JiW 9IL a. ©• ffecorl VOLUME I. LANSING, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1896. NUMBER 38 E x - P r e s i d e nt W i l l i ts Dead. On S a t u r d ay t he sad hews reached us of t he sudden death of our former president, E d w in Willits. F or a con siderable length of time his health had been failing, and on F r i d ay he passed a w ay at his home, 1411 Hopkins street, Washington, D. C. Dr. Kedzie left yes terday morning for Monroe, where the funeral will be held today. Edwin Willits w as born in Otto, Cat t a r a u g us Co., N. Y., April 24, 1830. He removed to Michigan wTith his parents when 6 years old. He was educated in the public schools and at the Univer sity of Michigan, from which he was graduated in 1855. F or ten years after graduation he w as editor of t he Mon In the spring of 1856 roe Commercial. and for a year a nd a half after he studied law in the office of Isaac P. Christianey. Monroe, he w as duly admitted to the bar a nd soon attracted a large clientage. In 1860 he Avas elected prosecuting attorney of Monroe county. At the close of his term of office in 1862 he w as elected a member of the state board of education, an office he held for twelve years. President Lincoln appointed him postmaster at Monroe in J a n u a r y, 1863, but he was removed by Andrew Johnson, in October, 1866. He wras a member of t he constitutional commission of 1873, and in 1876 he was elected to the forty-fifth congress, and two y e a rs later was re-elected to the forty-sixth congress. When his term as congressman ex to pired in 1880 Mr. Willits returned Michigan, and shortly afterward he w as chosen principal of t he State Nor mal school at Ypsilanti. In 1885 he was made president of this college, but resigned four years to become first assistant secretary of agriculture under Hon. J e r ry Rusk. He remained in this position until J a n u a ry 1, 1894, when he w as removed by Secretary Morton, and at once opened a law office in the Loan and T r u st building in Washington. later Although Dr. Willits was but four years president of our College, he did a wonderful amount -of work for the institution in t h at time and endeared himself to all who knew him; and those of us who have come since and did not know him always held him in the highest esteem for what he had done. Death of Miss Minnie A. B u s h. special The friends of Miss Minnie A. Bush, who w as a student here in drawing during a portion of the sum mers of '95 and '9(>, will be pained to hear of her sudden and untimely death last Wednesday in Louisville, Ky., morning. Late in September M i ss Bush entered the Chicago School of Art b ut was not well enough to continue her studies and soon after went to Louis ville witli her brother Charles Bush, and was placed in a sanitarium under the care of skilled physicians. She was supposed to be suffering from ner vous prostration but her condition w as last not thought to be serious until Tuesday. Miss Bush w as a sister of J o hn J. Bush, '84. and g r a d u a t ed from the Lan sing high school last June. s t r e et west, at 2:30 F r i d ay afternoon. T he service of t he Episcopal church w as read by the Rev. W. H. Osborne. M a ny beautiful tributes were presented by friends of the deceased. floral King's D a u g h t e r 's E n t e r t a i n m e n t. T he e n t e r t a i n m e nt given by the Kings' Daughters last F r i d ay evening, in the Y. M. C. A. parlors was in every way a success: financially, nearly $12 being taken in; in the number enter tained, the rooms were the quality of entertainment, a splendid 3>TOgram being rendered. full; in The M. A. C. circle w as assisted by t he L a n s i ng circle, who furnished ex- fceTJent music, and by Mrs. Esselstyne, wlio gave a very interesting talk on missionary work in Persia. The first number on the program was vocal music, "Nearer My God to Thee," Iby a quartet composed of Misses Grace and Gertrude Brundage, Miss Garlick a nd Miss Callahan. This was followed the Children Say Iby a solo, "When :Good Night," by Miss Stone. Then Mrs. Esselstyn gave her talk, which w as briefly as follows: Persia is a country one-third the size iof the United States and contains 10,- (000,000 of people, of which 9,000,000 are Mohammedans. The remainder are nnostly Armenians or Nestorians, fire- worshipers, J e ws and Christians. The Armenian religion was once christian :but is not now considered orthodox, so missionaries work among them. a Esselstyne wore They worship idols and pictures and t a ke especial care of the lizards t h at crawl out of the walls because they consider these little animals to be good spirits. Mrs. Persian liouse costume, described the difference between the costume of the married woman and t h at of the maid, and ex hibited t he street costume. The mis sionaries do not' wear the Armenian •costume because they would not then be admitted the Mohammedan homes, nor the Mohammedan costume because it is immodest. They w e ar the American costume. The religion of the fire-worshipers to in in the fire-worshipers Its home in India is the same as t h at of t he time of Darius, but the adherents of this faith in Persia know but little of their re ligion because they a re so far from In dia. They worship fire and the sun as symbols of power, and have many su perstitions. We have an example of this in their burial of the dead. They have no burying ground, but, instead, outside of the city a white tower in which the only opening is at the top. T he walls are scaled by means of lad d e rs carried out from the city. About half way down the inside of the tower is a platform in which the dead are placed and left un til their bones are picked by the birds. After a body has been left in one of these boxes it is carefully watched to see which eye the birds pick out first. If the right eye. the spirit of the de parted is supposed to have gone to heaven; if the left, to hell. containing boxes The J e ws live principally in the cities and are persecuted by both Armenians and Mohammedans. They are a very filthy people and put on an appearance of poverty to escape persecution. H er funeral w as held at the residence of her brother in Lansing, 320 Ottawa B ut the principal religion is the Mo hammedan, and this the speaker con sidered the worst enemy to Christian ity. They a re a wicked people, even when judged by the principles of their own religion. The men may have any they number of wives, one to whom are regularly married, the rest contract wives. T he latter are married for a period of weeks or months or years. Rice growers m a r ry a n u m b er of wo five men for months. Many w7omen go about from place to place, marrying first one m an and their then another and carrying babes with them. the rice-harvest, about Girls lead miserable They marry at from six to twelve years of age, but very few reaching the latter age without being married. lives. There are six mission stations in Per sia, four of which are supported by the Presbyterian church and two by the church