Ohio History Journal




PROGRAM

PROGRAM.

 

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS,

HENRY A. WILLIAMS,

President of the Club.

 

INVOCATION,

REV. IRVING MAURER.

 

"LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT,"

DOUBLE QUARTET,

Messrs. Karl Hoenig, John M. Sheridan, Ray R. Smith, Frank T. Well-

ing, A. M. Calland, Harold G. Simpson, W. D. McKinney

and Wm. A. Vause.

 

RANDALL, OUR PRESIDENT,

OSMAN C. HOOPER,

Secretary of the Club.

 

RANDALL AND THE OHIO SUPREME COURT,

HON. HUGH L. NICHOLS,

Chief Justice Ohio Supreme Court.

 

RANDALL, THE ARCHAEOLOGIST-HISTORIAN,

HON. JAMES E. CAMPBELL,

President Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society.

 

RANDALL AND THE CITY LIBRARY,

JOHN J. PUGH,

Librarian City Library.

 

RANDALL, SON OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,

COLONEL W. L. CURRY,

Past President Ohio Sons of the American Revolution.

 

RANDALL, THE MAN,

HON. DANIEL J. RYAN.

 

"NEARER MY GOD TO THEE,"

DOUBLE QUARTET.

 

BENEDICTION,

DR. JOSEPH S. KORNFELD.

(82)



RANDALL MEMORIAL MEETING

RANDALL MEMORIAL MEETING.

Mr. Henry A. Williams, president of The Kit-Kat Club, in

opening the meeting, said:

Ladies and Gentlemen, Members and Friends of the Kit-Kat

Club:

For the first time since this Club was organized in October,

1911, we have assembled in memorial session. Remarkable as it

is that for more than eight years death should not have invaded

our membership, it is still more remarkable that when he finally

struck, he struck among our noblest, and took away our President,

-our revered friend and beloved member, Emilius O. Randall.

It is hard to speak in measured terms of Mr. Randall. He

touched life in so many and varied activities, and touched nothing

that he did not brighten and make better, so that no phrase seems

fitting for him, save words of eulogy. He was an ideal citizen,

an ideal neighbor, an ideal friend, and ideal in all the endearing

ties of domestic life.

It has been beautifully said that "Since all must die, how

glorious it is that some may die in an undying cause." Mr. Ran-

dall died in the undying cause of devotion to truth, and fidelity

to all that was highest and best. His creed of life was service.

He was never too busy or too fatigued to give himself without

stint or reserve to any call that might make even the humblest of

men brighter, better or more content. And so he came to the

end of life.

It may well be said of him, as was said of Mordecai in

Daniel Deronda:

 

"Nothing is here for tears; nothing to wail

Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt,

Dispraise or blame; nothing but well and fair

And what may quiet us in a death so noble."

 

Rev. Irving Maurer, pastor of the First Congregational

Church, of which Mr. Randall was a member, will offer the

invocation.

(83)



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INVOCATION.

 

BY REV. IRVING MAURER.

0 God, bless us in this hour with worthy memories. We

thank Thee for the life of this friend of ours, for his genial

presence and his noble heart. We thank Thee for his faith in

the simple virtues, for his confidence in the ways of the people,

for his trust in Thee.

Grant to us, as we think of him in this fellowship of kindred

spirits, a more steadfast loyalty to the institutions which were

dear to him, that for each of us life may hold more courage and

cheer.

May Thy peace attend our thoughts of him, and may he not

have lived in vain. For Thy name's sake, Amen.

The double quartet from the Republican Glee Club, of which

Mr. Randall was an honorary member and at whose banquets

he had often served as toastmaster, then sang:

 

LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT.

Lead, kindly light! amid th' encircling gloom,

Lead thou me on;

The night is dark, and I am far from home;

Lead thou me on;

Keep thou my feet: I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me.

 

So long thy power has blessed me, sure it still

Will lead me on

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till

The night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile

Which I have loved long since and lost awhile!

 

Mr. Williams, in introducing Mr. Osman C. Hooper, said:

As I have have stated, Mr. Randall, at the time of his death,

was President of the Kit-Kat Club. He was one of its most

active members, and his papers, read at its meetings, were always

models of entertainment and instruction, setting a mark of per-

formance so high that they were a source of inspiration and

despair to those who followed.



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Emilius Oviatt Randall.              85

 

It is fitting that Mr. Hooper should speak for the Club on

this occasion. Mr. Hooper is a charter member of the Club, was

its first President, and has been for many years its Secretary and

active Executive. I have the privilege of presenting Mr. Osman

C. Hooper.

 

RANDALL, OUR PRESIDENT.

 

BY OSMAN C. HOOPER.

Secretary of the Kit-Kat Club.

The Kit-Kat Club meets today in sorrow. Death has entered

our circle and taken our President, Emilius Oviatt Randall who,

whether the mood was of laughter or tears, was our friend of

unfailing sympathy; a leader of our thought, and a promoter of

our companionship. His coming to the Club presidency -an

office given unanimously and joyously because there was none

other whom it fitted so well- had been the assurance to us all

of a pleasant and profitable year. He had planned the year's

schedule with care and had begun a service that promised the

fulfillment of every wish for a flawless fellowship in the consid-

eration of themes worthy of us and in full keeping with our pur-

poses as a Club. He presided at the first meeting in October,

bravely and uncomplainingly enduring, as he did so, the first

suffering of a fatal disease. When he left that gathering, it was

to return no more to our circle and never to resume the active

work of his profession. Save for a few occasions when he was

permitted to ride out, he was for weeks confined to his home or

the hospital. But his thoughts were with us as ours were with

him. Out of his weakness and pain, he gave counsel in the con-

duct of Club affairs, and did not rest till he was assured that all

was done for another successful meeting. In those days of

anxiety, members were privileged to call at his home and join

personally in the formally expressed hope of the Club that he

would soon be in his accustomed place at the head of the table.

But on the morning of December 18, death came, dissipating our

hopes and saddening our hearts by taking him from our earthly

fellowship forever.



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Mr. Randall was born at Richfield, Ohio, October 28, 1850.

