The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-07-31
pIsISCIviL, TIL. POET.
The Man Who Made Wcbstcr's Die
tiOnarY and Died in Poverty.

When the youa. and accomplished
| widow of Fairfield made the attempt
to support herself and children by the
publication and safe of Pcrcival's po-
| ems, the pious fort was announced in
an organ of the Boston litcrati under
the heading; '.Buv Broom! Buy a
Broom! Come Buy of Wandering
Bsvarian Broomr'
The gentle. sensitive Pcrcival barely
escaped falling victim to this mode
of attack. Shortly after the first pub
LEGATION Of his poems and the criticisms
upon the same. he was found insensible
in stone quarry. whore no had sought
to rid himself Of the brains which had
proved his curse by butting his head
against the rocky walls. His literary
assassins represented this attempt at
sclf-destruction as the result OF disap-
pointment in love. but there was not an
incident connected with his social rela-
tons to justify or give color to this con-
clusion. His was cminently IN ethereal
naturo-mind without passion.
He published no more but devoted
himself entirely 10 scientific pursuits.
for which he had remarkable apti-
tude. until his physical necessities COM
PEELED him to become hack writer for
distinguished literary men of more
practical ability. He was the sole au-
thor. compiler and editor Of tho first
edition Of Webster's Unabridged Die
tionary, giving not only the definitions.
but the root and history of over 1000
words derived from other languages.
including all tho written languages Of
tho world-thirty in number OF every
one Of which he must have had some
critical knowledge. Regarded in this
light. it is the most wonderful literary
labor ever performed by one man. No
other photographer ever accomplished
it. DR.. johnson was the literary won-
der of his age. Horace Walpoie says
Of him: His dictionary is surprising
work for one man, but sufficient ex-
amples in foreign countries show that
the work is too much for one man. and
that society alone pretend to publish
= standard dictionary" Webster's
first dictionary was only a compilation
from standard authorities. with the ad-
dition Of purely American idioms aud
etymolygy, exhibiting neither original
ALy uOA ACSCuASus oCiuS uu0peSu Ouiy W
the use OF schools-to the learners and
not to tho learned--and was rejected
as standard by the British institu-
tons Of learning on account OF the
slang phrases. with only local signifi-
cation, which it attempted to introduce
into the common English language. In
regard TO derivative words. which CON-
prise SO large share of our language.
the dictionary edited by Percival and
published in tho name of Noah Web
ster, Is now adopted rs the highest
standard authority by all the UNIVERSE
ties of Great Britain and America. The
great fortune of Noah Webster In life.
and his worldwide fame IS the great
est photographer OF any age. arc based
solely upon tho unreqnited labor Of
James G. Pcreisal. who died In poverty
in miners cabin In Western Wiscon-
sin. "unwepl unhonored aud un-
sung"
The only remuneration which Perci-
val ever received for this unparalleled
work was bare subsistence-which
probably did not exceed $500 year
. place to live and his necessary work
ing tools, books Of reference That he
lived in garnet after the manner Vi