The Washington times., 1895-02-14
DR.. WeIIing's Friends Tell of a
Man and Brother.
THEY NET AT THE UNIVERSITY
Former Ass sociates in MANY Branches Of
Study Speak Of His Many-sided and Yet
Enduring Character-He Was Philoso-
pher. Literateur and Neighbor Hon. W.
L. Wilson and Others send Letters.

x
torium at Columbian University last night
drew a large number of those who had known
and loved DR.. yelling.
The exercises were under the auspices OF
the university and the societies of which Dir.
yelling was member. The rostrum was
ftly prepared with palms and day lilies. 1t
was occupied by the speakers of the evening,
Prof. c. E. Munroe, Mr.. r. Fl. Martin, and
others.
AT proper intervals music was added to the
services by quartette consisting Of Mrs.
Nellie W. ShirclifTe, Mrs. Eulalie d. Rheem.
Messrs. Alex Mosher, and Henry Kaiser,
under the direction of Mr.. Percy S. Foster,
accompanist.
The Rev S. H. Greene, acting president of
the university. opened ths meeting and intro
duced the speakers. He said, in part:
Friends, no ordinary occasion has called
us together here tonight. When we were
coming home last year from our summer va
cation full of hope and strength for another
year word came to us of the death OF DR..
James c. yelling. We are here tonight to
commemorate his services. 1t seems fitting
thing that here, where so many of the best
years of his life were spent, we should come
to do honor TO his memory"
DIR. WILLING AS A PHILoso PHER.
Secretary Langley, of the Smithsonian,
spoke for that institution. BE said, among
other things:
He possessed what no other did in equal
measure. perhaps. a knowledge OF the unwrit-
ten laws of the Smithsonian. His ancestry
was New England, his birth in the Middle
States, and his long residence in the South,
coming here in 1850, made him in a peculiar
degree non-sectional. This fitted him TO help
promote the increase of knowledge without
sectional bias.
Il should not say al ought il l did not
pay a tribute to his disinterestedness- In
eight years of official connection l do not re-
member that he ever asked Tor any favor or
that he ever proflted personally in the least
from his connection with the institution.
Hon. W. i. Wilson, who was TO speak for
the alumni sent a letter, expressing great re-
gret that business in Congress thrust upon
him late this afternoon made itimpossible for
him TO be present. He added words OF honor
to the late president.
HIS FRIEND FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
Major j. W. Powell, for the Philosophical
Society 1T was my good fortune" he said,
ito have an intimate acquaintance with DR..
yelling for more than twenty-five years. His
interest in the North American Indian
brought US together, and learned later that
he had deved deep in the field of philosophy,
and brought forth treasures which he refined
In the alembic OF thought.
mo man better understood the inanity of
philosophical research except as applied to
uses OF lite
Dr. Powell, who was seriously ill himself
Just before DR. Welling's death, then told
how mis- friend had visited him in sickness
and they had spent several hours in discuss
ing plans for work. Both had just retired
from active administrative duties with hope
of the quiet of study.
Rev. DIR. Huntington. senior professor, rep
sented the university. He spoke OF DR.. Well
| ling's connection with the National lntelii-
gencer and the Influence OF that paper. Then
he outlined DR.. Wellings career till his
death, including from 1871 to 1894 as presi-
dent OF Columbian University.
Dr. Huntington closed with tribute to his
mental and moral attributes. He said one or
more of the volumes prepared by DR.. yelling
before his death would soon be published.
AS A SEIGHBoR AND FRIEND.
DR.. Otis Mason, for the Arithropologieal
| Society, spoke in glowing terms of the de-
parted teacher as citizen, neighbor, aud a
| friend.
| President E. NJ. Gallaudet, of the Literary
Society, said DIR. yelling was among the
organizers of the society, and was one OF
| its early presidents. He remembered paper
on 1.-The French salon." read at an early
meeting which was greatly admired. DIR.
yelling, he said, was dominated by the
true literary spirit, and carried it into all his
work.
President Gardiner Hubbard, of the Ma
tional Geographical Society, said President
yelling was many-sided man. In history,
metaphysics, and fine arts he was eminent.
! He was one of the organizers of the National
Geographic Society, and was one of its early
managers.
DR.. Greene read letters of regret from
Justices Brewer and Harlan. The latter said
the prosperous condition of the university
was largely due to DR.. Welling's efforts, and
expressed a hope that the trustees might find
| as able successor.
The Rev. DR.. Childs dismissed the meeting
| with benediction.
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