missionary society of England. These mission stations maintain hospi tals, churches and schools in the larger cities, and the missionaries also extend their work into the country. In Te heran the Christian Armenians have a chapel of their own. but are much per secuted. is the only place where Mohammedan girls are admit ted to the schools. In this city there is also a society of Christian Endeavor- ers and a circle of King's Daughters. An important part of t he work of these societies is relief work for the city poor. The condition of the poor is de plorable. The coal bill for a family one year is about $1.50. Men work for 10c. a day and women for 5c. Teheran Under the influence of the mission aries superstitution and prejudice are gradually breaking down; and, once Christians, t he people become earnest workers for their suffering brethren. "The wrork of the missionaries in Per sia is so hard t h at we would give up were wre not sustained by the prayers of our friends at home." The program was closed by two mu sical selections, a duet by the Misses Brundage, and a trio by Misses Crosby Garlick and Robinson. Refreshments and a social hour followed, in which all participated. F l o w e rs in C o u n t ry Schoolyards. Last spring t he College sent out packets of flower seeds to 500 of the public schools of the state for the pur pose of encouraging school yard decor ation and developing in the young a love for the beautiful. The condition upon which these seeds were sent w as t h at in the fall each school report the success of t he experiment. A few days ago Pres. Snyder received the first of these reports, which took the form of a number of letters from pupils in dis trict No. 1 Barton township, Newaygo county. We publish one of the letters, .just as written, from a fifth gia&e girl: little Hawkins, Mich., Oct. 9. '96. flowers; Mr. J. L. Snyder. Pres. of Agricultural College, Agricultural College, Mich.: Dear Sir—We agree to send you a re port in the a u t u mn of the condition of t he the seeds which you so kindly sent us early in t he spring. We kinds, twenty-five different received which we planted school the ground about May 15. T he fore part of t he s u m m er w as very dry, so t h at t he flowers did not c o me up till about J u ne 10. O ur school closed J u ne 28th, just as t he candy t u f ts and a few balsams -on were in blossom. T h ey w e re nicely cared for during vacation by Miss May and Ethel Smith, t wo pupils who lived flowers near the school house. Our were time. t h at the nicest during There were quite a number in blossom when school begun on Sept. 14th, a nd we had quite a n u m b er of bouquets until t he frost killed them about Sept. 20. We have finished gathering our to flower seeds a nd have commenced get our flower beds ready for spring. We will send you a plot of our school ground showing the a r r a n g e m e nt of our flower beds. We intend to use the same beds next year, a*nd to m a ke some additional beds on the south side of the school house. Yours respect fully, VIVIAN RANDALL, Paris, Mich. T he plot, which we are sorry not to be able to reproduce, shows t h at four artistically a r r a n g ed flower beds have resulted from the first season's work in feature this school. The most hopeful the is t he whole thing, however, of fact t h at this year is the but the begin ning, t h at t he work already done has developed a t a s te for more, and t h at t he pupils a re already planning and working for next year. Petley-Sipley. One of Lansing's social events of last week wras the wedding at the home of Mrs. Louise Sipley on T h u r s d ay even ing, when her d a u g h t er Winifred w as married to J a m es R. Petley, with '96, of Milwaukee. The ceremony w as per formed by the Rev. Swift, the ring ser vice being used, and w as witnessed by about 75 relatives and friends. Among the M. A. C. people present were Prof, and Mrs. Vedder; Prof, and Mrs. Weil: A r t h ur J. Beese, with '93, of Saginaw; William Ansorge, with '95, of Grand Rapids, a nd E. M. Kanter, with '96, of Detroit. After an elaborate luncheon served in the dining-room Mr. and Mrs. Pet- ley left for Milwaukee, wdiere they will be at home after December 1, at 661 Milwaukee street. Football—M. A. C. vs. A l m a. M. A. C. and Alma played an inter esting game of foot-ball at Eltom P a rk last Sattu-day. T he t e a ms were very the evenly matched, so nearly t h at game ended without either side scoring. The first half ended with the ball on M. A. C.'s 30-yard line, and t he second with it on M. A. C.'s 15-yard line. M. A. C. h as improved considerably in her interference since last Saturday, but still runs back occasionally. One of our best ground gainers has this fault. You're doing well, boys. Play to faster a nd harder and go down Kalamazoo for victory. " T h at College is a great benefit to the State, but more especially to the it. students, if they could appreciate They ought to remember their Uncle is doing a great thing for his nephews." —W. H. Rayner. with '61. interested "I have a l w a ys been in the College and believe its curriculum is a splendid preparatory training for a ny young m an before entering upon life work, no m a t t er w h at his his chosen J. Gillam, with »S4. occupation."—D. T HE M. A. C. R E C O R D. OCTOBER 27, 1896. "My education has helped make my life a success."—W. F. P. "I have a l w a ys had a w a rm interest in t he College and have secured at least two students and intend at no distant time to finish my course there."—H. P. French, with '92. "I have always had the fondest recol t he College. lections of my year at My only regret is t h at I could not have taken a there."—D. W. Andrews, with '79. full course "The Agricultural College t he farmers' college and ought to be pat ronized and sustained by It deserves support."—J. their M. Knapp, with '60. earnest them. is "I have always felt an interest in the remember with College and always pleasure t he instruction received there. The College has my best wishes."— J a m es A. Reid, with '81. "Whatever success I have made in life I owe to such men as Abbott, Ked- zie, Beal, Carpenter a nd others w ho t a u g ht me the t r ue methods of how to study."—C. A. Smith, with '81, t he to present "Will endeavor in valuable advantage of the College to t h at class of rising young men; w ho seek a good, thorough, practical foun dation upon which to build."—L.. C. Gibbs, with '92. "I take great interest in all t h at per tains to, and am proud of our M. A. C. I have never ceased to regret my in ability to continue at that institution and receive the instruction I so m u ch the need of."—F. W. Redfem, feel with '65. "It is now over thirty-six years since I was a student there, but the memor ies of those days a re yet fresh in my mind. The old s t u mp machine with the: stag team t h at worked it so well, the: old breaking-up plow (schooner as we called it) with its six yoke of oxen, led. by t he old black horses, 'Prof.' and 'Blucher,' are ne'er to be forgotten."