The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-22

SeAsotAOHo, JeoiOuS VI uer QOnOr anu
loyal to her interests. His boyhood
days were uDquestionably happy zones.
His disposition was vivacious; he liked
manly sports-be WAS leader among
his schoolmates. He enjoyed the COM
partnership of good fellows and was de-
servedly popular. Hcwas not q close
student, especially OF his textbooks,
but he read everything within his reaohs
ana his memory was remarkable. He
enjoyed history, romance and poetry.
The humor and pathos OF Dickens
touched responsive chord in his ma
ture His best intellectual efforts wero
reserved for tho literary and debating
society, where he excelled
After graduating at tho State Univer-
sity at Athens, he took supple mental,
course at the University of Virginia,
with a view especially of cultiyatingl
his innate powers Of eloquence. It was
emlnently appropriate that one who was
destined to become great advocate Of
Jeffersonian principles of government.
should have attended the famous insti-
tuition OF learning which was founded
by Jefferson himself.
About the time of his majority, he.
determined to make the profession of
journalism his life-work. His carly
efforts in the field OF newspaper proprie-,
torship and management constitute a.
record OF repeated failures. His lucky;
star had not yet appeared in the BUSH
ness armament. Poverty, adversitys
and disappointment seemed to be his,
cruel fate for several years.
They were years Of severe discipline,
years requiring the exercise of courage !,
fortitude, and patience. They fully.
tested the character of young Grady,S
and thoroughly equipped him for thet
vast accomplishments which were In:
store-for him in the future. At last the:
days of prosperity came; and as mem q
Der of the editorial staff OF the Atlanta
Constitution, and as the Southern CORE.
spondent Of the New York Herald, there,
were opened up to him valuable and im-I
portant fields of usefulness and infiu4s
ence, which he filled with unusual bril-s
llancy and increasing public reputation.S
The tide had turned, and the days OF
doubt and dependency were over. The
generous action of new found fricnds
soon enabled him to purchase a fourths
int rest in the Constitution, and from
that hour the grand destiny of Grady
was fixed. He rose rapidly in general;
esteem, he became powerful factor in:
the politics and prosperity of Georgia..
and the attention of the nation was
drawn to his career. In those few wears
L,u
we'll tho record of his brief life, and
richly earned that simple, but Impress,
i've epitaph which you have placed upon
this granite base -"Journalist, orator.
patriot" y
Journalist, orator, patriot = did,
ever sculptor's chisel cut truer or
worthier epitaph? Journalist, orator,
patriot" what three words portray
more truly GradY's life=work? What
are fuller in suggestion and signifi-
canoe?
Grady chose his profession we'll. No
other would have suited to his varied
talents and his intellectual genius. No
other would have offered the opportu-
nifty Tor his philanthropy and his in
huence.
Barely had he finished his apprentice
ship when he wrote: 81 have seen the
held of journalism so enlarged, its pos
slbilities SO widened, and it's influence
so extended that have come to believe
earnestly that no man, no matter what
his calling, his elevation or his oppor-
tnnlty, can equal in dignity, honor and
usefulness the journalist who compre-
hends his position, fairly measures his
duties, and gives himself entirely and
unselhshly to his work"
True to his conception OF journalism,
loyal and unselhsh in his work, he
turned the wonderful power of the press
to the noblest purposes-the recovery of
his stricken land from the blight of war,
the restoration of its prosperity, the de-
velopment Of its resources, the resig-
nation OF its people to their hardships
and the kindling of new ambitions and
new ideals.
CATER reviewing at some length the
speeches which made Grady famous and
their effect in allaying the prejudice of
the sections. he closed as follows:)
Truly does his name live in the
memory of this people! Rich as Georgia
is in the fame Of her brilliant sons few
among your illustrious men hold moro
sacred place in your affections. Great
orators you have had-Toombs, Ste
phens, Hill-yet the eloquence OF none
came from truor heart or expressed
more exalted purpose. Great states
men and brave soldiers you have had,
but mono gave his life and his genius to
nobler task
He was the sympathetic friend in
your days of adversely; he was your in
spiration in days of struggle; he your
hope'in times of despair; he was the en-
bodiment of your new aspirations-the
representative of your new ideas-the
leader in your new prosperity. Whom
upon the solid foundations of success
which you and he have built, the COM
plete structure of a glorious statehood
shall be reared by your posterity,
jealousy may those future generations
preserve the memory of that young
Georgian, and point with veneration to
this noble atatiIe-rpnaatino eoft1y ord.