Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-25
A MAN OF SCIENCE.
something About Il Many Sided Ei
lishman.

Iishnuh.
A clear, bright face, keen, thoughtful
eve, bearing both his years AMI his learn
ing "lightly MS a flower" Sir John Lub.
book, SAYS the Whitehall RerieW, hardly
strikes you as a man who has invaded
nearly every province of human knowl-
edge and swept the scientific world of its
honors and decorations. He is one of
the greatest of London bankers, but he
is alse much more He combines in a
more extraordinary way than any person
living what is scientific and speculative
with what s practical and political. In
very different directions he has made his
mark and achieved solid success. The
basis of his character and work no doubt
lies in its scientific side.
In the method, sagacity and patience of
his observations he evidences the true
spirit Of the Baconian induction. He
can not us Bacon did in his day, take all
human knowledge for his province, but
no man better understands the relation
ships between various departments OF
knowledge or has made himself IA special.
ist in larger number of them. On one
side of his character he is Il country gen.
tleman, patien} thinker, plodding in.
yestigator Of minute phenomena Men
of action aud politics, who would scorIl
to watch ants and wasps and study flint
Instruments, have rarely achieved sucl
brilliant and remarkable success. He is
one Of the best known members of Par
lament, holding one of the most honora
BILE Of seats by the frmest of tenures
Few men have such spotless, honorable
and disinterested character in public AM
private life.
First of all, Sir John is banker, a,
was his father before him, In severa
respects lie illustrates the doctrine o
heredity, as set forth by his late frien,
and neighbor, Mr.. Darwin Sir JOIN
William Lubbock was, in his day, yer,
remarkable astronomer, not so much, n
his famous son explained to me, on til,
popular and Conservatory side" ms on tn
high mathematical side. He had also
celebrated relative, DR.. Lubbock of Nor
folk, who wrote on the fauna OF his eoun
try. He had thus an ancestral fame t.
sustain, both scientifically aud socially.
need hardly say that he ID thorough
man of business. Nowhere has Sir Joh
made his great powers more felt than il
the region of banking, They say "ever
man is debtor to his profession :" an
Sir John has acquitted this debt YER
fully. He has made two great landmark
in the history of banking which will q
ways be associated with his name.
One of these is the bank holiday til
other, the institution of the clearing
house of country banks, by which til
benefits long known in the city of Lor
don were extended to all parts OF til
country. All the honors that the banl
ing world could confer upon him hay
been literally bestowed. He is the pre-
ident OF the Institute Of Bankers, wit
its two thousand members, and holds IL
peculiar and remarkable position of hol
orary secretary Of the London Assooi
ton of Bankers. He is thus the mediu
between the banks and government M
the chosen exponent Of the views
bankers in relation to government. The
lie has instituted system Of examinatic
for bankers clerks corresponding to Il
Civil Service examinations Sir Jol
was member of the International Coi
age Committee appointed by governmen
and he is the author Of II great variety
papers in financial literature.