The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-05-12

The remains OF Prof. Maxwell Som.
merville, OF Philadelphia, who died last
Thursday in Paris suddenly from heart
failure, left Cherbourg, France, yester-
day on the Kaiser Wilhelm der Gross
accompanied by the wife, enroute TO the
home in Philadelphia, where the funeral
will occur.
Prof Maxwell Sommeryille was one of
the greatest American glyptologists and
archaeologists. He was born in Clarks
burg and is an own cousin of the Misses
Chaplin, of West Main str<t.
Death came to Prof. Sommerville aft
ter he had spent forty-six of his seventy
five years and the greater part of his
princely fortune in search for rare
and curious antiquarian treasure
search which took him to nearly every
corner of the globe, frequently placing
him in the peril of his life, and which
resulted in the almost priceless col
lection of cut gems and Bhuddist relics
which are among the fondest possess.
ions of the University OF Pennsylvania,
where for the last ten years he held the
chair of glyptology.
The news of the death of the famous
glyptologist came as great shock to
ms friends, as he left Philadelphia near
the end of last year looking hale and
hearty for all his seventy.fye years. He
was the head of the glypic, or precioul
gems department at the University
Archaeological Museum, one entire wing
of which was devoted to the display Of
the Maxwell Sommerville collection of
engraved gems, and the Bhuddist tenn
pie. which he himself erected with the
japanese, Siamese and Burmese relics
collected during his travels in Asia.
His will also enriches the University
with several generous requests.
Few antiquarian scholars have accom-.
plished so faithful and successful a car.
Ger as has Prof. Somemrville. Born
May !, 1929, in Clarksburg, Va, OF DR.
Maxwell Sommerville and Mary Fulton
(McAlpin), he inherited scholarly pro.
clivities from both his father md his
mother. 1t was from the latter's father
James McAlpin, in fact that he received
his first encouragement toward research,
His grandfather possessed some very fine
pieces of Greek statuary art and from
these Maxwell Sommerville, as a boy
loved to make wax impressions and
Implications.
He went to Philadelphia at an early
age and was educated In the Central
High School.
Upon coming into his fortune he pro-
eeeded TO crafty his bent for the collec.
ton of gems and slowly and carefully
with the assistance and advice OF me
best experts in Europe and America, be,
gan to accumulate the now famous grour
of seals and canoes and various engrav-
ed stones that lies in the University
Museum.
This collection attracted the attention
of arehaeologists in the early eighties
and for three years it was on exhibition
in the Metropolitan Museum in New
York.
In 1894 it was formally donated to
the museum by Sommerville. who III
the same year was elected to the chair
of slyptology and made curator of the
collection. The worth of this collec.
tion is estimated at $l5o,O00.
During later years the distinguished
traveller was largely interested in the
study of Buddhism and in search Of rel
les of this ancient faith secured the en-
tire southeastern portion Of Asia He
built a complete temple by means Of
collected relics in the west wing Of the
museum in which the reproduction was
so faithful that several Hindoo travellers
visited it TO pray.
Not only along the line Of material
relics, but also OF ethical and religious
doctrine, Prof. Sommerville carried his