AUDUBON'S FAMILY IN AMERICA 299 



projected for ten monthly numbers, but this never ad- 

 vanced beyond the first part. 12 



If not a "business man" by instinct or training, John 

 Audubon in emergencies could turn his hand to many 

 things. For a time he superintended the building of 

 houses, including his own and Victor's, which were com- 

 pleted in 1853, as well as another that was built on the 

 Audubon estate for Mr. Hall, a brother-in-law ; he also 

 took charge of lighting the streets, and at another time 

 was superintendent of a quarry in Vermont. "He was 

 a bluff, gruff, but friendly man," writes George Bird 

 Grinnell, 13 and was always willing to talk about birds, 

 mammals, or, indeed, any natural history object, to any 

 boy who asked him questions." On the other hand, an 

 ardent sportsman, who had lived with the family for 

 years, 14 has described him as a lovable companion, 

 "genial in speech, full of anecdote, and a capital conver- 

 sationalist ... ; in person of more than median height, 

 and of commanding appearance, his face told plainly of 

 the humanity of the man ; he was as tender-hearted as a 

 girl, and his expressive voice could command any key of 

 which the vocal organs were capable; to the last he re- 

 tained the Southern habit of softly clipping the ends of 

 words." 



John Woodhouse Audubon will be remembered 

 chiefly as his father's aid and companion, although in 

 his Western Journal,, 15 written in his thirty-eighth year 

 but not published until forty-two years after his death, 

 he has left a record of which anyone could be rightfully 

 proud. 



Mrs. John James Audubon was very active in body 



12 See Bibliography, Nos. 174 and 219. 



13 See Bibliography, No. 54. 



14 Jacob Pentz (Bibl. No. 81), loc. cit. 



15 See Bibliography, No. 219. 



