CHAPTER VIII 

 EMERITUS 



In 1896, Professor Johnson became professor emeri- 

 tus of agricultural chemistry in Yale University. He 

 retained the office of director of the Agricultural Sta- 

 tion, being relieved of all save literary and advisory 

 duties by the vice-director, Dr. Jenkins, who had 

 worked in loving and considerate harmony with him 

 for so many years that this gradual relinquishment of 

 authority caused little sadness. 



When, in 1900, Professor Johnson, realizing that he 

 was no longer equal even to his light share in the Sta- 

 tion's administration, resigned the office of director of 

 the institution he had built up; he accepted, at the 

 urgent request of the Board of Control, the position 

 of advising chemist which they created for him. After 

 a year, however, he again asked them to accept his 

 resignation, thus severing the last link that connected 

 him with scientific activities. His letters of this 

 period depict his philosophical acceptance of the ever- 

 narrowing environment of old age: 



(S. W. J. TO A NIECE.) 



[December 1896] Your warm invitation to cool Saint Paul 

 I should be most happy to accept, but I fear he'd cool me! 

 Then too, I haven't any tickets for the "Limited" left, in fact 

 I'm very limited myself and can't raise enough to get away 

 from home unless I tick it. But going it on tick is expressly 

 worse than riding on a rail ! 



