The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-13

It is happy fact that the days of chiv- airy are still alive and breathing their notilityi We could say this before the
 "Titanic'' disaster and, thank God. to the glory of the Anglo-Saxon, we can say it after And it will not stop with us. There Is not one of us so engrossed in the details of his own activity, so unsym- pathetic towards the work and the life of his fellow, so uncharitable to living virtue, as not to feel in his soul every thrill of admiration for the heroes and heroines of the ''ritanic" In their noble courage and supreme self-sacriice. But we know one hero above all others -one soldier hero who owned the na- tion's heart. No better son had proud Sewanee than Archibald Willingham
 Butt. Our Archie.' We saw him last
 when he brought the President with him in November to see ''his" college. Se-
 vance was happy to see the President,
 but welcomed "her Archie" as only a mother could. He said the visit brought the early days back to him; the days when he and his lived on the mountain together, and when the old Delta Tau Delta Chapter house was a hoppy meet ing place for him and his fraternity bI others.
 In those days Mrs. Butt was for a time the university librarian and the family lived in the library building, which is now the Hodgson infirmary. It was perfectly natural for Mrs. Butts sons to gain a liking for books. Archie especially was fond of reading and would often become interested in books that his fellow stu dents had not heard of. He was never more pleased than when he found he was the only one who had read a certain book and that he could put 1t all over' the other fellow. But the "other fellow" soor didn't give Archie the chance and he would be ready with a good laugh to his q read book this morning." and the tale would never be told by Archie. He was a good deal of dreamer in his college days and something that was away from the thing at hand was always bet
 ter for him. And so he did not follow the regular prescribed courses. but would bob ul5 serenely now in English, now in Latin and again in modern languages. But he lived with books, and had the reading habit, so that his six years at Sewanee were by no means wasted. Though 3 dreamer Ire was not a visionary. He was the kind of dreamer that glides softly, quietly, smoothly on, but explores just the same. A progressive dreamer, shall we call him? For true, he loved to keep things moving, always advancing.
 He had an unusual ability for starting, or for concentrating any movement, and in times of stress with his command of tact he was quite a peacefnaker. He knew just how to smooth this fellows ruffled feelings. or touch up that fellow who might not be doing all he could.
 Ifo o monthly magazine called "The Cap and Gown" published by the students. This magazine was devoted to long disserta- tions on Truth, Virtue. etc, or to essays on exceedingly uninteresting doctrinal subjects. The progressive dreamer Butt came along and gave expression to. his ideas in little paper called "The Connoisseur," which was printed daily. during the commencement week. This paper dealt with up-to-date happenings and proved evry popular. It later grew into "The Sewanee Times which sup planted "rhe Cap and Gown" magazine, and this in turn. some years later, devel- oped into "The Sewanee Purple," which today is the weekly student publication of the University of the South. It was just here that Butt showed his ability as. an enterprising organizer ,and to him
 what may be called tbe new Journalistic movement at Sewanee Is credited. To his interest in this paper and to his wide reading may be traced some of his later success as newspaper man.
 Archie was in every activity that de- manded any artistic ability and he was esreciallv fond of dramatics His Tong gargly expression Gas darky described him them can easily be noted in the col lege dramatic club pictures of his day. He was in his element at social functions and usually 1t was his decorative talent that made his fraternity house so at- tractive at reception times. It is rather curious that he had a strong dislike for the military department of the university. though thls was more or less general with the students, and on the occasion of his first promotion from private to a corporal he Immediately re- signed the higher standing. At that time the Juniors were obliged to drill and the Cownsmen, or Seniors. were exempt, so Butt worked with all his might to be- come a Gownsman, and was happy fel- low when at length he could stand off and watch the other students on parade He could laugh at them, but he would never place himself in a position where ''the laugh was on him" He had too much tact for that.
 Archie was freckled faced and red headed. and like most red headed fellows he was as loyal as they make 'em Let anything be said against a friend and he was up in arms, and in a way, too, that was most discomforting to the off, fender.
 Archibald Butt worked for everything he got and he was always working at something. Many Augusta people to this day will remember how a certain sandy paired boy diligently performed any jobs that willing lad can do for a widowed mother The present Episcopal bishop of Florida had a parish on "The HILL" when the Butts lived in Augusta and had al- ways an interest In Archie He selected him for the ministry and with this pur- pose in view he arranged for him to at tend the University of the South But in the six years at Sewanee in the aca- demic department he became more deep ly interested in newspaper work than in arrthi~e else and immediately after he left college we find him an active worker on the Louisville Courier-Journal
 It has been 30 years since Major Butt entered the University of the South and yet 1t was strange how close we all felt to him the moment he returned It did r-t. E..fx