— E. L. Brewer, with '61. their to procure "I beg leave to express my sincere: appreciation of the kindly interest you. have taken in behalf of the boys w ho 'sheepskins,' failed and who consequently have had to hustle t he other to keep even with fellow who had the honor and pleasure to walk a w ay with his u n d er his arm. the College continued pros Wishing perity, I am, very respectfully,"—D_ C_ Gillett, with '89. A l b e rt N. P r e n t i s s. PRESIDENT OSCAR CLUTE, FLORIDA AGRI CULTURAL COLLEGE. Of the men who wrought with abil ity, zeal and self-sacrifice in the organi zation or in t he early development of the Michigan Agricultural College many have now gone over to t he ma Joseph R. Williams w e nt jority. many years ago. He did not live to see the realization of his noble dreams.. J o hn C. Holmes, t h an whom t he Col lege never had a more faithful friend, lived longer to work for t he school a nd to rejoice in its dawning success, b ut he, too, went a w ay years ago. George Thurber, whose genial spirit w r o u g ht for friendship as well as for seience,. left a sad place in many hearts w h en he w as away. Dr. Abbot stamped the impress of his pure char acter and his scholarly attainments; on many succeeding classes, then some of us in sorrow saw and all of us in sorrow knew his gradual w i t h d r a w al to the nobler company. Recently the: word h as gone through t he journals of science and of education of t he death of Albert N, Prentiss, who passed on called The first card party of the season was given by Mrs. Woodworth on Mon day evening of last week, in honor of Prof. Woodworth's birthday. It w as a five-table progressive whist party and a delightful opening of t he social season. An Athletic Association lias been or ganized at M. A. C. with the following officers: President. C. B. Laitner; vice president. R. W. Clark; secretary, G. B. Wells; treasurer, A. S. Eldridge; M. I. A. A. director, H. L. Becker; base ball manager, C. F. H e r r m a n n; foot ball manager, S. J. Redfern: local field day manager, W. R. Yanderhoef. The Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. H a nd Book is out, and it makes a valu able little vest pocket memorandum In addition to the Christian As book. sociation constitutions and announce ments, it contains a directory of the College population—over 400 names— their occupations, rooms or residences, and home addresses, gives t he course in which each' student is enrolled and the number of terms he has been in College. F r om F o r m er Students—Non-Grad u a t e s. Dr. Beal, while corresponding with non-graduates for the purpose of per fecting his catalogue, received many letters containing good words for M. A. C. He has kindly allowed us to quote from some of them. "The old M. A. C. is as near to me as ever."—A. M. Woodmansee, with '87. " H a ve always regretted that I did not complete the course."—W. A. Nor ton, with '75. "I like your school very much and mean to visit it sometime."—Daniel P. Burnett, with '69. "I retain a warm love and interest for the institution and for those con nected with it."—Frank Barnett, with '77. "It has been the greatest regret of my life t h at I w as unable to continue at the College until I graduated."—Geo. W. Phelps, with '70. "I look back upon the three years spent at M. A. C. as the most pleasant and profitable of my student life."— Seneca N. Taylor, '60. "The system of study, recitation, labor and recreation at the College has been of very great advantage to me."— Volney P. Bayley, with '64. "I have always been proud of the achievements of my friends who have graduated from your estimable Col lege."—H. L. Benschoten, with '84. "I think that three of the happiest months of my life were those during which I w as a student at t he Agricul tural College."—E. T. Pennoyer. with '93. "The years spent at the College cer tainly made a better man of me and I wish more of our young men had a similar training."—F. C. Miller, with '70. "With the best of wishes for the M. A. C. and with the promise t h at she will always receive a good word from me, I remain, etc."—F. O. Williams, with '84. At t he College. E. W. Ranney, '00, spent Sunday at his home in Belding. A. E. Wallace, '99w., entertained his brother, the 17th and 18th. The Union Dits entertained their lady friends Saturday evening. H a r ry "Wright, of Alma College, vis ited friends here over Sunday. ONE F A RE FOR R O U ND TRIP TO STUDENTS GOING H O ME TO VOTE. Henry G. Reynolds, '70, spent Satur day and Sunday visiting old friends at the College. W. G. A m o s, '97m., has been con fined to his room by sickness for sev eral days past. M. W. Davenport and J. Steidle, of the looking over Milan, were out grounds last week Monday. F. W. - Robison, '98, entertained a couple of friends from the Mt. Pleasant Normal, Saturday, the 17th. T he college w as favored with many visitors from the grand lodge of Odd Fellows a nd from the Daughters of Rebekah last week. Mrs. I. H. Butterfield, who has been for several months in the Alma sani tarium, returned to College Saturday much improved in health. R. J. Robb, '98sp, spent two days of last week in Ann Arbor arranging his course at M. A. C. to prepare him for a course in civil engineering at t he U. of M. Come to t he Y. W. C. A. reception in Abbot next F r i d ay evening, pre All pared to represent other things will be revealed unto you later. some book. B. O. Longyear recently took a civil service examination for the position of botanical artist. He w as one of three out of about t w e n ty applicants to pass t he examination. Charles Fisher, '00, entertained his brother and sister, Mr. Reno Fisher and Mrs. M. O. Fisher, and Mrs. Joseph Cleveland, last Friday. They were dele gates to t he grand lodges of Odd Fel- lof s and Rebekahs. F or s t u d e n ts who desire to go home to vote t he railroads have granted a special rate of one fare for the round trip. Tickets will be good for Novem ber 2 and 3, and, if for more t h an 20 miles, on November 4. from his home on the Cornell Univer sity c a m p us at Ithaca, N. Y., on Au g u st 15, 1896'. AMONG THE FIRSlf STUDENTS AT M. A. C. interruption, T he first s t u d e n ts at t he Michigan Agricultural College were enrolled on J u ne 13, 1857. Albert N", P r e n t i ss en tered some months later, a nd took Ms place among the more advanced s t u dents in t he College. W i th some p e riods of caused by illl health or teaching, he continued as a. student until t he fall of 1861, when,, with his class, he enlisted in a corps of topographical engineers. He w as t h us a student at t he College in t he first p a rt of its formative period. He en dured the difficulties and enjoyed t h e. t h at early day.. great a d v a n t a g es of students he wras, Among his fellow the first, well-liked, b ut his re from serve of manner, which w as t h r o wn off only with the few, prevented him from being popular in t he broad sense of t h at word. But the boys trusted him entirely, and respected him fully for his