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Cornell University Library 1993.ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
PAPER READ BEFORE THE SOCIETY DECEMBER 19, 1870.
BY LAURENTIUS G. SELLSTEDT.
The subject of the following sketch was a man of too marked
a character to be other than prominent. His idiosyncracies and
the circumstances under which he lived to a certain extent iso-
lated him; and among his fellow-citizens he stood apart—an un-
common work of the Divine Master—seen in different lights and
shades, and judged by them according to their position, distance
or mental focus. His own opinion on all subjects he had made
his study, were fixed, inflexible and sincere, and they were
uttered with an uncompromising bluntness that knew no lubri-
cating policy. Though it perhaps follows that a man who sought
truth only for her own sake, even though she often eluded him,
should in many things run counter to received errors, and by his
fearless, and if you will, imprudent condemnation of them, sub-
ject himself to censure—yet, so well were his honesty of purpose
and generous impulses known that, whatever separation there was
between himself and what is commonly called society, the act of
ostracism was his own. Other reasons for this estrangement will
appear as we proceed; but, whatever the cause, it is certain that,
during the latter years of his life, he shrunk with morbid sensi-
tiveness from contact with mixed company, especially of stran-
gers, of either sex. He felt that he was misunderstood, and his
refuge, aside from his beloved family circle and a few old friends,
was the laboratory of the scientist, the artist’s studio, the geolo-
gist’s hammer, his books, his writings and his own thoughts. I258
ROSWELL WILLSON BASKINS.
shall try, as far as my powers of analysis go, to place in their
natural light his motives, and to speak of him as he was, “to
nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.’*
Roswell Willson Haskins was born January 31, 1796, at New
Salem, Mass. His father’s Christian name was John, and that
of his mother was Sarah. His father died when he was only four
years old, leaving his mother in destitute circumstances with
three children, of whom two were boys and one a girl. Of his
ancestry, he says in a letter to one of his sons :	“You want my
ancestral tree; well, I wish I had one for you, since I do not
want it for myself. I have little desire in that direction beyond
our Revolution, and that far I have got. Of my ancestry, I never
have heard beyond my grandfather Haskins, who, my grand-
mother told me, was killed in the Revolutionary War. Of his
birth and history I know nothing beyond his death, which I
glory in. My mother has told me that all her immediate rela-
tives were patriots in that war, except one uncle, who was a Tory
and left the country as such at the beginning of the war.” His
mother’s family name was Willson, and he’says of her in another
letter to the same son :	“I have never known anything of my
mother’s parents. When I was 15 years of age, I saw two
brothers of hers. They lived in New Hampshire. I have never
seen either of them since; but in 1836, when in Peterborough,
my sister Clarissa told me that one of them was living some
thirty miles distant, either sick or disabled and very poor. I
told her I would give her $100 for him if she could get it to
him. She said she would carry it to him, and she subsequently
wrote me she did carry it to him and that he was grateful
for the relief, as she found him in very destitute circumstances.
This is the last I know of them.”
At the age of 10 years he lived with a doctor whose wood he
chopped and whose horse he cared for, sleeping on the floor with
his clothes on, and with scanty covering, being frequently called
in the night to harness the horse, and beaten without knowing
what it was for; and though living where there was plenty, he
often suffered so much from hunger that the neighbors gave him
food for charity. Being at last discharged on account of dull
times, he walked from this place to his mother (who then livedROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
259
at Brattleboro, Vermont,) in the dead of winter, most of the two
days’ travel over an unbroken road, and this, too, during a
furious New England storm, when the tops of the fences were
covered with snow. A touching incident occurred at the end of
his first day’s journey. Weary, cold and hungry, he asked per-
mission of a farmer’s wife to warm himself and rest over night at
her house. The good woman, with a mother’s tenderness, led
him to the fire and helped him off with his frozen shoes, nearly
filled with snow, upon which his heels had rested. On being
remonstrated with by her rather rough husband for the fuss she
made over the “brat,” and ironically advised to take him to
her bed to warm him, she silenced him by these words:	“I
would be very much obliged if his mother was to treat my--------
in the same way,” pointing to her own child, whose name Has-
kins did not hear or remember. He was well cared for, and in
the morning urged to remain till the storm was over and the
roads broken; but he went on, and reached home the next even-
ing. He was now 14 years of age. Notwithstanding the hard-
ships of his childhood, his spirits seem not to have been so much
subdued as to prevent him from enjoying the ordinary plays and
pranks of boyhood, as numerous anecdotes related to his chil-
dren, testify.
The time allotted for reading these sketches is too short to
make it proper to enlarge upon the acts of Mr. Haskins’s child-
hood ; but one or two of his pranks are too characteristic to pass
without mention. I can only give the outlines, the filled-out
sketches being in his own hand-writing and directed to his son,
C. C. Haskins, who seems to have taken more interest in his
father’s antecedents than any of the rest of the family, and to
whom I am indebted for most of the facts related. When the
news of Fulton’s steamboat first reached him, his thoughts were
naturally led to the power of steam, and he at once set about to
experiment for himself. Procuring the tip of an old umbrella
he filled it with water, and having plugged the open end, he put
the machine into the stove, lying down on the floor to watch the
result, expecting to see it move. He did not have to wait long,
for in due time it went off, the tip barely missing his head and
burying itself in the baseboard of the room. He also succeeded260
ROSWELL WILLSON HA SHINS.
in frightening the good people of Brattleboro one evening by
sending up a huge kite with a lantern containing a lighted candle
and some powder. As the night was very dark, nothing was
seen but the light, which, in those days was deemed portentous.
It brought out the whole population, and while they were won-
dering what it might mean, the flame reached the powder and a
loud explosion ended the phenomenon. The real nature of the
prodigy was not known till 1866, when a detailed and humorous
account of it was written by Mr. Haskins and published in the
Vermont Phoenix, Brattleboro.
At the age of 16, almost the only being who had been uni-
formly kind to him, died. This was his brother. His mother’s
disposition was far from amiable, his home was not a happy one,
and his brother was, perhaps, the only one to whom his young
heart was strongly attached. This event produced a strong and
lasting impression upon his mind during his whole life; indeed,
so strong was it that the recollection of it quite unmanned him
even after he was advanced in years.
He had been apprenticed to a bookbinder in Brattleboro, but
he now notified his master that he was about to leave him, as he
was no longer learning anything of his trade. This coup Petat
was moreover accompanied by the assurance that if his master
followed him he would get badly whipped. Doubtless this threat
had the desired effect, for he was left in peaceful possession of
the road before him. The then El Dorado to which all who
could not or would not brave the inhospitable regions of New
England, or whose partrimony did not attach them to her soil,
was the grand, mysterious and almost fabulous “West.”
