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Correspondence of Elizabeth Atwater and G. W.
Clinton |
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The Correspondence of Elizabeth Atwater (1812‑1878) and George William Clinton (1807‑1885) Edited by P. M. Eckel, P.O. Box 299, Missouri Botanical
Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166‑0299; email: mailto:patricia.eckel@mobot.org 1869 Vol.5 no. 205 [B 20] [Embossed "A"] Clifton House, Chicago Jan'y 6th, 1869 Hon. G. W. Clinton Dear Sir, Your favors of the [19th?] & 29th came duly to hand,
with the "few lines" enclosed ‑ for Miss Stevens ‑ for
which please accept my thanks. Miss M. Stevens, a Sister, will forward the
note today. It appears that the father of the Misses Stevens was an early
friend of your father [i.e. DeWitt Clinton]. His name Luther F. Stevens,
(Judge Stevens) a lawyer of Seneca Falls, N.Y. I will give you the address of Miss Stevens, so that
should you desire to correspond directly with her you can do so, and perhaps
may reap a rich reward for your Society in so doing. Dr. ... P. Stevens Care of Hon. John Dalla Costa Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela Brasilian Steamer ... St. Thomas South America The letters are all addressed to her brother, as .... You chide me for not furnishing the seed vessels of the Ranunculus
as well as the flower! The plants which I send you, from time to time, are
purely accidental ‑ that is, I avail myself of such as cross my path,
in whatever state I find them, ‑ perhaps never visit the same locality
twice. I do not profess to botanise scientifically, but
collect, in our parties of pleasure ‑ on travels ‑ wherever our
steps may tend. In this way, if I chance to coll. anything that pleases you,
I shall be most happy to forward it for your acceptance. I shall not hazard
many more, however, for I am certain I can send you nothing but what is
stale. My husband joins me in Congratulations on behalf of the
marriage of your daughter. Dr. Lapham writes me that if really a native of
Nantucket, the Erica‑cinerea, Linn. is a "decided acquisition."
He says the specimen I sent him is "the second one found on this
Continent ‑ the other being Calluna vulgaris, Linn. ‑ found in
Nova Scotia and Mass." I cannot say that another plant of the kind will ever be
found on Nantucket Island, but I declare that I found there this beautiful
variety growing most luxuriently. Believe me Sir very respectfully yours Elizabeth E. Atwater Recd Jan. 7 [In
Fernald's 1950 version of Gray's Manual of Botany, Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull
of "Peaty of damp sandy spots, always of small extent, very locally from
Newfoundland to Michigan, south to Nova Soctia, New England, New Jersey and
mountains of West Virginia" was "Originally introduced from Europe,
now naturalized." Erica cinerea L., the Scotch Heather, has an interesting
distribution: "Moors and open woods, local, Nantucket Island,
Massachusetts." It is "Introduced from Europe."] ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ Vol.5 no. 216 [B 12] Clifton House, Chicago Feby 9th 1869
Hon. G. W. Clinton, Dear Sir Your favor of the 5th came yesterday to hand. As you desire it, I will look up spms of the Dianthus
Armeria L. and forward to Mr. Peck, ‑ although not having acknowledged the
plant and accompanying note which I forwarded to his address last Autumn, I
feel a delicacy in intruding myself again upon his attention. I do not preserve many duplicates ‑ not having the
facilities for keeping them ‑ but would do so, with pleasure,
for any Society, where any specified plants were desired. Greenport, L. I. is in our yearly programme. Any plants
from that locality I will furnish the coming summer. This week I am particularly occupied. Next week I will
transmit the plants. Believe me Sir Very respectfully yours, Elisabeth E. Atwater Hon. G. W. Clinton Recd Feb. 11, wrote to Mr. Peck [Dianthus
Armeria, L. is the Deptford Pink of horticulture. In G. W. Clinton's
botanical journal for 1878, there is an entry (1866 crossed out?) entitled
'Plants new to the State" (of New York). Mrs. Atwater's Dianthus Armeria
from Greenport Long Island was included, then crossed out. Apparently other
collections preexisted Mrs. Atwater's specimen."] ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ Vol.6 no. 22 [L 196] Clifton House, Chicago April 5th, 1869 Hon. G. w. Clinton, Dear Sir, Through the kindness of Dr. Lapham's niece I have the
pleasure of sending the enclosed for your acceptance. A stereo‑view was
presented me ‑ whereupon I solicited a duplicate for yourself, which I
think you may value for its novelty, as also on account of your esteem for
the person so truthfully represented. ' Believe me, Sir, respectfully yours Elisabeth E. Atwater Recd Ap. 7 ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ Vol.6 no. 39 [L 179] Clifton House, April 29th, 1869 Hon. G. W. Clinton, Dear Sir, ' I take the liberty of enclosing to you two little plants
‑ Anemone patens (?). I wrote to a friend in Saint Paul desiring her to
forward a box of them to me by Express, which request she kindly complied
with. I had never seen this lovely little plant in its fresh state. Some of
them I placed in earth with reference to obtaining the leaves ‑ they seem
to be flourishing. The leaf enclosed was from a plant of last years growth. A friend who accompanied her husband to Muskegan Mich.
