--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 30 number: 4 published: 1927-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Memory of Karl G. Maeser Honored,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 4 (February 1927): 307–310." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3004unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3004unse start_page: 307 end_page: 310 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1927-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3004unse publication_year: 1927 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1927, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Memory of Karl G. Maeser Honored Improvement Era Vol. XXX FEBRUARY, 1927 No. 4 MEMORY OF KARL G. MAESER HONORED Story Told of his Tact with Boys and his Love for Them A quarter of a century and a year will have passed this 16th of February since the death of the beloved teacher, Karl Gottfried Maeser, the founder, under President Brigham Young, of the Brigham Young University at Provo. He was born over ninety-nine years ago at Meissen, Saxony, Germany, in the little old house still standing and known as No. 10. Zscheilaer Strasse. The old place is now owned and inhabited by the family of Robert Bernock, a shoemaker by trade. On November !l9, 1926, a large number of Church officers and members, including one apostle, six conference presidents, and seventy- seven missionaries, together with official representatives of American and German interests, and citizens of Saxony, gathered at Meissen to do honor to the memory of Dr. Karl G. Maeser, and to unveil a memorial plate, which had been placed upon the outer wall of the house, facing the street. Hon. George P. Waller, U. S. Consul, Dresden, and Vice-Consul Duran Grinstead,, represented America at the services. Representatives of the schools and of the Burgomeister of Meissen were also in attendance. The plan had been previously suggested by Dr. James E. Talmage, president of the European mission, who, with others, had visited the home, viewed the room in which Brother Maeser was born, and obtained a willing consent of the present owner, of the premises for the purposes undertaken. The tablet was unveiled by Myron Maeser Crandall, a grandson of Dr. Maeser, who is now a missionary in Germany, jit is an oblong stone, 39 Yz x31^4 inches, and the text of the inscription, written by Dr. Talmage, and. translated into German, is inscribed with deep- cut letters into the "massive plate of enduring diabase," as follows: Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 110 3, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 2, 1918, $2 per annum. Address Room 40 6, Church Office Building, Salt Lake City, Utah. Bottom : Top: President Talmage delivering the memorial address View of the building and the people during the delivery of the address "IN THIS HOUSE. ON JANUARY 16, 1828, WAS BORN KARL GOTT- FRIED MAESER. * * * NEXT TO HIS GOD HE LOVED HIS FELLOW-MEN, AND TO THEIR BETTERMENT DEVOTED HIS LIFE. * * * TO KNOW HIM WAS TO BE WELL TAUGHT. * * * HE WAS AN EMINENT EDUCATOR. A PROFOUND THEOLOGIAN AND AN EXEMPLAR OF TRUE RELIGION. * * * IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, TO WHICH HE DEVOTED THE FULL POWERS OF HIS SPLENDID MANHOOD, HE WAS ONE OF THE LORD'S LEADERS. * * * HE DIED IN HONOR ON FEBRUARY 16, 1901, AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES, AMERICA." MEMORY OF KARL G. MAESER HONORED 309 The memorial address, ian eloquent tribute, was jgiven by President James E. Talmage, written in English, translated into German, and read in German by the speaker. The prayer of dedication followed the address; and while President Talmage offered the prayer the great assembly stood with heads bowed and iwith every manifes- tation of reverential attention. Retiring President Fred Tadje conducted the services at the house, and, in the course, of his remarks, following the dedication, illustrated what prayer and patience can do, and called attention to the practical results that really count in the service of God and humanity, and in the redemption of the wayward. In the course of his remarks, President Tadje retold the following story, translated from the German for the Millennial Star, December 9, which number is largely devoted to the proceedings. The story applies to teachers and parents in the government and redemption of obstinate boys today, as it did in the days of Dr. Maeser, the great Church teacher: In the southern part of Utah there lived a poor widow and her son, the latter a wild, impudent, intractable youth, whose transgressions often brought his mother into sore distress. He was known as the terror of the town. He had almost reached the period of manhood without having curbed this insubordination. One evening the bishopric of the ward in which he lived proposed to him that he attend the Brigham Young Academy. In this proposition they had two purposes; orte was that they might rid themselves of him, and the other that he might improve himself. They were willing to furnish the money if he would but go. When this proposition was placed before him he accepted; his mother agreed to it; and in a very short time he was enrolled as a student in the above mentioned school. One glance was sufficient to convince his asso- ciates that he was not