42(3 STATE BOARD OB^ AGRICULTURE 



We knew bim as a man of method. He tried to encourage order and 

 cleanliness in every way. 1 recall his house-cleaninj]j day plans, and his 

 dnst bin arrangements as exam])les. lie knew, too, that clean walls and 

 fresh paint inspired respect, and how tidiness in person made for order. 

 '*You never beard of a mob in good clothes," was a saying I recall. 



He bad no need to run a card catalogue of his frii-nds; he could remem- 

 ber them whenever he might Indp them; and Ihey do not forget him now. 



"\\'hctlier one met him but for the day, or came to know him inti- 

 mately, he could not fail to be impressed by his friendliness and power," 

 testifies one of the Detroit alumni. 



HE REMEMBERED HIS M. A. C. BOYS. 



When he was called to be assistant secretarj' of agriculture we found 

 that he could remember his M. A. C. boys and that in his new post of 

 honor and influence he could add to the reputation of our College. As 

 an officer he was careful, courteous, patient; yet the same largeness of 

 plan marked his work as had been the case at M. A. C. For this view 

 he often gave Professor Bailey the credit (doubtless also shared by others 

 of the new school of scientists). The thought of the relation between the 

 created thing and its environment seemed ever with him. He hoped to 

 see a competent man monograph the cereal and textile exhibits which 

 were collected for the World's Fair by the government. This work of 

 making an exhibit which should illustrate the function of the Department 

 of Agriculture, was placed in his charge. He also was named as chair- 

 man of the government board, and a great deal of his energy and thought 

 did he put to this task. He held the plow to mark the site where the 

 government building should stand, and that established the Jackson 

 park site. No one not familiar with it can judge of the work required 

 at his hand before the task of })reparing, installing, exhibiting and taking 

 down again of that government exhibit was over. There were various 

 inharmonious elements to keep within bounds, to hasten the necessary 

 labor. 



The work done at the department proper, while more in the nature of 

 routine business, had a breadth of scope and called for its proper man- 

 agement so large an amount of knowledge that the ordinary run of public 

 men, congressmen and others, would have felt uncomfortable in the place 

 for months, had President Harrison been careless in the calling of a man 

 to the post. 



In the administration of his office Mr. Willits won confidence and love. 

 ''His leading trait is sympathy," one officer said to me, and perhaps that 

 was a correct statement. ''But," he added, "confound it, he will sympa- 

 thize with both sides. He won't take your part and forget the other fel- 

 low." That trait of impartiality won him love. 



NOTES FROM W. A. TAYLOR. 



In response to request, Mr. W. A. Taylor, '88, now assistant pomologist 

 in the Department of Agriculture, sends me some notes. I am very glad 

 to give them. They cover certain periods much more accurately' than I 

 ■can do; and none could speak more lovingly. 



"The incident," says Mr. Taylor, "which doubtless is most clearly re- 

 membered bv the students then in attendance, was the occasion of Mr. 



