WALKER, EGBERT J. 



WATER-WORKS. 



717 



WALKER, ROBEKT JAMES, an American 

 statesman and publicist, born at Northumber- 

 land, Pa., July 19, 1801; died in Washington, 

 I). 0., November 11, 1869. He was educated 

 at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating 

 in 1819; studied law in Philadelphia, and, on 

 his admission to the bar in 1821, settled at 

 Pittsburg, Pa. Here he commenced the prac- 

 tice of his profession, taking from the first 

 an active interest in politics, and bringing for- 

 ward the name of General Jackson for the 

 presidency before it had been elsewhere men- 

 tioned. He removed to Natchez, Miss., in 

 1826, where he speedily acquired an extensive 

 practice, and was nominated Judge of the Su- 

 preme Court of Mississippi in 1828 (which 

 honor he declined), and where, in 1835, he de- 

 feated the Hon. George Poindexter as candi- 

 date for the United States Senate. Soon after 

 entering upon his duties in that body (in 

 January, 1836), he made a spirited reply to 

 Mr. Clay on the question of public lands, by 

 which he acquired great popularity through- 

 out the West. When the acquisition of Texas 

 and California became a serious consideration, 

 a secret agent was sent to the former country 

 to inquire into its resources, and the party 

 movement was inaugurated which led to their 

 conquest. In this matter Mr. Walker was the 

 personal adviser of the President. He sup- 

 ported the principal measures of President 

 Van Buren's Administration, especially on the 

 bank question, and it was mainly through his 

 influence that President Tyler vetoed the bank 

 bill, which had been prepared by Mr. Clay. 

 He remained in the Senate until March 10, 1845. 

 Friend as he had been to Mr. Van Buren, when 

 the President announced his opposition to the 

 annexation of Texas, Mr. Walker took grounds 

 against him, and secured the nomination of 

 James K. Polk, by the Baltimore Convention 

 in 1844, and was by him appointed Secretary 

 of the Treasury, an office which he resigned 

 March 5, 1849. Mr. Walker was a strong ad- 

 vocate of free trade, and his report on the sub- 

 ject was reprinted by order of the British 

 House of Commons. He urged the strongest 

 measures during the Mexican War, proving 

 the ability of the Government to sustain its 

 finances without the aid of banks. In June, 

 1853, he was appointed commissioner to China, 

 but resigned because a steamer could not be 

 furnished him, according to promise. At the 

 close of Mr. Polk's administration Mr. Walker 

 returned to his practice, but was appointed by 

 Buchanan Governor of Kansas in April, 1857, 

 during the great excitement. He became unpop- 

 ular by refusing to admit an election return from 

 Oxford, in Johnson Bounty, where the names 

 on the register were said to have been copied 

 from a Cincinnati Directory. The Lecomp- 



ton constitution was shortly afterward promul- 

 gated, against his remonstrance, and he imme- 

 diately resigned (December, 1857), because, in 

 his own language, he "would not aid in forcing 

 slavery on Kansas by fraud and forgery." In 

 the three years which followed, Mr. Walker ap- 

 proximated gradually in his views to those of 

 the Republican party, and in 1860 advocated 

 with zeal the election of Mr. Lincoln. At the 

 beginning of the war (in April, 1861) he made 

 a very able speech in New York City in de- 

 fence of the course of the Union party. In 

 March, 1863, he was appointed by Secretary 

 Chase financial agent of the United States 

 Government in Europe, and returned in No- 

 vember, 1864, having effected the sale of 

 $250,000,000 of 5-20 United States bonds, and 

 defeated the second Confederate loan of $75,- 

 000,000. After his return he was in Gov- 

 ernment employ for one or two years, mak- 

 ing investigations in financial matters, and 

 contributing articles to influential periodicals 

 on revenue, tariff, and other financial topics ; 

 and, at the instance of Mr. Seward, moving 

 public opinion in favor of his annexation pro- 

 jects. Later he devoted considerable atten- 

 tion to literature, editing, in connection with 

 his law-partner, Mr. F. P. Stanton, a monthly 

 magazine of considerable literary merit, but 

 which did not prove a financial success. He 

 finally settled at Washington and engaged in 

 the prosecution of claims and specific measures 

 of legislation. In the latter capacity he was 

 influential in procuring the ratification of the 

 Alaska Treaty, and was unjustly accused of 

 dispensing bribes to procure congressional ac- 

 tion. He had been for years an able and effec- 

 tive advocate of the Pacific Railroad. Mr. 

 Walker possessed an able and comprehensive 

 intellect, and his written essays and documents 

 were very influential in accomplishing the ob- 

 jects he sought ; but his personal appearance 

 was not commanding, and his voice and man- 

 ner were unattractive. 



WATER-WORKS. Just before the close 

 of the year there was completed for the 

 Nassau water-works, Brooklyn, a pumping-en- 

 gine of the largest capacity of any in this 

 country. It is a beam rotative engine, with 

 steam-cylinder 85 inches diameter, 10 feet 

 stroke, with an adjustable cut-off and double 

 poppet-valves; the fly-wheel, 26 feet diameter. 

 The pump is of the Thames-Ditton variety, 

 placed directly beneath the cylinder, and 

 worked by a continuation of the main piston- 

 rod through the bottom of the cylinder. The 

 bore of the pump-cylinder is 51|- inches, diam- 

 eter of plunger 38 inches. The general ar- 

 rangement will be understood from the fol- 

 lowing diagram (see page 718). The engine 

 was made by Messrs. Hubbard & Whittaker, 



