University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

Page 11 text:

To an Indian Arrow-Head , 34 Thou rough-hewn, rude barbed missive erude From unknown past, Wliat Nature,s child in savage wild Gave thee thy cast? Who fondly finger'd, proudly linger'd With loving eye O,er edges ragged, o'er barb so jagged, Ere cast thee by? VVhose strong bow-string first gave thee wing At heart of deerg And pulled thee out with savage shout And wildwood Cheer? VVhen first was dank thy cruel shank In crimson flood? VVho death-song sang while war-whoop rang As thou drankst blood? On whose bare back in snake-skin black lvast thou perchance At midnight taken 'mong camp-fires shaken In wild scalp-dance? And hearest thou yet the Spirit fret In mournful pine? Does Manitou speak to thee through The north wind's whine? And doth this stream with echoes teem Of once lov'd sound? Dance now for thee his pools i11 glee This sand-har lround? Unletter'd, rude, thy message crude Rings down the years Of battles wild when man, though child, Yet knew not tears. And he who finv'er,d, fondlv lin0'er'd ts N C3 And turn'd thee 'round Is i11 us wrapped as thou art lapp'd In this warm 0'1'0Ul1Cl. D 9 L A. P. H., 1.3. DU1-'Pu STEPHEXSON-HGIIIIHIC a chew! 9

Page 10 text:

Dr. W. fofmson N ISSUING this chronicle of the Hotsam and jetsam of the year 1911-12, we reverently set apart this page, with a befitting seriousness, for a brief record of the life of him to whom the volume is dedicated. Dr. Jolm VVesley Johnson was born at Richmond, Mississippi, April 5, 1852. His father, T. H. J. Jolmson, enlisted in the Confederate army and served as a faithful soldier until he lost his life in June, 1862. His mother met the responsibilities thus thrown upon her by teaching school. She prepared her son for entrance into the Pontotoc High School, from which school he entered the University of Mississippi in 1872. He spent four consecutive years here as a student, grad- uating with the degree of B.A. in 1876. Immediately after his graduation he was appointed Tutor and Librarian, serving in the capacity of the former until June, 1881. From 1881 to 1886 he was Principal of Johnson Institute at Booneville, Mis- sissippi. From that position he was recalled to the University and appointed Principal of the Preparatory Department. From 1889 to 1899 he was successively Assistant Professor of Mathe- matics and Natural History, Assistant Professor of Psysics and Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy. During this period he was absent from the University on leave for two years H890-92j, pursuing advanced study in Physics in the universi- ties of Goettingen and Leipsic. In 1892 he received his doctor's degree from the latter university. In 1899 he was made Pro- fessor of Physics: and from 1907 he was Professor of Physics and Astronomy. I-Ie died on August 29, 1911, in the city of Vhicago. His body rests in St. Peter's Vemetery in the town of Oxford with others who in former years gave, as did he, their best energies to the service of the University. As has been said by another, t'Dr. Johnson gave his service for others, and, like most men who so labor, he died early in the strugglcf' According to the measure of earthly life he should have been spared for another half-score of active years. Yet it happens that for five years before his death he was older than any other member of the faculty in the term of his labors. Dur- ing the twenty-eight years of his connection with the institution he gave himself devotedly to its welfare. Popular as he was in the class-room, his interest in the students did not end there. Nothing that touched their interests was foreign to his concern. He was patient with sho1'tcomings and assiduous in his efforts where help and encouragement might be most needed. He was charitable, generous and painstaking with those who might have loitered by the way but for the keen personal interest he mani- fested in their success. To those who did not need that special attention he gave an equal degree of care and service, stimulating enthusiasm for the work of his department. Dr. Johnson's interests and influence were not limited by his department, nor yet by the University. He was active in State educational meetings and was widely known and esteemed by the teachers of the State. He was zealous as a worker in the af- fairs of the community, devoted to his church and to its insti- tutions. His large and tender heart was revealed in his love for children. The children of his friends and the waifs on thestreet appealed to him alike. His gentle nature was manifest, too, in his love for music and for Howers. Indeed, to all things that touch the affections of men he was responsive. Gentleness, charity, devotion and loyalty to the institution he so dearly loved-these traits dwell in our memory as we affectionately join his name to the animal of the year 1911-12. Miss Basics When you grow sincere, you weary me. A Y Y ..4---. -. ....

