New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-24
OBITUARY.
JAMES A. BRIGGS

James A. Briggs died at his home. No &c Orange
ST. Brooklyn. on Thursday morning He was born
al hcd Hook In this State. February g. 1911. and
went to live, after the death OF his parents, at
bennington. Vt. He studied law in the Office Of HIS
uncle George ~ Briggs, who was Governor Of
Massachusetts, for several terms and then went to
Cleveland and admitted TO the bar of the State
vi ONO lie practsed law but little however,
aeVoting himself more TO politics He a brilliant
speaker and his services in political campaigns were
therefore OF much value and were eagerly sought
In 1910 Mr. Briggs active in the support Of
the Whlg party, and made effective speeches for Har
rison and Tyler in Ohio He was a speaker for
his party In all the campaigns following this Mr..
Briggs was prompt TO Join in the Free Soil move
ment IN ls4o and when the Republican party arose
he Joined 1t, and was firm Republican for the rest
oil his LIE. He was intimate with the party leaders
from $40 down TO late time as Arthurs
Presidency. lie was of Lincolns early friends,
and recognized Mr.. Llncon's great powers and capa-
blites long before they to be at all appreciated
In the East.
After Mr. Briggs came to this city, in 1856. he IN
duced Lincoln to come here and speak Lincoln
was little known In this part OF the country them and
the speech that he then made has been regarded
the beginning OF his National reputation. 1t the
famous Cooper Institute address. The speech
delivered under the auspices OF a club which was
having series of LECTURES the Institute and asked
Mr.. Briggs TO suggest to deliver one OF the
lectures. When he suggested Lincoln the members
OF the club asked who he was. said they afraid
ne would not please and declined to invite him.
He was asked only when MIR Briggs and three
others guaranteed the payment of expenses.
While Salmon z. Chase was Secretary OF the
Treasury, Mr. Briggs made special agent in the
Treasury Department Governor Dix appointed
him State Assessor on February 10, 1873 and he
mained In that office till A. b. Cornell became
Governor. His conduct IN office was extremely
creditable, as he had made special study Of the
subject Of taxation.
In Arthurs administration Mr. Briggs was made
Deputy Collector in the Custom House. lie had a
stroke Of paralysis, however. while sitting at bis
desk there ono day, and he was an invalid for the
rest OF his life. He could walk little with the help
OF clutches about his house, for short dis
lance IN the street. Mr.. Briggs always had an es-
peclal fondness for statistics and for the study
oi subjects connected with taxation, and he wrote
ifequent articles for the newspapers on these and
hndred topics. For number of years he wrote the
wall Street articles for The Tribune In this work he
was succeeded by John f. Cleveland the brother-in-
law OF Horace Greeley. Mr. Briggs was an able
writer, and as man was highly esteemed by all with
whom he was brought I'm contact When a young
man he married Miss Margaret Bayard, Of Pittsburg
and after her death he married. in 1851, Mrs. William
r. Casey, Of Columbus formerly Miss Catharine Van
Eechten,, Of Albany. She is still living. They had
one child, who died In infancy
Mr.. Brggs's body Will be buried in Lake View
Cemetery CLEVELAND