Harper's Ferry
a town of West Virginia . It is situated at the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac, at very nearly the extreme eastern point of the state. It is fifty-five miles northwest of Washington with which it is connected by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The Potomac breaks through the Blue Ridge at this point. The site is one of the most picturesque in America. A United States arsenal was established here in 1796. For this reason John Brown chose Harper's Ferry as a base of operations in his attempt to free the slaves of the South. During the Civil War Harper's Ferry was considered a position of strategical importance and changed hands repeatedly. In September, 1862, the Confederate general, Jackson, captured the post, taking 12,500 prisoners, 13,000 small arms , 200 wagons, and a vast quantity of military stores and provisions. See John Brown; West Virginia ; Potomac
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Harper, William Rainey
William Rainey (1856-1906), the first president of Chicago University. He was born at New Concord, Ohio, July 26, 1856. He died in 1906. He was a remarkably precocious student. He was graduated at the early age of fourteen at Muskingum College. He held various educational positions, including the professor-ship of Hebrew in Union Theological Seminary, Chicago, and of Semitic languages and Biblical literature in Yale. In connection with his professorships, he edited various Hebrew publications and did noted work in Biblical criticism. In 1891 he was chosen president of Chicago University. He took charge of a stretch of open prairie. He left over thirty well designed buildings. He assembled faculties noted for scholarship and organization-the third largest university in North America . John D. Rockefeller furnished most of the money. William R. Harper supplied the ideas or else hunted up men who could furnish them. By general consent he is ranked as one of the leading college presidents.
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Harpers Ferry
a town in Jefferson co., W. Va.; at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, and on the Baltimore and Ohio railroads; 81 miles W. of Baltimore, Md. The place has considerable historical interest. It was the site of a United States government foundry, arsenal and armory, and the scene of John Brown's raid in Virginia in 1859. The government buildings were burned in 1861, to prevent their falling into the hands of the Confederates. In 1862 a Union army under Gen. D. H. Miles surrendered to Stonewall Jackson at this point. It is the seat of Storer College, and has considerable local trade. Pop. about 1,000.
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Harpsichord
a stringed musical instrument in use before the invention of the piano. The modern piano was developed from it. The strings are mounted in a frame like that of a grand piano, and are played by means of keys. Instead of striking the string with a hammer, the key of the harpsichord plucked the string by means of a leather or quill point. The player had no control over the loudness of tone, although a double keyboard was sometimes used, one for soft, the other for loud effects. As compared with a piano the tones were characterless and tinkling. It held its own up to the beginning of the nineteenth century. In colonial days the harpsichord was found in every well furnished parlor. It was used to accompany singing and in providing music for the stately minuet, then in fashion. The harpsichord of the Washington mansion is still preserved at Mt. Vernon. See Piano
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Harraden
BEATRICE, an English novelist, daughter of an East India agent in London; born about 1864. A ter private schooling and a season in Germany, she took her degree at London University at 21. She was then employed in a publishing house, but ill health compelled her to leave. Her first novel, "Ships Tha That Pass in the Night," was instantly successful. This was fol-pearing on the stage in 1873, in 1879 he lowed by "In Varying Moods," "Things Will Take a Turn," "Hilda Strafford," "The Fowler," "The Scholar's Daughter" (1906); "Interplay" (1908); "Out of the Wreck I Rise" (1912); "Where Your Heart Is" (1918).
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Harrigan
EDWARD, an American actor and playwright; born in New York, in 1845. He formed a partnership with Tony Hart (1871-1885), when the two opened in New York their first Theatre Comique (1876), bringing out there the "Mulligan Guard" series of plays. Among his dramas, which are all of humble New York life, strong in character drawing, though weak in a literary sense, may be named "Squatter Sovereignty" and "Cordelia's Aspirations." In 1903-1904 he produced "Under Cover." He died in 1911.
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Harris, Joseph
Joseph (1828-1892), an agricultural author. Born in the village of Shawbury, England. He took part in the famous Rothamsted agricultural experiments. Coming to this country in 1849, he wrote Walks and Talks for the Genesee Farmer and for the American Agriculturalist. He advocated high farming--bringing the whole farm into the condition of a garden. Manure, tilth, and freedom from weeds were his doctrines. He wrote Harris on the Pig, Talks on Manures, and other practical works. It is to such plain thinkers as Mr. Harris that our present extension of agricultural science and education is due.
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Harris, William Torrey
William Torrey (1835-1909), an American educator. He was born at North Killingly, Connecticut. He attended Yale College but was not graduated. He taught in the St. Louis schools 1857-67, and was superintendent of schools in that city 1867-1880. He was United States Commissioner of Education 1889-1907. Mr. Harris is known as a metaphysical writer. He founded the Journal of Speculative Philosophy in 1867. He was one of the organizers of the Concord school of philosophy. As an author, he wrote Hegel's Logic: a Critical Exposition, The Spiritual Sense of Dante's Divina Commedia, Introduction to the Study of Philosophy, and Psychologic Foundations of Education. Mr. Harris' writings were by no means clear to the layman; but their very ponderosity and the kindly, simple manner of Mr. Harris himself, did much to fasten upon the American teacher an exaggerated notion of the importance of psychology in the working outfit of the teacher.
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Hart
ALBERT BUSHNELL, an American educator; born in Clarksville, History at Harvard University. He Pa., July 1, 1854; became Professor of wrote "Coercive Powers of the United States Government " (1885); "Introduction to the Study of Federal Government" (1890); "Studies in Education"; "Life of Salmon P. Chase"; "Practical Essays "Essentials of on American Government"; "The War in Europe" (1914); "Na- (1905); "The Southern South" (1911); tional Progress" (1918 ). Edited "Epochs of American History, " etc. Exchange professor of Harvard with University of Berlin (1915). American History" ican novelist and poet; born in Albany,
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