The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-11

chell for president OF the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute. ! do not know
that il is quite fair TO our sister State
Of South Carolina TO wish her 10 SIT
render the excellent service Or. NIL
chell is performing as president OF the
State university, but ! am quite sure
that The cause OF education in VIZ
ginia would be greatly enhanced p>
his identification with the COLLEGIATE
work Of our state Ny heart echoes
hearty amen 10 the encomiums or your
correspondent ] have for long time
regarded Dr. Mitchell as one OF the
South's leading constructive mea lie
is an erudite scholar. thoroughly IN
loxe with the cause or education anu
the consequent welfare and progress
Of the Southland. He is practical. en-
ergetic. ambitious for his coantrys
welfare. conservative and. altogether
well poised. all-around valuable man
He has the faculty Of difusing cheer
fulness and faith in the ranks of the
good causes he espouses. while his
genial nature and araollty WINS anu
holds friends.
A few days ago there came into my
n ands a little tract, which is reprint
from the Charleston Courier. Of re-
markabie biography from the pen or
Dr.. Mitchell 1t is the story-all the
details Of which are personally known
TO the writer Of the biography-of the
wonderfully heroic and successful
struggle Of a backwoOds poor boy,
whose resoIute and unyielding purpose
10 secure an education trNrnpbed %
poverty and dire drawbacks. and placed
him high up in the ranks OF our ma
tfon's educators. This boy was the
chief dependence Of his aged parents,
and titled the soil Of little piece OF
land In the day and read ana studied
~ torchlight At night
In the late fan. after the little COT
ton crop had been picked out he would
90 on foot to the richer valley scction
of Mississippi and pick cotton iar INTO
the winter, To enable the taulit 10 cH.
ont A Iivin$ For a month and na!i
he had the opportunity OF tuition oN
a teacher who lived seven miles from
the bov's home. and the determines
soul walked this distance, lie hnsliS
worked his way into ana through MlS
sissippi college. was offered the presl-
dencv Of the institution. but preterre"
to 90 TO Johns Hopkins University 10
extend his studies in his CHOSEN Heiu
remained there three years, Wlhiiihe
4 $500 fellowship and the dcsi'" ~
Doctor Of ITlosophy-spend ms
srr,mars in Europe. where he made
special investigation IN lta!E GU
France. was called to a chair in BrS II
Nayvr. and I'm a year thereafter was III
vited to Leila nd Stanford Cnivers'fy' III
California. and is now factor IN ~
educa tionsl and religious INC u -.
is his narncb Is also an autno'' an
pr Mitchell has received puolicat1ui'e
in the German and ltaban iahe
from, these respective countries "'"'
inc our her"'s name. ... 80.
This is but 2 brief and imperfect sy
,o,sie Of IN. wonderful true story. :"
sirnnlv and yet SO graphically Wrl"' y
ny pr Mitchell. and 7 have tho"e ~ -
worth while ~ thus refer 70 !. - a.,
ire,iratiou 10 some struggling stuceh,,
,.-bo NAV poSsihly read this art,fls- az
-. i,,fi,s,iou Of the burning desire oi
,hc author 10 inspire hope and deter M
r.tion We'll does DR.. Mitchei So
j., Ms nreface- The greatest spcc'd'''
on earth is stalwart man stru s l'n-
9TH diversity. This is what app',a., -
:. The American heart in trahhlt' !.
sas.;ns.inu~ autobiography" his ser
bcfn his slow climb from hu no.'
nI.ce 10 power. intellectual and pol'.'
al Among the treasures 81 ki'"'"",'u
College is = receipt for s3.se. given "s
.,drcw Johnson. Tennessee tdltvi
fo- making a coat Georgetown -
ic,-c Ky likewise has receipt -
:. 40 for tho conduct OF case IN cou,
signed by Henry Clay. thcn 1-St ne
inr = start in the professor, WIZ RI,
rs destined so greatly 10 aoVIn- ~,
80. the seals Of our greatness iNe
- ~ host government which slN's
cvcrv man 4 chance. and caretIs -.
a. these are proofs Of the it"i'i'9'
-ossibilifies OF an American pos' ~
,,stt.r b.u moor or obscure ne may -
,rcvided n. has ability energy %h' "
robic pfrpoSc. Here Is concrs't
stance. tho facts Of which arr NJ ~
10 me personally" Chen io""NS
,y~iili,g story 81 JohnstonD
w. NJ. BfCKbkS
rf~fu,ond Va