46  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.     {A  j^^.mT' 
probably  the  majority  of  his  tasks  were  distasteful  to  him,  and  in 
committee  work  others  might  leave  him  to  bear  the  burden  alone, 
he  would  simply  gird  on  his  armor  and  do  the  work;  this  was  not 
due  to  an  overweening  opinion  of  his  abilities,  but,  having  grasped 
the  handles  of  the  plow  and  satisfied  that  the  labor  was  honorable 
and  for  the  betterment  of  his  fellows.  He  would  not  allow  diffi- 
culties to  daunt  him,  nor  obstacles  to  stand  in  his  way,  but  with  his 
great  experience  and  knowledge  of  men  he  would  find  a  way  where 
the  less  able  or  courageous  man  would  succumb. 
"  One  of  his  favorite  expressions  was,  *  I  had  no  business  what- 
ever to  go  into  this,  but  nobody  else  seems  to  care  to  push  this  so 
I  must  go  on  with  it.'  He  frequently  sought  advice  from  those 
whom  he  believed  could  throw  light  on  the  problems  in  which  he 
was  engaged,  and  when  discussing  suggestions  his  quick  grasp  of 
possibilities  was  one  of  the  prominent  characteristics  of  his  mind. 
"  His  conscientiousness  was  a  marked  trait :  if  he  had  received 
a  thought  or  suggestion  which  seemed  to  him  valuable  it  was  not 
his  habit  to  appropriate  it  as  his  own,  but  he  was  glad  to  give  credit 
to  whom  credit  was  due,  and  if  he  made  a  mistake  or  committed 
an  error  in  judgment  he  seemed  to  take  a  delight  in  saying,  '  I  at 
one  time  thought  thus  and  so,  but  I  know  better  now.' 
"  Service  was  the  keynote  of  his  life.  He  had  the  power  of 
directing  others  and  gathering  around  him  subordinates,  but,  at 
the  same  time,  he  loved  detail,  for  he  realized  that  many  a  great 
work  would  be  ruined  by  neglect  of  some  important  detail  which 
might  seem  trifling  to  the  inexperienced  but  was  really  the  key  of 
the  situation.  He  never  thought  much  of  his  ability  to  speak  and 
yet  his  friends,  without  exception,  were  glad  to  have  him  on  their 
side.  As  a  speaker  he  was  convincing,  relying  upon  righteousness 
of  the  cause  which  he  was  advocating  and  believing  that  all  that 
was  necessary  to  do  to  win  was  to  state  the  facts.  He  well  knew 
the  value  of  a  phrase  or  a  witty  turn,  and  he  often  confused  the 
enemy  by  a  bright  sally;  his  repartee  was  remarkable  and  when  he 
and  his  friend  Redsecker  were  surrounded  by  congenial  spirits,  who 
could  appreciate  the  play  of  wit,  he  was  at  his  best.  His  sense  of 
humor  was  a  saving  element,  and  the  relief  which  it  gave  him  when 
harassed  by  carking  cares  was  most  effective;  but  now  that  he  is 
gone  the  memory  of  the  great  work  that  he  has  done  in  uplifting 
pharmacy,  and  his  great  work  in  moulding  and  influencing  legisla- 
tion, his  quickness  to  detect  defects  in  laws  bearing  upon  pharmacy, 
