged in adminis- tering the estate of his father-in-law. In 1877 he was elected U. S. senator from Louisiana by the " Nieholls " legislature, but the senate admitted William P. Kellogg, who had been chosen by the rival, or "Packard" legislature. Judge Spofford was seeking to recover health at Red Sulphur Springs at the time of his death. Amherst gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1ST7. His judicial decisions are contained in vols. ix.-xiii. of the Louisiana reports. He was co-author of "The Louisiana Magistrate and Parish Official Guide" (1847). His brother, Ainsworth Rand, librarian. b. in Gilmanton. N. H., 12 Sept., 1825. received a classical education by private tuition, but when he was about to enter college his health failed, and he emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he established himself as a bookseller and publisher. In 1859 he became associate editor of the Cincinnati " Daily Commercial," and in 1861 he was appointed first assistant librarian in the library of congress at Washington. Three years later he was made libra- rian-in-chief. During his administration the Na- i ional library has grown from 70,000 to about 800.- 000 volumes. The change in the law of copyright 'that was I'HVrti'd in 1870 has made the position of the librarian an onerous and important one, as all American copyrights are issued from his office, and all copyright publications are required to lie de- posited in the Congressional library. As a libra- rian. Mr. Spofford is widely known for his compre- hensive knowledge of books and their contents. He is a member of many historical and philosophical societies, and received the degree of LL. D. from Amherst in 1SS4. lie has written largely for the periodical press on historical, economic, and literary topics, and has published. In -ides catalogues of the liln-ary uf congress. The American Almanai- and Treasury of Facts, Statistical, Financial, and Po- litical " (annually sinr.- 1S7S); and has edited wit li others a " Library of Choice Literature " (10 vols., Philadelphia, 1881-'8) ; "Library of Wit ami Hu- mor " (5 vols., 1884) ; and " A Practical Manual of Parliamentary Rules " (1884).


SPOONER. Alden Jeremiah, historian, b. in Sag Harbor. Long Island. N. Y., 2 Feb., 1810: d. in Heinpstead. Long Island. 2 Aug., 1881. His fa- ther, Alden, was the founder of the " Long Island City Star," which the son and his brother carried on for many years afterward. He studied law and practised in Brooklyn, but devoted himself largely to local history, and wrote many articles on that subject for periodicals. He was the originator in 1863 of the Long Island historical society, and gave more than 1,000 books and pamphlets as a nucleus for its library. Mr. Spooner edited, with notes and memoirs of the authors, Gabriel Furman's " Notes, Geographical and Historical, relating to the Town of Brooklyn " (Brooklyn, 1865), and Silas Wood's "Sketch of the First Settlement of the Several Towns on Long Island" (1865).


SPOONER, Benjamin F., soldier, b. in Mans- field, Ohio. 27 Oct., 1828 ; d. in Lawrencebnrg, Ind., 3 April, 1881. At the beginning of the Mexican war he enlisted in the 3d Indiana regi- ment, and was chosen 2d lieutenant. After serving in Gen. Zachary Taylor's campaign he returned home, studied law, and practised in Lawrenceburg, holding the office of prosecuting attorney of Dear- born county for several years. At the beginning of the civil war he became lieutenant-colonel of the 7th Indiana regiment, with which he fought at Philippi and Laurel Hill, and he afterward held the same commission in the 51st Indiana, with which he was present at Shiloh and the siege of Corinth. He then resigned and returned home, but was soon made colonel of the 83d Indiana, and took part in the engagements around Vicksburg, the battle of Mission Ridge, and the Atlanta cam- paign, receiving a wound at Kenesaw mountain that necessitated the amputation of his left arm. He then served on a military commission till his resignation in April, 1865, and on 13 March of that year was brevetted brigadier-general and major-general of volunteers. He was TJ. S. mar- shal of the district of Indiana till 1879, when fail- ing health compelled him to resign.


SPOONER, John Coit, senator, b. in Law- renceburg. Ind.. 6 Jan., 1843. His father, Judge Philip L. Spooner, was an authority on the law of real estate. The family removed to Madison, Wis., in June, 1859, and the son was graduated at the state university in 1864, when he enlisted as a private in the 40th Wisconsin infantry. He subsequently re- turned and served as assistant state librarian, but entered the army again as captain in the 50th Wisconsin regiment. After he was mustered out in July, 1866, with the brevet of major, he studied law with his father, was admitted to the bar in 1867, became Gov. Lucius Fairchild's private sec- retary, and was then assistant in the attorney-gen- eral's office till 1870, when he removed to Hudson, Wis., and began the general practice of his profes- sion. He was elected a member of the legislature in 1872, and was active in his support of the state university, on whose board of regents he served in 1882-'5. In 1885 he took his seat in the Tinted States senate, and in 1S!)7 was re-elected as a lie- publican. In 1892 he wa^ nominated lor governor.


SPOONER, Lysander. lawyer, b. in At hoi. Mass., 19 Jan., 1808: d. in Boston, Mass.. 14 May. 1887. He studied law in Worcester. .Mass., but on completing his course of reading found that admission to the bar wa> permitted only to those who had studied for three years, except in the case of college graduates. This obnoxious condition at once engaged his attention and he succeeded in having it removed from the statute-hunks. In 1844 the letter postage from Boston to New York