His mother was a woman of culture and a lover of the best and

most beautiful things in life. His father, whom in his later

years I was privileged to know, combined in his person qualities

that were many and varied. Besides being a leading book-dealer

of Columbus, he was an eloquent divine, a devoted and influential

churchman, a profound Biblical scholar and an author of books

which in many Ohio homes ranked next to the Bible because they

were an exposition of its themes. There was dignity in his walk,

serenity in his face and authority in his speech. To the son were

transmitted the characteristics of both parents - an exceptional

heritage of birth, glorified by an Americanism which antedated

the Revolution and shared in the struggle for independence. His

wise father directed his training in the schools and, before his

college days, broadened his learning by taking him on a trip to

Europe when royalty was aflame. It was a rare comradeship -

that of father and son -and the latter often referred to it with

the tenderest feeling.

Graduating at Cornell in 1874, Mr. Randall first turned his

attention to editorial work and then, partly through force of cir-

cumstances, to business. Later he studied law at the Ohio State

University, where he took both the bachelor's and master's degree

in law, and for six years was professor of law. In the meantime,

he had made friends and had been honored in every circle he

entered, whether of literature, business or law. In 1894 he be-

came secretary of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society,

and in the following year was elected Reporter of the Ohio

Supreme Court. Thus he came to two important tasks that were

congenial and suited to his diverse talents. In them he continued

to the end, performing a great volume of work as reporter of

Supreme Court decisions, as editor of the Archaeological and

Historical QUARTERLY, as author of numerous historical books

and as speaker on historical and literary themes, at the invitation

of people both within and beyond the limits of the state. These

were years of earnest, joyous service of others - a service that

will never be forgotten by those for whom it was so freely ren-

dered. Some recognition of it was made last year when Ohio

University conferred upon him the degree of doctor of laws.



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Emilius Oviatt Randall.              87

 

But a recognition, wider and even more highly prized, was

that written in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

During his college days at Ithaca, Mr. Randall met Miss

Mary A. Coy, the lady who later became his wife. To her and

their two sons and daughter, we of the Kit-Kat Club offer our

sympathy. We, too, have suffered a grievous loss. We knew

his genial companionship, his ready helpfulness and his contin-

uing friendship. His sterling scholarship, his vivacious eloquence

and his industrious pen won for him a wide admiration, while

his historical research offers to this and succeeding generations a

legacy of inestimable value.

We are proud to have known him and to have walked with

him through the years; and here, in this solemn hour, we write

down among our most treasured memories his qualities as man

and citizen, companion and friend.

Mr. Williams then said:

Mr. Randall was Reporter of the Supreme Court of Ohio

from 1895 until his death. Since the adoption of our present

Constitution in 1851, until the present time, ninety-nine volumes

of reports have been issued, with one in preparation. Of these

one hundred volumes, forty-eight, almost one-half, will bear the

name of "Randall" as the compiler. This gives us something

of the measure of his service as an official of our highest court.

But it is only a superficial gauge. None of us, outside of the

court, can know fully how much he contributed to the preparation

of the reports, but we can rest confident that his breadth of

knowledge, his gift of expression, and his wide reading, both in

law and in literature, were freely at the command of the judges,

with all of whom his relations were of the most intimate and

cordial character. Mr. Chief Justice Nichols will speak:

 

RANDALL AND THE OHIO SUPREME COURT.

 

BY HON. HUGH L. NICHOLS,

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

That fascinating orator, Senator Conkling, in his classic

nominating speech, at the Republican National Convention, in

1880, presenting the name of General Grant as a candidate for



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President, said, in one of those wonderful sentences that he

alone could compose, speaking of his great chieftain: "His fame

was born not alone in things written and said, but of the arduous

greatness of things done."

In somewhat similar vein, one can well speak of Mr. E. O.

Randall, late the Reporter of the Supreme Court of Ohio. His

field of activity was so wide, his accomplishments so great, and

his achievements so marked, that one is perplexed to determine

whether he was most excellent in his literary labors, in his splen-

did speeches, or in the things he has done.

If our State had an Institute, patterned after the fashion of

the Academy of France, where by selection the intellectuals of

the state were gathered into one body, as a mark of the very

highest distinction, I would, had I the right to select, have cast

my vote for Mr. Randall; and I am of the firm conviction that

by common consent his name would head the list.

Mr. Randall was the efficient and well-beloved Reporter of

our highest Court for nearly a quarter of a century, and, since

the Constitutional Judicial Amendment in 1912, he was also the

Official Reporter of the Courts of Appeals. In this capacity he

was the repository of the private and confidential matters apper-

taining to the administration of justice. Prior to 1913, it was

his laborious duty to prepare the law points argued in each re-

ported case, and to collate the authorities relied upon by counsel.

This particular function of reporting was abandoned in 1913, as

it has been in all but fourteen of the States of the Union. His

work of reporting, covering but one-fourth of the Court's life,

embraced, however, five-twelfths of its actual output.

In my chambers in the Judiciary Building I have spent many

happy hours in social intercourse with Mr. Randall, and I want

to bear testimony to the fact that I do not recall that I ever had

converse with him without adding to my store of knowledge.

We found much edification in joint perusal of the letters of

Mrs. James G. Blaine, published about ten years ago by her

daughter. These letters were written by Mrs. Blaine principally

to her several children. We felt that in these letters the picture

she unconsciously drew of herself as a wife and mother is one

of the most beautiful in all the pages of literature.



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Emilius Oviatt Randall.             89

Mr. Randall was a roommate, at Andover, of the eldest son,

Walker Blaine, and he well remembered the circumstances of the

son reading to him the mother's letters written to Walker while

he was his fellow-student.

The Supreme Court of Ohio feels that some signal honor

should be paid to this great man, and to that end the Court itself

has prepared a Memorial to be published with and made a part

of Volume 101 of the Reports of that Court. It is thought that

Mr. Randall, had he the privilege of selecting the forum where

his memory might be most enduringly and lovingly preserved,

would have chosen this instrumentality.

No other Reporter has been so signally honored; indeed,

none of the distinguished members of the Supreme Court have

been remembered in this wise by the Court itself, it being the

established custom of the Court to memorialize its deceased mem-

bers through the means of a committee of the Ohio Bar, ap-

pointed by the Court for that purpose.

