The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-06-01
Death OF Baron Humboldt.
SKETCH BY BAYARD TAYLOR.

81
SKETCH BY BAYARD TAYLOR
On the 9th day of the present month,
! Alexander Won Humboldt died at Berlin,
/ in Prussia. He would have been ninety
years old, had he Lived Till September
AS man of profound learning, possess
ing in conjunction the accurate common
sense and physical ability to make that
learning practical, he leaves perhaps no
one in the world behind to fill the vacant
place. He was born in the city of Berlin,
where Eo died. His life was Success
At the age Of fifty, however, when his
youthful auburn hair had become white
as snow, he had only laid the firm foun-
dations of his great fame. AT an age of
life when most other men think of retire
ing from labor, he had just commenced a
forty years task Of usefulness. In him
the world had an example of well pro-
portioned mind acting in or through p
| physical structure, equally proportioned
to meet the pressure upon it. The known
existence of such man as Baron Hum
boldt is blessing to the world. Hereaf-
ter we will refer more particularly to what
he did. Now we will refer only to what
he was in person and character, as sketch
ed by his personal acqi antance, Bayard
Taylor, and furnished by him to the Du-
buque Times:
In person, Humboldt was short, strong
" built, yet without any approach to cor
pulency. During the last days of bis
| life, he carried bis head bent, with stoop-
ing shoulders, as if bis body had not Wig
or enough to hold mp the weight of the
knowl9dg 60 contained in his massive brain.
Yet in the prime of life, when perfectly
erect, his height could not have been more
than five feet six inches. His head was
large and marked by beautiful svmme-
| try, bis forehead smooth and unwrinkIed,
and the blue eyes as soft, steady and clear
| as those of child. His sight was per-
feet, enabling him to read the finest print
| without spectacles. His nose and mouth
were OF the heavy Teutonic type, and the
expression OF his face fully accorded with
the truth consistency and benignity OF
his character. No person could bave seen
| him without being inspired with an i'm
mediate personal regard for him. In the
castle at Tegel, the patrimony of the
Humboldt family, hangs picture repre-
seDting him in his thirty-ff year, on the
side of Chimborazo. He there appears
rather slender, with the same massive head
and clear blue eyes, and with th OK brown
locks. In another portrait ar the age OF
fifty, his hair is already snow white. His
co lntenance changed very little after that
period, the skin still remaining smooth,
and with fresh, healthy tint.
He died, through the gradual decay Of
his physical faculties, retaining his mental
however to the last. As late as 1868, he
was accustomed to labor frequently fol
sixteen hours at a time, and the last pub
lshed volume of "Cosmos" exhibits no
signs of an embedding intellect. The first
shock his constitution received was given
to it by succt ssivo attacks of influenza, a
disorder very prevalent in Berlin. He
had himself noticed the slower and more
difficult action Of his physical functions
had perceived the gradual dimunition OF
his vital powers, and in the summer OF
1858 made calculation that if they con
timed to decline steadily in tie la:io, his
death must take plact this year.
Probably no distinguished man of this
century, with the exception of Beranger,
surpassed Humboldt in simplicity, homes
" and native dignity of characteristic
a born noblemaS, the confidential friend
Of his king, and the accepted equal of the
monarchs of Europe, bis sympathies were
with the liberal party, and he never hest
tated to express them. While his sum
mers were passed in the Royal Palace at
| Potsdam, he occupied apartments in the
house Of his own servants in Berlin du-
ring the winter. So we'll were his politi-
cal predictions known, that at the Con
| gress of Verona, of which he was men,
Der, when be had proposed some tempo
rary measure which had an arbitrary
character, the Emperor, Alexander T., ex-
claimed, Sand ia it you, arch republican
as you are, who propose such despotic
measure 2"
Like WasLington's, H ,mboldt's mind
was SO beautifully symmetrical, that it
would be easy to point out many men
who went beyond him in particular de-
partments of science. He was too good
in all to be specially distinguished, and
in the extei of his labsls, as well as the
amount Of bis sacrifices in the acquisitian
of knowledge. he has never been surpass-
ed by any man. His life has been a
splendid success. He has enjoyed the
unbounded respect and admiration of
three generations, and now the world
nourns in him the loss of the greatest
man.
Such was the great Baron Humboldt.
Mrs. PERKINS says she never can I'M
derstand these ERE market rep rs. She
can unders and how cheese caa be lively
and pc, k can be active-that is, before it