The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-05-24
AMOS CUMMINGS.


the unusual tribute Of a puzzle funeral
ia the hall Of the house Of representa-
tivcs, and the rare honor vas well be
slowed. He was one OF the most usoful
ard most popular men who ever sat in
that body
None knew him but to love him:
None named him but TO praise.
Wherefore? Because he loved every.
body. He spoke evil Of no one. with
his faeile pen he made the fortunes or
many public men He was most
felicitous writer. aud he delighted to
write Of their exccllences, which he
magnified as a lover magnldes the
beauty Of hia sweetheart "Remefnbef
me at my best" was the pathetic re-
quest which Charles Dickens put into
the mouth Of james Steerforth. Amos
Cummings always painted his friends
at their best, and he did Ii with mas
ter hand. lie was thoroughly imbued
with the spirit Of ST. Paurs rhapsody
on charity in the thirteenth chapter or /
Corinthians. Though | speak with the
tongue Of men and OF angels and have
not charity, | have become as sounding
brass and tinllling cymbal" If there
was any virtue or grace or ability in a
man, he sought 1t OFT and exploited 1t
to the utmost A dullard he pitied;
rascal he loathed; Il pretender be de.
tested. He was brave as d Ton, gentle
as woman. plain as IA old shoe. hon
est az the day is long. ttreiess as tht
force Of graduation lie stood un
ahashed at The presence OF presidents
and princes; he was casily accessible
to the humble the needy ana distress
ed At his funeral were statesmen. sol
diers, lawyers, editors aud men of high
degree, but the lowly were there in
thousands with tears in their ewes and |
sorrow in their hearts for their dead
friend, who never failed them at amy
time or IN any place, In the very besi |
sense he was the friend OF the PEG |
pie and the people-the plain people. |
as Lincoln called them repaid thar
friendship in Scripture measure, heap |
ed up, pressed down and running over.
The most convincing evidence of his |
popularity is that he was spoken of /
and addressed as Amos from the At |
iantic to the Pacific and from the great /
lakes to the gulf OF Mexico Only on |
rare and state occasions was he spoken /
to as MIR. Cummings" or as Hon. |
Ataos j Cummings" He was Amos |
to his friends, and his friends consti
tnted newspaper reading America. A
worker all his days. he enjoyed this
world with the hearty zesi of boy |
aud the world enjoyed him. 1t is
more delectable place for human hahi
tation because he lived in 1t. He was
catholic, in the very best sense. in both
politics and religion A Republican
house voted him public funeral nj.
though he was Democrat, and
Catholic prHiate participated in his flu.
neral services although he was Prot.
estant Some men are created TO be
honored; some are created 10 be loved
few are created to be both loved ana II
honored. To that small but goodly
company Amos J. Cummings undouht- \
edly belonged. He did not eoniine his
love TO the human family hut it en-
hraced MI animated nature. 10 use
Oliver GoldsmithS phrase lie loved
the lower animals; he loved the birds.
he loved the flowers. One Of his Keen
est delights was to throw of tla cafes
OF craftsmanship lay down his facile
pen and while away few hours with
his bosom crony, Hon William r
smith superintendent of the National
botanical gardens, in luxuriating amid
The flowers and shrubbery which Shen.
stone would have admired and in dis-
cnssing sweet Robbie Burns" the
fenderest poet that ever sang. There
was no sincerer mourner ut the bier of
Amos CUMMINGS than his most faith.
mi and inamate friend. Superintend-
eRt Smith.
What wonderful and varied career
MS lovable man had. Son of Pres.
ayterian preacher, he was the child of
The manse. While mere boy he
served under Walket in Nicaragua.
Congress yoted him gold medal for !