LANE. LANU. 365 where he remained two years, then occu- pied his time in study and travel until his ordination, in 1845, at Albany, N. V. He was first invited to the Presbyterian church, Auburn, N. Y., but his attention was turned to other fields in the West, and he was selected as one best fitted to take the position of pastor of the Presbyterian (lunch at Lansing, the new capital of Michigan, which he declined, much against his personal inclinations. He became quite widely known through the publication of a pamphlet entitled " 'Temperance a Christian Duty, Abstinence a Matter of Christian Liberty," which was endorsed by the leading clergymen anil scholars of the country — notably Dr. Ed- ward Robinson. He published several other pamphlets that obtained for him some local notoriety. Dr. Lane was married in Fawn River, Mich., in 1844, to Elizabeth, daughter of Captain Philip Riley and Nancy (Degraff) Tol, of Schenectady, N. Y. Of this union were five children, of whom three are liv- ing. His second marriage was in Marl- borough, N. H., in 1863, with Louise Noble, daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Noble) Devens, of Boston. Dr. Lane, through the urgent wishes of friends, was finally settled in Galloway, N. Y., over a church then of note and promise, where he remained fifteen years, after which he was in Carmel, N. Y., five years. After the war of the rebellion he was solicited to go South in the interests of the church in West Virginia, he having become acquainted with the needs of the church in the South, by a sojourn in South Carolina during the troublous days of " reconstruction." He was quite conser- vative in his views, and allied to some of the first families — the Lanes and Eliots — of the South ; and his hold upon the pub- lic has been utilized for their good rather than for the advantage of any party. Since returning North Dr. Lane has given his attention to literary work. He is the author of " The Battle of Point Pleas- ant," written for the Monument Associa- tion, Va.; " Passion Week Dated ; " " The Transit of the Three K's ; " " Home with- in the Gates ; " " Vacation Recreations, or the Castle on the Knob ; " " Astronomical Recreations," and numerous other pam- phlets and addresses, some published, and some awaiting publication. Dr. Lane has wrought in other fields than that of the gown. When in " recon- struction " days he was called into South Carolina to look after some properties, he became interested by some developments in the social condition of the state during its transition, and joined hands with the better element of society, always Union at heart. He declined a pressing invitation to a professorship in the University of South Carolina. He was finally solicited to act as assistant-adjutant-general in the department of South Carolina, with civil and military power. He was also special trial justice. While subjected to many tests of mental and physical courage, and for many months living in danger of mo- mentary assassination, he was successful in his mission, and did much in quieting the country, in the protection of life and prop- erty, and the organization of schools. His story of this period would be indeed a thrilling one. LANG, Benjamin Johnson, son of Benjamin and Hannah (Breed) Lang, was born in Salem, Essex county, December 28, 1S37. He received nis early education in the common and high schools of his native town. His father being a music teacher, he inherited a tendency toward the profession which he has adorned so man}' years. Re- ceiving instruction from his father, he was qualified to play the organ in a church in the town of Danvers at the early age of eleven years, and subsequently played at the Parsons Cooke church, in Lynn, Rev. Rollin H. Neale's, the Old South, and Rev. •E. E. Hale's church (the latter at the age of twenty-four) in Boston, and is now organ- ist at King's Chapel, where the standard of church music has for many years been notably the very highest. After his father, his teachers have been Francis Hill of Boston, Alfred Jaell, Gus- tave Satter and Franz Liszt, Mr. Lang- being one of the torch-bearers at the hit- ter's funeral. From Mr. Lang's friendship with Liszt sprang his close connection with Wagner, in whose plans and purposes he had deep interest, even from the time of Wagner's life in Paris. In 1859, at the age of twenty-one years, he became pianist and organist of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, still holding the position. Mr. Lang was married at Boston, Octo- ber 10, 1861, to Fanny Morse, daughter of Johnson C. and Emeline (Brigham) Bur- rage. Their children are : Harry (de- ceased), Margaret, Rosamond, and Mal- colm Lang. Mr. Lang, since the age of sixteen years, has been almost constantly before the Bos-
