The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-09
His Health Had Been Failing for
Months, and He Died at Brighton
Tuesday Morning.
HE WROTE NUMEROUS BOOKS
ON PHILOSOPHY, SOCIOLOGY, ECONO-
MY AND EDUCATION.
Described by the London Press as the
s.Last of the Great Thinkers of
the Victorian Era"

LONDON, Dec. S.-Herbert Spencer, the
famous author, died this morning at his
home in Brighton. His health had been fail
ing for some months. The illness took
critical turn few days ago and he became
unconscious last night, passing away with
out pain. BY his own desire the least pos
sible information was given out during Mr..
Spencer's illness. The newspapers all pub
lish long appropriations and anecdotes OF Mr..
Spencer, whom they universally describe
as the last of the great thinkers OF the
Victorian age"
Herbert Spencer was born in Derby, Eng
land. in 1920. the and grandson of
schOolmaster. His health had been delicate
from his boyhood. But for his fathers spe-
ciaI and intelligent care of his only sur
viving child Herbert Spencer would have
died in his boyhood- He was brought up,
as far as possible, in the open air and ac-
customed to gradual exercise. and the tolls
of school life were avoided by his carefui
and judicious instruction at home. The boy
was taught to know external things ana
their properties and laws before books
were placed In his hands. and became a
young philosopher under conditions as far
remote as possible from the Wearisome
labor of the schoolroom.
When his condition of health admitted of
the change Herbert was sent from nome
to live with his uncle, the Rev. Thomas
Spencer, n clergyman of the Church of
England, under whose instruction he profit
ed greatly. AT seventeen years or age ne
began life as civil engineer but abandoned
it after eight years and after having con.
tributed several papers TO the literature OF
his profession. When twenty-five years old.
in 1872. he published series of letters on
the proper sphere Of government, and when,
in 1885, he gave up civil engineering, adopt
isi2 to iS52 he was on the staff of the Econo-
mist, London paper, in which Social
States perhaps his most popular Wark.
buttons to the Westminster and other quar-
terly reviews were quite frequent.
Herbert Spencer was the greatest lntei,
lectual, social and political philosopher OF
his day. His great works were: "a System
First Principles Cronically revised in
1900; Principles of Biology two vols, re-.
Psychology" 1.-TWO Volumes; PRINCIPLES of
Sociology" (three volumes); Principles of
Ethics 1.-TWO volumes). Other works were
Essays. 1tRree volumes; Social States
1851 abridged and revised in 1922, THE
Man Versus the State" Reasons as rs E for DIS;
Facts and Comments, Various Frag-
ments.'
Mr.. Spencer visited the United States in
1882. Minot j. Savage once described Mr..
Spencer in these words: LAS he comes
through the door L see a man about five
feet nine inches tall-this is only guess
and inclined to be slight and spare in figure.
There is nothing of the typical John Bull
about him. He is dressed in simple busi-
ness suit, dark coat and waistcoat and light
trousers. His forehead is high and it's APP
parent height is increased by the growing
badness of the forehead part of his crown.
His hair is thin. light and straight. He has
no mustache, but sandy side whiskers, a lit
tie after the English clerical fashion.
Though his health Is poor-as 1t has been
for some years-so that he can work only
about three hours a day. his face is not
much wrinkled and he does not look his age.
His looks would tell you he is fifty. though
his real age is just threescore. He was
born in Derbyshire, was trained as an engi-
neer and has had no university education.
1t is rumored that he once loved George
Eliot but, be that it may, he has never
married. His life is that of a laborious stu
dent and he husbands all his strength that
he may complete. if possible. the greatest
scheme which was conceived forty years
ago and is still unfinished AS he steps
across the room and takes me by the hand
/ am straightway at my ease. L feel that
here is a man who Is as simple as he is
great-no airs, no affectation, assumption.
dignities, lofty pedestals or apparent con-
sciousness of superiority"