The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1854-03-29
3stspnal Skstbes.
BARON Won HUMBOLDT.

Frederick Henry Alexander Won Hum
boldt was born at Berlin, Prussia, on the
l4;h of September, 1860. He was educa.
ted at Goitingen and Frankforton-lhe.
Oder. In 1900 he visited Holland and
England; and during The same year pub
lished his first work, entitled, observations
on the Basalts of the Rhine" He went
10 Freyburg in l76l, to receive instruction
in botany and mining from the celebrated
Werner,
During the following year, he was ap.
pointed assessor in The mining and smell-
ing department. Soon afterward he %receiv.
ed the appointment Of overseer Of the
mines in FIanconia. Here he introduced
a variety Of improvements. But in 1895
he resigned his office, 10 crafty an i~nsalia-
bic desire TO travel. During this year he
visited Italy and Switzerl NJ.
In 1907 he went to Paris where he
formed an acquaintance with NJ. Anne
Bonpland, who aGlerward becnme his as
sociale traveller. From Paris, Humboldt
sci out for Madridi with a good collection of
instruments; Tor he had for several years
cherished the design of travelling within
the Tropics al his own expense.
In 1900 the court Of Spain granted him
permission to travel through the Spanish
colonies in America. He Immediately sent
for his young friend D Inpland, who lost
no time in ining him, and they sci sal
from Corunna for America.
The plan of travel which these two
friends skelched for themselves was laid
out upon a more extensive scale than tina,
of any journey before undertaken by pri.
vale persons. Five years was the period
in which they proposed 10 explore distant
regions, and in that space Of time, prOba.
bly, no two individuals ever collected so
much useful information, and returned
home so richly laden with oblations destin-
ed for the altar OF science.
! They took home with them, on their
+ return in 1904, an herbarium containing
more than 5000 species of plants. The
preparation of tbs observations made du-
: ring this tour, and the publication Of works
relating 10 il, occupied The time Of these
travellers for several years after their re.
turn home. The various works relating
d 10 this journey comprised seventeen folio
and eleven quarlo volumes, well ~illuslra.
n ted.
The results Of hi, expedition have been
Of The highest importance 10 science. In
natural history, especially, these observa.
lions Of six years exceed anything that has
n been presented by the mosi successful in
veSligators Of this field during a whole lif,
time. His valuable works on the subject
h Of plants alone form an era in the history
of botany.
d In October, 1918, Humboldt visited Lon
is don, For several years aflerward he wss
h a resident Of Paris, and there devoted him,
self 10 the sciences.
During the winter Of 1922, the kim
g Of Prussia called Humboldt to accompany
n him on a journey through Italy. While
n residing at Naples his attention was direc.
ted 10 inquiries concerning The (ormalit
i. Of volcanoes; the result Of which he CAV,
d. 10 the public in a small essay. On flush
,e ing this tour he again returned 10 Paris
rs where he remained ill the latter part o.
a 1896, when lie went 10 Berlin and delivered
If a course of lectures on he physical consIi
n tuition of The globe, which was attended
,t by the court and royal family.
lie next undertook an important journey
through Northern Asia, as far as the Dor
n ders Of China. In this he was assisted
by the Russian government, which wished
to obtain, through him, more correct in
formation respecting the character and con
tents Of the Ural mountains. On his re
@ turn he published an account Of hi
researches in those regions,
In ls45 he published the fret volume
of the Cosmos" and completed it il
lS47. This is a valuable contribution tc
!. the physical sciences. Another work by
him, "Views Of Nature; or, Coniempla
Y lions on The Sublime Phenomena Of Crea
lion, has recently been published in Lon
Il don.
Is Baron Won Ilumboldt's renOwn has ex
tended over all paris Of The civilized worlt
and at the present day, there is not a mar
of science in Europe whose name is NOR,
familiar. And this eminent philosopher
" is still living, having attained an age o
: more Than lourscore years. Well may hi
be called the patriarch Of modern science
y Al the present time he is the friend ant
j, companion Of the king Of Prussia. Though
y his form is mesgre with age, and his hea,
. whilened BY the SHOWS of,eighy winters
: The vigor of his intellect remains strong
The following sketch will show how h,
: is said to employ his time.
"His time is systematically divided
. He rises at six O'Clock in The winter, and
, five in the summer. He studies Two hour,
!, Than takes cup Of coffee, with a ligh
a breakfast, returns 10 his room, and com.
. mences The task Of answering his letter
of which he receives, yearly more thar
one hundred thousand.
h "From twelve o'clock until two h,
receives visits, aud returns 10 work agair
c atiwo. Al four he Dimes, usually will
n the king in summer, and nj home. in win
h ter. From four O'Clock in the afternoon
Y until eleven he passes in dining. Ere
quenIy he dimes at meetings Of %learnin,
y societies, or in the company Of hi
i friends.
"Aleleven he re tires 10 his study, an,