association, thus encouraging the working people to build and own their own houses. It was also through his push and energy, to a large extent, that the Public Library of Auburn was made possible, which he aided by generous contribution and personal solicitation from others. He was a life member of the Young Men's Christian Association, the Home for Aged, Auburn Board of Trade, and a very active and prominent member of the State Board of Trade, being chairman of the Committee on Program for seventeen years. He served as President of the Pedagogical Society, of the American Institute of Instruction, and of the National Educational Association and Department of Superintendents. Because of his addresses made on Decoration Day and other patriotic endeavors he was made an honorary member for life of the Burnside Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. The last letter he wrote, nine days before his death, was one of thanks and appreciation for kindnesses shown by comrades of that post. The appointment by Governor Cleaves of Mr. W. W. Stetson, in 1895, to the responsible position of State Superintendent of the Public Schools of Maine gave widespread satisfaction in educational and business circles throughout the State, as was shown by the almost phenomenal number of letters of recommendation to the governor. The leading citizens of almost every town in the state gave him strong and hearty endorsement. Among these were ex-governors, senators, ministers, lawyers, doctors, presidents and professors of colleges and normal and high schools, superintendents and teachers of the common schools,-men from all walks in life. All the teachers of the Auburn schools gave their hearty endorsement for his promotion, although regretting the loss of one who had been their faithful leader, helper and inspirer for more years than ever any former superintendent. Willingly they sent him out to the larger field of labor, knowing he had been a rare and progressive educator for more than two decades. In order to express their esteem and appreciation of his faithful labor among them, and sadness at losing him, they tendered their retiring superintendent a testimonial banquet, and as a token of remembrance presented him with a solid gold watch-guard. On assuming the wider field of labor, he brought to this work vigorous health, marked enthusiasm and tireless energy, great capacity for sustained effort, wide knowledge of school organization and management, quick insight into educational conditions and needs, and foresight of methods to meet them. He had also a large and ready fund of pedagogical laws and facts, the power to think clearly and connectedly unto right conclusions and in addition a terse, vigorous, graphic style of expression both in speech and writing, enabling others to make his thought their own. He always tried to transfuse his love, care and zeal into the minds of his co-workers. He had a delicate touch and a skillful handling of any subject. What he thought he never insinuated; what he believed he never allowed to make its way indirectly into the minds of those whom he wished to interest and help. As has been said of a certain writer, "He may almost have been said to stand by his listener's side to jog him if he once happened to forget." He had lived in the strenuous West as well as the conservative East; yet he was not typical of either one or the other. He had sojourned in the South, and studied the schools there. In 1883 he made an extensive trip abroad, studying the different school systems of the most progressive educators in England, France and Germany. educational ideals were broad and comprehensive. Thus his It had long been conceded by educators that the rural schools of the state were in an unsatisfactory condition. The work was un-systematic and superficial. Many of the teachers were poorly fitted in scholarship and had little knowledge of the simplest methods of imparting instruction to children. The majority of those employing teachers and supervising the schools were ignorant of the first principles of pedagogy and of what a school should be. Attempts at reform and improvements had been made, courses of study had been outlined for rural schools in order to bring the work into more systematic conditions, |