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Show I A New Memorial to McGuffey t\1cGuffey t 1cGuffey \ L By ELMO EL1\IO EL1 IO \ SCOTT WATSONHE WATSON HEother HE other day a . great greatcrowd greatcrowd greatcrowd crowd crowdof of people gathered gath gath- gathered gathered - T gathT ered in the little city C1ty of ofO ofOxford ofOxford O Oxford .ford ford > . , Ohio . They Theyt1 Theysere They\\ They Theyere t1 sere \ \ ere tliere there for a doublcpurposc doublepurposeto double doublc ' purpose-to purpose to purpose purposc - to celebrate celebratethe celebratethe celebratethe the one Oiie hundredth anniversary anniversaryof of the publication ofa of a book bookbut bookbut bookbut but more morc particularly part1cularly to honor honorthe honorthe honorthe the memory of the man who whowrote whowrote whowrote wrote that book by unveihng unveiling unveihngfa unveilinga a statue of him . fa The man wasV'Illiam was \ William \V'Illiam V'Illiam VIlliam ' Holmes HolmesMcGuffcy HolmesMcGuffey HolmesMcGuffey McGuffcy McGuffey and the book which whichhe whichhe whichhe he published pubhshed in 1836was 1836 was the thefirst thefirst thefirst first of the McGuffey Eclectic EclecticReaders EclecticReaders EclecticReaders Readers . Of him hiiu it has been been'saId beensaid beensaid said that "he he "lie lie " was the most pop- pop popular popular - - 'saId saId ' pop-jular pop jular ular American of the Nine Nine- Nineteenth Nineteenth Nineteenth - teenth century , the man who'had whoThad who whoad 'had had Thad ' ad the largest influence in inIdetermining in'determining indetermining Idetermining ' determining the thoughts and andjideals andideals andlideals jideals ideals of the American people peopleduring peopleduring peopleduring during that period and the man manIto manto manto to whose work many great greatAmericans greatAmericans greatAmericans Ito Americans of the present day daypay daypay daypay pay tribute as being the foun foun- - tain taro of their inspiration insplratlOn to toaspire toaspire . aspire and to achieve " I ! ' , That is why many American Americannotablesauthors Americannotables notables-authors notables authors - authors , editors , edu educators edu- edu educators educators - - cators , industrialists industriahsts , statesmenere statesmen statesmenwere -ere ere - \ were ere present when the statue statuethe , the creation of one of Amcrica's Amcricas America's Americas Amcrica'sleadmg America'sleading America'sleading Americasleading ' leadmg leading sculptors , was unvclled unveiled unveiledat unvclledat at Oxford But the greater part partof partof partof of the crowd there was made up upof upof upof of "Just Just " plain folks , " members membersof membersof of the numerous "McGuffey McGuffey "McGuffeySocieties "McGuffeySocieties "McGuffeySocieties McGuffeySocieties " Societies " scatteredall scattered allover all over the theUnited theUnited theUnited United States , who stIllcherish still cherish cherishin cherishin cherishin in their hearts the lessons they theylearned theylearned theylearned learned from this "Schoolmaster Schoolmaster "Schoolmasterof Schoolmasterof " of ofa a Nation " in his Eclectic EclecticReaders EclecticReaders EclecticReaders EclecticReadersThe Readers ReadersThe The memorial at Oxford is the thesecond thesecond thesecond second which Wh1Ch has been erected erectedin erectedin erectedin in his hlS honor within wlthm the last two twoyears twoyears twoyears years In 1934 another greatJ greattit great .J J . tit tit1u11 1u11 1 1r 1e I r e , > i , ( tifr ' rs ! . , + t trr , rf ytrf , rr t tyt yt s&i si & . , ! . ' t tt tA t A f fy fM y S fS -M M - MWILLIAM WILLIAM H . McGUrFEYthrong \ McGUFFEY 1\IcGUrFEY 1 IcGUrFEY McGUrFEY McGUFFEYthrong Washmg-ton Washmg ton .Washmgton aWashington throng gathered nearaWashing near .Washmg- .Washmg aWashing- aWashing * . - - ton . , Pa , to dedicate a huge gran gran- gran- gran - - granite ite boulder on the site of the log logcabm logcabm logcabin