The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-06
THE ROGERS FAMILY
AND THEIR RESIDENCE AT RLA-
DENSBURG.
voted 10 the study of Science,
Electricity Particularly.

lOIk HOtus III. Js W. hDBbIH, LUb
hero of the Psn-Electric Telephone
Company, has been described by many
newspaper writers as an ignorant man
and crank. He is an educated man,
and comes from as good family as any
one in the South. DIR. Rogers ia
graduate OF Princeton College. He
wa, graduated in the Glars with Fraak
Blair. He is very eccentric and per-
haps visionary in his financial ideas,
but upon general topics he is as inter.
esting talker as any of his Southern
associates. He keeps up with al the
modern newspaper literature, and,
aside from his Weakness for writing
poetry, is very cohefen and logical
minded. He is man In the neigh
borhood OF fifty years OF aga. He has
large head, set off by thick mass Of
long, carelessly.combed hair and
heavy, brownish black mustache and
beGrd, eighty sprinkled with gray.
The doctors flrehead is high and
broad, his nose is straight, and his
complexion that OF man who lives
well. His eyes are very dark and glow
with an intense light when he is
excited. Each eye has the appearance
Of star against a cleaning back
ground OF black velvet. The doctor is
expansive, fond of coed fellowship,
and, as he himself says, occasionally
takes drop too much. There is one
thing about the doctor which should
stand to his everlasting credit, and
that is that he tells no lies. Not q
single statement Of his made concern
ing the Pan-Electric company has
been denied. The doctor is man of
great Imagination. He has lived a life
Of dreams. When he found that he
had in bis cwn family an inventor and
a child OF rare gifts, he naturally was
inclined to make the most OF him.
j. Harris Rogers, the inventor, ia in
the neighborhood of twenty-eight or
thirty years OF age. He is tall and
slim, with large head, something the
shape and type Of PEGS. His fore
head is very broad and high, his eyes
are deep set, his nose is straight, while
his thin-lipped mouth is shaded by u
light brown mustache. The lower
part of his angular face is smooth
shsven. j. Harris Rogers was edu-
Gated in London and Paris. He has q
good reputation as an electrical exnert,
aud was the special pIo.egs of Prof.
Henry OF the Smithsonian Institution.
Young Rogers has a perfect dignity
of manner, and o1e OF the most
musical OF voices. He ia the very
opposite of his father. He is as re-
reserved and cool as his father is ex-
pansive snd excilable. He ia one Of
those types of young men who are not
found outside of the South. He Is
mild hammered, quiet, almost meek in
appearance. A man who would never
provoke a quarrel, but who would not
walk one inch out of his way to avoid
one. In peace he is Gove-l Ike; in a
quarrel he is tigerish. His devotion
to his father is one of the most marked
traits OF his character. The two are
almost inseparable. They never act
without consulting each other, and il
they ever want to have a Jolly time
they 20 out together instead of hunt
ing up strangers. ]. Harris Rogers
has undoubted talents, and il his
father had placed him in the hands OF
Northern business men instead OF
Southern statesmen, he would have
undoubtedly realized much more sat
isfactory results.
The National Improved Telephone
Company bought some of Rogers's
first inventions and paid him 100000
or $4,000. This was not all paid in
cash. A potion Of it was in Arkan'
sas land, but enough was realized out
Of the sale to place the Rogerses upon
comparatively independent basis,
Their share from the sale Of State
rights under the Pan-Electric Com
pany has also amounted to $4,000 OF
$4,000. They live out at Bladens.
burg, some four miles from Washing.
ton, la an old colonial house which
was built in 1863. 1t was a house
once occupied by Lafayette. Several
colonial receptions have been held in
this quaint old place, when Bladens-
burg was shipping port. Sailing yes.
sells used to come up the eastern
branch OF the Potomac as far as Bla'
densburg for tobacco. To-day it is
one Of the sleepiest and most tumble
down Ct places. 1t lives entirely upon
it's traditions PaIthenol Heights,
where the Rogerses house now stands,
is upon line of hills that overlook
Washinet IN. The house is in re.
markably good order considering the
time it has been built. Here Mr..
Rogers, the inventor, has his labora.
tory and conducts his experiments,
The Rogers family is large one,
There are two grown-up daughters,
and two sons beside the inventor. The
daughters are ell straight, hand
some-looking young ladies, who have
the appearance of people who have
lived in good society and who are well
educated. The next to the oldest boy
is a law student in Washington. The
various members of the family go in
and out Of Washington every day with