The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-09-26
] GIN MQgRNS
tcOntinoed from paEs Opsl

fConttnoed from pREs onsl
whether of his congregation or not
A great lover Of nature and all
that was beautiful in nature his
| flower gardens which surrounded
the rectory were sources Of delight
to the community at large and &
visitor to the garden never went
away empty handed and many
flowers found their way from the
gardens to the sick beds OF parish
dOners and friends.
In the passing of Father Boutlou
the city and community has lost .
good and kind FRIEND and one who
was interested in It's welfare and
growth.
While he will be missed in the
community at large it is in his OVID
parish that his death will be felt
the keenest. He has stood at tho
bedside OF new born infants. has
stood over the casket OF hundreds
OF his people and has administered
tlit marriage rites many times and
thousands have sat under his min.
istry from day to day.
The familiar figure Of the bIack
clad priest, grey haired and stately
| going about his garden and church
will long be remembered after his
body has crumbked TO dust,
| Father Poutlou was born at Ian,
de-neau, Finigtere, France, April
81 1850. His father who was n
captain at sea died when he was
very young and his mother depart.
ted this life some years after he
came to this country. Father Bout.
lou went to France and visited his
mother during her illness. a
After the death OF his father, x.
B6utlou and his widowed mother
and only sister lived together and
they settled at Rennes, France
His mother had great influence
! his life Father Boutlou delighted
in telling Of incidents in his young
er days with his devoted mother
guiding him in all his endeavors.
AS a son of captain at sea Father
Boutlou received p scholarship in
one OF the state lyceums OF Rem.
Ees. The young students alertness
and brightness interested his teach
ers and his classmates and he was
very popular among them. He was
small Of statue, with n sturdy char.
acter and high ambitions. and ne
soon became one Of the leading
students. The lyceum had profes.
sors OF merit, thus he became pro.
ricient in Latin, Greek. mathema.
tics and the natural sciences.
As student he had the privi.
| lege to go to the botanical garden
OF Rennes, a very fine one. It was
here he became acquainted with
the flowers OF Little Brittany and
several tropical plants. lie col
lected plants in the suburbs o.
Rennes and planted them in the
public botanical garden.
Father Boutlou made 2 great
study OF botany and was recognlZ.
ed as one Of the most skilled bot
anists OF this country. The garden
that has surrounded his rectory
here for many years was a source
OF great pride and pleasure to him
and he devoted many hours Of la
Dor in the years gone by. always
with splendid results. Flowers
plants and specimens OF the flow
er and plant kingdom OF all kinds
grow in rrotusIon and scores OF
people visited the garden from sea
son to season. Many botaniSts
visited the garden and Father
Boutlou always took keen Interest
in assisting them in analyzirs
and studying the various speci
mems. At Moupdsville, Charleston
and other places he was located
his botanical gardens were always
part Of his life.
His scientific tastes combined
with his extensive knowledge PHI;
him in Communication with geolo.
Eists in many parts Of the coun-
try. He was closely associated
with l. C. White, state geologistS
.of West Virginia, also with G. F,
Millspaugh fiel dmusuem OF ma.
tural history, Chicago. formerly al
Morgantown. c. G. Lloyd, OF Gin
cinnnti and others.
His fayorite recreation has ever
been to come in contact with nat
ture. In plants, birds, animals, in.
sects, rocks. trees etc, his keen
sight ever discovered something
new and he took many walks to
the fields and woods. Returning
home ne was untiriREly searching
their Identification in scientific
books. The West Virginia geOlog-
icsl survey Of 1913 contained a
brief sketch Of A. Boutlou in my.
Geological notes written by c. G.
Lloyd OF Cincinnati. Father Bout
lou collected many plant speci:
mems when at Charleston, later at
Moundsville arl then at FaIrmont.
A few years ago he presented his
herhGriun to visitation convent
IN this state.
After his classical course at the
Iyceum in Rennees, France, A.
Boutlou entered the theological
seminary in tho same city. At the
seminary he was greatly interested
by the eminent teacher Of Holy
Scripture, tho Rev Alexander Mo.
toif. and made great progress in
this line Of study. However, because
OF his YOUTH not having reached