74 MADRONO [Vol. 1, 



were covered with snow, and he regretted that he was there early 

 in the season. 



Another botanist that I recall, with others, is Dr. Engelmann. 

 It seems to me that he was a model for the unprofessional botanist. 

 Dr. Engelmann was a physician in a very large and extensive prac- 

 tise. Yet he found time to take up several of the most difficult 

 families of plants and those which required the closest study, and 

 to make himself an undisputed authority with regard to them. His 

 work still remains, at least at the foundation of whatever is being 

 done with these plants at the present time. 



There were a great many others and I perhaps may mention just 

 one or two more. I should like to speak to you about Mr. Pringle, 

 who occupies as a collector as permanent a position as Dr. Gray 

 did as a systematic botanist. Mr. Pringle collected very extensively 

 in California and other parts of the United States; he then confined 

 his attention to the flora of Mexico and for twenty-five years spent 

 his summers collecting in different parts of that country, collecting 

 altogether in Mexico one-half million of plants. And when you 

 think of the amount of labor involved in that you will say that he 

 was persistent and — well, persistent I guess is about the best word — 

 that he was persistent. He made fifty sets of every plant and dis- 

 tributed them to the principal herbaria of the world. Now, a man 

 that will keep at that for twenty-five years certainly deserves the 

 name of a great collector. I shall tell you just a little about his 

 life and give certain incidents which illustrate the spirit of the 

 man, the persistence and determination of the man. Pringle was 

 born, I suppose that is the way they come, — he was born a real 

 true Presbyterian. When he came to the years of discretion he met 

 a young lady of Quaker faith and became a very strong Quaker 

 with all the peace loving propensities of Quakers and a disposition 

 which perhaps leads them into the most severe combats that any- 

 one can meet. They are bound to obtain peace under any condi- 

 tions. Unfortunately, soon after he became converted by this young 

 lady, it was time for the Civil War, and he was drafted for a soldier. 

 By the payment of three hundred dollars he could have remained 

 at home, but principle was too much for that and he refused to pay 

 this fee for a substitute. He was sent to the recruit camp, absolutely 

 refused to carry a gun and defied the United States and its power 

 and authority. All the gentle measures which military men are 

 accustomed to use in such cases they freely used. I think you would 

 be interested if you could read some extracts from his diary on that 

 account. It seems to me to carry you back about five hundred years 

 to things that occurred in England at that time. However, when 

 they found that they could do nothing else with Mr. Pringle they 

 decided to detail him as a nurse. That created a momentary hesi- 

 tation, but conscience was too strong and he determined that he 

 would not go to war even to that extent. He could not be made to 

 do anything so far away in spirit from the ways of peace. Well, how 



