The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-03-29

John Burroughs was the venerable
dean of nature writers in the United
States. Through score of books he
shared with countless readers his life
long intimacy with birds, bees, flowers
and the whole out of doors His highly
developed powers OF observation and
the charm of his interpretations were
the marvel of his critics.
His flowing white beard, his kindly
mien, his whole habit Of life and his
literary style were rather reminiscent
OF that famous New England school OF
essayists generation or two before
him. His earliest writing, on Express
sion.' was at one time widely mistaken
for the work OF Emerson, close read
er of whom Burroughs had been from
youth His later works on nature sug
gested something OF Thoreau, but. as
critics said, Burroughs was the more
sociable writer
He learned to love nature when he
drove cows at his birth place farm,
Roxburv. among the Catskills in New
York state, but anything like literary
composition was hugbear To him as
a youth. The story is told of how, when
he was Ia, in common with the mem
bers Of his class al school he was re-
auired to write u lines OF original com
position He copied something out of
cohnic almanac His theft was detected.
Again in desperation upon bis second
trial he paid Jay Gould, his class mate,
60 cents for l2-lne verse which be
handed in as his own
He was born in 1887 In 1863 he went
TO Washington with something OF an
inclination to enlist in the union army.
but he decided to seek a government
office. 1t is related that with only few
Of his poems as credentials he walked
into the treasury department and asked
for a Job. Il was agreed that his vernsl
verses really smelt Of the woods, and
smacked of sincerity He would be a
safe man 10 watch the treasury vaults.
He agreed to take the place. At lit
tie desk. facing the huge iron vault
where he kept tabs on those who went
to handle the S5O.000,OO0 stored there,
he began writing OF the birds, TO relieve
his homesiekness. The result was his
first book. Wake Robin
Some years later, after work as a
treasury clerk and Il national bank ex
aminer had netted him some savings.
he bought a few acres al West Park on
the Hudson. where. among the loaded
trellises Of a vineyard, he found more
pleasure than in the closets OF green
backs There he renewed his emotional
intercourse with nature, building a real
house overlooking the river just above
Poughkeepsie When rural civilization
pressed little close about him, he
buh his "Slabsides" cabin a mile or
two back in the woods.
He did,not go at his studies with the
set determination Of an herbalist, but
took life easily. and wrote breezily
when the spirit moved him Of the Sc
crets Of nature He never made much
of the discovery OF new species and moth
ing Of cataloguing them. but delighted
in finding for himself and revealing to
others the charms Of close contact with
the birds, bees and flowers The essence
of his philosophy was always bright
in agreement with Browning, that
"All's well with the world
The titles Of his books included
Winter sunshine" 'Locusts and Wild
Honey" "Fresh Fields Indoor Stud
les Birds and Poets. Signs and
Seasons The Light 81 Day Relig
ious Discussions from the Standpoint
OF the Naturalist F" Literary Values
and Ways Of Mature" He was a friend
Of Walt Whitman and one Of his book,
was an appreciation Of him He was
also boon companion of Thcelore
Roosevelt in nature studies During
Colonel Roosevelt's occasional clashes
with mature fakers" and those who
charged him with brutal instincts in
his hunting trips. the venerable Bur
roughs always came 10 the colonel's De
fen4e. With John Muir. the naturalist
Of the vest. Burroughs once toured the
canyons and elaborated with Muir in
a study Of our National Parks
-Riverbv and NSlabsides.- Bur.
roughs retreats on the Hudson. ~
came shrines for his many admirers.
and those who made pilgrimsges there
were invariably received in she most
democratic fashion BY the celebrated
naturalist
On h. 18th birt hday he said. Grow
ing old i = Kind 81 letting 70. The
morning has Its delights and its entioe
ments, the noon has ts triumphs and
satisfactious. but there are : charm
and tranquility and = spiritual up
lift about the close of the day that be /
long 70 neither