The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-07-21
STORY of PAUL JONES
WHOSE BODY NEARS HOME
Why John Paul Adopted Another Name.-A Mark
Of Gratitude Splendid Career Of the
Scotch-American Sea-Fghter.

considerable repute. Here he made the
acquaintance of those two grand old
patriots, Allen and Willie Jones. He
was young man, but an old tar, with
a bold, frank sailor bearing that at
tracted their attention. He became a
frequent visitor to their homes, where
he was always welcome He soon grew
fond of them and as a mark of esteem
and admiration he adopted their name
Why John Paul became John Paul
Jones-it was his fancy?'
The two brothers, Willie and Allen
Jones. We're both leaders in their day
and wise and honored in their genera
ton. Allen Jones was an orator and
silver-tongued. Willie Jones the fore
most man of his state, and one of the
most remarkable of his time. His
home. The Grove near Halifax was
not only the resort of the cultivated
and refined, but the home of the home
less, Mrs. Jones having sometimes
twenty orphan girls under her charge.
1t was here that the young adventurer,
John Paul, was first touched by those
gentler and purer influences which
changed not only his name, but him
self, from the rough and reckless mari
ner into the polished man of society,
the companion of kings and the lion
and pet of Partisan salon. John Paul
was thrown more with Mr.. and Mrs
Willie Jones, 1 think, than with Allen,
as he was more at The Grove the
residence of Willie Jones, than at
Mount Gallant the residence of Allen
Jones, though he was at both places
great deal.
STATEMENT CORROBORATED.
These statements, which I heard
from my father, are all corroborated
by the history of North Carolina.
Wheeler, in his "reminiscences of North
Carolina, says: The daring and cele-
brated John, Paul Jones, whose real
name was John Paul, when quite young
visited Willie Jones at Halifax, and
became so fascinated with him and
his charming wife that he adopted
their family name. Under this name,
John Paul Jones, he offered his SER
vices to Congress, and was made a
lieutenant, December II, 1775, on the
recommendation of Willie Jones. The
commission was obtained by Joseph
Hewes, one Of the signers of the Dec
laration, through letters from Willie
and Allen Jones, who were intimate
friends of his and who had both been
in the first Congress. In the Second
Congress Hewes was the head of the
committee in charge of naval affairs,
and was virtually the first Secretary
of the Navy. I have an exact fac
smile of his commission The CORES
. pondent of the Charlotte Observer for
November. 1899, says:
"'The announcement that the re-
mains of that distinguished naval hero,
John Paul Jones, have been located in
Paris brings to light that the deceased
was once a resident of this city. Ac-
cording to the records of the county
court he came here in 1878 to admins
, ter on the records of his brother, Will
liam Paul, who lived here in 1772 Will
liam Paul came here in 1850, and
shortly afterwards entered the mercan-
tile business, in which he was engaged
up to the me of his death. The store
occupied by him is on the corner of
Main and Market streets, and is the
same building in which George Wash
also says that one of the rooms in the
building was used by John Paul dur
ing his residence here, which was near
ly two years, as his lodging quarters.
1t was also during his citizenship here
that he received the appointment from
the Colonial Congress as lieutenant in
the navy. 1t was here, too, that he
added Jones to his patronymic, which
it is said was in token of the friendly
act of Col. Willie Jones of North
Carolina, who became his bondsman
for $500 when he administered on his
brothers estate
AIDED JOHN PAUL MATERIALLY.
so it seems that Willie Jones gave
young John Paul material succor as
We'll as aid in securing his commits
sion. Cyrus Townsend Brady, in his
history Commodore Paul Jones,
speaks at length on this subject. He
wrote to my father and myself and OBJ
tanned some data in regard to it. He
says that young John Paul, before
coming to America, was in quite strin-
gent circumstances and is said to have
lived for nearly two years on the
small sum of $50. Brady says: 1T is
probable that hfs poverty was due to
his inability to realize on his brothers
estate, and the difficulty in getting a
return of his West Indian investments
on account of the unsettled conditions
In regard to his name Brady says:
IT is claimed by the descendants of
the Jones family of North Carolina
that while in Fredericksburg the young
mariner made the acquaintance of the
celebrated Willie pronounced Wylie)
Jones, one of the leading attorneys
and politicians of North Carolina.
Jones and his brother Allen were peo-
pie of great prominence in that pro-
vince. 1t was Jones' influence by the
way, which in later years postponed
the ratification of the proposed Con-
stitution of the United States by North
Carolina.
Willie Jones seems to have attend
ed TO the legal side of Paul's claims
to his deceased brothers estate. and
warm friendship sprang up between
the two men SO dissimilar in birth and