BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 11 



into the open country beyond what is now Seventh Street, 

 would stop at the garden fence, admire the beautiful flowers, 

 and exchange pleasant words with the accomplished lady 

 who had brought the manners and tastes of Paris into the 

 wilds of western America. These were probably Mr. 

 Shaw's happiest years, to which he always looked back with 

 fullest appreciation of the blessings they bestowed upon 

 him. He had youth, health, friendship, agreeable associa- 

 tions and surroundings; everything except wealth — and 

 that was rapidly coming. Natural business ability of a high 

 order, united with strictest integrity, unrelenting energy, 

 rigid economy and close personal attention, were producing 

 their appropriate fruit. 



When the balance sheet for 1839 was struck it showed, 

 to the groat surprise of Mr. Shaw, a net gain for the year 

 of $25,000. He could not believe his own figures, and so 

 went over them again and again until he could no longer 

 doubt the fact. Telling the story many years afterward he 

 said it seemed to him then that " this was more money than 

 any man in my circumstances ought to make in a single 

 year," and he resolved then and there to go out of active 

 business at the first good opportunity. The opportunity 

 presented itself very early in the following year, and was 

 promptly improved by the sale of his entire stock of mer- 

 chandise. So at forty years of age — only the noon of 

 life — with all his physical and mental powers unimpaired 

 and vigorous, Henry Shaw was a free man — and the 

 possessor of $250,000 (equivalent to $1,000,000 in our day) 

 with which to enjoy that freedom. The practical philoso- 

 phy — usually called common sense, because perhaps it is 

 so very uncommon — .which was the ruling feature of his 

 character, was never more clearly and happily displayed 

 than in this retirement. To it he owed what has secured 

 him grateful and generous remembrance forever; to it we, 

 and those who will come after us, owe the rare and precious 

 gifts of perfected Nature whose ''infinite variety age cannot 

 wither nor custom stale." 



