Show U UNCOMMON MON AMERICANS A M E R I 1 C A N S by elmo a western cott watson christmas flower xa W HEN you buy one of those scarlet flowers called the poinsettia to add to the festive appearance of your home at christmas time you are helping perpetuate the fame of an Asne american rican who little realized that his name would become associated with one of the symbols of the yuletide for joel R poinsett had so many other claims to distinction that it seems curious he is best remembered because a flower bears his born in south carolina in 1779 he studied both medicine and military science abroad but his father induced him to abandon his intention of entering the army and to become a student of law poor health forced him to give that up and he asked president madison for a commission in the army he was about t tc be appointed quartermaster gon gen eral when the secretary of war objected instead he was sent on a di diplomatic mission to south america where he mixed in the politics of chile and fomented revolution until he e became known as the scourge of the american continent contine nV and was recalled next he was sent to mexico always interested in botany he brought back from that count rythe flower which was given the scientific name of poinsettia Pul cherina just as he had been a stormy petrel in international politics so he was a disturbing element in the politics of his native land during the nullification controversy in south carolina he organized and led the unionist forces by doing that he won the esteem of the national government and president van buren made him secretary of war poinsett improved and enlarged the army organized a general staff built up the artillery directed the seminole war and managed the removal of some indians to indian territory in the midst of this activity his scientific interests were not neglected he experimented with scientific agriculture sent out the wilkes expedition into the antarctic and was largely instrumental in founding the national institute for the promotion of science and the useful arts which later was merged with the smithsonian institution his busy career cam to an end in 1851 while he was living in retirement as a plantation owner in his native state |