Thitherward he bent his course without, to use his own words,
“ knowing any more than we now know where that 4 West ’ be-
gan or ended, in the vague hope of finding a home or resting-
place somewhere within its bounds.” A single rustic suit and
some minor articles of clothing constituted his whole wardrobe,
while his purse was, if possible, even more scanty in its stores.
Though he well knew that all future supplies must be earned by
head and hands, he seems to have felt no uneasiness for fear of
want, but with a light heart and relying confidence, he bade
adieu to his weeping mother and saddened circle of relatives.ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
261
He left Brattleboro by stage, through Bennington and Troy for
Albany. When he arrived the street lamps were lighted, and
though they only burnt oil, being the first street-lamps he had
seen, they left a deep impression on his memory. There he also
first saw a steamboat, and as he has left a description of the
event, I shall again quote his own words:
The northern army of reserve—for we were then at war with England—
was stationed at Greenbush, opposite Albany, that being the strategic point of
departure for either the northern or western frontier of the State. The town
was full of officers and soldiers; and the next morning, about io a. m., word
came to the house that the steamboat from New York was in sight. She was
due the night before, but had been kept back by the storms. On this there
was a great rush to the boat for news. I alone went for a different purpose. I
had never seen a steamboat which, since its invention five years before, I had
regarded as a kind of miracle. When the boat reached her dock, the deck
was promptly crowded. I went on board with the rest, and was absorbed in
observation of her machinery, when, the hands having made her fast to the
dock, the engineer opened the safety valve to let off the remaining steam. I
was near the escape pipe, and the sudden roar sent me on deck in extreme
haste, though most around me made good their landing in about the same time
I did. Seeing that the boat was not destroyed by the noise, I lingered some
time on the shore to look at her, but I was careful not to venture again on
board.
After trying to obtain work at his half-learned trade in
Albany, Troy and Waterford, without success, he took passage
in a sloop for Hudson, where, after much tribulation caused by
being landed some distance above on the opposite side, and hav-
ing to walk to the ferry, a boy assisting him to carry his trunk,
he at length arrived. He found work here with a bookbinder,
who, however, after a week’s trial, discharged him for incom-
petejicy. For the week’s service he received six dollars. He
was now placed in a trying position. New York City was the
only place where any hope of employment was held out. But
he was one hundred and twenty-five miles from it, and it was so
late in the season that boats had stopped running, and the stages
which ran along the shore only in winter, had not yet begun
their season’s work. He therefore sold his trunk for one dollar,
and made up its contents into a parcel; putting all into a home-
spun overcoat, sewing up the skirt, sewing the sleeves fast to the
body and buttoning it up in front, he contrived, by passing his262
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
arms through the fastened sleeves, to make a very efficient knap-
sack. Thus equipped, he started on foot. Taking an early
start, he accomplished twelve miles before breakfast, which he
obtained at a country tavern kept by a German, eating with the
family in the basement kitchen. Here he ate his first buckwheat
cake, an event which he very pleasantly commemorates in a
sketch entitled “ My First Buckwheat Cake/ ’ but which, for
want of room, I am constrained to omit. I ought, however, to
add that I am indebted to this story for the account of this
journey. He must have been a good walker, for he succeeded
in accomplishing fifty miles that day, stopping for the night
before dark. On reaching Poughkeepsie, he was fortunate
enough to secure a passage in a sloop (the last in the season),
and in due time he arrived at the great city with two dollars and
seventy-five cents in his pocket and without a single acquaintance.
He was fortunate enough to find a place at once where he could
be employed under instruction to perfect his trade, his wages for
the first year being one dollar per week and board.
The abdication of Napoleon and the cessation of the war in
Europe, enabled England to concentrate her strength against
the United States. A descent on New York being therefore
feared, defensive works on Long Island were decided upon. The
construction of these works was mostly the fruit of voluntary
labor, performed by the citizens of New York and vicinity, in
gangs which relieved each other, working night and day. These
were called the “ patriotic diggers,” and were commemorated in
a doggerel originally published in the Philadelphia Press, and of
which a copy is to be found in the Buffalo Gazette, September
13, 1814. Among these unselfish patriots we find the bookbind-
er’s apprentice.
In the absence of a regular army, thirty thousand State
militia were called out by Governor Tompkins to man these
works and defend the city. Here we again meet young Haskins.
He was promoted to the rank of corporal, and though it appears
that neither he nor any of his associate braves ever came under
fire, I have no doubt but that they would have met the emer-
gency, had it occurred. Certain it is that the conduct of
Haskins was such as to draw upon himself the notice of hisROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
263
superiors, for the Governor tendered him his interest to get him
an appointment in the regular army. This he declined, as he
did not think his education or intelligence at the time fitted him
for the position. A somewhat severe commentary on the mod-
esty of the youth of our day !
From the many interesting anecdotes contained in the
written reminiscences of Mr. Haskins, which would doubtless
be valuable as illustrations of the times and the conditions of
New York then, I condense the following :
In 1815, when the Constitution captured the two British ships, the Levant
and the Cyane, both were sent home as prizes. The former was recaptured,
but the latter arrived in safety at New York. As she brought her own news,
her arrival was a surprise. Coming in full view of the city, she commenced
to fire a salute with the American flag over the British. Commodore Hull,
the old hero who first made the Constitution famous by the capture of the
Guerriere, was then in charge of an expedition for the suppressing of piracy.
His flag-ship was the Constellation, and she, with several other smaller vessels
which formed the squadron, was lying in front of Courtlandt Street. It was
Sunday. The day was beautiful, the breeze light and a dense mass of people
crowded the docks to obtain a sight of the ships, and to hear the news.
Among them was Haskins. Seeing the old hero, whom he knew, in the
crowd, and judging that the best way of obtaining an elucidation of the
mystery was by getting near him, he elbowed his way to within a few feet of
where he stood. As soon as the smoke cleared away, the signals rose, and
the scene which followed must have been one not easily forgotten. Captain
Hull, who was rather short and thick-set, no sooner read the signal than, for-
getting everything but his patriotism, he jumped as high as he was able,
enthusiastically clapping his hands, and in a loud voice cried out: “ Prize to
the Constitution, by God! ” At this I stepped behind the captain and
shouted with all the voice I had : “ Three cheers for Captain Hull and the
Constitution! ” The crowd took up the suggestion with one accord and did it
ample justice, which was prolonged by repetition again and again.
After completing his apprenticeship in New York, he first
found employment in Canandaigua. Here, in 1817, he was
foreman in the bookbindery of Mr. James Bemis. It was here,
too, that he formed the acquaintance, which soon ripened into
intimacy, with Oran Follett, who, though a younger man,
doubtless exercised a considerable influence upon his future
career, and who subsequently became his partner in business at
Buffalo. Mr. Follett was a printer on the Ontario Repository.264
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
They both remained in charge of their respective departments in
Mr. Bemis’s establishment for several years. I learn from Mr.