cabm where McGufley McGuffey was born bornThe bornThe bornThe The crumbling crumblmg remains remams of that thatcabin thatcabin thatcabin cabin were removed to Dearborn DearbornMich , M1ch Mich , m 1928 , rebuilt rebwlt and added addedto addedto addedto to the Edison EdlSon institute mstItute collection collectionby collectionby collectionby by Henry Ford , through whose whoseefforts whoseefforts whoseefforts McGuffeyfarm efforts 70 acres of the McGuffey farm were purchased for a per per- permanent per-'manent per 'manent manent : - ' manent memorial . . . At that bme time timeMr Mr bmeMr timeMr . Ford made one of his Ws fewpublic few fewpublic fewpublic public addresses It W was lS < tlus this tluslacomc thislaconic thislaconic lacomc laconic statement : "I I " am glad to toJom tojoin tojoin Jom join you today m in giving glvmg givmg honor to toDoctor toDoctor toDoctor Doctor McGuffey . He was a agreat agreat agreat great McGuffeyReaders American Amencan . The McGuffey Readers taught industry mdustry and mo- mo morahty morality mo morality - - rality rahty to America . " . . " Tributes From Notables NotablesBut NotablesBut NotablesBut alonein But Henry Ford is 15 not alone alonein in paying paymc tribute tnbute to the OhIO OhIOschoolmaster Ohioschoolmaster Ohioschoolmaster schoolmaster . In fact , the hst list hstof listof listof of acknowledgedtheir aclmowledgedthelr those who have aclmowledged acknowledged thelr their indebtedness mdebtedness to his h15 teach teach- teachings teachings teachings - ings is 15 a veritable Amencan American Amencan"Who's American"Who's American"Who's AmericanWhos " ' " "Who's Whos Who Herbert Quick QU1ck mvr1ting m \ writing \vr1ting vr1ting of h1S his h1Seh hischildhood hischildhood eh childhood dhood m rural Iowa m h1S his h1Sbook hisbook hisbook book , "One One " : Man's Mans ' Life Le L e , " says . ' . III "I I says"I saysI " had a burning burnmg thirst for books booksOn booksOn booksOn On those farms a boy or girl glrl withmy wIth wIthmy withmy my appetite for literature hterature was a afrog afrog afrog frog in m a desert . The thirst was wassatisfied wassatisfied ' satisfied and , more unportant important importantwas , was stimulated st1mulated to aspiration for forfurther forfurther forfurther further satisfaction satlSfacl10n by an old olddog olddog olddog dog cared eared volume of McGuffey's McGuffeys McGuffey'sthe McGuffeysthe ' , the standard school readers of ofmy ofmy ofmy my day . My mastery of the first firstand firstand firstand and second readers-Just readers Just readers-ust ust readers - ) just the theopenmg theopening theopening openmg opening of the marvels of the theprmted theprinted theprinted prmted printed page-was page was page - - was a poignant pOlgnant de- de dellght delight de delight - - light llght and gave me a sort of ec- ec ecstasy ecstasy ec ecstasy - - stasy . Those textbooksconstI text-books text books - - consti constI- constItute consti- consti constitute constitute - - tute the most influential volumes volumesever volumesever volumesever ever published pubhshed m rn America . " . " Newton D Baker Bakcr , secretary of ofwar ofwar ofwar war under President Pres1dent Wilson Wllson , oncc once onccdeclarcd oncedeclared oncedeclared declarcd declared lhat that a certain certam melan melan- melancholy melancholy melancholy - - choly poem con contained tamed in m the Frlth Fifth FrlthReader FifthReader FifthReader Reader made mdde an impression unpresslOn on onhIm onhim onhim hIm that still remains remams , and thelate the thelate thelate late Justice John H . . Clarke sa1d said sa1dthat saidthat saidthat that the language he used m mhandmg mhanding inhanding handmg handing down decisions decIsIon , > of the - FP + COV " " ' 9'fi7NA 9fi7NA ' wM.y wMy . pM'rRMMTMIf pMrRMMTMIf ( . ' " .y y . 