The Washington herald., 1907-05-19

he was graduated from oxford Uniyer-
sity sixty-five years ago-and his cham.
pIonship Of New World ideas and ideals,
although surrounded by the most conser.
vafive influence in his youth. He was
very progressive. however before he left
England. being termed a radical in Palm.
erstOns days
lie was nearly forty when the Ameri-
can civil war broke out. and throughout
that struggle was strong champion NJ
the Union cause He came 10 this c0uu-
try in 1854. and was so impressed with It's
future and its possibilities that. four years
later he left England permanently 20
accept a professors chair at the then
newly founded Cornell University. To DO
this ne sacrificed a most promising career
i'm letters, politics. and social life in
Great Britain where he had reached a
high place as an author, a university
lecturer. and a government official
When he left Cornell he presented that
institution with HIS own private library.
"A most valuable collection of books lie
believes that Canada is destined 90 merge
her political life with that Of the United
States eventually. ani has written much
In support OF that notion. His published
books. all on the most important Gucs-
uons, number about twoscore. and he
has been a vOluminous maEazinlst
He Is an ardent champion of the high
or criticism Of the Scriptures. and his let
ters on the subject are an important at
traction 10 many readers Of a certain
New York newspaper. He did not marry
TIL past fifty. His home the Grange. a
picturesque viue-clad old house on the
outskirts Of the city. is one OF Toronto's
bcst-known show places
John BigeiOw Mt Ninety.
Oldest man Of the list, being ninety.
John Bigelow. who I'm hts official biogra-
ply is modestly described as an author,
is now almost forgotten. although he was
one Of the worlds most striking men
for half a century. and is still more ac-
tive than some men OF sixty
He was almost as precocious in his
youth as DR.. Hale. but was not gradu-
ated from his alma mater. Union Col
lege, until eighteen. The law was his
chosen profession. and that led him into
politics, through which he became in
spector Of Sing Sing State prison in 1895
so long ago that the septuagenarian of to-
day was not yet born Then. when he was
thirty-two. he slid over into newspaper
Evening Posts editors under BRYANT
when its staff was made up Of genuine in
tellectual giants Bigelow remained on
the paper until 1851, and during his stay
Walt Whitman was one of its CORE
spondents; Artemus Ward contributed.
Bret Harte was a regular attache. and
the Sainte Beuve letters were published.
In 1861. when the consul generalship al
Paris was considered Of prime Importance
because Of the civil war. Bryant was sug-
gested for the place. He couldn't go.
and Bigelow was appointed instead
He did great work in Paris, making him
self a favorlte az the court OF Napoleon
III, in spite Of its sympathy with the
South. and he discovered and stopped the
sale by the French government OF four
irOnclads to the Confederates Il was
Bigelow who, while assisting in the
search for information about BENJAMIN
Eranklin's life in Paris, found and res
cued the manuscript OF the sage's auto
which gives such a faithful
picture Of that philosopher and statesman
as never could have been written by any
hands but his own
On the death OF the Minister 10 rrnn,e
President Lincoln placed Bigelow at the /
head of the United States Legation in |
Paris, and he served from 1864 10 1857. |
After his return TO the United States he |
became active in politics, acting as chair |
nan on Tiden's Erie Canal Commission |
He was an intimate friend OF Tilden.
ived near him on Gramercy Square, in |
New York-he still lives there. by the way |
and was one 10 Tildens executors.
Mr.. Bigelow has written many books: /
be Is stu actively Interested in affairs |