And so it is, that for many generations yet to come, indeed

so long as our very Government shall endure, the memory of

Mr. Randall will be perpetuated, for every published volume of

the 1O1St Ohio State Reports must contain the Supreme Court's

estimate of its beloved Reporter.

The Memorial is as follows:

"The Supreme Court learned with deep regret of the death

of Hon. Emilius O. Randall, for almost a generation the Reporter

of the Court. He was an unusual man, and, as such, an unusual

Reporter. Unusual as both, he sustained exceptional relations

with the Supreme Court of Ohio, officially, and with its members,

personally, for a long period of years. Those relations justify

the unusual, special proceeding which this Court unanimously

and sincerely approves.

"In recognition of his long and valuable service in that place

and of his distinguished position as a leader of wholesome public

thought in the state, the Court has ordered that the following

Memorial be spread upon its Minutes and published in Volume

1O1 of the Ohio State Reports:

"Emilius Oviatt Randall was born in Summit county, Ohio,

October 28, 1850, and died at Columbus, December 18, 1919. His



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parents were natives of Connecticut and were of strong Puritanic

stock. Three of his great-grandfathers fought in the Revolution-

ary War. They were John Randall, Patrick Grant Pemberton

and Benjamin Oviatt. Another direct lineal ancestor was Eben-

ezer Pemberton, one of the founders and for many years pastor

of the famous Old South Church of Boston.

"Endowed by nature with fine literary capacity, and with the

instinct for historical and archaeological research, Mr. Randall

received the education which was best suited to the exercise of

those talents. As a scholar at the Columbus High School, and

at the famous Phillips Academy of Andover, Massachusetts,

where he attained high rank, he found opportunity for the display

of his natural ability. In the former he was editor of the High

School News, and, at Andover, of the Philo Mirror, the school

magazine. He graduated from Cornell University in 1874, with

the degree of Ph. B. He then took a special postgraduate course

in history at Cornell and in Europe. He was the Commencement

Day orator at Cornell and the historian of his class. Of fine

social tendencies, his gentle impulses were quickened and made

firm by membership in two Greek-letter fraternities.

"For a short time after his return from Europe he was an

editorial writer on a Cleveland paper, but at the solicitation of

his parents he returned to Columbus in 1878, and from that time

until 1890 devoted himself to mercantile pursuits. During this

time he read law and was admitted to the practice by the Su-

preme Court of Ohio June 5, 1890. He graduated from the law

school of the Ohio State University in 1892.

"Having early developed a capacity for imparting knowledge,

and possessing a warm and sympathetic intimacy with young

men, he was made one of the Professors of Law of the Ohio

State University in 1893, which position he occupied with great

benefit to the institution and credit to himself until 1911.

"On May 14, 1895, he was appointed Reporter of the Su-

preme Court of Ohio, and occupied that position until his death.

He published forty-eight volumes of the Ohio State Reports.

They constitute an outward exhibition of his service in that posi-

tion, but they do not adequately testify to the great assistance

he rendered in presenting to the bench and bar of the state the



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.             91

 

contributions made by the Court to the body of the law and to

our system of jurisprudence.

"For more than thirty years Mr. Randall led a semi-public

life. His activities in the spread of intelligence and in the instruc-

tion of the people were manifold and far-reaching. It is doubt-

ful if any other citizen of Ohio has mastered with such breadth

and detail the history of the great Northwest Territory, which

he always presented with attractive diction and vast learning.

He had extensive knowledge of the mounds and Mound Builders.

He knew the history of the tribes of Indians who have lived in

the Northwest Territory, their chiefs and their achievements, and

he eloquently described with sympathetic voice and pen the de-

cline of the Indian influence in America.

"He was in great demand as a speaker on art, literature,

history, economics, politics and religion. In great public crises,

like the recent world war, his services were much sought, and

willingly and laboriously contributed for the public good.

"His vast fund of knowledge on affairs relating to the gov-

ernment of the state and its institutions led to his being consulted

on important matters by every Governor of Ohio for the last

quarter of a century, and by many state officials and members

of the General Assembly.

"In 1893 he was appointed by Governor McKinley trustee

of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. He

became Secretary of the Society in 1894, and has been reap-

pointed trustee by Governors Bushnell, Nash, Herrick, Harris,

Harmon and Cox. He was editor of the Society's QUARTERLY,

and in 1903 was the protagonist and director of the Ohio Cen-

tennial celebration held at Chillicothe. Mr. Randall edited the

account of the proceedings of that celebration, a work of over

700 pages.

"A Republican in politics, he was a delegate to the National

Convention of that party in 1904. He occupied many state and

municipal positions of trust.

"He actively engaged in the procuring of funds by private

benefaction and public appropriation for the carrying on of many

works for the historical and literary instruction of the people.

"In addition to many lectures which he wrote and delivered



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in different parts of the country and which disclosed his wide

learning and versatile literary talents, he was the author of a

number of works. Among these are Negotiable Acts Bills of

Ohio, Cases in Ohio Agency, The Separatist Society of Zoar,

The Mound Builders of Ohio, and Blennerhassett. He was an

associate editor of Bench and Bar of Ohio, two volumes, and

contributor to Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure and Encyclo-

pedia Americana. He was joint author with the Hon. Daniel J.

Ryan of Randall and Ryan's History of Ohio, in five volumes.

If the distinguished authors of this work had rendered no other

services to their state, this great work of itself would entitle them

to the lasting gratitude of the people of Ohio.

"Mr. Randall wrote well and with conspicuous beauty and

strength of statement. His enthusiastic and optimistic nature

and superb humor made a fit setting for the gospel of good cheer,

of which he was the apostle. One of the finest things about him

was his splendid love for children, and this always showed itself

in the frequent lectures that he delivered in the public schools

and institutions, particularly to the afflicted children at the School

for the Blind.

"He was a member of the American Historical Association,

the American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, the

American Literary Association, English Speaking Union, honor-

ary life member of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and

Trustee of the Sessions Academy of Art. At his death he was

President of the Kit-Kat Club of Columbus, a literary organ-

ization, whose meetings were a constant delight to him, and which

he enriched with his learning and wit.

