Daniel C>oit (ttlman 65 



exceptional profundity. What I do say is that he had a 

 sort of sympathetic intuition for the larger aspects of any 

 department of human effort, whether in the domain of 

 iBtellect or of action, which caused him to seize with 

 avidity on every important development and to give to it 

 the most hearty interest, the most intelligent co-opera- 

 tion, the most ungrudging support. It was the genuine- 

 ness of interest thus arising an interest quite different 

 from that of the mere administrator that gave to his 

 work as our "taskmaster" that quality which so 

 peculiarly distinguished it. 



I shall not attempt even to indicate the many lines of 

 important and beneficent achievement in which Mr. Oil- 

 man did signal service ; that has been done many times in 

 the past few weeks. Nor shall I endeavor to point to less 

 conspicuous good works, beyond saying that his ear was 

 ever open to any appeal, not only for the betterment of 

 the community and for the succor of the needy, but for 

 any cause, large or small, that represented a worthy 

 desire or aspiration. I may perhaps permit myself, in 

 conclusion, to mention a little incident which, while at 

 this moment it comes back to my mind and heart with 

 peculiar force, is thoroughly characteristic of the man and 

 throws a real light on one of the great sources of his 

 many-sided usefulness. A number of years ago, when 

 there seemed to be danger that the Mercantile Library 

 would be abandoned for want of support, I expressed to 

 Mr. Oilman my deep regret that such a thing should be 

 possible. I said that it was a great resource for people 

 of quiet tastes, and mentioned as an illustration that it 

 was one of the very few places to which my mother took 

 pleasure in going. It was several months after this talk 

 that matters came to a head in regard to the library, and 

 we all know that the saving of the library was chiefly due 

 to the energetic exertions of Mr. Oilman, aided by the 

 generosity of Mr. McCoy. It never occurred to me that 

 what I had said to Mr. Oilman had anything to do with 



