for college, but impaired health prevented his enter- ing. On attaining his majority he came to New York city and engaged in literary pursuits. In 1858 he became editor and proprietor of "Merry's Museum," and was widely known as "Robert Merry." He joined the order of the Sons of Tem- perance when it was in its infancy, and in 1866 was chosen most worthy patriarch, its highest office in this country. At his suggestion, in 1865, the National temperance society and publication-house was organized, and he was appointed its corre- sponding secretary and publishing agent. In 1865 he also became the editor of the " National Tem- perance Advocate," and he had since held that place as well as having charge of the "Youth's Temper- ance Banner." In addition to his editorial work, he had issued annually since 1869 " The National Temperance Almanac and Teetotaler's Year-Book," and he had published "The Temperance Chorus" (New York, 1867); "The Temperanee Speaker" (1869); "The Centennial Temperance Volume" (1876); "The Prohibition Songster" (1885); and " One Hundred Years of Temperance " (1885).
STEARNS, John William, educator, b. in
Sturbridge, Mass., in 1840. He was graduated at
Harvard in 1860, was appointed professor of Latin
in the University of Chicago in 1865, and in 1874
became director of the National normal school in
the Argentine Republic. In 1878 he became presi-
dent of the normal college at Whitewater, Wi-.
STEARNS, Jnnius Brutus, artist, b. in Arling-
ton, Vt,, 2 July, 1810 ; d. in Brooklyn. N. Y., 17
Sept., 1885. He was a pupil at the Academy of de-
sign. New York city, where in 1848 he became an
associate, and an academician the following year.
In the same year he went to Europe and spent
some time in London and Paris. On his return he
became in 1S51 recording secretary at the National
academy, holding that post until 1865. His work
was mainly in portraiture, but he painted also
numerous historical subjects. Of these the best
known are the " Washington Series," five paintings
representing Washington as a citizen, farmer, sol-
dier, statesman, and Christian. His " Millennium "
is in the Academy of design, New York.
STEARNS, Oakman Sprogue, b. in Bath. Me.,
20 Oct., 1817 : d. in Newton Centre, 21 April, 1893.
He was graduated at Waterville college and at
Newton theological institution in 1846, and was
instructor in Hebrew there in 1846-'7. He was
pastor of the Baptist church at Southbridge, Mass.,
in 1847-'54, at Newark, N. .1.. in 1854-'5, and at
Xewton Centre. Mass., in 1*55-'68. Since 1868 he
has been professor of biblical interpretation of the
Old Testament in Newton theological institution.
Colby u'.ne him the degree of D. D. in 1863. He
has translated Sartorius's "Person and Work of
Christ" (Boston, 1848), and was the author of "A
Syllabus of the Messianic Passages in the Old
Testament" (1884).
STEARNS, Ozorn Pierson. senator, b. in De
Kalb, Lawrence co., N. Y., 15 Jan., 1831 ; d. in San
liir_'n. CaL, 3 June. 1896. lie was educated at
Michigan university, where he was graduated in the
literary department and in law in 1860. Imme-
diately after his graduation he began practice in
Rochester, Minn., and shortly afterward was
elected prosecuting attorney for Clinton county.
In August, 1862. he entered the National army as
1st lieutenant in the 9th Minnesota volunteer in-
fantry, and in April, 1864, he was commissioned
colonel of the 39th regiment of U. S. colored in-
fantry. His regiment suffered severely at the
mine-explosion before Petersburg on 30 July. He
accompanied Gen. Benjamin F. Butler on his
Port Fisher expedition, was with Gen. Alfred H.
Terry at the capture of that fort, and afterward
remained with his command in North Carolina
until he was mustered out of the service in De-
cember. 1865. He then returned to Rochester.
Minn., was soon afterward offered the professor-
ship of agriculture in Cornell university, which
he declined, was again elected county attorney,
and then appointed register in bankruptcy. In
1871 he was elected U. S. senator for the unex-
pired term of Daniel S. Norton, deceased, and
served for a short period. In the spring of 1872
he removed with his family to Duluth, and two
years later became judge of the llth judicial dis-
trict of Minnesota, which office he had held ever
since. He was in favor of granting the right of suf-
frage to women. His wife, Sarah Burger, re-
former, b. in New York city, 30 Nov., 1836, is the
daughter of Edward G. Burger. She was educated
chiefly at the Ann Arbor high-school, and the
State normal school, Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1858
and afterward she made formal application to be
admitted as a student to the Michigan state uni-
versity, which, though it was refused, had an in-
fluence in finally deciding the regents in 1869 to
make their classes open to women. During the
civil war Mrs. Stearns was well known as a worker
on the sanitary commission, and lectured on behalf
of the soldiers' societies in Michigan and else-
where. She married Col. Stearns in 1863, and re-
moved to Minnesota in 1866. For many years she
had been vice-president for Minnesota of the Na-
tional woman suffrage association. She is presi-
dent of the Duluth home society, and was instru-
mental in establishing a temporary home for needy
women and children in that city. She has been
active for years as an advocate of woman's rights.
STEARNS, Samuel, author, b. in Bolton. Mass.,
in 1747; d. in Brattleborough, Vt.. 8 Aug., 1819.
He became a physician and astronomer, practising
his profession first in Worcester. Mass., then in
New York, and finally in Brattleborough, Vt. For
his supposed loyalty to King George III. he suffered
greatly from the persistent attacks of the Sons of
Liberty, and was confined for nearly three years in
a prison in Worcester, Mass. While he was a resi-
dent of New York lie made the calculations for the
first nautical almanac in this country, which he
published. 20 Dee., 1782. He edited the Philadel-
phia Magazine" in 1789, and published "Tour to
London and Paris" (London, 1790); "Mystery of
Animal Magnetism " (1791) ; " American Oracle "
(171)1); and "The American Herbal, or Materia
Medica" (Walpole, N. H., 1801). He labored
twenty-eight years on a "Medical Dispensatory."
and to obtain information for it travelled fur
nine years in Europe and this country, but died
before its completion. On the list of subscribers
for this work were the names of George Washing-
ton and Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia.
STEARNS, Samuel Horatio, clergyman, b. in Bedford. Mass., 12 Sept., 1801; d. in Paris, France, July. 1837. His father, Samuel, was for forty years pastor of the Congregational church in Bedford,
Mass. The son was graduated at Harvard in is-j:>, became a minister of the Congregational church, and was pastor of the Old South church, Boston, from April, 1834, till his death. A volume of his discourses, with a memoir by his brother, William A. Stearns, was published (Boston, 1838). His brother. William Augustus clergyman, b. in Bedford, Mass., 17 March, 1805; d. in Amherst. Mass.. s June, 1876, was graduated at Harvard in 1*27, studied theology at Andover, and, after teaching for a. short time at Duxbury, was ordained a mill-
