The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-07-26

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON.
The family name Of this celebrated
natuFnlist and ornithological artist ~ |
q Freneh origin ard ,XAfle c2nnnsd
IN H. been. tiSced g. No. only
( 4 / II
To seek his fortune, and In eleven yeess
he achieved successs@ He owned -
tates In the West Indies, Louisiana,
Vigipisa and Pennsylvaui4f the latter
.eets& being On PeEkiomen Greek pear
lpbseRh ls4ys whom he = IN 1aI,s
a ,ans. sdo h Mnos1 She psIishsd Surins
the revolt Of the negro population, ct
s SsSs ssssst ~ ANY TIE s sns
bought q beautiful estate on the Loire,
near Nantes, which at his death he be-
oueathed to the naturalist, and who
conveyed 1t to his sisters without even
visiting the domain he 30 generously
Willed away.tfr = MI 1ise1-d
The naturalist was born near, New
Orleans, La, May A, 1850, and his ear
Hest recollections were associated with
lying among the flowers Of that fertile
land, sheltered by orange trees, and
listening to the hooking bird, dear to
him in after life from many associa-
tions., He left Louisiana when but .
child, for Nantes, France, where Ills
education was to be, commenced. His
step-mother humoredr his every whim
and INDUCED him In every luxury.
But his father, who put no reliance on
the tickle goddess, believed the safest
inheritance he could leave him would
be q thorough education, and forthwith
sent the young gentleman TO school:
Mathematics, drawing, fencing and
music were among the branches pre-
scribed. He once thought Of being q
sailcr, but his instructions. were for
tunately under the particular guidance
of his mother, and large scope was al
lowed him to indulge In his nest hunt
! ing prOpensities. His father was NOR
| tiled that the other studies should be
neglected, and ordered o severe course
of study, which was pursued for more
than q year, the young student. how
ever, taking every opportunity 10 col
lect more specimens In natural history.
:. Audubon was sept out by his father
TO superintend his property In Amer
lea, and was put In the possession Of
| the estate OH Perki0men Creek, called
| Mill Grove. Here he found o blessed
spot, and hunting, drawing, and fish,
L lr.k l. Il.
| While here he was introduced to the
| ants from the Peverils, great landOwn-
| ers in Derbyshire. and rendered historic
by Scott's novel, "Peverill of the
rPeak.n A daughter married Count
Bssauelle, of the court of William the
Norman, which name was corrupted
| into Basskiel, and afterwards into
| BLACKWELL. Audubon's estate was
separated from the Blackwell property
by q road leading from Norristown to
what il now Rawlings Bridge. His
visits were frequent, and while Lucy
BLACKWELL taught him English, and
received drawing lessons In return, iC
was easy to predict the result. %.
Audubon subsequently sold his Mill
| Grove property, married Lucy Blake
well, and removed to Louisville, Ken
lucky. Here he engaged in business
with friend; but the war of 1872 Inn
perilled their prospects, and after
j many speculatiOns, some of which
1 were successful, but which finally re-
suited in his utter ruin in business, he
sold his interest to his partner. Shortly
after, he became curatOrof the museum
| at Cincinnati, and in conjunction
Herewith opened drawing school.
When the work at the museum was
completed, he fell back to his former
occupation of portrait painting.
In1820 he accompanied the scientific
expedition for surveying the Missis-
sippi River. His object was an excur-
sion in search of pathological speci.
mems. This was the chief pursuit OF
his life, and even while engaged In
commercial transactions In Kentucky,
/ he made many rambles in search OF
specimens, and had many amusing
experiences in rifle shooting, hunting,
and Fourth Of July festivities with the
famous Colonel Daniel Boone, the
Kentucky hunter, and hero Of multi
tude Of desperate adventures. -
i In this section, his wife taught at Q
he engaged in teaching drawing, by
which he cleared, annually, two thou
sand dollars. With this and his wife'i
savings, which she, deeply interested
in his work, forced upon him, he was
able to see o successful issue to hi
great work. He determined to visit
England, where he expected to find
the fame so tardily granted to heroes
in their own country. Here, In
strange country, with only the friends
. he had made in q few months, with
. not enough money to bring out thu
first number of his work, which would
, cost a hundred thousand dollars, will
no pledge Of help, but only discour
agements on every side of the hope
lessness of such an undertaking. b,
] made arrangements for the publication
of his Birds Of America" and issuet
the prospectus, which exhibits hi
!, l indomitable character more fully thar
any undertaking of his life. In 1928
! he returned to America for his wifi
. and children, and as soon as he relandet
i'm England, went to Edinburgh, wher
he wrote his Biography Of the Bird
# of America working SO assiduOusl,
/ that 1t was before the public befor
Il Wilson's, edition, which was In pres
! before his was begun. This completed
: he returned to America to secur
, further additions to his great worl
7 which was fast maturing, and whicl
was finally completed about the yea
1889. elssal e.sl1s,j. Ia
He then engaged in preparing hi
2 last great work, the " Quadrupeds 9
9 America and for that purpose jour
4 neyed extensively in the West. TIL
/, work appeared 10 three volumes.
nj TINS completed, d Audubon was a
: old man, and the ardent fire whic
y had burned 80 steadily in his heal
I'll was going out gradually There al
!. few things I'm his life more interestin
! and beautiful than the tranquil happ
fafDily, suff6unded by his wife, HI
9 chfdfen and grandchildren. 80 20
G Hisfhannefs were frank and cordia
and his character sincere and true
II His accent was slightly French; N
o tone pensive., The wonderful sin
49, = al 49, -