The guardian., 1952-11-29

II was a large and highly in
terested audience that was drawn
TO $50 Massachusetts, ave-, last
Sunday afternoon, by the an
nouncement that the S. Coleridge-
Taylor Musical Association, at its
fourth Sunday meeting, had in
vited a prominent physician OF
the city to be its guest and to
be told to his face just how his
life and accomplishments had
impressed his friends and neigh
bors. This is, I think, pleasant
and highly commendable inno-
walton - this fashion, which
seems to be gaining favor, Of
group extending praise and eul-
ogy to worthy individual while
he is still in the flesh and can
hear the nice things said about
him rather than waiting to ex-
press these fluctuations when he
is in his coffin and cannot hear
them. DR.. Walter o. Taylor was
the honored guest on this oc-
casion. Speakers eloquently ex-
tolled him first, as physician. |
They told how he had come to |
Boston way back in the early
wears of this century, when he
was a very young man, came here
to study medicine( was gradu-
ated from College of Physicians
and Surgeons in 1909) and to
practice it. A native of Johnson
City, Tenn, he had earned his
ABB. from Lincoln U. in 1902
(later his MAJ and his S.T.B. in
1905. He was a very handsome
young man land he still isl.
Some of us can remember his
entrance to a meeting of the old
st. Mark Musical and Literary
Union when it met at 1042 IRE
mont st., just beyond Douglass
Square. Hardly anybody knew
him. The presiding officer, her
self, had to ask him his name
when in the discussion he rose
and addressed the chair. In those
days there was no question peri
cd, but a discussion period when,
after the speaker had delivered
his address, anyone who desired
could rise, address the chair and
have three minutes to discuss the
subject, the speaker having the
last ten minutes for rebuttal. II
was on this occasion that DR.. Wal
ter Taylor gave the promise OF
that which was in him. So elo-
quently, with such a grasp Of the
speakers topic, did he speak
One would have thought he hao
consulted the speaker before
hand. The St. Mark Union wa:
one of the two public forums or
ganized by a young Harvard
graduate for the discussion o.
questions of the day. (The Other
was the Boston Literary and His.
torical Association.) These liter.
aries were always crowded. Why
should they have been other
wise? For there was no where
else to 60 on a Sunday after
noon or a Monday night. There
were no electric cars TO delivel
you quickly to your destination
there were no movies, no radio
or television, no cocktail parties
Maybe you wonder what younl
folks did do to amuse themselves
Well, fellow took his best CIR
to the country of Sunday wherl
they sat on the stone wall b.
the side Of the road and threw
been run out of town. But to &c
back TO DR.. Taylor. His affabl
manner won him friends, patient
began to come and soon he hat
gained a lively practice. He wol
the respect of his fellow prac
titioners and of the leading doc
tors Of the day. BY his earnest
ness, his patience and his careful
diagnosis he came to be consid
stones in the brook or up at tn
birds in the trees and they hell
hands. In those days it was un
thinkable for a couple to wall
down the street in broad day
light holding hands or with arm
clasped around each other. /
lust wasn't done. Had it beer
the offending couple would hay
cred most reliable, so that hi
practice grew and grew and b
= Is rated as one Of the most sue
oessful doctors of color here
abouts. Being a religious maj
Il think at one time he started
10 study for the ministry-yes
he won his S.T.B. from L.U. II
1sO5), naturally, when he came