The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-08
TODAY in HISTORY
Birthday Of "rhe Learned elackomIth'' =
THURSDAY. EMBER 8.

Today is tho birthday OF one Of the
most interesting characters Of the hrst
hall OF the fast century IN New England.
He was ElIhu Burritt. the rcformcr. who
was generally known by the title or The
Learned Blacksmith Burnt was oil
Welsh descent, and bcine tho N"unsc5t
OF ten children. during n period when IL
was exceedingly difficult for an onli-
grant shoemaker In rear large family
in Connecticut, young Gurritt was APP
prcnliced TO o blacksmith. But he WAS
porn for greater things, From an earl!
age he displayed an extraordinary ca
pecity for mathematics. and wien nc
was II he began a systematic course ot
sclf-instructiou.
languages. and studied with such Intense
zeal after the close OF bis apprenticeship
that by the end OF year he mastered
Homer's "lllad" with the aid solely oi
a Greek lexicon with Latin definitions,
and devoted his 22d year TO the study
OF various other tongues Having met
with financial reverscs, he was COM
pclled to return 10 his anvil. but he prose
cuted his studies with increased energy
and In very short time hc bad mas
tered most of the language OF Europe
as wcll q uIsny Of the Oriental Tongues,
II Nas these varied requirements. SO
astonishing in a man OF his youth and
humble station. that brought TO hun
the familiar appellation Of The Learned
which was then being much agitated,
awoke In his mind an Idea which was
thenceforth TO shape the actions Of his
whole life-tllat of universal hr9iherhooa'
He established a paper in Worcester
Mass, called the Christian Citizen, In
1916. in consequence OF the part he
played in the settlement through CORE =
spondence between tho commercial com :
munities of England and the United
States OF the much veNcd Oregon Llu"s-
ton Burritt was Invited to EnsIana
whcre. during a stay OF three years. ne
devoted himself TO the cause Of peace IN
co operation with its English advocates s.
aud aided greatly in the organiza ton. IN
London i'm May, lSiI OF tho League OF
Universal Brotherhood. designed 10 pro,
mote International harmony and good
VIII.
In September of that year Rurritt flrst
mooted tho question OF ocean PENN
The suffering of The Irish peaSantry N
the awful famine OF 1Si6-iI. and spent
most of February Off the latter year III
a tour OF tho distressed country Tor ihe
relief OF the sufferers. 10 which the Eng
lish parliament contributed no less 'han
$50. 900 ono.
In lSfa tho American reformcr re-
turned home and was received WIN en-,
thusiastic demonstrations OF respect and
delight He Icctured for some tmf
throughout the United States. and made
several subsequent trips TO Europe. we
established paper in Philadelphia called
thc citizen OF the World Just prior t[
the war. and was a strong advocate ol
| the emancipation Of the slaves thronel
purchase from their owners bY lne GOV
eminent. but John Browns raid nippet
| his idea In The bud He only lived
short time after the close OF the war
N remains 10 be recorded OF Ellhl
| Rurritt that, unlike most reTormerS. IL
| Was never a bigot, but broad -minde'
and charitable. he could respect IN
| opinions OF others even when they wer'
Numerically opposed TO ms own, IN
| character was above reproach. his ann
Of tho pureSt and highest, and the poe
| IJongCollow has borne his tribute
| praise as follows. II always mad
| great admiration for the sweetness an
! simplicity Of Mr. Burri1ts character
and Was in perfect sympathy with mn
| i'm hls work Nothing ever came iron
his pen that was not wholesome am
| good.
| We cannot do better in this connec
| lion than to quote his own words: "A'
that have accomplished, or expect o
hope 10 accomplish. has been by tina
ulodding patient, persevcring process o
accration which builds the ant-heap. par
! tIcle by particle, thought by though'
| fact by fact. If | was ever actuated b.
ambition its highest and warmest as
| pIration reached no further than the hop
| 10 set before the young men OF an
| country an example In employing thos
Invaluable fragments OF time called cd
moments.
December 6 Is the birthday OF Mary
queen OF Scots 1542): Eli Whitney. In
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