ability, his industry, a nd his, thorough genuineness. his W i th the professors he w as a l w a ys the first, for clear a nd among strong faculties, his observance of every duty, and his thorough self-re spect commanded their attention. The- quiet force of his character soon gained! their confidence, and he was chosen by Prof. J o hn C. Holmes, a nd later by Prof. Geo. Thurber, as foreman of the gardens, where he began t h at work in Horticulture that, as years went by, expanded into wide fields of useful- mess. 1 H is w as the first class, t h at of 1861;, t h at of '62; hence we my class was were not class-mates in the usual sense of the word, yet we sometimes recited in the same classes, for in t h at early d ay the professors were few in num ber, and classes of different years were sometimes put together in reciting, for the convenience of over-worked teach ers. In t he old "Saints' Rest" Prentiss roomed at different times in No. 1, No. 2, and No. 12; and his chums were A. F. Allen, Chas. E. Hollister, G. A. Dickey, H. D. Benham, George Haigh, a nd perhaps others whose n a m es do n ot recur to me. My room w as either No. 3, or No. 14, throughout my course, and my chums were my brother Lem uel, Thomas Haigh, S. M. Millard, and J a m es H. WTellings. His chums and my chums were friends a nd compan ions. Rooming on t he same halls, din ing at t he same tables, reciting often in the same classes, mingling freely with t he s a me companions, I came to know Prentiss well as a student, a nd I had every facility for estimating his ability and his character. OFF FOR THE WAR. The events t h at In 1860 came the famous Lincoln campaign. The whole country w as excited. Of course the College boys were deeply interested, and the most of them rejoiced in the election of Lin rapidly fol coln. inaugura lowed his election and his tion on the 4th of March, 1861, roused The enthusiasm among every man. the College boys w as intense. Some left College to enlist. The boys of t he class of '61 were to g r a d u a te in Novem In September Capt. E. P. How- ber. land appeared at the College, seeking men for his corps of engineers. After some consultation among faculty a nd s t u d e n ts it w as agreed t h at m e m b e rs of the senior class could enlist, be ab sent from the College the remainder of the year, and be granted their diplo m as in November. Thomas Haigh, of t he freshman class, a nd O. Clute, of t he junior class, were also allowed to OCTOBER 27, 1896. T HI M. A. C. R E C O R D: ^ an Prentiss, with his hidden to go, enlist. M a ny others desired a nd some little diplomacy w as neces sary to prevent such exodus as would have seriously injured t he Col lege. There w as a feeling of disap pointment among some of those who were not taken, whose bitterness w as not entirely assuaged for many years. intensity, w as one of t he most earnest in this service. After some weeks of weary waiting by our company in St. Louis, and in camp on the beautiful prairie at Tipton. Fremont, who w as leading his a r my into southwestern Missouri, w as removed. We saw him pass through Tipton on his way to St. Louis, and soon after our company was ordered to the same place. Fremont's successor said he had no need of a company of topographical engineers, and we were allowed joining to choose between some other branch of the service or be ing mustered out. We chose to be mustered out. though within a short time many of the boys again enlisted, usually in companies formed at their homes and of their friends and com panions. During the hurried and exciting days of enlisting, of our stay at Battle Creek, of our journey to St. Louis, of t he vexatious delay in that city, of our Journey by train to Tipton, of our en campment there on the wide prairie in November and December, of the weary disappointment of F r e m o n t 's campaign and removal, of our own unhappy re turn to St. Louis and our mustering out, Prentiss was one of the most indus trious, and most cheerful. His health was good; he was helpful to every body; he made no complaints. But the full story of this service must be told at another time. A G A IN AT M. A. C. Most of the College boys were soon again at their Michigan homes. Some re-enlisted, some took up other duty. I returned to my class at the College, and graduated in '62. Prentiss spent the year in teaching in the high school at Kalamazoo, then in charge of Prof. the spring of Daniel P u t n a m. In in Instructor 1863 he was chosen Botany and Horticulture at M. A. C, and returned a few weeks later to the scenes of his student days. He had full charge of the department, and it began at once to show evidence of his clear and systematic methods. The students in his classes were deeply in terested in their studies, their garden work w as done with pleasure, for though the conditions for such work were the then comparatively crude, boys recognized in Prof. Prentiss one who knew w h at he was about, who de sired to give them the best instruction the best training in in science and practical matters, and who respected their rights and feelings. Perhaps Will W. Tracy, or Richard Haigh, or some other one, will tell in the RECORD of his able work as a teacher and hor ticulturist, as well as of the friendly sympathy t h at were in his heart. companionship and CALLED TO THE CHAIR OF BOTANY A ND HORTICULTURE AT CORNELL. In 1869 he was called to t he chair of in Cornell Botany and Horticulture University. Of his life and work there, will not some one who knew of them intimately speak? After he left our M. A. C, I met him but very few times,- for brief periods, and at long intervals. Not only space, but warm interest in different lines of work, sepa rated us. I never saw him at Cornell. T h at he w as for nearly 30 years the honored head of one of the important d e p a r t m e n ts of this great university is sufficient evidence: of his industry and training, his ability and worth. .together. The woods At the time when Prentiss w as ap pointed instructor in Botany, in 1863, I w as chosen instructor in Mathemat Subsequently we were advanced ics. to full professorship at the same time. We roomed in adjoining rooms on the second floor of College Hall, Ave were the only unmarried teachers then at the College, those with whom we could associate were not numerous, hence he and I were necessarily thrown much and swamps in t he vicinity of the College afforded an inviting field to the bot anist, and we tramped or drove over the whole of them. In our student and teacher days were begun the trips to and Grand Pine Lake, P a rk Lake, Ledge which have remained a feature of College life unto this time. Two summers when we were young profes sors we camped for days during the summer recess on the beautiful banks of P a rk Lake, to fish, to hunt, to boat, to bathe, to botanize, "to loaf and in vite our souls." On all such trips Prentiss w as a most agreeable companion. He was thought ful for the pleasure and comfort of others, ready for whatever of work and enjoyment