The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-09-28

America early in the last century. He
spent his boyhood and early manhood in
Washington City, and, when quite q
young man, was employed as proof
reader on the famous old National In
telligencer," owned and edited by Gales
and Seaton. Ia 1S47 he was one of the
editors of the American" which
brought him in intimate contact and re-
lationship with all the public men of the
day. He was an ardent Wing, and, as he
was a forceful writer, Congressman f.
Darlington Cabell, then representing
the State in the House of Representa-
tives, and other prominent politicians
in the party, induced him to come to
Florida in lS4S and take editorial charge
of the Republican, the leading Wing
journal of the State.
In 1856 he established IN jacksonville
the book and job printing establishment
now known far and wide as the II. e
w. B. Drew Co. He stood with Cen
eral Call and other leading Wings of
that day in opposition to secession and
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the American
Union, but when his State seeded and
Joined the Confederacy, he went with
his people and was loyal to the strug-
Cling South. His well known business
ability soon brought him an offer of a
position from the new government, and
he was called to Richmond to q place
OF responsibility in the treasury de-
partment, where he served during most
of the war. AS has been shown, he
was destined, during the dark DAYS
which followed the civil war, to be of
great service in the political and finan-
cial redemption of his State.
Columbus Drew was lovable gentle
man. His nature was kindly and his
manner gentle, affable and unaffected. |
He was an incessant reader, a contrib |
utor to magazine literature, and an art |
critic of no mean ability A number of |
poems composed by him went the rounds |
Of the American press. When the sea- |
ports of the South were blockaded dur |
ing the war and we found ourselves not |
only unable to buy cloth from abroad
TO clothe our soldiers, and |
without factories or spindles to spin or
looms to weave it, the spinning wheels
Of the grandmothers were brought down
from the garrets and put into use. This
inspired Mr.. Drew to write that rhyth-
mic. swinging poem, the first verse of
which ran:
Out Of the garrett out Of the barn
Summoned am 20 my duty:
.ong set aside with my lusterless yarn,
Robbed Of my fabric Of beauty.
m ,, sImmSned to come With whir and hum.
With a voice like the flying Of chat
from some mighty machine that the grain may be
clean
lis but me and my mighty d'staf"
When Jefferson Davis lay dying at
lis home at Beauvoir, and the wires
lad flashed the news that the end was
lear, there hurried from Orlando, Fla,
o that devoted Mississippi home, an
Iged negro man, former body servant
Il the dying chief Of the Lost Cause,
With the hope Of seeing his former mas
err before death had closed his ewes,
ut the faithful, white-haired old save
vas too late.
This incident inspired Mr.. Drew TO
1rite touching poem which he called
The Prayer Of Milo Cooper" pictur-
lg the scene Of q faithful negro fer
emily praying in the death chamber Of
is old master. It not only paints q
athletic scene, but throws light on the
Citations formerly existing between the
ld-tine master and old-time slave. II
to be hoped that the literary produc- .
ons OF Mr.. Drew may be collected and
ublished. Everything ever read d
rom his pen breathed the spirit Of his q
wn gentle and refined nature. When,
J 1891. his spirit took It's fight, truly q
bod man passed of the stage of ac- q
on.
NOTE. Another venerable citizen
no helped largely 20 bring about the
'erthrOw of carpet-bag government, .
ID who helped Governor Drew In the \
'Iection Of his cabinet, and with adj 4
ee and otherwise gave assistance IN !,
lose days was Capt Charles Edgar Z
yke, and we hope 20 Sc Mr.. Davis i
vote an article to him and his great n
oreh 20 Floridians. Ed. It'd. "