Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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r. oseph McMurran Ill NIR. t'HARI.l4.N I-HISLLIN. Hli Nll'3llll'l'3.I1S who were of stnrtly Sc-oteh-Irish stock einigrzitefl to this eonntry :intl settleml in Jefferson county, Virginia. ahout 1775. The futher ot' the suhjeet of this sketch was :I memher of the Virginia legislature, :1 man ofwealth, prominence, influenee, high moral ehziraeter :intl nnhonntletl generosity. At his tleath in 1853 his pastor wrote of him that he haul servetl the church with great etlieieiiey as an eltler for thirty-five years. that he was at man of vigorous minfl. 11. large heart :incl earnest piety :intl was fnitliful at the family altar. It was in the home of this mam :mtl his w ife. lilizaheth Snodgrass. on their farm two and 11 half miles south of Shephertlstown that Joseph MeKIurran, their fourth ehiltl, was horn and renretl. There were eight other ehiltlren, three of whom tlietl in ehiltl- hoocl 3 hut of the five that survivetl Joseph was the oltlest son :intl to him his hrothers anrl sisters ever looketl up with love and mlmiration. When ten years of age he was sent to :i sehool not far from his home taught hy that good man and gootl teacher, John Hess. who tlitl so mueh for etlueation tlnring :1 long lifetime in Jefferson county. from whom the youthful 3Il'3llll'l'21l1 first imhihe-l the love of learning :intl who left the impress ol' his gootl strong eharzieter on his pupil. In later years Mr. BlC'NIlll'l'2lll would tell with evirlent eiijoynaent how he refusetl one tlay as ai hoy to go to school :intl how his father followewl him up the full two miles of the way quit-kening his lagging: steps with well tlireetetl uid from 3 strap till the Sehool- house was reaieheal. lt is neetlless to :nhl that Joseph never ohjeetetl to :HUM YH sehool again. :intl the patient perseveranee :intl energy tlisplayerl by the parent soon eoxnnninieateul themselves to the son who was ever after zulvanieiiig in learning nnfl in the pe1'fo1'n1:1nee of cluty. He also afterwzirtls rittentletl other sehools in the neigh- horhootl and among his schoolmates when he was sixteen years oltl were Rev. .Tohn ll. Clymer anal .luflge lJ.l5.l.ue:1s. though they were several years his juniors. Brought np in the nurture :intl avlmonition of the Lortl after this orthotlox I'i-eslwtei-i:n1fashion on catechism :incl switch he het-:ime a Christian in early life :mtl at eighteen unitetl on profession of his faith in Fhrist with the Shephertlstown l'reshy'teri:in t'hnreh of whieh his father haul long heen an honoretl eltler. He also soon flevelope-l into ai tliligent student :intl hesitles assisting the younger pupils in their stutlies so well prey-:iretl him- self that hy the time he was nineteen years of age he was remly for eollege. 19

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It was ln- who. as lwt'o1'e statwl, Wl10l1 i11 after yi-ars hc in his t111'11 l'C:4ilL!llQll the 0l1anCQllo1'sl1ip of llI10ll1CI' S11l1ll1Cl'1l l'11i1'01'sity'. wrotf- thc- 1'ol11111cs i11 which are I'0f'U1'IlGll lmoth l1is fi1ll1PI'lS sc-rvicos to 0Illlf'3.llI'111 ancl his own. lint tho years loft to thc V1-tc1'a11 l1l0IlCOI' wt-1'c low, and these wc-11' soon sanlileiienl hy ll1C1l1'i1ll1 of l1is wife 111111. lzltvr by l1is own ill-l1ealth, which, niontal i11 lcinil. i11- r':11111cita,t01l l1i111 for all work till the Plltl ca111ei- i11 1340. Of llr. lllafldcl as