Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/212

BARKER.BARKER.

ery, and when the civil war broke out he supported the north to the detriment of his own fortunes. He was elected in 1864 a representative in the 39th Congress, but did not take his seat, as Louisiana was not re-admitted to the Union. The last four years of his life were spent at the home of his son, Abraham Barker, in Philadelphia, where he died Dec. 26, 1871.

BARKER, Wharton, linancier, was born in Phil.ilelphi.i. May 1, 184(5, son of Abraliam and Sar.ili (Wliarton) Barker, and a grand.sou of Ja.'ob B.irker. who was a cousin of Benjamin Franklin, the mothers of both being Folgers. His in;itprnHl grandfather, William Wharton,

wasone of the mo.st distinguished mem- bers of the Society of Friends. He was sent to the La- tin school of Dr. Charles Short, en- tered the university of Pennsj'lvania in 1862, and was grad- uated with the de- gree of A. B. in 1866. In 1869 he re- ceived the degree • ^ ^ of A. M. from that

^i^^^^^i<^iC^ t/c/ci.-i^'^^i^t.^ institution, and in 1880 wa.s elected a member of its board of trus- tee-;, liolding the position of treasurer of the board from 1882 to 1890. He was made a member of the American philosophical society, the Academy of natural sciences. Academy of the political and social sciences, the His- torical society of Pennsylvania, the Union league club and the Manufacturers club. In 1875 he organized the Penn club, and was its president for a number of years. In 1870 he founded The Penn Monthly, of which he was the principal owner and chief editorial manager until 1881. when the publication was di.scon- tinueil. In 1880 he founded and became editor and publisher of The American. He wrote many able papers on public questions at issue, and was a leader in .several important crises in the politics of his state, taking an active part in the Garfield campaign in 1880, and the Harrison campaign in 1S88. He became, early in 1893, the acknowledged leader of the bimetallists in the east, and through the columns of The American and by letters and addresses worked to advance the cau.se. To him is due largely the organized and sustained movement that made the contest between the gold monometalli.sts and the bi- metallists of such interest in the year 1896. In 1878 he was selected by the Russian government to purchase and build cruisers for the imperial

navy. Under liLs direction the Craini).s built the Europe, Asia, Africa and Zabiaca. In July, 187."), Alexander II. conferred upon him the cross of St. Stanislaus, second order. In 1879 he made a survey of the coal and iron fields in the Doritz country in the south of Russia, at the request of the (irand Duke Constantine and Prince Dolgo- rouki. The system of railroads, the mines and the iron and steel plant he proposed would have required the expenditure of more than ^l.j.dOO.OdO, and this money he was prepared to furnish. Tlie concessions were under discussion for some months. The imperial council, then under the direction of the emperor, concluded to grant the concession, and Prince Dolgorouki cabled Mr. Barker to that effect. The emperor died before concessions were granted, and Alexander III. did not confirm the action of his father. In 1887 the Chinese minister to the United States, Chang Yen Hoon, opened negotiations with him, look- ing to building and operating extensive lines of railroad, telegraph and telephone in China. He sent an agent to China to meet the viceroy, Li Hung Chang, and the "Great Chinese Con- cessions " were granted by that official to Mr. Barker. Special envoys were sent to America to complete these negotiations. The Concession was modified by envoys and Mr. Barker, and went back to Peking for confirmation, which never came because of the distrust occasioned by the passage of the exclusion act by the United States. He visited China in the autumn of 1895. on the invitation of Li Hung Chang and other great officials whom he met at Shanghai and Peking. Mr. Barker was elected president of the Finance company of Pennsj'lvania, and director of the Investment conipanj' of Philadel- phia. In 1867 he married Margaret Corlies, daugh- ter of Joseph Baker. He was the Populist candi- date for president of the United States in 1898.

BARKER, William Morris, 4th missionary bishop of Olympia and 166th in .succession in the American episcopate, was born at Tov.-anda, Pa., May 12, 1854. He was educated primarily at his father's classical school in Germantown, Pa., and was graduated from the University of Penn- sylvania in 1873. He pursued his theological course at the Berkeley divinity school, on the completion of which he became a teacher in the Bishop Scott grammar school, Portland, Ore. He entered the diaconate, June 4, 1879, and was appointed curate at St. John's, Troy, N. Y. He was advanced to the priesthood, Feb. 15, 1880, after which he was, for a short time, curate at St. John's, Washington, D. C, and then until 1887 he was rector of St. Paul's church in the same city. In 1887 he removed to Maryland, and a.ssumed the charge of St. Luke's, Baltimore, where he remained until 1819, when he became