640 MEMORIAL OF DR. JOSEPH M. TONER. 



acter, habits, social and domestic relations, etc., Dr. Toner edited and 

 published no less than five of Washington's original journals and other 

 writings. These include Washington's "Rules of civility and decent 

 behavior in company and conversation" (1888); "Journal of George 

 Washington's journey over the mountains, beyond the Blue Ridge, in 

 1847-48" (1892); "The daily journal of Maj. George Washington on a 

 tour from Virginia to the island of Barbadoes in 1751-2" (1892); "Journal 

 of Col. George Washington, across the Alleghany Mountains in 1754" 

 (1893), and "Diary of Colonel Washington for August, September, and 

 October, 1774 " (1893). All of these were accompanied by copious notes 

 elucidating the text, describing the topography of the regions traversed 

 by Washington in his various expeditions, identifying the various per- 

 sons referred to in the narrative, and supplying references to books and 

 authorities bearing upon any of the incidents involved. In some cases 

 these notes far exceed the text in volume, and they are invaluable aids 

 to the historical inquirer. In the case of the Barbadoes journal, Dr. 

 Toner went through all the literature to be found relating to that island, 

 giving lists of the settlers and describing the persons and places visited 

 by the youthful Washington (then 20 years of age) so far as possible. 



We may now consider the subject of our sketch as a collector of 

 books and of historical material. The passion of collecting, so common 

 among men of literary tastes and habits of research, but which is so 

 seldom carried to the utilization of their stores by the collectors, was, 

 in the case of Dr. Toner, very early developed after he came to Wash- 

 ington. He was for forty years a familiar figure in nearly all the book- 

 stores, book auctions, and junk shops of this and of some other cities, 

 and though reputed a close buyer, he expended largely in amassing 

 medical, historical, and biographical literature. While his specialty 

 at first was medical science, it soon became enlarged to embrace local 

 history in general and what related to the city of Washington and the 

 District of Columbia in particular. He came to be well known as an 

 authority widely consulted upon matters relating to the national capital. 



The writer well remembers the zeal and eagerness of the Doctor, on 

 our first acquaintance in 1862, to avail himself of whatever his friend 

 could contribute to his information respecting the authors, editions, and 

 prices of books. From that time on, the ample mansion on Louisiana 

 avenue was the constant recipient of ever fresh stores of books, pamph- 

 lets, and periodicals. In the pursuit of his special object, the biography 

 of early American physicians up to the Revolution, he was gradually 

 led to amass material which ultimately developed into a far wider field, 

 namely, first, the personal history of all American physicians, and, 

 secondly, the biography of all Americans inclusively. He carried out 

 the idea of collecting these materials to a much farther point than is 

 customary even among the most assiduous collectors. His aim included 

 the exploiting of a neglected field. Leaving to larger library collections 

 and to fuller purses the amassing of a great library of biographies, he 