Follett, to whom I am indebted for many of these facts, that
they were almost inseparable in their social and literary pursuits.
It will be readily inferred from the early struggles of Mr.
Haskins’s boyhood, that he had not found much time for going
to school; in fact, I do not find any allusion to the educational
advantages or disadvantages of his childhood in such memoranda
as I have been permitted to peruse. It is certain that he made
good use of such opportunities as offered for his mental improve-
ment, probably devoting his leisure to reading substantial
authors. That he digested his mental pabulum, is known by his
habit of exchanging views on the subjects of his reading with Mr.
Follett by letter. Mr. Follett had moved to Rochester to take
charge of Mr. Bemis’s interest in the book and printing estab-
lishment of A. G. Dauby & Co., and the two young men found
mutual advantage to their literary progress in thus discussing the
subject of their readings.
“ In one of these letters, I recollect ” (I quote the language
of Mr. Follett) “ he had been detailing his reading of some new
essay on the authorship of 4 Junius,’ and gave the conclusion he
had come to, that ‘ the chance is “ Junius” was written by Sir
Philip Francis.’ ” Mr. Follett again says : “I had commenced
my career as a boy editor by writing for the Gazette; on my
return to Canandaigua, I found my friend inspired with a new
ambition. I had been writing for the papers—why not he ?
I left him again for Batavia, Genesee County (then embracing
all of Monroe, Livingston and Wyoming Counties west of the
Genesee River; and Orleans County lying east of the west line
of old Genesee), to establish the Spirit of the Times newspaper.
It is among my pleasant recollections that my friend lent me
some ten or twelve dollars to eke out my remaining funds for the
necessary expense from Canandaigua to my new home.”
In order to learn to express with grammatical correctness the
ideas with which his mind was being charged, he resolved on
going to school at Canandaigua Academy, then under the care
of Mr. Stevenson, and he appears even to have subsequently
spent the better part of a year in Vermont to advance his edu-ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
265
cation, but, as he seems to have been reticent on this subject, I
have not been able to determine with certainty the place of his
sojourn. After a short residence in Rochester, whither he had
gone to take charge of a bindery in the Dauby & Co. establish-
ment, where he had commenced to write for the press, he
finally moved to Buffalo, where he arrived in May, 1822; of the
exact date I find no record. His first place of business was at
204 Main Street (old number), where he established the “ Buf-
falo Book Store,” which was a branch concern of his former
employer, who was a partner. As soon as he was fairly settled
he commenced to contribute to the Buffalo Journal, then owned
by Mr. Day. For this he received some small compensation.
The more important articles from his pen, however, were con-
tributions to Lyman A. Spalding’s paper at Lockport. This
was a semi-monthly and was called Priestcraft Exposed.
This paper was liberal in religious views, and old Cotton Mather
and the witch-burners* suffered severely at the hands of Mr.
Haskins, who, at this time, professed to be a Universalist. In
his contributions to the Journal, he found a subject for his
caustic pen in the projected building of Black Rock Harbor. He
fought the scheme because he believed it to have been started
for individual interest rather than for public good. He urged
that ordinary causes of Nature, such as currents, etc., would
destroy the works, or if built strong enough to resist desintegrat-
ing elements (as with money enough they might be made to do),
it would fill up in time with sediment. He alleged thej well
known difficulties of keeping mill dams in order as an example,
but was met by the counter argument, that this was not a mill
dam and therefore was not a parallel case. The record of this
controversy is not extant, the files of the Journal for this year
having been burned in the fire that destroyed the store. Time,
that great unveiler of Truth, has vindicated Mr. Haskins here, for
large portions of the first works were washed away, causing
destruction of life and property, and when they were afterwards
by a large expenditure made to stand, the gradual filling of the
* Allusions to witch-burners and witch-burning in New England are frequent in
literature; yet the modern contention is that although many were hanged and one was
pressed to death, no witch was ever burned in New England. If this be true, it would
be interesting to know the origin of such a widely-accepted and persistent fallacy—Ed.266
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
harbor became a fact for dredges to remove. A paper entitled
‘‘Historical Recollections of Black Rock Harbor/’ written by
Mr. Haskins and published in the Buffalo Morning Express of
May 2, 1865, refers to this subject in connection with the paper
on Black Rock Harbor written by Richard Williams, Esq. and
read by him at'a meeting of this club.
In 1823 Mr. Haskins was married to Miss Eliza Caryl,
daughter of Benjamin Caryl, Esq. This lady was the sister of
Mrs. Lucius Storrs, Mrs. Dr. Warner and Mrs. J. H. Coleman,
and Messrs. Clark and Hamilton Caryl. The fruits of this
marriage were five children, George W., Clark C., Charles H.,
John F., William B. and Eliza, all except the oldest now [1870]
living. This union proved a very happy one, as Mrs. Haskins
was a lady of excellent character and disposition, and her hus-
band kind and considerate. Their home was a small frame
house on Ellicott Street, between Seneca and Swan.
In 1826 Mr. Follett formed a partnership with Mr. Day and
at once took charge of the editorial department of the Journal.
On the 24th of July, 1827, Mr. Follett having purchased Mr.
Bemis’s interest in Mr. Haskins’s bookstore and libVary, the firm
of Day, Follett & Haskins was established ; Mr. Follett retaining
his exclusive charge of the paper.
In October, 1827, a project was started among the citizens of
Buffalo to induce Captain Partridge to establish in their city a
branch of the American Scientific and Military Academy, whose
headquarters was Norwich, Vermont, and of which he was
president. It appears that the inception of this originated with
Mr. Haskins of the Buffalo Journal, Hon. Samuel Wilkeson of
the Senate and David Burt of the Assembly. The subject was
afterwards brought before the citizens of Buffalo at a meeting
called for the purpose, but was abandoned or postponed because,
the winter before, an Act of Legislature had incorporated the
Buffalo High School Association, and though at the time of the
application to Captain Partridge it lay dormant, very soon after
it had been revived by a donation from abroad which had formed
the nucleus of a subscription that was going on at the time the
above mentioned meeting was held, and it was the sense of that
meeting “that the village could not support both institutions,ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
267
at least at that time.” If I am not mistaken, this was the origin
of the military academy, afterwards kept in the building now
occupied as the hospital of the Sisters of Charity.
The committee on behalf of the citizens appointed in this
matter were R. W. Haskins, M. A. Andrews and R. B. Heacock.
