Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-02-12
MEMOIR OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, THE oRNI'
THOLOGIST.

VHOLCGlST'
John James Audubon, the deservedly renowned natu
rast, died in this city Monday ast at his residence
on he banks Of The Hudson river. in l55,h street. III
had arrived the age Of seventy and has gone dowT
10 the grave, leaving distinguished among the sci
enfc of every naion-a name earned by steady
perseverency in the beautiful field of ornohology, th'
cultivation of which demands fancy taste judgment, ane
general love Of nature.
Mr.. Audubon was born on plantation in louisiana
near New Orleans. His parents French, his fathe
being admiral in the navy of France and it is said
friend Of Washington. The Audubon family still pre-
serve the likeness Of the Admiral and ofour first Comman
der-in-chief. which were painted in the camp at Valley
Forge. It that occasion that Washington SAT FOL
the frs time painter. After passing his early boy
hood in Louisiana, young Audubon taken by his ia
her to France where the rudiments of his future educa
ton were impaired to him. His was delayed un
til he about eighteen years old, when his natural &C.
tvity Of mind soon began to show itself modified only by
the garb in which the instructions of his French tutors
had maned it, 1t was in Paris that he first increased
his early love for the ofpanling and whilst there he
was guided in his studies by the celebrated David whose
oriental colorng doubt caplivated his youthful fancy
In the of science also he had taken al this early
period, uncommon delight, and thus prepared fol
that future experience which eventually made up his.
tory at valuable and romantic.
On arriving at years of maturity HE father gave him
residence the fruitful banks of the Schulkill, and all
that wealth and luxury could do blind his ambitious
love for nature there surrounded him. He heard in the
warm sunshine of his fancy, thu songs Of the winged in
hahanta oft will Lie;
nation the still brighter plumage Of the myriad birds Of
the American tropics, We find him accordingly, in l>lO
in an uncovered skill, accompanied by his wife and in
fant son, floating down the of Ohio in search Of
home more romantic than that selected by his father.
He fixed upon point in the Stale Of Kentucky whereon
10 selte and having there established new hop pur.
sued his favorite studies IN every direction, roaming
through the forests, crossing and sailing every river
and ske,ching the yet undrs"rbe BIRDS which fell be-
meath the keen snot Of his rifle The result Of his early
experiences was given 10 hr world in five vo!uns Of his
"Orni'hologca Biography" il has been said that he
saw over one Of our Northern lakes large bird far be-
yond his reach, and that he ten years in finding an
other of the description which he found three thou
sand miles from the place here his first sight Of the spe-
cies The history Of his perilous adventures
every degree of hababe latitude, constantly exposed 10
the varied alteinaons of heat and cold is but porto
Of the monuments his ZEAL his ardent love of nature
his constantly recurring self sacrifice, his painful prva.
ons, and his ultimate success in the objecls OF his am
L;.:--. -rorune
others like himse whose minds drawn, by the al
ulemens Of science and nature from the luxurious no-
ence Of civilized society, whose best pleasures can only
coy the of who has Learned to look upon mental
treasures The highest reward of human exerlion.
We remember that on one occasion, this office, when
strange bird had been brought in from Long Island as
an object of wonder, Audubon come to see it. At the
very first sight, strange ebloody and dsodered was
he gave it ts ornhoGgca nane and then described its
various habits in his peculiarly vivid, original, and plea
sing high forehead ached and commanding
serene above his deeply Sc. gray eyes, which sha
ded by heavy brows, that caused them to sparkle the
more in their cavernous receptabes. The best portrait
Of him, of recent daie is in That admirable work, "The
Gallery of llustrious Americans" He was then, say
twelve years ago, more active than most young men
our day. The minds elasticity gave suPleness TO his
form, and his zeal fresh then probably as in 1910
when he first braved the wilderness in his darling pur
suit. As an illustration of his decision Of character
winch miSHt easily III
line and usually compressed llps-i has been re-
membered that on one occasion when some great ant
perilous adventure was proposed 10 him by friend h.
decided to underlakeit On being asked whenhe woult
commence his journey, he replied Tomorrow !" Wher
the sun arose Audubon was on his way Another illus
,ration, quite as significant, will be found in his own wr
tings. Itwas period when he had lost ali-nearly
thousand-of his drawings by fire, and had no means
replacing them but by the renewal of the labors which
had created them. He has said olha event, "rhe bur
ming heat which rushed through my brain, when saw
my loss, great slept not for several nights and
my days obliyon-buI took up my gun, note book
and pencils and went forth to the woods galy as
nothing had happpned. could ma Ike better drawing,
than bpfore-in three years my portfolio frd."-
One Of the proudes Of his lrumphs, the decovery
his Washington Sea Eagle description Of which vii
be found in his WORKS Mos, of his birds were painec
in the forest where theft pumnfe was yet tiesh and III
Seems ohave beeh satIsfrd with the briIliapcy
his colohg, since i, did moi rrpresan, life itself.
! In 1884 his pursuit iook a commercial aspect. gLuci
en- Bonepar,e proposed 10 buy his drawings Audubon
hesiia,ed, and then resolved to publish them himself
For this purpose he visited England. Whrr+ he landed 4
a stranger. His name, however, had gone before him
and the first distinguished in the sciences and arr
were happy 10 welcome him. On the continent, Hers
chel, Cuvie, and his old friend umbo who had pene
tated the same tropical regions viii him. weredeghte
to honor him. In the 'Cosuos of the latter his talent
havr been forgotten. Tie publication of his grea
WORK was sooh IL fair way. Brewster Scott, Jeffr
and Wilson encouraged him. After fourteen years
was completed and more than. satisfied the worl tina
had awaited its appearance One hundred and seventy
FIVE subscriptions a, thousand dollars each pail hin
the price Of his labor. Eighty of his subscribers We art
proud to say, found in coun,rya very god off
SET 10 tie neglect often visited upon those who en 'h
fields Of Literature and Of art.
ofcourse, such work-so magnificent in desig,, an;
Sxecaon-a pOrtfoO Of great dimonsiono -enrche'
with the details ola life experience among olesl bds-
coll -, -. IL erzaa. sna;aas Of r.zoue Il A