Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-05
DIR. W1LBERT PERRY FERGUSON.


In the death of DIR. WIbert Perry Ferguson
Honolulu and Hawaii lose an energetic, active
brilliant educator and Christian minister
Mills School, of which he had been the fOrceful
constructive and sympathetic principal fo
something more than a year. loses leader O
liability andinsght. -. ...s.a. ..... ....4
Y DIR. Ferguson came to Hawaii at financial
sacrifice, to accept an educational post tina
appealed to his intelligent imagination as al
opportunity furSrare and effective work in Thu
melting pot of races In his comparativel!
short term of service here he. made a frient
! of every. person he met and an admirer o.
everyone.who watched his broad gauge work
He had the virility and training to enter int
many sides of the community life; he took al
active interest in religious and social work
apart from his duties as an educator; he was {
public speaker of force and eloquence and {
writer whose contributions were always vel
coined by the island press. His addresses OF
public occasions were notable for patriotic
fervor and strong devotion to lofty ideals.
Arriving in Honolulu in September, 1913, tc
take the principalship Of Mills School, he soor
made his presence felt throughout the city
Not only did he bring to the school many years
Of experience in educational work, but genu
inc love for this work, and for those, whom he
came to lead.
His interest and belief in the Oriental stu
dents was deep and sincere. He left more re
munerative position in the East to come, tc
Hawaii to take up the work at Mills, from q
deep conviction that work here. in Christian
Oriental boarding school, offered the greatest
sphere of usefulness and influence that hecoulo
conceive of for man Of his training Hefel'
that Hawaii held strategical point in the fu:
fhre of the nations bordering the Pacific, and
that the students graduated from Mills Schoo
had opportunities for great leadership among
the peoples of their own countries, as well as
throughout these islands and upon the main
land.
S, In his last, public address, sermon at Cen
trail Union church, published in the Star
Bulletin on Friday, he said:
The greatest moral victory under our flag in 1914
was the adoption OF prohibition by five more states
including the Old Dominion state; also the surprls-
ing vote last week in the house of representatives
at washington the submission of constitutional
amendment providing for nationwide prohibition
when 1872 voted aye and 1S9 votel nay Thank zoo
for the rising tide OF indgnatlOn against tue amer
s. can saloon Some lincoln will soon arise to lead
national victory over our greatest curse ana
sorest disgrace. I ~
Two great commercial events have marked the
wear i'm Anne rica-the Ter-Centenary OF the opening
az commerce on the Hudson river and the opening
If the Panama canal. To Gladstones expression
america has passed England on canter In tne
~ race for commercial supremacy. This Is not mal
ter for pride and selfcongratulaton alone and neeo
- not necessarily beget materalism Commerce is
friend of liberty tends by exchange OF commouues
70 bring nations into neighbory spirit, ana SEEKS
ever 10 keep the peace Commerce also spreads the
eospel for charities, for education and TOT every
- Food work These celebrations Of commerce are
Therefore all-important and should specially sumu-
late our merchant marine and improve our trace
relations with Central and South America ana Oh
s The Pacific The Anglo-Saxon captured the Meol-
terranean as the early theater of world movements
then the Atlantic, so that in the worlds greatest
row hids fair to be supreme on the PACING TINS
means liberty schools, open Bible, and the nlgh-
est civilization.
Concluding his address, he said: 4 IS
In our individual lives we pause-pause to lament
our mistakes mourn sins and strip ourselves of
$ folljes without number. We pause to express graft
tude for our blessings and our hopes. We pause to
saook over our incomplete task and grid ourselves
10 resume it with better spirit greater skill and
more intense earnestness Our brief years will
tebut few things completed. Most men, like David,
IKE Mckinley like Lincoln, seem to pass away
when most needed David planned temple which
solomon built Did he therefore fail? God said,
Tbou doest well that thou hast planned house for
me" His purpose. even eunfulhiled, blessed his life
and its trueEt measure. 90 are our nSes valued
nv their purposes and motives and not by their
achievements On then. with thy task. AT evening
- IT shall be light" , , =. .
I,r ITerruson even as the men he spoke of