moved to Lancaster, where he continued until his death. He was a man of genial character, exercised a great influence socially, and was successful as a preacher.
BIGLER, John, governor of California, b. in Cumberland CO., Pa., 8 Jan., 1804; d. 13 Nov., 1871. He was of German descent. Learning the printer's
trade, he became a journalist, afterward a lawyer,
and removed to Illinois in 1846. He went to California among the emigrants of 1849. There he became a prominent democratic politician and gained the name of "honest John Bigler." From 1852 till 1856 he was governor of the state.—His brother,
William, governor of Pennsylvania, was b. in Shermansburg, Pa., in 1814: d. in Clearfield, Pa., 9 Aug., 1880. In 1829 he began to aid his brother John as a printer in the office of the "Center Democrat," published at Bellefonte. In 1833 he removed to Clearfield and established the "Clearfield
Democrat," a Jackson paper, which became prosperous and notable. He sold it in 1836, and entered the lumber business.. But his editorial career had so extended his reputation that he was already regarded as a political leader. In 1841 he
was elected to the state senate, and he was its speaker in 1843-'4. In 1849 he was appointed one of the revenue commissioners, and in 1851 was elected governor, he received the gubernatorial nomination a second time in 1854. but was defeated by the American party. In 1855 he was sent to the
U. S. senate. He was a member of the Charleston
convention in 1860, and was temporary chairman
of the democratic convention of 1864, and a member of that of 1868. After the election of Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Bigler drew up a bill, and advocated it
before the senate, for submitting the Crittenden
compromise proposition to a vote of the people of
the several states. In 1873 he was delegate-at-large of the constitutional convention at Erie. In 1874 he was an efficient member of the board of finance of the centennial exhibition.
BIGLOW, William, educator, b. in Natick, Mass., 22 Sept., 1773 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 12 Jan.,
1844. He was graduated at Harvard in 1794, taught school in Salem, and then became principal of the Latin school in Boston, where he wrote a number of text-books. He also preached occasionally, and wrote for periodicals. He subsequently
taught a village school in Maine, and in later life
was proof-reader in the university press at Cambridge. He wrote "The Cheerful Parson" and other songs that became popular; "History of Natick " (1830); "History of Sherburne"; "The
Youth's Library" (1808); "Introduction to the Making of Latin " (1809); and "Education, a Poem," delivered at Cambridge in 1799.
BILLINGS, Elkanali, Canadian geologist, b. in Gloucester, Canada, 5 May, 1820. He was the
son of an emigrant from Massachusetts, who settled
near Brockville after the revolution, was admitted
to the bar in 1845, and practised in Ottawa, but in
1856 became paleontologist of the geological survey of Canada. During that year he edited the "Canadian Naturalist," to which he has since contributed. He has also written for other scientific
journals and prepared memoirs of the third and
fourth decades of the geological survey.
BILLINGS, George Herrick, metallurgist, b. in Taunton, Mass., 8 Feb., 1845. He was educated at Pittsburg, and since 1862 his attention has been occupied with the study and practice of iron metallurgy and its chemistry. Of late he has been the general manager of the Norway Iron and Steel Company in Boston. He has invented improved forms of machinery for the manufacture of
iron and steel, principally appliances for drawing
iron and steel bars for shafting and finishing rods.
Mr. Billings is a member of the American institute
of mining engineers, and has contributed papers
to its transactions, among which is "The Properties of Iron alloyed with other Metals " (1877).
BILLINGS, Hammatt, architect, d. in Boston, 14 Nov., 1874. He lived in Boston for many
years, and designed numerous churches and public
buildings throughout the United States. He was
an artist of versatile talent and refined taste, and
executed decorative designs and drew illustrations
for books, besides making plans for buildings and
monuments. The Pilgrims' monument at Plymouth, and the case of the great organ in Boston music-hall, are after his designs. Many book-covers were designed by him. He made in sepia
a noted drawing called the "Enchanted Monk."
BILLINGS, John Shaw, surgeon, b. in Switzerland CO., Ind., 12 April, 1838. He was graduated at Miami University in 1857, and at the Ohio Medical College in 1860. At first he settled in
Cincinnati, but in November. 1861, he was appointed
acting assistant surgeon in the U. S. army. Until
March, 1863, he was assistant surgeon, having
charge of hospitals in Washington, D. C, and
West Philadelphia. He then served with the Army
of the Potomac, being with the 5th corps at the
battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. From
October, 1863, till February, 1864, he served on
Hospital duty at David's and Bedlow's islands in
the vicinity of New York city, also acting as a
member of the board of enrollment, after which
he became medical inspector to the Army of the
Potomac, and from December, 1864, was connected
with the surgeon-general's office in Washington.
In December, 1876, he was appointed surgeon,
with the rank of major, in the regular army.
He is also medical adviser of the Johns Hopkins
Hospital, and lecturer on municipal hygiene at
the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Billings is a
member of numerous scientific societies, including
the American Medical Association and the Nation-
al Academy of Sciences (1883), and he is also an
honorary member of the Statistical Society of
London. During 1879-80 he was vice-president
of the National Board of Health, and in 1884 he
received the honorary degree of LL. D. from the
University of Edinburgh. During August, 1886,
he was present at the meeting of the British Medical Association, and delivered an important address
on "medicine in the United States." His contributions to the periodical literature of medicine are numerous, and he has also published reports on "Barracks and Hospitals" (War Department, Washington, 1870); "The Hygiene of the U. S. Army" (1875); and "Mortality and Vital Statistics of the
United States" (Census Reports, 1880). His great work, however, has been the "Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office," U. S. army (Washington, 1880-95), in 16 large quarto volumes, which contain the bibliography
of every medical subject ; also a companion index volume of abbreviations (1895). He was appointed in January, 1896, director of the New York Public Library—Astor, Lenox, and Tilden foundations.
BILLINGS, Joseph, English navigator, b. in Turnham Green, near London, about 1758. He was a sailor on the "Discovery" in Captain Cook's last fatal voyage, entered the Russian navy as a lieutenant after his return, and in 1785 was appointed to the command of an expedition to the northwest extremity of Asia. The expedition assembled at Irkutsk in February, 1786. In two vessels it explored the coasts of Siberia and Alaska,