"On October 28, 1874, Mr. Randall was married to Mary,

the daughter of John H. and Catherine Coy, Ithaca, N. Y., who,

with two sons and a daughter, survive him. His private life was

delightful and serene. He had a firm and beautiful belief in his

religion and was loyal to the Congregational Church, to which he

belonged. Of incorruptible integrity and purity of character,

he had the gentle spirit and the love for mankind which adorns

and never fails to benefit the community in which it is found.

"It is ordered that a copy of this Memorial be sent to the

family of Mr. Randall."



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.               93

Mr. Williams, in presenting Gov. James E. Campbell, said:

Conspicuous as Mr. Randall was in many different and va-

ried activities, there is one field in particular, where he stood

pre-eminent, and that was the field of archaeology. Fine as he

was in literary ability, he there had his rivals; happy as he was

as an after-dinner speaker and toastmaster, others there ventured

to challenge his superiority, but in knowledge of the early history

of Ohio, and of its earliest inhabitants, he was universally recog-

nized as having no equal. His writings on the Mound Builders

and their works, concerning Indians and Indian life and charac-

ter, are and will continue to be accepted as authority.

Mr. Randall was a trustee for many years of The Ohio

Archaeological and Historical Society. For the last twenty-five

years, he has been its Secretary.

During much of Mr. Randall's connection with the Society,

Governor Campbell has been a conspicuous and helpful member,

and is now its President. He knows much of Mr. Randall's con-

tributions to its literature and its records, and will speak.

 

RANDALL, ARCHAEOLOGIST AND HISTORIAN.

 

BY HON. JAMES E. CAMPBELL.

It is especially fitting that these impressive services in mem-

ory of Emilius Oviatt Randall should be feelingly participated

in by The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society; for,

of the many eminent and useful citizens associated with that

organization in its long career, his name leads all the rest.

In February, 1893, the society was in an unsatisfactory con-

dition generally, and three thousand dollars behind financially.

Governor McKinley, having a full appreciation of the work for

which the society had been founded, repeatedly urged Mr. Ran-

dall to accept a trusteeship and, although a very busy man, he

finally consented. Having assumed the responsibility, however,

he took hold of his duties with his customary intelligence and

vigor, and a few months later, became Secretary of the Society

which position he held continuously until his death - having been

successively appointed as trustee by Governors Bushnell, Nash,

Herrick, Harris, Harmon and Cox. In addition to his work as



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secretary, he has been all of that time editor of the Society's

many and valuable publications.

One of Mr. Randall's services to The Ohio Archaeologica

and Historical Society was to assist largely in procuring an ap-

propriation of ten thousand dollars from the General Assembly

for the purpose of holding, under the auspices of the society, the

centennial celebration of Ohio's admission into the Union. He

was secretary of the commission having charge of that celebra-

tion, labored unceasingly to make it a success and was universally

conceded to be its protagonist. Another service, and an almost

invaluable one, was to procure an appropriation of one hundred

thousand dollars to erect the artistic and well adapted building

which now houses the collections of the society. That beautiful

structure with its priceless treasures, may well be called a monu-

ment to Emilius Oviatt Randall.

Mr. Randall was known far and wide as the leading author-

ity upon the Mound Builders who created a very large proportion

of the archaeological remains of the country. These remains are

especially numerous and interesting in the State of Ohio. To

the various locations where relics of Mound Builders have been

found and which have become the property of the society, such

as the Serpent Mound and Fort Ancient, and the historical spots

which are memorials of the Indian occupation of the State, such

as the Logan Elm, also the property of the society, Mr. Randall

gave much personal attention.  The scientific exploration of

archaeological locations he was content to leave to such of his

associates as specialized thereon. He found time, nevertheless,

for frequent speeches and lectures on the subject, for numerous

articles, and for several pretentious archaeological papers and

monographs. In his own words, he had, through contact with

the archaeological specialists and their explorations, "acquired an

irresistible interest in the subject - a subject fraught with fas-

cination because of its uniqueness and mystery." Mr. Randall's

more important writings on archaeology include The Serpent

Mound, Adams County, Ohio, published in 1905; Masterpieces

of the Mound Builders, published in 1908; and the very interest-

ing resume of Ohio archaeology in the introductory chapters of

the History of Ohio - The Rise and Progress of an American



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.              95

 

State. This last named work, in five volumes, is an immensely

valuable contribution to history in general and is a permanent

testimonial to the accuracy, impartiality, exhaustive research

and fine descriptive writing on the part of Mr. Randall and his

co-author, Daniel J. Ryan.

While Mr. Randall's surprising historical activities and the

executive duties of his office as Secretary of the Ohio State

Archaeological and Historical Society precluded a greater output

of archaeological literature on his part, nevertheless he had at-

tained a position before the public unique in its relations to the

Ohio Mound Builders and prehistoric Indian tribes. He was the

interpreter of things archaeological as between the scientific in-

vestigator and the public. His remarkable gift of oratory, his

happy facility of expressing the most complicated ideas in terms

intelligible to the average audience, together with his rare humor

and pleasing personality, assured to his hearers a treat so unusual

that few could forego subsequent opportunities to come under

the spell of his oratory.

With respect to the Indian period of Ohio history--the

direct connecting link between the semi-historic and the pre-

historic and belonging almost equally to each - Mr. Randall was

at once the master of fact and eloquence. His striking descrip-

tions of the stirring events of Indian warfare in Ohio, of the

Ohio tribes and their great chieftains, are word pictures so

strongly and beautifully drawn as to hold the mind of the reader

transfixed. His Life of Tecumseh, "the finest flower of the

American aboriginal race" (1906) pays a tribute to the great

Shawnee chief only equalled in its force and beauty by that of

the classic Parkman and his eulogy of Pontiac. His Life of

Logan, published in 1911, is a forceful monograph; and his

handling of the Indian in the History of Ohio is unsurpassed in

literary excellence.

