Text Online
From:
Alfred Russel Wallace
To:
Isabella Beecher Hooker
Date:
[1887]
Source of text:
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center: Joseph K. Hooker Collection
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Showing 1–20 of 91 items
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Arrival from Boston on December 31st in a snowstorm, stayed with Mr Riley the entomologist until a suitable room available, will stay at the Hamilton for next two or three months; instructions re. ARW's pension; Williams now has applications for many ARW lectures; meeting with Prof Coues; accounts from MacMillan can be signed by Annie.
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Detailed description of a séance in Boston at which spirits including those of an American Indian and a baby apparently materialised; another séance at which spirits of ARW's Australian cousin Algernon Wilson and a woman who had met ARW at Kate Cook's apparently materialised; floral decorations at a dinner in Boston hosted by John M Forbes with guests including Asa Gray, O W Holmes and James Russell Lowell, sending Violet a menu; sending a poem suitable for reciting cut from a magazine; beauty of the city of Washington; lack of lecture engagements, may go to Canada; letter to be forwarded to Violet's aunt Fanny (Sims).
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Newspaper reports of snow in England; snow in Washington, sleighs on the streets; stone artefacts from grave mounds displayed in American museums (ink sketch of five of these on p. 2 of letter); museum's orang-utan display; encloses some amusing cuttings (not present) from American papers; urges William to apply himself to carpentry lessons at school. "William Greenell Wallace" is written on the back of the letter in ARW's hand.
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Her letter about snow in England and damage to garden; Hampden (John Hampden of the Flat Earth Society) not a threat as few American papers would print anything by him; flattery becoming "quite painful", quotes remarks by dinner host, Mr Nordhoff, Washington representative of New York Herald, describes dinner in detail including settings (guests names in gold on rose leaves), dining etiquette; J A Allen, father of Grant Allen staying nearby with his family; magnificence of Washington, street layout and houses; details of city's tram system; approval of American methods of warming houses and trains; superiority of American railway system; details of hotel room including heater and gas lamp; amazing experiences of spiritualist General Lippitt, materialisations and slate-writing; séances attended; visit to millionaire spiritualist Senator Stanford and his wife, Stanford to spend 20 million dollars to found a university in memory of his son; sending press cuttings on weather and on Garibaldi; no lectures recently but two arranged in Canada in March; has sent an article to Harris and written reviews for some American papers.
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Enclosing press cuttings (not present) apparently reporting a social occasion hosted by spiritualist Mrs Hooker, sister of Henry Ward Beecher and Mrs Beecher Stowe, at which ARW was introduced to about 50 people; lectures to local Anthropological societies; lack of paying lectures, if none booked in California will not be able to afford to go there as fare is £50; only two forthcoming engagements in Canada; spending time visiting Museums and libraries and writing for American newspapers and for Harris; expense of hotel; changeable weather; detailed description of the "most beautiful" Capitol building and comparison with British House of Commons; instructions to send letters via agent Williams; hopes Violet is reading and studying well.
Walk in the woods with botanist professor Ward, sending a collection of plants including ferns packed in moss in a biscuit tin, instructions for potting, Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) and Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) to be given to Miss Jekyll and a sedge, Carex platyphylla, to Annie's father William Mitten, plants listed by botanical and common names; description of trees and other plants seen; curious appearance of fields without hedgerows; Paulownia imperialis, a tree with flowers like fox-gloves, grows to great height in Washington gardens; would like to stay and see woods in summer if finances permitted but there seems to be no demand for scientific lectures as too many scientists on the circuit; hopes Annie has succeeded in letting house or getting a boarder.
Informing ARW of his election as an honorary member of The Anthropological Society of Washington.