in conveying wounded men over the mountain-passes of western Virginia.
CROIX, Jean Baptiste De La, R. C. bishop,
b. of a noble family in Grenoble, France, in 1653;
d. in Quebec, 28 Dec, 1727. He was first almoner
to Louis XIV., and came to Canada in 1685 as successor to Laval, the first bishop of Quebec. He
founded three hospitals, and distributed more than
a million livres among the poor.
Croly, David Goodman, journalist, b. in New York city. 3 Nov., 1829; d. in New York, 29 April, 1889. He was graduated at New York university in 1854, was subsequently a professor of phonography, and a reporter for the New York "Evening Post" and "Herald" from 1855 till 1858. He owned and edited the Rockford, Ill., "Daily News" from 1858 till 1859, and became city editor of the New York "World" when it was founded in 1860, then its managing editor until 1872. His active work as a newspaper editor terminated in 1878, when, in consequence of ill health, he resigned the editorship of the New York "Graphic," which he had held since 1872. Mr. Croly predicted financial catastrophes, and foretold in the spring of 1872 the panic of the autumn of 1873, naming the banking-house (Jay Cooke & Co.) that first failed, and also indicated the railroad (the Northern Pacific) that would first go down. Mr. Croly contributed many articles to periodicals, and published lives of Seymour and Blair, with a "History of Reconstruction" (New York, 1868), and a "Primer of Positivism" (1876).—His wife, Jane Cunningham, b. in Market Harborough, England, 19 Dec., 1831, is known by her writings under the penname of "Jenny June." Her father came to the United States when she was ten years old. Until that time she was educated at her native place, afterward by her father and brother at Poughkeepsie and New York. In 1857 she was married, and in 1860 became editor of Demorest's "Quarterly Mirror of Fashion," and when that periodical and the New York "Weekly Illustrated News" were incorporated into "Demorest's Illustrated Monthly" she became the editor of the new journal. Mrs. Croly has been also editorially connected with the New York "World," "Graphic," daily "Times," and "Noah's Sunday Times," and was dramatic critic and assistant editor of the "Messenger" for five years, 1861-'6. She invented the system of duplicate correspondence, and has practised it for thirty years. Mrs. Croly's pen-name of "Jenny June" was derived from a little poem by Benjamin F. Taylor, sent to her, when she was about twelve years old, by her pastor, in Poughkeepsie, with the name underlined, because, he said, "You are the Juniest little girl I know." Mrs. Croly called the first Woman's Congress in New York, in 1856, and also the second, in 1869, and in 1868 founded the Sorosis, and was its president until 1870, and again from 1876 till 1886. She is vice-president of the Association for the advancement of the medical education of women. She has published "Talks on Women's Topics" (1869); "For Better or Worse" (1875); a "Cookery-Book for Young Housekeepers"; and "Knitters and Crochet," "Letters and Monograms" (New York, 1885-'6).
CROMPTON, William, inventor, b. in Preston,
England, 10 Sept., 1806; d. in Windsor, Conn., 1
May, 1891. He was brought up as a hand-loom
cotton-weaver, and at an early age learned the trade of
a machinist. While superintendent of a cotton-mill
in Ramsbottom he made many experiments on
cotton-looms. He went to Taunton, Mass., in 1836,
and devised a loom for the manufacture of fancy
cotton goods, receiving a patent on 23 Nov., 1837.
In this loom one part of the warp was depressed
while the other was lifted, instead of allowing one
part to remain stationary, thus securing more room
for the passage of the shuttle. Another feature of
it was the chain, which, with its peculiar apparatus,
operated the warp. Mr. Crompton went to
England in 1838, and, after patenting his loom there,
returned with his family to this country in 1839,
and in 1840 adapted his loom to the weaving of
fancy woollens. At least three fourths of all the
woollen goods now made in the United States are
woven on the Crompton loom, or on looms embodying
its principles. Mr. Crompton retired from active
business in 1849, on account of failing health. —
His son, George, inventor, b. in Holcomb, England,
23 March, 1829; d. in Worcester, Mass., 29 Dec.,
1886, came to the United States in 1839, and joined
his father's business. In 1851 he engaged in the
manufacture of fancy looms in Worcester, Mass.,
where the Crompton loom-works have since been
established. He soon directed his attention to
improvements in his father's loom, and since 1854 has
taken out more than fifty patents, including those
for the harness mechanism, picker movement,
let-off and stop motions, shuttle and shuttle-boxes,
shipping mechanism, and devices for finding the
pick when broken or exhausted. He has also
received eight patents for textile fabrics. At the
Centennial exhibition in 1876 he received an award
“for the best looms for fancy weaving on shawls,
cassimeres, and satinets.” By Mr. Crompton's
improvements in his father's looms there is an
increased production of sixty per cent., with a saving
of fifty per cent. in labor and more than that in
the cost of repairs.
CROMWELL, Henry Bowman, merchant, b. in 1828 ; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 2 April. 1864. He
engaged in trade at an early age. and became a
member of the firm of Cromwell, Haight & Co. be-
fore he was twenty years old. In 1850 he became
a partner in the firm of John Haight & Co., in Hud-
dersfield, England, and resided there until 1854,
when he returned to his native city, and soon en-
gaged in the shipping business, managing a line of
screw propellers in connection with the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, his business increasing until he
had connection with nearly all the important do-
mestic seacoast ports. During the few years pre-
vious to 1861 he had in successful operation steam
lines from New ^York to Savannah, Charleston, Wil-
mington, Norfolk, Alexandria, and Washington,
Portland, and Baltimore ; also from Baltimore to
Charleston and Savannah. When the civil war be-
gan he sold nearly all his vessels to the government,
and immediately proceeded with the construction
of two fine steamers, the " George Washington "
and " Oliver Cromwell," which subsequently sailed
between New York and New Orleans. Although
Mr. Cromwell's commercial interests were so large-
ly connected with the south, he firmly upheld the
cause of the government during the war.
CRONYN,"Benjamin, Canadian P. E. bishop,
b. in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1802; d. in London,
Ontario, 22 Sept., 1871. He was graduated at Trin-
ity college, Dublin, i)i 1821, in 1825 was ordained
a deacon of the Episcopal church, and afterward
officiated for a short time as curate in the diocese
of Chester, England. Returning to Ireland, he
served for six years as curate under the late arch-
bishop of Tuam. In 1832 he emigrated to Cana-
da and became rector of St. Paul's church, Lon-
don, which charge he kept until 1857, when he was
elected bishop of the new diocese of Huron.
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CROOK, George, soldier, b. near Dayton, Ohio, 8 Sept., 1828; d. in Chicago, Ill., 21 March, 1890.