1 " " ' , ' - . , C ' . , , MS MSrp rp rpv -v v . " , 9 9dd r- r rC 1 0 0ar ' 4A 4 dd ' > -ar ar - k ' K > ! x r , . - yM ! < 4 d C Cy 1 1v y v ' L : * k kn kR ke n R e dL Y w wc wirk ' " # " " ' 4-- 4 4I - - " \ - . I * " . , I7 . //7 7 " . I } ' / / , " < , l ' , ; + . . .s s . . " \ c irk r- r - r'y : . + , ' " . -'y 'y y - ' " , . J " , -t t fi - 'yt . cA vk o ' . " $ ; . Cdfax CdfaxJ + * , . a3 H < " , 1 ' " " ' : ' ) - + ? M " .1 1 8 . , * .yi yi . , . z < 4 'V V ' % + " , . . , . 1f ' 4r } rx rxy rxDEDICATION y DEDICATION or Ot THE l\IcGUFrEY l IcGUFrEY McGUFTEY \ 1\IEMORIAL 1 IEMORIAL MEMORIAL \ AT HIS BIRTH- BIRTH BIRTHPLACE BIRTHPLACE - PLACE NEAR WASHINGTON , PA . ( At the left stands Nancy NancyPardee NancyPardee Pardee Newton of Ypsilanti , MICh . , DesIgner of the Plaque . ) United Umted States Supreme court not notI notmil notinfiequently notmfiequently I mil infiequently equently was colored by the thereaders thereaders thereaders readers he had stud studied led 50 years yearsbefore yearsbefore yearsbefore before . Ida M . Tarbell , the lateAlbert late lateAlbert lateAlbert Albert J . Bevendge BeverIdge , and many manyothers manyothers manyothers others credit cred1t McGuffey with having hav hav- havmg having - ing mg had a large share in m shapmg shaping shapmgtheIr shapingtheir shapingtheir theIr minds mmds . The story of the McGuffeys McGuffeysgoes McGuffeysgoes McGuffeysgoes goes back to August , 1774 , when whenWIlham whenWilliam whenWilliam WIlham William and Anne ( McK1ttrlck McKittrick McKittnckMcGuffey ) McGuffey emigrated em1grated to thIS thIScOlmtry thiscountry thiscountry cOlmtry country from Scotland Landmg Landing Landingat Landmgat at Philadelphia PhlladelphIa , they Journeyed ourneyed ) journeyedto ourneyedto to the southern border of York Yorkcounty Yorkcounty Yorkcounty county , Pennsylvania Pennsylvama , where they theysettled theysettled theysettled settled This ThlS Scotch family had hadone hadone hadone one son , Alexander , who was Sl six sixyears sixyears years old when they arrived arnved m in mAmerIca inAmerica mAmerica AmerIca . Alexander grew up to be a ascout ascout ascout scout and Indian Ind1an fighter , servmg serving servingm servmgm m Ohio Oh10 and western Pennsyl Pennsyl- Pennsylvama Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - - vania vama under Arthur St Clair Clalr andAnthony and andAnthony andAnthony Anthony Wayne At the end of ofthe ofthe ofthe the campaign campa1gn of 1794 he marned married marnedMISS marriedMiss marriedMiss MISS Anna Holmes of Washing Washmg- Washmg Washing- Washmgton Washington Washington - ton county , Pennsylvania Pennsylvama , and andsettled andsettled andsettled settled as a farmer m in that coun coun- county coun- coun county county - - ty . Here , William Wllham Holmes Mc- Mc McGuffey McGuffey Mc McGuffey - Guffey was born , September 23 23,1800 231800 23,1800When , 1800 1800When When the lad was two years yearsold yearsold yearsold old , the McGuffeys removed to toTrumbull toTrumbull toTrumbull Trumbull county , Ohio , where whereAlexander whereAlexander whereAlexander Alexander McGuffey purchaseda purchased | a farm of 165 acres m Cortsv1l1e Cortsville Cortsv1l1evIllage Cortsvillevillage Cortsvulevillage vIllage , Cortsv Cortsville le township townsh1p , m in mthe inthe mthe the Connecticut Western Re- Re Reserve Reserve Re Reserve - - serve serveOne One day Rev . Thomas Hughes HughesPresbyterian , Presbytenan Presbyterian minister mm1ster , was nd- nd rid- rid ndmg ridmg rid riding - ing mg by the lonely McGuffey cab cab- cabm cabin cabin - - in m He overheard the motherpraying mother motherpraymg motherpraying praymg praying that her young son , W Wil- Wil William Wil William - liam ham , might have the opportumty opportunity opportu- opportu opportuInity - - - Inity mty nity to secure an education that thatwould thatwould thatwould would fit him h1m for l life e and for themm1stry theministry the iministry mm1stry ministry . Reverend Hughes arranged arranged ar- ar arranged - - - \ranged ranged \ ranged to have the boy attend attendschool attendschool attendschool school at the "Old Old " Stone academy academy acad- acad