The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
DR.. J. H. CARLISLE
HIS MARVELLOUS INFLUENCE ON
YOUNG MEN.
Possibly the Great Business Of Teach.
ing May Get Some Hint From
This Simple Store.

If you were to go to the town of
~Spartanburg, s. c., says Worlds
Work, and spend an evening In the
house of any man who lives there,
the conversation would be sure TO
turn to DR.. Carlisle; and, If you
should happen to go to the home Of
any one who has a direct personal
interest in Wofford college which
is situated at one end of the town,
the chances are that most Of the
talk Of the evening would be about
Dr.. Carlisle. If you happened to be
at the college at a commencement
time, you would hear a reverent AMI
| affectionate allusion to DR.. Carlisle
in every public address, and
you nigh see every class
that comes back to Its reunion
go to his house IN a body
to express their affectionate obli-
cation to him.
And who is DR.. Carlisle? A man
who went to the college as a teacher
Of Astronomy and moral science"
in 1854, when it was founded, and
who has been there ever since, !
part Of the time as teacher, a pare
of the times as president and again
as teacher. He still meets his class
es once or twice a week even at his
advanced age. Doubtless neither
philosophers nor astronomers regard
him as a great contributor to their
departments of learning. Yet it Is
doubtful whether there be an astron-
omer or philosopher at any institu-
ton or in any community in 'ur
whole land who has exerted so str 3
an influence upon the young men
who have come in contact with him.
They do not say that he taught them
astronomy or that he taught them
philosophy, but they do all bear
testimony to his giving them In great
er measure than any other man q
right adjustment to life and a moral
uplift-a kind Of influence that
oldest of his pupils, who are now
themselves far on in middle life,
remember with an affection that has
grown since their youth; and,
throughout the area Of the colleges
influence, men and women say, I'VE
must send our sons to Wofford col
lege because DR.. Carlisle Is there"
He is now an old gentleman, of
great dignity of character and o!
speech, of wide if desultory reading,
but. not of the modern type Of schol-
arship. He is not an orator, and
yet, until a few years ago, he had the
habit of delivering a public lecture
once a year or oftener in the town,
and anybody who did not go to hear
him lost standing in the community
by his absence. These lectures were
lay esrmon, but everybody received
them as a sort Of half-inspired de-
liverance. he has lever held a pub
lie Office, except that he was a mem
Der of the Secession convention In
South Carolina and is the only sur
viving member but one, and he is
said to have called this adventure
a piece of boys foolishness. He was
never a preacher, but always only
a teacher, and what he taught best
was neither science nor literature,
but character.
The story is told of a man in
Texas who met a visitor from Spar
tanburg. The first question he asked
was, do you know DR.. Carlisle?"
Yes" said the other. Are You
going back to Spartanburg?"
yes" "Well, 1 wish you would
give DR.. Carlisle by most affection
ate regards, remind him that I was
dismissed from college for miscon'
duct in spite of his effort to save
me, tell him that l came to Texas and
for several years l tried my best to
go to the devil by various roads, but
that l did not succeed, because before
l got far l always saw his finger
pointed at me and heard his voice,
and they restrained me. He may be
glad to hear this"
Possibly the great business o.
teaching may get some hint from
this simple story. .