New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06
JOHN DUNCAN: WEAVER AND BOTANIST

JOIN DUNCAN: WEAVER AND BOTANIST
From Nature
On the last ,av If 1880 the University Of Aber-
deem presented with q hcrbarlum of 1,l31
specimens of the British Flora. gathered. preserved,
named and localized by an agent country weaver
who lives near Afford, IN AberdecnshIrc. He is no
ordinary man. as the accumulation OF such bOan-
ica collection Is alone sufficient 10 prove. IL repre-
scnts portion only Of the scientific ia6ors Of nearly
fifty years; fer much IF these have been destroyed
by time anu the moth
John Duncan was born on December 81, 1904. 40
that he is now IN his cIghty-seyrnth year. His
parents were very poor and cOnld ailOr! him only
the merest rndlmenis Of even the three rs as then
taught for his education had TO be sacrificed to the
pressure of prnury He learnt TO read by abOriOuS
~ spelling his way throug the text IN church, his
writing has ever been rude, but distinct and his
spelling Is such example of the phonetic as wOnld
delight Mr. lItman. lie was early sent to
work and became customer weaver" max
ing into cloth the fax an" n6u,n wooi sent sent
ms home Oy s ms nfenOUT5 oa aT
III life. and had and two daughters; but his
wife died more than thirty years ago, and all his
family have gone he remaining the sole survivor.
During the greater part OF his long life he has dweit
In the valley Of th" Don. near Afford. and for nearly
thirty years in the same cottage ut DrOghsburu, in
the pleasant hollow of the l.eOchcl. five miles above
dwellings, the other belonging 10 q dlcheTs family
who prepare ms simple meals. He occupies single
ROOM filed with the looms and other implements OF
his trade. open to the matched ROOF, ms
bed resting on some deals lad across the rafteIs.
and reached by means OF ladder In TINS harrow
space John Duncan has lived for twenty elght
years., a solitary man, In serene contentment, up
right ard religious. working labOrl0usly for an
honest living, cbecrcd only hy the friendship OF
few. his love of books and his deyo-
ton to the study Of plants, which he has
prosecuted with singlc-mlnled enthusiasm,
that IL M raro II Is beuntiul. visited
HIM about three years ago and spent two days IN
his company, having long wished to do from
what had heard of him from his dearest friend
and fellow student, Charles Black.
found him in gooo health. working hard
Independence, visited only by few disciple, whom
he had inspired with love of himself and the
plants, unknown, sci contained. and happy even on
the verge of want. examined his plants talked of
their history and the crowdIng memories they re-
called of countless wandcrngs in their search, saw
his books on botany. theology and general lltera-
turr which are unusually numerous and costly for
a poor man, cOnversed with hIn on many subjects,
chiefly connected with his Studies. and his intimacy
with Charles whose friendship Is now the chief com;
fort of his age; and leit him charmed, lhspiedand
rrbnkcd by his life. character and enthusiasm and
Wise cOntentment, the result of unwearled devo-
ton to higher pursuits.
some interest in the solitary student was reused
By an account then gave OF him. and he was yls
tied by not n few kindly spirits whose Opcn-hand-
edncss lightened somcw hat the growing pressure OF
age aud want. Since then ne mas worked at us
l0om winning his daily bread with heroic struggle;
till Il short time ago. when decaylnR power ana
some paralytIc touches. Ill ms elghlysIXth year,
ConrPlel him reluctantly to give II up ana remove
from his small but honorable work shOp and study
to be kindly tended by the GltcherS widow. Many
n most careful man-werc dissipated through
domestic causes which he had no control, at
tended with heavy gricts. Since then his growing
age has barely enabled him to live more than from
hand 10 mouth, and now for some time he has had
to do what must be incXpres>bly Keen 70 an lnde-
pendent soul like his, to accept from the parish
pnupcTs portion.
From his earliest days, when he used to play upon
the green cliffs of the high cOngOmerae coast OF
KIncarlinc. John Duncan had an intense love OF
plants. and long before ho began their scientific
study collected them for their medicinal uses guided
By CulpeppeI's Herbal" 1t was NOT MI no was
forty years of agr. whcn he was introduced in 1882
TO Charles Black, that he commenced the study OF
botany aS Il science. -,
When These two men met, Charles was settled rs
gardener near Afford and under his guidance John
nt once began the systematic study oil botany Ihey
conquered the flora OF the |ae OF AllOrn lhe
curious peak Of Brnl-chio, where they found at an
early date the RubHs chdrdrm0rHs, or cl0udDIrry'
being favOrte haunt. John having his time. ~
home weaver more NJ his own command Oy ana Dy
extended his excursions to greater distances il3
before very long, did the most Of
tho Sch county 3%GtS two IhG Dmbe msn prosecuted
their studies was wonderful, tho morning light
often surprising them at their work OF cias3llylng'
drying and arranging Their AccunhlallnS tlc"ouarS:
The want of textbooks Of the science was S0rely
felt by them. and excited them to ingenious DC
vices to supply 1t: certain country fn', iol tA
nmpe, being frequcnted by them not LOT COW iVl
purposes. but to obtain slght OF , llo9hci.
which had belonged to the innkespefs aeau s3n.
The details OF Johns continued s.ruisS "n and
DOyerty difficulty and trial are interesting anu
honorable but these cannot be given mere IN
order to extend his knowledge OF botany and
the fora of Scotland he used to take harvest WORK
in different parts of the country, studying ia SUCCESS
sion the plants of each district III lie hn IN lnS
way trayersed the most of the land from N0rtnuh,
berland TO Ban except some parts OF the west ana
the Highlands, bringing homo specimens living anu
dead planting the ono in bis own neRnDorno0u anu
adding the other to his rapdy-increasing herba,
rum. His knowledge of plants was minute anu
scicntiiic and the abundant technical terms were
used with ease and intellgently understood ny the
help of Latin dictionary he hau purchased I9I tue
purpose Nor was it confined TO mere tecnnicatleS,
but ex tended to an unusual acquaintance WIN tnel
habits history and uses. His collection OF DOiahcal
works is surprisingly large and valuable ali pur-
chased by his own hard earnings. HIS memory
being as strong as his OF the pen was weak, ne
did not write down any details OF the pants thus
collected but he could tell all these when asked
with unerring precision as well as relato Tue
varied incidents, Interesting, humorous, happy OF
hard connected with their discovery; Inc prcsen-
taton of his herbarium has reyealed the sac Iact
that independent and toll worn as he has ever Deen
even to nigh eighty-six. he has been iasely cUln-
peed to bear tho pain aud shame OF depending
on the parish for his daily bread HIS DOCKS hre VI
value and would alone fetch considerable sum /
hit these the dear companions OF his ife he CANNOT
bring himself to part with. though now, unable TO
enioY more than a sight Of them. Hts beloved
plants be would not barter for heaps of gold ana ne
has therefore presented them TO Aberdeen onlyer-
sty there 1t is TO DO hoped not only 10 DO good ed
cafional work but to exercise an inspiring Impulse
over many generations Of students privileged " e4