Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-23
VI ISc cell IAN .
The Scientific shoemaker.
By PRoT. A. d. HAGAR.

While it is eminently proper to pay Z
ust tribute to the memory Of those who
have passed away from US IN the possession
Of great moral worth or eminent abilities, il
Is equally appropriate to speak Of the living,
especially when the example is such ss to
induce a better state Of society, OF give en-
couragement to others it the pursuit of
knowledge.
For these reasons We propose to give some
OF the circumstances attending the life Of a
modest and unassumIng man, who is justly
entitled to the name which lie enJOye lin the
village where he resides The Scientific
Shoemaker" His contributions to science,
and especially to the science Of Botany,
have introduced him 10 the acquaintance Of
most scientific men in New England, and
few, If any, names are reckOned better au-
thority in the department Of Botany than
that Of Charles L. Frost Of Brattleboro,
Vt. Middlebury and Dartmouth colleges
have each, in appreciation of his
valuable contributions 10 science, conferred
on him the honorable degree of Master of
Arts, and the Boston Natural History Socie-
" has enrolled him on its list Of Cores
ponding Members. His advantages for &C
quiring an education were quite limited and
his early attainments must have been quite
incomplete, for at the age Of fourteen, with
the scanty information acquired at COM
mon school. he was apprenticed to the shoe
making business which he has ever since
followed. lie possessed an ardent love for
study, and about the time OF his apprentice
ship obtained a copy of "Hutton's Mathe-
matics" Of which he became perfect master
without the aid OF q teacher. His thirst for
knowledge turned his mind to the study OF
Astronomy, Philosophy, Geology and Mn
eralogy. Ho succeeded in acquiring toler-
able know ledge Of the sciences. His dero-
tion to study and his close application to
business made sad inroads upon his health,
and at the age Of forty he found himself in
valid. with dyspepsia and its attendant evils
closely fastened upon him and rendering it
impossible for him to attend to his business.
After trying in vain to obtain the panacea
that should restore him again to health, he
visited an eminent physician in New York as
the physician, and while waiting till two or
three, who had reached the place before
him, were examined, be observed some house
plants in the window Of the office and to
pass the time, stepped up to notice the
NATloue klDlr Ol uONeIc upon NItlu.
When his turn came, the physician, after
instituting many inquiries, asked him il he
was fond of flowers and had knowledge of
Botany, to which Mr.. Frost replied that he
had fondness for any Of the works of
Nature, but knew but very little of Botany.
Upon this the phyician advised him to re-
turn home and make it a point 20 collect
one flower day during the ensuing spring
and summer, and when collected he was to
put it with its name into a book. He re-
marked, "Your health and strength will pro-
baby return to you in proportion to the dis
tance you will 30 obliged TO 90 to obtain the
new flower, after you have gathered them
awhile" He gave no medicine and the
above was the only prescription which he
made.
Mr.. Frost left the Office greatly disap-
pointed, mortified at the thought of going so
far, and incurring go much expense for so
simple and as it appeared to him, so worth
less prescription At times be queried
whether the man was not an impostor,
but his reputation as skillful practitioner
was too well established to suffer thought Of
this kind to remain longer in his mind, nor
could he believe that the physician intended
it for SELL therefore he determined to
carry out fully the instruction which hc had
received.
lie returned home, picked hls first flower,
named and pressed it, and felt no worse.
lie soon obtained an elementary work on
Botany, and before the frosts of winter
eame TO cut down the remaining flowers,
hiF' ftost had daily plucked his flower,
gNen ~ l'7 proper mama and place, and what
was more, he had in a great measure re-
gained hls health, and obtained n tolerabIe
knowledge of Botany. With the return of
spring, the benefits obtained the nrcvions
wear prompted him to renew his invest;oa-
tions IN the field, and lie was surnrised at
the great number of plants that lad nrevi-
ously escaped his observation. He soon
,,nund plant. not described as indigenous 10
Vermont, and subsequently, discovered those
not described in a any American work.
This somewhat embarrassed him, but when
he had submitted the facts to his cotempOr-
Aries. and they gave him credit for discover
ing new species, the Inward satisfaction
that ever glows in the heart OF C naturalis,
when conscious OF having contributed one
new truth TO the science, awakened in hit
mind new emotions, gave him strength and
made him more jealous IN his search thar
before
His examinations were not restricted
to the field of ordinary Botany, bui
extended to the study Of Moses, Licheni
and Fungi. de made collections of these
but when he attempted to determine theil
species, he found no American work thai
sufhsiently described them to suit his pur
pose. In his studies he had seen re.erenc,
made to foreign works as - Fries System {
mycOlogicum." {" Albertini & Scweinit.
Conspectus Fungorum," and others, ant
hoping to get new light from them, sent t.
Europe and procured some of those whicl
lie suspected might be of the greatest ser
vice to him. In due time the works arrived
When 10 they were all written in Latin