One Small Voice ^^^^ ^^«^ M «m,.?h3 



The Strange Career of 

 Rafinesque C, Schmaltz 



By JOHN KIERAN 



In one of the sliding racks in the Rafinesque devoted his life to 

 Index Room of the New York Public science with great fury. He was born 

 Library at 42d st. and Fifth av. there of prosperous parents in a suburb 

 are 36 cards referring to books or of Constantinople — the Istanbul of 

 articles by or about Constantine today— in 1783 and by dint of deep 

 Samuel Rafinesque (Schmaltz), the ^+„j„ , •, . , „ • j 



eccentric scientist whose corpse/held f^^^^' ^^^^ ^^^^^1' enormous mdus- 

 for debt by a landlord, was stolen for try and mdomitable courage he died 

 burial by kind friends under cover a bankrupt in a Philadelphia attic 

 of darkness in Philadelphia about a in 1840. He pursued his scie- 'fie 

 century ago. Those who like fantas- studies in Europe and in this coun- 

 tic tales and strange characters ^ j^e wrote volumes in three 



should read up on Rafinesque. . .r, ,• , -r^ 



The name alone still baffles this Jt^Suages English French and 

 ready reader. The "Constantine Itahan He lectured fluently. He 

 Samuel Rafinesque" goes down easi- Pamted. He composed a long poem 

 ly but the "(Schmaltz)" that is added He gave judgment on rehgion and 

 to formal papers and some portraits Philosophy. 



is the mystery. Perhaps Donald Cul- , ^^ spent some years in this coun- 

 ross Peattie or some other registered Jf^ ,^"? then went to Sicily where 

 Rafinesque rooter will clear that ^^ lo^t what money he had accu- 



little matter up. V'Y}i^-^^ .""^ ^"^ ^S^^ II!"^-..?'' ''^'^^ 



Even so, there are some larger i?" him to run off with another man^ 



matters connected with the career of ^'^ .^on diea. His daughter married 



Rafinesque that may never be 5?,^^"^t ^^^ ^^^f^\^"^: ^Vi?^ ^""^ 

 cleared up. How close did he come ^^tmna manner he cut her off 

 to absolute genius? How far was he ^'jthout a shillmg m his will 

 f.^^^ >^or<+^oi iv,c-^v,u^r'> Tj,c «^/^«v, which was not such a blow to the 

 from partial insanity? His eccen- ^^^ighed daughter because his es-' 

 tricities fell m with John Dryden s ^^^^^ ^^^^^ the sale of all his books 



}.^^^' ., , ,,. , and scientic connections, came to 



Great wits are sure to madness near allied, Joe^Jf r^f <ti4 49 

 And thin partitions do their bounds divide, a aencil oi ;5)i'i.'±o. 



