The New International Encyclopædia/Spears, John Randolph

SPEARS, John Randolph (1850—). An American author and journalist, born at Van Wirt, Ohio. In 1875 he became editor of the East Aurora Advertiser, and the next year he founded the Silver Creek Local. He was a reporter on the Buffalo Express from 1880 until 1882, when he joined the staff of the New York Sun. His publications include: The Gold Diggings of Cape Horn (1895); The Port of Missing Ships and Other Stories of the Sea (1896); The History of Our Navy (1897); Our Navy in the War with Spain (1898); The Fugitive (1899); and History of the American Slave Trade (1900).