Table Of Content

THE CONCORD SAUNTERER -G§ggi$s fr-^g^ ^ £^^T7^ p^c^^ /^^^J. J& f s^ ^U^r *%**^ ^^>^ 7Z%f <nuL- /ZZ^-t-*^ New Series Volume 6 1998 Published Annually by The Thoreau Society THE CONCORD SAUNTERER (ISSN 1068-5359) Published Annually by The Thoreau Society Original Series, Volumes 1-20. 1966-1988 New Series Begun Fall 1993 Editor Ronald Wesley Hoag Advisory Editors Michael Berger Ronald A. Bosco Robert E. Burkholder Bradley P. Dean Wesley T. Mott Joel Myerson Patrick F.O'Connell Sandra H. Pertulionis William Rossi RichardJ. Schneider Nancy Craig Simmons Laura Dassow Walls Editorial Assistants W. Stacey Cochran Gerald Kavanagh Michele L. Ward The front-cover drawing ofThoreau's Walden Pond cabin accompanied the first printing of Walden in 1854. This drawing was based on an original executed by Henry's sister Sophia. The passage about sauntering is from Thoreau's "Walk- ing" manuscript, courtesy of the Concord Free Public Library. The likeness of Thoreau on the backcoveris froman 1856 Benjamin D. Maxham daguerreotype, owned by the Thoreau Society. THE CONCORD SAUNTERER, an annual publication ofThe Thoreau Society, seeks biographical, historical, textual, bibliographical, and interpretive articles relating to Henry Thoreau and his associates, Concord, and Transcendentalism. Submissions of all lengths are invited; shorter pieces not used will also be considered for the quarterly THOREAU SOCIETY BULLETIN. Contributions shouldconformtoThe ChicagoManualofStyleforendnotedocumentation. Send twocopiesplusSASEtotheEditor,THECONCORDSAUNTERER,Department ofEnglish, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353: e- mail [email protected]; phone (252) 328-6580. Decisions are reported within threemonths. SubscriptiontoTHECONCORDSAUNTERERisbymembership in the Society; see the back cover for additional information. THE CONCORD SAUNTERER is indexed in theMLA International Bibliography. : THE CONCORD SAUNTERER New Series Volume 6 1998 Editor's Pages andAnnouncement 1 Jason Taylor Foundationsfor the Castle: Building the Thoreau Institute 1 Eric Wilson Thoreau, Thales, and the Distribution ofWater 27 Richard S. Randolph Am "I ofFrench Extract" Thoreau's Sympathy with the French 47 Frans G. Bengtsson Henry David Thoreau translation by Thorsten and Rosemary Sjolin illustrations by Gunnar Brusewitz 65 Patrick Labriola Germany and theAmerican Transcendentalists: An Intellectual Bridge 99 Linda Keslar Thoreau as Leading Man: Bringing Him to the Screen 115 The Concord Saunterer Gordon V. Boudreau West by Southwest: Thoreau's Minnesota Journey 145 Joel Myerson Edward Waldo Emerson 's Recollections ofHis Father's Death 163 Victor Carl Friesen Thoreau andZane Grey 's The Vanishing American 169 Notes on Contributors 111 Presidents ofThe Thoreau Society 179 The lhoreau Society1' Foundedin 1941 Copyright 1998© by The Thoreau Society, Inc. Editor's Pages Nomorerequeststobepatientand"watchthis spot." Withpleasure and relief I begin th—is column with the announcement that the Thoreau Insti—tute Research Center consisting of the Henley Library and the Media Center is nowupandrunning. SincethegrandopeninglastJuneinaceremonyattendedby President and Mrs. Clinton, the Research Center staff and many others have worked diligently to make the holdings accessible to both on-site and on-line visitors. Whiletheexactingandexasperatingcataloguingwillcontinueforatime — to come, the Henley Library named to honor benefactor Don Henley for his broad-based, long-standing, and unflinching commitment to Thoreauvian educa- — tion and conservation has made the transition from edifice to institution. The library's core collections are those of (in alphabetical order) Raymond Adams, — Walter Harding, and Roland Robbins all on long-term loan from the Thoreau Society. Moreover, the Society's role in making this library a success does not end with a loan agreement; we are not passive partners in this crucial enterprise. This coming summer, in conjunction with the Society's annual meeting in Con- cord, an invited gathering of representative scholars will consider how best to dovetailtheresources ofthe librarywiththe needs ofthe academic communityin this country and around the world. Professional scholars, though, are definitely nottheonly anti—cipatedusers ofthelibraryholdings andfacilities. Students ofall levels and ages from elementary school through elder hostel, with or without — institutionalaffiliation aretheintendedbeneficiariesofthelibrary,andplansare ongoing forthe best ways to serve this largerconstituency. Already theThoreau Institute, now in its third year ofeducational activities, has integrated the library intoitsprograms involving students andteachers fromthe local areaandbeyond. FormoreinformationabouttheThoreauInstituteandtheResearchCenter, seethe article "Foundations for the Castle: Building the Thoreau Institute" in this Con- cord Saunterer. Compiler Jason Taylor, a dedicated Institute staffmember, has combinedtextandphotographs toportraythevisionary doings at44BakerFarm. And to arrange apersonal visitto the Institute, use the contact information in the adatthe end ofthis issue. A change intheThoreau Societymission statementapprovedinJanuary 1999bytheboardofdirectors(andrequiringratificationbysocietymembers)will accomplish the Thoreauvian goal ofmatching our words to our actions. It may alsosignalanenlargedrolefortheSocietyinanareawherethewordsanddeedsof — HenryThoreauhimselfhavebeenashapingforce theconservation/preservation movement. Specifically, the boardunanimously approvedthe addition of"advo- cating forthe preservation ofThoreau Country" as one ofthe ways in which we honor Henry Thoreau. (The other ways, already included in the mission state- s The Concord Saunterer ment,are"fosteringeducationaboutandstimulatinginterestinhislife,works,and philosophy; coordinatingresearchonhis life andwritings; and acting as areposi- tory for Thoreauviana and articles of memorabilia relevant to Thoreau and his times.") While the Society has along history ofinvolvement with Walden Pond conservation, in recent years we have also lobbied to preserve Walden Woods, Estabrook Woods, and the Thoreau birthplace farmstead (see the "Announce- ment" in this issue) and to close the Concord town dump. Two years ago we honoredthe State ofMaine andBaxterStateParkforpreservingMountKatahdin andasignificantportionofThoreau'sMaineWoods, andinFebruary of 1999 we strongly corrected a Maine Sunday Telegram column in which a politician de- clared that Thoreau actually favored widespread logging and development while scorning publically owned wild lands. A nonprofit organization by every fiscal standard, the Thoreau Society cannot champion causes with dollars we don't possess. We can, however, continue to offeras much verbal andmoral andother supportforThoreauCountry as wecanmuster, invokingthename andwords and legacy ofThoreau in matters where they apply andcount. In addition to the overview ofthe Thoreau Institute and its new library/ mediacenter,thisConcordSauntereroffersthoughtfulconsiderationsofThoreau' indebtedness to the Greek philosopher Thales; of his French connection and Francophilia; of the German influence on American Transcendentalism; of the philosophicalandtechnicalchallengeofwritingascreenplayonThoreau'slife;of his late-life trip to Minnesota's Indian country; and of a philosophical link betweenThoreauandanIndianbookbyZaneGrey. Alsoincludedareafirst-time translationofafamous Swedishauthor'sintroductionofThoreautohishomeland in 1924, andthefulltextofagrippingletteraboutthelastdaysanddeathofRalph WaldoEmerson, pennedby his sonEdward. All publications advertised in this issue, including the new titles in both the Thoreau Society's "Spirit of Thoreau Series" and its "Reprint Series," are available from our bookshop, The Shop at Walden Pond. Comments and ques- tionsaboutThe ConcordSaunterershouldbesentbymailore-mailtotheeditorat EastCarolinaUniversity (full address oninsideoffrontcover). Backissuesfrom 1993 (N.S. Vol. 1) on are available from the same source for $10.00 per copy ($8.00 each for multiple copies), domestic shipping included, foreign surcharge on request. Enjoy! RWH . Announcement The Thoreau Farm Trust, Inc. a nonprofit group formed to restore the home in which Henry David Thoreau was born DID YOU KNOW . . • ThattheTownofConcordsavedthetwenty-acreThoreauFarmfromdevelop- mentby buying itin 1997? • Thatthis purchasewas theculminationofacitizens campaign withcontribu- tions from many individuals and major funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, theTownofConcordandthe SeefurthFundoftheEducation Collaborative forGreaterBoston (EDCO)? That the campaign was supported by a wide spectrum of interest groups includingconservationists,agriculturalhistorians,corporations,educatorsand Thoreauvians? . 4 The Concord Saunterer • That EDCO will build a barnlike educational center behind the birth house whereprimaryandsecondarystudentscanlearnaboutThoreauandhisfriends? • ThatGainingGround,aConcordnonprofitorganization,hasleasedaboutnine acres tobe usedto teach children about agriculture andproduce food forthe poor? • That the Town's Natural Resources Commission will manage another nine acres forconservation? • Thatthe ThoreauFarmTrusthasbeenformedwithrepresentationfromall groups that care about the property, including the Thoreau Society, to raise funds torestore andoperate the birthhouse? • That the Thoreau Farm Trust was selected for inclusion in the 1998 Massachusetts Catalogue forPhilanthropy? • That there are many ways you canparticipate inthis memorial to Concord's famous son? HERE'S HOWYOU CAN HELP . . 1. Drop us a line and let us putyou onthe mailinglist; 2. Let us know ifyou have information about the house that we should be aware of; 3. Make afinancial contribution ofany size tohelp with the reconstruction; 4. Considerthe Trust inyour estate planning; 5. Tell us ofany foundations orothersources offundingthatmight beinterested; 6. Come see the house during the nextmeetingofthe Thoreau Society. Writeusc/oJosephC.Wheeler,President,TheThoreauFarmTrust, 129Westford Road, Concord, MA, 01742; e-mail [email protected]/fax at (978) 287-0938. Digitized by the Internet Archive 2013 in http://archive.org/details/concordsaunterer19986unse