On the 14th of November, 1827, the establishment of Day,
Follett & Haskins was burnt. Presses and material in both
printing office and bindery were all lost, as was also the most of
the stock in the book store. The firm was (for the time and
place) largely engaged in the publication of school books, and
their plates and stock in trade were all destroyed. I believe that
our respected townsman, Mr. O. G. Steele,* was a journeyman
bookbinder in the concern at the time, and that even he was a
loser by the conflagration. The loss exceeded the insurance by
several thousands of dollars, and the publication of the Buffalo
Journal was by this suspended for several weeks. It was resumed
again the 29th of December, and it became in time, by the
consolidation with the Buffalo Patriot, the germ of the present
Commercial Advertiser, and may be said to exist even now,
under its new name, The Patriot and Journal, as the weekly
publication of that paper.
In 1831, March the 31st, the firm of Day, Follett & Has-
kins, printers, book-sellers and book-binders, was dissolved, Mr.
Haskins retaining the bookstore and bindery. The new store
was situated on the east side of Main Street in what is known as
Ellicott Square.
In 1832 Mr. Haskins sold out to the late A. W. Wilgus.
Having thus retired from mercantile pursuits, he resolved to turn
his attention to the cultivation of his mental powers and the
pursuit of scientific studies so congenial to his tastes, and to
devote his time and talents to public good. In this last field he
found immediate employment. The year 1832 stands out in the
calendar of the past marked with heavy black lines, not only in
the history of Buffalo, not only in that of America, but in that of
the world ! It is one of the fearful epochs of history, for it was the
year when the gloomy shadows of the dark wings of Azrael seemed
very near; when one of his most dreaded agents stalked abroad in
*Died November n, 1879.—Ed.268
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
the ghastly and loathsome form of the Asiatic cholera ! Honor to
whom honor is due. All honor to Roswell W. Haskins; for it was
during this fearful scourge that his really noble nature showed to
the greatest advantage. I would not undervalue the labor of his
coadjutors—they did well—nobly—the work required of them; but
so untiring was the zeal of my lamented friend, so fearless was he
in his daily encounter with the evil that it were public ingrati-
tude to refuse the amaranth to his memory, and sacrilege to tear
it thence. Day after day, hour after hour did this faithful man
visit the sick, dying and dead. Comparatively little was known
even by physicians of the nature of the disease and the hygienic
requirements, but such as general principles demanded were
attended to by his constant personal supervision. In this he
was greatly aided by Mr. L. F. Allen, his coadjutor, and by the
late Loring Pierce, then city sexton.
If in this sketch I manifest an anxiety to bring out the good
traits of Mr. Haskins’s character it is because I fear they were
too often hidden under his rough exterior. Those who did not
know his inner life, or who only knew him late in his life, saw
in him only an overbearing, dictatorial egoist. True, they could
not deny that if he was not a savant, his knowledge was exten-
sive, accurate; and varied, his purposes good, and his honor
unquestioned, but they did not all know how tender was the
heart that beat under his outside crustiness. All could see the
objectionable points of his character; indeed, he took too little
pains to hide them. I am not writing the history of the cholera,
nor do I wish to claim that Mr. Haskins was the sole agent in
arresting its ravages in Buffalo. 1 know that there was a Board
of Health, and that it had its regular sittings. This Board
consisted of Dr. E. Johnson, the Mayor, ex-officio, R. W.
Haskins, L. F. Allen and J. Clary. The late Dyre Tillinghast,
at a salary of $50 per month, was clerk of the Board, and those
who knew him need not be told that he performed his duties
in a thorough and satisfactory manner. Dr. J. E. Marshall was
health physician, and the reports to the Board testify to his
efficiency. Indeed, there was no lack of devotion on the part
of the honorable and self-sacrificing profession to which he
belonged. All had their hands full, as their reports show.ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
269
These documents were sometimes addressed to the Board of
Health and sometimes to Mr. Tillinghast, as its clerk, but all
were referred to Mr. Haskins, and are now among his papers.
There can be no doubt, therefore, that the principal burden was
permitted to fall on him, though valuable aid was rendered by
both Dr. Johnson and Mr. Allen.
As many grave responsibilities were assumed when occasion
demanded, an Act by the city authorities endorsed the acts of
the Board, and a vote of thanks became their sole reward. Mr.
Haskins was requested to write a sketch of the history of these
dark days, but declined on the ground that he could not do so
without making himself too prominent.
In 1833, Mr. Haskins and Dr. Clark became equal partners
in the purchase of what was then known as the Pratt and Leach
farm. This eventually proved a source of much annoyance to
them both. As the matter is so well known to those of our
citizens who take an interest in such things, and as, besides, its
full history is to be found recorded in the minutes of a rather
costly and prolonged lawsuit, I have concluded to omit more
than a mere allusion to it here. They were partners in the suit,
and suffice it to say that by its conclusion Mr. Haskins’s heirs
have been put into possession of property, which, when freed
from incumbrances, will leave a fair, if not a large inheritance.
Shortly after this purchase, Mr. Haskins effected two sales,
the joint product of which was nearly $70,000, less than $13,000
of which he ever realized. Always sanguine and by nature
disposed to look on the bright side, he at this time thought himself
possessed of sufficient income, not only for his simple wants,
but even for the gratification of his desires in the promotion and
pursuits of practical science with which his ever active brain was
teeming.
He now devoted his time mostly to the pursuits that were
congenial to his tastes. Although in his mental cravings he was
omnivorous, he best loved scientific pursuits. He seems, how-
ever, never to have devoted himself to anything for itself. His
was the spirit of the true philosopher-—the desire that mankind
might be benefitted by the general result of all knowledge.270
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
In the pursuit of his studies he was met at the threshold by
an unlooked-for obstacle, viz: a dearth of books in the English
language. Not that there was not enough of books, such as
they were, but he often found them erroneous and biased as to
facts, if original, and if translated, perverted to suit the taste of
the English nation. This was particularly his opinion as re-
garded translations from the French, and he, therefore, set about
to master their language sufficiently to read their works in the
original, and thus have the benefit of their valuable contribu-
tions to art and science, especially those inestimable papers read
before the French Academy of Science, and published in the
Comptes Rcndus, a periodical to which he became a regular
subscriber.
The history of the French Revolution had exercised a power-
ful influence in forming his habits of thought; though never a
politician, he was by nature a democrat. His generous nature
rose against every species of oppression, and history had in-
formed him that the “divine right of kings” was only another
name for the arbitrary sway of the powerful over the weak.
Especially was he an enemy to anything like a privileged class,
and because the clergy had generally been firm supporters of
thrones, he classed them among the oppressors of mankind, and
enemies to freedom and self-government. He learned to look
upon religion as opposed to science, and indeed the pious
Christian zeal of half a century ago was often engaged in
defending the Holy Book against that bug-bear. Had Mr.
