The age-herald., 1901-11-04
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE
Facts h a Man,s FaIr Fame.

TdCIS iu . manss ' ar aHiSf
 "In view of the fact that United States District Judge Thomas Goode Jones, sometime Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. sometime Governor of Alabama. and sometime a maker of organic law, will on tomorrow in Mont gomery deliver his first charge as judge to United States grand Jury, it Is inter esting to note two or three facts in rela- tion to his appointment, though l presume somewhat upon tho confidence of an ih- timate friendship" said last night na- tive Alabamian who from his boyhood has known and greatly admired the new judge.
 Ten days before his appointment, Judge Jones did not dream of a judgeship of any character. Such an honor he neither desired nor thought of, for he was the head of the Alabama bar and in the enjoyment of the highest-class prac- tice, the which paid him larger Income than any judgeship could offer. Moreover he had grown a trifle weary of that public life In which he had borne so conspicuous and so honored Q part, and he looked forward to growing old as gracefully as he might, in the dis charge of his duties as private citizen.
 Mitch to his own astonshrnent he was offered the judgeship by the President, and was greatly pleased. In the straight forward way so characteristic of him, he caused the President to be made aware that he was grateful for the honor and gladly accepted 1t. This pleased the dis tinguished giver of the honor and It's dis tinguished recipient and likewise it pleased everybody.
 Tt has developed. by the way, that President Roosevelt had been consider ing almost from the day of his accession the advisability of raising the former Governor of Alabama to the bench. Events proved that he considered rapidly and acted quickly.
 Until last Thursday President Roose- welt and Judge Jones had never personal ly met one another. On that day Judge Jones called upon the President I hap pen to know that Judge Jones. in refer ring to his visit to the President said to a friend:
 !" The President was very kind and cordial. Partisan politics was not men, tioned. He spoke most kindly of the Southern people. The President has been as considerate In this whole matter of my appointment as if he had been offer ing an honor to General Leel'
 This candid reference to the immortal soldier of the Confederacy. coming from one of Lees officers who was a boy at shows tle mans pre-emnent reverence for his departed leader.
 "Other confidential remarks made by Judge Jones, for the quoting of which he will pardon the presumption of life long friend and follower, are these:
 z lone thing that gratiies me beyond measure is the belief of everybody at home and abroad that will do justice.
 The judgeship gives me field in the law which I love-
 I hope to get the people and the bar to love me, and spend my remaining days happily among my own people
 Those high sentiments will appeal powerfully to public which gives to Judge Jones the fullest measure of its confidence and esteem.
 "The year which has brought to Judge Jones his highest official honor has been a year of bitter trial. and personal sor- row. In January death removed his son in-law, MT. Holt, the gifted son of former Governor Holt of North Carolina, whom Judge Jones loved as his own son, he being the husband of his eldest daughter. Miss Gena Jones. Then came the kill ing of his younger daughter. Miss Caro- line Jones, by trolley car in Montgom- cry; and swiftly upon that sorrow came the death of his first-born, Mfr Marshall Jones. To this grief was added the de- plorable accident to Judge Jones him. self whereby he was compelled for months to hobble around on crutches
 But Judge Jones is now in admirah,e good health and spirits. due to his extra ordinarily strong constitution and his sunny nature. He has discarded his crutches and now walks well, with the aid of cane.''