The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-05-31
Death Of William. Rankin.
From the Newton a. j. Herald.

On ~ edneSdaye evening, May lOth,
William Rankin, the pioneer educa-
tor of Northern New Jersey, calmly
breathed his last, at his home in
Mendhan, Morris county, aged II
years. Mr.. Rankin was the son of a
Revolutionary soldier, and was born
at Greeneyille, East Tenn. When
but Small boy his mind tffirsted for
knowledge, aud by that untiring in
dustry and determination which. char,
acterized his whole after life, he soon
acquired what in those times and in
that new country was regarded as q
liberal education. But desiring great,
er advantages than the back-woods'
of the Southwest then afforded,
young Rankin turned his face to the
East with the design, ultimately, OF
entering Yale College and quaffing
knowledge from what was then con
Isidered the fountain head in this
country. He was as poor as poverty
itself, and on that pilgrimage from
the rude home of his childhood he
was compelled to repienish his scanty
exchequer By, at times, teaching 8
quarter some, district school by
the wayside. { In 1928. poorly clad,
penniless and foot-sore and weary
he arrived at Johusonsburg, Warren
county, where he at once applied fol
the village school. After a thor
ough and most critical examination
By Dr.. Roderick BytngtoB, he was
employed and went to work. The
exapination took place in the tavern
Eand attracted y large crowd of per,
sonsewho anticipated a fine streak OF
fun at seeing an awkward and ur'
couth backwoodsman "put through
by the well educated village doctor.
But their merriment was changed to
sarprise, then admiration, when in
addition to thoroughtknowledge OF
history, grammar, geography, and all
the lower branches, he proved him
self-equaily at home in the Greek
and hatin languages and in. the
sciences. During his brief stay at
Johnsonsburg he was Frustrated for
several weeks with a violent fever,
which he once told us "was the hard
est part of his life" In addition to
his poverty. his restless ambition to
reach college helped to make him
uncomfortable during his prostra-
ton. But the friendship of Drs.
Byington and Vail, and their active
sympathy in his behalf. helped to
sustain him, and to them he never
forgot to be grateful. When he had
recovered barely sufficient to be able
to walk he came to Newton where
he was kindly received by Rev. DR..
Joseph L. Shafer, then pastor of the
church. Here he spent
some time as assistant teacher in the
school kept by Rev. Clarkson Dunn
after which he went to New England
and entered Yale College. thus real
ling the ambitious dreams of his
youth. lie remained in college but
a single year. when he again return
ed to Sussex county, and, in the
year 1888, started select school
It Qeckertown. - The history of that
school, which is an important part of
he early history Of education in Suss
sex, is familiar to most of our read
ers, and needs not to be repeated
lere. 1t is sufficientto say that from
hat little school with one scholar at
he beginning, grew fouris hing in:
ititution of learning, which. was a
moral and intellectual power, that
vas by no means confnedzto county
limits. At the end of ten years over
thousand pupils had been under
lis instruction. Many had been
epared to enter, college or com.
nenced professional studies. and a
aree proportion of the schools in the
country were conducted
" teachers who had been under his
All through our own
state. and in almost every State and
Territory in the Union, may be found
cholars, business men,gprofessionals
nd statesmen who owe to VIM. Ran
in debt OF gratitude for early les
ons taught, and who mourn hisatle.
arturo as grateful children mourn
he loss of a noble-hearted benefac-
OF and friend. After leaving Deck
rtown AIrsRankin taught for time
t Amity, Orange county, n. Y, but
Dr. the lasti22 years he has followed
is profession in Morris county,
light years of~tflis time was spent ut
chester, and the last fourteen years
{ Mendham, where he had a flour
,hing school at the time of his death.
lthongh blind and quite infrn for
ears, his mind remained as clear as
le crystals which sparkle in the Sus-
ex bills over which informef years
Q so much delighted 30 roam and
Judy. He was truly q Wonderful
ian, and his name and self.sacrilic.
~ labors will form some of the
rightest pages in the educational
istory of New Jersey. For full
alf century it was MIR. Rankin's lot
} be hard and poorly paid toiler
,r the moral and intellectual adj
ancement of his fellow men, lie
we'd to a ripe old age and perform.
j well his part upon the stage of
ction. Full of years and honors he
as been. gathered to his, fathers.
lis narrow tomb now contains all
lat is mortal of one of the grandest
tellects, the noblest hearts and =
lrest and most unselfsh christian
laracters that ever blest the world.
ct the clods of the valley rest gen.
y upon his grave. and may the
eak winds of Winter and the fra
ant breezes of Summer as they
gh among the trees and rustic the
asses where he sleeps, sing the
0ninnl of hia denarted worth.