SKETCH OF GENERAL ALBERT J. MYER. 411 



their own efforts, General Myer was a victim of overwork. His field 

 of labor was an ever-widening one, and his ambitious brain knew no 

 discretion in the matter of rest, but pushed him onward beyond his 

 powers of physical endurance. Once before, his ceaseless industry laid 

 him low at a time, too, by a curious yet characteristic chance, when 

 he was supposed to be recuperating his energies in a foreign trip. In 

 spite of this warning, which was certainly severe enough to be heeded, 

 he refused to leave Washington this summer, and obtain the relaxation 

 he so much needed, but kept at his post until he became so ill that he 

 could not sign his name. Then he was obliged to leave at a time 

 when, as it afterward proved, he had waited too long. He was brought 

 to Buffalo, but instead of going to his beautiful summer home at Lake 

 View, he took apartments in the Palace Hotel, Dr. Rochester, his 

 family physician, taking charge of his case. His trouble was a pain- 

 ful complication of heart and kidney troubles, and, his blood becoming 

 poisoned by the latter disease, he became delirious. In spite of the 

 careful treatment and perfect nursing which he received he sank slowly 

 and died, August 24th, at the early age of fifty-two, leaving a wife 

 and six children. 



" Although dying thus in the very height of his usefulness, and when 

 he could ill be spared from his great work, General Myer lived to see 

 his idea of an international signal-weather system in successful opera- 

 tion, and already sanctioned and supported by the leading nations of 

 the Northern Hemisphere. His great idea has passed its experimental 

 stage, and his friends have the satisfaction of knowing that competent 

 and enthusiastic men will carry it forward to its fullest fruition. His 

 legacy is a grand one, comprising an honest name, an heroic record, a 

 stainless reputation both as soldier and citizen, the honor of an unpat- 

 ented invention and application of telegraphy which materially helped 

 to save the Union, and the glory of having originated one of the grand- 

 est ideas of the century an idea the practical application of which has 

 already saved many lives, and which is destined when more perfectly 

 developed to work a revolution in the science of meteoroloffv, and to 

 banish, m part at least, that great cause of terrestrial waste meteoro- 

 logical uncertainty. 



" In appearance ' Old Probabilities ' was a fine-looking, soldierly 

 appearing man, with high forehead, firm mouth, and earnest, thought- 

 ful eyes. He wore a short-cropped, full beard, and an abundant head 

 of hair. His physiognomy indicated great decision of character and 

 executive ability, and these signals from Nature's code were fully con- 

 firmed in his character and life." 



We are indebted for the foregoing particulars of General Myer's 

 career to an admirable sketch in the Buffalo "Daily Courier" of 

 August 25th. 



