The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-31
He STOOD At THE TOP
Bryan Always Led His Glasses
At School.
WAS CALLED A MODEL BOY
And Men of All Parties Speak
Well of Him.
SALEM is PROUD OF HER SON
His Mother Was a DeVout Christian
and His Father Prayed Every
Day, Opening Court
With Prayer.

TINS town ana Tor ten miles all ABOUT
it, become more and more elated as
the DAYS pass, over the nomination of
Mr. Bryan for the Presidency. They
are. in no sense of the word green,
raw population. Two railroads euter
Salem and another, the Illinois Cen
trail, is only six miles away. They are
reading people, and quite a large
PROPORTION visit from time to time St.
Louis Chicago and Cincinnati, to say
nothing of going repeatedly to the Hi
nois towns in this portion OF the State.
At Salem, and throughout IT, town
ship in which it IS located, there is a
rampant spirit amo~r Democrats, Re
publicans and Populists to make the
vote for Bryan in November unani-
nous.
Mr. c. L. Hell is the leading mer-
chant and capitalist of the town Mr..
Hull is about the same age as Mr..
Bryan. They were boyhood chums,
and the intimate friendship continues.
Having attended school with Bryan
off and on for five years, Hull is we'll
qualified to speak of the early charac-
ter of the Democratic candidate.
Bryan" said he, never went to school
here or anywhere else until he was 10
years OF age. Ont on the farIn near
town, to which tie family hal moved,
his mother was his instructress. She
took him in hand at a tender age
probably when he was not more than
three years old. From that time on
until he was 10 she went over his
lessons with him and seemed always
to think he would prove a great man.
Mrs. Bryan was woman of fine sense.
She read a great deal and was earnest
and pious in her demeanor. She was
also noted for her amicability, and that
trait in William ]. Bryan he I'M
doubtedly inherited from his mother.
/ am sorry the two old schoolhouses
which William attended are no longer
standing One was torn down and the
other was destroyed by fire. When
he was ii he attended the public grad
ed school here for two terms, and the
next year went to Jacksonville, where
| he attended the preparatory school to
| fit him for a collegiate course The
| brick school house is standing yet. For
| five or six years after leaving here
for Jacksonville we did not see much
of Bryan except when he came home
| in vacation.
what sort of a boy was he at
school?" Mr.. Hull was asked.
Foremost in everything" was the
reply.
81 can truthfully say that Bryan
most always led in his classes. AS a
| boy anything he tried to do he did well
| and to the best of his ability. He was
never guilty of vulgar or profane Ian
| guage. He absolutely had no bad
| habits-neyer even used tobacco when
lad, and he was Industrious out of
| school hours"
Did he indulge in boyhood games
| and sports?"
Certainly. He was very fond of the
innocent games of the day, and was
| boyish enough He had the respect
| and admiration of all the boys and in
| his youthful days seemed to be born
| leader"
AS has been stated previously, Mr..
| Bryan, at the age of IA, joined the
Cumberland Presbyterian church. His
| father and mother were intense Bap-
| fists. Mrs. Bryan's family-1the Jen-
| nings family-are all Methodists, but
she joined the Baptist church after her
marriage. All of the late Judge Bryan's
| relatives in Virginia are Baptists to
4
Bryan Joined the Cumberland Presby-
terrain church because he was in the
habit of going to service there when
about 10 years old.
| Mr.. Sprall, now the minister at Mr..
Bryan's church, is a Republican, but
he is very happy over the nomination
| of one of his church members, and
will gladly vote for him.
| The Baptists built church in Salem
| later on through the influence of the
| mother of William j. Bryan, and she
was the life of the church according
| to what people say. She practically
| kept it up, giving literally of her
means for its support.
Although Judge Silas Lillard Bryan
used TO be so religious, opening court
with prayer and praying regularly
every day at noon even if he
| happened to be on a street
corner, there were times when the
father Of William j. would swear like a
| trooper. a least that is what some
| of the old inhabitants say. He was
running for office here once, and the
| opposition started the report he was
| Mormon. There were great many
Mormons in this part of Illinois then,
and some few are here yet. The Judge
got mad and cursed a blue streak.
The Oldest of the Bryan family living
here now is A. Russell Bryan, brother
of the late Judge Bryan, father of the
Presidential nominee. He is getting
along in years. Seldom, if ever, goes
away from home, is quiet, and, most
OF the people declare, has never been
on railway train but one in his life.
One of the enthusiastic Democrats
who came to Salem to rejoice with the
Salemites over Bryans nomination is
II. 2. Hanna, of Fairfield, in an adj
joining county. He is lawyer of
prominence and is a second cousin Of
the famous Mark Hanna. Hanna was
born in Columbia county, Ohio, and
came to Illinois when very young
man. He is a Democrat and an intense
admirer of William j. Bryan.
The story printed in so many papers
that Bryan, when he was IS years old,
used to say he meant to be President
of the United States is not fully cor
roborated here. Prof. Brinkerhoff and