SIKES, William Wirt, author, born in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, in 1836; died in London, England, 19 August, 1883. In childhood he was an invalid, and he was to a great extent self-educated. He learned type-setting in Watertown at the age of fourteen, and ever afterward was engaged in journalism or other literary occupations. He contributed largely to newspapers in Utica, working at the same time as a type-setter, thence went to Chicago, and was employed on the "Times" and "Evening Journal." At the age of twenty-four he was appointed state canal inspector of Illinois. In 1867 he came to New York, was employed on various journals, and became an earnest student of the lower classes of city life. He wrote many poems, and published stories of adventure in the "Youth's Companion" and "Oliver Optic's Magazine." At one time he purchased an interest in a paper called "City and Country," published at Nyack, New York, which he edited and filled, to a considerable extent, with his own contributions in prose and poetry. He married Olive Logan (q. v.) on 19 December, 1871. Mr. Sikes was an incessant and conscientious worker. He was known by his intimate friends to have employed as many as thirty pen-names in contributing to the American press. Some of his writings were printed under a feminine signature. He was appointed United States consul at Cardiff, Wales, by President Grant in June, 1876, which post he held until his death. Shortly after his appointment he began a series of papers on Welsh history, archeology, and social conditions, which attracted wide attention, and the works that he subsequently published in London, on these or kindred topics, were received with praise by British critics. He was an accomplished art critic, and his criticism of the Wiertz gallery of Brussels, which he contributed to "Harper's Magazine," has been selected by the authorities of that institution for printing with their catalogue. He was the author of "A Book for the Winter Evening Fireside" (Watertown, 1858) ; "One Poor Girl : the Story of Thousands" (Philadelphia, 1869); "British Goblins: Welsh Fairy Mythology" (London, 1880); "Rambles and Studies in Old South Wales" (1881) ; and "Studies of Assassination" (1881).