Humberside Collegiate Institute - Hermes Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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THE I-nzmmgfn Kms 5 The Sage of the Humber West of the river's winding way, By trailing paths if you should stray, Past shaggy brakes and bosky fells, The Hermit of the Humber dwells. ln the hollow of a small clearing, almost hidden from view in summer by protecting trees, bushes and wild clinging vines which elamber over it, a tiny red cabin modestly con- ceals itself from the searching eyes of the world. This is the home of the Hermit of the Humber, the illustrious Canadian naturalist, George Pearce, of whom we have heard so much yet know so little. Mr. Pearce is his genealogy that respects his ancestorsfl he said told me about his Both his father intensely proud of Give me the man fervently, as he own family tree. and mother were descendants of the wealthy English coal-baron, the Earl of Northumberland, and in ad- dition to this aristocratic connection with the Pierces of Northumber- land, his mother was the great granddaughter of Franklin Pearce, the fourteenth President of the United States, in whose house at Hillsbury, New Hampshire, George Pearce was born. The change in the name was made in accordance with a vow declared by the ancient Percies, that, should one of the fam- ily go into business, the name should he spelt Pearce. All this is inlin- itely remote, yet George Pearce still has one tie that binds in his family crest-the quarterly offering of the Northumberland arms, represented by a dove rising, wings extended. In Canada, Mr. Pearce, Senior, made his home at Trafalgar, and at the same time he was transferred from the Imperial Service to the Canadian Militia. George was sent to the Royal Military College at Kingston, where he endeavoured to live up to the high ideals of his hero -his father. Some years later, Mr. Pearce re- turned home to help his father in farm affairs, and while performing his duties there, he was possessed with a burning desire for nature study. This was no sudden out- break of longing, for all during his earlier years his interest in this subject had been intensely keen and had been encouraged by his mother who taught him how to preserve the skins of birds, of snakes, in fact of almost every animal. You know, Flo, it seems a funny thing to me now, but when l was only eight years old I had that pas- sionate longing to live outdoors and study nature, and my conception of a seventh heaven would rise before my eyes whenever my father used to say: 'Now, if you're really good, we'll take you to the museum at Torontof That was all l lived for. Finally the dream came true. On a cold Saturday morning in the mid-' dle of winter, l was dragged out of bed about three o'clock to find that l was going toiToronto. VVe set out in a box sleigh with the produce, c-abbages, carrots, potatoes in front, ourselves behind, protected from the intense cold by quantities of warm straw and heavy buffalo robes. Slippingi along in the face of the

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THE t'lElQlNfIl2f rising sun was to me like gliding into a land of hope and glory. W'hile at -the museum I went about as though under tfhe spell of a dream, careless of everything except that I was there feasting my eyes on the bird collection, entranced at the mere sight of those gorgeous dis- plays. Oh -Io! -it was wonderful. That visit was the beginning of my studies as a naturalist. Later, when I took trips to the United State and saw the superb museums in America, my ideals were shatter- ed by the contrast, and when I came home I pledged myself to make my museum worthy of its city, its prov- ince and its country. I think l have done that. There is no doubt of it. This was his life work, besides which he had to support his family. To accom- plish something worth while for Canada, Mr. Pearce entered the business of mercantile taxidermy. For twenty years in his store on Queen Street, he worked at his col- lections, living his life of service. .-Xs a result, in 1908, Mr. Pearce pre- sented to the Royal Ontario Mus- eum the only perfect collection in Canada of the birds of prey, eagles, falcons, hawks, which are the most difficult species to collect. His has not been a glamorous car- eer, but one of profound yet moving interest during which he toiled in poverty and grief. He is not sorry for it, only intensely proud, as I gathered when he shook his head .reliectively at me: O money, money, money! I'd rather have a name than all of it. They were busy but happy, profitable years de- voted to the work which the old seer loved best. He took a special pride in his window displays which were so unique and effective that people came from coast to coast to see them and him. Two of these exhibitions he remembered exceed- ingly well. 'fOne winter there was a splendid visitation of Arctic owls as white as the drifting snow. 1 managed to get some tine specimens, which for the next few weeks were all about my store. Looking at them one day, an idea struck me. I bor- rowed a black silk velvet pall from Bates and Dod-ds, the undertakers. and stretched it across the back of the window, finishing it off with black lace. Then I filled the win- dow full of white owls in every con-- ceivable position. NVell, jo, it was such a success that people actually stood outside and stared. Later on in the evening at my re- quest lie told me about the other window. It was a sea-shore scene. I had myself brought the sand and stones and shells, even sea-weed from the lake, and had strewn them over the window-tloor. At the back I set up a blue sky whichl had painted in pastels. On the improvised shore l put gannets of all sizes which made an effective sight with their black feet, red bills and pearl-grey bodies, while above in mid-air, I suspended Hying gulls and gannets on invisible ' I was very proud of my wires. work, for that same year the Duke of York, our present king, was visit- ing Canada, and when in Toronto, his cavalca-de went by my door. He turned and looked at my humble effort-yes, he turned and looked at lt The place on Queen Street was shut down eight years ago when Mr. Pearce set up on the Humber , 44 .