E. W. Binney. 449 



Mr. Binney was a remarkable man. He knew many people, but 

 visited few, but to these few he was very strongly attached, whilst 

 his tenacity of purpose prevented him from having sympathies 

 with many, and caused him to put many people in an attitude of 

 opposition without making them enemies. In science he read 

 very widely, but never wrote on anything outside the first field of 

 his geological interest. 



He had a peculiar horror, even loathing, for men who made a 

 display, and, although a rich man, he lived in great simplicity. 

 He admired great men it is true, but his chief love was for the 

 poor man who gained knowledge, although finding it difficult to 

 gain bread. Thus he took up the case of Samuel Bamford, the 

 author of 'The Life of a Radical,' and did not cease till he 

 induced the Government to grant him a sum from the Civil List. 

 A similar kindly feeling prompted him to great attention to the 

 botanist, the author df ' The Flora of Manchester,' a remarkable 

 man, who was known to Mr. Binney only when age had over- 

 taken him. For many years Mr. Buxton sat for hours daily in 

 the office reading. He was a shoemaker, and a poor man, and 

 had never made above ten shillings a week all his life, and he 

 lived of course in a poor street. It was remarkable, however, how 

 fine his taste was, and how well informed he was found on all 

 subjects, an educated gentleman, timid and shy as a child. Mr. 

 Binney helped him to have his book published, and to obtain for 

 it a fair sale. The delicacy of his treatment of this man was 

 remarkable when men of great importance in the eyes of society 

 were sent away with a growl. 



His pleasure in promoting and attending meetings of the 

 scientific working-men was great. 



It has already been mentioned, when speaking of Mr. Sturgeon, 

 that the small annuity obtained was owing to the persistency of 

 Mr. Binney. 



Still a purely benevolent life would have been most distaste- 

 ful to Mr. Binney ; he was a man of business and a geologist. 

 Geology had at an early period put out of his mind much of his 

 knowledge of other sciences, and his attention to the many affairs 

 on hand very much in later years interfered with his geology. He 

 has left a fine collection of geological specimens, and a fortune 



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