Page 12 text:

he :QU V HIS is it: :xml we ot't'er it with the proverhinl fezxr :xml trexnhling :xml the eustonnxry hope th:xt you will nnni- nxixe its ni:xny clefeets :xml enxphnsize its few virtues. lvl- haxve heen nnieh interestefl in the hook :xml hope th:xt yoxl will weleoine its :xppe:xr:xnee, reeeving it with the kimlly imlulgenee ot' the fri:-ml r:xther thsxn the eynie:xl spirit of the eritie. Accept xt :xs the l:xst will :xml test:xnxent of' the SClll01'cllllSSL'SUfi l9l2. Yon ninst nmlerst:xml th:xt we lzxy no elzxinx to lllL'l'2ll'.V genius, hut only ot't'er this hook :xs :x t':xir reeorcl of the hzxppen- ings of' this selxolnstie year :xt the llniversity ot' llississippi, :xml we snhnnt that it ls free from :xll t:xetion:xhsxn :xml th:xt we h:xve aonrse, there will he er:'orsHhnt, rexm-xnller, these :xre not ln- tentionzxl. They :xre hut the evirlenee :xml result of huxnzxn rsxilty. It' you lnxve not hc-en given the proper pronxinenee, some ot' your nnxnv honors hzxve not heen enxnnerzxtexl, or your :une has heen xnisspellecl, eonxfort yourself' with the resolution lo :xicl next ye-:xr's stuff' to put ont :x hook ot' fewer errors. It' von :xre one who will return to the University next vezxr. we xonnm-ml them, whoever they nxzxy he, to your eonficlenee. iff -en proniptefl only hy the motive ot' the nnhi:xsecl histori:xn. Ut' it This ye:xr we have heen very fO1'tllll2ltL' in securing much v:xlu:xhle :xssist:xnee from stmlents, faculty :xml :xluxnniz :xml we gladly :xeknowleclge our xleht :xml express our grzxtitmle to :xll of those who h:xye :xiclexl us with their icle:xs, clrawings :xml literzxry proxluetions. Before we l:xy clown our pen :xml cleel:xre our work emlecl, we clesire to :xekuowleclg,ge further our great ohligatiou to the Bo:xrfl ot' Directors ot' Ole lIiss one which will most likely never he p:xicl. Yve hzxcl re:xcl how e:xrly liter:xry geniuses livecl in 4l:xrk :xtties :xml suhsisterl on less than h:xre necessities, hut we hzxcl thought-h:xcl hopecl4th:xt the present-1l:xy :xppreciution ot' literary-:xml unliter:xry-procluetions h:xcl renxovecl every oh- st:xc-le from the pzxths ot' :xll puhlieations. But we soon lx-:xrnecl th:xt the nxost serious prohlenx th:xt confronts Ole Bliss each ye:xr is the t'in:xnei:xl one. This ye:xr this prohlexn wzxs solvecl hy the t'orxn:xtion of the Bo:xr1l ot' Directors, the nxexnhers ot' which have s:xeritieerl personzxl fin:xnei:xl gain in orcler to insure the puhlie:x- tion of the Annual. Therefore, our grntitmle to the following gentlemen who eoxnpose the inenxhership ot' thzxt ho:x1'xl: RI. T. Alxlrieh, S. N. Ayres, Bailey, Blackwell. J. T. Brown, C'l:xrk, Vorrlill, Fohn, M. S. Conner, 1 :xrley, Foote, J. A. Hardy, Jor- IIo-l5.xm: Oxrs l'nx solid ivory. 4 Q- l .Q..-..-. ..,, A-...li -- -....- .li...- ,- - .., . --. W.. H - -,,., .