The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-05
A NOTED apAueHrER.g

Perhaps no woman of the many sue
cessful daughters of Alabama has done
more for her sex. for the advance OF its
mentality and morale or for the sweet
memories OF the Lost Cause than a quiet
and retiring teacher Of Mobile. She has
a peculiar habit of never speaking or
writing-though she does both admirably
unless she has something to say: and
of never going anywhere unless under
strong urgence, and convinced that she
can be OF use.
Mrs. Electra semmes Colston is the
second child and eldest daughter of Ad-
miral Raphael Semmes. and has been for
near the third of a century the head OF
the girls department Of the Barton SEM
mary in Mobile
The Semmes family has been remark
able one in all phases of its life, social,
civil and military. The father was one
of those exceptional young sailors who
used his leisure at sea for constant study;
that Of law-and its collaterals, history
and philosophy-being his favorites. He
married a lady of colonial and historic
descent, with unusual strength of char
acter and mental grasp; and the educa-
ton Of all the seven children was largely
directed and perfected by these parents
One of the brothers, eldest of the family,
Is planter in the west; the second, Oil
yer J. Semmes, has been judge of the
criminal court Of Mobile for thirty years:
and though one Of the severest who ever
sat upon the bench, has never found a
man with the temerity to try and unseat
him Raphael, the next, was head of the
Memphis electric road system, and later
~ In IN
Is priest of the Roman church. The
second sister married a brilliant young
lawyer Of Memphis and is now leading
foreign society in the Philippines as wife
of Governor General Luke ]. Wright.
The Bluff City stil retains her beautiful
daughter and prominent young sons; and
the Wright househould has ever been
social center there. So has the home of
the second sister, Kate, who married
another noted Memphian, Mr.. Bryan. And
only few seasons ago the daughter of
Judge Semmes married still another citi-
zen of that fortunate town Miss Amante
Semmes, now Mrs. Finley, and who was
the special care and pupil of her aunt,
her intellectual gifts reproducing much
of the latter's strength and brilliance.
In the early days of the war, Mrs
Colston had just returned from abroad.
and though very young, her bright wit.
exceptional information and remarkable
gift Of language made her a marked
woman in the intellectual life of the new
capital. Later. while her husband was
at sea with the Sumpter and the Ala
bama, Mrs. Semmes took her three girls
to Mobile. OF couse. her boys then old
enough, were in the army; and all of
them were heard from in strong tones.
AT that day, no city in the south was
buster social center than MOBILIZE her
hospitality and the beauty of her women
having travelled far and wide And no
househould was gayer and more sought
than that quaint old home on Government
street. There, ere the darkest days came
the belle and beauty, Electra Semmes
married young Baltimorean in the
southern army Pendleton Coston. The
happy married life was brief, and the
trying days of reconstruction found her
the widowed mother of two young bows
The Sea King had returned-pelted with
unmeaning contumely, but escaping the
hauter, freely prated about for 1.-THE
pirate" He and Oliver began the prac-
tce or law In the shattered halls of
s6uthern justice, and the young widow
fbecame the third IMAM of the family"
She, as well as her mother. was ever the
friend, companion and counsellor of the
male members; and her clear head and
native decision were of frequent and
direct value
But the care and education of her bows
was the problem ever before Mrs Col
ston, and she accomplished it with that
tact, acumen and thoroughress that has
market her useful career. She passed
examination as teacher In the girls de-
partment of Barton academy. There the
same trials that marked her home use
fulness carried her rapidly upward, and
for thirty years she has been it's prin-
cipal and confessedly one of the most
progressive and recognized teachers OF
women in the south.
To its honor and its traditions none has
been more practically, yet consistently
loyal. In all the early work of southern
women for care of the manned, the des-
titute and the orphaned, Electra Colstons
name has been to the fore. raising the
fund for headstones and the soldiers
monument. In Magnolia cemetery. When
the Ann Hunter auxiliary Of Raphael
semmes Camp U. c. v, was formed,
she declined office, because Of the name,
but 1t was forced upon her later, and
she preceded Mrs Harvey Jones-Bishop
Winners daughter-as its president.
When the veterans of Mobile-both of
the u. c. V. and of their predecessor.
the r.. 70. Lee association-tried for years
to erect monument to Admiral Semmes
overlooking that harbor, whence he sailed
to Immortality on the frail Sumter-the
women took up the task. In three years.
including the two yellow fever panics Of
's7 and 'sS, those tireless women had rails