HALL, DYER. 



ecsed of a considerable vein of wit nnd hnmor, 



which, tli'inirh perh.-ips dry and classical, was 



always effective, and the debates of the Sonato 



that he was a man of profonnd research. 



MALI.. Kov. DYKR, M. D., a Congregational 

 cloru'vinan and missionary of the A. B. 0. F. M., 

 born at West Boylston, Mass., Juno 3, 1796; 

 di.-.l at Canton, China, March 27, 1866. When 

 he was six years of age his family removed to 

 Shutesbury, Mass., and daring a revival of re- 

 ligion at lladloy, where he was temporarily re- 

 Hiding, he became hopefully converted at tho 

 age of nineteen. His studies preparatory to 

 the college coarse were pursued, in part, nt 

 Phillips Academy, and after two years at Yale 

 College he was obliged to go South for his 

 health. For a time he was tutor in a private 

 family, near Charleston, S. 0., and his colle- 

 giate education was not completed till 1826, 

 when he graduated at Union College. In 1827 

 he was married to Miss Lucy Mills, of Now 

 1 1; :iv ITI, Connecticut. Ho pursued theological 

 studies for a time at New Haven, and after- 

 ward at Andover, and was licensed to preach 

 in 1828, but was not ordained until 1831, at 

 Shutesbury. In 1829 he was engaged in teach- 

 ing a private school at St. Augustine, Florida ; 

 and in 1833 he was appointed an agent of the 

 Home Missionary Society, to labor in that 

 State. At this time, and during the whole of 

 his ministry South, ho was much engaged in 

 labors for the good of the colored population. 

 We next find him teaching in an academy in 

 Charleston, S. 0. In 1835, 1836, and 1837, 

 in addition to other 'engagements, he pursued 

 the study of medicine, with reference to 

 foreign missionary work, and received the de- 

 gree of M. D. from the medical institution in 

 Charleston. 



Dr. Ball is said to have been very popular 

 and much beloved at the South, so that he was 

 often nrged to remain, and engage in evangelis- 

 tic labors among the colored population. He 

 was also eminently successful in teaching, and 

 his financial prospects in his school were most 

 promising, when he left it for labors as a mis- 

 sionary of tho American Board in the far East. 

 After coming North to go abroad, ho was de- 

 tained a year in consequence of the commercial 

 crisis of that period, and during this time did 

 something toward the acquisition of the Chi- 

 nese language. He sailed, with his family and 

 with several other missionaries, from Boston, 

 May 25, 1838, and arrived at Singapore on tho 

 17th of September following. For something 

 less than two years he was stationed at Singa- 

 pore, "teaching, preaching, healing the sick, 

 and superintending the printing of Chinese 

 books." In June, 1841, he went to Macao, for 

 a temporary change, on account of the ill- 

 health of Mrs. Ball, and was providentially led 

 to remain there until April, 1843, when he re- 

 moved to Hong Kong. On tho 6th of June, 

 1844, he was called to deep affliction by the 

 death of his excellent wife. In 1845 he re- 

 moved to Canton, and on the 26th of February, 



BANKS OF THE UNITED STATES. 51 



1846, he was again married, to MIM Isabella 

 Robertson, from Scotland, then engaged in 

 missionary labors at Canton, who was hi- 

 companion for the remainder of his life, and 

 ^survives him. Hig medical services here were 

 of great assistance in conciliating the people. 

 He taught a small school of boys, and contin- 

 ued the superintendence of printing books and 

 tracts in Chinese, while his "Almanac" was for 

 many years a most acceptable publication. Tak- 

 ing a few medicines and tracts, he would mingle 

 with the people, first on the banks of the river 

 and on tho ferries, and then extending his visits 

 to the villages and markets. In this way he 

 became widely known and respected. 



In February, 1854, Dr. Ball sailed, with his 

 family, for a visit to the United States, and was 

 absent from China until March 23, 1857, when 

 he reached Macao on his return. His constitu- 

 tion was already much broken, and he was ever 

 after infirm, and suffered much from pain as 

 well as weakness; but it was his choice to 

 spend his declining years in the land of his 

 adoption, where two of his daughters, also, en- 

 gaged in the missionary work ; and while in- 

 firmities multiplied and pressed upon him, he 

 still did what he could. During the last seven 

 years of his life, when not actually confined to 

 his couch, he would slowly work his way down- 

 stairs, totter out to his little chapel, which 

 opened on the street, and there, seated in his 

 arm-chair, would distribute tracts and address 

 a few words to the passers-by, working accord- 

 ing to his strength. Few have carried into 

 the missionary field more energy and devotion 

 to the work than the subject of this sketch. 



BANKS. The first bank under the present 

 law authorizing the establishment of National 

 Banks in the United States, was organized in 

 June, 1863. At the close of 1866 the number 

 in active operation exceeded sixteen hundred, 

 with an aggregate paid-up capital of over four 

 hundred millions, owned by more than two hun- 

 dred thousand stockholders. The system has 

 won the confidence of the people, and has fur- 

 nished thus far a currency of uniform value in 

 all parts of the country. It has superseded all 

 existing State banking institutions, and places 

 the entire control of the currency of the coun- 

 try in the hands of the Federal Government. 

 It has also proved, during its short existence, to 

 be a most important auxiliary in the financial 

 operations of the Treasury Department. For 

 Currency, Redemption, etc., tee FINANCES U. S. 

 The increase of national bank circulation in tho 

 United States has been as follows : 



The national bank circulation, April, 1S6T, was $291,000,000 

 Legal tenders and small currency 405,000,001) 



Total, April, 1867 $696,000,000 



Deduct, on hand iu the banks 128,000,000 



Net circulation,' April, 1867. $578,000,000 



Bank circulation, United States, 



January, 1862, was $188,000,000 



Deduct, on hand In banks 25,000,000 



$158,000,000 



Increase in five FWS $415,000,000 



