Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/136

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106
FORMENTO
FRANK


of any sort for his country." See interesting " Jlemoir of John Murray Forbes," by his daugh- ter. Mrs. Sarah Fisher Hughes" (Boston. 1899).

FORMENTO, Felix, physician, b. in Piedmont in October, 1790; d. in Pignerot, Italy, 6 Jan., 1888. He was graduated in medicine at the Uni- versity of Turin in 1813, was a surgeon in the French army under Napoleon during his last campaign in Prance, and after the downfall of the emperor came to this country and joined the ex- pedition under Gen. Charles F. A. Lallemand to found a settlement in Texas for French exiles. After the failure of that enterprise he settled in New Orleans, attained to eminence in his profes- sion, and became widely known for liis treatment of yellow fever and cholera during the epidemics of those diseases. He returned to Italy in 1851, and after a residence there of nine yeai-s returned to New Orleans, but when the city was occupied by the National troops he went again to Italy, and did not return to this country. — His son, Felix, physician, b. in New Orleans, 16 March, 1837, was graduated at the University of Turin in 1852, and in medicine there in 1857, having in the meantime studied six years in the Ecole pratique, in Paris. During the war between France and Austria for Italian independence in 1859 he took service in the Sardinian army under Napoleon III. In 1800 he returned to New Orleans, settled there in the practice of medicine, and was a visiting physician to the charity hospital. At the beginning of the civil war he was appointed chief surgeon to the Louisiana hospital in Richmond, Va., and held that post till the failure of his health in 1863, when he returned to New Orleans, and was physi- cian successively to the Italian, the New Lusitanos, the Old Portuguese, and the Firemen's charitable associations. In the yellow fever epidemic in 1867 he rendered active service to the sutferers, and in recognition of his care for needy Italians received a decoration from the Italian govern- ment. He was associated for many years with Dr. James Trudeau in the management of the Baronne street infirmary, became a member of the Louisiana board of health in 1880. and was a dele- gate to the international congress of hygiene and demography which met in Geneva in 1884. Dr. Formento is a member of many learned bodies, was president of the New Orleans cremation so- ciety, and is the author of articles on hygiene ; " Notes and Observations on Army Surgery " (New Orleans, 1864) ; •' Memoir on Yellow Fever " (1884) ; and " School Hygiene " (St. Louis, 1884).

FORSYTH, James, lawyer, b. in Clinton county, N. Y., 8 Sept., 1817; d. in Troy, N. Y., 10 Aug., 1886. He was graduated at the University of Ver- mont, admitted to the bar, settled in Troy in 1843, and subsequently resided in that city, where he was for many years interested in railroad and banking enterprises as counsel and attorney. In 1861 he became chairman of the war committee of Rensselaer county and was a member of the board of enrollment, and in 1864-'5 lie was provost- marshal of Rensselaer and Washington counties. He was collector of U. S. internal revenue for these counties in 1868-'9, and became county judge of Rensselaer county in 1881. From 1868 until 1886 Dr. Forsyth was president of Rensselaer poly- technic institute. The University of Vermont gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1882.

FOSTER, Addison G., senator, b.inBelchertown, Mass., in 1837. At an early age he removed to Os- wego, III., and later to Minnesota. Here he taught school, and engaged in the grain and real estate business from 1859 until 1875. He became interest- ed in the lumber trade and took up his residence in St. Paul. In 1889 he removed to Tacoma, Wash., and here he continued his activities in the lumber business, in developing coal-mines, and in building railways. He was vice-president of the St. Paul and Tacoma lumber company. While in Minne- sota Mr. Foster was elected county auditor and surveyor at Wabasha, but he never took an active interest in politics until he was elected, in 1899, U. .S. Republican senator from Washington for the term ending in JIarch, 1905.

FOULON, Clement, known as Father Claude D'Abhbville, French missionary, b. in Abbeville, Somme. about 1557; d. in Paris in 1632. In 1612 he accompanied Commander Isaac de Razilly to South America, and. after exploring the northern shore of Brazil, began a small settlement on the island of Maranhao, near the coast. Returning to France a few months later, he vainly solicited aid from the church, and in 1614 recalled the three missionaries that he had left on Marafion island. He was a preacher of much repute, and for many years the superior of the convent of Capucins at Abbeville, which he had founded. He published "Ilistoire de la mission des P. P. Capucins a l"ile de Maragnon et terres circonvoisines " (Paris, 1614).

FRANCIS, Charles Stephen, publisher, h. in Boston, 9 June, 1805; d. in Tarrytown, N. Y., 1 Dec, 1887. His father, David p>ancis. was a part- ner in the Boston publishing house of Monroe & Francis. The son learned the printing-trade under his father, established himself as a publisher in New York city in 1826, and engaged in business there continuously for more than sixty years. His Broadway store was a popular resort for men of letters, and was named by the father of Ralph Waldo Emerson the " Unitarian headquarters," Mr. Francis being the publisher of such authors of that denomination as William E. Channing. William Ware, Henry W. Bellows, and Orville Dewey. He also published many of Audubon's works on ornithology. — His brother, David ii., who was long associated with him. recently retired from the retail book business in New York.

FRANCIS, David Rowland, merchant, b. in Richmond, Ky.. 1 Oct., 1850, of Scotch-Irish de- scent. He was graduated from Washingto'> uni- versity and entered u|)on a mercantile career, organizing, after three years of training, the ci i- mission house of D. R. Francis & Bro. in St. Lou s. In 1883 he was elected vice-president of the Mi-r- chant's exchange, and in the following year became its president. In 1884 Mr. Francis was a dele- gate to the national Democratic convention that nominated Grover Cleveland, and the next year he was elected mayor of St. Louis, promoting during his term many necessary municipal reforms. He was elected governor of Missouri in 1888. his ad- ministration being much commended. During the free coinage agitation that ended in the tri- umph of the Silver party in the Democratic na- tional convention held at Chicago, he was a strong advocate for sound money. Gov. Francis in Au- gust, 1896, became secretary of the interior in Cleveland's second administration.

FRANK. Royall Thaxter. soldier, b. in Gray, Cumberland CO.," Me., 6 May, 1836. He was grad- uated from the U. S. military academy in 1858. when he was made brevet 2d lieutenant in the 5th infantry.and received his promotion to 2d lieuten- ant of the 8th infantry in October following. Until June, 1859, he served at Newport barracks, Ky., and then in New Mexico and Texas. He had surrendered as a prisoner of war in Texas in May, 1861, and he was held as such until exchanged in