Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1912-11-22
BURTON Z. LKAvITT.


As il deserved to be, partly because
his chief interests were not such Is 10
bring him very conspicuousiy before
the general public. 1t was a. a musi-
clan and composer Of much talent
that be WIS, perhaps. most widely
known. And yet even in this Work,
which Of late years he had largely
given up that he might devote more
attention to things which he consider
ed Of greater importance, he was fully
appreciated only BY a very small
circle. Modern popular music, with
its surface jingle OF catchy airs and alb
sence Of any real feeling OF thought, he
held in fine disdain. Even in bis
earlier work, the group Of historical
operas, including aBeil Rock and
ssfdyI Of the Mill" which were played
for q number Of years, with consider
able success, in various parts Of the
state-there was always under The sur
face a more serious train Of thought in
which be and his father, who cOmp9s-
ed most Of the Iibrettos, We're in ac-
cord. and he has often told me that he
thought the biggest part Of his audi
ence usually missed the meat Of The
matter. As his work matHfed, il be
came more serious in nature, aud 10
the same extent less suited for popular
production. His last,-and what his
81 a. III FsF taa
piece Of work, Tea Tephi, - has never
been played. He used to refer 10 it,
with that sense Of humof which all
who knew him well came 10 appreciate
as being one Of his many pleasant
characteristics, as "a work for poster
it,, and for aposterity3 rather than
prosperity, either financial, or popular,
he early chose TO devote the remark.
able talents and energy which were
his. II may be that the future will
give his musical work place more in
keeping with lis intrin sic value he
would be by no means the first master
Of "mafried sounds to wait long for
that reward, aud with lis deeper
meaning. bal be that as itmay, in life
he had that honest wage of knowing
that he had put the best that was in
him where III would be Of the most
help and use 70 his fellow men, with
out regard 10 what ne himself might
gain thereby, and With that wage he
VS. fTankl " satisfied.
While he was, | believe, a member
Of no church, every man who knew
Burton Leavitt held him to be a Chris
lian of the higf est and most sincere
type. lie was "a deep and thorough
student OF the Bible, and especially of
Biblical prophecy, the truth OF which,
in accordance with the late Professor
Totten's work, he held demonstrable
not only by historical and scientific,
but even by mathematical facts. He
was great admirer of Professor
Totten, and after the death of that
some What cratic but undeniably re
markable genius, felt it his duty To
carry on as far as possible the work 10
which Totten had devoted, If not sacri
feed, his life. His labors along this
line, while ardaous. were as usual
without financial renumeration-he
simply saw II that in this way he
would be of the greatest service To his
fellows, and without hesitancy, and
with his usual modesty, took up the
load. "Tea Tephi,p 10 which have
already referred, was An attempt To do
for one of the most dramatic and re-
markable of all historical legends, the
tracing of the "lost tfiben into the
western world-what Wagner ibid for
some of his national legends in his
operas-and, incidentally every one
knows how Wagner was received. This
opera of Tea Tephi,7 Burton con-
sidered his life work; il is dedicated to
his mother, who did not live TO see its
completion; and he did not live to see
his masterpiece produced or even TO
hear il played 10y a full orchestra. The
first copy of the com pleted work came
to him from the printers not many
days before his death but IL brought
him great relief To know that this
muca ri least of his work was COM
pleted.
1t was, perhaps, to the local Social
lists TINT Burton's character was most
intimately revealed No man ever was
more deserving Of The Socialist title of
''Gomrade, NOT only from those
whose political aud social beliefs were
the same as his, but from everyone
with whom he came in contact. Hat
y
form, ami she tyranny of present IN
dusttial conditions, that hatred never
iu the stEhiesl degree enbittefed his
disposition or thoughts, aud for his
fellow men. in whatever walks of life,
he had uuuent but love. Joining the
Socialist cause for a better world in
which 10 let men live, when Socialism
was in its beginnings in this country,
no sacrifice was too much for him 10
make for it, and on more than one &C.
casion deficit in the treasury of the
local organization was taken care of by
him in the same quiet modest manner
| that marked all his dolngs. While he
lived 10 see his aVowed political party
| become world power, with millions
of votes abroad and million here in
America, he never ceased 10 continue
10 do his share, and more, even of
humble and routine work.
His devotion To and care for the
| members of his household, all much
older than himself, needs no mention
here. Always brave and cheerful,
| always the soul of kindness, patience
and thoughtfulness, he won the warm
est affection from all who knew him
Intimately upon them, of course,
| the terrible burden of his absence must
| fall most heavily, although the sin
! eeTest sympathy Of his multitude Of
friends is with them in these dark
days.
The end was as his life had been
| cheerful and brave to the last moment,
he complained not Of himself, but
| thought only of how he could make
| things easiest for those about him. lie
was still in middle life, still in the
| midst of In, portant work the doing of