the occasion offered, amused and cheerful under any dis comforts t h at came upon us, full of re sources in overcoming any difficulties that arose. H ow full of calm pleas ures were the days and nights of our life in camp! The lake gave a chance for sport, for science, for the cool re freshment of the morning or the even ing swim; the woods and swamps were full of treasures with which to fill his to botany-box whenever we the t r a m p; the waters, summer wind, broke in soothing sounds upon the shore but a few feet from our tents; the great pines spoke in soft m u r m u rs above our heads, and show ered balsamic odors upon our sleep. chose touched by H IS I N F L U E N CE WHOLESOME. to any It is seldom that I have met a per son whose whole mental and spiritual atmosphere was so pure and whole some as was t h at of Albert N. Pren tiss. In all t he varied scenes and as sociations of student, soldier, and pro fessorial life he showed always the clean mind and heart. He was keen treatment from ly sensitive others that seemed unkind or ungen erous. This sensitiveness led him to appreciate the rights and feelings of from others, and to refrain carefully injure any word or deed t h at could their rights and feelings. No one ever thought t h at Prentiss had intentionally treated him unjustly, or had spoken of him an ungenerous word. His sensi tiveness led to an almost undue fasti diousness of speech and conduct. No one at heart w as fuller of good com radeship t h an he, but to many people he seemed reserved and formal. Only friendship and confidence had after conquered this reserve did the warm hearted man, with genuinely human qualities appear. Then he was frank, genial, sympathetic. Yet it is to be said t h at only with a few w as he ever able entirely to throw off his reserve. He could not "carry his heart upon his sleeve for daws to peck at." To many people he seemed, in greater or less de It was the iso gree, to dwell apart. lation of sensitiveness and thoughtful- ness, not of selfishness and unkind- ness. Perhaps no m an was ever more in capable t h an Prentiss of manipulating men for the purpose of gaining moves on the checker-board of college life. To cater to the weaknesses and preju dices of students in order to gain their fellow support; to log-roll with professors in order to carry a point in faculty meet ing; to flatter the president in order to win favors for his department; to but ton-hole members of the board in order to secure or to hold a position; to un dermine a the president in order to wreak vengeance for some fancied ill or to secure some personal advancement—all this pitiful unmanliness which is sometimes seen from in college politics—was as far his n a t u re as is darkness from light. His white soul would not soil itself by wading in such slime. professor or AN A R T I S T —A L O V ER OF N A T U R E. The painter, with Prentiss liked his work as horticul turist and as teacher. The true horti culturist is a lover of n a t u r e; he re joices in her varied forms, in her en chanting tints. Added to this love of nature he must have the artistic gen ius to work with n a t u re in so dispos ing flowers and shrubs and trees and grass and brooks and ponds and dis tant gleam of stream or lake or sea— all in a marvelous setting of cloud and sky—as to make the whole landscape a picture that throbs with the spirit of some beauty. strokes of his brush, puts on canvas the colors in which he tries to copy na t u r e; is nature's friend; she takes him into partnership, and together they make, on the broad earth-canvas, pictures of surpassing beauty. It was in this love of nature and with this artistic touch that Pren tiss worked as horticulturist and land scape gardener. He began a work in the gardens, lawns, and groves of the Michigan Agricultural College campus which succeeding hands have devel oped and which, as time goes by, will develop into such beauty as to d r aw artists from far distant lands to look upon their loveliness. the horticulturist AN A B LE T E A C H E R. led t h at his rights and feelings In teaching, as in everything else, Prentiss went quietly and intently about his work, and did the icork. He knew the subjects he t a u g h t; he had a clear mind without any fogs of conceit the or superstition; his command of language w as excellent; he English could understand and appreciate the difficulties of the student. He went directly to the point, roused the inter est of his students by his own quiet earnestness, to work with them eagerness. H is manner as a teacher seemed to me most excellent. He rec ognized students were un trained and t h at mistakes might be ex pected; t h at they were sensitive h u m an beings with that any man but a bully would respect; t h at they had desires for knowledge train; which he could stimulate a nd t h at they had abilities which deserved the best work t h at he w as able to give them. With these qualifications his success was sure. Year by year well- trained students went out from his classes, many of whom today occupy positions of influence in the world of botany and horticulture. To arouse and instruct his students he depended wholly upon his knowledge of his sub jects and his ability to present them. His lecture platform was never a place for browbeating t he timid or the in competent, or for taking an unfair ad vantage of some slight lapse of duty by holding the delinquent up to ridicule. Nor were his lectures s t r e wn with stale stories and ancient jokes whereat the afflicted students were expected to laugh or else suffer diminution in their daily marks. In his classes there were no traditions handed down from year to year as to passages in certain lec tures where t he fishy odor would de in the beauty glowed with tribute of/ their clapping, mand hands. KNOWN BY H IS D E E DS R A T H ER T H AN BY H IS W O R D S. Prentiss w as mainly a worker rather t h an a speaker or writer. He t a u g ht well, but he wrote very little about He w as an accomplished teaching. botanist, b ut t he journals have few contributions from his pen. His green t h at houses brought to him the keenest delight, but he seldom wrote of t he wonders of the luxuriance plant world t h at grew under his skillful hand. He sought expression in his work r a t h er t h an in his words. If from year to year the effects of his plantings on t he grounds grew more beautiful, if his green houses increased in the wonderful per fection of their contents, if the herba rium gained the specimens to fill in the gaps, if his students were inspired and instructed he w as content. He seemed to have no ambition for the publicity To of associations and conventions. spread his thought and his knowledge ink had for him by aid of printers' small this P e r h a ps fascination. too great reticence he w as not wholly are, in a measure, wise, for words works. instruction may be given by the convention ad dress or the published lectures not less t h an by the lessons in the class-room. B ut with Prentiss the work aiid not the word was paramount. Inspiration and in this P e r h a ps reticence was in a measure due to ill health. He was never robust. Scarcely w as his daily strength sufficient for t he daily work of the class-room and campus. He used w h at power he had in doing w h at he was in honor bound to do. The convention address, the magazine ar ticle, the monograph, the volume could await the day of strength; but, alas for us, t h at day for him came not on e a r t h! the coming of L a ke City, Fla., Oct. 1, 1896. T he wages of sin is eight cents an hour.