Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-08-24
CAREER OF JOHN FISKE
Remarkable Achievements Of
Americas Greatest Historian.
NOTED WRITER AND PHILOSOPHER

1 NOlLD hllGh AMI TdlLUCUFdkh
Knew Latin mt six. Greek at Eight
and Was World Famous at Thirty
two-He Was Very Active and Dis
regarded All Conventional Rules of
Health.
Professor John Fiske Of Cambridge,
Mass. the famous lecturer and histo-
rian who recently died at Gloucester,
Mass. knew Latin at 8 years of age
Greek at and differential calculus at
II, says the New York World When
he entered Harvard he jumped at once
into the sophomore class. Professor
Marshall Snow said that he was the
brainiest man to go from Harvard in
90 years.
At 10 he had dipped into all the clas-
steal authors and was reading Plato
at sight while attending to such Incl
dental recreations as mastering trigo-
nometry, analytical geometry. survey
Ing and navigation. AT 90 he was ia
nous scientist and philosopher. the
friend and companion of Darwin, Spen-
Ger, Huxley and Tyndall. lie has been
regarded as the greatest of American
historians.
Professor Fiske was born at Hart
ford March 80, 1912. lie was the only
child of Edmund Brewster Green of
Smyrna. Del. who married Mary Fiske
Bound of Middletown, Conn. His ia
Their was the editor of newspapers in
Hartford. New York and Panama, dy-
ing In Panama In 1852. Two years aft
efward his widow was married to Ed
win w. Stoughton, former United
States minister to Russia. Her son
was then II years old. His name was
Edmund Fiske Green, but soon after
ward he took the name of his maternal
| grandfather. John Fiske.
Professor Fiske entered Harvard In
| 1860 Besides Greek and Latin, he
| could then read fiuently French. Span
! ish, Portuguese, Italian and German
and had gained a fair command of
Dutch. Danish and Swedish, besides
making a beginning in Icelandic, He
| brew, Chaldee and Spanish. He was
| graduated from Harvard in 1868 and
| from Harvard law school two years
| later.
| The young lawyer opened an Office
in Boston and waited six months in
| vain for a client. Then he decided 10
devote himself exclusively to literature.
| For several years he wrote for the
magazines and newspapers and sue
ceeded in firmly establishing himself
as writer and philosopher of the high
est class. His first great work. out
lines of Cosmic Philosophy" was pub
lished in 1874 Many other volumes
! on philosophical. historical, religious.
artistic scientific and literary topics
followed.
For the past 20 years Professor
! Fiske had been engaged in writing the
history of this country from various
points of view. Noteworthy produc-
lions from his pen are History of the
American Revolution" 1.-THE Critical
Period in American History" Begin
nings of New England" washington
and His Country" american Political
ideas" and THE War of Independ-
ence"
Professor Fiske in 1864 married
Abby Morgan Brooks of Petersham,
Mass. He is survived by his wife and
six children-Maud. Harold Brooks,
Clarence Stoughton. Ralph Browning,
Ethel and Herbert Huxley Fiske.
Professor Fiske stood six feet in his
stockings, weighed 800 pounds and was
very active. He often said that he dis
regarded all the conventional rules of
health.
Il always sit In a draft" said he
when | can find one, wear the thin
nest clothes | can find winter and sum-
mer. catch cold once in three or four
years. but not severely, and prefer to
work in a cold room. | work the
larger part of the "a hours, and by day
or night indifferently. hardly ever
change word once written, eat when
hungry, rarely taste coffee or wine or
smoke a cigar but drink two or three
quarts of beer each day and smoke a
pipe all the time when at work"
For many years he was connected
with Harvard college in professional
capacity He severed all such relations
is years ago. retaining only his office
as member of the board of overseers.
and deyoting his time to lecturing and
TO historical research. AS a lecturer he
was in constant demand from all parts
of the world He was to have lectured
before the royal family of England in
the fall on ALFRED the Great"