Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-26

THE STORY OF A REMARKABLE LIFE
Charles c. Frost, q native and lifelong
citizen of Brattleboro who died on Monday
last, was no ordinary man and the story of
his life is a most interesting one. Born in
1905, while boy at school young Frost
showed a remarkable aptitude for mathema-
teal studies. At the age of 10, while at
work at his fathers trade, as shoemaker, lie
had mastered the whole course of Hutton's
mathematics, which accidentally came into
his hands. and he went into astronomical
mathematics, took up chemistry snd other
natural sciences
Mr. Frost established himself in the shoe
business in 1881. Becoming somewhat dys-
peptic from too close confinement to the
bench, he went to New York to consult DR.
Willard Parker DIR. Parker told him he
could do nothing for him, but, said the ply
stefan, ''you can do very much for your
self" Observing that he was fond of flow
ers, he advised his patient to walk one hour
in the morning and one in the evening, look
ing for flowers. He did so. His health con-
stantly and rapidly improved He ordered
Frei's book on botany from London, and
paid S12 for it, not knowing till he saw it
that it was written in Latin, of which tongue
he was ignorant. He bought Latin gram
mar and in six months could read his new
book as well as if it was written in English.
In the same manner he acquired German
and French. His scientific studies and at
ailments caused him 10 become widely and
favcrably known 10 men of science, and
by savants he was considered the highest
authority OH certain branches of science.
He received the degree of A. NJ. from
Dartmouth and Middlebury colleges, was
corresponding member of societies for
the advancement of learning in this country,
and was sought out by learned men who
came long distances to see him in his unos-
tentatious and humble surroundings. 1t
was bis daily practice from his youth onward
to devote portion of every day Sundays
excepted to studies in the sciences and lam
guages. This practice did not interfere
with his mechanical or mercantile pur-
suits. occupying only the intervals of
business hours, which many let pass in
manner worse than wasted. He dressed
plainly, was abstemious in his habits and
economical in the use of money as Of
time His scientific studies included astron-
omy, geology, mineralogy, entomology,
zoology, conchology, meteorOlogy and
botany, in all of which branches he made
great proficiency, especially botany, to which
for the past few years he has more particu-
larly devoted himself. In that department of
botany relating TO the cryptogams, he was
surpassed by only few living botanists.
Mr.. Frost made collections of minerals, in
sects, shells, grasses, moses, ferns, lchens,
fungi, and plants generally, and arranged
them neatly and in scientific manner. Most
of these he collected with his own hands,
not few of them in the early morning, be-
fore the usual hours of business some on ex-
cursions made for the purpose. and others
whenever business called him abroad, never
emitting any opportunity to bring home any
rare specimen, which his quick and prac-
tised eye might discover. A part
of his earnings, which were never large,
he appropriated to the purchase of books,
and in this way collected library of 1000
volumes of valuable works, mostly of
scientific character, selected not for orna-
ment but for use Those hours and min-
utes which some men spend in idleness and
lettering about places of concourse, or in
gossip or dissipation, he wisely employed
in study, and thus acquired an amount of
knowledge on variety of subjects, mostly
scientific, which but few can boast of who
have been favored with the best advantages
that wealth could purchase or university
furnish"
While Mr. Frost unostentatiously piled
his avocation, following the apostolic injunc-
tion-to study, TO be quiet, minding ones
business, working with ones own hands
many distinguished visitors from abroad
found him out in his little store, and we
have, in printed record, their high aprrecia-
ton of his talents and wonderful achieve
ments. To all astonished enquirers as TO
why man of his high attainments should
so seemingly 'hide his light under a bushel,
his Characteristic answer was, science is not
my profession, shOe-making is" q