remembered me with the Epigaea repens; one or two plants I enclose ‑
not however, in the supposition that you are deficient in specimens. I am rejoicing in the recent acquisition of a plant
which I wrote to London for ‑ and have just received ‑ the tiny
fern Ophiglossum lusitanicum. It scarcely measures an inch in length ‑
frond, roots & all. It came from the Isle of Guernsey ‑ and is, as
you are aware, very rare. I regret I have not a duplicate in which you could
share. Your favor of the 16th is at hand. I regret to hear of
your lameness ‑ and trust it is not of so permanent a character as to
forbid your botanical excursions. I have been three months a prisoner. Kind
friends supply me with lovely boquets ‑ stemless ‑ adjusted on
broom corn! but these do not compensate for the confinement. Is the Platycerium (Stag Horn Fern) grown in
Conservatories in Buffalo? If not I will endeavor to procure a specimen for
you. Believe me Sir, Respectfully yours Elisabeth E. Atwater Recd May 1 & ansd ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ Vol.6 no. 48 [L 170] Clifton House, Chicago May 12th, 1869 Hon. G. W. Clinton, Dear Sir, My first drive in three months was to one of our
conservatories ‑ it occurred yesterday. I prevailed upon the florist to
grant me another Platycerium which I forward to you, by mail, today. Thinking
you might prefer to examine it in its fresh state, I send it without deention
[?] for pressing. I have not been unmindful of your delicate admonition
"I know it will embrace both sterile and fertile fronds." Most
gladly would I have confirmed your anticipations ‑ but were you
conversant with the plant in its fresh state you could hardly have expected
the sterile frond. It could not be removed without great detriment to the
plant, which, with us, is exceedingly rare ‑ in fact ‑ this is
the only plant to my knowledge in the city. I was specially favored with
fronds, on account, I imagine, of having deposited with the florist a
favorite [Noya?] a year ago ‑ which he still has charge of, at quite a
remunerative price. If you have a plate representing the Platycerium you will
appreciate more clearly than I can express to you, the unwillingness a
florist might feel in depriving his plant of this adjunct ‑ a small
portion of the sterile frond, in a decayed state, he added saying it might
afford some interest. My Anemones from Minnesota are growing luxuriently. Kind friends have brought me, from the country, several
varieties of Trilliums. I hope to be pronounced well enough to go in search
for them next week. Trusting this may find you in improved health, and with
Mr. Atwater's friendly salutations, Believe me, Sir, Very respectfully yours Elisabeth E. Atwater Recd May 13, ansd 17th [See
the posted list of specimens at BUF (Clinton Herbarium, Buffalo Museum of Science)
for data on the specimens corresponding with the content of these letters.] ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ Vol.6 no. 58 [L 158] Clifton House, Chicago May 29th, 1869 Hon. G. W. Clinton, Dear Sir, I take the liberty of sending you, by today's mail, a
specimen of the Viola (striata?) plucked on a little Island in the Des
Plaine's river at Lockport, Ill., about thirty five miles South west from
Chicago. It is not mentioned as rare ‑ but I have never seen it at the
west before. This was brought me by a Lockport friend, as I am not well
enough, yet, to cull flowers myself. I should like you to see a lovely "air plant"
which has been on exhibition several days in our city ‑ from one of the
Conservatories. The flowers growing in a cluster at the extremity of a long
stem are of a delicate straw‑color, dotted with purple. We hope you may find it expedient to carry your
contemplated visit to Chicago into execution, and that we may be at home to
welcome you. Believe me Sir Respectfully yours Elisabeth E. Atwater Recd June 14, ansd on [July?] 3 [Her
friend is more likely from Lockport, Illinois, near the Des Plaines River
just north of Joliet, rather than the Lockport on the Erie Canal in Niagara County,
New York State.] ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ [The
following is a note to Clinton from Elizabeth's husband, Samuel T. Atwaters: Vol.6
no. 126 [L 87] Chicago Decr 29th 1869 Hon. G. W. Clinton Dear
Sir My
wife commands and I obey in this instance most cheerfully. She bids me thank
you, which she cannot do with her own hand for your pleasant note of to day
and reciprocates wishes for your health & happiness the coming new year.
She encloses for your acceptance a rare little foreign plant, also a specimen
of Yarrow which she found at Trenton Falls, N.Y. Aust. 27 past. She is
suffering from a dangerous attack of congestion of the heart, confined to her
bed for more than two weeks, otherwise would address
you herself Truly
Your Friend Sam.
T. Atwater Recd
Dec. 31] |
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