—P. Y. R., '95. Wheelmen bring a market the farm. P ut up a sign with " P u re milk" on it a nd see if some of them won't stop to buy.—Rural New Yorker. to ...My... Neckwear Stock Contains all the Latest Ideas as to SHAPE, COLOR ftND PATTERN lower than and the price ever before. Would be pleased to have you come in and see it. BEFORE PURCHASING TOUR FALL AND WINTER Allow me to show you some natty "Up to Date" styles. Nothing but relia ble qualities find place in my stock. STUDENT'S PATRONAGE SOLICITED. ELGIN MIFFLIN THE OUTFITTER. 4 T HE M. A. C. R E C O R D. OCTOBER 27, 1896. The M. A. C. Reeord. PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE E D I T ED BY T HE F A C U L T Y, ASSISTED BY THE STUDENTS. ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO LOCK BOX 262, LANSING, MICH. tower room of Mechanical Laboratory. G. A. Parker, President. E. H. Sedg wick, Secretary. Club Boarding Association—I. L. Simmons, President. H. A. Dibble, Secretary. T ry a nd T r u st Circle of King's D a u g h t e rs — Meets alternate Wednesday. Mrs. C. L. Weil, Presi dent. Mrs. J. L. Snyder, Secretary. every SUBSCRIPTION, 50 CENTS PER TEAR. The E x p e r i m e nt S t a t i o n. Business Office with ROBERT SMITH PRINTING CO., Printers and Binders, 108-120 Michi gan Ave. West, Lansing, Mich. Entered as second-class matter at Lansing, Mich. For various reasons THE M. A. C. RECORD is occasionally sent to those who have not sub scribed for the paper. Such persons need have no hesitation about taking the paper from the postofflce, for no charge will he made for it. The only way, however, to secure the RECORD regularly is to subscribe. Official Directory. Sunday Chapel Service—Preaching at 2:30 p. m. Y. M. C. A.—Holds regular meetings every Thursday evening at 6:30 and Sunday evenings at 7:30. S. H. Ful ton, President. C. W. Loomis, Cor. Secretary. Y. W. C. A. regular weekly meetings for all ladies on t he campus Tuesday evenings at 8 o'clock, in the ladies' par lors. Meetings on Sunday evenings with the Y. M. C. A.; Miss Edith F. McDermott, President; Miss Alice Georgia, Cor. Secretary. Natural History Society—Regular meeting second Friday evening of each month in t he chapel at 7:30. H. C. Skeels, President. W. R. Kedzie, Sec retary. Botanical Club—Meets first and third Friday of each month in Botanical Laboratory at 7:30. T. Gunson, Presi dent. W. R. Kedzie, Secretary. Dante Club—Meets every Wednesday evening at 7:30 in Prof. W. O. Hed- rick's office, College Hall. Prof. A. B. Noble, President. It. A. C. Athletic Association—C. B. Laitner, President. G. B. Wells, Sec retary. Columbian Literary Society—Regular meeting every Saturday evening in their rooms in t he middle ward of Wells Hall, at 7:00. B. H. Sedgwick, President. C. F. Austin, Secretary. Delta T au Delta Fraternity—Meets Friday evenings in the chapter rooms on fourth floor of Williams Hall, at 7:00. W. Judson, President. C. P. Wykes, Secretary. Eclectic Society—Meets on fourth floor of Williams Hall every Saturday at 7:30 p. m. C. D. Butterfield, Presi dent. Manning Agnew, Secretary. Feronian Society—Meets every Fri day afternoon at 1:00 in Hesperian rooms. Miss Sadie Champion, Presi dent. Miss Marie Belliss, Secretary. Hesperian Society—Meetings held every Saturday evening in the society rooms in t he west ward of Wells Hall at 7:00. J. D. McLouth, President. R. H. Osborne, Secretary . Olympic Society—Meets on fourth floor of Williams Hall eVery Saturday evening at 7:00. H. W. H a r t, Presi dent. C. J. Perry, Secretary. P hi Delta T h e ta Fraternity—Meets on F r i d ay evening in chapter rooms in Wells Hall,-at 7:00. W. G. Amos, Presi dent. F. H. Smith, Secretary. Union Literary Society—Meetings in . their hall every Saturday held evening at 7:00. E. A. Robinson, Presi dent. S. F. Edwards, Secretary. Tau Beta Pi Fraternity—Meets every two weeks on T h u r s d ay evening in the as an designated By an act of congress, passed March 2, 1887, a nd familiarly k n o wn as the H a t ch act, there w as established in the Agricultural College of each state in the Union a department "to be known and 'Agricul S t a t i o n . '" T he tural were stations duties somewhat by t he original act, except that they were form experiments on topics bearing directly on the agricultural industry of t he United States, a nd that their work w as to be governed largely by t he w a n ts of the state in whicl; they were located. Experiment these of : obscurely defined T he stations a re supported by an nual appropriation by congress, and, unlike the other departments of t he College, have no share in the benefits either of the land g r a nt fund or state appropriations. They were connected with t he colleges for reasons of econo administration and because my of men competent experi to perform ments of a scientific n a t u re could be more readily found in t he faculty of these institutions t h an elsewhere. It had been t he habit of the Michigan Agricultural College to issue bulletins prior to 1887. In fact it w as required by l aw to do so. Since 1887, however, the bulletins issued, as well as t he an nual report of the College and Station, have been sent through the mails free to all the newspapers in the state and to such private citizens as have ap plied for them, a nd t he number of farmers receiving them h as enormous ly increased. The administration of the affairs of this station is vested by the board in a director a nd council, consisting of the president, secretary, and heads of the agricultural, horticultural a nd chemi cal departments. It is impossible in this short article to even enumerate the principal lines of investigation t h at have been con ducted at the station, but I may illus t r a te something of the character of the work done by naming certain series of experiments t h at occur to me without looking over t he report or giving much thought to t he subject. In the past t he agricultural division of t he Station h as directed its atten tion to t wo broad lines of inquiry, one relating to economic questions concern ing crops and forage plants, t he other related to live stock and questions of breeding a nd feeding. Without recalling the former valu able experiments in t he culture of corn and other cereals I may refer to the re cent work on millet a nd substitutes for clover to illustrate the work along the first line mentioned. In a s t a te as famous for its sheep as is Michigan, it is to be expected that a good