918 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters . 
paying dearly for it—and finished a four years’ course in 
three, taking the degree of B. S. with honors ,in 1887. 
In the same year, he secured a position as teacher of German 
at the high school in West Bend, remaining there one year. 
He was then offered the position of teacher of science and Ger¬ 
man at the Byan high school, Appleton, which he accepted and 
held for three years. During this time, he was twice offered 
the principalship of the school, but not feeling that his ambi¬ 
tions lay in that direction, he declined. In 1892, he entered 
Harvard university to take a post-graduate course and do spe¬ 
cial work in botany, his chosen specialty. In the spring of the 
following year, he was taken seriously ill and was compelled to 
return to his home in Sauk City. Although he recovered dur¬ 
ing the summer, he did not resume his work at Harvard, for 
the circumstances at home in which his family lived made it 
necessary for him to be near them. In 1894, with his health 
only partially restored, he accepted the position of principal of 
the high school at Sauk City, continuing for two years, when 
broken health again compelled him to resign and seek other em¬ 
ployment. 
He had always regarded the farmers’ life as ideal, partly for 
its independence and self-sufficiency and partly for the leisure 
it afforded in which to pursue other lines of work. It was then 
the realization of a fond ambition when he purchased a small 
tract of land near his father’s, established bachelor’s quarters 
thereon, and began the scientific development of his agricultur¬ 
al venture. It was successful from every standpoint, and 
among other pleasures and advantages it gave him the oppor¬ 
tunity to pursue his literary aspirations, in which direction he 
had great ability. 
In August 1899', he was married to Miss Edith Silverfriend, 
a former fellow teacher of Appleton. Conditions were now all 
favorable for his happiness and welfare, and the influence of 
his life expanded in many new directions. But again the shad¬ 
ow of ill-health—his Nemesis—enveloped him. The effects 
of earlv privation, self-sacrifice and overwork had still to be 
reckoned with. They could not be overcome. On July 2, 
