The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1900-08-04

Tho Woll.knOWn Parish Priest At
II. Martanville, ID Dead.
Especial to the Picayune.]

rs p. III a. tOc age o. OO years.
the funeral will take place Thurs
day, Aug. 2, At $500 a. m.
The death of Father Langl.is, al
though. exp-cted since long time.
was shock to the whole popula-
tic ", who are sincerely grieved at
the news.
The Rev. Augustus Bartholomew
Langlois was born in the little town
Of Chavanev, in the department of
the Rhone, France, on April "a,
1891, and received his early educa-
ton at Montbrisson, in Loire.
Coming to America in 1855, he
finished his studies a: the College Of
Mount St. Mary Of the West. Gin
cinnati, and was ordained by Arch
bishop Purcell on June II, 1857.
About six months after ordination
he was stationed at Pointe-a la
Hache, in Plaquemines parish. For
thirty years, until 1887, he labored at
Pointe-a-la- Hache, when he was
transferred to St. Martinville, OF
which he was rector at his death.
This is one of the oldest churches
in the State. 1t was established in
1865 by Rev. Jean Francois, a Ca
puch,n priest and missionary, and
has numbered among its ministers
more than one famous ter scientific
or literary attainment. Ia her Viel,
the famous lite ra,eur a".i author.
whose translation OF .'ieienachus"
into Latin verse placed INN at the
head of modern Latin poets, was
stationed here in 1894. The Rev.
Marcel Borella was in charge of
that church from 1879 to 1896, aud
the present edifice owes its existence
to his munificence.
But Father Langlois was the one
who has made for himself a greater
name than any. He ranked above
all others in this country as bota
mist, and his name was better known
in Europe and the great centers Of
science and learning of this and
other countries than in his own
State. He was student who al
most made his life study in com
munings with nature. A student
who was not merely a closet nat
uralist, but one who, with his vascu-
lum in one hand, his walking cane
in the other and trowel IN his
pocket, gathered his objects in the
field and communed with God
through his most beautiful works.
His work was dine under great diff
culties, with no great reference IL
braries or herbariums within his
reach, yet he made for himself a
name which is familiar to the whole
scientific world as botanist Of
note, a close student, a thorough
and conscientious investigator and
faithful recorder Of the results of
his work.
HIS devotion to obtanical re-
search was of early origin His first
collection was made in the neigh
borhood of his school at Montbris-
son, when he was but 16 years of
age. He then made an berbarium
of more than 1900 plants. When
he came to Louisiana he renewed
his botanical studies and research,
and sent his first collection Of Louis
lana plants, numbering some 800,
to France to be named To this
and request he re-
ceived no reply, and being far from
and completely out of
touch with his brother botanists, he
became disheartened. and for twenty
years his spare time was entirely
devoted to his books But his love
for nature was SO great that he be
gan the study again in 1877, and
from that period to the time ct his
death he kept steadily adding to
his store Of Louisiana plants. He
devoted particular attention to the
study of cryptae ans.
His study of ferns, MOSES and
fungi may be said to have COM
menced in 1884. Since 1877 he
collected more than 10000 speci-
mems, more than half of which
found their way into collections Of
Sf ~A~ u