The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-14
- HONORED MEN OF THEPAST.
Dr. Kingsburv Names as North Cardinals Greatest
Sx--Badger Jackson, Benton, CASTOR,
Pettigrew and Vance.

There have lived four distinguished
gentlemen in North Carolina of whom 1
have written more or less in the past, but
they were all of Virginia birth-Hon.
Abram w. Venable, Henry w. Miller,
Judge John Kerr and Rev. DR.. William
NJ. wingate. If were to go outside of
North Carolina fer personal themes |
would find in them material for elaborate
sketching. When Mr.. Venable in his nth
year was lying upon the bed of death, in
1876, he said to me: I'm two hours there
will be a dead man in this room. Write
of me, for l would rather you should do
so than any one in the State" The day
after his interment, / essayed to COM
ply with his dying request as best could
The article was published in the Oxford
Torchlight, and. as l recall it, filled
half dozen columns. But have no copy.
/ have lost, much to my regret, the only
one l had preserved. Some copies were
sent to Virginia, and others to Scotland.
by the eldest son of the deceased. at
whose residence he died. When the body
was dressed for the coffin l looked upon
the most impressive, massive head and
face l ever beheli lying in ''the alabaster
arms of death"
T Inc SkeIcl i Uldu6 WdS lulSHuSu W. DO
a correct Interpretation of the distin-
guished gentleman's many sided qualities
and gifts. He came to North Carolina
when probably not more than twenty
five or twenty six years of age. He was
native of Prince Edward county, Va. and
was educated at Hampden Sidney College
in his native State, and at Princeton Col
lege, New Jersey, and he also read medi-
cine and law. To the latter he gave
much of his life when not farming and III
the Federal Congress, in which he served
three terms with much distinction. He
was graduated at Princeton with high
honors, and soon attracted attention by
his superior parts. When in manhood's
prime he was one of the best political
speakers in the State, and in variety and
abundance of gifts was scarcely sur
passed by any of his more prominent con-
temporaries. have heard Judge Kerr say
more than once that Mr.. Venable was
the most entertaining speaker with whom
he ever canvassed. He was more like
Governor Vance as a ''stump speaker
than any man who has appeared upon
the political stage within my recollection,
which extends back to 1910. He was
widely read, had a most voracious ap-
petite for books, was endowed with an
extraordinary memory, and was quite
eyclopaedec. One or two of his speeches
in the United States House seem like
prophesy when read in the light of the
events of the last ten years, were among
the best made during those years. His
literary addresses at Wake Forest and
Princeton, and his agricultural speeches,
generally extempore, displayed cult1-
waited active and vigorous intellect, and
a vocabulary at once copious and COM
manding. He has long been regarded by
gentlemen of reading as one of the best
informed persons in North Carolina. In
earlier days he abounded in anecdote, his
colloquial powers were fine and mex
haustible. He met several of the leading
physicians of the State at a convention.
He talked with them at length of their
profession, and astonished them with his
fertility. accuracy and interest He met
the ministers at a Presbytery of his
church. and he led the conversation with
facility and much to their entertainment
on theology He talked we'll and often
wisely upon almost any topic. His last
public appearance as a speaker was at
Danyille. Va, before the Border Agricul-
tural Society, about the year 1877, when
he was some sixty-seven years old. l
heard the best, most remarkable address
on agriculture to which l have listened
He spoke extempore in an October wind
for about an hour. 1t was wonderfully
judicious, appropriate, wise, and highly
eloquent Before the late Chief Justice
Thomas Rufin, of Orange (himself Vir-
ginian by BIRTH. had left the stand, l
heard him say, that it was the very
abest and best agricultural speech he
had ever heard.
Let me give an illustration of his ex-
traordinary memory. Some time in the
sixties, he and the late able, most esti-
mable. excellently cultivated Judge Robert
B. Gillian ian alumnus of the University
of North Carolina, taking highest honors)
were opposing candidates for the Legis-
lature. The morning after the election
l was in the store of Cooper & Williams,
when Mr.. Venable entered. Addressing
Capt Williams, he asked if he had seen
the complete election returns from the
county Capt W. had just procured them
in the courthouse. He read them to Mr.
vanable, who at once repeated the whole
vote exactly What was the feat? There
were seventeen voting precincts, and
lature, etc. He repeated 204 separate
votes, given with the addition of the adj
ding up-221 in all. 1t was by long odds
the greatest exhibition of memory l have
known personally. 1t was all arbitrary,
you see, with no connecting line of
thought. So far as / know nothing given
above was in my longer sketch before
referred to. Soon after the war he made
speech in Virginia at some Spring and
/ preserved a part of it. 1t has proved
to be most singularly prophetic. He and
John c. Calhoun were intimate friends,
and he accompanied the remains of the
greatest native South Carolinan to
Charleston. l have known greater men
than Mr.. Venable, but l never knew one
who came so near being strictly a great
man and missed il. He was a noble look
ing man, full six feet high admirably
proportional, with fine features, a grand
forehead, quite Websterian, clear hazel
eye, and a voice of power, melody, clear
ness and under perfect command. His
vocabulary was rich, scholarly and album
dant. His powers of illustration were
striking with Astounding humor and anec-
dote He mayor suffered hut one defeat