Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the editors or of their staff. He dealt usually with some matter of local historical or scientific interest. His editorial experience trained his eye for what was timely and interesting and his articles were most acceptable and with few exceptions were widely quoted. He did not "harp" on the Historical Department. If he mentioned his work it was in such a way as to arouse interest in his collections and a desire to see their usefulness enlarged. Few men of note in the State were doing good work or passed from the stage of action but Mr. Aldrich would commemorate their work with an interview full of interesting recollections. His practice of anonymous writing was due alike to design and modesty. He knew that editors liked to get his articles for they enhanced the attractiveness of their pages and he thereby increased their personal interest in his own particular work and further he knew that too much publicity that smacks of self-exploitation is detrimental. Moreover, he had pleasure in watching the effect of his stray darts shot thus silently into the air. In his immediate dealings with men, Mr. Aldrich was an interesting complex of affability and force, reserve and timidity. He was gracious with strangers visiting the Department and genial and confiding with his friends. He was generous to a fault with his time with youth, curious about his treasures, pouring out interesting anecdotes and information that fascinated his young auditors.

He never cajoled people but he sometimes captured them by a vehement onslaught that took them off their feet. One day a stranger came into his office and asked as to the value of an Indian ax he had in possession. It attracted Mr. Aldrich who at once turned his batteries on the owner. "Why don't you donate that ax to the Historical Department? This is the proper place for such relics." The man demurred. "But you ought to leave it here, Sir," rejoined the Curator and thereupon the visitor received a lecture upon the duty of a citizen to promote the general welfare. The difficulty of safe-keeping in private houses, the indifference and negligence of heirs and assigns and the greater usefulness of valuable mementos in a museum were energetically demonstrated.

With his body tingling with nervous force and his blue gray eye ablaze he wound up with a downright "You must leave. it here, Sir." The visitor's face was an interesting study. Surprise was in his countenance but no resentment and he seriously responded, "Well, perhaps it would be more sensible to do as you say." There was no arrogance nor impertinent presumption in Mr. Aldrich's manner. He was dead in earnest and he made you feel that he was acting from a sense of duty in the capacity of a public servant and not as a grasping selfish collector seeking personal aggrandizement.

One of the most conspicuous traits of Mr. Aldrich's many sided character was his intense love of old time friends, and those friends, who were legion, included birds and dumb creatures no less than men. His much quoted obituary notice of the death of his cat, his successful advocacy of a law for the protection of song birds, his delight in the songs and domestic debates and difficulties of the wrens that nested in the south front of his home at Boone bespoke a nature keenly sensitive to the beauties and finest melodies of nature. It was his greatest delight to commemorate his associates in editorial, legislative and political life. To give praise justly due, particularly to give a record to one whom oblivion seemed prone to obscure and especially to recover for a friend popular esteem of which calumny or misapprehension had deprived him was his supreme pleasure. As he would think of his articles or of those he had secured in which the good deeds and characters of Rev. John Johns and Thomas Drummond, of Governors Grimes and Carpenter were extolled, and the good names of Col. W. T. Shaw, General J. G. Lauman and General Geo. W. Jones were defended against unjust tricks of fate, his features would become luminous with pleasure.-F. I. H.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »