The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

( ANOTHER EXCERPT l FROM EGAN PAPERS Tho haberdashes lost a good tailor when the late Robert Douglas of Watt- Regan dim-mlod the threaded needle fur the pine needles. _ Their loss is our train, and we of the Middle West and especially those along this north shore should rejoice in the change, for to him we owe a debt of gratitude for the many interesting forms of evere Kreens he has introduced to our grounds. _ . Here is another interesting excerpt from the writings of the late W. C. Egan cf, Highland Park, the second of the series arranged for publication by Mr. Jesée L. Smith; it is entitled, "Robert Douglas, Father of Ever- greens: Born at Crateshead, England, in 1813, he came to America in 1836 working as a tailor in New England. In IM4 he started overland in a buggy for the great West. Reaching Chi- cage in June he found the population mainly a floating one owing to the swampy condition of the soil. Push. ing on for dry land his horse gave out at Waukegan where he settled and started a small nursery. 'His first venture was raising apple and pear seedlings, most of the sup- ply at that time being imported from Europe. as were all exotic species of evergreens. Open air raising of ever- green seedlings had proved a failure, ond our gardens had to depend upon seedlings collected in the woods for their supply of native forms. His ex- periments in this line gave free play to his genius and proved successful. Studying the conditions under which the forest seedlings thrived-partial overhead shade and an even condition as to moisture - he erected arbors cuvered with brush, under which he raised his seedlings. His successful methud is the first on record and is now the accepted way. Thursday, May l, 1930 Second of Series Is on "Robert Douglas, Father of Ever- greens"; Details He was an enthusiast in his chosen profession and loved his business. In order to obtain dependable seed he ex. plored the forests of the Far West and soon .gained the experience that the seed cf conifers gathered from trees on the Paeifie Coast did not prove hardy in the northern portion of the Middle West; while seeds from the same species from trees growing on the. cold and bleak promontories of the Rocky Mruntains were hardy. Thousands rf don-m were lost by him and others until he discovered this fact. As an indication nf the hardships he underwent in his search for seed and tho enthusiasm he displayed I will quote from a letter written in October, 1896: "My last experience was four years ago with the Weeping Spruce. t had written to collectors to get me the seeds at any cost. My son/who was there in California, tried every way to get some one to collect it, so I wired him in August, 1892. that I would come out and we would have it. A small group of these trees stands on the summit of the Siskiqou 11ty.tl2, take advantage of Dr. Warder's trains where they cross the Coast discovery that the Catalpa (C. speci- Range, and I thought' that trees on}osal of the west was a different spe- such an exposure would stand like vies from that found in the east, and those on the bleak promontories in was hardier and much better fitted Colorado. After leaving the railroad for a timber tree. He raised seedlings at the highest point we went 40 miles in great quantities and it is said that in a hired carriage, left it there and in Settt County, Kansas. alone over onnther day brought up to the three millions of his seedlings were summit of the peak of the Siskiyou planted. He has been called the apos- Mruntains on horseback, but such a tle of tree plantng in the west and day-how can I describe it? I was was a eo-worker with Parry, Engel- in ccstasies from the waist up, but in ejec's misery from my waist down. Sue noble grand trees, varying in species as we ascended, but when we reached the summit in the evening the fog was such as I had never ex- perienced. I have seen the heaviest London fogs and the heaviest fogs of the Red Woods on the coast, but I Mr. Douglas introduced to our gar- dens many of the Rocky Mountain evergreens, including the popular Col- orado Blue Spruce (Picel pungens) also disseminating the Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Douglasi). Many peo- ple presume that the tree was named after Robert Douglas, but they are mistaken. It was discovered by Men'- ‘zies in 1795 when accompanying Van- muver on his western journey. but it remained for David Douglas. a collec- tor for the Royal Horticultural Society of London, England, who landed on the banks of the Columbus River in April, 1826, to introduce it to the glrdens of England through seeds sent home. For this service it was named in his honor. never fog." I” N. Second Bt. Tel. B. P. 451 Robert Douglas was one of the tfrst CARPENTER AND BUILDER Screen- and Du, Rewind Sharpening Tool. Any Outs“. Work Highland Park, m, saw a fott like that Siskiyon A. MENONI THE HIGHLAND PARK HOSPITAL THE PRESS profited by the Highland Pork Hospital. community. It attracts the best of medical skill tn our guard over the eity's health. It serves all and helps all while standing Telephone Highland Purl: 2550 The Lawn Mower Shop LAWN MOWER SHARPENING 700 Central Ave. PHONE 3090 We Call for and Deliver ANY SIZE mann. and Sargenl, vlaltlnl the Rock- ie; in company with the latter. lie was so fond of trees that he wanhd everybody to Crow them and willingly gave them to any of MI fellow citllem who would plant them an area trues. He filled the sandy tlata bordering the lake near Waukegm with a var- ied assortment of evergreen: in order to tell their adaptability for the alt- uatlcn. and we of today reap the bene- m of this experiment Highland Park, Ill.