Mr. Randall's activities as a writer were numerous and va-

ried. As a boy of sixteen he edited and published for one

year a paper known as the Whip-poor-will. This paper was

the outcome of a debating society of which he was the president

at fifteen, and which attracted so much attention that it was

written up in the newspapers by a young reporter named George



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Kilbon Nash-later Governor of Ohio. The Whip-poor-will

was so successful that out of the proceeds of its short existence

young Randall was enabled to pay his expenses to Europe and

the Holy Land as a companion to his father, a famous Baptist

minister. Later, while a student at Cornell University he edited

the Cornell Era. In spite of the loss of time devoted to editing

this latter publication, he was able to become the orator at com-

mencement-his subject being The Spectator and the Tribune;

and, on class day, was historian of the class of 1874 to which he

belonged.

In addition to the archaeological publications hereinbefore

mentioned and the History of Ohio, the following works were

written by him: The Zoar Society, a sociological study of that

communistic society in Ohio, for which purpose he spent several

weeks in that community as its guest; Blennerhassett, a tale of

the Aaron Burr conspiracy, as well as a biography of Harmon

Blennerhassett with all its romantic details. He was also author

of Negotiable Acts Bills of Ohio, Cases in Ohio Agency, and con-

tributor to Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure, and associate

editor of Bench and Bar of Ohio. His high standing as a his-

torian is attested by the many historical societies which elected

him to membership.

Mr. Williams then introduced Mr. John J. Pugh, as follows:

We are all proud of the splendid building that stands at the

head of State street, as the home of the Columbus Public Library.

It bears over its door the name of Andrew Carnegie. When

the complete story is told of the securing of that building for

Columbus, it will be seen that in all fairness there should be

chiseled by the side of the name of the donor, the name of

Emilius O. Randall. To him more than to any other man are

we indebted for the Carnegie Library Building. He was a trus-

tee of the Library for thirty-five years, serving at the time of his

death. He had its advancement always at heart. During all the

time that Mr. Randall was a member of the board, there was one

other who equalled him, not only in point of length of service,

but also in devoted allegiance to the library and its interests. Mr.

Pugh, the present City Librarian, spent with Mr. Randall the

span of a generation in this common and delightful service.



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.              97

 

 

RANDALL AND THE CITY LIBRARY.

 

BY JOHN J. PUGH, LIBRARIAN.

It is not without emotion that I approach the subject, "Mr.

Randall and the Library." The intimacy of my relations with

Mr. Randall during the thirty-five years he served as Trustee of

the Public Library, was such that the personal note cannot be

excluded. However, a Johnson can well afford to have a Bos-

well. The estimate of Mr. Randall as a factor of the Library

does not suffer, even though written by a librarian who was

devotedly attached to him.

 

"And so I trust, tho' I perchance may strike Love's chord with clumsy

hand,

You'll feel the melody I tried to play- you'll understand."

 

To E. O. Randall the Library was more than a trust. He

regarded it as an object of love to be affectionately cared for.

And through all the years that he was one of its Trustees, he

lavished upon it the best of his time and thought. To one who

knows the relation of Mr. Randall to the Library, there cannot

but occur the inscription that adorns the north transept of St.

Paul's over the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, builder of that

famous edifice, "Si monumentum     requiris circumspice"-

"Reader, if thou ask for a monument, look around thee!" If

any one wishes to see the most enduring monument of E. O.

Randall, he need but look at the Library. It is his building, for

it was largely through his influence that it was made possible. It

is his spirit that constitutes the most precious treasure house

therrein.

Mr. Randall's love of books flowed largely from his love of

humanity. To him, knowledge was not a spade to dig with, nor

a crown wherewith to adorn oneself, but power-power over

the forces of darkness and its attendant evils and sorrows. He

wanted every one to have a chance to better his lot and improve

his life, and that chance he saw in the Library where all the

people might drink at the fountain head of knowledge. He had

a Herculean task before him. He had to educate the city gov-

Vol. XXIX- 7.



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98       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ernment to appreciate the need of a library, and the people to

the use of it. He succeeded in both because of the transparent

sincerity of all his appeals. Thus the library sentiment grew

steadily until finally Mr. Carnegie, convinced by Mr. Randall of

the needs of an adequate building, and charmed by his winning

personality, gave more generously than his wont toward the

erection of our splendid library structure.

Every nook and corner of the library was dear to Mr. Ran-

dall, but none so dear as the Children's department. He took

especial delight in visiting with the juvenile readers, fellow-

shipping with them and listening with genuine boyish interest as

they recounted the story of some boy-hero in the book they had

just read. He often quoted this from Garfield: - "I feel a pro-

founder reverence for a boy than for a man. I never meet a

ragged boy on the street without feeling that I may owe him a

salute, for I know not what possibilities may be buttoned up

under his coat."

The ideals which he sought to make real in our local library,

he carried into the larger field of state-wide library development,

and the present progressive Ohio library laws bear the impress

of his thought.

A lover of books, -himself a writer of books, E. O. Ran-

dall's life is after all his finest book. Its pages abound in lessons

of love and loyalty which will ever be an inspiration to those

who contemplate them.

By the lovers of love and light, he lifted those about him to

"that mountain where the Lord commandeth blessings, even life

forevermore."

Mr. Williams then said:

Mr. Randall is a fine example of the truth of the philosophy

of Oliver Wendell Holmes, who declared that the best way to

train children, so as to produce the highest and best in character

and equipment, is to begin with the grandparents. Mr. Randall

was fortunate in his ancestry. His Americanism and devotion to

country were exemplified in his forbears, who, on both sides in

his ancestral line, bore arms in the cause of liberty in the Revo-

lutionary War. Mr. Randall was justly proud of this heritage.

He was a member of the Ohio Society of the Sons of the Amer-



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.              99

ican Revolution, and of the Benjamin Franklin, the local chapter.

He served as an officer in both organizations and spoke upon

many occasions on patriotic subjects at their meetings and ban-

quets.

Col. W. L. Curry, a charter member of the State Society, a

Past President and for many years State Registrar, and an active

executive of the Society, will speak.

 

RANDALL, SON OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

 

BY COL. W. L. CURRY.

