The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-17
DIR. JOHN Foo1E TOMBSTONE.
Eloquent Tributes to his Memory by His
Fellow Physicians of Montgomery, Ala.I

1Extract from the proceedings of the
Medical and Surgical Association of
Montgomery, Ala, June l2, 1927
DR.. ,Seelye said
DR.. John Foote JOB nstone was born
in Newberry, S. c., May 10th, 1921.
He was the son of DR.. Burr Johnstone.
In his early education he received all
the advantages afforded by his town,
and his collegiate education was COM
pleted at Prof. Waddell's Institute at
Wilmington, S. c., from which be gradu-
ated.
The family removed to Macon Coun-
ty Alabama in 1910. He first began the
study of medicine under his fathers
tutorage, but his systematic studies
began in the Office of DR.. J. Marion
Sims in Montgomery in 1916.
He graduated from the Medical COL
lege of South Carolina in 1s4S and came
to Montgomery to begin his life work
in 1S49. -.
On the 18th of February, 1852, he
married Miss Louisa NJ. Wyman, Of
this city, who survives him, and his
family are our friends and neighbors
here. >..--
After short illness he passed from
this life on the evening of the 9Th of
June. 80, -- ..-.-..
The great hereafter is now with him.
He lived to the ripe age of Il years, 43
of which were lived in our midst. For
the last few years feeble health had
taken from him the full power Of use
fulRess that characterized his earlier
life, and notably for the past year he
had felt himself almost living in the
shadow of death.
Of the physicians who were in active
practice when I came to Montgomery
only one is left. A single link binds the
profession Of those days to the present.
When the ties of friendship that have
bound US together for years are snapped
memories crowd upon US and the life of
the lost friend comes out through the
tracery of years as a totality. I vel!
remember him in the days Of his
strength and usefulness. He was one
of the best thinkers I have ever known.
His reading-both professional and
general-was of a wide scope and his
mind was Of that calibre that took in
ideas on all their largeness. His powers
of analysis were keen and his deduc.
tions from his studies sound. Of all the
men who illustrated the medical pro-
fession in Montgomery in those days
none brought to its duties more
| thorough and constant thought and
study than he. Nor any who carried to
the bedsides greater accuracy of obser.
vation orgreater powers of analysis and
deduction. He did his own thinking,
and depended on books only for the
great facts and principles that must
underlie all correct thought. He had
the courage Of his convictions and
carried into his professional work the
f:boldness born ofa large grasp of its
principles thoroughly thought oat and
mastered. ~.
In my early years here: I learned
more from him regarding the disease
ofthe South than from all other sources
And he was kind to young men and
ever ready to help forward those whom
he deemed worthy over the rough
places that all young doctors must en-
counter, and. it is pleasant thought
that in the later years Of his life ] was
enabled in some measure to repay the
| benefits Of those days by a friendship
which he never doubted and services
which be accepted with unquestioning
confidence. =; -, .'
He was always fond of politics and
kept abreast of the times in this direc-
ton to the last. He was always true
to his convictions in this as in other
things. He had decided convictions
and did not hesitate to express and de-
fend them. But he always wanted
clean politics. In his days of active
work be was enthusiastic in this field
and was ranked with the leaders of bis
party.
Socially, he was a delightful compan-
ion. Re was never carpet-knight,
but rather Stunned the garish crowd,
but with his friends he showed fund
of humor and faculty for evolving a
good story out of trifing incidents that
made delightful and original raeont-
eur. With all he had decided vein
of melancholy which at times over
shadowed everything, combination
often found.
He was sensitive to q morbid degree,
which sometimes led him to be tempo
rarily unjust to his friends, but he was
always ready to repair such errors and
was true and tender to those be loved.
He was a Christian in its broadest
sense. never knew. man with more
unwavering faith in the plan of saliva
tion through the Divine Redeemer, and
in the plenary inspiration of every
word ofthe Bible from ''cover to cover" "
as he often expressed it, and he was
impatient of all PHILOSOPHERS and new
lines of thought which he conceived to
contravene this faith, and was ever
ready to defend his views with vigor.
To those of you who have only known
him in these later years since enfeebled
health had sapped the energy of his
manhood, this picture of his more ro-
bust and forceful days may seem over
drawn; but those who knew him as I
did in those days will, am sure, agree
that have but poorly set forth the
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