The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-10-11
JUDGE JOHN c. FERRISS.

u AOunoonCc HAS duuOuuCOl NH
2 selfa candidate for the Democrat
nomination for governor of Ter
nessee and is making an energeti
canvass.
He is advocatinga primary cleo
ton under the primary law enacte
by the last legislature, and of whic
Wilson county's representative wa
the author, for the selection of tn
Democratic nominee for Goyerno
and is creating considerable inter
est in the movement, which he ar
CUES will come nearer giving tn
whole people an opportunity to ex
press themselves than will con
vention, which is alwa, S controlle,
by a few men in each county.
Judge Ferriss visited Lebanon
a few days since, and to the Dem
ocrat expressed himself as thor
oughly satisfied with his prospect,
for the nomination. He believes
the campaign Of education which
he is now conducting in the inter
est of a State primary will result
in the adoption of that plan, in
which event he is sure of the re.
suit.
Judge Ferriss has for many
years been county judge of David
son county and the ability with
which he has managed the affairs
of that great county has made his
name a household word all over
the State.
His record as the friend of the
orphan children during the past
30 years has made him honored
and respected wherever he is
known, and the 5000 children
whom he has placed in comforta-
BILE homes or otherwise provided
for during that time love and hon
or him as father, and if they
could settle the question as to who
will be Tennessee's next chief ex-
ectutive Judge Ferriss would have
no reason for further worry.
He is one of the grand old men
of Tennessee and the friends he
made in Lebanon during his school
days here are still interested in
hun and would be glad to see him
in the Governors chair, knowing as
they do that he would fill the po-
sition with dignity and with abili-
ty and that Tennessee would have
a Governor whose heart was in the
right place.
From a biographical sketch writ
ten by distinguished Tennessean
and published in a volume Of
sketches of prominent Tennes-
scans" we take the following which
will give those who do not know
him clearer knowledge of who
Judge Ferriss is:
John G. Ferriss was born May
81, 1887, in the county Of Ruther.
ford, Tennessee. He was the
third of twelve children. His pa
rents were Of the highest respect
ability, esteemed byAll who knew
them for their fine neighborly
qualities. Their circumstances
we're not such, however, as to en-
able them to afford to any of their
children more than a limited Eng
lish education.
In 1858, John G. Ferriss remov-
ed with his parents to Gibson
county, West Tennessee, where he
remained with them about two
years, assisting in the working the
farm. At this time (1S55), having |
reached his eighteenth year, he be-
came inspired with natural youth |
full desire to s'see the world for |
So, without risking the |
parental refusal by applying for
Sleave Of Absence" in company |
with james McGaw, of Columbia,
Tennessee, he came to Nashville. |
Here he succeeded in obtaining a
in the Office of the Ten
nessee Baptist, published by Graves
Marks & Co., where he re-
NAMED long enough to acquire
pretty fair knowledge of the print
ing business. He then became
publisher Of the old Rutherford
Telegraph, for Northcott & OFT,
proprietors.
La 1859 he went to Pine Bluff,
Ark, and became publisher of the
Jefferson Independents Democrat
e organ.
For some years his heart had been
yet on the profession Of law, and
It odd times he had been avaiIing
himself Of the opportunities af-