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■volumes are: American Marine Conchology (1831);
Fossil Shells of the Tertiary Formations of North
America (Vol: I., 1882); Neiv Fresh-water Shells of
the United States (1834); Ilonograjjhy of the
Family Unionidce, or Naiades of Lamarck of
North America (1836); Fossils of the Tertiary
Formations of the United, States (1838); Paleon-
tology of the State of New I orfc (1838-40); The
New Diogenes, a Cynical Poem (1848); and A
Geological Vision and other Poems, collected by
his nephew, Dr. C. C. Abbott (1871). He died in
Trenton, N.J., Aug. 9. 1877.
CONRAD, Victor Lafayette, journalist, was born in Pine Grove, Pa., Oct. 7, 1824. He was graduated at Gettysburg in 1851, and was or- dained in the Lutheran ministry. He edited the Evangelical Lutheran at Springfield, Oliio, 1852- '56, then became a teacher, and in 1867-'70 was professor of natural sciences at Gettysburg. From 1870, with his brother, lie edited the Lti- theran Observer in Philadelphia till lie died there, Jan. 7, 1900.
CONROY, John Joseph, R.C. bishop, was born in Clonaslee, County Queens, Ireland, in June, 1819. He studied at Mount St. Mary's, Emmitts- burg. He was ordained. May 21,1842. He was made vice-rector of St. John's college, Fordham, in 1843, and rector in 1844. He was transferred to St. Joseph's church. Albany, N.Y., in 1844 and became vicar-general of the diocese of Albany in 1857. He was consecrated bishop of Al- bany, Oct. 15, 1865. Bishop Conroy founded St. Peter's hospital; St. Agnes's rural cemetery; an industrial school, and a home for the Little Sis- ters of the Poor. He attended the first and sec- ond councils at Baltimore and the sessions of the Vatican council. On Dec. 23, 1871, Father McNeirney was appointed his coadjutor and he resigned his bishopric Oct. 16, 1877, and was transferred to the titular see of Curiam, March 22, 1878. He made his residence in New York city and died there, Nov. 20, 1895.
CONTEE, Benjamin, representative, was born in Prince George-'s county, Md., in 1755. At the beginning of the war of the ReA'olution he entered the army in the 3d Maryland battalion, gaining promotion to the rank of 2d lieutenant June 29, 1776. He was a delegate to the Conti- nental congress, 1787-88, and a representative from Maryland in the 1st U.S. congress, 1789-91, voting in 1790 for the permanent establishment of the seat of government on the Potomac river. He was afterward made presiding judge of the testamentary court of Charles county. He was ordained a priest in the Episcopal church in 1803 and subsequently received the degree of D.D. He died in Charles county, Md., Nov. 3, 1815.
CONVERSE, Amasa, journalist, was born in Lyme, N.H., Aug. 31, 1795; son of Joel and Eliz-
abeth (Bixby) Converse. His first ancestor in
America, Joel Converse, came from England and
settled in Woburn, Mass., in 1630. He gained his
preparatory education by self instruction while
teaching school and was graduated at Dartmouth
in 1822. He studied at Princeton theological
seminary, 1823, was a teaclier at Chelsea and in
Sanderson academy, Ashfield, Mass., 1824-26;
was ordained an evangelist by the presbytery of
Hanover, May 5, 1826, and served as missionary in
Virginia, 1826-27. He became editor of the Visitor
and Telegraph, Richmond, Va., in February, 1827.
The Beligious Remembrancer, the first religious
weekly newspaper ever published, was started in
Philadelphia in September, 1813, and was con-
tinuously published in that city until February,
1839, when the two papers were joined, and
Mr. Converse became editor of the united paper,
calling it the Christian Observer, and publishing it
in Philadelphia till 1861. He removed it to Rich-
mond, Va., where he edited it as an organ of the
southern Presbyterian church, 1861-69; and after
that in Louisville, Ky., until his death. He was
married to Flavia Booth, and their sons, Francis
Bartlett, Thomas Edwards, James Booth and
Charles Sidney were Presbyterian clergymen,
and the first three editors and publishers of the
Christian Observer. He received the degree of
D.D. in 1846 from Clinton college, Miss. He died
in Louisville, Ky., Dec. 9, 1872.
CONVERSE, Elisha Slade, manufacturer, was born in Needham, Mass., July 28, 1820; son of Elisha and Betsey (Wheatqn) Converse. He received a common school education and in 1839 engaged in the clothing business at Thompson, Conn., soon after changing to the shoe and leather
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business. In 1849 he removed to Maiden, Mass., and in 1853 was appointed treasurer of the Maiden manufacturing company, which in 1855 became the Boston rubber shoe company, of which he was chosen treasurer and manager. He held numerous other positions of honor and responsi- bility, chiefly in connection with financial insti- tutions. He was a member of the lower house of
