Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush
a collection of sketches by Dr. John Watson (Ian Maclaren), published in 1894. These stories, illustrative of Scottish life and character, are held together by no plot, but present the same characters repeatedly. The book made its author famous. It ranks with Barrie's A Window in Thrums and Auld Licht Idylls. This is the class of fiction that has earned the name, "Kailyard School." Barrie, Watson, and Crockett are its chief representatives. See Watson ; John 2026 Editor's Note: The "Kailyard School" the entry names neutrally became a term of critical abuse — shorthand for sentimental, couthy Scottish fiction that flattered rather than described. The backlash produced its own masterpiece in reply, George Douglas Brown's bleak The House with the Green Shutters (1901), written expressly to demolish it. (Ed: BR 2026-07-08)
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Bessarion
JOHN, a Greek scholar, born in Trebizond in 1395, one of the most eminent restorers of learning in the 15th century, and founder of the library of St. Mark at Venice; was a monk of the Order of St. Basil. He was drawn from his monastery in the Peloponnesus, to accompany the Emperor John Palæologus to the great council of Florence, where he effected, 1439, a union of short duration between the Greek and Roman Churches. He was made a Cardinal by Pope Eugenius, and had afterward the title of Patriarch of Constantinople given him by Pius II. He spent the last 30 years of his life at Rome, devoting himself to the promotion of literature, and discharging several important embassies. He wrote a work in defense of Platonic philosophy. He died in Ravenna, Nov. 19, 1472.
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Bessel
FRIEDRICH WILHELM, astronomer, born in Minden, Prussia, July 22, 1784. After some experience as an assistant in Schröter's observatory, he was appointed director of the new observatory at Königsberg. He first developed the theory of correcting for instrumental sources of error in all kinds of observations, and almost all the im provements in astronomical accuracy since his time have been only the further carrying out of his ideas. His investigations into the length of the seconds pendulum and that of standards of length were of the highest importance. The later years of his life were largely taken up with this subject of the general connection of all the European triangulations into one consistent system. He died in Königsberg, March 17, 1846.
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Bessemer (City and county-seat)
city and county-seat of Gogebic co., Mich., on the Chicago and Northwestern and several other railroads; 40 miles E. of Ashland, Wis. It is in an important iron mining region; was founded in 1884, and has become important by reason of its mining and manufacturing and its trade relations with the surrounding territory. It has a notably fine high school building, courthouse, a National bank, and weekly newspapers. Pop. (1910) 4,583; (1920) 5,482,
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Bessemer (SIR HENRY an Eng-order)
SIR HENRY, an Eng-order to produce steel. By this process, lish inventor, born in Charlton, Hertfordshire, Jan. 19, 1813; began modeling and designing patterns when 18 years old; chose engineering as a profession, and, after long and costly experiments, announced, in 1856, his discovery of a SIR HENRY BESSEMER means of rapidly and cheaply converting pig iron into steel, by blowing a blast of air through the iron when in a state of fusion (see BESSEMER STEEL). For this discovery discovery the Institution of Civil Engineers awarded him the Gold Telford Medal, and several foreign governments honored him with valuable tokens. In the United States appreciation of his great discovery took the form of creating industrial cities and towns under his name. He was elected President of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain in 1871; knighted by the Queen in 1879, and received the freedom of the city of London in 1880. He died in London, March 15, 1898.
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Bessemer (Town in Jefferson co Ala)
a town in Jefferson co., Ala.; on several trunk railroads; 11 miles S. W. of Birmingham, the county-seat. It was founded in 1887 as a manufacturing place because of the valuable iron and coal mines in its immediate vicinity. number of blast furnaces, machine shops, planing mills, iron pipe works, fire brick works and other works connected with the iron and steel industry. The city has a savings bank, several daily and weekly newspapers, library, hospital and other public buildings. Pop. (1910) 10,- 864; (1920) 18,674.
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Bessemer, Sir Henry
Sir Henry (1813-1898), an English inventor. He received his education chiefly in the type-foundry of his father, and early showed remarkable inventive ability. Among other inventions was a device for stamping deeds which was adopted by the English government, and to which he owed his knighthood. He discovered a method of making bronze powder which brought him commercial success. He also improved the methods of casting type. His greatest invention is that of the so-called Bessemer process of making steel. It consists essentially in blowing a blast of air through a molten mass of pig iron so as to clear it of carbon. A small quantity of carbon is then added, just enough to convert the mass into steel. This process so cheapened the cost of producing steel that it came into immediate favor for rails and general structural purposes. The great steel industries of the United States have been built up on the Bessemer patents. Bessemer, Alabama, and Bessemer, Michigan, were named for this inventor. 2026 Editor's Note: The Bessemer process did as much as any invention to make the modern world: by blasting air through molten iron it turned steel from a costly specialty into a bulk material, and on cheap steel rose the railways, bridges, ships and skyscrapers of the next century. It was itself superseded by open-hearth and then basic-oxygen furnaces. (Ed: BR 2026-07-15)
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Bessey
CHARLES EDWIN, an American botanist, born in Milton, O., May 21, 1845; educated at Harvard University; Professor of Botany in the Iowa Agricultural College in 1870-1884; Professor of Botany in the University of Nebraska since 1884. He was also President of the Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science in 1883- 1885; President of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences in 1891; acting Chancellor of the University of Nebraska in 1888-1891; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His publications include "Reports on Insects" (1873-1874); "Geography of Iowa" (1876); "The Erysiphei of North America" (1877); "Botany for High Schools and Colleges" (1880); "Essentials of Botany" (1884); Elementary Botany" (1904); "Synopsis of Plant Phyla" (1907); "Outlines of Plant Phyla" (1909), with others. "New Elementary Agriculture" (1911). He died in 1915.
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