Haskins commenced life under different auspices, his opinions
on religious subjects would doubtless have had a different bias.
Had his search for truth been led and fostered by a Christian
intelligence, like that of our day, when religion and science are
no longer afraid to go hand in hand, instead of meeting each
other with the jealous frown of opposition; had intelligent an4
kind-hearted friends showed him that God is love, and that
true Christianity consists in love to God and charity to man,
rather than in a strict adherence to a dogma; had his combative
nature not been goaded to defiance by a manner which ever said
to the honest doubter: Stand aloof, I am holier than thou; his
natural purity of character and correctness of purpose mightROSWELL WLLLSON BASKINS.
271
have led him into the ranks of Christian investigators, instead
of forcing him as it were, to look with distrust upon everything
which rested its claim upon the supernatural. Unhappily, how-
ever, he found the so-called orthodox church, in his youth,
almost a unit in branding free inquiry into the mysteries of
nature’s origin, with a stigma of infidelity ; and in his turn, he
learned to regard its ministers as men who either feared the truth,
or chose to live and teach in wilful ignorance. God alone can
judge of our motives, but it is certain that with the exception of
occasional outbursts of passion and consequent sinful language,
the habitual life of this skeptic cried shame on many who
professed to believe the Word of God.
I do not know whence his marked dislike to the English, or
rather the Anglo-Saxon, race proceeded. It probably had its
origin in a variety of causes. Doubtless in part it was inherited
from his Revolutionary ancestors, and fostered by his own parti-
cipation in, and surroundings of, the War of 1812, together
with the political issues of that day; but I suspect that not a
little was due to the insolent tone' of the English press, and the
execration their writers lavished upon the authors of the French
Revolution, and their misrepresentation of the motives of men
whom he regarded as high-toned and pure-minded patriots. He
did not, it is true, deny that much credit was due the British
nation for the advances made by her poets, philosophers, and
scientists, but he stoutly insisted that in this the honor was due
to the Norman and Gothic races, while none was to be accredited
to the Anglo-Saxons.
While pursuing his studies in French and the natural sciences
he received valuable aid from Dr. Lucien W. Caryl, once a
partner of Dr. J. E. Marshall. Dr. Caryl was too much
absorbed in the study of mathematics—in which science he was
not only greatly proficient, but is said to have had few equals—
to be an available practitioner, and the partnership did not long
continue. It was his desire and purpose to pursue, uninterrupt-
edly if possible, his favorite study. In this he was aided by his
friend Haskins, who supplied him with the necessary books and
instruments ; some of which, such as'La Place’s “ Mechanique
Celeste,” were of considerable value. Mr. Haskins and the272	ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
Doctor occupied rooms together on the corner of Main and
Seneca Streets, over what was the “ Checkered Store.’’ I have
heard Mr. Haskins say that they, at this time, were endeavoring
to construct a lens for astronomical purposes, which was to be
double and contain a highly refracting liquid, and, if I mistake
not, it was intended to do away with spherical aberration by
making its form parabolical. But Dr. Caryl’s principal work
was on a mathematical formula, which was intended as an ampli-
fication or addition to La Place’s great work, and was to appear
in the form of notes. It was the intention of Mr. Haskins to
- provide for the Doctor’s necessities during his labors, and to aid
in the publication of the work when completed. The death of
Dr. Caryl prevented the accomplishment of these generous
intentions, as well as the completion of the book. The manu-
script, after remaining in the possession of Mr. Haskins, was,
about a year before his death, handed over to the author’s
daughter. About the same time he was thus engaged, Mr.
Haskins provided himself with a library, which, it was his boast,
contained not one useless book. Indeed, though not large, it
was one of the best, if not the best, in the city, if utility be the
test. Many of these books were imported direct from France,
and all were selected with great care.
One of our oldest, best and most honored citizens, who,
thank God, is still living,* told me the following anecdote which
I think is due to the memory of Mr. Haskins to relate
here. The gentleman to whom I refer came to Buffalo about the
time that Mr. Haskins and Dr. Caryl were busy together, and as
his own pursuits had been of a similar nature to the Doctor’s, he
sometimes called at the office to while away a moment in
pleasant conversation. Understanding that Mr. Haskins wanted
a copy of the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, then just republished in
the United States, he told him one day that he was short of
funds and would sell the book to him for fioo. Mr. Haskins’s
reply was: “You seem to me to be a,man that can make good
use of the book yourself, and I think you had better keep it ”—
at the same time stepping into an adjoining room, from which
*Dr. W. K. Scott, died January 5, 1879.—Ed.ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
273
he soon emerged, putting $100 into the hands of his visitor with
words to this effect: “ Here is the money, if you become pros-
perous you can pay it, and if you don’t, I shall never be the
worse for it.” The loan was thankfully received, and I need
not add that it was paid with' interest. This act, however,
toward a stranger who did not at the time reside in the city, was
one of uncommon generosity, and was always remembered with
gratitude.
Mr. Haskins was chairman of the meeting of citizens who
organized the present Young Men’s Association. During a
religious revival a call had been published by some of the citi-
zens for this purpose. Fears seemed to have been entertained by
some that an effort was to be made to place it under sectarian
influence, and this they resolved, if possible, to prevent. The
meeting having been called at the court house at seven o’clock
p. m., a goodly number were on hand before the hour appointed,
and no sooner had the clock on the First Church ceased to
strike seven than those present called the meeting to order,
placed Mr. Haskins in the chair, and appointed a secretary.
Scarcely was this accomplished before some of those who had
originated the call made their appearance. These, after pro-
testing, withdrew, calling another meeting, which, however,
was not sufficiently numerously attended to warrant further pro-
ceedings. The above is a condensed account of the matter in a
letter of Mr. Haskins to one of his Ohio sons. In this relation
he gives no names,’ but he adds that most of the disaffected
eventually became members of the Association.
In 1836 Mr. Haskins became a widower, and by temporary
absence from the scene of his sorrow, to lessen it, made a visit to
New England. He was at this time in a condition to assist his
relations, who I believe were most of them, if not all, in
straitened circumstances, and he did so to the full extent of his
ability.
He was the first who held the office of Superintendent of
Public Schools in our city. The appointment, under the old
State law, was made by the Common Council, and the notice
read as follows:
18274
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
Buffalo City Clerk’s Office, Jan. io, 1837.
Sir—At a meeting of the Common Council, on the 9th instant, you were
appointed Superintendent of Common Schools.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. C. Peters, Clerk.
