Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-31

Iu6 lie story OF henry onaW Is one OIL
such peculiar value in its teachings that
| it is destined to live after him as an ex-
ample of th5 best and brOadest success
| possible, the practical success following
honest and unwearying endeavor, which
| brings with it the assurance of compe-
tence and ease, and that higher success
crowning the broad, unselfiSh and p hi
lanthropic use of the wealth thus accUmu-
lated in an honest business career. His
industrious and active youth, prosperous
| maturity, voluntary retirement from the
scenes of commercial struggle to the
wise and philosophic pursuits Of study,
self culture and contemplation of nature,
| the continuous and unstinated generosity
display ed by him in his benefactions to
| the city where almost his entire life had
! been spent, his devotion to his friends,
| and the last year of his peaceful old
age surrounded by those friends,
and cherished in the hearts Of
an entire city, can not fail to impress the
students of his life with the conviction
| that it is the record of one who under
stood and carried out to its fullest the
| broadcast appreciation of his duties to his
| fellows and to himself. 1t is recor d
that has but few parallels, career SINH
| lar to those that have caused the names
Of such men as Stephen Girard and
George Peabody to be placed among the
s'immortals" Of American history, where
| that of Henry Shaw will also hencefor-
ward be known. The gifts to the city of
| st. Louis by Mr.. Shaw of the Botanical
| Gardens and of Tower Grove Park, in
| their value to the student, the lover OF
nature, and the public generally, can not
| be overestimated, and will serve to per-
| petuate the memory Of the large minded
| benefactor as long as the icity which he
so literally favored has an existence.
| 1t is not. however, simply from his mu-
nifcent gifts to this city that Mr.. Shaw
will live in the worlds knowledge. 1n the
| task Of forming the botanical gardens
| that bear his name, he pursued the
| studies incident to such q work with a
| thoroughness and depth Of research that
| have placed him in the front rank Of au
| thorities on questions pertaining to bot
| any, and for years his opinions and ex-
neriments in botanical matters have pos
| sessed an interest to students in all parts
| of the world. His knowledge of the
plants and flowers of the earth was mar
velous in its completeness, and this de-
velopment after passing middle life, from
| the practical business man into the sa-
want is indicative of the reserve Of men
tai vigor and power of application with
which he was blessed.
Henry Shaw was an Englishman, born
in Sheffield, in 1900, coming of sturdy
and thrifty stock noted for business
sagacity and success in life. Leaving his
native city at the age of nineteen, young
| Shaw came to America and located final
| ly in st. Louis, arriving here on May 4
| 1919. He embarked in the hardware bus
! mess on his own account, in small es-
tablishment on the river front, where he
was, for time, proprietor, clerk anc
porter Owing to his unceaslng atten'
! ton to business, economy and natura
| shrewdness, the young merchant pros
pered, and in addition to his increasing
| trade in hardware, dealt also in supplies
for Indian agents. His place grew
larger and larger, he advanced. tt
a more prominent position among
the merchants OF the growing
young city, and after twenty years
Of active commercial life, he found him.
self possessed of q competence that 1ustl
fed him in his determination to retire
from business. This he did when bu
forty years of age, since which time n
has not been connected with any com
mercial enterprise that required eithe1
his attention or the investment OF an.
portion Of his wealth. Mr.. Snaw's recort
| as business man was of the highest
He was close in his attention to every De
tail, careful and shrewd in his tnancla
! management and, while watchfui OF ex
| penditures, was; ways characteristicall Il.
generous and large minded.
Even during the busiest part OF his lie
he had found time for study, and when
| forty he retired from active life, Mr
Shaw was we'll fitted to appreciate anc
! profit by the years of travel in which n
indulged at this period. He visited near
~ every quarter Of the globe, being ava
from this country ABOUT ten years