The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
By Woddy Thompson

do
had been half an hour before on the
ball ground / have seen a class of
twelve or fifteen in spelling or history
or arithmetic or Latin SO intent upon
the recitation, so forgetful of the fact
that they were in school, and the en-
tire school so intent upon the class,
that cheers and clapping of hands both
by Horner and by the entire school
broke forth spontaneously upon the
successful answer Of a difficult ques-
ton by some faVorite of the school.
While conducting recitation Mr..
Horner was oblivious to everything
else around him. When the recita-
ton began, he sat in his chair. AS it
proceeded he warmed up with inter-
est and excitement, appealing now to
this pupil, now to that, with some
quick, sharp suggestion adapted to
each He gradually arose from his
chair half erect, leaning forward
with intense interest eyes sparkling,
face all aglow, arms spread out much
like an auctoneer excitement of in
terest growing and frequently culmi-
mating in violent clapping of hands,
loud shouts of appreciation, or hearty
burst of laughter evoked by some ri
diculous response. The boys in the
class were similarly excited, some
were sitting, some standing, some
entirely unconscious of everything ex-
cept the subject before them. 1t was
a genuine intellectual frolic, a game
of mental foot ball wherein this
great Hercules and the little pigmies
around him tumbled and scrambled
together on terms OF equal enthusiasm
and absolute equality. This was Hor-
Iner's great power Every colt that he
trained reached the full limit of it's
speed on the track.
Mr.. Horner was no disciplinarian,
and rarely punished. Dull boys he
ridiculed, abused and drove from
school. Bright boys We're anxious for
the daily match game on the intel
lectual grid-iron. and were busy train
ing for the conflict. There were no
rules of conduct or order in the room.
The Senate of the United States would
have barred out Daniel Webster about
as soon as his school would have barr
ed out James H. Horner. No personal
indignity could possibly have beeen
offred him. Dull boys held him in
fear, reverence or hatred. Bright
boys were friendly. admiring and even
familiar From them he endured, and
even enjoyed, a moderate amount OF
intellectual audacity and impudence.
He was exceedingly fond of real wit,
humor or fun; and keenly relished a
joke, even on himself. 1t was q great
pleasure to see him laugh. His whole
body shook with enjoyment; his pleas.
ure was hearty, unreStrained, natural,
and contagious. 1 have seen an urchin
of ten years audaciously and with i'm
punity remind him that even he some
times made mistakes and that he
might not be as smart as he consider
ed himself. Such a reminder was re-
ceived with the greatest good nature;
and the humor of it enjoyed most
heartily. In old age, when his brain
was wearing out and the balance of
faculties was i'll preserved his symap-
thy with bright, small boys was fire.
quently shown by shielding them from
punishment when violating the rules
of the school, now under a new and
different management He possessed
no executive ability He was not a
man of business. His chief joy and
his chief power was in the intellect
ual development of bright pupils He
Iaimed at nothing short of absolute ac-
curacy and thorOughneSs. One
of his pupils remained in school five
years without getting higher than the
Freshman class. The Senior class
rarely contained over three members.
Promotion depended entirely upon
scholarship. There was no compro-