share of t he energies of the farm department would have been devoted to t he solution of questions arising in t he rearing and fattening of lambs, A long series of experiments with many of the common feeding stuffs in vari ous combinations and under varying conditions, h as been performed. The results have been scattered broadcast in the bulletins a nd have saved t he farmers many times over the cost of the experiments. t h is introduction of Bulletins h a ve been issued on t he fill ing of silos a nd t he use of silage. Dr. Miles, a former professor of agricul ture of t he College, w as a pioneer in t he system of handling the corn crop in this country. T he profit from t he dairy industry h as heretofore been so large t h at t he farmer h as not felt t he need of prac ticing t he economies of his business recently. and building a There seems this year to be a general awakening, a nd farther bulletins on the construction of silos a nd t he use of silage a re in preparation. silo until Much attention is now given to the dairy a nd much valuable work along t h at line h as already been done. The horticultural interests of t he state are both large a nd varied, natur ally, therefore, the equipment of t he station for work in fruit culture and gardening must be extensive a nd the experiments performed must be well planned and long continued. Besides the important tests of new varieties carried on at the home Sta tion a nd at t he branch Station at South Haven, experiments in the culture of small friuts a nd garden vegetables, on greenhouse work a nd vegetable forcing; on the diseases of fruits and vegetables; on the prevention of insect ravages and various other important lines of horti cultural work are carried forward every year. T he value of the results of the horticultural work of the Station to the fruit growers and gardeners of the state is beyond calculation. injustice by The work of t he chemical department has long been recognized as one of the most valuable contributions of t he Col lege a nd Station to the farming inter ests of the state. T he work h as been performed along so m a ny lines t h at it is impossible to mention one without doing inference to the other. I cannot avoid, however, refer ring to t he fertilizer work which saves annually thousands of dollars to t he purchasers of commercial fertilizers; the work with varieties of wheat both as to their economic values a nd the strength a nd other qualities of the t he investigation in t he chem fiour; istry of plant nutrition, a nd finally the investigations of the best methods of reclaiming rendering s w a m ps and valuable t he sandy lands in the upper part of t he lower peninsula. It is doubtful whether a ny other sta tion in t he Union h as published as many or as important bulletins on economic entomology as h as this Sta fruit growers have been tion. T he kept informed of t he proper methods of fighting new insects as soon as they have made in t he state. T he farming community h as also been benefited by t he vigilance of t he entomologist foreseeing a nd in warding off preventable invasions of noxious insects. their appearance Among the most important publica^ tions of t he botanical department of t he Station, the works on forage plants and on the flora of Michigan rank high. The time of t he botanist, however, is largely taken up by the identification Of plants a nd seeds a nd answering let ters of jnqujry in regard to plants both new a nd old, which a t t r a ct t he atten tion of citizens in all p a r ts of the state. The bulletins from the veterinary de p a r t m e nt have been helpful to the live stock interest of Michigan and are des tined to be of more widespread value when the results of t he investigation of t he bacteriologist a re added. E a ch department days out t he work of the year in the early spring a nd sub mits its proposition to the- council, where the different phases of t he ex periments a re correlated, so t h at as t he investigations proceed there m ay be no friction or omission a nd the work of t he entire Station m ay present a har- monius whole. T he details of each experiment a re thought out before t he work begins. At the conclusion of the experiment its history a nd result a re written up in bulletin to t he form a nd submitted director a nd council, w ho carefully re view it, hoping to detect a nd correct possible mistakes. After t he bulletin is approved it is printed, put in envel opes a nd sent out. is rapidly t he bulletins T he n u m b er of people w ho re ceive in creasing, a nd now exceeds 20,000. T he College, in educating not only t he students who attend its regular courses, but a host of farmers in this a nd other states as well. therefore, aids A g r i c u l t u r al B a c t e r i o l o g y. C H A R L ES E. M A R S H A L L. This branch of bacteriology is of comparatively recent origin, a nd its re sources are undeveloped. F or the past dozen years medical bacteriology h as absorbed so much attention, because of its vital relation to mankind, t h at all other branches of this science have been neglected. To state w h at is m e a nt by agricultural bacteriology to day does not indicate w h at it will be twenty years hence. However, at the present time it is so formidable as to be appalling. While scores of workers a re digging up t he wealth found in t he mine of medical bacteriology, single individuals only number t he workers in t he mine of agricultural bacterio logy. This latter branch embraces not only as much as t he medical branch, but its usefulness is felt in several de partments. It is these departments of usefulness which we wish to review. They m ay be presented in t he follow ing order: Bacteriology in its relation to 1. F a rm hygiene, 2. T he diseases of domestic animals and plants, 3. Fermentations, 4. T he dairy, and 5. T he soil. The hygienic condition of the home and the farm is no mean factor in t he development of agriculture. Modern hygiene is founded largely upon bac teriological principles. Dust a nd filth about t he house, decomposition in cel lar a nd yard, a nd uncleanly habits of the person, furnish a nidus for bac teria. T he wastes of the family a nd the cesspool, unless confined in w a t er tight apartments, s a t u r a te the ground with danger. T he water supply is near by a nd underground currents a re numerous; these easily convey deadly bacteria. W a t er m ay prove danger ous not only to people but also to cat tle, horses and other animals. It is not a rare occurrence to trace out t he death of several valuable horses on a single farm to an infected well. T he food also furnishes enemies in various forms. Meat m ay be burdened with killed or after poison, either when standing for some time. A cook h as a grave responsibility w h en she deter mines w h at shall and w h at shall not be eaten, for it is not infrequent to hear of a whole family poisoned by t he use of infected m e at or milk, which m ay result from infected animals or decom position. A careful