Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-08
A Shoemaker and = Farmer Who Found
Them and did Cool Work.

Years ago. in Brattleboro', among the green
hills OF Vermont lived man who was worthily
earning his living rs shoemaker. saws Prof.
Pickering in the Ckrisfida Csioa. He was
fairly successful in business point o. view. but
when be had reached the age Of ;hirty-fvo or
forty his health gave way. Going 20 New York
90 consult an eminent physician he was shown
into an ante room, and was looking at some
plants In the window when the doctor came
In. Examining the case carefully this wise
physician said: "You do not need medicine:
what you want il outdoor exercise and mental
employment I saw you looking a. the nov-
.rs In the window. Are you interested in
botany The shoemaker replied that he knew
nothing about botany. but had Away been fond
of norers. well. - said the doctor. go home.
and every day this summer go out into the
woods aud fields and gather one flower. bring il
home aud find out the name OF it.
He At fret felt little Naanisn did at his
prescription Of washing in the River Jordan.
but finally, like Nasman. took his prescription
| aud began the study OF botany. Soon he be-
/ came deeply interested. and in two or three
seasons had collected nearly all the Towering
plants OF that vicinity. Having his attention
called 10 moses he wrote DR. Gray asking for
some text book on that subject. This being
before the day Of ''Gray's Mauual"-that mode
OF what text book should be-the only work
DIR. Gray had to recommend WAS in German.
Nothing daunted. the shoemaker bought ar
"Ollendorff" and soon learned German enough
to read hi. text book. Awhile after a French
book on that subject coming In his way be
studied French until he could manage its con.
tents, and then took up Latin and Greek suf.
iciently 20 be able TO trace the derivation Of
botanical names. At last having fairly mas
tered the more common divisions of the vege.
table kingdom, he began the study of fungi
and there, as he told friend. he had found q
work to last lifetime. This necessitated the
purchase of more books, and. finally. of a Beck,
| microscope. And for years he could be seer
every day in his shop. on one side his lap stone
his bench and the other implements of hi
daily labor. and on the other library o. botan
ical works in three or four languages. and on
shelf over his head his beautiful microscope.
And thus he spent the evening of his day.
until his death, genial. cultivated. intelligent
Christian shoemaker botanist. In reply 10
| question as to the amount of time ne had de
voted TO his studies. he said: Always an houl
q day and as much more as possible" Such wa,
| the record OF Charles c. Frost a man whom i
was privilege TO have rs friend.
The second case is that OF a farmer in Nir
| ginis from whom, some years ago. received
a request that be might send me a package o.
colored sketches of wild flowers and that
would verify or rectify his determination o
| their names.
Inquiry developed the fact that he had reached
adult age farmer when he began to fee
the need Of some subject Of thought and inter
est outside Of his daily work
| Without any scientific help or knowledge b,
set about collecting and naming the birds O.
tho Shenandoah valley. Not satisfied Will
stuffed specimens he conceived the idea o
painting the birds he collected. With no artistic
knowledge or instruction he ordered paint
and brushes and set himself at work. and toda,
there are very few artists in the country VIII,
can paint birds with much of artistic grace
aud scientific accuracy as he.
After few years, having transferred TO papel
all the birds OF the region. he procured
"Gray's Manual and began to study the plant
of the valley, first determining their names and
then painting them. He accordingly sent on
package of colored sketches. artistically attract
| i've and so true to nature that there not th'
slightest doubt as 20 any of the $50 species rep
resented while his own unassisted determine
| tons were so accurate that rot dozen name
| needed to be altered.