GEORGE MAYNARD, . * © LINGUIST, DEAD Aged Resident Authority, Also, on Other Subjects - Worcester has lost. a scholar and man of science. in George Maynard, whose funeral will take place this aft- ernoon from the Home for aged men, 1199 Main street. ; While practically unknown to thousands of people in Worcester to~ day, there was-a time when Mr. May- nard enjoyed a wide reputation, and was recognized aS am authority on botany and astronomy. Forty years ago he was widely known as a writer and lecturer. He could read in many languages, includ- ing Asiatic dialects, and taught ng- lish literature in a private school. He was born in Paxton, June 16, 1860, son of Benjamin and Ruth (Rice) May- nard, who were cousins, and) both descended from John Maynard, who came to this country from England, and ; settled In Sudbury. 4 in 1638, and was prominent in that place. Ruth Rice was also a descendant of Edmund Rice, who came from England 1639, and settled in Sudbury and after- ward removed to Marlboro. A noted ancestor of Benjamin and Ruth (Rice) Maynard was Maj. Simon Willard, a distinguished officer in pines Philip’s war. The story of his life and} times, by Joseph Willard, published in 1858, is a valuable and interesting! biography. Hila great-granddaughter, | Miriam Willard, married Joseph May- nard, Sudbury, whose son, Moses, was randfather of Benjamin and Ruth Rice) Maynard, the latter being also a direct descendant. of Gershom Rice, the second permanent settler of Worcester, who, with his brother, Jonas, are called by Lincoln in his history of Worcester, the “fathers of the town.” George Maynard, youngest son of Ben- jamin and Ruth, spent his early years on the old Paxton farm, and in the common schools acquired in the limited time he was allowed to at- tend them. sufficient knowledge to €n- able him at the age of 19 to teach school | in the adjoining town of Rutland. He did not, however, follow that pro- feesion, hut coming to Worcester, worked in the mechanical business for several years, finally engaging on his own ac- count in the printing business: which he followed in a modest way for 31 years, having, for most of that time, an office on Pleasant street. : is * But his mind ran more in other chan- nels and unfortunately for his success a8 2 business man he turned his atten- tion largely to books, and found in the | city's public library, as wags once said conte “his school, academy and col- e." ‘Tarly in life he had acquired so, ie pro- ficiency in the Latin,-Greek and Spanish languages and later he learned to read « Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Indian and several other Eu- ropean and Asiatic tongues, He also delved into many of the sci- ences, including astronomy and geology, and was at one time considered one ot the better versed botanists of Worces- | ter. 1 He also taught English literature in a private school in this city. When 15 years of a¢¢ he picked up 4 knowledge of the old Taylor system of shorthand, which in later life he dis- carded, and made himself thoroly profi- cient in Benn Pitman phonography, re- ceiving a diploma, with honors, as teacher from the Cincinnati phonographic institute, and for some years he taught shorthand in connection with his other business. a About 1870 he began writing in verse and prose for various newspapers in Worcester and elsewhere, He also wrote many poems for special occasions during more than 40 years and delivered several lectures on such subjects as “Jerusalem and the holy land”; ‘"The buried cities of Vesuvi- us,” and “Voleanoes and earth uakes.* His antiquarian tastes led him, many years ago, to become a member, of the Worcester society. of antiquity, then in its infancy, in whose work he has al- ways took an active interest. , He served as secretary of two liberal religious organizations, and was connected for many years with the prohibition move- ment, and was always decidedly inde- pendent in his religious and political learnings. In the spring of 1904, he abandoned his printing business, tho for sometime after- ward he worked in various Worcester offices, and always retained his old-time, love of the “Art preservative of arts." ee autumn of 1909, a severe illness confined him in the Worcester city hos- pital, and nearly ended his life, but-after reat suffering for seven months, he part- iy tecovered his health, and for the three ‘succeeding years engaged in canvassing. His health again failing. in 1918, he be- came a resident at the Home for aged mén. «# | : oe,