The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-09-18
The Lives of Great Men j..

IL the biography Of soldiers, physi-
clans AID lawyer., there frequently is
Considerable degree of dramatic inter
est IN that of artists, scientific meu
and clergy ymen. there usually /. 80,
much
Among eminent soldiers. FIR example.
take the instance Of Napoleon Bonaparte
and Lord Give. Every one knows the
story Of the tirst-h0w, without interest
or money he had the god fortune, when
only subilentenan,. 20 be intrusted
with the command of the ordinance des-
tine 10 captured the arsenal al Toulon.
and Alfnetately changing iSe mode of
attack. accomplished lis purpose. and
from that lay obtained the reputation
OF being = soldier who ought ~ IT, ad-
.amccd or hc would advance himself
The case OF Give Is full If dramatic
interest. lie vas ss.ut u the East In-
dies. m i14i. as writer III the Civil
Service, and three years later, after two
attempts at suicide volunteered into the
army He took very kindly 10 his new
profession. beat the French troops. and
finally. after terrible contest with a
large native army, established that
British rule in India which since has
become 80 great He obtained imm mense
wealth and a pee,age.
In Lord Erskine's csse there also was
a change of profession. Thomas Frs
kline, tie Youngest son of An almost
pauper Scottish noblenan, was first a
midshipmau in the British navy, and
then All ensign in the army.
Finally, he became "a lawyer. and
having accidentally met at a friends
dinner table All official who was abou,
being tried for libel. charmed him so
much by his conversation, that he in.
sisted on having the young and un-
known lawyer employed as one of his
counsel.
fortunate accident compelled Frs
kline 10 make the speech for the defense.
which was so elegant and indignant that
it obtained the verdict and from that
day the lawyer, though young, was un-
known no more. In the end. when he
was the first among English advocates,
he was made Lord Chancellor.
There are many sensational stories
true ones too-about the lucky accidents
which have called able ply yslcisns from
obscnrity 10 fame and fortune One of
these was familiar TO me ia my youth,
| and its hero was the father Of that Sir
John Champion who was British Min
ister at Washington from 1852 to
| 1856.
| Philip Champion. n cadet of an Irish
family. inherited no fortune, and was
left to struggle on rs surgeon III
Dublin One day as he was waikiki z
down Sackville Street. in that city, he
saw that crowd had gathered around
"A poor man. lying on the side walk and
! apparently choking
! The man had swallowed shilling
aud it had stuck in his throat Taking
out his lancst-case, the young surgeon
boldly made an incision in the wind
pipe. and drew ont the coin with his
| finger aud thumb.
He had saved human life by his
promptitude and skill The patient
| was . iarvie. or oar-driver. one of the
numerous aud influential class in Dab
| lin. From that moment. Philip Crump.
ton was the pet of the jarvies.
Whenever one of them Witnessed or
heard of = street accident. he went or
sent for Surgeon Champion. whose name
thus got into the newspapers. and in a
few years he rose 70 such eminence that
he was made surgeon general TO the
to the army Of Ireland. which stamped
him ss the head of his profession. WAS
made bsronet in 1899. and died in
1858. leaving large landed estate, the
result II his practice aud manage-
ment.
When George " visited Ireland. il
| isai. he held what is called "a court
which was numerously attended. All
official persons were expected to appear
At IL. Champion went. of course. sls
surgeon general, and wore the uniform
of his rank--a blue dress. bed,zxen cd
with gold lace aud embroidery
Being considerably over six feet high,
we'll looking erect. and in the prime of
life, his sovereign. who never before
had seen him, was struck by his APP
pearance. and said. in half whisper.
- the stately Goliath came up. his
cooked hat, with white ostrich feathers,
in one hand. while the other sustained
| his sword;
What fiue fellow wonder TO
what regiment he belongs =
Lori Norbury. well known Judge.
famous for his puns. was standing by
the king. and answered
TO the LaHofrs, may it please your
majesty"
Champion had indeed been u tsmees.
all his life
The difference of the biography of
classes Is considerable, The lie of the
doctor. the lawyer. and tue physician.
! Is full of action. full of disloeue. and
runs through ever shifting scenery
Scientific life is essentially life Of very
/ quiet order. and Is mainly the record of
reflection and experiment.
It's moments, or its ~milestoneS." gas
its main events might he called. are
/ the fruitful seasons of discovery or de-
velopment Nevertheless. the world =
! interest in its material bcneisctors is so
grca, tha, scientific biography Is even
larger than any other Kind ot pvofes-
sional biography.
Moreover. i, ha. supplied many s,rik-
ing subjects for the artists pencil. One
Of the mos; striking Of those incidents,
illustrated by art. arose out of the ap-