New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-08

until Last night when IL was discovered that his
original ailment had been complicated by an at
tack Of pneumonia. Death came peacefully whie
he was surrounded by the members OF his family.
Professor Whitney had been troubled with heart
ailment for more than eight years, AMI had had
the advice OF the best physicians. An elevator
mad been built in his house to save him from the
dangerous exertion OF climbing stairs.
william Dwight whitney. younger brother OF
the eminent geoogist, Josiah Dwight whitney
was born at Northampton. Mass, on February .
1877 and was graduated at Williams College III
lS5 For three years following his graduation ne
was employed IN a Northampton bank as cierh
but devoted his best attention TO the study ol IAN
g1lages, especially OF SanscrIt Then he Went, IN
1879 10 Yale 10 continue such studies unuer fro-
fessor T. T. Salisbury. and thence In lS0l 10 Ger
MANY where he studied at Berlin under Bopp ana
Weber and at Tdbingen under Roth. In coiaoora-
ton with Roth he prepared an edition OF tne
"Atharva Veda sanhita." published at Berlin IN
1875 For this work he copied the manuscript texts
in the Royal Library at Berlin and compared II
with other copies at Paris London and OXFORD.
Returning 70 America with considerable repu-
taton as a phllologist. he was. IN lS5i appointed
professor Of Sanskrit at Yale. 10 which place. III
1870 was added the protessorship or comparative
nhiology In 1s5he delivered notable series Of ect
ures before the Smithsonian Institution at WASH
i,r-on arer,yard repeating them before the Lowell
Institute at Boston. In 1919 he was elected mem
Der OF the American Oriental Society ana ior
many years held Offices in It, Including those OF
librarian secretary and president, while MS con-
,r,hu,lons TO It's journal were important ana
,,olr,Inous. amounting to half Of the whole work
H.. made q number OF Sanscrlt publications OF
marked value and a contributor TO bohtihs"
and Roths great Sanscrt dictionary, puolisAed III
seven volumes at ST. Petersburg, No3-o' lie also
wrote many books on other topics 'hefu"'"s
French German and English grammars' ana
1, Of
great Undertaking was the general editing Oh Inc
Century Dictionary"
Professor Whi,ney's death Will be mourned as an
international calamity by Oriental students
throughout tho world. II was not inventive genius
that nut him in the front rank Of scholars IN MS
chosen studies but rather the self-pose th@t kept
hi,, free from excitement and premature enthu-
SLASH, when new discoveries real or supposed were
sprung upon the world, or when tradItoha' Iuc"S
were exploited anew in unheard-ot forms ""e"
Professor Max Miller. that poet turned phio'oBer'
seized on Crlmm's theory OF an Irresistible I'M
pulse which drove the population or Asia westward
int, r-uropc Professor whitney met him with
smile Of gentle derislon. Professor Miller fancied
that Re could exactly how II all happened
Taking a cue from age-long tradition when might
or might not mean anything he declared THAI the
main stream OF the Aryan nations had always
all toward tho northwest. or course nobody
coul1 toll what the impulse which had driven
s., many people into lands of which they Knew
nothing hut plainly 1t was an impulse as irresist-
b.e as that which at the present day drives the
Cel.s AID other races as well. to the prarles ana
the gold fields OF America and Australia. Suppos-
ing that the National movement would be taken
for granted he showed pausbly how the minority.
consls,ing OF scattered Individuals. would stlle
their preferences In favor OF their old home. only
those persons " strong sef-dependent nature were
capable OF withstandng the current and OF Keeping
their ancestral homes. These Independent people
81 IN ,ylal
stlncs OF their cousins the Celts the Teutons. and
81 forth were the Brahmanic Aryans OF India ana
the Zoroastrlans Of Iran. This outburst mas
quality OF humor pcrceptibe At the present day 10
many But few its defects a. the time. Inc
singular patness and eloquence OF Professor Null
ler's words were enough to carry his thought far
without serious cavl But Professor Whitney
scanned the description and the argument with
utile amusement. lie committed 10 no
hypothesis at that time. though lie was undoubtedly
partial % one which now has many adherehts' lie
remarked that Professor Muller would nave done
well TO be less poetic and more scientific dudIhs
that the description reminded him OF kauloachs
picture representing the scattering OF the human
race from the foot Of the ruined Tower OF Babel
where was 10 be each separate nationality
with the impress OF its after character ana lor'-
uncs already stamped on every limb and feature
taking up It's line OF march toward the quarter oil
the earth which II was destined 10 occupy.
Tho characteristic note OF Professor Whitney's
scholarship was moderation. II a point was not
susceptible OF definite proof, he wished % make
plain the defect His face set against mere
speculation whether in the line Of or against popu-
lar tradition. And Canon Taylor plaus!by de-
scribeI him as an advocate Of the opinion that
whatever migration there had been OF the Aryan
race was from Europe eastward rather than IN tho
other direction. AS to Professor Whitneys aler
views the means not at hand to make sure,
but I'm his earlier days his position was not that or
Inf .Nf ana NhD
held that arguments on ne theme OF h I ,
were as yet inconcusye. lie denied that te S"euue
illusions In the well-known hrst F2rgard S o, 'i a.,
Vendidad had any historical vilue. AZ ms uns, ~
spite OF a deal OF effort In explanation ana guesses
at the meaning OF Gbscure wYrs' rtin az Pro-
scholars would probably ieel as uhCel ttli. 40 ~,
fessor Whitney dd years ago Ine mos. ihas t MY
there may be In ms ehi;h3tical t,t ~ ~
that conceals truth; lie did not tninh Ihat any
and positive Indication OF the place where the lndo-
European race originated, The laymah VINO Ianlii-
of the various learned authorities on this subject
VIII find h pToe ssSS wh GS C Occupied long
Rut in the midst OF so much enthusiasm as existed
many az II the phiiooglsts had found the key for
unlocking all the hidden crypts OF history ana even
Of prehstoric NE 1t impossible that the coolest
mind should not bend 10 the breeze little. Pro
fesosr Whitney thought that the STUDY OF WORDS
Arvans rs they lived Perhaps the scientific world
is not so certain OF all these things as II once
from going far afeld He imagined that the remote
ancestors Of the modern lndo- European races pTac-
tised the art Of weaving. that they used IN me
manufacture OF their fabrics wool and hemp ana
poseibly flax that they had already perfected such
weapons OF offence and defence as the sword me
shioid the bow and the spear; that they had learned
the rudiments OF practical navigation and knew
how 10 make small boats and 10 handle oars; that
they intoxicated themselves with mead. and that
they must have lived in cold climate since tne
word which had the widest diffusion and the strong
est life among their descendants WAS the one given
as name to winter; that they had meaSre aEri.
culture cultlvatng at least wheat and barley; tnat
thew were not nOmads but were possessed or houses
and walled strongholds or VILLAGES. Compsrel WIN
the wide ranging cOnJectures OF many authors ana
Investigators the restraint ana moderation or f',p-
lessor Whitncy's views certainly remarkaoie
- ,he neriod IN which ne nut them forth Not only
In the Theoretical phases OF Oriental study but also
In minute acquaintance with ancient texts ne was
eurpassed by few OF his time.
thnI nf