The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-10-24

tiful town of Brattlcboro, Vermont, you
will see over the door of small shop n
sign-"C. G. Frost, Boot and Shoe Max
cr." In passing the shop, at almost any
time of day, you may see plain looking
man, We airing pointed standing collar and
black stock such as were much in fashion
a quarter of century ago, and otherwise
plainly drcssed-as II mechanic should be.
lie will be doing one of three things; at
tending to customers, mending shoes, or
sitting in Boston rocking chair, reading
or writing, Perhaps there may be fourth
thing-hc may be talking to some village
friend or str niger who has dropped in
for n little chat. There is nothing at all
riking in his appearance; but he was the
man in Brattlcboro whom l particularly
desired to see. | did not venture to pre-
sent myself nor did l adopt the roundabout
method of endeavoring TO make an ac-
quaintance by means of little trade |
simply asked another gentleman to present
me to Mr.. c. c. Frost. When we met, |
said 81 wish to know the man who has
more friends among the educated people
of Europe than he has in his native vii
lage."
lie smiled, dropped his eyes, and re-
piled "Well, l reckon | have more friends
in Europe than l have in Vermont"
Sdlu : II DHu llNt tncTe are pcOpIc III
Brattleboro who know no reason why |
should desire to become acquainted with
you, but | am sure there are hundreds of
scientific men in various parts of Europe
who would be graticd to have this oppor-
tunity."
| trust my readers will now wish to know
something about this Mr. Frost in whom
was interested. lie is Il man who knows
more about plants probably than any one
else in New Engand-pcrhaps in the Uni
ted States. lie reads scientific books
equally we'll in four different languages.
lie has, besides, a very great deal of sci
entfic knowledge beyond botany-in one
department of which he is an authority for
scientific men on two continents, perhaps
| the highest authority since the death of
Rev. DIR. Curtis, of North Carolina. His
| knowledge is wide and accurate. lie has
| habits of the clearest observation and de-
scription. lie has been honorcd by being
elected a member of different scientific So
cieties in America and Europe. lie did not
tell me all these things. l knew them
but desired to hear from his own lips the
history of his intelligent progress. 1t was
substantially this:
His father was a shoemaker and was the
first who opened store for selling shoes
in Brattleboro At ten years of age young
Frost noticed that the older scholars brought
their sums to him to ''dO," and that in
mathematics he vas no to boys who were
five wears older than himself He did not
know what that meant. Int his friends af
forwards told him that thew had discovered
in him from his first years. n considerable
mathematical gonius When he was ff-
tecn voars of o9o his father became nos.
SCISSOR of "Hutton's Mathematics" which
| he had taken for debt from some West
Iolnt student. 1ouhg Frost looked NJ II
with evident denght, ana ms iaiher toid
nm II should be his properly II lie could
READ IL al twehty-ohe' AL nineteen ne had
mastered the whole course lie went INTO
astronomical mathematics, took up chem
lstry, learned very lhuch OF natural sci
ence IN every department, all the while
attended to his business as a shoemaker.
From some neglect of his physical habits
he superinduced mucous dyspepsia. NO
medical skill in his neighborhood seemed
able to relieve him. He went to New York
to consult DIR. Willard Parker. While
waiting in the ante-room, he admired in
tently very handsome boquet of flowers
on the mantle, and was examining them
when the doctor called him in. DR.. Par
ker candidly told him that lie could do
nothing for him; "but," said the skillful
=
for yourself. Are you fond of flowers?"
every much so indeed" said Mr.. Frost
"Then make it point to walk one hour
in the morning and one in the evening look
ing for flowers"
lie did so. His health constantly and
rapidly improved. At first he could hardly
| keep on his feet during the hour, but he
soon learned to walk many miles at a time.
His scientific mind naturally began to study
flowers in their scientific aspects. He be-
gan to be botanist' lie ordered Fries
book from London, and paid twelve dollars
Tor IT, lie ala not know until he saw II that
II was written in Lahn, OF which tongue he
was ignorant. lie went into the village,
bought Latin grammar, devoted himself
10 inc language ana IN SIX months could
Teau ms new DOCK as wen as IL written IN
EhgI,sh' IN the same manner ne acquired
the German ana the French lie mas CON
triDutea 10 our sciehuhc periodicals. lie
sun writes ne showed me an unpublished
hanuserlpt on the boleu OF vermont.
IN my hrst VISIT, which occupied about
an no"r' we were interrupted SIX different
'inle'. he Meh' u the counter 10 cut the
III vi ou. ~ tne , snoes Vi factory grI 10
~ !" P"', VI shppeIs 10 gehtleihan LOT
a n,,r 49, W Ply MS u"u9 WIN one OF TWO
So o~a,so "pI h',. w. h1 never nskeu 70
came hack and resumed inst U whnre 30 I 1os,