The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-07
Gen. FRANCIS A, WALKER.

Francis Amasa Walker, economist
scholar. soldier. who died yesterday, was
born in Boston. Massachusetts,, on July
2. 1910. soon after mis- birth his father
Amasa Walker, moved his home to the
family estate In North Brooktiela. Mass
Francis Walker received bis FIRST In
structlon in the common schools OF that
place, but afterwards fitted for college
in the academies OF Lancaster and Les
ter. AT the age OF fifteen he entered AM
herst College, but was obliged 10 drop
back a class because OF III health, gradu-
atlng in the year 1860. After leaving
college he began the study OF law in the
office Of Deven5 and Hoar, Worcester
Mass. Upon the breaklns Out Q, the
civil war in 1861, he Immediately enlisted
in the regiment Of Colonel pevens +,
HIS military career was especially brill
| liant Beginning as sergednt-mRj0f o.
| the Fifteenth Massachusetts regiment ne
was soon promotedlto the position OF as,
slstant adjutant-generai on General
| COUGHS stan with the rank first or eapr
| tain, and afterward as major. HIS neSl
| advancement was to the rank OF lieuteHf
/ ant general OF the Second Army Corps,
j serving on the STATS Of General G0uven-
eur X, Warren and General Winfield ,.
| Hancock, Al the battle Of Chancel-
lorsville. May /. 1853 he vas severely
wounded and consequently was absent
| from the front for six months Ihe next
J year after his return he was captured az
| Reemes Station, and was connned IN
| Libby prison from August until OCTOBER.
when he was paroied IN consequence o.
this imprisonment his health was Ssrl-
ouslv irnpaIred and he resigned from The
service in january. 1865. The following
March the brevet OF enlargement
was conferred upon him. From the very
first General Walker administered the
functions OF his office to the entire satis-
| faction of his commanders. Seaen;
Warren and Hancock, officers bred In an
the traditions OF the regular army, ana
AZ exactlng with others as they were
rigid with themselves. have always
spoken OF General Walker IN none bat
kind terms, and have made honorable
mention OF his name in more tnaE one re-
port
In the, fall OF 1865 he accepted the posi-
tion OF instructor in Latin and Greek at
Willlston Seminary. Easthampton'
Mass. He spent his spare hours IN
study. making up for the time he hnl
lost. and laying the foundation for mucn
OF the work which he has done since
Al that time. outside OF the large cities,
The Springfield Republican was perhaps
the most noted paper in the country.
General Walker gained position on It's
editorial stan. and found the work
most excellent training In the line Of ms
special study. Naturally enough nus
chosen field was like his fathers. that
nd EnIlnWs
ing this line Of work. in 1868 he became
chief OF the bureau of statistics In ma
treasury department at Washington,
and in 1S7O-72 held the office OF superin-
tendent OF the ninth census. During
lS7l-72 he was also superintendent OF
Indian affairs.
He was called 10 the professorshlp Of
political economy and history at Shelf
field Scientific School of Yale University
In 1873. This period of his life was quiet
and agreeable, and 1t was with sincere
regret that he afterwards lett ma pleas
ant home in the Getty Of Fins. While
stu at Yale he was made chief - the
bureau OF awards at the centennial eN-
hlbltion at Philadelphia. In 1873 he was
appointed United States commissioner
OF the international monetary conference
In Paris. Having secured leave OF 40
sence from his college duties he accept
ed the supervision uf the tenth census
General Walker fully expected TO return
10 his professorshlp at Yale upon the
completion OF his government work, but
In 1881, being offered the position OF pres
ident uf the Massachusetts institute OF
technology. he accepted that as MS WORK
President Walkers CONNECTION win
the institute is well known. Under ms
able administration the school has
n uign and TpnutaLtuU,
until now IL stands at the hend OF the
scientific schools ~ this country. HIS
policy has been to follow out the Ideas OF
The founders Before his association
with the institute. as its chief he was
comparatively unfamiliar with It's sys,
tenn and course Of study, In the Sheffield
scientific school with which he was con
verSant, the curriculum differs Consider
ably from that at Technology,in that the
| practical laboratory work is there en-
tgely omitted. II Is more school OF
pure science. although the most popular
course Is the one which corresponds TO
the general course at the institute. Pres
Ident Walker recognized this fact, ana,
although Il had been his wish to broaden
the work OF all the courses, ne has not
sacrificed or cut down any of the pro-
fcsslonal branches 10 accomplish ina.
! purpose.
While residing In New Haven he was
on the city and state boards oil education,
and upon his removal TO Boston he was
called to occupy the same positions
there. He was elected IN 1873 TO the Ma
tlOnal Academy OF Sciences. He was
| president OF the American Economic AS
sociatlon and also OF the American STA
tlstical Society. and an honorary fellow
OF the ROYAL statistical SnCfety tn Lon
don. He was recently made correspond
Ing member of the Institute OF France IN
the department Of political economy.
President Walker had the degree OF
doctor Of laws conferred upon him ilrst
rs his own alma mater. kmhGrs'. and
since then has received 1t from COLUMBIA
| College ana st. Andrews College anu
ftOm Yale, Harvard and DuDlh uniNcr-
stiles. In 1892 he WAS Invited 20 attend
the 300tn anniversary OF Dublin uniNer-
slty TO receive his doctors degree In COM
pany with two eminent political eeono-
mlsts Wagner, from Berlin, and Leroy
Beaulleu. from Paris. II was at this
celebration that he made the speech
which so pleased the Irish Americans
that upon his return they rendered him
a reception, assuring him Of their deep
est respect
Besides his many addresses. magazine
articles and reports written In conrec-
tlon with the various interests win
which he has been connected, President
Walker has written number OF books
upon different economical questions.
and was one Of the most eminent living
authorities upon political economy.
Kind, genial, courteous 20 everybody
General Walker stood out man 1mrng
many, Although honOred and respected
by all. Il was the student body VINO
most thoroughly enjoyed his congenlail-
ty. Personally known 20 each one or the
thousand students 1T Technology he took
i keen Interest In their welfare: and each