Finding that his powers under this instrument were too
limited to effect the needed reforms, he, after a few months’.
trial, resigned the office. In his letter of resignation he threw
out some valuable suggestions, which were afterward incorpor-
ated in the new State law, under which his immediate successor,
Mr. O. G. Steele, was enabled to be so useful, and which has
been so valuable to the educational interest of not only the State
of New York, but has even, if I mistake not, served as a model
for many pther States. It is pleasant to remember that this
prompt resignation of Mr. Haskins, and the advice accompany-
ing it, has aided in this happy consummation.
One of the most important. of Mr. Haskins’s papers on
scientific subjects was probably written this year. It was
entitled “Examination of the Theory of a Resisting Medium,”
in which it is assumed that the planets and comets of our system
are moved. It first appeared in Sillimaris Journal, January,
1838, and is the first article in the number. His aim in this
was to show that the existence of this supposed fluid was not
proved. Especially did he point out that comets’ tails were not,
as had been claimed by some of the most learned, invariably
projected from the sun in a direct line drawn through the center
of that luminary, and thus the arguments for the presence of this
“resisting medium,” based on this assumption, he proved to be
of no value. He did not attempt to settle the question, but I
think he made good his point: that more convincing proofs
were needed to make the theory an established article of scientific
creed.
In August, 1839, the honorary degree of Master of Arts was
conferred upon him by the University of Vermont. The letter
which announced this honor concludes with the following
words: “Praying that your labors in the cause of science may
be eminently successful, I remain, with high regard, very truly
yours, etc., John Wheeler, President.”ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
275
la the same year he published his 11 History and Progress of
Phrenology/’ a work of more than 200 pages octavo. This
book was based upon two lectures on the history of phrenology,
delivered before the Western Phrenological Society at Buffalo in
April and May.
In 1840 Mr. Haskins again married. This second wife,
whose maiden name was Emma Stowe, was the widow of John
T. Daly, of Cleveland, Ohio. One daughter was the sole fruit
of this union. She bears her mother’s Christian name, and was,
not long before her father’s death, married to Mr. Truman C.
White. Mrs. Haskins survives her husband. I am tempted to
eulogize the worth and domestic virtues of this lady,—but to
those most interested it would seem strangely superfluous, since
every day she is permitted to remain on earth only endears her
to them more and more.
In 1841 he published his “ Astronomy for Schools.” This is
a volume of 324 pages, based upon Arago’s lectures at the
Royal Observatory of Paris. In it, as may be read upon the
title page, the author professes to teach the leading truths of
astronomy, and clearly illustrate them “ without mathematical
demonstration.” It was intended for a text-book in schools,
but, although an interesting and highly instructive treatise, it
failed to become so, and yielded no remunerative return for the
labor expended.
A popular essay on comets followed in 1842, and the same
year he wrote a series of letters on New England and the West,
for the Boston Atlas. These were republished in pamphlet
form in the following year.
“ Anterior to Greece and Rome ” was a pamphlet written in
1844, and in 1846 appeared his critical essay on “ Hazlitt’s
Translation of Guizot’s History of Civilization.” In December,
the same year, he wrote a letter to M. Guizot, and received a
complimentary reply from the great philosopher, dated Feb-
ruary, 1847. I have not critically reviewed this essay, but from
the glances I have been able to bestow upon it, I have no doubt
that the author’s sense is better preserved by Mr. Haskins in the
specimens which he presents for comparison, though I have
detected some errors from which the translation of Mr. Hazlitt
is free.276
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
With the exception of short periods of editorial labors, of
which mention will be made hereafter, the last fifteen years of
Mr. Haskins’s life were spent in scientific and philosophical
pursuits and in endeavors to turn his varied knowledge into
practical use. In this, I regret to say, he was generally unsuc-
cessful. He was fond of observing the phenomena of nature,
and often spent his nights in watching meteorological exhibi-
tions, or with his telescope scanning the sidereal heavens. He
gave most of his attention, however, to geology, and not only
was he perfectly at home in this department of science in his
own neighborhood, but whenever he went away from home he
sought familiarity with the treasures of knowledge with which
the surface of the earth abounds. Unlike the pure scientist,
however, he was ever trying to find a way to turn the mysterious
agencies of nature to some practical use. A handful of silicious
sand was not only a geological fact to be recorded—remunera-
tive and extensive glass-works rose before his mind’s eye. Did
bubbles of carburetted hydrogen rise up in a fissure of a rock,
or in a swampy spring, they became angels of light that were to
do battle with those hated demons of monopoly, the gas works.
It is true that he was too sanguine, that some of his plans were,
if not really impracticable, hedged about with so many practical
difficulties which he would not or could not see, as to make
them virtually so, but not unfrequently did he anticipate by
many years improvements of great value. An instance of this
was the suggestion of adopting the plan of using iron columns
as supports for buildings, instead of stone. This idea was
suggested by a small foundry having recently been started in
Buffalo. He wrote an article proposing the plan, but according
to his own statement it was treated with contempt. The vari-
ations of the temperature, his contemners said, would disinte-
grate the iron, the buildings would fall, life would be lost or
endangered, and lots of mischief done through the foolish whim
of Haskins. It also appears that he was in advance in proposing
a through line of railroad from Buffalo to Albany. As this
subject is of so much general interest, I will allow him to tell
his own story. He says:ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
277
When railroads were yet scarcely known in this country, I drew up a
circular addressed to the inhabitants of the various villages along the route,
requesting their co-operation in procuring a charter for a railroad from Buffalo
to Albany. This was printed, and sent, in the name of a committee, to all
the towns along the line; and it was everywhere treated with silent contempt,
except in a single instance, and in that case a most insulting and abusive
letter was sent to our committee, calling us vile names, and characterizing the
proposition as one of marked stupidity. Well, just ten years from the day of
that event, there was opened a continuous railroad from Buffalo to Portland,
Me. I have the original manuscript now of the circular.
The subject of lighting houses and cities also engaged much
of his attention. I have hinted at the interest he took in natural
gas, and his plans for utilizing it were formed upon a magnificent
scale. These were based upon the supposition that the supply
was unlimited, and of this he entertained scarcely a doubt, since,
according to his theory, this and other kindred wonders of
geology were the results of nature’s chemical laboratories on the
grandest scale. He had even thought of making electricity
perform the office of supplying man with artificial light, but he
did not succeed in determining the practicability of this, owing
to want of means in his experiments. This project seems to
have been thrown out as a hint, and he thought the importance
of the result, if successful, would warrant some expenditure to
ascertain if it were feasible. Another of his suggestions related
to the protection of ships from lightning, but I have not learned
whether any attempt was made to ascertain the value of his plan.
Suffice it here to say that his mind constantly teemed with
schemes for utilizing the discoveries in science and knowledge.
