WICKERSHAM 363 WIELAND There is some fine rock scenery in the neighborhood. Pop. about 8,000. WICKERSHAM, GEORGE WOOD- WARD, an American lawyer and public official, born in Pittsburgh Pa., in 1858. He was educated under private tutors, at Lehigh University, and at the Law School of the University of Pennsylva- nia, from both of which institutions he later received honorary degrees. In 1880 he began the practice of law in Philadelphia, removing to New York in 1882. When he was appointed Attorney General of the United States in 1909, by President Taft, he resigned his member- ship in the law firm of Strong & Cad- walader, returning to the practice of law at the end of his term, in 1913. He was a member of the New York City and State Bar Associations, and of the Amer- ican Bar Association, and a trustee of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. In 1915 he served as a delegate at large GEORGE WOODWARD WICKERSHAM and as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the New York State Con- stitutional Convention. During the World War he served as a member and as the vice-chairman of the district board of the city of New York under the Selec- tive Service Law. WIDDIN, a town and fortress of Bulgaria, on the right bank of the Danube; opposite Kalafat; 18^/^ miles from the Serbian frontier, and 130 miles E. S. E. of Belgrade. It is the seat of a Greek bishop, and has an important citadel. The difficulty of attacking the fortress is greatly increased by the flat, swampy character of the ground. It manufactures gold and silver filigree and saddles, and has considerable fishery, and trade in rock salt, corn, wine, and agri- cultural products. The merchants are principally Jews and Bulgarians. Wid- din is the Bononia of the Romans. In 1801 it was the scene of the defeat of the Hospodar Michael Sutsos by Paswan Oglu, and here in October, 1853, Omer Pasha began the hostilities against Rus- sia by crossing the Danube and occupy- ing Kalafat, whereafter ensued several battles in the neighborhood between the Turks and Russians, the chief on April 6 and 19, 1854. In the war of 1877-1878 Widdin was occupied by 10,000 Turks. Osman Pasha was commandant, and it was from Widdin he made his unexpected march to Plevna — the scene of his* early victories, and his heroic defense. By the Berlin treaty of July 13, 1878, it became part of Bulgaria. Pop. about 17,500. WIDENER, PETER A. BROWN, an American capitalist; born in Philadel- phia, Pa., Nov. 13, 1834; was early en- gaged in the meat business, in which he acquired a large fortune. Turning his attention to politics he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Joseph F. Mercer as city treasurer of Philadelphia in 1873, and in 1874 was elected for a full term. He became president of the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Com- pany, vice-president of the Union Pas- senger and the Philadelphia Traction Companies; a director of the Continental and Empire Passenger Companies; and in 1902 was head of a syndicate organ- ized to acquire large street railroad in- terests in New York City. In 1897, he gave his city residence in Philadelphia, valued at $600,000, for a branch of the Free Lending Library; in 1898 presented a collection of 500 rare books valued at $28,000 to the library; and in 1899 un- dertook the erection and endowment of a combined home, hospital and industrial school, in Philadelphia, at a cost of $2,000,000. He died in 1915. WIELAND, CHRISTOPH MARTIN, a German poet; born in Oberholzheim, Germany, Sept; 5, 1733; was educated at the University of Tubingen; appointed Professor of Philosophy in 1769 at Er- furt; and three years afterward went to Weimar as teacher to the sons of Duchess Anna Amalie. Here, or in the immediate neighborhood, he resided till his death, being a member of the circle to which Goethe, Schiller, and Herder belonged. The early period of his literary life was devoted to pietistic or at least serious poetry such as "The Nature of Things" (1752) ; "Twelve Moral Letters in Verse Anti-Ovid" (1752) ; "The Trial of Abra- ham's Faith" (1753) ; in the second period he produced the romances "Aga- thon" (1766): and "Don Sylvio de Ro- salva" (1764) ; the poem "Musarion"