a 111'0acl101' it 1'0111:1i11s to lw saiwl that hc- was 0iil'Il0Sll 1'11ll10l' lllall Pl0qllf lll. sounil i11 1lo0t1'i11e, with no savor of s011satio11alis111. His merit was I'CCUg- nizml as early as 1307 anml ol1t11i11e4l for hi111 tho clegroe of l,JOCl0l' of DiVi11ity which was COI1f9l'l'9ll by the Collego of South C31'Ollll2l uncler thc- l1I'GSlll6'l1Cy of l11'. Maxi-y. His 50111141115 were o1'tl1o1lox. as thc wo1'1l ll1Oll ws'-11t, i11 lvngth as i11 1113llCl'. anal ile- vm-lopcwl, :wr-o1'1li11g to one 1lllll1lbI'llY, with Sllf'l1 lllllll1PSS11l14l formal precision as to ill11st1'at0 11C1'fQctly thc rnlvs laifl mlown in that Valle 11101-11111 of two ge11C1'atio11s of Slll1ll'l1lS, I3lai1 s Rln-to1'ic-. lint he l1CY0l'1Yl'0lPll1Cl1l out. and the notes wc-rc I1Clll10ll i11 C'llH1l'2ICl0l'S so ininntv anil 1N,'C1lll3,l' that, llllhfillgll 801110 hart- 1101111 pl'0SOI'X'Cll hy his f1'iv111ls, thvir l11PI'll is still to he ac'c'c11tc1l upon other than l11lQI'I12ll vviileiicv. But i11 1113111 ways his Ilflllll' work still lives. H0 was :1 1111111 whose- i11flu011c-0 l1Ot only c'ou11t0cl for goml. hut was 111'llfO1ll1ll anwl lilbilllllgf, anml i11 Qve1'y walk of lifc. but especially ll1I'01lQl1 tho tout-l101's, lJl'PfiCll0I'S, anfl public 1114111 who sat 1111416-1' l1i111 Sl'llKl9lllS, thc p1'0c0pts i111l,1il1Q1l anfl the cxalnplcs given l1i1YP Iwi-11 l1'HllS111lllOll to ll10l1S3.I14lS of otl1c1's. Sll1'Olj' lJ1'. Hoses lvfltlflill ilosf-1'1'0s to rank HIIIHIIQ om' :x11lC'l'lf'il11 XYUl'll1l9S of Imth C'l1111'cl1 and Starr-. Sonnet to the Moon Thou shining orb of silver, fair and bright, Set in the spacious firmament so free, A million balls of fire have hid from thee: 'Tis not thyself that is so fair and brightg Nor canst thy cold dark form give light and life: Thou art a frozen mass all heaped with snow, And doth but reflect to our dark world below The glorious sun, that makes thee fair to-night. And so it is with every noble life That cloth eclipse its weaker fellow men, Appears above the worlcl's ' ignoble strife, ' And up to heaven its weary way cloth wendg That life is but a mirror of God's grace And 'tis His holy life that we can trace.- 18

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H1- w1-111 first 111 1l1-l11w111'1- C11111-gf-. 1111-11 111 l'11i1111 011111-Q1-, X1-w Y1ll'li, 111111 fi1111llyi11 18511 111 113111111ll'll-S11lllf'j' 011111-Q1-, Yirgiiiia. XYll1'l'1'11010111111 :111 that was 111-1-111-11 t11 satisfy his i11t1-111-1-t 111111 lll'2ll't. H1-11s1-11 111 1'1-11111-1111wi11t1111s1-1lays111- 111111 111 make 1111-j11111'111-y flllflll l1i1'11111111111 l1y 1-1111111 1111111 all 1111- way up 111 11111-11i11g1111111 1-1111111y 111111 1111-11 1l1'i1'1- 111-1'11ss 1111- f'11ll111I'Y 111 thc Hill. 111- 111111111011 at 111-, TQ-l'I'3'lS 111 1'1'i111-1- 1'I1lw111'1l 1'11111'tl11111s1- 11111w XY1lI'Sll3l1l1, 311111 w11ll11-1l f'Y0l'y llily 111 1-11111-531-. He 11.11111 1111- 1-11111's1- i11 tw11 y1-a1's. g1':1,111111ti11g i11 1852 with 1111- 111-11111-111ic 111-Q11-1-111'A.1S.. 1'1-1-1-iyi11g 11ft1-1' s111111- years 111s11 w1111t was 1111-11 1111- 111111111'111'y ll1'gl'1'l' uf .-1.31. That 1-11111111-111 111'111111' ailllll i11s11i1'i11g 11-111-111-1'. 1,1-wis XY. 1111-1-11, was 1'1'1-si111-111 111 1111- ti1111-. 