Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-06
FIFTY YEARS AGoM SAVANNAH
Some of the Boys OF DIR. Whites School
and what Became of Them.


my letter preceding this, with a refer
ence to several boys who walked the same
street did to the Academy, but among
them said there was only one who
was living, or had died so few years ago
as to make them well known to your pres
ent citizens. That one was Robert Ii.
Griffin. While a juvenile school boy
there was nothing, as 1 remember, to
distinguish him, except his size beyond
+ his years, but as he grew older his mind
and scholarship grew also, until he was
ranked among the smartest. AS a boy
and youth he did not look forward to
one of the learned professions,
and when yet quite young he left school
and entered the counting room of George
| W. Anderson & Brother to prepare him.
self for first class mercantile life. While
| thus employed the intensely exciting
I Presidential campaign Of 1910 came on,
| which allured him into politics on the
| DemocI attic side, and. as a result, to pre-
| pare himself for the law. At this time
! Mr.. Griffin was a perfect specimen of the
| handsome physical man in form and fea-
ture. His oratOrical efforts were of
the first order, and he edited
and delighted his audiences. HIS
intellect was of the solid as we'll as bril-
liant kind, which, complimented by his
handsome person and grace of manner,
gave every promise of a most useful and
distinguished career as lawyer and states
man, but alasi to use common figure,
/ before the beautiful bud had blOOmed into
the full blown rose it withered and per-
ished. Before Mr.. Griffin could fulfill the
promise of his youthful manhood death
cut of all the hopes and prospects of him
self and friends, and be has lain in his
grave for many, many years. His name
- INSOFAR ably connected with that of his
friend, patron and admirer, the late Hon.
John W. Anderson, who was so much
honOred and beloved by all classes of citi-
zens.
As there are so few men who for any
cause are worthy Of mention above the
''seething Masses" so it must be with the
boy who is the "tather to the man." Look
ing back to the many who were DR..
Whites pupils during my time at his
school, | can recall but few who come
within the purpose of these articles, al
though l can remember many who made
most worthy, and some distinguished
men; and yet whose lives are with
out any romantic or dramatic incident
to mark them. Yet there are a few it
should be interesting to note. During my
time there came to the school a large boy
whose education had been neglected AS
result he could not be classified, unless
he was put into the classes with little
boys. Every boy knows with what dis
dain the little fellows look upon a big boy
no farther advanced than themselves. and
how awkward the big boy looks, and
how mortified he feels to be among
the lutte ones, especially where
there is 'head and FOOT and little bow
q
was permitted to recite alone. DIR. White
seemed TO have tender regard for him.
The motive for it | do not know. except
that which might arise from what was
apparent-his modest demeanOr, his low
scholarship, and his large size. His cloth
ing was of the plainest kind, and his whole
appearance suggested that he was neither
rich nor Of high social station. He asso-
ciated little, if any, with the other boys
and was intimate with none. He was shy
and reserved to the point Of isolation.
There was that about him which makes
mIsanthr0pe Of many natures. He
was badly lame in one leg, aud the limp
1t necessitated was not of the sort that
made the pOssessOr more interesting
After while he came no more to school.
why know not, nor did any one else
seem to know. We Just missed him, and.
perhaps, suppOsing he had only come to
school to improve his education that he
might be better prepared for the common
business of life, we thought no more Of
him. 1t came to pass afterwards that /
left the school and went to the
North, and returned to continue
my academic course at Fffing-
ham Academy. This was leca-
ted at Springfield, the county site.
where, of course, the courts of the circuit
and county We're held. Going into the
court room at May term, 1887, some five
years after the large boy referred to had
left DR.. Whites school, there was aruddv-
faced, well dressed, refined looking young
est, fluent and attractive style. having
just enough of the brOgue to give zest
to his enunciatiOn. 1t did not take me
long to discover that the young LAWYER
and the plain looking lame bow |
have been describing was one ard
the same person. In the mean
while he had gone elsewhere to pursue
his studies, including that of law, and
had been admitted to practice. The case
he was arguing is reported in r. NJ.
.Charlton's report, page 542. John Dug
ger, jr,, had 10y his will directed that GER
tain slaves Of his should be sent out of the
State to some place where they could be
free. The Court of Ordinary refused to
probate the will because contrary to the
laws of the State touching the mapumis-
in Mr.. Henry ROser of Savannah, who
employed the young attorney to secure
them their rights, aud he succeeded in so
doing. 1t had been the general opinion
Of the bar that such a Will was void, but
Judge r. NJ. Charlton, the then youngest
Judge in the State, at the instance Of per
haps the youngest attorney at the bar. de-
clded against that general opinion and in
favor of the liberty OF the slaves. The
Georgia Judges in convention rendered
the same judgment in a similar case and
since our State Supreme Court has
affirmed that ruling in many cases. That
decision made reputation for both the
young Judge and the young lawyer. The
latter Immediately entered on sue
in about three. years from that date he
was dead. At the time of his death he
was the partner Of Hon. Joseph w. Jack
son, gentleman universally esteemed
as 1.-THE very soul of HONOR 1t is now
needless to mention the name of the big
boy at DR.. Whites school, but as the law
yers say it had better be done "to CON-
plete the record" His name was Nicholas
NARROW.
While DR.. White was the Principal of
Chatham Academy he had q military
company formed from the bows of the
school. When | went there Henry Long
was the Captain-a fine, manipulating
boy of the blonde type. He was younger
brother of the late WilGam III. Long. 1t
came around that he left school to 90 into
commercial business, being then nearly
or quite grown. That made it necessary
to elect new Captain. George Taylor,
another large boy, was the First Lieuten-
ant, and by custom and seniority he was
entitled to the Captaincy, but there was
private, a handsome, stylish, generous
boy, who was very popular. His
name was James Jones Taylor,
son of Gen. Robert Taylor, one of
the wealthiest men of the State. He be-
came planter in Early county, Georgia.
and there died some thirty years ago,
leaving a widow and three children, who
yet survive. He was voted for and de-
feated George Taylor by one vote Nor
titled at such treatment George surren-
dered his commission and was no more a
member of the company. 1t was not long
after he received the appointment of ca
det at the United States Military Acade-
my, and l saw him no more for many
years, but knew he graduated and was
commissioned as Lieutenant of Artillery
in the United States army. He
fought through the Mexican war.
was gallant officer, and came
out OF the war with the rank of Captain.
1t took sub-Lieutenant then long time
to attain the rank Of Captain in the regu-
lar army. George was not a brilliant,
nor administrative man huf a man of