The Tupelo journal., 1905-12-08
MISSISSIPPI. FRIDAY DECEMBER s. 1905
| wish now to write of some
,ther lawyers of old Fulton, who

| wish now to write of som'
other lawyers of old Fulton, who
were in full practice when
moved there in 1859. Among
them all know no more inter
esting character than Major w.
w. Gather. He was very
quiet man though, and one whose
life ran on such a smooth and
even terror that a long article
cannot be written of him, deal
ing in facts and incidents. He
was altogether different from
any other lawyer then at the bar
or whose acquaintance | have
made since. When | first knew
Maj. Gather he had no family,
but afterwards married the wild
ow Of Swepson Taylor, of whom
| have heretofore written, and
who was the mother of the wife
of Private John Allen. Maj.
Gather was a man of good ad-
dress, l would say five feet ten
inches in hight, black hair, slighly
mingled with gray, large head
and high forehead, beautifully
expressive eyes. with a miss
chievous twinkle in them. He
was a very sedate man, having
the most equable temper of any
man | have ever met. l never
knew him thrown off his guard,
but amid the excitement of the
most heated contests of law or
politics, he never became excited
and was most kind, courteous
and gentle toward his adversary.
AS in success, so he was in defeat
the same to all; whether you met
him on the streets, in his office,
or in the court house, to each, to
all, he bore himself the same
way, genial and companionable
a real gentleman of the old school
Without being ostentatious, he
was so polite and courteous that
you felt at home in his presence.
He was not a man to captivate
the crowd by his eloquence, but
was a lawyer of solid attainments
and made a success of his profes-
sion. | have watched him in
many important cases, and have
wished many a time | could pos
sess the suave and patient bearing
which | noticed in him while the
other lawyers were ranglingvehe-
mently and sometimes almost com
ing to blows, he was as calm and
unruffled as a placid lake, with
that same genial smile playing
over his face. He insulted no
one, and none could have it in
his heart to insult him. While
| never had the pleasure of en-
joying his home hospitality, l am
sure | may speak of it as model
for his office in old Fulton in the
olden time was like a ladies'
parlor, and when you entered it
you felt like you were entering
home where a woman presided.
I was a very young man, and he
past fifty then, would say. and
yet found more real pleasure
in visiting his office than any
one there. For his first wife he
married a daughter of old uncle
Tommie Crayton, who lived near
old Richmond. There were three
of the girls, one married W. w.
Gather, one Josiah Hussey and
the third one James L. Sargent.
They were most beautiful and
lovely women, with the bloom of
the rose, and to look at them
one would suppose many years of
happiness and pleasure were in
store for them, but when married,
they faded like the snowflake
on the river, and left their mates
wonderfully disconsolate. Hus-
sey never married any more, and
Gather was many years in again
mating, the beauty of his young
bride chinging to him for all
these years. When now think
back of the years on the long ago
at old Fulton, and the many men
and women whom have known
there rise up before me in Wis
ions, as often takes place, no one
who is more welcomed nor more
fondly cherished than that Of
Major Gather. He was a Chew
alier Of the Cheraliers; a knight
of the Golden Cross; the white
plumed star Of the brotherhood OF
goodfellows among the legal fra
ternity. Knowing him as | did,
feel sure / may say that in home
life he was courteous and gentle
to a child, and politeness person
flied to his wife or any other
woman about the home. But the
light cannot always shine. Dark
ness has to intervene. And sc
amid the vne clad hills of OLD
ItaWamba, soon after the close
of thn GREAT war between the