111111 111111111g 11is1'1-11-1111s ill 1-11111-ge BlC'3llll'I'1lll 11111111.11-1'1-11 Phil BlClill1l1f'f'. Rich- 111'11 M1-llwai111-. T. YV. H1111111-1: 1'I. H.H111'1li11g,T1111111asW11a1'1-y111111A.lY.l'itz1-1-. With such 11111111-1101-s 111111 11ss1.11-i111Qs 11111111111 111111 1111 Xvllllflfxl' 111- f111'111e1l Tl19ll 1111 a1'1l1-111 at- tac-111111-111 f111' H3IlllJllL'll-SlllllQj' that 11111y grew st1'1111g1-1' thc j'1'31'S Wfxlll l1y. H1- was 111111-1' 1111111 11111st 111 1111- Stlllllxllls :illfl 1111-y 111111 g1'l'l'lll 1'1-spc-1-1 111111 111v1- llill' 11i111. H0 was f11111ilia1'ly 1c1111w11 111 11is 1'1'i1-1111s as .11111111c'. 1111111-1' which 1111111 111- 1111111113 111- aft1-1'w111'1ls 11111-11 1-1111t1'il1ut1-11 111'ti1-11-s 111 1111- HlilllIl1lCIl-Slllllfxf' .lI11y11z1'111'. Dr. R11-11111'1l M1-l1w11i111-, 1111- 1'1'vsi11011t 111 H1l1l1lJ1lGI1-Sl1l1lC'j' C1'1111-ge. 111-sc-1'i111-s 11i111 as 11 p1'11111111111'1-11 C111'is1ia11, 1111 1-xcc-1111111 st111l1-111. 11 1111111 11f i1'1'e1.11'1111011111119 1-1111111011-1'. p11-asant i11 all 1111- 1'1-1ati1111s 111 s1111l1-111 1it'1- 111111 il lilllcllfllfv, gf-11i111 fC'llUW.l' HQ says again. HT111- 1111-11 111' his 11w11 1-lass. 1111: M1'1lwai111- was i11 lllfl class 111-111w1. wh1'1111 I 1111ve 1111-t 111 11111-1' life- always spoke- 111' 11i111 1lffC'f'll111l3lClf'. M1-Iii11111-y 111111 1111- highest 1-1-galwl llfll' 11i111, 111111 1 rf-1111-111111-1' 11i111 11111y wit11 I'1l92lSlll'0.u XV11i11- M1-Iii11111-y was 111111-1'11111' 111' Yirgiliia. 111- 11101 .1111111-s. 1111- 111111111-1' 111' .lose-1111 lll!'Nllll'I'Z1Il. 1111 11110 111'casi1111 111111 s11i1l 111 11i111, 't T1-11 .111111ac, 1'l1 11111 111- s11tisf'i1-11 till 111- 1-111111-s 111 pay 1111- 11 yisitat111y11111111-i11l1ic1111111111l. 1112 T. XY. H1'11'1p1-1', pastm' 111' 1111- l'1'1-sl1yt1-1'ia11 Clll1l'C'l1 at C111'is1ia11sl1111'g. Ya., w1'i11-s, Mc-N1111'1'1111 111111 1 XVCF1' 1-11111-gv 1111111-S a111l 1111111,qh 1 1111 11111 11-1111-111111-1' 1-V1-1' sc-1-ing 11i111 si111-1- 111- gg1'a1l11a11-11 11 yllill' 111' tw11 11111-1111 111' 1111'-. I always rf-1111-111111--1'1-11 11i111 as 11 Vl'l'j' WHI'lll f1'i1-1111. H1- w11s El g11111l s111111-111 111111 11X0IlllJl2'tl'j' in f'Vf'l'f' way 111111 1 11111111 1111111 1111 111'111111'. Half I1 1-1-111111'y 111111 1'11ll1-11 hy si111-1- lllfxj' 111111 11111-1011 1111 1111- Hill whf-11 11111- 1l11y 111: R11-1111111 N11-11w11i111- 1-111110 111 S111-p111-1'1lst11w11 111111 app1'11111-l1i11g B11-3I111'1'a11 1111 1111- st1'1-1-t, i11 f1'1111t 11f his 1111111 s1111'1- 111111 f'Xf011lllllQI 11is 1131111 1'1-111a1'k1-11, WY-11, 11111 fc-1111w, it is 11 long 1i1111- si111-1- I 11111-1-sc-1-11 you 111111 I haw- 1-111110 a long way 111 s1-1- y1'111. Mc- M111'1'a11. i11t1-11t1y sc-a1111i11g 1111- 1111011111 p1'1-ssf-11 l1is 11a1111 111111 sai1l i11 l1is 1:i111l way C111111- i11. M1'. I alll glad 111500 you, iillll 1111-y sp1-111. 11 plc-asant clay 111111-1111-1'. Hr- 11.w1-11 ah11v1- 1111 things 111 talk 11f H31111311011-SlCll1l'j', a111l lilly 11111- that 1111111 1111 11111-1'1-st i11 1111- 1-11111-110 111- 1111111 s11'aig11t 111 11is 111-art. H0 was i11s11'11111f-111111 i11 111'g1111- izing th1- .11-fff-rso11 Cfllllllj' Ha111p1l1-11-Si1l111-y A11111111i Associatioli 111111 was 11111119 its Pre-sid1-111 111111 hr-lpf-11 11.1 sr-1111 S1-vc-ral stu1l1-111s 111 1-11111-gr from his 1'111111ty. Some ye-ars lwfnrc- his 111-a111 111- ma111- 11 gift. 111 1111- 011111-gc lll7l'3l'j' 111' a h11111l1'1-11 and fiftf-1-11 1111111111-s that h1- 111111 1-11111-1-1911 flllflflg 11 lflllg' pc-1'i111l, a1111111g the-111 11 full set of 20