The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-23
Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Vanity Fair has burlesque life of the
Autocrat, after the manner of Smiles's
"Brief Biographies" As, under the humor-
GUS extravaganza of the account, We can de-
tect real love of the Doctors genius, we
give few extracts
Oliyer Wendell Holmes is one of the
most remarkable bricks in the country, as
this brief biography will show. He is the
son of the Rev. John Home, of Edinburgh,
the author of douglas" touching TRACE
dy, founded on the adventures Of one of the
ancestors of Stephen A. Douglas, who had
good deal of trouble in finding bis mother,
Ia difficulty under which the family still Ia
bors,) and the sufferings of Lady Randolph,
the wife of Hon. John Randolph of Roam
oke. Originally from Holiness Hole, the
infancy Of DR.. Holmes was passed in Bos-
ton. The first objects that met his childish
eyes in the Modern Athens, were in the
State House, which he has never ceased to
regard with affection, and the Common, for
which he has an uncommon reverence. As
might have been expected from his poetical
temperament, the childhood Of Oliver was
rather wild indeed, be was so wild at one
time that he was actually sent to Tread
mill! The occasion was as follows: Being
one day in want of tail for his kite, and
not finding anything adapted to his purpose
in the family ag-5ag, he crossed over to the
Charleston Navy Yard, where the Consti-
tuition was rottlDg, and smuggling himself
on board, stealthily climbed the lanyard un-
til he reached the cutwater where the Union
Jack was flying. He appropriated it for
his kite tai, but was fortunately detected, land
sent to the Treadmill for three months He
laughed at his punishment, in poem enti.
tied "The Treadmill," which, very appro-
priately, ran the rounds! His constitution
beginning at length to flag, he recruited it
by writing about the Flag of the Constitu-
tion-a spirited little lyric, which, strange
to say, is always incorrectly prin ted. The
very first line is wrong, for instead of,
SAY, tear her tattered ensign down."
it should read,
II tore her tattered ensign down."
Twill not DR.. Holmes correct the reading
in q variorum edition of his poems But
perhaps he wishes to veil in mystery this
romantic episode of his youth.)
Freed from the Treadmill and the odium
of Imprisonment, Oliver commenced the
study Of law, but growing weary of John
Doe, Richard Roe, and the rest of the large
legal family, he turned his attention to medi-
cine. He served an apprenticeship with a
distinguished apothecary on Beacon Hill,
and, graduating with distinction, started for
Paris to finish his education.
Hr. Holmes has written several medical
works, with alarmingly scientific titles 1--WE
shall not punish the readers of V. F. by
enumerating them) and volume Of poems,
which occasionally smell of the shop, though
they are anything but drug in the market.
He resides in palatial mansion on the
banks of the Charles River, not far from
the cottage of his pdblisher, Mr.. Fields,
(known in England under the soubriquet of
Kenny Meadows,) and in sight of the object
of his early admiration, the State House !!
His devotion to the cupalo of the State
House is so ardent, that he calls it the Hub
of the Universe! His and its enemies scout
the idea, which certainly is extravaganza,
and say it is but q small part of even the
Common Wheel of Massachusetts
DR.. Holmes is great proficient in boat
ing, so much so that the master with whom
he studied Martin, the Vegetarian,) calls
him his best. scholar. (QueryH Sculler?)
Combe, the Phrenologist, paid him SINH
lar compliment, saying be was the best
skull in Boston? The proximity of the
Doctors residence to the spar yards on the
bank of the Charles, led him to sparring,
and he is now so devoted to the manly art
that he never takes walk without putting
on his gloves! His habits are pacific, how
ever, Notwithstanding his connection with
the Atlantic! His first contribution to this
magazine was the "Autocrat of the Break
fast Table" 1t was originally his intention
to have continued the series with "The
Democrat of the Dinner Table," "The Sow
ereign Of the Supper Table," and possibly
"The Loafer at Lunch" but some jodicious
friend persuaded him to change his plan,
and give US "The Professor" instead. We
should like to analyze these works for the
delectation of the readers of ". F., but
unfortunately our Ann Eliza is absent hav.
ing gone into the country to see her sick
mother; so we will pass them by saying
they are worthy of v. F., which is the
highest praise we can give them:
DR.. Holmes devoted all bis energies to
his profession, and was at last chosen Pro-
lessor OF Anatomy Of Cambridge, in the
place of DR.. Warren, 1.-THE inventor of War
rren's Backing, and the author Of "Ten
Thousand Year." which, BY the way, was
the income which his Backing gave him.
who was unfortunately killed on Bunker's