The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-23

happened one day TO pick up a book or
two Ola SaDs5rit. and before he finished
with them William Dwight Whitney had
devoted his life 70 phioloEy-
Prof Salisbury. then teaching without
salary, was breaking the way here at
Yale for Oriental studies in America. and
hitGcy went To- him for instruction
His advance was phenomenal In 1880 he
went 20 Germany for three years work.
Il was there an opinion that on his re-
turn he would put America far ahead Of
England in studies of the Orient. In the
meantime Prof Salisbury had resigned
the Yale professorship i'm his favor, and
provided for his salary with a beqUest-
Whitney s struggle after he returned TO
Yale in 1888 was heroic one. The hero
ism Of a scholar is not conspicuous and
finds no place I'm the worlds chronicles
Perhaps il is therefore the more heroic,
implying. as it does. poverty, isolation.
neglect, and the bitterness Of mans in
gratitude. Certainly with some Of these
hardships Whitney had 10 contend He
was obliged 20 spend much OF his time
teaching elementary French and German
TO undergraduates Of various abilities.
Yet while conscious that even "A nobler
occupation was his by rights. he never
His part IN the foundation of the Sheffield
School must have taken much time. Add
To- this the burden of providing for "A large
family with salary abSurdly small even
for those days In 1903 ne received a call
from Harvard. with a promise Of better
pay and more time for study. but Prof
Salisbury with hcqpest increased the
foundation Of the chair. and thus saved
Whitney TO Yale. The university cannot
forget this liberal man. who by his beueti-
cence had already made II possible for
Dana TO decline "a similar Offer from HaT-
ward ana remain IN New Haven
In spite of his difficulties the fruits Of
WhIJusys scholarship were abundant
They include am edition of the 'AtharNa-
N,ua" i'm TWO volumes. the first of them
begun while ne was in Germany. the sec
Ond not quite finished at his death. the
SauSNTIt Grammar his ripCSt work
two courses Of lectures. Language and
the Study Of Language" 1864. and The
Life and Growth Of Language" 1919. both
OF which have had great influence upon
linguistic study. and the latter of which
was translated into five languages. To
these should De added his work al the
reviSer Of Webster. and as editOr-iu-chief
or the Century Dictionary, his many ar
tiClCs and reviews. and such tours de
force as the French. German. and En-
gliSh gTammars with readers and die
tiOuaricS. Though he was not above me
dunn height his presence was most i'm
pTessiVe- His hair and beard were like
snow. His face was gentle and winning.
and bore no trace Of vanity, and yet 10
50 reflected the power and mystery Of
his learning that no one could approach
him without reverence.
After all. IL is the personal element in
such men as Silliman. and Whitney and
Dana which makes them great. for II
never suffers their science 10 become
greater than they. but glOriteS their
learning and renders IL an inspiration 10
every student.
There IS no more iIIustrious instance
OF this tranSCcndeUt power Of personality
In the history Of NSlc than President
Moo!sey. said a distinguished foreign
SiNant today Before he had begun his
special studs Of Greek ne had read both
law and divinity. After the years Of his
Hellenic studies in Europe anne the ff-
teen years Of his professionally. during
which he taught such men as Whitney
and Hadley There Is something espe-
cIally appropriate IN WOOIseys devotion
to Hellenism. warranted as If was by a
mind so precise. adroit, and vigorous. a
temper 50 even. 4 nature so refined and
pure and gentle He was the man who
could nud and asSimilstc the strength Of
creek culture and illustrate 70 In his own
character for modern world He was
the man necessary 10 his country In those
crude and uncertain decades OF the for
Ties and hfties. Yale men Of chat time
have canonized him. and rightly for to
them h. has been through all the years a
hight shining IN darkness. They often re-
call the face with the Clear-cUt lines the
tender mouth, the full. high brow. the
dark, penetrating eyes, more searching
than mans own conscience. vet emf
nently kind In 1876 he began his twenty
five years service AS President Of Yale
and much might be said Of his success in
managing the Institutions material inter
csts, II was indeed great But his sue
cess IN the making Of men was rarsr C.ld
uOh'er
NO simple monument Of stone and
mortar Is an adequate memorial OF these
men They themselves have reared one
better. not only in the making Of Yale
University, whose culture they have tr-
u"hed and detUened. but in the gene "a
ton Of teachers and mel which th-v have
raised up 20 serve the world both here at
Yale and throughout the land.