Emilius Oviatt Randall, to whom we pay tribute today, was

a very active member of the Society of the Sons of the American

Revolution for more than a quarter of a century. He joined the

Society, March 31, 1894. His ancestors, both paternal and mater-

nal, served as soldiers of the Revolution, in establishing American

independence, and had long and honorable service. They were

of sturdy New England stock and some of the strains of the

families were traced back to the Puritans.

John Randall, his great-grandfather, served as a soldier of

the Continental Army, enlisting from New London County, Con-

necticut, and served during the entire war.

Benjamin Oviatt, his great-grandfather, served as a Minute

Man, enlisting from the town of Goshen, Litchfield County, Con-

necticut.

Patrick Grant Pemberton, his great-grandfather, served in

the Connecticut Militia.

Mr. Randall often referred with pride to the long and hon-

orable service of his ancestors in the Revolution with his convic-

tion that the warm blood of patriotism and heroism which flowed

in the veins of the men of '76 does not become cold in the veins

of their descendants by the lapse of years. He was a firm be-

liever in the tenets of the Society, that, though far removed in

kinship, blood will tell for successive generations, when the op-

portunity comes; that the spirit which led these ancestors to battle

for liberty inspires their descendants to fight the battles of all

our wars in which they have taken so prominent a part; that

Christianity and patriotism go hand in hand, and that the higher



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a nation stands the more halo there is about the flag and the

character of the people is measured by their devotion to it.

Mr. Randall served as President of the Ohio Society during

the year 19O1, and took an earnest interest in all the activities of

the membership, and made many addresses before the chapters

in different sections of the State. As Secretary of the Society,

I had the pleasure of accompanying him on many of these speak-

ing tours where he was always received with warm enthusiasm

by the members of the Society present, and he always gave them

a message teeming with facts and humorous illustrations, which

injected a new and lasting interest into their patriotic work.

One of the great historic meetings that I attended with him

was at the dedication of the monument erected at Point Pleasant,

W. Va., to commemorate the battle fought on that ground be-

tween the Virginia troops commanded by General Lewis and the

Indians under Chief Cornstalk, October 10, 1774, now recognized

as the first battle of the Revolution. Thousands of people were

present from Virginia and other states. Mr. Randall was at his

best and made a most eloquent historical address before many

distinguished citizens, which was received with great enthusiasm.

While Mr. Randall was not a writer of poetry, he was very

fond of patriotic lines and I recall a stanza or two from a poem,

which he sometimes quoted at the meetings of the Society, in

memory of the services and achievements of our ancestors.

One thought was theirs, to see this land

Crowned with the blessings of the free-

To plant with an unshackled hand

The graceful tree of liberty;

The might of kings could never stay

The onward march of hero sires,

Nor quench for one brief summer day

The glow of Freedom's beacon fires.

Hail to the men who made us free!

Hail to the stainless swords they drew!

A thousand years will never see

Forgetfulness of men so true;

Their deeds will live while grandly waves

The flag of a united land

Above their scattered, sacred graves,

From mountain height to ocean strand.



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.            101

 

He was particularly interested in Americanization of for-

eigners, always emphasizing the fact that members of the Society

of the Sons of the American Revolution were the original work-

ers along that line. He assisted many foreigners in preparing

their applications for naturalization without expense, and at the

time of his death was a member of the Americanization Society

as the representative of the Sons of the American Revolution,

always attending the ceremonies before the United States Court

graduating classes in naturalization, and giving these new-made

citizens good and helpful advice which they highly appreciated

and will remember with gratitude.

It is of special interest to recall on this occasion that Pres-

ident William McKinley joined the Society when Governor of

Ohio, and took a very active part in all of the meetings held in

Columbus during his administration. He and Mr. Randall were

boon companions and at these meetings the members attended in

full force as they were assured of a most delightful entertain-

ment.

What memories come crowding thick and fast as we recall

the early days of the organization, some thirty years ago -some

sweet and some sad memories. Sweet memories of associating

with that galaxy of distinguished men, members of the Society,

not one of whom at the call of the roll can answer, "Present":

William McKinley, Marcus A. Hanna, Gen. William H. Gibson,

Gen. Henry Cist, Gen. Roelif Brinkerhoff, Gen. Chas. C. Walcutt,

Gen. H. A. Axline, Gen. James Barnett, Judge Martin Follett,

Gen. George B. Wright, Judge Jacob F. Burkett, Gen. Cyrus S.

Roberts, Col. James Kilbourne, Hon. Geo. L. Converse, Gen.

Manning F. Force, E. O. Randall and many others. Sad mem-

ories when we recall that these men whom we all respected and

loved have answered the reveille of the Great Commander, have

joined their ancestors on the other shore, and our friend the last

to answer the call.

The presence of our Mr. Randall will be greatly missed by

the members of the Society in these critical days when his coun-

sel, demonstrating unto the last the full measure of devotion to

our country, is so much needed.



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We revere his memory as a patriotic citizen and high class

Christian gentleman.

 

"Why weep ye then for him, who, having won

The bound of man's appointed years, at last,

Life's blessings all enjoyed, life's labors done

Serenely to his final rest has passed;

While the soft memory of his virtues yet

Lingers like twilight hues, when the bright sun is set."

Mr. Williams said:

Emerson, in one of his great essays on Character, in speak-

ing of the Earl of Chatham, said that when he had made a speech

in the House of Lords and finished, there was always disappoint-

ment, when he took his seat. No matter how great his speech,

nor how greatly his hearers might have been stirred, there was

the feeling that he might-have made a better impression, had he

tried; that somehow the man seemed always greater than the per-

formance. And so it is with all men who in character are truly

great. The man is always larger and finer than his achievement.

This is true of Mr. Randall. He, too, is something more than

the sum of his performances. We may state them all, and

unitedly they fail to account for him. The character, the spirit,

the soul that flamed through them and fused them all into a har-

monious and living whole, make up the real man, the man we

knew and loved. It is fortunate that Hon. Daniel J. Ryan is

to speak of "Randall, the Man." No one could do this more

fittingly. They were kindred spirits, treading many of the paths

of life together.

Mr. Ryan served with Mr. Randall twenty-seven years as

fellow trustee of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society.

