Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-20
BLIZZARD TAYLOR.

Bayard Taylor, United States ambassador
and minister plenipotentiary to the court of
Germany, diedat Berlin yesterday afternoon,
after an illness of several months duration.
The disease that carried him off was dropsy,
from which he began to suffer almost i'm
mediately upon his arrival at his official post.
Mr.. Taylor was born in Chester county,
Pennsylvania, on the 18th of January, 1926,
and was consequently nearly 81 years of age
when he died. At an early age he learned
the printing trade, and while working at the
case imbibed the taste for literature that,
improved and cultivated, gave him such a
wide reputation in the world Of letters later
in life. Before he had attained his majority
he published small book of poems that at
tracted considerable attention, and from the
proceeds of it's sale he procured money
enough to undertake voyage to Europe.
He made the tour of the continent on foot,
and on his return home published his OBJ
seryations under the title of 'Views a-Foot,
or Europe seen with Knapsack and Staff -
This gave him his first standing in literature.
He edited weekly paper near his old home
for short time and then removed to New
York, where he contributed to several literary
weeklies, and afterwards became one of the
editors of the New York Tribune. He soon
wearied of sedentary employment, however,
and in l849 he visited California and Mexi-
CO, on his return embodying his observations
I n n fn thn ,ioh
were subsequently collected into
e volume entitled GEL Doraao,''
which obtained wide circulation.
Two years afterwards he set out on a pro-
longed tour in the East, ascending the Nile
and traversing Asia Minor, Syria and
Europe, afterwards crossing Asia to Calcutta
and from there going to the then terTes IN
cognit0 of China and Japan. For several
travelling in India, China, Sweden, Denmark,
Lapland, Greece, Russia and Crete. At in
tervals he published books of more or less
interest relating to his travels nearly all of
which had greedy readers on this side Of the
Atlantic. Besides his books of travel he has
Written several novels, and his poetical con-
tributions to the literature of the day have
been voluminous though perhaps hardly
brilliant.
Z All of his works are we'll known to the
readers of the present day. Although not
writer of exceptional talent, his style was
graceful, and he had rare facility of de-
scription, and could invest the most COM
mon place incident with charm of b. auty
He was one Of the most versatile OF modern
Wterateurs, an indefatigable worker, and
socially gentleman Of many pleasing traits.
He was appointed as minister to Germany
by Mr.. Hayes last spring, and after his con-
hrmation received grand ovation from the
Lotus club of New York and the literary
men of Boston. He left for his post of duty
last July, but has been incapacitated from
active service ever since his arrival al Ber-
lin. He had no opportunity to distinguish
himself as diplomat; indeed he was sent
abroad more as compliment to the literary
world than in the expectation that he would
have any special duty to perform.
Mr.. Taylor will be sincerely mourned not
only in this country but abroad where his
reputation has gone as a cultured gentleman,
a ripe scholar and an entertaining writer.
His works have done more to familiarize the
public with the customs and manners of
foreign countries than those that were far
more pretentious, for his style was popular
and we'll calculated to fascinate the reader,