|
Correspondence of Asa Gray and G. W. Clinton |
|
The
Correspondence of Asa
Gray (1810-1888) and George
William Clinton (1807‑1885) 1873 Vol. 9 (70) [C
161] [on blue lined
paper] Cambridge 9th
Jan. 1873 Hon. G. W.
Clinton Dear Sir Sorry the
Hepatics bother you. I feared it might be so but I don't know how I could
avoid it without turning myself hepaticologist and I am too old for that now. I distributed
them according to my judgement: copying the tickets as returned by Gottsche
who seems to have left the separate parcels just as I dried them & mostly
in the same papers. It is clear that he often found in the same little
parcels one, two, three or more species and often belonging to two or more
genera. I had no time to study them over if I had the requisite knowledge. So
you may find in the specimens apparently containing two or more species no
more than one nor would it be at all surprising if you could not find even one
of them but something quite different that had been overlooked by Gottsche. I
hope however that there will not be many cases where you will not find the
leading species. I don't think
that I am competent to find, in the overplus, any species which you
may look for, in vain, where they ought to be; even if they are there, which I think doubtful. Dr. C. M.
Gottsche, of Altona is the describer of my gatherings, as Sullivant calls him
"He‑pat‑i‑co‑lo‑go‑rum facile
princeps". Thanks for your
kind wishes on the new year which are reciprocated by me. Hope the Fungi
Cubenses helped you to the names of the specimens. There is a lot more of
them yet undescribed ‑ many apparently new. Yours in good
health for an old fellow. Charles Wright Recd Jan. 12 Vol. 9 (82) [C 148] [Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. printed stationary] Jan 27, 1873 Dear Clinton This came to me yesterday. Dillingham & Co. when I saw them last said they would watch
their opportunity & resupply the paper. By this, I suppose it is done. If
so, & satisfactory, you can send your draft, to address of bill,
or to me, if you prefer. If not all right, please let me
know. You may wonder you have not heard from Mrs. Gray or me. I was
taken with a wretched influenza & that not just after Christmas ‑
& am only now well again. Mrs. Gray broke down soon after and is still sick,
& needs much attention. My assistant has been away & I have had far
too much to do. Ever Your A. Gray Recd Jan. 29. Feb. 10 ‑ Sent him draft ‑ $30.90 Vol. 9 (90) [C 140] [Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. printed stationary] Feb. 12, 1873 Dear Clinton "All's well that ends well." I had promised, but forgotten, that I would go into Boston and see
the paper for your order, which Dillingham Co., had promised to have done a
the mill for you, as soon as the bill came. They had kept it waiting for me.
But I could not reach it. They say it is all right, exactly. So I paid by
your draft. And the paper goes to Academy of Sciences Buff. to‑day, or
tomorrow ‑ freight. I do hope all is right. Here is the bill receipted. I am well again. My dear wife is getting well, shortly. They have charged a pretty good price for the paper. but they have
lost it 3 times ‑ once by burning ‑ once by cutting wrong
& not sending, once by cutting too narrow & sending to you. My wife sends her love. Ever Your A. Gray Recd Feb. 14 Vol. 9 (111) [C 119] [Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. printed stationary] March 15, 1873 My Dear Clinton Just back from New York ‑ on the sad errand ‑
paying the last tribute of affection to dear old Torrey. I return to find
your letter of 13th. Why did you not write before. I have looked up the Genus paper ‑ find that the man had not
given, as he said, the order to send it on, & there, in the warehouse it
lay the while. I have seen it ‑ tore off a bit, which I send ‑
and the paper is now ordered to go by Express ‑ to the Acad. Nat.
Sciences, Buffalo. It is firm & hard Manilla stock, you see ‑ all
it wanted was stronger calendering. Ever Your A. Gray Recd. March 18 John Torrey had
died March 10 (1796-1873). Vol. 9 (140) [C 90] Cambridge April
25th, 1873 Hon G. W. Clinton Dear Sir A bundle was
dispatched to you today. One parcel of the contents is a package of Fungi
gathered by me in Connecticut mostly ‑ a few here & perhaps some
elsewhere. I have presumed that you & Prof. Peck would be willing
if not glad to examine & determine them. I would propose
that you return to the herbarium here a specimen of such as are numerous enough
to be divided and you are welcome to my interest in the remainder. If they
should prove of any interest it may stimulate me to renewed exertions. I like
to potter with such things in leisure hours ‑ if I ever have any. Yours truly Charles Wright Recd. April. 27 Vol. 9 (141) [C89] [Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. printed stationary] April 26, 1873 My Dear Clinton Just back from Washington &c. I looked into the now desolate
Herbarium at Col. College [Columbia College] Alas! Well, to‑day I send
you a big square package ‑ that will keep you busy, & occupy your
attention for a little while. Do you want some nice Mexican specimens. Say about 100
Phenogams partly named, & as many Ferns well named. (Eaton has the
latter in his hand ‑ printed list in press). But they will cost you $10 the 100. They cost us that ‑ &
he wants to get some of our money back. Gen. Pl. Vol. [?] Part I is on the
way from England for you. I shall not leave home now for a year at least.