to be trifled with. He came to school with his books under his arm and a six-shooter in his hip pocket. It was difficult for him to accustom himself to his new surroundings; he felt like a young bronco, newly saddled. Before the end of the first week he had a difficulty with his teacher, to whom he manifested such a degree of insubordination that his instructors appealed to President Maeser of the Academy to have him suspended. With bowed head the Principal listened, without uttering a word. Finally he broke the silence and said, "Try him once more; he is the son of a widow whose entire hope is centered in him. She knows her boy better than we do. She hopes and prays that some day he will see the foolishness of his ways and change them. She has written me several letters in which she has pleaded with me to try and save him. I have promised that I would do my best, and I will keep my promise. Give him one more chance." The instructors returned to their class-rooms in compliance with the Master's wishes. Try as they would, all their efforts were in vain, and the young man remained wholly uncontrollable. At the end of another week the instructors returned to the office of the Principal and placed two proposi- tions before him. The one was that this young man should be dismissed from the school forthwith; the other, that in the event the Principal could not see his way clear to dismiss him, they would hand in their resignations to take effect immediately. "That young man is a terror," said one of the instructors; "we have done our best, but have failed absolutely." "Send him to tne," said Brother Maeser. In a few minutes the young man entered the Principal's room. "Did you send for me?" he asked in a low but defiant voice. "Yes, sir," replied the genial Principal. "I sent for your because I have to inform you that you must leave this institution tomorrow morning." 310 IMPROVEMENT ERA "Good,'' answered the yet unsubdued youth; he then turned about and left the room. In the middle of the following night, Brother Maeser awoke from his slumber and thought of the wild youth whom no one seemed able to tame, who was to be expelled from the school on the following morning. He also thought of the anxious widow and how she had pleaded with him that he might save her son. He arose from his bed, knelt by the side of it and laid the matter before the Lord; and this was the purport of his supplica- tion: "Dear Father, there is at this time a young man in our school whom we are unable to control. We have tried to do our best, but, sad to say, we have failed. If there is a way whereby we may reach him, I pray thee in our Redeemer's name to make it known unto us; and thy name shall have the praise, the honor, and the glory." "I received no satisfaction from my supplication," said Doctor Maeser; "and therefore thought it possible that the Lord Himself had given him up." The next morning, about ten o'clock, as the Principal was sitting in his office, there came a knock at the door. Following his call, "Come in," the "black sheep" of the flock entered the room. "Well," said the Principal, "what can I do for you?" The young man, with down-cast eyes, replied: "May I speak with you for a few moments, Professor Maeser?" ''"Certainly," was the reply. The young man's lips quivered; and, with trembling voice, he said: "You will not dismiss me, Brother Maeser, will you? Will you not please give me one more chance?" Brother Maeser sprang to his feet, extended his arms toward this once obstinate youth and exclaimed: "Come to my arms, my son, God bless you! I will not give you up; not one chance, but a thousand chances shall we be glad to give you." The master and the student fell into each other's arms and wept. This was the turning point in the life of this young man. He studied energetically and worked so industriously that upon various occasions the Principal had to caution him against over-exertion. You ask, "Whatever became of the boy?" The last we heard of him he was a counselor to the bishop who had sent him to Provo to school partly that the ward might be relieved of his presence. He and thousands of others living today bless the name of Karl G. Maeser, and hold it in honorable remembrance. The further program on the notable occasion consisted of an address by President Hugh J. Cannon of the Swiss-German mission, together with instrumental and vocal selections. The invocation was by Elder Douglas Wood, and the benediction by the new President of the German-Austrian mission, former Bishop Hyrum W. Valentine of the Third ward, Brigham City, |Utah, who arrived in Dresden October 30, and who relieved President Tadje, who had served since April 1, 1923. In addition to the hymns, "O say what is truth?" '"O my Father" and "Now let us rejoice," the song, "The teacher's work is done," composed in memory of Dr. Maeser by Annie Pike Greenwood, was sung. On Dr. Maeser's birthday anniversary in 1908, the faculty and students of the B. Y. U. assembled on Temple Hill, Provo, and dedicated the Maeser Memorial Building, a beautiful monument, to his memory; and an appropriate monument marks the resting place of his body in the cemetery at Salt Lake City. Yet, as Dr. Talmage said; "He needs no material monument to perpetuate his memory. The record of his deeds is inscribed in the hearts of his pupils." — A.