The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-20

Iwhat one learned or appeared to learn
| if he failed to understand, and the boys
| never met him in the school room that
could cajole or deceive him as to what
that boy knew about mathematics. The
result was that in these two branches in
particular however, his pupils went. to
college or University, even though in
many instances they had not progressed
nearly so far as their fellow class mates
they were always able to take up the
| work and to move along with their class
readily making up minor deficiencies and
standing up among the first of the class
1 if thew worked, because they understood
| They had learned the lesson that there
lis no true learning without understanding
| Pubbiing over with humor himself,
whenever an amusing incident occurred
in the school room, he would join his pu-
pills is ready. spontaneous and hearty
| laughter which was allowed full range
| for a few moments and then it was
matter to be forgotten and not to inter
| fere with duties. Affectation, when pre-
| scented to him in such a manner as to
show that there was probably some char
acteristic behind it which needed cutiva-
| ton or restraining became a subject Of
lridcule or sober seriousness wherein very
often a great lesson was taught, not only
to the Individual. but to the class. FIRE.
quently it would be only a word or two,
Il sentence or two. Sometime he would
stop, turn down the open face of the
book before him and with a little gesture,
which was characteristic of him. indulge
in sober conversation for two or three
minutes with a character and power,
force and influence that can never be
measured. FurI laughter humor and
jokes were his to use to point moral,
to Illustrate a principle, to ridicule
foible, to emphasize a fact, and yet this
writer has never known man who could
be sterner. who could be more fixed and
determined and more thoroughly free
from everything that indicated softness,
when dealing with wrong a fault in
volving moral principle, or a question
| of true discipline He loved his pupils
and firmly believed with Solomon: "He
that spareth the rod, hateth his child"
He believed that children without proper
decipline had not the proper respect for
authority, whether in the home, the
school, church, or State.
In social circle he was the moving spirit
of every gathering. There was a freedom
about him that was contagious in every
company But no matter how frivously
inclined might be the company, it seemed
as if his presence always checked such
spirits as would trespass proper bounds.
| He was a faVorite with all ages, from
| the oldest to the children, and even in
| the carriages on the street little children
were accustomed to recognize him, even
| at a distance and would often call out:
There goes Bush being too young to
call his full name. He regularly visited
more homes than any other man who
ever lived here and he was royalty well
come wherever he went
After he retired from active school
work which he had promised to do, and
decided to do, year before his stroke of
paralysis, having no blood relation in
this community, the question naturally
| arose in his mind as to whether or not
he would remain here permanently. He
frequently stated that here he had spent
the best part of mis- life, here were his
best friends. here was all that was NOR
tai of his wife and child, here he wished
OF die and here to be buried. His wfe's
people being of this community, she was
buried in their burying ground, South
erland) about three and one-half miles
from town. It is a source of some regret
to his friends that they could not place
him in our cemetery near at hand where
his grave could always be under their
supervision. Already there is evidence
of spontaneous impulses to his memory
honor and friends and pupils are casting
about for way to honor him in a monu-
ment to be erected here where his labors !
were.
For the information of his friends and
pupils scattered far and wide it may be
best to give some details of his life since
quitting the school room in 1900. He was
chairman of the Board of Education of
Scotland county for nearly four years
and attended to the duties of that office
we'll bringing to it we'll poised mind
fund of good common sense that enabled
the Board of Education to organize and
promote the interest of the schools of
Scotland county as perhaps no other man
could have done. He knew that his end
would be as it was. He loved his friends
and wished to remain with them, God
willing. He loved his God as he loved
nothing else and next to Him, his church, |
and to the struggling Baptist church of
this place he gave his means, his time
and his energy as no other man has ever
given, He was not a sectarian and
throughout all mis- character rs ="
there is not one of his pupils who can
say that his teachings were other than
broad, strong and true and absolutely
free from sectarian bias and l write this
as one who was not of his denomination
and whose church faith is not even close /
ly allied.
He was stricken or Sunday afternoon, !
having attended service that day ana
Monday at 2:2O o'clock the silent ferry |
man moved out with his spirit. On Tues !
day at O'Clock he was borne by loving
friends to his church. whore all of the
pastors of the town, together with Rev. |
a. McGeachy, of Missouri, former pu- !
pill of his, conducted the services. The !
congregation was larger than the church
could possibly hold and almost as large
number, knowing that they could not
find entrance in the church. proceeded to
tho grave There was hardly one in that