Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/240

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BARTJS.


BASCOM.


exrhangeil for the stiuly of that scienc-p. He piiblislieil ill ITicJ a lK>ok entitletl "Travels ThrouKli North ami South Carolina. Georgia. East ami Wei<t Florida, the Cherokee Country, tfie Extensive Territories of the Muscogules, or Creek Confeileracy, ami the Country of the Choctaws." He became famous as a scientist. He was unmarried, and lived quite alone. His home was filled with rare plants and flowers, and was fre*iuently vLsited by strangers. In 1797 William Diiiikip jaid him a visit, which he desi-ril>es: • Arrived at the botanist's garden, we approached an old man, who. with a rake in his liand, was breaking the clods of earth on a tulip bed. His hat was an old one. and flopped over his face: his coarse shirt was seen near his neck, as he wore no cravat or kerchief; his waistcoat and breeches were both of leather, and his shoes were tied with leather strings. We approached and accosted him. He ceased his work and entered into conversation with the ease and politeness of nature's nobleman; his counte- nance was expressive of benignity and happiness. This was the botanist, traveller and philosopher we had come to see." Alexander Wilson was greatly aided in his scientific work by Mr. Bar- tram, whose ornithological studies were very extended. His publications include: "Anec- dotes of a Crow," "Description of Certhia." " Memoirs of John Bartram, " Observations on the Creek and Cherokee Indians," and a list of American birds He died July 23. 1823.

BARUS, Carl, geologist, was born in Cincin- nati. Ohio, in ISoG. He was graduated at the Woodward high school. Cincinnati, in 1874, then entered the Columbia school of mines, New York, and completed a three years' course in two years. In 1876 he went to German}- and re- mained nearly five years in Wurzburg, studying physics, and for the last year acting as assistant to the professor in charge. He took the degree of Ph.D. in Wurzburg in 1880. In 1881 he returned to America and entered the service of the United States geological survey, at first working in the west. In 1888 was engaged at the physicjil Liboratory, Washington, in working up problems in dynamic geology — more particu- larly the questions of the behavior of matter uniler con<litions of high temperature cx)mbined with enormous pressure. From August, 1893, to January, 1895, he was physici.st at the Smith- sonian institution, engaged in geronautical resfarch. In June. 1895, he was elected Hazard profesH<jr of physics at BrowTi university. Dur- ing 1894 and 189.5 he acted as a member of the congressional committee of seven for drawing up specifications for the electricjil .standards of the Unite<l States. Hf> publislied very many scienti- fic papers and bulletins — the latter Issued by the


geological survey — the former printed in the Anwriraii Journal of Science, the London Philo- soj>liiriil M(i(j<tzine and Die Journal Jer Physiko C/ieniir<tl.

BASCOM, Henry Bidleman, educator, was born at Hancock, N. Y., May 27, 1790. He received his license to preach in 1813. and for some years theretifter his work lay on the Ohio frontier. After serving in Tennessee and Ken- tucky, he was, in 1823, apix>intotl chaplain to Congress, and in 1827 he was elected first presi- dent of MadLson college. Pa., where he remained until 1829. From 1832 to 1841 he held the chair of moral science and belles lettres at Augusta college, and in 1843 became president of Transyl- vania university, which office he retained until his death. In 1845 he was a member of the Louisville convention which organized the Meth- odist church, south, and was the author of its report, and chairman of the reconciliation com- mittee. From 1846 to 1850 lie was the able editor of the Southern Methodist Quarterly Revieic. He was made bishop of the M. E. churcli, south, in May. 1850. His complete works were published after his death, which occurred at Louisville, Ky., Sept. 8, 1850.

BASCOM, John, educator, was born in Genoa, N. Y., 3Iay 1, 1827. He was graduated from Williams college in 1849, and in 1854 entered the theological seminary at Andover, where he was graduated in 1855. For the following nineteen years he occupied the chair of rhetoric at Wil- liams college, leav- ing to accept the position of presi- dent of the Uni- versity of Wiscon- sin, which he filled from 1874 until 1887. He was in 1896 pro- fessor of political economy at Wil- liams college. His published works arc chiefly on pliilo sophic and relig- ious themes. He warmly defended the intuitive philosophy, accepting, however, many modifications arising from our enlarged physical knowledge. His principal service as a worker and educator lies in this direction. His books include: " Political Economy " (1859); "Esthetics" (1862); " Philosophy of Rhetoric" (186.5); "Principles of Psychology" (1869); "Science. Philosophy and Religion"' (1871); " Philo.sophy and English Literature" (1874); " A Philosophy of Religion" (1876); "Compara- tive Psychology" (1878); " EtWcs " (1879);


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