academy - - - , emy " which wh1ch he had opened atDarlmgton atDarlington at IDarlington Darlmgton Darlington , , Pa The tuition tUltIon was was$3 was3 $3 3 $ $ a year 'ear ear ' and board board . , 75 cents a aweek aweek aweek week . Here W William ham received hlS his hlSacadem1c hisacademic hisacademic academ1c academic training trammg and by the thet11l1e thetime thetune t11l1e time he was eighteen was ready readyfor readyfor readyfor for a collegiate collegmte course . He went to the nearest college college.Washington collegeWashington . , Washmgton Washington college , m Pennsyl Pennsyl- Pennsylvama Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - - vania vama , and there came under the themfluence theinfluence theinfluence , mfluence influence of Dr . Andrew Wyhe Wylie Wyliepresident , presIdent of the college . He stud stud- studIed studied studied - ied Latin Latm , Greek and Hebrew as aswell aswell aswell well as English Engl1sh and was gradu gradu- graduated gradu- gradu graduated graduated - - ated with honors m in 1826 , receiv recelV- recelV receiv- recelVmg receiving receiving - ing mg the bachelor of arts degree . . A Pioneer TeacherWhile Teacher TeacherWhile While attending attendmg Washmgton Washington Washmgtoncollege Washingtoncollege Washingtoncollege college he supported himself h1mself m in mpart inpart mpart part by teaching teachmg . He taught a apIOneer apioneer apioneer pIOneer school m in Kentucky , h1S his h1Swork hiswork hiswork work being bemg observed by the first firstpresident firstpresident firstpresident president of Miami umversity university umversitythat universitythat universitythat that had been founded at Oxford OxfordOhio , OhlO Ohio , m in 1809 . This man . , Rev Rev.Robert RevRobert . . Robert Ham Hamilton ton Bishop , at once oncerecogmzed oncerecognized oncerecognized recogmzed recognized the power and devo devo- devobon devo- devo devotion devotion - - tion bon of the young undergraduate undergraduatestudent undergraduatestudent undergraduatestudent student and offered him rum hun a posi POSI- POSItion posi- posi position position - - tion at Miami Mmm1 , to begin begm m the theautumn theautumn theautumn autumn of 1826 . The minutes mmutes of the board of oftrustees oftrustees oftrustees trustees show that he was em- em employed employed em employed - ployed as professor of languages languagesMIaml languagesMiami languagesMiami MIaml Miami tradition trad1bon tells that he rode rodemto rodeinto rodeinto mto into Oxford with his httle l1ttIe brother brotherAlexander brotherAlexander brotherAlexander Alexander with his hlS personal cop cop- copIes copies copies - - ies of Levy , Horace , Memora Memora- Memorab Memorabilia Memorabilia - - b bilia la and the Greek and Hebrew Hebrewtexts Hebrewtexts Hebrewtexts texts of the Bible m his saddle saddlebags saddlebags saddlebags bags . Soon after coming commg to O Oxford ord he hei hemet hemet hemet i met Harriet Spmmf Spining Spmin { , , , daughter of ofJudge ofJudge ofJudge Judge Isaac Spmmg of Dayton Daytonwho , who was visiting vls1tmg her uncle m in Ox- Ox Oxford Oxford Ox Oxford - ford . They became engaged and andwere andwere andwere were married April 3 , 1827 . . While at Miami Mmm1 , McGuffey McGuffeywrote McGuffeywrote McGuffeywrote wrote the first and second of the thegraded thegraded thegraded graded set of readers-the readers the readers - the first firstm firstm firstm m 1836 and the second in m 1837 1837.Both 1837Both . . Both the third th1rd and fourth read read- readers readers - . ers were written wntten at Cincinnati Cmcmnah m in in1838 1838 . His brother , Alexanderaided Alexander , 3lded aided Professor McGuffey in m the thereVIS10n therevision therevision reVIS10n revision of the readers and col- col collected collected col collected - - lected much of the material for the fifth and sixth readersAfter readersAfter readers readersAfter After some time bme at Mlaml Miami MiamiProfessor , Professor McGuffey , whose m- m |