New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-02

Minute Adopted by the New orIemns Acad-
envy Of Sciences ON the Death of their late
Fellow and former Corresponding S"cre-
tary, James IL. Durund.
James b. Durand died at Herrick Bradford
county, Pennsylvania, in April last. He was
native of that State and probably Of that county.
He came to Louisiana in his boyhood, and was
pupil in the public schools of Lafayette, now the
Fourth District of New Orleans, and afterwards
taught in those schools with much ability, fidelity
and success While yet pupil, lie was a welcome
contributor to the public journals and before he
had reached the age Of twenty-five, he had de-
seryedy won the admiration of his literary friends
| by his newspaper articles, and by his occasional
contributions to the best periodicals of the 2oun-
try. About this age he exchanged the vocation OF
teacher for that of bookkeepcr. he remained for
years in one OF the largest and most respectable
commercial houses of this city, and had the rep
utaLiou of keeping books well, Notwithstanding
the prevailing idea that those devoted to literature
are good for nothing else. Charles Lamb was his
prototypes for both in daily ayocation and in
nightly tol-both in business industry and literary
taste, Durand was like him. Had they been con
temporary and been thrown together lhey "ou'u
have been congenial spirits,
feeble health, and close confinement to his bust
ness desk. Durand wrote vouminousIy; published
enough to have made a good library volume; and
left unpublished as much more. He found time,
in the absence of the literary editor Of the New
Orleans Delta, to take editorial charge of the Sun
day editions. Better numbers were never issued
from that press; and it had previously acquired
distinction by the literary excellence OF its Sunday
issues.
In the simmer of 1861 Mr.. Durand left New Or
leans and was afterwards engaged 10 the treasury
department at Washington CITY, MI MS decAh'hg
health compelled him to resign his position. lie
had then ready for the press volume which he
hnm1rousiy proposed to entitle 81 Literary 1yianas
te7: The Diversions Of o Cotton CLerk. lake
mostlterarymen, he was somewhat Strengthened II
pccuniary circumstances and that, together VIII
his declining health, may he the reason that tie
= BOOK has noI seen the Ignt'
! Ihe liyc5 Of literary men are usually without
striking incidents, and NIL D4flnd forms 20 eh
cepuon to the rute. 1t would be both entertaining
, did instructive Should some Of bis friends prepare
an analytical article upon his literary character
and genius. Ills mind was very active eFe'
when his phystca! frame was suheIln8 from ta'
! iasidious disease that was gradually wearing ALH
: away. ms aHusG VI t4e DS"ulii"t "''7 $500 49,
I eXcelling lis appreciation Of the grand and n
sublime. He had the poetcal temperament mGhI.
\ developed. His verse was remarkable for beauty
u both Of diction and conception. 1t was OF supe
. rior order, much after ne manner o. lonei7Ho"
d, and scarcely inferior to his, though there was
G slaysh imitation. His humor resembled that
: Charles Lamb, to whom we have already compare
:; him in other respects. He was less taeetious tAa
y Lamb and probably could not have write
IS Roast Pig but his strokes of humor wer
= scarcely less delicate. He was less of punste
=; than Hood, but approached him in the racines5 c
v his true wit. He had the pathos Of both,
e As q prose writer, he was elegant, chaste tluer
T. and original His " Evening Talks published i'
N aWhHe weekly N LHe beIta' al7 'G''1'''
)r by anything Of their kind IN the language me
Re were rnnph in the vein of the Recreations of
u ,,,,.,- p,rsor ,, einca ,,nb1isbad by a SCotc
clergyman.
in Mr. Durand did not exec! in science as in liter
+., cot. 10, 1r,ae a vary valuable member of fiji
Of -. tI..s - .,o +1o Cor4
is ern Literary Society, of which he was for t
no oor tho e6,,1 and the life bnt he was a reruI
Of -. .,ti,,,. 41.;,,r i+arog+ in Il
on "'1ehuau' DIT Jul me- '''77' ,--''',7
snoretarv his seges were
- o'i'7Po7 go ..