574 



OBITUARIES, AMERICAN. 



Scottsville for the practice of his profession. 

 His political career began in 1840, when he 

 cast his first vote, a Democratic ticket. In 

 1847 he was appointed Canal Collector at 

 Scottsville. In the following year he gave his 

 influence to the Barnburner section of his 

 party, supporting the national ticket of Van 

 Buren and Adams, and in 1852 voted for 

 Franklin Pierce, and was appointed Postmaster 

 at Scottsville. He held this office but a short 

 time, resigning because he could not support 

 the national policies of his party chief. On 

 the formation of the Republican party, he cast 

 his political fortunes with it, and in 1858 was 

 its successful candidate for county clerk, hold- 

 ing the office three years and then resuming 

 his practice. In I860 he was a delegate to the 

 National Republican Convention, and in 1863- 

 '64 a paymaster in the army, with the rank of 

 major. In January, 1865, he bought a con- 

 trolling interest in the Rochester, N. Y., 

 " Democrat," retaining it till the consolidation 

 of that newspaper with the Rochester 

 " Chronicle," and becoming president of the 

 company that thereafter published the " Dem- 

 ocrat and Chronicle." He was one of the four 

 delegates-at-large from New York to the Na- 

 tional Republican Convention of 1868, and a 

 delegate to the National Liberal Republican 

 Convention of 1872. He favored the election 

 of Mr. Tilden, from an independent stand- 

 point, in 1876, but afterward acted in the main 

 with the Republican party. Mr. Brown was 

 one of the original promoters of the Buffalo, 

 Rochester, and Pittsburg Railroad, a manager 

 of the State Industrial Home, and, in 1883, by 

 appointment of President Arthur, a commis- 

 sioner to examine a portion of the Northern 

 Pacific Railroad. 



Bafium, James Jf., an American abolitionist, 

 born in North Berwick, Me., May 16, 1807; 

 died in Lynn, Mass., June 12, 1887. He was 

 of Quaker parentage. Removing to Salem, he 

 learned the carpenter's trade, but became ac- 

 quainted with William Lloyd Garrison, and 

 was soon recognized as one of the most fear- 

 less and active workers in the anti-slavery 

 cause. Many a fugitive from slavery in the 

 South was encouraged and aided on his road 

 to freedom by Mr. Buffum. In 1845 he ac- 

 companied Frederick Douglass on his memora- 

 ble visit to England, and with him stirred large 

 audiences by his eloquent abolition speeches. 

 He was first elected to public office in 1868, 

 when he was chosen a Presidential Elector 

 from Massachusetts. In the following year he 

 was elected Mayor of Lynn, in 1872 was re- 

 elected Mayor, and in 1874 was sent to the 

 Legislature. During his first mayoralty he 

 was largely instrumental in securing the intro- 

 duction of water into Lynn. He subsequently 

 united with the Greenback party, and was an 

 unsuccessful candidate for Congress. 



Bnn/,1, Jnlius, an American philanthropist, 

 born in Prague, Austria, April 30, 1838; died 

 in New York city, July 4, 1887. He came to 



the United States when nineteen years old, 

 forming a partnership with Henry Dormitzer, 

 and engaging in the tobacco business in New- 

 York city. The operations of the firm were 

 so successful, that by 1884, when Mr. Dormitzer 

 retired, both partners had acquired consider- 

 able fortunes. While Mr. Bunzl was well- 

 known through his long connection with the 

 New York Chamber of Commerce, and the 

 Metropolitan Museum of Art, he will be longer 

 remembered by reason of the active interets 

 he took in the strictly secular charitable organ- 

 izations of the city ; for with none other would 

 he identify himself. Among those with which 

 he was connected, and to which he gave liber- 

 al support, were the St. John's Guild, German 

 Hospital, Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Home for 

 the Aged and Infirm, Hebrew's Fund Society, 

 United Hebrew Charities, German Society, Ger- 

 man Society for the Protection of Widows and 

 Orphans, and the Fresh Air Fund. His heart 

 and purse were alike open to various other char- 

 ities whose work of benefaction was in harmony 

 with his fixed principle of support. 



Burtis, Divine, an American ship-builder, born 

 in Huntsville, L. I., in 1811 ; died in Brooklyn, 

 N. Y., Sept. 5, 1887. While a boy working in 

 a carpenter-shop in Brooklyn, he attracted the 

 attention of the firm of Smith & Dimond, boat- 

 builders, and in its employ learned ship-build- 

 ing. With the aid of borrowed capital he set 

 out in business for himself, and by 1840 had 

 constructed most of the ferry-boats plying on 

 the waters of New York. He then turned his 

 attention to larger vessels, building the " South 

 America," "Columbia," "Roger Williams," 

 and other fast boats for the Hudson river ser- 

 vice. An evidence of the thorough workman- 

 ship of that time is found in the fact that the 

 "South America," forty years ago, made 

 twenty-six miles in one hour on a trip from 

 New York to Albany, a record never exceeded 

 till about twelve years ago, when the " Chauncy 

 Vibbard" made the distance in sixteen min- 

 utes' less time. 



Barton, Nathaniel J., an American clergyman, 

 born in Trumbull, Conn., Dec. 17, 1824; died 

 in Hartford, Conn., Oct. 13, 1887. He was 

 graduated at Wilbraham Academy, Wesleyan 

 University, and Yale Theological School, or- 

 dained in 1853, and settled as pastor of the 

 Second Congregational Church in Fairhaven, 

 Conn., remaining there four years. From 1857 

 till 1870 he was pastor of the Fourth Congre- 

 gational Church in Hartford, going to the Park 

 Church in the latter year and holding that 

 pastorate till his death. He was a member of 

 the Yale College corporation, and occupied for 

 one year the Lyman Beecher lectureship. A 

 week before his death he was selected by the 

 American Board of Commissioners for Foreign 

 Missions to deliver the annual sermon in Cleve- 

 land, Ohio, at the meeting of 1888. He re- 

 ceived the degree of D. D. from Wesleyan Uni- 

 versity in 1870, and was ranked among the 

 first pulpit orators of the State. 