It will be readily remembered by all who hear me, how interested
and sanguine he was when the oil regions of Pennsylvania were
re-discovered. Here he hoped to find the means for future use-
fulness. He became personally interested in the search, himself
superintending the boring of wells, and, with the enthusiasm and
the hope of youth, labored both with hand and brain in the
attainment of the realization of his hopes. Alas! like many
—like most—he failed. His exhausted means and credit forbade
further attempts, and he returned to Buffalo — a disappointed,
stricken man. I think this blow sensibly affected his spirits ; at
all events in my subsequent intercourse with him, which was278
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
always pleasant, he seemed subdued. True, he rallied and
interested himself in other enterprises, but only to meet fresh
disappointments. Though Mr. Haskins had been an irregular
contributor to newspapers, since his connection with the Patriot
and Journal ceased, he had not been attached to the editorial
staff of any till 1845, when, together with his son George, and
John C. Bonner, he commenced to edit the National Pilot,
owned by the late B. A. Manchester. He continued in this
position till a change in the policy of the paper obliged him to
sever his connection with it. Some years after this he was one of
the editors of the Morning Express, and some of the articles
which he wrote for this paper were those upon which he bestowed
most thought and pains. His style as a writer was terse, though
simple and straightforward. But, in discussing a subject, his
opinions were uttered with a directness which was more cal-
culated to stir up opposition than to convince. He scorned as
subterfuge that kind of circumlocution which is intended to save
the amourpropre of a vanquished opponent, and thus win him
to an acknowledgment of the right, based on the proper view
of the facts. In short, whatever of wisdom he possessed, none
of that of the serpent was mingled with it. Perhaps in this, as
much as in anything, lay his weakness. In oral controversy,
though love of approbation was a marked trait -in his zeal for
what he deemed the right, he never stopped to consider in
the heat of a discussion how offensively he framed his language.
His large frame, flexible and expressive features and con-
temptuous gestures added much to the force of his speech,
giving it a harshness that was foreign to his heart. This was
often proved by the manner in which he received a well-timed
and proper rebuke from anyone whom he really liked and
respected. The following anecdote is one of many instances in
point:
Many years ago, Mr. Haskins and a friend casually met, one
morning, in the reading-room of the Young Men’s Association.
His friend, going there to read, and knowing Mr. Haskins’s
propensity to converse, at first seemed not to notice his presence,
but after a time, feeling that civility required that he should do
so, called Mr. Haskins’s attention to a paragraph about England,ROSWELL WILLSO/V HASKINS.
279
which he thought would please him; but on reading it, Mr.
Haskins became personal and offensive, whereupon the friend,
with some spirit,, said :	“ Mr. Haskins, this must stop. I have
borne it quite too often. In the expression of your views you
are overbearing and unfeeling—and this is not my opinion only,
but that of all with whom you converse.” The friend was
prepared for an explosion, but was amazed and entirely disarmed
by Mr. Haskins disclaiming, with tears in his eyes, any intention
to be offensive, and asserting his utter unconsciousness of having
been so. “ And as to others,” said he, “the fault is theirs, not
mine. When I was supposed to be rich, my opinions were treated
with respect, but now that I am supposed to be poor, my
opinions and feelings are overborne and disregarded.” It is
needless to add that Mr. Haskins and his friend, after a length-
ened and pleasant conversation which passed to other topics,
parted in perfect kindness, and neither ever afterward alluded to
their momentary difference.
He at one time conceived the idea of establishing a news-
paper which should furnish continental European news direct
and unadulterated by what he conceived to be English perversion.
In this he did not receive the support he had hoped for, and was
besides subjected to gratuitous attacks by some members of the
press, ridicule rather than argument being the weapon used.
This, and the contempt with which most of his projects were
treated, together with his straitened circumstances, had a
tendency to sour his otherwise cheerful disposition and to cause
him to avoid society.
The discovery of the mineral wealth of California was a
subject of great interest to him. In 1850 he wrote and published
his well-known essay on gold. He took the ground that the
precious metals used for money owe their standard value to old
usage and legal enactments ; that money, therefore, is property
in a different sense from that of any other commodity ; that
gold and silver, early in the history of the world, had been
chosen as standards of value of circulating media on account of
their scarcity, being then the results of fortuitous discovery
without the aid of science; that their power over labor was due
to their being in the possession of so few ; that in the earliest280
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
history of the world this power was greatest, and had gradually
decreased as the supply became greater and mankind more free ;
that they still had an undue preponderance over labor, and that
an abundant and inexhaustible supply would eventually destroy
their power. He believed that the mines of California would
furnish this supply, and that the time was not far distant when the
value of the use of money would be reduced; when it could
no longer atone for violated laws or outraged morals, when toil
would be more equally distributed among men, and the world grow
wiser and better. I am too little acquainted with the science of
political economy to judge of the real merit of these thoughts. I
know they are and were received with scornful incredulity by
some, but I submit that it would be premature to say that
this consummation, which all good men should wish for, may
not form a millennial future of another though remote era.
Mr. Haskins published another essay in 1852. This time the
subject was Art. Though well written and novel in its
suggestions, it was of too impracticable a nature to win favor
with those for whose perusal it was chiefly written—the artists. I
will, therefore, content myself with the bare mention of it.
In 1857 George W. Haskins died. Though Mr. Haskins
bore this blow with outward stoicism, it was a crushing one, for
not only was George his first-born, but his genius as a writer was
of so high an order that his friends had every reason to believe
that scarcely any hope might be too high of his future distinction.
He added to this a genial temper, gentle manners, and a high
sense of moral rectitude. “ None knew him but to love him.”
He was one of those choice spirits who in the hearts of their
friends will ever be immortal.
Though in former years Mr. Haskins was a Democrat and a
firm believer in Gen. Jackson, in the latter part of his life he
acted with the Republican party. He was never a politician
except in the larger and more dignified sense of the word, never
sought office, nor would he have given such pledges as would
have made him an available candidate for party. He was an
independent thinker on all subjects, and consequently in perfect
harmony with no fixed creed. During our late Civil War, his
sympathy and aid were on the side of the existing Government.ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
281
Especially did he take great interest in the naval warfare of the
Mississippi and its tributaries. He spent a good portion of his
time at New Albany, Ind., watching the process of the building
of some gunboats projected, to some extent at least, upon a plan
suggested by our whilom townsman Rollin Germain, Esq., whose
theory of naval architecture he strongly advocated. He was
also occasionally employed in geological investigations con-
nected with mining. Indeed, he was seldom idle, though he
doubtless disliked the routine work of employments that did not
suit his taste, and therefore seemed an idler to the regular
business-man. He was fond of conversation, and when this did
not take a controversial turn there were few who could better
entertain his friends in that way. His fund of anecdotes and
talent for story-telling vwill be readily remembered by the
habitues of Wilgus’s bookstore, or later in Mr. Steele’s, where the
“Buffalo Platform,” as it was facetiously called, was erected.
