STATE HORTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 415 



a claim upon which are now located some of the most valuable im- 

 provements in the city — notably the West Hotel, There were not a 

 dozen actual settlers west of the river at the Falls of St. Anthony, 

 now nearly forty years ago, when Mr. Hoag arrived here with his 

 family, and within a few weeks of his advent here he had the distin- 

 guished honor of standing god-lather for the new frontier settlement. 

 Having been a school teacher in the East, he conceived the idea of 

 combining in the name of the new settlement a word from the an- 

 cient Greek and one from the Indian tongue, hence the name, Minne- 

 apolis (water city, literalbO- There are one or two old settlers still 

 living who were present as the little company of residents gathered 

 at the christening, A multitude of names of the Smith ville, Browns- 

 town, Jonesburg order were suggested, when a ballot was ordered and 

 taken, after an eloquent appeal by Mr. Hoag, ably seconded by Col. 

 John H. Stevens, and the name Minneapolis was chosen on the first 

 ballot. 



" Mr. Hoag was noted far and wide for the pioneer virtues of gen- 

 erosity, hospitality and benevolence. His hearth and home were al- 

 ways open to his old friends and associates; and the hearty tones of 

 his welcome will linger long in the memory of his intimates." 



ILLUSTRIOUS DEAD OF 1887. 



Outside of the circle of our own State and Society, the death rate 

 of men, who have had much to do with the advance of horticulture, 

 during the last half century in Europe and America, has been more 

 than usually great. It admonishes us, that we too who have borne the 

 heat and burden as pioneers in our own Society, will ere long receive 

 a summons to come up higher and join that larger society, that meets 

 " over the river," It is also a source of sincere gratitude, that a kind 

 providence has spared so many of them, to ripe old age, to see the 

 fruits of their labors. We can here only mention the names of a few, 

 who are most widely known, 



Mahler Moon, the well known nurseryman of Morrisville, Berks 

 county. Pa., died on the twenty-fourth of January, in his seventy, 

 third year. He was a genuine lover of flowers, and a nurseryman 

 noted for his strict integrity. 



Henry Ward Beecher died March 8th, in his seventy-fourth year^ 

 Though not a professional. horticulturist, he was an earnest devotee of 

 the art, and had much to do with the increase of horticultural taste, 

 during the last fiftv years, and thousands have been brought, through 



