The daily gazette., 1877-12-27
THE LEARNED BLACKSMITH.
ELIHU BURRITTs DEATH NEAR AT
HANDSOME POINTS IN THE CA
REER OF A REMARKABLE MAN,

ELIHU BURRITT'S DEATH NEAR AT
HANDSOME POINTS IN THE CA
REER OF A REMARKABLE MAN.
A Hartford letter dated Sunday last
says For several weeks back the health
of Elihu Burritt, of New Britain, "The
Learned Blacksmith" has been in a pre-
carious condition, and his death before
the close of the year would hardly be q
surprise to his intimate friends and rela-
tives. He has been subject of late to
renewed attacks of hemorrage of the
lungs, and being far advanced in life it
is not thought that he can long survive
their effect. Mr.. Burritt was born in
New Britain, Dec. s, 1910, and was the
youngest son in family of ten children,
five Of whom were girls. He sprang
from substantial Scotch stock, and his
father and grandfather were both soldiers
in the Revolutionary War. In 1928 his
father died, leaving him without legacy,
except that of a fearless character and
indomitable perseverance. Shortly after
this event he apprenticed himself to a
blacksmith al New Britain, and there
began at the anvil a career the importance
of which it will require years to deter
mine with anything like accuracy or
justice. While his hands were busy with
| the sledge and hammer,hls mind WAS not
inactive, and developed faster even than
skill at his trade, although at the end of
| three years he enjoyed the satisfaction OF
knowing that he was one of the best
workmen to be found in the State. Being
a natural mathematician, he allowed his
gifts full play, and while at work at the
bellows wrought constantly on mathe-
matical problems. He extemporized his
problems, anu kept their solution in mind
| until he reached nome, when the results
were announced to his brother, Elijah
Burritt, then the proprietor of small
boarding school at New Britain. Through
the advice of his brother he turned his
| attention more Systematically to study,
taking up the French, Latin and Greek
languages. After a short course in his
brothers school he removed to New
Haven, in order that he might follow the
natural bent of his mind under the influ-
epce and inspiration of Yale College. -
Here an incident occurred which revealed
to him more than anything else had done
his own power and capabilities. Being
ashamed at 22 years Of age to ask for aid,
he resolved on working his own way in
his studies without consultation with
teacher or professor. He sat down to
Homer's "Iliad," without note or COM
ment, and with only lexicon with Latin
! definitions. He had never read line in
the book, but determined that if he could
read two lines by hard study during the
| whole day he would never ask help of
any one inmastering the Greek language.
| He won complete victory, and by the
| middle of the afternoon had read and
committed fifteen lines to memory. He
next turned his attention to teaching, but
was compelled to abandon it on account
of ill-health. In 1852 he assumed the
editorship Of the "Citizen of the World"
Philadelphia paper, and devoted to the
advocacy of compensated emancipation
of Southern slaves. His scheme, which
had the sympathy of many prominent
men of the country, was rapidly gaining
ground when it received fatal blow by
the John Brown movement at Harper's
Ferry. Mr.. Burritt took the failure of
this project more to heart than any un-
favorable event of his life. He had advo-
Gated it with all the energy and clear
ness of thought of which he was capable,
and TO his mind there was no bther way
for getting rid of slavery. His efforts had
cost him the sacrifice of every comfort
for months, and for days at time, while
in the hardest of his work, he had lived
on sixteen cents day. In 1865 Mr..
Burriit was appointed United States
consul at Birmingham, which place he
held until the Inauguration of President
Grant, when, with nearly all the United
States consuls in Great Britain, he was
removed. In 1870 he returned finally to
America, settling down in his native
town to spend the remainder of his days
in peace and study. He has published
of late years two or three volumes, the
most important of which is "Ten Min
utes Talk on All Sorts of Topics" He
has also been interested in the moral and
religious development of the townspeo-
pie, and has established several mission
ary and philanthropic enterprises among
them. His death, which cannot be far
distant, will be regarded as great public
loss.