The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-06-17
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

IWENt t-TtE lGHnS huO
p. H. Hewitt died in this city yester-
day afternoon. He had returned only
few weeks before from California
whittier he had gone in the hope that
change of climate would prove benef-
cial. He was disappointed in this and
came home to die His death was easy,
and he was conscious to the last.
Mr.. Hewitt was born in Coopers-
town, June /, 1857. He began teach
ing school when II years of age. He
attended the Oshkosh Normal school
for five months and the state 1niver-
sity one year, after having secured a
state certificate. He was married
October 2S, 1885 He was principal of
the Kiel High school for two years and
of the First Ward school of this city
for eight years.
Mr.. Hewitt was in large measure self
taught. Never did man labor more
industriously to enlarge his education
or work more conscientiously to in
struct others. His mind was of the
philosophc order and he built the
structure of his knowledge on well ac-
cepted principles. He learned early to
generalze, and the details of his work
had basis of indsputable and broad
facts. He was a great teacher for the
reason that everything he taught had
passed through the alembic of his own
experience and he was merciless in de
manding intellectual honesty of him
self. He could not slight duty be-
cause he had always held himself with
rigid exactitude to the performance of
every duty until it became second ma
ture to him. Study became his life
and to impart instruction the purpose
of his being. Though thorough in
everything, his habit of generalizing
gave expansion to his thought and his
horizon never became narrowed by his
absorption in his work.
He had the honesty of the student,
the moral stamina of the man who is
honest in his thought, the courage of
him who never fled from duty. The
life of such man is an inspiration to
the young; there is ever around him
an atmosphere of purity because intel
lectual integrity is always pure and
high conception of duty is ennobling.
He employed no arts to win the conf
dence of his students. He commanded
their respect by the elevated character
of his purpose and he became their
exemplar. Association with him taught
them to carry their conscience with
them and they needed no prOmptings
of the voice of authority to keep them
in the line of duty. He taught so as
to build character and thus laid the
foundation for useful and moral lives
He interested himself in everything
pertaining to the progress of the young
and even sought to implant higher
ideals in those whose minds were moi
immature. He was always a teacher
and to all people by the force of hi.
example as well as by his professiona
work. Every movement for the better
ment of society had his active support
and his name became a synonym fol
intellectual progress.
In this hastily written sketch il Is al
most impossible to do him justice or t.
deal with more than one feature of hi
character. The First Ward school Il
his monument. The young men ant
women who have quit that school will
purpose stamped upon their souls
strengthened by discipline and i'm
pressed with the belief that self-reli
ance, industry and intelligence, opei
the way to success,-these bear will
them memories of their teacher whicl
time cannot efface until time for then
shall be no more. His years were fey
but they were used with such littl
waste that the measure of performanc
is full. His devotion to his calling wa
such that he died martyr to n, an,
wherever he was known, his name vii
J be mentioned with reverence and re
lspect.