The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-31
OF MISS MERRILL
SHE WAS ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN
WOMEN OF THE CITY.
She VIII BE Remembered for Her
Work ms n Teacher-A Brief
Sketch of Her Life.

Miss Catharine Merrill died yesterday
morning at her home. 425 North Capitol
avenue, at 5 o'clock. She had been in de-
clining health for a year or more. but only
during the past three weeks was she
seriously III. Last week the physicians de-
cided that an operation was necessary TO
remove an abscess from the liver, and the
operation was performed on Saturday. On
account of her advanced age and weakness
the hopes for recovery were small, and her
end came peacefully.
Miss Catharine Merrill was born at Cory
don Jan. "a. 1924. and came to Indianap-
oils as a child when the city became the
State capital. Her father, Samuel Merrill.
was a scholarly man who had enjoyed a
college education. It was natural that he
should add to his duties as treasurer of
state the congenial task of instructing the
younger folk. for whose education the new
community had made no provision. He was
the pioneer schoolmaster and his home IL
brary became a veritable circulating library
for the use of pupils and neighbors. AS his
public duties multiplied the daughter who
idu OcCH AAS dNOAitC Pupii dho AS yin
in study began to take upon herself the
training of the minds of the younger gen.
Grafton in the little town. Her fame as a
teacher as she has continued TO interpret
literature and life brought pupils to her
from many cities. Just before the civil
wal Miss Merrill spent two years in Ger
many pursuing her studies. After the war
broke out she entered the United States
hospital service as an army nurse. In 1866
she published anonymously a history en-
titled 1.-THE Soldier of Indiana in the War
of the Union" a book that should have
borne her name. 1t is a complete and salts
factory record of this great period In In
diana's history. The book Is out of print
and rare and is accounted to be of great
historical value.
Mr.. MERRILL'S INFLUENCE.
At the time Miss Merrill's father came
here from Corydon Indianapolis was then
a new purchase. and 1T was partly through
his efforts that it was chosen as the new
capital. Mr.. Merrill had been one of a COM
mittee of three appointed by the Legisla-
ture to select a name for the purchase,
and at his suggestion indianapolis was the
name chosen. Miss Merrill was a pupil of
the Misses Axtells' school for young ladies
and had herself been a teacher of adj
vanced literature the greater part of her
life. Her first classes were organized and
taught at her home. which was then sit
uated on a farm lying between Delaware
and New Jersey streets and South and Nc
Carly streets. Later they met in Mrs.
Vance's home on East Market street, and
IL lis related of her that one day in passing
the old Jail. then located on the northeast
corner of the courthouse square, she first
noticed the women prisoners She has often
told her friends of her first impression on
coafrO fhaco unnnan looking nnf hrnnQh
the bars of their windows as she passed.
IT occurred TO her for the first time that
Christian women ought TO do something
for these poor. neglected creatures. and
she interested Mrs. Jane Graydon in the
matter. Together they visited the jail and
organized a sewing society. among the
women. The first contribution they re-
ceived was a bolt of muslin from James NJ.
Ray, and with this they taught the women
how to sew and maxi garments. Then the
other women of the city became inter-
ested and gave the prisoners famiiy sewing
to do TO help them along. Mrs. Graydon
used to conduct religious exercises In the
Jail for the women and Miss Merrill would
read to them. Even here Miss Merrilfs in
fuence was felt.
OFTEN IMPOSED UPON.
She had much confidence in every one
and trusted every one so implicitly that
she was often imposed upon. At one time,
at the earnest solicitation of Miss Merrill
and Mrs. Graydon, the mayor of Indian
apolis paroled several female prisoners
from the Jail. who were thought by Miss
Merrill and Mrs. Graydon to be converted.
but what was their disappointment to hear
of the arrest of the same prisoners in less
thar a week after. However, out of these
weekly visits to the jail grew the Home
for Friendless Women. 1t was due largely
to Miss MerrilIs idea and suggestion, al
though she was never one of the charter
members, but it was she Who interested
the other women of the city, who later
founded the institution. For three years
Miss Merrill taught in Charlottesville and
for a year she was in Cleveland. In Craw-
louisville. among her pupils was Mrs.
Schuyler Colfax and Constance Fenimore
WOolson. a niece of Fenimore Cooper, and
herself later a writer of distinction. She
spent three years in Europe. principally in
Germany, before the breaking out of the
war and chaperoned a party of young peo-
pie who went for study. During this time
she wrote letters to the Indianapolis Jour
nal. and in the year of 1861, at the breaking
out of the civil war, she returned to In
Annapolis, and, with her sister, Mrs. Jane
Ketcham. enlisted as a nurse. They were
sent to Crab Orchard, KY. with the Thir-
ty-third Indiana Regiment. After her re-
turn from the South Miss Merrill started a
school for young women in the basement
of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, and
all the young girls of the time, many of
them now dead. were her pupils. One wom-
an, who has been a member of Miss Mer-
rill's classes for many years, says that she
could always tell a pupil of Miss Merrill's.
She seemed to impart some of her wonder
full personality to each one. After the death
OF his daughter, Mr.. Ovid Butler estab-
lished and endowed the Demia Butler chair
of English literature in Butler College and
1t was on condition that 1t should be per-
manently occupied by a woman. that she
should have a salary equal to that of any
professor, and that Miss Merrill should
hold the position at her option. Miss Mer-
rill occupied the chair for fourteen years,
and resigned on account of the great
amount Of work the position demanded.
HER THURSDAY EVENINGS.
When Butler College was moved out to
Irvington Miss Merrill was an occupant of
President Buffers home. and her Thursday
evenings, when she was at home to the stu
dents of the college. were always largely
attended and eagerly looked forward to by
the young people. She lived for her classes,
and although she was a strict teacher, she
always had the respect and love of her pu-
pills. She had a sympathetic nature and the
dent: she made her pupils feel that they
helped her. and in conversation. when a
mistake was made. her correction was so
gentle that it never gave offense. She said
10 one of her former pupils, a few days be-
fore she fell i'll, that her work had been
very pleasant, but especially OF late years
did she enjoy Ii, as she said Ii was so pleas
ant to come in contact with the more ma
ture minds. She has taught In her classes
three generations of women. She had a
feeling towards every one, and when
N a. - nnsArnI her n SunC che 1r0rll