The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-26

Charles Anderson Dana was born August
8. 1919, at Hinsdele, a small town in western
New Hampshire. He was the eldest child Of
Anderson Dapn. and his first wife. Ann Deni-
son. He was seventh in the male line from
Richard Dana, the colonial settler, and his
mother was the daughter of Anne Paine,
a representative Of one OF the best known
families Of New England. There is album
dant proof OF the biographer's averment
that with the exception Of an attenuated
stream from Italian forefathers of the first
ssttler. the Dana family Is OF absolutely
ture New England blood. The fact ac-
counts for Charles Dana'B intense Ameri-
oanism, for his stalwar: belief in the Ameri-
can people and his devoted support Of
American institutions. His family records
are filed with the names Of serious men
and women OF manifold occupations. for
whiIo some we're farmers. some mechanics,
some merchants, some soldiers and some
sailors, the list included a n author. a pro-
lessor, a lawyer, a doctor. a general, a
Judge, a legislator and q Governor.
At the time of Charles Dana's birth his
father was a merchant, but having failed
IN business when his eldest son was but a
few years old he removed with his family
10 the village OF Gaines in western New
York. Presently his wife's death rendered
il ueedful to send the children to the home
of her father, near Guildhall in northeastern
Vermont. Charles went TO live with an
uncle. David Denison, who occupied a farm
in the Connecticut River valley. The
neighborhood school which the boy at
tended was kept open during the winter
months only, but as the teacher was an
nAAnr.roHttofn ~ q Nnu En- ula nd Nkllnno
who took an interest in his work. Charles
made rapid progress. and at the age Of ten
had become 80 proficient in most Of his
English studies that he was classed with
boys six or eight years his senior. AL
ready he had come into possession of a
Latin grammar and had begun the study
of Latin. In his twelfth year it was sup
posed that he had acquired su~ Efficient edu-
cation to earn his own living and he was
sent to Buffalo, where he became a clerk for
his uncle, William Dana, in a general store
which had an extensive trade with the sur
rounding country, and especially with the
civilized Indians Of the Six Nations. As
these were the first indians he had seen,
the young clerk became greatly interested
In them and set about learning their lam
guage, which he soon mastered and never
forgot.
Nor did his study Of languages, for which
all his life he was to show an extraordinary
aptitude. end with his mastery Of the Seneca
dialect. We have seen that he had learned
the rudiments OF Latin at his mcle's house
in Vermont, and he now enewed the study
OF that tongue with avidity. He soon
became proficient in the Latin classics.
which in those days we're deemed the indis-
pensable foundation of a liberal education.
Just when the young clerk began the study
Of the Greek grammar and literature is not
recorded, but that the work must nave been
done at this time in Buffalo is evident from
the fact that at the age OF 20 Dana had
cited himself to matriculate without con-
ditions in the freshman class of lS43 at
Harvard University. His standing at the
end of his first term was seventh in a class
Of seventy-four, the aggregate OF his credit
marks being 2.246, as against 2.42l attained
by the first scholar. The biographer justly
eays that as Dana had not attended school
since he was II years old and had prepared
for college while doing his daily work as a
clerk, the achievement must be deemed re-
markable The small supply OF money
which Dana brought to Cambridge soon
became exhausted and he was forced 10 find
employ ment, teaching school during the
winter months at a salary OF s25 a month,
including board. II is clear that Dana COM
pleted two years Of college work, for he was
entered as a junior in the annual catalogue
for'tSil-42, and although the overtaxing OF
his eyesight through reading by candle
light forced him TO leave Harvard, the
honorary degree Of bachelor OF arts was
conferred on him in 1881, as OF the class
OF tS4s