The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-02-02
ASA CRAY.
The Farmer Boy of Western New
York Becomes the Famous
Scientist.
New York SUM-

New York SUM-
Asa Gray has long held prominent posi-
ton in the small body of scientific men OF
the highest class and his death, which took
place Monday after a protracted illness,
causes vacancy in the still smaller group Of
great systematic botanists which no one in
this generation can probably ever fill. No
other American naturalist las over held
such position among naturalists, and few
Americans have ever cast greater lustre
upon their country's name.
Asa Gray, the son of farmer and tanner
In humble circumstances, was born early in
the century in an obscure village in the
western part of this State. His earliest oc-
cupation was riding the horse which worked
the mill in bis fathers tan yard. He died
in Cambridge, at the end of long and use
full life, covered with honors, famous among
the civilized nations af the earth, and loved
by all who had ever felt the charm of his
personality. The farmers boy had become
the first of American b0tanists; he had
directed scientific research in his chosen
field through the length and breadth of this
great continent; as teacher he had led and
Controlled the intellectual development of a
whole people in an important department OF
human kno Wedge. He had become the as
sociate and the recognized equal OF the great
systematist, of Robert Brown and George
Bentham, of the Candolles and the lockers.
His broad speculations had earned him
high place among philosophical botanlsts:
For years he had been the near friend OF
Charles Darwin, and for. years, himself an
orthodox thinker, at first almost slngle-hand-
ed and against some of the strongest intel
lects of the time, he had fought and won the
great Darwinian fight in America.
The University at Cambridge. enriched
with his great herbarium, gathered from all
parts of the world, and his noble library,
has been made Industrious by the long resi-
dence of Asa Gray within its walls. Few
more valuable contribution to scientific
literature. His writings cover nearly the
whole field of botanical research. He has
written with equal force and felicity for
select audience of naturalists, and for that
larger audience who absorb scientific truths
through works OF popular and elementary
form.
The great labor of his life has been the
preparation of descriptive work upon the
plants lof North America. 1t has occupied
his thoguhts and much of his time during
the last forty years. His best energies and
his most important investigations have been
devoted to it. One-half Of this great work
too great for any one man to have hoped
to fnish-iS published-a monument OF in
dustry and intellectual grasp; but the pen
has fallen from the weary hand of the mas
ter, and it is left to others to finish as best
they can what he had begun.
Asa Gray was great man in the breadth
and force of his intellect, at once creative
and critical. He was great in his mental at
tainments, In his power of sustained labor,
and in his untiring industry. He was great
in the singleness of his aims, in his devotion
to science, in his entire unsalfishneSS He
was great in the simplicity of his nature, and
greatest of all in his pure and spotless life.