The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-16

pleQSeu 10 eloCt HILL he is q IalIn-
full official, and big hearted man.
Mitchell.
The administration of Governor
Mitchell was not very peaceful one,
but his life among his official family
was pleasant in the extreme. The
governor had a remarkably bad tenn
per and when he fired up" at any
thing in the building that did not go
to suit him the entire clerical force
would "step lively" but no one ever
had kinder heart than this man. No
one dared to cross him and yet every
clerk in the capitol felt that Cover
nor Mitchell was his friend.
The governor had many things to
try his temper during his reign of four
years as Florida's chief executive, but
perhaps that which nettled him most
was the Corbett-Mitchell fight in
Jacksonville. He was determined to
prevent this fight and issued an or
der for the state troops be in
Jacksonville on the day scheduled
for the fight to take place. Just
about this time some one sent him
q ticket from Tallahassee to Jack
sonville and another one admitting
him into the contest. The stenogra-
pher, for some cause, failed to take
down the governors comment when
the letter was opened.
Before Governor Mitchell retired
from the executive Office in 1895, he
was elected clerk Of the circuit court
for HiIlsborough county and entered
upon the duties of that important Of
flee as soon as he reached Tampa.
Four years later he was defeated for
a reelection to this position, but in
1902, was elected county treasurer
of that county and was serving in
this position when he died in that
city in 1904
Governor Mitchells private secre-
tary was General David Lang, brave
soldier, a courteous official and a
knightly gentleman. General Lang
resigned the Office of acknowledgement
to accept this position and so well
did he discharge his duties that when
Bloxham succeeded Mitchell as Gov
ernor the efficient secretary was re.
tanned and served the state in this
capacity with credit to himself and
to his chiefs throughout two admin
istrations.
Reared amid military surroundings,
four years of his life having been
spent in the service of the Confeder-
acy, (and the cause knew no drawer
soldier), he was able to render to the
state invaluable services when, as her
acknowledgement, he was given the
task Of recognizing the state militia.
l. hn tod n in t6ca
treasury department, and In 1903 re-
signed this to accept the position OF
head bookkeeper at the Florida Hos
pital for the Insane where he is now
located. No man ever served Flori-
da more faithfully or deserves more
at her hands. To know David Lang
is to love him; to be his friend is an
honor.
The stenographer during the first
part of Governor Mitchelrs admins
tration was Hon. Cheever L. Shine,
now of Pensacola. Mr. Shine resign
ed this position to study law and was
succeeded by Mr. ]. H. Eames.
BIoxham.
The change of administrations in
1897 did not cause much of shake
up in the official life at the capitol.
Bloxham's administration started off
in the midst of the wild scramble over
Calls seat in the senate and before
this was hardly settled the Collins
trouble was on his hands. Following
close on to this came the war
with Spain. During the latter
part of his administration, however
there was little 10 disturb the eXecu-
tive in the routine of his Office. Per-
haps no man in the history of Flori
da has held the confidence of the PEG
pie longer than w. d. Bloxham. His
home in Tallahassee has been the
scene of many notable gatherings and
today Is 2 hallowed spot In the cap
itol city. Here, near the place OF
his birth, among the people with
whom he was reared and has lived
he is spending the evening of his life
surrounded by a people who love and
idolize him as few people have ever
loved or idoliZed a public servant.
The saddest blow of his life came
to him just after he had retired from
public life and in the midst of that
time he had long looked forward
to with pleasure when he and
his devoted wife could spend their
days in quiet enjoyment, away
from the cares and free from
the responsibilities that rest upon the
family of a public. man. Only few
months of this blissful life had been
srent when the wife of his youth
the steady companion throughout his
career, was called to her reward; q
blow to him, the effect of which, none
but those who knew the sanity SOU
of Mrs. BloXham can half realize.
To that home, where once rippleC
the laughter and mirth of his splen
did children. where the bright anC
sunny disposition of his devoted wife
shed So many rays of happiness dur
ing the hey-day of his life and where
the Grand Old Roman is spending his
DAYS ir peace and retirement, the
ewes of FIoridians are constantly turn
ed and few public men have gone tt
the capitol in recent years and left
without crossing the portals of thai
home and paying their respects to the
man who Florida has so signally hon
orad and who in turn has honored the
state BIZ his brilliant achievements il
her behalf. Few men have gone into
that hoU,e and left it without feeling
that they were better men for having
done so.
James Fl Randolph, of Tallahassee
was the stenographer to Governor
Yloxham. On leaving the executive
office he entered John 5. Hopkins Uni
versity at Baltimore, and four year!