Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-25
Il Distinguished Nan Of Science.
Whitehall Review

A clear bright face, keen thought ul
eye, bearing both his years and his learn
ing slightly as flower" Sir John Lubbock
hardly strikes you as man who has invad-
ed 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 also
much more. He combines in more ex-
traordinary way than any person living
what is scientific and speculative with what
is PRACTICAL and political. In very differ
ent directions he has made his mark and
achieved solid success. The basis
of his character and work no
no doubt lies in its scientific side. In the
method, sagacity and patience of his OBJ
servations he evidences the true spirit of
the Baconian induction. He cannot, as
Bacon did in his day, take all human
knowledge for his province, but no man
better understands the relationships be-
tween various departments of knowledge
| or has made himself specialist on a
larger number of them. On one side of
his character he is country gentleman, a
| patient thinker, Flooding investigator OF
minute phenomena. Men OF action and
] politics, who would scorn to watch ants
| and wasps and study flint instruments
| have rarely achieved such brilliant and re-
| markable success. He is one of the best
| known members of parliament, holding
one of the most honorable of seats by the
| frmest of tenures. Few men have such a
spotless, honorable and disinterested char.
acter in public and private life.
First of all, Sir John is banker, as wa.
his father before him. In several res poets
| he illustrates the doctrine of heredity, as
! set forth by his late friend and neighbor.
Ar. Darwin. Sir John William Lubbock
was. in mis- day, very remarkable astrono.
mer, not so much. as his famous son ex-
Z, planned to me-, on the popular and "observ-
| tory side" as on the high mathematical
side. He had also q celebrated relative,
DR.. Lubbock, of Norfolk, who wrote the
fauna of his country. He had thus an an
cestral fame to sustain, both scientifically
and socially. I need hardly say that he is
| a thorough man of business. Nowhere has
Sir John made his great powers more felt
than in the region of banking. They say
''every man is a debtor to his profession"
and Sir John has acquitted this
debt very fully. He has made
two great landmarks in the
history OF banking which will always be
associated with his name. One of these
is the bank holiday, the other the insti-
tuition of the clearing house of country
banks, by which the benefits long known
in the city of London were extended to all
parts of the country. ALI the honors
that the banking world could confer upon
him have been literally bestowed. He is
| the president of the institute of bank ers.
! with its two thousand members, and holds
i the peculiar and remarkable position of
! honorary secretary of the London associa-
ton of bankers. He is thus the medium
between the banks and the government
Then, he has instituted system of e1ami-
nation for bankers clerks corresponding
i to the civil service examinations Sir John
vas member of the international coinage
committee appointed by the government,
and he is the author of great variety of
| papers in financial literature.