The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-04-02

OSCAR w. BLACKNALL. JR

when it strikes down the young, the Sllteu,
the unselfish the one in whom a thousand
homes conferred the one upon whom many
lent and in the sunshine OF whose presence
many found warmth and happiness. Such
was his shining mark when at Phoenix, ARR
ona. on Feb. 18TH 1903, Oscar W Blacknall,
Jr fell beneath his remorseless hand.
Born at Kttrell Springs. \. e., Sept. 21st,
1877, the young man was only IN his 26th
year. From earliest infancy his personality
was unique. From the beginning he exhlb-
tied an intelligence far beyond his age and 1T
was SO to the end. In childhood books in
stead OF toys. We're his closest companions
and he only laid them down to die.
Few of his age had read as much OF the
best or read it to as good purpose. His un-
derstanding was SO quick, his memory SO re-
tentive, accurate and ready withal, that he
retained the cream of twenty years reading
and observation and could reproduce 1t at
will for the entertainment OF those with
whom he as intimate. His matchless power
of narration, irradiated by wit and humor OF
the most genial and original kind charmed
those who penetrated his deep reserve He
was never known to make a commonplace
remark. The dullest book, an apparently
most prosac journey. passing through the
alembic of his strangely original mind came
forth sublimated, transformed into a thing
of beauty and interest to everybody. Espe-
cially did visit to the Virginia battle fields
inspire him, bringing out his accurate knOwl-
enSe Oh confederate history anu TesullHuS III
some OF his most brilliant monologues.
With q spirit as retiring as WOOdswOrths
noon tide dew he was SO shy that beside the
members OF his father s family he knew only
those with whom circumstances threw him
into unavoidable contact. Utterly regard
less of their station in life, such OF these as
were congenal through the possession OF
common sense of humor, OF manliness, of sin
cerity, (sham, pretense and cOwardice in ev-
cry form being his detestation) he drew to
him with an affection most strong and to
many most strange. Cold hearts long stran-
gers to love went out in passionate attach
| ment to this gentle, nysded, deeply sym
pathetic nature which saw good in them that
others could not see and which touched cords
| in their depths long callOused by neglect and
scOrD.
As is often the case with minds and temper
aments of that cast he owed little TO educa-
| ton i'll the common acceptance of that word
AS a school boy he was extra ordinarily pro-
ficient in his studies and above all IN mathe-
MATES; but text books and school learning
had little bearing on his intellectual training
and equipment. These he acquired direct
| from the fountain head, the great thinkers
and writers of the world.
| All his life he lived in books and for the
most of it in books alone AS a lad he seemed
a dreamer, living solely in the romantic past
| in Plutarch that epitOme of the classic
world, in quaint old Frossart, that gocOn-
| bon, in Scott, in Macaulay, in Burns and 9th
! er great objective masterpieces OF literature.
| His insight into them was profound and of
| all he discoursed with marvellous aptness,
| sprightliness and originality. Surely, said
| the cultured with whom he came in contact,
| this boy is genius. But he is only a dream
| er, one whose contact with the practical is
| faint and remote. His is one of those rare
| and beautiful, but helpless, spirits which can
| find no place in this cold world of facts. For
| his nature was so antlpOdal to egOtlsm and
| so sensitive withal that he showed no inclina-
| ton to write or to seek recognition in any
| form. With him nothing seemed the results
| of effort or even of premediation All was
| the spontaneous, the almost unconscious
overflow of a strangely, richly freighted ma
| ture, utterly oblivious of self, seeking but to
! give pleasure to those he loved.
While yet III his teens he quit school and
| went to his fathers aid in business. From
| the start it was seen that the shy, sensitive
| boy who had hitherto seemed to live solely
| in books was as much at home in the practi-
| cal as he had been in the ideal world. 1t was
found that to the fine sensibilities and ideality
| of the poet was strangely, almost incongru-
| Ously, added n vast fund of the most robust
| common sense, worldly wisdom or whatever
| you might term that faculty which makes for
| success in material things. He had the same
| intutive insight into business that he had
| into books. Within a wear the business int
| arged but completely transformed. All of
| his plans We're original and all succeeded He
| was never known to make an error OF iudg-
ment. Without visible effort, apparently
without even the opportunity to acquire it,
| he knew not only his own business in all its
| detail, but, what was no less essential to sue
| cess, he knew every other line of business as
! it bore on his own. Surely, said the business
men of understanding who knew him well
| enough to perceive his breadth of view and
his grasp of practical things, this lad is a
| genius.
In organizing and administering business
he original as in other things Hewas
| never known to speak harshly. He ruled
| through gentleness instead of cOmpulsion.
| All of his employees obeyed through love not
| fear. None ever voluntarily quit his employ
| ment. All worked for him as they would
| have worked for no one else.
| Meanwhile nothing disturbed the deep Sc
| renity of his life or stopped the current of his
| delightful talk. At one and the same time he
| lived in two worlds, the ideal and the practi-
| cal. With singular duality of mind he read
| and worked or rather, directed and inspired
| Others to work while he read. Rarely among
| mortals is Il life seen as happy as his. He
seemed to have a genius for happiness as he
| had for SO many other things and his happi-
| ness was infectious. Morbid natures found
| health in it's glow the dungeon blanche,l
vine finds it in the ray of the sun.
Ennui, lassitude could find no home in q
mind alert and sprightly like his; a mind
which found interest everywhere and in every
thing. Business, politics, history, fiction,
| science, poetry his mind and imagination
sped through as the bright winged creatures
| of summer haste onward over fOwery reach
| es conscious of the shOrtness of their days
| and OF their preciOusnesS.
The sun of his family from his birth, long
before he reached manhood he became its
| staff-the upon whom all leant and on
| whom Hpnpn1pI Fnr bo
| unselish that he wanted nothing for himself
| Indifferent to what he ate or what he
wore, laying no plans for his own future, he
| was ever busy planning for the future vel
| fare of father, mother, brothers and sister
| His unseltishnesS was complete that he i'm
| pressed those who stood closest to him as
one OF those rare beings, who cognizant of
| the TACT that their stay i'll the W. rd must be
brief, see the needessness OF taking thought
for self.
| Two years ago consumption DEVELOPED
| Since then he has seen death approach as
steadily, as remOrselessly Poe's prisoner
saw contract upon him the iron wall. of his
prison. But he faced death with the same
compOsure, the same serenity that he had
faced life. Laying wise plans of business
whose frnition he well knew could not come
till long after he was dust, abating not one
lot OF his sprghtliness, regretting only that
he could not live long enough to place his
loved ones beyond all possibility OF future
| want, ne awaited undaunted the approach
of his first and last foe His mind grew
brighter, his heart warmer. his Judgment
even more unerring, his wit and humor keen
er and SUMNER every gift seemed intensified
as the end drew nearer
At length yielding to earnest entreaty
he went to Arizona last winter taking q
friend with him. But the fell disease being
seated in the throat the climate proved
unavalling Like his grandfather, Col c. C.
Blacknall, who died prisoner in the Fedora
hands and from whom he inherited his bright
est gifts, it was his fate to die far from home
beyond the reach of those who loved him
best. For the end coming suddenly, distance
| IN the latter case had proven as hostile as be
leaguering armies in the former to those who
sought TO reach him Fortunately magma
ton bridged the distance bringing him back
to his beloved home al kittrell In the nurse
he saw his mother in the football on the stair
he heard his father coming as of old to con
versein his room. Thus placdly he became one
/ with death, with that eternal mystery which
the ephemeral creeds of man have in success