the Decisions of the Courts of the State of Penn- sylvania from 1754 to 1882 " (3 vols., Philadelphia, 1877-'83). " A Digest of the Laws of Pennsylvania from 1700 to 1883 " (1883). He also republished two editions of "Binn's Justice, or Magistrate's Daily Companion - ' (1870-'86); also "The Practice in Civil Actions and Proceedings in the Courts of Pennsylvania " (2 vols., 1880), popularly known as "Troiibat and Haley's Practice, and has edited numerous volumes of reports and other legal works. — His son, Francis Frederick, lawyer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 26 Feb., 1845, was graduated at the law department of the University of Penn- sylvania in 1866. He has published " A Digest of the Laws and Ordinances of the City of Philadel- phia " (2 vols., 1887), and " A Digest of the Laws of Pennsylvania from 1883 to 1887 7 ' (1887).
BROOKS, William Robert, astronomer, b. in
Maidstone, England, 11 June, 1844. He came to
this country in 1857, and settled with his parents
in Darien, N. Y. When he was only fourteen years
of age he constructed a telescope ; and at the age
of eighteen delivered his first astronomical lectures.
Subsequently he was employed as a mechanical
draughtsman, and invented various improvements
in astronomical, photographic, and other scientific
instruments. In 1870 he settled in Phelps, N. Y.,
where, in 1874, he founded and became the di-
rector of the Red House observatory. In 1888
he removed to Geneva, N. Y., to take charge of
Smith observatory. His work has consisted largely
in the discovery of comets, and thirteen of these
bodies have been credited to him since 1881, of
which two were the first observed return of the
notable long-period comets of 1812 and of 1815.
He found two in 1885 and the first three that were
discovered in 1886, making a record of five comets
within a period of nine months, of which four
were in succession and two within four days.
Three of these, bearing his name, were visible at
the same time, which is unparalleled in the history
of astronomy. Mr. Brooks is a fellow of the Ameri-
can association for the advancement of science, and
a fellow of the Royal astronomical society of
Great Britain, and has won a number of prizes by
his discoveries. He has lectured frequently, and,
besides papers on his specialty, has published
Eoems, of which " Milton " and " The Pilgrim of
iavergne " have been widely copied.
BROWNE, John Mills, surgeon, b. in Hinsdale,
N. H, 10 May, 1831. He was graduated at the
medical department of Harvard in March, 1852,
and entered the U. S. navy as an assistant sur-
geon, 26 March, 1853. In 1855-'6 he participated
in the Indian war on Puget sound, and subse-
quently he took part in the survey of the north-
west boundary. He became a passed assistant sur-
geon, 12 May, 1858, served in the brig " Dolphin,"
suppressing the slave-trade on the west coast of
Africa in 1858, and in October of that year joined
the Paraguay expedition. He was commissioned a
surgeon, 19 June, 1861, and attached to the steamer
"Kearsarge" until 9 Dec, 1864, participating in
the engagement with the Confederate cruiser " Ala-
bama. He served at the Mare island navy-yard
from 1869 till 1871, during which time he superin-
tended the erection of the naval hospital there.
He was commissioned as medical inspector, 1 Dec,
1871, and was fleet-surgeon of the Pacific fleet in
1872-'6. He served at the naval hospital at Mare
island, Cal., in 1876-'80, was commissioned a medi-
cal director, 6 Oct., 1878, and was a member of the
examining board at Washington, from 2 July, 1880,
to 26 Oct., 1882, when he took charge of the Muse-
um of hygiene until 1 July, 1886, after which he
was again appointed a member of the examining
and retiring board. On 27 March, 1888, he was
appointed chief of the bureau of medicine and
surgery and surgeon-general of the navy.
BUCHANAN, Joseph, inventor, b. in Washing-
ton county, Va., 24 Aug., 1785; d. in Louisville,
Ky., 29 Sept., 1829. He removed to Tennessee in
1795, was educated at Transylvania university,
Kentucky, studied medicine, and practised in Port
Gibson, Miss., but in 1808 removed to Lexington,
Ky., where in 1811 he was appointed professor of
the institutes of medicine in the medical depart-
ment of Transylvania university. Among his nu-
merous inventions was a new musical instrument,
in which the notes were produced by glasses of dif-
ferent chemical composition, and a steam-engine
with which, in 1824, he ran a wagon through the
streets of Louisville. He claimed to have discov-
ered a new motive power, derived from combus-
tion without the aid of water and steam, which is
now utilized in the air-engines of John Ericsson
and others ; and also originated what he called
" the music of light," to be produced by means of
" harmonific colors luminously displayed." Dr.
Buchanan edited the "Palladium" in Frankfort,
the " Western Spy " and the " Literary Cadet " in
Cincinnati, and the " Focus " in Louisville, and was
the author of the " Philosophy of Human Nature "
(Richmond, Ky., 1812). He was the father of Joseph
Rodes Buchanan (vol. i., p. 436).
BUNGAY, George Washington, journalist, b.
in Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk, England, 28 Nov.,
1826. He came to this country at an early age,
was educated in New York city, and engaged in
journalism. From 1873 till 1887 he was employed
in the New York custom-house. He is a well-
known lecturer, has contributed to the press, was
literary editor of the "Metropolitan." a weekly
journal in New York, and is the author of " Off-
Hand Takings, or Crayon Sketches " (New York,
1854); "Traits of Representative Men" (1882);
"Pen Portraits of Illustrious Abstainers,", pub-
lished by the National temperance society (1884) ;
and " The Creeds of the Bells," a poem.
BURKE, Maurice Francis, R. C. bishop, b. in
Ireland, 15 May, 1845. He came to this country
with his parents in 1849, was educated at St. Mary's
university. Chicago, 111., and in the American college
at Rome, Italy, and in 1875 was ordained a 'priest
in the Roman Catholic church. He was assistant
at St. Mary's church, Chicago, for the three subse-
quent years, and afterward pastor of St. Mary's
church, Joliet, 111., till 1887, when he became
bishop of Chevenne, Wvoming territory.
BURLEIGH, George Shepard, poet, b. in
Plainfield, Conn., 26 March, 1821. He was edu-
cated in the district schools, assisted his brother,
William H. Burleigh (vol. i., p. 455), in editing the
" Charter Oak," and subsequently devoted his time
to intellectual pursuits. He has published " Anti-
Slavery Hymns" (New London, Conn., 1842);
"The Maniac, and other Poems" (Philadelphia,
1849); and "Signal Fires, or the Trail of the
Pathfinder" (New York, 1856); and translated
into English verse Victor Hugo's "La legende
des siecles " (printed privately, 1867).
BURTON, Robert, member of the Continental congress, b. in Mecklenburg county, Va., in 1747; d. in Granville county, N. C, 10 April, 1825. He
removed to Granville county, N. C., about 1775, was a commissioned officer in the Continental army, and in 1787 a member of the Continental congress. He was one of the commissioners to run the line between the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in 1801.
