The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-03
A TRIBUTE TO PROFESSOR GRAY.
The Memorial Service at the High School in
Honor of the Great Teacher.

The students of botany, fifty in number,
of the city High school. yesterday held memo
rial service for Professor Asa Gray who died the
day the class mmenced the study of his Manu-
al and Lessons in Botany. Principal Grant gave
the class his Impressions of the Professor as a
teacher, under whose instruction he sat at Har-
ward twenty-one years ago OF his portrait as
published in the Popular Science Monthly and
in tho Botanical Gazette, he said he should Dot
have recognized IN it the genial Professor, who
was then much younger in appearance. with
black, not old and gray, hair and side whisksrs
Dwelling upon his methods and his great eRthu-
siasm, the Principal said at time the Profess
sor brought a flower stalk of the century plant,
sixteen feet high. to class, tho most gigantic
erary students had little opportunity to form
the acquaintance with him that those did who
took the scientific course, and worked with the
great teacher and author In the herbarium rooms
and botanical garden Their lack of attention
and arder frequently provoked the Professor to
petulance and mild threats TO report the stu
dents, which were forgotten
pressed. But still he was to them the great Pro
fessor Gray, chief of all the systematic botansts
the world has known.
PRINCIPAL Grant had series of Gray's works.
foot high. piled up at his right hand, loaned
by Mr. Hooper from the Public Library, includ-
ing his ''Darwiniana," published in 1874. and
given to the theological school of Yale College
in 1880 A steel-piate engraving of the gre at
silver vase inscribed, Bearing the greetings Of
one hundred and eighty botanist of North
America to Asa GRAY, his seventy-fft
birthday, Nov. IS. 1885," was also shown the
students. This testimonial was set
on foot by the editors of the
Botanical Gazette. Prof. J. NJ. Coulter.
G. r. Barnes and J. c. Arthur This silver
is eighteen inches high resting an
ebony base. and cost 5000 With it were
over a hundred cards, and personal letters
from the botanists who donated the gift The
vase is engraved with the plants most init
mately associated with Professor Grays scien-
tifc labors affections. and by several plants
named in his honor. In response. Professor
Gray addressed to the Botanical brotherhood
the accompanying appreciatve and beautiful let
ter: "As am quite unable to convey to you in
words my adequate idea of the qualification
ceived the morning of the 18th inst.
from the wealth of congratulations and
expressions of esteem and affection
which welcomed my seventy-ffth birthday,
l can do no more than to render and all
my beartiest thanks. Among fellow botanists,
more pleasantly connected than in any other
pursuit. by mutual giving and receiving, some
might be expected. Bnt this full flow of bene-
diction, from the whole length and breadth of
the land, whose fora IS common study and n
common delight, unexpected as it is
touching and memorable. Equally so is the ex-
Quisite vase which ACCOMPANIED the messages of
congratulation and is to commemorate them
and upon which not few of the flowers associ-
ated with my name with my special studies,
are so deftly wrought by art. that of them one
might almost say, The art itself is nature The
gift is gratefully received, and it will preserve
made by You, dear brethren and sisters, a very
happy one"