The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-07-01
PERCIvAL, THE POET.
The Man Who Made Webster's Die.
ti0nary and Died i'm Poverty.

Whfn the young end accomplished
widow OF Fairfield made the attempt to
support herself and children by the pub
licatioR and sale of Percivsls poems 3 the
pious sffort was announced 10 an organ
Of the Boston llterati under the beading,
" Buy 9 Broom! Buy Broom! Come
Buy Of Wandering Bavarian Broom! !
Tbs gentle, sensitive Percival barely
scaPedpdalling victim to this mode of
attack. Shortly after the first publica-
tion OF his poems snd the criticisms upon
the aamd, be. was found insensible in a
stone quarry where he had sought to rid
himself Of the brains which had proved
his curse by butting his head against the
reol8zxalls. His literary assassins rep.
resepted this attempt at self-destruction
as The result OF disappointment In love
but there was not an incident connected
with his social relations to Justify OF give
color to this conclusion. His was emi.
nently au ethereal nature-mind withou,
passion. Fs
He published no more but devoted
himself entirely to scientific pursuits, fol
which he had remarkable aptitude, unit
his physical necessities compelled him tc
become a hack writer Tor distinguished
literary men OF more practical ability
He was the sole author, compiler and ed
itor Of the frst edition OF Webster's Un
abridged Dictionary, giving not only .h,
definitions, but the root and history o
over $1,000 words derived from othel
languages. including all the written Ian
guages Of the world-thirty in number
Of every one OF which he must have hat
some critical kno wledge. Regarded il
this light. it is the most wonderful lite
rary labor ever performed by one man
No other photographer ever accomplish
ed It. DR.. Johnson was the literary won.
der of his age. Horace Walpole says o.
him: "His dictionary is a surprising
work for one man, but sufficient exam
Piles in, foreign countries show that the
work is too much for one man, and thai
society alone pretend to publish stan
dard dictionary" Webs!er's first die.
tionary was only compilation from
standard authorities, with the addition oil
purely American idioms and etymology,
exhibiting neither originality nor re.
search, being adapted only to the use ol
schools-to the learners and not to the
learned-and was rejected as q standai
by the British institutions OF learning on
account Of the slang phrases, with only
9 local Specification, which It attempted
to introduce into the common Eaglish
language. 10 regard to derivstive words
which comprise so large share OF our
language, the dictionary edited by Perci
val and published In the name OF Noah
Webster, 10 now adoptedas the highes,
standard authority by all the univers ties
Of Great Britain AMI America. The
great fortune OF Noah Webster in life,
and bis world vide fame as the creates,
photographer OF any age,ar based s,lely
on the uurequited labor of James G
Percival, who died 10 poverty in a mi.
ner's cabin in Western Wisconsin, "un.
wept, unhonored and ansung."
The only remuneration which Percival
ever received for this unparalleled work
was bare subaisence--which probably
did not exceed $500 yssr-a place to
live aud his necessary working tools,
books Of reference. That he "lived in a
garret after the manner OF the old po.
ets," was probably true OF his student
days, but when he undertook the work
Of the dictionary his employers built
him study after his own model 1t was
small building, without window or door
facing any public ,boroughfare. lighted
from the tops sort Of monkish Cell in
which, surrounded by his books, he'could
pursue his lsbors uninterrupted by idle
curiosity It was reported-with what
truth l cannot vouch-that this study
and the library which had been furnished
him, when he had finished the work, we're
reclaimed by his employers. They were
not "nominated in the bond."-Hon Be.
riah Broscn, in the Seattle { ". ~ Her
aid.