2l6 



THE Gl IDE TO NATURE 



man) inefficient horticulturists, do nol 

 appn >\ e. Mr. Burbank may ha\ e 

 faults. Some men do have them, even 

 some greal men. But the fact remains 

 thai In.- has achieved results in "the 

 application of knowledge to the im- 

 provement of mankind," in horticul- 

 tural matters, greater by Far than those 

 of any other man. He unaided fought 

 the battle \\ ith p< i\ erty and with dis 

 couraging difficulties. He achieved 

 such success as no other man in horti- 

 cultural science had ever achieved. 

 Newspapers and magazines vied with 

 one another in their efforts to get facts 

 about him for publication. Hooks 

 came rapidly from the press. Visitors 

 thronged from all parts of the world, 

 glad even to look at Ids home and his 

 exoerimental grounds. 



Then for him came the unfortunate, 

 evil day. The Twelve Million Carne- 

 gie Institution, apparently thinking "to 

 capture him for science," and incident- 

 ally, perhaps, to buy another monu- 

 ment to itself, was skillful enough to 

 capture him for its protegee. Then 

 came jealousy and meanness without 

 end. To the Carnegie people their 

 monument evidently seemed not so tall 

 nor white nor well sculptured as they 

 had anticipated. They dropped it with 

 a brief, curt note into Mr. Burbank's 

 hands. The action brought glee to less 

 efficient horticulturists. They rubbed 

 their hands and patted one another on 

 the hack and said. "We did it by our 

 letters and resolutions." To Burbank, 

 the errand, kindly-hearted man, be- 

 loved by all who knew him and espe- 

 cially by the school children of Santa 

 Rosa, it brought worry, discomfort, 

 insult, distraction from his work. It 

 became the unhappiness of his life. And 

 win? Simply because the Institution 

 had changed its mind! Was it at first 

 in error? AYas Burbank any less a 

 man, because his jealous enemies were 

 besmirching him? When he most 

 needed encouragement the Institution 

 insulted him. Oh, shame, shame! that 

 wealth is willing to do this, and that 

 the public will permit such conduct! 

 Oh. unsneakable pity that Burbank 

 with all his greatness, yes, even all his 

 weakness that makes us love him the 



more, is going to his grave in sorrow, 

 ami without even the cold comfort of 

 knowing why he is ^,, reviled. From 

 extensive correspondence with Mr. 

 Burbank and President Woodward, I 

 quote this tender appeal and the iron- 

 hearted reply. 



From Luther Burbank (letter ol 

 June the t wenty-eighth ) : 



"'I would a-.k you plainly why do the 

 Carnegie people refuse to give the full 



facts, I DEMAND them I have 



never desired any publicity, and would 

 always have greatly preferred private 

 life except that it was necessary to 

 mention my new creations in order to 

 sell them to keep the work going ; but 

 I now desire publicity and lots of it, the 

 more the better. I wish this thing dug 

 to the very earth and the guilty parties 

 exhibited to the light." 



From President Woodward of the 

 Carnegie Institution (extended letter 

 of August the fourth, following several 

 others i : 



"I have already declined to state the 

 reasons for the action of our Board of 

 Trustees in reference to Mr. Burbank. 

 Out of consideration for him especially" 

 (Oh. mark well the kind "considera- 

 tion") "the history of our attemot to 

 cooperate with him in his work should 

 not be given to the public until after 

 his deth" (amended Carnegie soelling 

 and not a typographical error). 



And then in the same letter gratui- 

 tously to the writer: 



"You show plainly that having ac- 

 quainted yourself with only one side of 

 a question you are nevertheless cer- 

 tain that there is no other." (This 

 following reneated inquiries for inform- 

 ation). "If your mind is already 

 made up I shall not be disposed to pur- 

 sue the subject further." 



The "if" holds good ; my mind isn't 

 made no. The one thing that this 

 maeazine, Mr. Burbank, and thousands 

 of his friends want to know, is your 

 side of the matter, and we proclaim in 

 behalf of justice and decency that you 

 should not wait "until after his deth," 

 then to have friends lament and 

 enemies rejoice — and poor, dear Bur- 

 bank never know. 



