New Britain herald., 1928-02-21

vide. and allowing half an inch q each end for the lap. would it re quire to reach from the center of tn. sun to the center of the earth, ana how much would it cost at a shilling a yard?'
 "All these problems. mind you were worked out i'll his head with nc chalk or pencil at hand, later report ed to his elder brother Elijah. [ schoolmaster, set down by him or the blackboard and found to be cor. rect.
 Is it any wonder that in time thi. precocious youth came to be knowr as New Britain's Learned Black. smith? Is 1t any wonder. when ont considers his capacity for concen- tration and retention, that it Wa, truly said of him that-by the time he had reached 30 years of age-ht had made such progress that he was able to read more or less fluent.
  European or Oriental languages?
 Returning from winter term spent in the classic shadows of Yale university, during which time he had translated Homer's "Iliad" maided except for a Greek Latin lexicon, the young man tried hts hand for time at salesmanship and business. He established himself in the grocer, and provision business. but lost everything in the financial panic oi 1887. Nothing daunted, and having familiarized himself with most of the languages of Europe, he set out te view the world. Taking his posses. sions with him in the proverbial ban. dana handkerchiefs of the period, ht walked to Boston, seeking passage for England. Finding upon his ar. rival that there was no vessel sail ing-as he had hoped--he walked back to Worcester. took work as a smith. and gave all his spare hours to study in the library of the Ameri. can Antiquarian society of that city Of this particular moment in his career, Dr. Davis writes:
 Becomes Famous Man
 Tt was while in Worcester that Mr. Burritt suddenly became fam. ous man. He wrote letter to a gentleman in Worcester. William Lincoln, inquiring if he might not secure the work of translating some German book.
 Naturally. to set forth his person. al qualifications, he included in his letter a brief account of his earl, life and studies. Mir. Lincoln sem the letter to Governor Everett o Massachusetts, who read it before . teachers institute. It appeared 1T the press and was widely circulated Mir. Burritt was invited to visit Gov ernor Everett. The privileges O Harvard university were open tt him. He received invitations tt speak, and began to appear before the public with his lecture on "Ap plication and Genius
 At the age of 5, however. Mir Burritt reached the turning point o his career. It seems he was prepar ing q popular lecture upon The An atomy of the Earth He was try ing to draw an analogy between ths rivers, seas, mountains and soils o' mother earth and the veins. muscles flesh, blood and bones Of the humaf
 
 only imaginative comparison. But my friends, what came out of that lecture is significant. Like a flash the thought dawned upon the young lectures that the very unlikeness o1 noighborng lands Great Britain and Labrador, for example, washed by the same Gulf Stream and lyinE in the same latitude, yet remark. ably different in climate. products and industrial progress that this very unlikeness was clearly the most absolute proof that the Creator had designed their inhabitants to live in and peace. At once he jumped to the fu1l realization of the scripture text. which we have taken for our sermon. He saw all lands and all peoples as mutually depend cnt. He felt them to be essential lv one. He came to the conclusion that human brotherhood was meant to be international, yes, even univer- sal, His semi scientific lecture was changed on the spot, therefore. into nd rot |, pt t-l |, nd
 Finds Burritt Practical
 Men have spoken of Mir. Bur rift as visionary. considering them- eelves as practical men. They have dubbed him an idealist, they have spoken of him as q man of words not deeds. But 1-for cne-upcn examining the evidence easily ob- tsina hle in the Institute. consider him one of the most far-seelng and therefore essentially most practical men, which thls city ever has pro- duced, Once. Mr Rurritt found himself possessed by an idea, hc lost no time III setting wheels tn motion, for it's dissemination and growth in the body polite, 1t is only necessary to point out his sue ceedlus activities in connection with the Olive Leaf Missin' articles, and the Friendly International Ad- dresses which he either wrote ot engineered at this time through more than 900 newspapers of this country. MT, Burrltt believed SUI premely in the power of the ideal He therefore made effective and legitimate use of this ideal of "orlc peace in 3 systematic effort 10 ef- feet national policies,
 Out of the correspondence and acauaintances resulting from hi! Friendly International Addresses, MT. Burrltt received many lnvlta' tions to visit England. At last. ht responded and sailed m May, 1846 One can only imagine the joy in hlt 1 heart at the gracious and friendl, welcome he received. The leader!