Nat the Navigator. A Life of Nathaniel Bowditch. For Young Persons

by Henry I. Bowditch

A RIDICULOUS JUDGE.

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

Amid all these various engagements, he was full of sympathy for others. Wherever he saw he could aid with his counsel, he did so; and many widows and orphans have felt the influence of his charity. This charity showed itself chiefly in a desire to improve others. There was scarcely one of those connected with him in friendship upon whom he did not devote some time for their instruction. To one young lady he taught French, and another studied Italian with him. If a young man needed funds, he knew upon whom he could call with a certainty of substantial aid, even if he had no money of his own to give away, for throughout life it was one of the remarkable attributes of Mr. Bowditch’s character, that he could persuade many to open their hearts to the poor, who, upon other occasions, were deaf to the common feelings of humanity. For one young person of this kind Mr. Bowditch obtained a subscription sufficient to enable him to continue at the university, whereas his young friend would have been unable to do so without assistance. He was always so zealous in these undertakings, that one scarcely felt under any obligations to him. It was his delight to help, and every one saw that his heart was engaged in the cause. His zeal for humanity was at times immoderate, and the following laughable law case occurred in consequence of it. One day he was informed that a little girl, who lived with him, had been run over by some careless driver; and a crowd, which he could perceive at a little distance from him, was a collection of individuals drawn together on her account. He immediately ran forward, and getting to the outside of the circle, began very energetically to make his way into it. In doing so, he pulled one of the bystanders so forcibly, that the individual, as it will appear in the sequel, was offended. Arriving, however, by dint of hard pushing, at the object of his search, he took his little domestic with him, and led her safely home. On the next day he was much surprised at receiving a summons from a justice of the peace, to appear before him, to answer to the charge of assault and battery upon the individual above mentioned. He answered the call and paid his fine of a few dollars; but the judge, who had been notorious for always making both parties suffer, when it was possible for himself to gain thereby, said, on receiving the fine, “But you say that Mr. —— pushed you, after you had pulled him.” “I did, sir.” “Very well; then, if you wish to complain of him, I will fine him likewise.” The ludicrous nature of the whole action struck Mr. Bowditch so forcibly that he was not unwilling to increase the folly of it. The plaintiff was then fined, and the affair was ended. It is but right to say, that the judge was considered, previously to this, one entirely unfit for the office. Probably no other would have issued a summons on such an occasion, and the plaintiff was not unjustly punished for having called upon such a person to aid him in prosecuting an individual who, in exerting himself to help another, had slightly disarranged the dress of a bystander.

Mr. Bowditch’s desire to aid the unfortunate was exhibited on another occasion, when a poor, overladen horse was the object of his commiseration. A truckman had been violently beating the animal, in order to induce him to pull along a very heavy load, which was too large for his strength. Mr. Bowditch had watched the driver for some time, and at length he stepped earnestly forward, and in abrupt and decided tones ordered him to desist. The truckman was much superior to Mr. Bowditch in personal strength, and was, at first, disposed to ridicule the attempt of his inferior to restrain him. Full of indignation, Mr. Bowditch cried out, “If you dare touch that horse again, and if you do not immediately go and get another to assist him, I will appeal to the law, and you will see which of us two will conquer.” The man yielded, and Mr. Bowditch went home.

MARINE SOCIETY.

The public institutions of the town felt his influence. The East India Marine Society, of which I have already spoken, improved very much under his auspices as president. It had fallen considerably during high political times, and, when he was chosen chief officer, he instilled such zeal among the younger members of it, and obtained so many new members, that it revived; and soon after his removal to Boston, the splendid hall was erected, containing the most remarkable collection of East India curiosities, of which I spoke in Chapter VI.

SALEM LIBRARIES.

In the libraries he had always felt very much interest. You already know what reason he had for being devoted to the Philosophical Library, for from it he drew most of his knowledge of science. But there was another, which had been in existence much longer than this, called the Social Library. The books contained in these two collections were almost wholly distinct in their characters. In one only works of science were to be found, while the other was chiefly devoted to literature. Mr. Bowditch saw that both of them united would be of great service to the community, for it would not merely combine the books, but the energies of the proprietors. Consequently it appears that he, with another of the Philosophical Library proprietors, was chosen a committee for the purpose of providing for a union. This was happily effected (1810), and the Salem Athenæum arose from the combination. The rooms over his office were chosen as the place for their deposit, and for many years he was one of the most active of the trustees.

There was another institution with which he was intimately connected during the whole of the time he lived in Salem. I allude to the church in which his early friend, Rev. Dr. Prince, officiated. He was one of the committee of the parish, and, though never a member of the church strictly so called, he was a constant attendant upon the services, and had great influence in keeping up the harmony and supporting the true interests of the congregation.