The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-13
HON. W. w. GORDON.
A Sketch of His Life and Career

From the Georgia Educational Journal
Tbs subject OF this sketch is one of the
most clear-headed, big-heartei and well-in-
formed men in the state of Georgia The
people of Chatham wrought wisely in max
ing him one of their representatives in the
legislature. He has need I'd no professional
badges, nor yet distinguished anceS .ry,
which latter, by the by, he has, to give him
promine ce and Influence He had the ma
terial in himself-the will, thu ability, the
courage, the energy, the knowledge and
honorable and worthy ambisi N to car
~ him TO the front, and he blazed his own
pathway thitner. Such man could not
be unk own; neither could MS claims to
popular recognition he ignored for he has
ever displayed not only a st 'ong mental
ma hood that g.ows in the sunlight of hish
m1ral purp Sc, but that -tainless life ami
tender sympathy which reaches out to helJ
tue needy and dependent. His motto, jud-
glng from tue impress his correct life has
made upon the public miId has ever
been
Unblemish'd let me live, or die unknown;
q, grant an honest fame, or grant me none
The writer has no personal acquaintance
with the honorable member from Chatham
| and therefor e is writ z from the impression
received by the fine imprint his well-known
character has made throughout his entire
| social and business and political career.
The name of Ambrose Gordon, the grand
! ia her of tue hon urabe representative, is
| found on the roll of honor in our revolu-
| uohary war for ind 9pendeLce as captain of
| u company i'll that ever memorable strug-
| gle. The name of w. w. Gordon, the father
| OF the representative, is and ever wi ! b.
tamousfor being le of the pri cipal projec-
tors, IL not the caief pr jector, of the Central
| railroad in this state wLicn Las enlarged
| and Increased Its connections uutl it has
| boone one of the graudo,t railroad systems
| in the south, wa SO far-reachiug influence
| In stimulat & CONNIE 'ce, AMI general e.
| terDrise and prosperity is now everywhere
felt rs a most poteau age cy in the work Of
general development of The wealth and
vast resources OF tde coun ry, and largely
| aiding in pushing forward no car of the
advance {, pr grJS, aNd civilization of the
| marvellous a. 20 Inwhich we live. Thus he
linked his name with an un wing fame, anu
today mag nfcent marble snatt Stands
| In eauutul square of the city of Savan-
nah, 10 tell the passer-by that her tue re-
| mains or Alse, useful and pa ri)-ic man
! repOse beneatu-one VINO had cone TO bet
| ter the condition of his people, and wuen
hls noble mission was end and he q
pass-d away without winning fortune for
| nlmsef, LETT lis noble work to speak for
compliment to say that Capt Gordon has
Inherited tbs disting lishi s traits of MS
unselt1sh, able and patriotic father, and IN
the spirit of and earnest progres iv, hess, is
| waikllg without OStentatiOa il his foot
steps. his father died in 1884, and by his
dnseLfish devotion to the success of the great
| enterprise he had inaugurated neglected
| his own interests to an extent that left h
family with but Ii uitel means. BY ecoao-
| my and prud ncs Capt. Gordon was en-
aoled to attend school, and finally entered
Yale and was gradu tied from that fam )us
Institution of learning il 1854 He at once
| returned to Savannah aud eu.erel into bus
mess as a clerk in prominent cotton house
| OF tnat city. 1t was not long before, upon
! the retirement of one of the firm, he be-
| came Q of tue owners, and the business
cont uud 10 prosper under the new firm of
| llson * 30 don down TO the time OF the
| war, wuen Mr.. Gordon entered the service
| ami ne0e left 1t Until the surrender
| April, 1868. Wherever duty { llled aud the
c. fedeIate flag waved he was present aad
| par1c, pau & Ii the struggle OF Ihos5 four
| loug, eventful yea S n the history of our
PEI pie. In the autumn he resumed business
/ IN Savannah q mas pursued it to tne
| present day with marked success. His n 10
| bic, heroic and self-ablesa conduct
/ during the prevalence Of ye low fever Ia
| savannah IN 1876 IL standing at his post
anu oAOIHS tno SuAeielS, NVuOuHh Nc udu
never bad the di ease aud liable to fall
victim to it, liked MIN not only in tn
hearts Of all savannah people, out of all
/ people of the state. Cape Gurdo
was preserved through the dal gers of at
| terrible scourge, and Is subsequent career,
like all his past life, ha been marked by
! high usefulness and success. Il 1884 he
! was elected to the sc eral assembly of
! Georgia. Chatham has had man, able aud
/ efficient repreSe Ia ives a ID he sutfes no
disparage by comparison. The posi-
! tons a signed MIN in the several sessions of
the general assembly of when ne has been
member indicate The high appreciation Of
his merits, and he has neYe failed TO prove
eq al o the most sangdlne expectation of
as friends and admirers. Tne pIsluon as
signed him in the present legislatures as