Prof. Edward Olney

It was a shock to the people of tliis community lastSabbath whcn tliey leamed of the death during the nlght previous of Prof. Edward Olney, for it was not nmong the thlugs expected. To be snre ha bad been out of health for some years, but it was generully supposed tliat lic was on the mend, and in fact he had so far recovered as again to resume his duties In the university, and also in the Baptist church, of whicli lie was a devoted member. Saturduy the professor vu apon the street and was met ty raany of our i-iticus, wbo little dreamed that It was the last time they would ever look upon hini in lile. Saturday evening he was engOged in preparing a paper for the Baptist Sundaj school, and had evidently nearly half oomplated bla task, when about 9 or 9J o'clock he lay down Ms pen and retired for the n'ght, he OCOUpled a room by liimself sinee his illness. At 10 o'clock when the tainily, consi?ting of Mrs. Olney and a nieee whohad been adopted as a dau;;hter, retired, he was sleepinf! peacefully. Upon arising in the mornlog, at about 8 o'clock, Mrs. Olney was lurpriaed to flnd it so late, and was still more surprised to find that Mr. Olney was still slcepinjr, as he was au carly riser. Not responding to a cali Mrs. Olney hastencd to his bedside to find him cold in death. The news qulckly spread througbOUt the city, and created the greatest feeling of sorrow, for perhaps no man in the city was more eenerally respectad (han ras Prof. Olney. As a citizen he was agreeable, as a neighbor he wus kiud, and his irenerosity almo3t amounted to a faalt Au inoeMant worker, a ereat student, he had built up for hlmself a national reputation as an author of a series of text-books upon mathematics that have become standard throughout the nation. CAUSK OF DEATH. Anxlous to ascertain the cause of his sudden death an autopsy was beid. In the lowerpart of the abdomen was fouud a round bal] of perfectly white substance, about the size of a walnut, exoeedlngl; hard and firni, the compo3ition of which was a mystery to the physieians, as was also any reason why it should have formcdBut the doctors pronouuceil tb c;ius; of death the failure of the blood vessels to perfoim their duty in carrying blood to the brain. KUNKItAI. fKUVICES. The funeral of Prof. Edward Olney will occur on Thursday at 3 p. m. (local time) In university hall. The body will lie in the corridor of univeisity hall from 1:45 to 2:43. Servies will be conducted by Or. Haskell, Pres. Angelí, and Prof. Daniel Putnam, of Ypsilanti, and Pres. Brooks, of Kalamazoo College. The followiiiif Dal] bearers have been selected: Honorary-Rev . L. H. Trowbridge, D. A. Watermuu, Esq. and sctiuyler Uraui, E8q.,of Detroit; Kev. Dr. Brooks, of Knlaiui.u; Prof. II. H. Klieze. Prat. A. B. Mmwud Prof. W. W. Beman, of the University; and A. W. Britten, Eaq., Ann Arbor. Active- J. K. Hodge"88, II. V. Moore W A H. Hopklns '89, A. E. Jenuiuïs "88, U. W. uacea -öo, i-, Lj. uerr bu. ACTION OF THE INIVEUSITY SBNATB. At the meeting of the Uuiversity Senate held on Moiiday eveuing, tlie following tribute to the memory of the late Professor Olney was ordered placed 011 tlie records. The memortm] was prepared by Professor Frieze, acting as ohalrmao tf committee consisting of ihe deans of the several depurttuents : Professor Edward Olney, LL. D., who for more tnan twenty-three years han held the chalr of luatheuialics In the acadeuilc departinent of the Universlty of Michigan, died itt Ii.h residence lu Aun Arbor on the sixteenlh day of January, 1S87, 111 the slxtleth year of hls age. Though hls decease was sudden at the last, and w.ihout linmedlate warnlng, the ol hls he all h during Ihe last three year of bis lile had wade tilín cousclous of mamen tarydanger; and there la reason to bellev that he was constantly looklng for that grea chaiige, for whlch cerlaluly no Chrlstiau could have been better prepared. Professor ülney had already won a distln gulahed repulallon as a malhemaliclau, an was eniployed as a teacher of that sclence Ín Kalainazoo College, when he was appolntet lolliechalrof mathematlcsln thlsuuiverslly and eutered upon lts duttes