Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-09-01

was written from momCry. | know
this to he an indisputablc met.
No" said the doctor in reply 10 a
question. Il was too Young to remem-
Der much about PeIc val, but since his
death have heard my father (the late
DR. }. l.. Jenckes, who d ed IN April,
1881 recount "reminiscences II the dead
poet and be knew more about his lie
than any other living man did. My
father WAS a man of refined tastes and
liberal education and he and Perclval
became warmly attached 10 each other.
Tie latter came west to maze geoiog
ical survey OF Wise nsin. That was at
the time OF the mineral excitement 10
this region Grant county was the last
one that P,rtIgal surveyed. Being
taken sick htre he sent for my father
From that professional call an undying
friendship sprang up between the two
men anu i never abated Finally,
PercIval came 70 max his home with
us and died here.
"At the time of his death be had the
largest private library in America. 1t
was taken from New Haven to Boston.
1t cousisttd of twenty-seven two horse
wagonloads of books II has been stat
ed and seems TO be the general belief
that Percival died in poverty. This is a
mistake He was worth at least $50,
900 at the time of his death. This was
not fortune for one so gifted. yet II
cannot truthfully be said that one who
possesses that much IS pauper
"A fact in connection with his life
which is not generally known is that for
nineteen months he was employed on
one OF the early editions OF Webster's
Unabridged dictionary, defining the
scientific terms in a, aud G. The
original contract called for the defini-
ton by him of all the scientific terms
10 the dictionary, but he only got as far
indicated. having to give the work up.
He was a wonderful lingust. He con-
versed faently in all the languages and
dialects Of continental Europe and was
Il thorough Greek and Latin scholar.
Once upon hearing Ole Bull play he sat
down and wrote few stanzas compli-
meniing the great violinist upon his
performance. He wrote in Danish.
sending the poem TO Bull with his re-
cords Bull Observation-Disclosures
receipt of the poem and in his epistle,
which was in English, complimented
Percival upon the purity with which he
wrote Danish
"A great deal Of rubbish has been
written about PeIciyaI. H. was a
quiet studious man and loved his books
and nature / suspect that the cause of
LoweIl's attack upon his was the fact
that Lowell was Harvard man and he
Il Yale graduate There has always
been great deal of rivalry and jeal-
ousv between the two colleges and their
graduates sometimes became enemies
IN consequences.
he STUDIES MEDICINES.
After his graduation Percival deter
mined to study medicine. He had a
liking for law also, but finally took up
medicine. compile ing his studies with
DR.. Ives of New Hayen. He had
already acquired wide reputation aS a
prodigy Of learning and for his facility
IN acquiring knowledge 1t is related
BY a biographer that not one OF the
medical board dared TO ask him ques-
ions out of his own province; and they |
examined him for several hours trying |
o exhaust his knowledge. But he came
nut triumphantly from the ordeal, pass
ng a remarkably brilliant examination. /
Taking his degree he was engaged for /
some time as private tutor and as a I
ecturer on anatomy in medical cell T
eye Subsequently he spent some time /
With the Indians. Later he returned to (
and opened an Office. but
soon afterward abandoned medicine I
md launched his craft upon the I'M
certain sea of letters. In 1921 he pub
ished small, dingv looking IS mo.
Foume OF $40 pages, containing the
irst part of his "Prometheus' and a
lumbu of other poems. The recep I
ion accorded it was gratifying. The
itle-page bore following lines from
'outhey
Go little book, from this my solitude
| cast thee upon the waters-go thy ways,
md H. as believe, thy vein be good
The world may find thee after certain day
The whole edition was exhausted in
title over Il Year from the date Of its
Later. while engaged as
curator OF the Botanical Garden formed
~ DR. Ives, he was seized with typhoid
ever and upon his recovery from tins
nalady he accompanied botanical
ecturcr named Whitney TO Charleston,
). Z. tie did not remain long with this
hut STAYED in Charleston
lntiI March. 1922. when he returned to
New York During his period he pub
ished the first number # his clio, =
which VAS issued Is the Babcocks in
January, 1922; besides tins, he en-, loyed
MS pen in versi6catlon for the daily
lrcss Clio was heartily received
md added much to the authors pre-
.ious reputation In August, 1882. the
second number of Clio was issued
rom the press of his TREND Converse of
New Haven. La November Of the 1
same year the second part OF Prone
beus' was published by A. H. Malthy I
If New Haven. OF this poem Whittier .
wrote in the New England Review
God pity the mat who does not love
the poetry of Percival He is genius
Of nature 5 making His "Prometheus'
is noble poem There is no affected