Putnam patriot., 1925-01-09
EMINENT SONS OF CONNECTICUT
I.-"The Learned Blacksmith"

he senatorial Dr Hamilton holt t dtok referred not infrequeny the life of an eminent con f Connecticut who all little known and recognized n b a today This man Ehu Burrtt the learned black smith" who was born and who died in New Britain.
 letter which We received some weeks ago requested us h e some sources information regarding Burrit and ID looking into his life became interested that We have de ermined it in this column for of all the asifioas sons Connecticut there something more hsphg aDoat ~ of oneme worker at the anvil than o all the commonweahs eminent and distinguished prog eny. t common school educaou and the of sixteen he was spprenced to blacksmith He became expert n hs trade but before he had reached hs majority ~ensone years Burtt acquired considerable knowledge o Ehsh literature But he content o be merely weiread He studied and for several years by working and saving through the spring and he able to devote large part the study o ancient and modern languages , count of his studies was brought the notice of Gov Edward Everett Massachusetts who SO impressed that al state convention of teachers read th letter aloud and pointed Burrit as conspicuous example Of man who had acquired culture in the face great difficulties l. from the reading of this letter Bur acquired the sobrquet of the learned blacksmith Shortly after lsal Burrtt made hs hfst pah appearance as He eary advocate Of tenn perance the abolition of slavery and especially of the a6el ton of war in this last named field that he was o ae ouire worldwide prominence He became the editor of paper called The Christian Citizen and he established the Ohye Lea Mission purpose 10 send to newspapers prei printed advocating This Mission proved 10 be great made Barrt widely known throughout the Union.
 
 time he found field of labor in trying to esab fish The League Universal Brotherhood He eetared in all parts Britain One of the ougro~ths of this move ment Burs campaign for postage between nations The agitation which ensued finally accomplished it's object
 Gradually Ehu Burritt became and more widely with the idea of the abolition of war In l64s the Britain blacksmith presided at the first inter- national peace Brussels Ayear later Victor Hugo presided of these conferences also organized by MT Barrtt
 r was that Elhu Burrit returned o America Ia He started immediately lecture tour where he with the greatest enthusiasm Throughout the preceding the Civil War he eetured widely America and Europe,
 Always aborer for peace 1856, because of the threatening aspect of the slavery question he advocated been called thoroughly and practical scheme compensated emancipation but here he met with failure The Civil War the books of the nations fate There could be sanity and compromise with situation where much bitterness already existed.
 And here th phase of his life where he roundy criticised by the many he held himself consistent with those doctrines for which h had abored long He repeated his frequently stated opposition to slavery but he was first and last of peace and he looked with little favor the for the Union He retired when war broke his farm New Britain and in 1863 he returned 10 England where he travelled throughout the country and wrote three volumes essays his Later hs life he became t. S Con suar Agent England and used h official position o promote systematic emigration rom he oveEerowded districts of Eng land and Scotland to America.
 In s6s he returned America and te quiet life his New Britain where he spent his remaining in writing aborng increasingly the welfare of the neghborhoed He died a New Britain March 2, 1879.
 Elhu Bu stands in the front rank of American humani taran His life unceasng and practical labor in the peace aeviaton of suffering The life and the work of the learned baeksmh should be known to every citizen of Connecticut.