The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-21
HON. WALLACE S. JONES.


A great and gentle soul has gone
from among us. 1t came suddenly,
without warning, and was the more
serious shock to the American colony
in that he was, though in his sixtieth
year. apparently in the prime as well
as maturity of a vigorous manhood.
No one would have chosen him as like
ly to be the first to go, or as the one
willingly to be spared. 1t was like the
shadow of a fateful cloud on a calm
summer day, coming unheralded, un-
timed and an hundred times more than
unwelcome.
Wallace S. Jones was a unique char
acter. No one that America has sent
as 1t consular representative to Rome
has excelled him in the faithful per-
Torrance of the multifarious and often
difficult duties pertaining to his ca
reer, no one need hope to leave behind
him a record more dotted with the
GASES of kindly acts that frightened
the official desert where all might have
been unsympathetic and uninterested
formality. OF a commanding presence
and possessed of a dignity that did
honor to our country. he never conf
manded nor felt it necessary to assert
tlldls Nu6llly OliiGl llldll TIC SllHpINol
and most transformations manner. His
personality was not an aggressive one,
but it was irresistible. In the genial
atmosphere that surrounded and in
fact emanated from him, none could
harbor an evil thought, nor a resent
ment nor a suspicion. He could re-
fuse the most urgent applicant for a
favor that conflicted with his ideas
of official duty and send the petitioner
q hammer than If II had hppT
granted. No familiarity with the ETH
quette and courtly forms of polite So
ciety in Europe could ever render him
insincere, or dim the lustre of the dia-
mond of genuine democracy that was
within him. 1t tells it all besides of
him to say that he was a born Amerl-
can gentleman. No higher praise can
be accorded to any human being, and
no profession of theological convic-
lions is greater evidence of the in
dwelling of a Christian soul. To have
lived such a life as he did, aside from
his daily and constant acts of kindness
and charity to the unfortunate, is an
example far-reaching in its influence
upon all who come within its sphere,
and that crumbles into dust the theo-
rieS Of thousand doctrinal sermons.
Wallace S. Jones was United States
consul at Messina, perhaps the most
important post outside of Rome, from
1885 to 1891. and United States consul
general at Rome from 1893 to 1897. The
immediate cause of his death was an
eurism of the large artery of the heart.
He died sitting in his chair on the
morning of Dec. 81, apparently from
an instantaneous failure of the organ
that was not only an essential to his
physical existence. but the one guild
ing star that dominated his nature
and made him the beloved of all men.
The funeral took place on the Mon
day following his death at the Amer
lean Episcopal Church in the Via Ma
zionale, the impressive services being
conducted by the Rev. DR.. Nevin, rec
tor of the church. 1t was largely at
tended. as well by the American and
English colonies as by the many dis
tinguished men of Italy, who came to
offer the last tribute of respect in their
power to the man they had learned to
revere. The bountiful gifts of floral
devices that fairly buried the chancel
from sight, evidenced. too, the uni
versal esteem in which he was held.
They could not diminish the grief of
the sorrowing sister. who was the soli-
tary relative that followed his remains
to the Protestant Cemetery. but per-
haps they served to allay the poignancy
of the cruel blow that selected her for
it's victim.
The pallbearerS VINO served on the
occasion were: Hon. George Won L.
Meyer, ambassador of the United
States; Hon. Hector de Castro. consul
general of the United States; the Brit
ish consul; Mr.. w. Porter, DR.. A. T.
Webb. DR. Baldwin, Mr.. Saul Abbott.
Mr.. Franklin Simmons, Mr.. Page and
Gen. Clous.
Scarcely less than ourselves has the
misfortune been felt by Italians, as is
indicated by the tone of the press in
announcement of the event. single
extract from La Tribuna, the leading
daily of the country. will serve for all.
1t is headed, THE Death of a Friend
of Italy" and says: "A most profound
and sorrowful impression has been
caused by the unexpected death of Mr..
Wallace, S. Jones of Savannah, Ga,
who has for many years been a resi-
dent of Italy, having been the Ameri-
can consul as Messina from 1885 to 1891
and American consul general at Rome
from 1898 to 1897. He was an old and
tried friend of our country, which he
considered as his second native land
and his death leaves painful vacancy
not only i'm the American colony. by
whom he was so highly esteemed, but
among the wide circle of Italians, who
knew and appreciated him"