Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/130

built what he intended to be the largest tannery in the world. around which grew the present town of Prattsville. N. Y. He was also interested in eleven similar establishments. In 1S37 he received from the New York institute the first silver medal that was ever awarded for hemlock sole-leather. lie was elected to congress as a Democrat in 1536 and in 1-842. serving one term each time. During his congressional career he was active in his etforts for the reduction of postage. established the National bureau of statistics. and as one of the committee on public buildings advocated the use of granite or marble in their construction. instead of sandstone. 'I‘ he post-office buildings in Washington were erected according to his plans. He was also one of the earliest advocates of a Pacific railroad. and in 1N4?) offered a resolution for the distribution of en- gravings of patent devicesthrough the country for the benefit of mechanics and the stimulation of in- vention. In 1536 and IRS? he wasa presidential elector. I Ie founded a bank in Prattsville. and contributed largely toward the growth of that town. He was a colonel of militia in 1.32:}. and was generally known by his title.—His son. George Watson. soldier. b. in Prattsyille. N. Y.. 1-5 April. 152:”; d. near Manassas. Va" ‘21 July. 1-‘131. was educated in Poughkeepsie. N. Y.. and in Europe. receiiing the degree of Ph. D. at the University of Erlangen. Bavaria. lIe engaged in business. took an active interest in politics. and served in the state senate. At the beginning of the civil “at he became colonel of the 2Uth New York regiment. and at the time of his death. at the battle of Bull Run. he was acting brigadier—general. Col. Pratt was the au- thor of an elaborate re\ iew of Gen. Gcorge I5. .‘ICIV‘lt'IIilIl-S l‘cpol‘t on the Crimean war.

PRAY. Isaac ('lal‘k. journalist. b. in Boston. Mass" 15 May. 1513 : d. in New York city. 28 Nov._ 1:569. Ile was the son of a Boston merchant. and was educated at Harvard and Amherst. where he was graduated in 1583. He edited the Iloston " Pearl " in 1‘34. and the Boston “ Daily Herald“ in 1835—7. and was also connected with the “ .Iour— nal ot'Cotnlnerce" in New York. In 1S3“ he be- came manager of the National theatre in the latter city. where he produced his original tragedy of "Giulietta Gordoni " (1-536). and he also produced I at the Park theatre a farce entitled " The Old Clock. or llere She Goes and There She Hoes." dramatized from his story written forthé " Sunday Morning News." of which he was the editor. He was also editor of the “ Dramatic Guardian ' and the " Ladies' Companion." He was in England in MIG—'7 and acted the parts of Hamlet. Othello. Sir (tiles ( )verreach. and other characters. at. the Queen's theatre. London. and at the Royal theatres in Liver- pool and Cork. In 1530 he was engaged on the editorial stafl" of the New York “ llcrald " as musical and dramatic critic. and subsequently he became a theatrical manager. aml translated and wrote several Play-‘1 including " I’aetus ('oceiuna" (INIT) and " The lIermit of Malta " (lSfili). He was the author of “ Prose and \‘erse " (Boston. 1335): “ Poems " (1937): “ took of the Drama" (New York. 1-5131): “ Memoirs of James Gordon Bennett " (1855); and nmuerous contributions to magazines and reviews.

PRAY. Lewis Glover. philanthropist. b. in ' Quincy. Mass.. 15 Aug“ 1793 : d. in Itexbury. Mass. '2 ()ct.. IRS‘J. Ile received a Common-school educa- tion and went to Boston in 12-107. where he became a shoe-dealer in 1815. He was a member of the primary-school committee in 1823. its secretary in 1834—3. and organiZed amodel school. but resigned in 18-12. He was a member of the Common council in 1927—19. and served in the legislature in 1-933 and 1S4”. M r. Pray retired from business in 1538. and removed to Roxbury in 1553. He was connected with the principal charitable. religious. and tem— perance societies in Boston and Roxl-ury. and pub- lished " Iloston Sunday-School Hymn-Hook " (Bos- ton. lb" : " The ('hild's First Book of Thought " (1-539): “ History of Sunday-Schools and of Relig- ious Education from the Earliest Times ” (1547); “ The Sylphid's School and ()ther Pieces in Verse " (1.562): and “ Ilistorical Sketch of the Twelfth Congregational Society in Boston " (1862)).

PRAY. Publius Rutilius Rufus. jurist. b. in Maine in 17 I d. in l'carlingtuu. )liss..11 Jan., 1-840. Ile removed to the south. practised law in Hancock county. Miss“ served in the legislature in 183“. and was president of the convention that adopted the revised constitution of 1832. In 1533 he was appointed by the legislature to revise the laws of the state. which work he completed after great labor. From November. 1837. till his death he was judge of the high court. of errors and ap- peals. Ilc published “ tey'ised Statutes of the State of His ssippi " (Jackson. 1536).

PREBLE. Jedediah. soldier. b. in “’ells. )Ie., in 17th . d. in Portland. Me.. 11 March. 1784. He began life as a sailor. and in 17-16 became captain in a provincial regiment. settling in Portland about 1749. He was a lieutenant-t olonel under (ten. John \Yinslow in Acadia. in 17-75. became colonel. 13 March. 175-“. and brigadier-general. 12 March. 1759. He was for twelve years a representative in the general court. and became a councillor in 1773. On ‘37 Uct.. 1774. he was commissioned brigadier-gen- eral by the Provincial congress of Massachusetts. and he was afterward made major-general. but re- fused on account of age. Gen. Preble was judge of the court of common pleas in 1773 and a mem- ber of the state senate in 1750.—Ilis son. Edward. naval olliccr. b. in Portland. Me.. 15 Aug.. 1761: (I. there. ‘25 Aug.. 1507. When he was seventeen years old he ran away and shipped in a privateer. and on his return was appointed midshipman in the Massachu— setts state ma- rine. participat- ing in the “ Pro- tector" in a gal- lant attack on the British pri- vatcer "Admi— ral Duti"whi¢-h took fire and blew n p. In 1779 he “ as captured in fl

the “ Protcctor" and sent

to the " Jersey " prison-ship in New York. After his release he served in the state cruiser "Win- throp." and took a British armed brig. After the peace of 173‘“! he cruised around the world in the merchant marine. I'pon the organization of the navy he was one of the first fire that w ere commis- sioned as lieutenants. 9 l-‘eb.. 1798. served as acting captain of the brig “ Pickering." and “as commis— sioned captain. 15 May. 1799. commanding the " Esse\ " on a cruise to China. \\ hence he convoyed a. fleet of fourteen merchant men. \alued at many mill- ions. He married Mary Deering in ISM. In May. 1MB. he commanded the "Constitution." and the