They were both trustees of the Columbus Public Library, at the

time of Mr. Randall's death. They prepared and published, as

joint authors a great History of Ohio, a work, which of itself is

enough to place the people of this State under lasting obligations

to both of them. They were friends, and neighbors, affiliated in

the same political faith, and approached our many public and

social problems with the same broad and sympathetic judgment.

It is a privilege to present Mr. Ryan.



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.            103

 

 

RANDALL, THE MAN.

 

BY DANIEL J. RYAN.

Emilius O. Randall had the inestimable advantage of being

well-born. Not by inheritance of the muniments of wealth or

caste or rank, but through the influences of forebears whose

chief purposes in life, and whose aspirations and achievements,

were within the sphere of the intellectual and spiritual. They

were Americans more than a century before Bunker Hill, and

were among the founders of New England, of whom Longfellow

wrote: "God sifted three kingdoms to find the seed for this

planting." Through six generations his ancestors justified this

saying. They helped to bear the burdens of the forefathers;

theirs was the Heroic Age of American history. It was the era

when the first forests were felled and the virgin soil was tilled;

when the conquests of nature and the Indian went hand in hand;

when the French invader was driven out; and greater than all,

when popular government was established, and a new Nation

given to mankind. The Randalls and the Oviatts did their full

share of all this, and in the later days of peace they pioneered

to a western land to lay the foundation of homes of culture and

refinement. They preached the Word and they taught in the col-

leges and schools of the new land. They brought with them the

sturdy New England character sifted through generations of

hardships and tribulations.

This was Randall's heritage - a gift from God that he pre-

served throughout his ife. He never compromised it. Beneath

his gentle exterior, which he wore as a velvet glove, he grasped

the moral side of every question with a grip of steel. It was the

operation of his New England conscience which he inherited

from his Puritan ancestors. He had the robust qualities of

steadfastness of purpose and firmness of thought. He encour-

aged no conflict in deciding between right and wrong, he toler-

ated no debate of expediency; he simply and quietly, but quickly

and immovably took the side of right. Thus, as he thought in

his soul, so he was in his life - clean and straight, and free from

hypocrisy and guile. The meaner vices of life never even cast



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their shadows near him. It was because of this, when approach-

ing the end that he could say to his pastor, Dr. Maurer, "I am

not afraid to go; I have led a clean life." Hence, there was no

"moaning of the bar" when he "put out to sea;" on a smooth and

level tide the flood bore him to meet his Pilot face to face.

This man has departed from us, leaving us heirs to the les-

sons of his exemplary life. It was one blest by all the virtues

that go to make a real and valuable man - incorruptible integ-

rity, purity of character, gentleness of spirit and love of his fel-

lows. What a splendid substitute for wealth and power! These

attributes were the foundations of his name, which was, in his

lifetime, the pride and admiration of his loving friends. The

best and wisest of mankind have held that such a life is the most

enduring. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great

riches," sayeth the Proverb. Upon this foundation he builded

an intellectual and spiritual structure that will be to him a monu-

ment more lasting than marble.

Almost his whole career was one of mental activity, and all

his efforts were to the end that this activity should assume and

develop into a higher form of intellectual life. Even the avoca-

tions of his livelihood were within this sphere. To him the world

of commercialism was repellant. He took no pleasure in barter,

and the efforts and vigors of business made no appeal to him.

He lived entirely within the domain of thought in its various

phases and emotions. Herein were his labors, his studies, his

researches and his amusements. In his readings he ran the gamut

of human knowledge - theology, history, science, economics,

politics and polite literature. Rarely is this done without de-

flecting the mind from sound and safe thinking. The book-

student too often becomes a crank or faddist. But with him the

pursuit of extraordinary information and the study of new and

ruddy-colored ideas and doctrines were either for adding to his

knowledge of human nature or for intellectual amusement. He

never read or studied himself out of the realm of everyday life.

He quaffed deeply of the Pierian Spring, but was neither dulled

nor intoxicated by its waters. Few men can do this, but Randall

did it, and it was due to his penetrative mind and his uncommon

common sense.



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.             105

Before the tempestuous uprisings of recent years as mani-

fested in the new doctrines of government, sociology and religion,

he stood unbending, and "four square to the winds that blow."

And yet he read every book on these subjects, and when the

messengers of the heralded "new day" came, whether it was

Emma Goldman or Debs or Plumb, he was in their audiences.

With a deep and patriotic attachment for the representative

democracy which his forefathers fought to establish, he rejected

government by the crowd. He knew that it had been discussed

by the founders of the Republic, and that the struggle toward

civilization had been to get away from mass rule, because it

begat the very autocracy which it sought to destroy. His judg-

ment therefore refused the referendum, with its handmaidens, the

initiative and the recall, as subversive of conservative and repre-

sentative government. As he saw state after state, including his

own, adopting them, he felt that they were simply digging out of

the junk pile of history machinery rejected ages ago, and fur-

bished up for use by the power-hungry crowd. But on these

topics he rarely expressed himself, and never wrote concerning

them. There were other and less militant subjects to which he

directed his speech and pen. He took no pleasure in the polemics

of politics.

Likewise he rejected Socialism. Twenty years ago he en-

tered into the study of its doctrines with an open and even mind.

He conscientiously read its fascinating literature, from the Cap-

ital of Karl Marx to the political platforms of that day. His

imaginative mind saw the beauty and attractiveness of its ideals.

He knew that ever since the days of Plato, and later, since the

days of Sir Thomas Moore's Utopia, men and women have

dreamed of a cooperative brotherhood. He knew that the world

was full of wrongdoing, and of injustice and of unmerited suf-

fering, but he felt this would be remedied more by man acting to

man as a brother, rather than as a member of a brotherhood

established by law. He was sure that the cure was not in drying

up the great reservoir of individual effort and responsibility,

which gives vitality to human personality and human purpose.

From his viewpoint, what the Socialist sought to attain de-

pended upon a complete change of earthly motives and passions;



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it was an aspiration to transform human relations into heavenly.