Ín Kepteiuber 18B3. He iniruedlately took lililí rank amongst hls col leagues both on account of hl prufound lnslght luto the sclence whirli wa iils speclally, hls absoluie coinmand of th subject, hls admirable system oí lnstruction hls precisión and clearness of statement, aiu hls gift of inspii mu enlhusiasm In hls classes and hls preGtninent worth as a teacher Is stil further attested by the high attalurueuts o the large nuinber of stilden i who have pass ed out ïrom under hls instructlon to take en viable pjsltlous as teachers of malhemuUi' in colleges and bigb schools. It Is, perbapi astill greater honor to hls name and totln universlty, that be has contrlbuted, duriug hls connectlon wlth it, a long serles ol mal terly works to the Illerature ol mathcmatlcs The-e books, embracing as they do a larg part of Ihe field of pure mathemallcs, bot h i lts eleiueumry ana higher depai tincuts, tli resultof many yearsol exhausilui; labor, now wldely known and used In the lnstlluüons o varlous grades lor wtnch Ihey were deslgned constllute a monument to the memory an fame of our deparled colleague which time cannot oblitérate. In the advaucement of the Universlty In lts ejucatlonal work, and especial ly that o the academie department, no one of ou number has ever taken a Uveller Interest o made more earnest endeavor. He has hoiirt lly co-operated in every measure of progress has been fi uitlul of ideas and suggesuons and to limi we ure indebted for much that li valuable In the most characti'i-iHtic nf all our lnnovattons on old methods- our system o electlves and credils. Itut bewas nol s active In the promotion of the wolk ol cdu catión outslde of the Universlty. and in tin state, and hls permití was familiar to thi members of our staie teachers' assoclatlon in which for go mauy yeiirs lie took au aotlve and efficiënt part. HU nctlvily, hov ever, was by no means conflned to the Interest of educatlon. Scarcely any clergyrnan of the denoinlnatlon to whlcli he was attached devoted more time and zealous labor to the cause of religión and morallty than Profewor Olney; and, nol conteiuing hlmst-lf with ihe sacrlflce of time and toll, he contributed largely, too, even profusely, of hls llmited tluanclal means to the cause he so much loved. Klndred to thls, also, was hls indefatlgableactivlty In creatlng and promoting organizatlons of every kind for amelloraling social evlls and for advanctng social reforms; and hls etlbrts In bebalf of religión and moráis, were directed not less to the Universlty than the communlty al large. in bis relations 10 hls ooUeagnei Prorenor Olney was always genial and courteous, sympathetlcand helptul ; and all wllli whonï be wasso long as-ociftted wlll xailly miss hls wlse and lalthful counsel, and hls hearly frlendshlp and support. All the activltles of hls remarkalilc llfi, the work which he achteved as an ed nestor, and that, scarcely leNS frulthful, whlcli Inaccompllshed as a (Jhrlsllan pbilanlropltt, were the outcomeofan earnesi ¦plrli Ifvoted to truth and knowledge aDd duty. HIsoodvlctlons were strong, and with htm eonvlclion was liction. Whatever he belleved to be true or right lie learlessly expressed and malntatued, and he led on in any canse which he espoused, from hls sense of duty without regard to popularlly or lo the nuinber of adherents. He was a good man, and a brave Chrlstlan soldier, and has left to us umi to all men a shlnlug example. The followlng resoltitions wtre also adopted : Heêolvtd. Thatweconvey to the wlfeand to the survlVIng klndred of our lamented colleague, the assurance of our profound regret for hls loss, and our hearlfelt sympathy 1 their heavy anllctlon. liesolveJ, That the senate attend In a body the funeral of thu deceased. Resolved, That the foregolng momorlal and tesolutions be furnistied to the press for publication. Jlesolvtd, That the regular exercise of the universlty be suspended on the duy of the funeral. The comtnittfce of arrangements to carry out the plans of the seiiHte consista of Professors Pettee, Herdumi, Reman, Rogers and Denison. ms uw.. IhV followlng brief blography laken fVoni the Hlttory of Waahtenaw