REV. W. A. B. Coolidge

Abstract

BY the passing away, in his seventy-sixth year, of the Rev. William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge, at the Swiss home which he had built for himself, Chalet Montana, Grindelwald, another famous moun taineer, who carried on the great traditions of the pioneers of the Alps, is removed from our midst. Not merely was he a climber of the very front rank, but the most erudite of the band, possessing a wonder fully complete personal knowledge of the Central European Alps—of their topography and physical geography, their history, and. that of the countries in which they are situated. Familiarly and equally conversant with English, French, and German, he was a prolific writer in all three languages, conveying his exceptional knowledge with conciseness yet with fascinating interest. He wrote, for example, the articles on Switzerland in all the three later editions of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica,” those portions on the geography and history of the country being not only of great value and meticulous accuracy but also of eminent literary merit. Besides his well-known guide books (to the Dauphiny Alps, Lepontine Alps, Adula Alps, Mountains of Cogne, and the Bernese Oberland), and his editions of Ball's “Alpine Guide” and Murray's “Handbook of Switzerland,” he wrote a most charming book, “The Alps in Nature and History,” in which his wide knowledge of the history, antiquities, folk-lore, religious and political development of the playground of Europe is used for our instruction in a truly delightful manner.