His practical mind could see no accomplishments in all this

reasoning. From this theoretical discussion he turned to an ex-

amination into the physical operation of Socialism. At that time

there was in this state, at Zoar, a communistic society that had

existed for nearly three generations. Founded to share property,

profits, labor and lives in common, it was a fine example on a

small scale of the Socialistic state. To this living type of Social-

ism in action he turned for the best testimony. He was received

hospitably by its people, and a vacation was spent in studying

the domestic and civil life, the government of its church, its busi-

ness operations, its local literature and social life. The result of

his labors was a book entitled Zoar: A Study of Sociological

Communism. This little book is one of the most effective an-

swers to Socialism ever offered; it is not an argument; it pre-

sents a picture of the hard fact of failure. It is the best and

most valuable contribution of original research work of the au-

thor's literary life. He has phased here an institution that in the

first generation was founded and followed with religious enthusi-

asm, in the second with lukewarm fidelity and waning strength,

and in the third with decrement leading to death. The end was

that the courts received its wreckage for distribution according

to law. The book Zoar with its record will always be a truthful

witness when called on the stand to testify as to the practical

operation of Socialism. The Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Society has issued edition after edition in response to inquiries

from scholars, economists and students throughout the world.

His favorite field of study-in which he traveled afar-

was the pre-historic and the Indian period of our State. He was

easily the first authority in this country on these subjects, and

his writings are authoritative and will remain as a lasting monu-

ment to his life-work. His studies of Ohio are reflected from

thousands of pages, and he scattered his knowledge widely and

freely among the people through lectures, addresses, books and

pamphlets. While his name is indelibly impressed upon the his-

torical literature of Ohio, he did not limit his studies to this sub-

ject; he wandered widely through the elysian fields of letters, and

of every branch of knowledge he was a devotee. He was a lover



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.              107

 

of good books, and to him they were the flowers of literature,

and every day was their summer time. He loved to quote Words-

worth:

"Books we know,

Are a substantial world, both pure and good;

Round these, with tendrils strong as flesh and blood,

Our pastime and our happiness will grow."

To those who enjoyed his intimacy the truth of this is known.

Wherever he was there were his books; his home saw them

placed in every room at every hand; in his office they were at his

side; at rest or in travel they were his companions. Thus the

stately characters of all ages - the good, the true and the beau-

tiful of the past, and the wisest of the present were his constant

counselors, his associates and his friends.

If these serious phases of his nature were admirable to his

friends, his social qualities were an especial charm and delight.

In his library, at the club and at the banquet board he was a

fountain of enjoyment, and a companion always warranted to

dispense knowledge and dispel care; and a privilege, indeed, it

was for one to sit with him. How well do we remember him at

many a feast contributing his learning and humor with great

flavor and with no favor. He was a philosopher of happiness,

"of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." It could be said of

him as Macaulay said of Addison, that he had a wit without a

sting, and a humor without coarseness. With these he was "wont

to set the table in a roar." This dignified lightness of heart was

with him one of the cultivated philosophies of his life. It served

him well in his labors, it lightened his researches and even in the

sombre last days he did not fail to invoke it. To say more of this

man would be to transform fact into eulogy, and he does not need

that. He was of a fine type. God mixed in him all the elements

of true manhood. He has left us in his life a most beautiful

memory. To his family he has committed a heritage that all

the money in the world could not buy, nor all powers of earth

wrest from the Fates. He will long be remembered as a man

with an unsullied name, as a scholar of great learning, as one

who knew how to use wit and humor without abusing them, and

as a citizen who kept all the pledges of the Athenian oath.



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To us, his fellow-members of the Club, which for nearly ten

years was a pleasing part of his life, his going means much. But

he leaves no vacant chair. He will ever be with us, will ever be

talked of, and his chaste association ever be a benediction and

an influence. We will always remember his boyish smile of

friendly greeting. When he spoke, the nights of the Club be-

came Attic nights, and we recall them with no other regret than

that they can return no more. For 'tis but the truth, and each of

us can say to him today:

 

"We spent them not in toys, or lust or wine;

But in search of deep philosophy.

Wit, eloquence and poesy,

Arts, which I loved, for they, my friend, were thine."

 

To his name and his gentle spirit, we, his friends, are here

to do honor, to keep fragrant his memory, and to urge his ex-

ample. We send him a message, but it bears no tone speaking

of the sadness of farewell, nor complaint of the inevitable; it is

one bearing the appeal of our hearts and the prayers of our souls:

Emilius, may the companionship of God be with thee, and may

His mercy and guidance be with us, till we meet again.

The double quartet -Mr. Charles H. Orr having replaced

Mr. W. D. McKinney, who was compelled to leave the city-

then sang:

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!

E'en though it be a cross

That raiseth me;

Still all my song shall be,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!

 

Though like a wanderer,

The sun gone down,

Darkness be over me,

My rest a stone,

Yet in my dreams I'd be

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!



Emilius Oviatt Randall

Emilius Oviatt Randall.             109

 

Then, with my waking thoughts

Bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I'll raise;

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee

The meeting was concluded with prayer.

 

BENEDICTION.

 

BY DR. JOSEPH S. KORNFELD.

To the departed Emilius Oviatt Randall, whom we now af-

fectionately remember, may peace and bliss be granted in the

realm of eternal life. There may he find grace and mercy before

the Lord of Heaven and earth. May his soul rejoice in that

ineffable good which God has laid up for those who love and

revere Him. A never-failing inspiration in life, may his memory

be a never-dying benediction.

May our Heavenly Father vouchsafe unto the bereaved His

gracious care and may the light of His love lead them through

the darkness that surrounds them.

Peace to the dead, power to the living. Amen.

 

 

 

EMILIUS OVIATT RANDALL, PROFESSOR OF LAW.

 

BY DR. W. O. THOMPSON.

The characteristic feature of the present day in education

seems to demand a highly specialized study in a rather narrow

area as a preparation for teaching. Perhaps more than any other

one thing the academic man feels that his equipment for teaching

is not quite complete until he has demonstrated his power of

original research and has received the testimony of that fact in

the form of a degree known as the Doctor of Philosophy. In

the absence of such testimony there is a disposition to assume a

certain superficiality in the work that men do. The older days,

therefore, are often looked upon as less critical and more super-