12 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



a complete amateur printing office; and in the performance of private 

 theatricals through the winter months for a number of years, played upon 

 a regular stage with appropriate scenery and all of the accessories. He 

 supplied them with a well-equipped carpenter and machine shop, from 

 which were turned out rowing and sailing boats, canoes, and mechan- 

 ical work of various kinds. He was a firm believer in recreation, pro- 

 viding his children with a billiard table and various indoor games, as 

 well as riding horses and all kinds of outdoor paraphernalia so dear to 

 the hearts of boys. He guided them in their reading and studies, 

 often reading aloud to them with his rich, musical voice from the 

 works of the best writers, having an educating influence of the highest 

 value in the formative stage of his children's minds. Under the stim- 

 ulus of his character and example the children, while very young, 

 formed among themselves, and carried on for years, a society for his- 

 torical research and study where original papers were read each week, 

 theatrical, amusement, and stamp companies, besides conducting a 

 juvenile savings bank, a post-office, and other institutions. He lived 

 again in the life of each of his children, and was always interested in 

 and sympathetic with whatever interested them. 



But we are constantly reminded how temporal is everything in life. 

 At noon on June 3rd, 1887, the fell destroyer came in the shape of 

 fire and swept away the residence at " Woodlawn," the scene of so 

 many years of happiness. Mr. Putnam was the only member of the 

 family who reached the house before its total destruction. The home 

 of twenty-four years, with much of its accumulated treasures and 

 household gods, a large portion of his library, and all of his own and 

 his sons' literary work and manuscripts, were devoured by the flames 

 in an incredibly short time. The nervous shock was a terrible one to 

 him, and the blow was deeply felt, yet his buoyant tempeiament at 

 once made the best of the situation. Over the smoking ruins he began 

 to lay plans for a future home, and never showed the white flag of 

 discouragement. 



The family moved temporarily into a cottage on the grounds. Here, 

 six weeks later, on one of the hottest days ever experienced in this 

 climate, Mr. Putnam was suddenly stricken down by disease. At seven 

 o'clock in the morning of the second day afterwards, on July 19th, 

 1887, in the sixty-third year of his life, his soul passed peacefully into 

 the unknown realm the mysteries of which had always had for him an 

 absorbing though speculative interest, and the intense activities of his 

 life were ended. His widow, six sons and one daughter survived him, 



