The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-13

A MAN of distinct originality was
 "A John Randolph of Roanoke. There never was anyone exactly like him tn this country, nor indeed in any other. There is no one else whom he suggests. Although person of gravity of de- meanor and always in earnest yet when one thinks of him, the first impulse is a smile. His odd appearance and grotesque dress, the strange things he was always doing, but still more the multitude of comical incidents with which his name is connected instantly rise to the mind, and if one were asked to what particular cate gory of human beings he belonged the first answer would be to the humorists And yet no mans life was more intrin- slcally sad.
 The earnestness of his manner in all circumstances was what gave a ludicrous character to his life. Randolph himself seldom smiled.
 Something of this we may ascribe to his aboriginal descent. His disregard of conventionality, unconsciousness of or ln- difference to the powerful, though un- written, laws of propriety, and the free dom of his conduct and opinions are all traits of descent. To this, too, may be ascribed his remarkable natural gift of eloquence. His oratory was unstudied, and although he possessed more of the graces of the rostrum or the stage, he made as a speaker a profound impression.
 There was a romantic side to Ran dolph's life. The general impression of him Is that he was man without sensi- biiity, knavish, unfeeling, unpublished and misanthropic, but those who knew him best seem to say differently. He was so much alone in the world that 1t might not be easy to get at his real character. and a transient impression would not be strongly in his favor. But there is noth- ing better by which to judge an individual than by his friendships-t with whom they are formed and their closeness and duration-and Randolphs history in this particular will stand a careful scrutiny.
 He was born June l, 1773. at Matoax, his fathers seat, a short distance from Petersburg. His ancestors were from Yorkshire, England, ana through his parental grandmother, Jane Boiling, traced themselves directly from Poca- hontas
 His mother was a very beautiful wo- man, Frances Blond, and she married twice. Her second husband was St. George Tucker.
 Of John Randolphs schooling not much Is known. except that ne applied himself very irregularly. His unusual talents were to be seen. but he was indolent and indifferent and fonder or pranks and eX travagances than of books. He went first to a school in Orange county Virginia. and then to Princeton, and We are told that he was irregular, wayward and hard to control. It Is surprising how his mind became so well stored as il afterwards proved to be. but he grew older he de- veloped a passion for reading. and he seemed to possess one of those assmila- tive minds which take in rapidly and CO., piously and never lose that which has once been acquired.
 There can be no question that the great sorrow of. Randolph's life. one that fell early and always lasted was his unhappy attachment for Maria Ward. There was much in the history of this affair to remind one of Byron and Mary Chaworth, and Randolph thought of the parallel him. self The Nirginian is set down by some who have written of him a man in- tensely selfish and without spark of sen- timent in his nature. but there is the best reason for knowing that he idolized Maria Ward and never overcame her loss.
 ahs was a very beautiful girl. and of a