St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-29
PERCIVAL, THE POET.
The Man Who Made Vebster's Dictionary
and Died IN Poverty.

The MAJ, Who Made Webste,'s Dictionary
and Died IN Poverty.
When the young and accomplished widow
| of Fairfield made the attempt to support her
self and children by the publication and sale
of Percival's poems, the pious effort was an
| nounced in an organ of the Boston literati
under the heading; "Buy Brooml Buy a
Broom! Come Buy of Wandering Bavar-
ian Broom''
The gentle, sensitive Percival barely es-
capped falling victim to this mode of attack.
Shortly after the first publication of his
poems and the criticisms upon the same, he
was found insensibe 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 rocky walls. His liter
airy assassins represented this attempt at
| self-destructon as the result of disappoint-
ment in love, but there was not an incident
connected with his social relations to justify
or give color to this conclusion. His was
eminently an ethereal nature-mind with
| out passion,
He published no more but devoted himself
entirely to scientific pursuits, for which he
had remarkable aptitude, until his physical
necessities compelled him to become hack
writer for distinguished literary men of more
practical ability. He was the sole author
compiler and editor of the first edition of
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, giving
not only the definitions, but the root and
history of over 10000 words derived from
other languages, including all the written
languages of the world-thirty in number
of every one of which he musthave had some
critical knowledge. Regarded in this light,
If ic tho most wonderful library labor avar
performed by one man. No other lexico-
grapher ever accomplished it. DR.. johnson
was the literary wonder of his age. Horace
Walpole says of him. ellis dictionary is
surprising work for one man, but sufficient
examples in foreign countries show that the
work is too much for one man. and that
society alone pretend to publish a standard
dictionary"
Webster's first dictionary was only COM
pilation from standard authorities, with the
addition of purely American idioms and ety.
mologY, exhibiting neither originality nor
research, being adapted only to the use of
schools-to the learners and not to the
learned-and was rejected as a standard by
the British institution of learning on account
of the slang phrases, with only local signi-
fication, which it attempted to introduce into
the common English language. In regard
to derivative words, which comprise so large
share of our language, the dictionary edited
by Percival and published in the name of
Noah Webster, is now adopted as the highest
standard authority by all the universities of
Great Britain and America. The great for
tune of Noah Webster in life, and his world
wide fame as the greatest photographer of
any age, are based solely upon the unrequit-
ed labor of James G. Percival, who died in
poverty in miners cabin in Weston Wis
consin, ''unwept unhonored and unsung."
The only remuneration which Percival
ever received for this unparalleled work was
a bare subsistance-which probably did not
exceed $500 year-a place to live and his
necessary working tools, books of reference.
That he ''lived in a garnet after the manner
of the old poets," was probably true of his
student days, but when he undertook the
work ofthe dictionary his employers built
him study after his own model. 1t was a
small building, without window or door fac
ing any public throughfare, lighted from the
top-a sort of monkish cell in which, sur
rounded by his books, he could pursue his
labors uninterrupted by idle curiosity. 1t
was reported-with what truth I cannot
vouch-that this study and the library which
had been furnished him, when he had finish
ed the work, were reclaimed by his en-
ployers, They were not nominated in the
bond. Hon. Be1iaM Broon, IN the Seattle
(W. IT, Herald