STANFORD, Leland, senator, born in Watervliet, Albany County, New York, 9 March, 1824. His ancestors settled in the valley of the Mohawk, New York, about 1720. He was brought up on a farm, and when twenty years old began the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1849, and the same year began to practise at Port Washington, Wisconsin In 1852, having lost his law library and other property by fire, he removed to California and began mining for gold at Michigan bluff, Placer County, subsequently becoming associated in business with his three brothers, who had preceded him to the Pacific coast. In 1856 he removed to San Francisco and engaged in mercantile pursuits on a large scale, laying the foundation of a fortune that has recently been estimated at more than $50,000,000. In 1860 Mr. Stanford made his entrance into public life as a delegate to the Chicago convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln to the presidency. He was an earnest advocate of a Pacific railroad, and was elected president of the Central Pacific company when it was organized in 1861. The. same year he was elected governor of California, and served from December, 1861, till December, 1863. As president of the Pacific road he superintended its construction over the mountains, building 530 miles in 293 days, and on 10 May, 1869, drove the last spike at Promontory point, Utah. He also became interested in other roads on the Pacific slope, and in the development of the agriculture and manufactures of California. In 1885 he was elected to the United States senate for the full term of six years from 4 March, 1886. In memory of his only son, Mr. Stanford has given the state of California $20, -000,000 to be used in founding at Pale Alto a university whose curriculum shall not only include the usual collegiate studies, but comprise instruction in telegraphy, type-setting, type-writing, journalism, book-keeping, farming, civil engineering, and other practical branches of education. The corner-stone was laid on 14 May, 1887, and it is expected that the various structures will be so far completed as to afford accommodation for several hundred students by January, 1889. Included in the trust fund for the maintenance of the university is Mr. Stanford's estate at Vina, Tehama County, California, which is said to be the largest vineyard in the world. It comprises 30,000 acres, 3,500 of which are planted with bearing vines. It is divided into 500-acre tracts, and most of the labor is performed by Chinamen.