Mr. Haskins always took great pleasure in the encouragement of
youth, in their endeavors to cultivate their talents. Thus was
young Wilgus, the artist, a special object of his kind offices.
Indeed, the lad received his first box of good water-paints from
Mr. Haskins, and was afterwards in many ways benefitted by him.
He also materially aided by his advice and instruction the
young men whose organization, under the name of the Lyceum
of Natural Sciences, served to some extent to prepare the way
for the present Society of Natural Sciences. It is true these
associations had separate origins, but the first-named being
merged into the other, their small collection became the nucleus
of its well-arranged and important museum. Mr. Haskins was
made an honorary member of the Society of Natural Sciences,
and never omitted to do what was in his power for its advance-
ment. He seldom if ever visited an interesting region without
bringingback some specimen for its shelves, and never ceased to
exercise a fostering care over it to the best of his ability. He
also contributed to enrich other kindred institutions with his
“treasure trove.” Agassiz’s museum, that of Yale, Salem, and
many others were severally indebted to his intelligent zeal, and
there is not a quarry within come-at-able distance that has not
been reisonant of his hammer. On trips for these purposes it was■ 282
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
an invaluable privilege to be his companion. All his angularity
seemed to be reserved for the polish of the city. In the country
or in the quarry he was uniformly gentle, amusing, instructive,
in short, delightful. As an amusement, he was fond of fishing.
But unless success crowned his efforts he was not always as patient
as an angler ought to be. We were one beautiful summer after-
noon out in the lake in a boat together, fishing for black bass.
I had a nice rod, reel and delicate snooded hooks; he was using
a hand-line, strong enough for whales, and hooks to match.
With this kind of gear he had been successful in olden times,
when the finny tribe were in their savage condition. He did not
realize that they had become educated in finesse by the wily arts
of the white man. After waiting a good while for a bite he
began to grow restless, and at last he growled out: “ What is the
good of that pole in this depth of water ? ” I told him I thought
I could fish better with it. Incredulous silence was his reply.
Soon, however, I had a bite and caught a fine fish; another and
another, and still another, followed in quick succession, while
not a nibble could be felt on his hook. To his everlasting credit
be it said that he made no effort to throw me overboard, but
only remarked as we were going home, “I believe there is
something in the pole after all.”
Thus have I, to the best of my ability, endeavored to trace,
as rapidly as possible, the outlines of the life of my friend till
the last two or three years of his life. These were mostly spent
in alternate sojourns among his children in Indiana or Missouri,
and with his family in Buffalo.
The last of his literary labors was a small pamphlet on Central
Heat—showing that the doctrine is not founded on such facts as
entitle it to be received in science. Indeed, he always advocated
the doctrine of a solid center of the earth. He also translated
several papers from the Comptes Rendus, for Sillimar? s Journal.
One was by Poisson, on the coal formation, and I remember
another by the same author where a mathematical line of
argument is used against the central heat.
Some men are so constituted that only abstractions interest
them. They use their money and talent in endeavoring to
comprehend causes, and discovering general laws. Others areROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
283
wholly practical, and comparing the former by themselves, they
pronounce them dreamers, drones of society, even while they
accumulate wealth by turning their thoughts to remunerative
account. It is not that the former despise wealth—far from it;
they are made painfully conscious at every step of their investi-
gations of its value, but they cannot love it for itself. They
cannot worship the golden calf. They look upon wealth as
seed to be sown broadcast, that from it may spring up and blossom
the hesperidean fruits of Art and Science, the ambrosia which shall
make man’s nature more and more divine. The pure scientist,
or the abstract benefactor, is too prone to judge harshly of his
brother who will not easily part with dross it has cost him so
much anxiety and labor to accumulate. There is a third class
that combines to some extent the elements of the other two.
These are the successful leaders of public enterprise; they mould
the hypermundane idea of the theoretical thinker into a form
which adapts it to worldly use, and their own success is a
guarantee to the worshipper of Mammon, that good use will be
made of the means which public opinion, or his own conscience,
compels him to disburse. Substantially Mr. Haskins belonged to
the first of these, and yet so desirous was he to benefit his kind
that he would have resented with indignation the slightest
intimation that he was a theorist. His was a singular mixture of
the elements of human nature, but honesty and benevolence were
the subsoil of all. He took too broad a view of the world, and
desired too much the good of all to attach himself strongly to in-
dividuals. It follows naturally that individuals- did not attach
themselves to him. It perhaps followed that he should often be
misunderstood and £ven hated. There is nothing new and strange
in this. He had labored to cultivate his mind, had led a pure life,
had labored honestly for public good, had been an important agent
in forming the manners of his adopted city and in making it
respected, had held important and self-sacrificing offices of public
trust and responsibility without compensation, followed an
honorable line of conduct through life, and he felt that he had
deserved respectful treatment from his fellow-citizens, a tribute
which he believed, had he been successful in accumulating wealth,
none would have denied him.284
ROSWELL WILLSON HASKINS.
In personal appearance Mr. Haskins was fine-looking. He
was above the medium height, strongly made and well pro-
portioned, with a slight inclination to corpulency. His head was
large and well-shaped. His hair was gray, worn rather long,
and brushed or rather pushed back from the face all around.
His eyes were brown and deeply set. Being near-sighted he
wore spectacles, always of silver and with a straight bar between
the glasses, on account of the flatness of the upper part of his
nose, which at its lower end was quite round and inclined to turn
up. His mouth was rather large and capable of great expression ;
especially was it sweet in its smile; the chin was rather square,
but well formed; the complexion fair, but browned with exposure
to the outer air. His habitual expression was thoughtful but
good-natured. He was through life a model of temperance in
everything. He never used intoxicating drinks, or tobacco ; was
regular in all his habits, punctual to meals, frugal without meanness.
With a good constitution it was to be expected that his health
should be uniformly good ; still he had his ailments, for which he
used homoeopathic remedies, having paid much attention to this
system, and being a full believer in its efficacy. He had had on one
or two previous occasions symptoms akin to those of the disease
of which he died (dry gangrene), which had yielded to treatment.
The time came at last when his spirit could no longer occupy its
tenement of earth, and after a short illness, being confined to bed
but a few days, on Saturday night, the 15th of January, 1870, he
calmly expired.
After a troubled and prolonged earthly probation, peculiar
in its trials, let us hope that his active, virtuous and benevolent
soul has found at last the only path that leads to true science, and
that along that path his free spirit may be guided by angelic
wisdom to the Throne of God !