Ever A. Gray Recd April 27 & ansd ditto The Columbia
College Herbarium was desolate without the presence of John Torrey. Vol. 9 (143) [Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. printed stationary] April 29, 1873 My Dear Clinton Pity I sent the big parcel quite so soon. For now I have the new 1/2
col. Gen. Pl. for you. Being for Buff. Nat. Hist. Socy. it did not pay duty. It costs you
$5.75. It will weigh about 2 lbs. cost 32 cents for mail ‑ or shall I
send by Express? Yours very truly A. Gray [Opened] 29 ‑ Well, I expect the sets of Mexican Ferns ‑
from Eaton, & will send to you along with a small set of Phenogams soon. A.G. Recd April 29,30 Vol. 9 (148) [C 82] May 2, 1873 Dear Clinton I send to‑day the Gen. Pl. by Express in parcel containing
mainly the Ghiesbreght Mex. Plants. 110 at $110 = $11.10 And Eaton will send you the nice Ferns. I am sad indeed at Sullivant's death. Ever Your Asa Gray Recd May 3 William
Starling Sullivant of Columbus Ohio:1803 - 1873. Vol. 9 (149) [C
81] New Haven. May 1,
1873 My dear Judge May you live many
years, & see the herbarium grow in size & usefulness beyond all your
hopes! The Selaginella I
should say was S. rupestris B.[beta] tripica ‑ but note that Milde,
being I suppose instigated by some evil power, made ten varieties of S.
rupestris, and if your time hangs heavy on your hands you may try to make out
which of the ten forms you may have. See Filices Europae et Atlantidis, p.
260‑263. Tomorrow I send
you a parcel containing by my assistant's numeration 89 specimens of Chiapas
Ferns, tho' not quite so many species. I will send printed list of names in
two or three days. For these ferns I exact $8.90 in U.S. currency. My wife &
daughter have gone to New York to do some shopping. My two boys are
up stairs ‑ fast asleep & they are remarkably fine little fellows
too, even if the witness is an interested party. My good Father,
the Commissary General, promises to visit me next week & I am happy. Heartily yours David C. Eaton Recd May 4 Vol. 9 (153) [C 77] [Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. printed stationary] May 6, 1873 Dear Clinton. Such a hurry as you are in ‑ always: the $11.10 [$1.10]
[re..ed] Here is your 32 cents back again which you expected me to use in
postage stamps & I did not. Ever Your A. Gray Recd May 8 Vol. 9 (155) C. [Cambridge] May 9, 1873 Dear Clinton I have named the plants in your parcel. Had I not best keep them
here till you send another batch ‑ as you are pretty sure to do, and
return all at once, to save Expressage? When you write to C. Wright ‑ at Wethersfield, bless him
for not having filled out the labelling of C. Americana to C[anatella ‑
as he ought. I mended many of his oversights, but did not notice all. Ever Your A. Gray Recd May 11 Vol. 9 (160) [C 69] [on a printed United Stated Postal Card from Cambridge, Mass.
postmark to Hon. G. W. Clinton, Buffalo, N.Y. with "13" overwritten
in blue] Keep apart the Mexicans sans genus. Some day I will give you
a list of the numbers of most of them with names. The Ferns from E.
[Eaton] you will have a printed list of now out. A. G. Recd May 19 Vol. 10 (49) [C 286] [printed Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass.] Nov. 5, 1873 My Dear old Clinton Your express parcel goes back to‑day. I gave 2 hours to it
yesterday ‑ enough to set you generally on the track. To have names all species, with my failing memory would have
required at least 2 days hard work. Mr. Watson & I are at work against time on Flora
of California which will enable Mrs. Atwater & all others to name her
plants, if she will study them. But when is it to be got out, if we stop to
name miscellaneous collections picked up on way to California & back. Now, you potter on with the clues I have given you ‑
or be content with genus ‑ till the Fl. Calif. comes out. Ever Your A. G. [no date of receipt by Clinton] Vol. 10 (70) [C 264] [printed Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass.] Nov. 28, 1873 My Dear Clinton I am now giving orders for a stock of genus covers ‑ for
various parties. The last I shall have to do with. As you see in Am.
Naturalist the Salem people will take an surplus ‑ to sell out in small
quantities ‑ of course at a good retail price. If you want to join in the order, please let me know at once how much. Or, will the last lot carry you through. I am trying to concentrate myself, but it is very difficult
to get clear of the 10,000 demands on me. Ever Your affectionate A. Gray [Recd Dec. 1] |
|
|