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strength was barely enough to sustain existence. From 1870 to 1874 he taught 

 the languages, botany, and geology in the high school of Kankakee, Illinois. 

 While he was still lame he went to Minnesota for a few months, broken in health, 

 but unshaken in purpose. Again his wife's help saved the day for his botanical 

 studies. She gathered the plants that he had not the strength to hunt, while 

 he wrote out their descriptions, there being no books at hand by which to identify 

 them. In every way, as she did throughout the years that followed, she gave 

 richly of her strength and encouragement that he might succeed. 



Though it was years before he fully regained his health he was never troubled 

 with another attack of lameness. By the exercise of the utmost care he slowly 

 regained strength. He moved to Chicago in 1874. From this date to 1888 he 

 taught physics and the natural sciences in the high school at Englewood, now a 

 part of the great city. On holidays in the spring and fall he still further built 

 up his strength and added to his knowledge of his favorite subject by making 

 botanical excursions to the country within reach The summer vacations he 

 spent, when he could, in extended trips to places farther away, chiefly to the 

 regions bordering on the Great Lakes. 



In 1888 he abandoned teaching as a profession. Having inherited some 

 property from his father he was able, by careful management, to spend most of 

 his time in the intensive study of his chosen science. Until three or four years 

 ago he continued to make short trips to gather specimens and study the condi- 

 tions of the plants in which he was most interested. It was a sad day for him 

 when he discovered that his expeditions must be given up. His work in his own 

 study, however, he never abandoned. Even so late as the fall of 19 16 he pre- 

 pared an article for the press. 



A severe attack of pneumonia in the spring of 1915, from which his indomit- 

 able will rescued him, left him weakened. After that he hardly left the house. 

 In fact, for more than a year previous to his death he did not stir abroad. The 

 last year he had not the strength to go down stairs. Yet daily he was dressed 

 and sat in his easy chair beside his writing table. He kept track of world events 

 to the last. His mind remained as clear as it had been in his youth, as firmly 

 in command of its great store of knowledge. Death came to him gently on 

 January 22, 1917. 



It does not often happen in these days that a scientist is also a man of wide 

 learning in the humanities. Ellsworth Jerome Hill was one of these few men. 

 He maintained to the end his hold on Hebrew and the Latin and Gieek classics. 

 He had a good knowledge of French and German Hterature as well as that of his 

 own tongue. He kept thoroughly posted on the political, religious, philosophical 

 and social movements of his time. And, naturally, he knew much of the other 

 sciences besides botany, in particular of geology, into which at one time he had 

 gone rather deeply. As he gave freely of his means to charity, so he gave gen- 

 erously of his knowledge to the many that came to him for help. 



University of Nevada, 

 Reno, Nevada 



