284 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



3n Hfottumam 



Albert Ferris, Sound Beach, Conn. 



Died November 25th, 1914. Aged 

 sixty-three years. 



An appreciation with personal remi- 

 niscences. 



Mr. Ferris was a genuine naturalist, 

 though he would perhaps not admit the 

 application of that term to his liking 

 for Mother Nature, nor would his 

 friends feel that the term properly de- 

 scribes him. But that would be due 

 to a misunderstanding of the word, not 

 of the man. He was a thoroughly 

 good farmer, which expresses the same 

 thing in different form. He loved to 

 live near to nature, and rejoiced in her 

 products. He was especially fond of 

 oxen, cows, horses and other farm ani- 

 mals. He loved pets. He rejoiced in 

 the growing corn, hay and other farm 

 crops. He was one of the few in this 

 part of Connecticut that keep alive the 

 farming spirit of old-time New Eng- 



land. This he did chiefly for the love 

 of it. 



One day, some three years ago, he 

 was speaking of the obstacles in the 

 way of really good farming. A listener 

 remarked, "Why don't you sell your 

 farm? It would bring a good price as 

 a summer residence here in this ideal 

 combination of country and seashore. 

 The income from the investment 

 would be more, I should think, than 

 the profit of running the farm. You 

 could take life more easily." 



"But," he quickly replied, "that 

 would not give me the farm life. I 

 think I will stick to the old place — it 

 is as good for me as it is for anybody 

 else — so long as I live." And he did, 

 though many people have coveted his 

 home and the picturesque acres sur- 

 rounding it. 



Mr. Ferris was not only physically 

 but in his likes and dislikes a strong 

 man. He was kind-hearted and true. 

 He disliked shams. He possessed a 

 strong spirit of fairness, and an ability 

 to size up situations and people (as 

 he could farm live stock) at their real 

 value. 



From the first establishment of Arc- 

 AdiA in Sound Beach, he expressed a 

 kindly interest in the project in general 

 and especially in it as a Sound Beach 



-* **5fe : 



"HE WAS ESPECIALLY FOND OF OXEN.' 