Couuty, and ir. pronoonocd very accurate : Edward Olney, LL. D., Ann Arbor, proftator of matbematloi la the Umversity ot' Michigan, is ¦ lineal descendant of Thomas Olney, who was born in Ilertford, England, in HiUO, andcameto Massachusettt in ('X. Ho foliowad Hoger Williams toRbode Island In 1038, and was raoeived by Williams into the iirst laud compauy of Providencc. He was baptizctl by Williams in the company of 12 otlier persons, who eonstituted the First llaptist chnrch of I'iovidence, and o América in 1618, and was among til earlteat ministers of Unit church. Oo hi mol hoi ¦' side l'rofessor Olney is desreiidcc from the Emerson families. He was bon at Moreau, Saratoga eounty, X. Y., Julj 24, 1S27. Hli father removed to Oak land county, Michigan, in 1833, but re inained only a few months, and then per mam -ntly settlod in Veston,Wood connty Oliio. llis school privileges were sennty enjoyad In log ichool houset, and only i obildhood years, six weeks being all c lohool lifc after tfa age of 18. ï secure even this amount of instruction h biredanotherboy to drive ox-team on tli farm, while lie went daily two and a hul miles to his studie, teaching at home a evening arlthmetio school to obtain mean to pay his substitute. Day's algebra wa gone tbrough In those six weeks. H! teaching In district schools commenced a tlie age of 1!), at a salary of $12.50 pe montli, boarding around. While work n; at home u Slimmer, he would stud; mathematica and natural science ; i winter sit down witliout a teacher, to th Latin. At the age of 21 he was employee to teach the district school in Perrysbur_ with the undeistanding that a unió gradcd school was soon to be establishei as was done tlie following year. This wa the rirst unlon school of that región Professor Olney was at first principal o; the graramar departinent when, tw years later, the superintendency becam vacant, he was appolnted to that place Haring to teacli Latín as well as highe EDgltsh, tlie utmost diligence and appli catión In private studies accomplished hi school dutte. Ilis proliciency in variec studios, and his eminence as an instruc tor, became such that at the instaure o college -brod brother teachers, the honor :iry degree of 14. A. wasconferred on him by Madison Univeisity, New Yark. In 1833 he accepted an nppolntment as ]ro feseor of mathematlci In Ealsmasoö Col lege, Michigan, In 1803 he was ealle( to the profesaonhip of mulhemalies in th Univciity of Michigan. He husaequirec a national redutatiOO as au uuthor o matbematlcal work?, lus woiksembracin arilliiiu'tics and algelira for school us and tiealises on algebras, geometry, trig onometry and oaleuloafor use in collegei His hooks are used in a larjre nuuiber o tin' li'ailinir Kboola and collefres in tb country. During the years 1801-'0:i h u as propi letorand editor of the Michijfat CMi rist iuii Ueralil, in addition to his dutic as profewor at Kabunazoo. He ha" als been coutributing editor of the weeklv Kduc itiKinil Journal; is the author o the Hitiole on Mithematics" il the Sdacational Cyi loptdia, and of vari ous otlui uroducuons. Lu appreciatioi of liis work, and in just reongnltlon o II xti'nt of his acijiiisitions, Kalainao College has conferred apon him thedegrt dt I.L. D. His work hs an instructo lui reCflved a marked success, and hi influence on tliose under his teachini; i sucli that all aregreatly interested in thei wnrk. il. i.... -.i-..y.igven his earnest at tention and energeüc Bupport to the in terests of society. Every work of tru reform hns had ín him au iinflinching ad vocale. In Sunday schools he lias been leader, superintendiuji schools at home and worklng in state and uational organ zaliiin-i. Au associate teacher at Perrvs burg, Miss Sarah Huntington, dangbtc of the Hou. Elijah Huntington, became his wife diiring the time he was teaching at that place. Prof. Olney lmd been strrngly urge to accept the presidency of Kalamazo College, but declined the honor. His gen erosity may be best shown by stating tha when the new Baptist church was dedi cated in this city he mortgaged his hom for $3,000 ratber than have a debt rest ing against it.