watch is neces sary. T he farm household ought not to be ignorant of prophylactic meas ures which a re the means of protection against contagious diseases; a nd ought to be able to intelligently disinfect the These lot when infection is present. OCTOBER 27, 1896. T HE M, A. C. B E C O B D. 5 are practical measures and are of as much importance as arithmetic and geography. The possibilities of infection from animals sick or dead with infectious diseases are indeed great, unless a knowledge of the habits of bacteria is acquired. It is established beyond a doubt that tuberculosis often finds its way from the herd to the family. To obviate such communication well di rected care is all that is essential. Many a farmer has succumbed to blood poisoning after handling horses with glanders, but did not realize that he himself had glanders. Case after ease is reported where anthrax has an nounced itself in a human being, con tracted from sick cattle. With each contagious disease to which domestic animals are subject, instances of this kind could be multiplied. These are sufficient to illustrate how significant are these diseases. • In plants, so far as known, bacterial diseases are not communicable to man and animals; yet the contagion that exists sweeps across a country, affecting its special plant, with amaiz- ing rapidity. Many obstacles are to be surmounted in the study of this phase of bacteriology, yet much effec tive work has been done. The meth ods connected with animal diseases are better defined and the conditions for experimentation more favorable. Usually in bacterial plant diseases the time of operation is limited to a few weeks of each season; consequently season after season may pass before any results can be obtained. Not withstanding, the time is near at hand when more workers will be added to the present small corps, and practical conclusions will be reached. the When we speak of fermentation we are inclined to imagine the production of wine or the manufacture of beer. It is true that these have been and are receiving important consideration, fermentations of differ still many farmer. surround ent kinds The wife that her is surprised canned fruit should taste of alcohol or acid after the precautions she had tak en. She forgets, however, that cells were about when she was canning. These found their way into her cans and soon began converting the sugar present into alcohol and acids. Had she known what bacteriological care in the preservation of media meant, she perhaps might have been able to intercept the cells. The farmer often wishes to place a barrel of cider away for the winter, but is disappointed be cause it changes to vinegar so quickly. The best conditions for keeping it long est without the addition of harmful chemicals are unknown to him. He buys a concoction which is recom mended for checking the fermentation, but little knows what poison is within. Sickness of animals has been frequent ly attributed to silos. What is the ex planation? The usual fermentation may take place and this will then be followed by the action of bacteria pro ducing intense poisons, which may not be in any way perceptible to the naked eye in the ensilage, yet may ex ist in a considerable quantity. Fer mentation is always in process about our homes and we are accustomed to look upon it as a natural phenomenon inexplicable to man. The dairy is a branch which has been known to bacteriologists for many years. Treatises upon dairy bacte riology have been written setting forth the necessity of observing certain bac teriological principles and methods. To eradicate a certain species of bacteria which has produced evil in the dairy, unless it is known what sterilization signifies, is work in the dark, and nine chances out of ten the bacteria in ques tion will leave voluntarily before they are exterminated. A discussion of what bacteria do to milk would be too much of an undertaking in this article, but suffice it to say that the diseases of milk produced by bacteria are num bered by the dozens. The industrial side of dairying is much interest ed in the Pasteurization of milk—a means of eliminating most of the bac teria from the milk—and in the ripen ing of cream by pure cultures of bac teria. The entire work of several bac teriologists has been devoted to the solutions of problems associated with milk. Much attractiveness has been offered to bacteriologists by the investigations of soil. Although in its infancy, this is perhaps the most promising field now opened, because the indications point to a deep richness not possessed by the better known branches. It seems a peculiar thing that there are plants which require the association of certain species of bacteria to grow. These bacteria are necessary to pro vide suitable food for the plants. Many of the constituents of the soil cannot be assimilated, unless there are the specific bacteria present to render soluble. Micro-organisms are them needed in the fertilization of a soil. Land which has been under water and containing an abundance of the ele ments required for productiveness is worthless for a period of time; it is sour indifferent land until it has been properly inoculated and subjected to the action of certain micro-organisms. Like many other things, this, has been attended to by the farmer unconscious of what he was doing; he, of course, had his way of accounting for his movements. We have now reviewed very briefly and only in small part those phases of bacteriology which are regarded as be longing to agriculture. The extent of the field is wide and its possibilities are exceedingly great. M. A. C. SPECIAL RATES ON PHOTOS AT BUCK SHARFSTEEN'S STUDIO. Phone 192 New Phone 76 J. G. REUTTER 322 Washington Ave. South F r e sh AND S a lt M e a ts FINE CHICAGO BEEF A SPECIALTY We are Headquarters for all Kinds of Home- Made Sausage. W. S. BAILEY 1 09 MICHIGAN A V E. W. 0 CLOTHING D. A. S E E L E T, College A g e n t. ...COLLEGE BUS... Leaves M. A. C. for Lansing at 8:30 a. m. and 1:30 p. m. Returning, leaves Lans ing at 10:30 a. m. and 4:30 p. m. Packages left at Emery's will receive prompt attention. Livery or Bus for picnics at resonable rates. SELLS Furniture — = R I G H T. ALL GOODS DELIVERED TO THE COLLEGE FREE. Best Woven Wire Cots, - - $1 25 Best Woven Wire Springs, - 1 50 WE SELL EVERYTHING. ffl. J. & B. M. BUCK OPEN EVENINGS. LOWEST PRICES Will be quoted to SCHOOL ... LIBRARIES... And others sending lists of books wanted to Lansing Book & Paper Co., L A N S I N G, M I C H. fS OK M I C H I G A N. ...SOUND A ND CHEAP... NEW PHONE H. O . - P A L M ER Incorporated under t he laws of Michigan by 100 leading Michigan Bankers. H O ME O F F I C E, LANSING, M I C H. Strictlu First-Glass PhotoaraDhu W. E. TRACER, Department of Veterinary Science. «L6 dear's. To Close at Once! 328 pairs Ladies' Russet Shoes AT COST! 300 pairs Gents' Russet Shoes DEALER IN Fresh Salt Meats AND Reason for Closing Out, Too Many Russet Shoes. 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