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

the manner of conducting the states
business 1t was during his term of
Office that the capitol was remodeled,
and the executive Offices were moved
into the new building where they oc-
cupy the entire west half of the north
wing on the main floor. The events
OF this administration are of too re-
cent occurrence to need mention here.
Governor Jennings retired from Office
in 1901 and moved to Jacksonville,
where he is engaged in the practice
of his prOfeSSiOn-the law.
General Lang was succeeded as pri-
vate secretary by Charles H. Dickin-
son, of Madison. and Mr. Randolph as
stenographer by Miss Grace Mann.
Broward.
When the present chief executive
took over the reigns of government
he retained Private Secretary Dick
inson, and Miss Mann was succeeded
as stenOgrapher by Miss Elsie
Young Douglass, sister to Mrs.
Broward. In June, 1905, Charles
H. Dickinson resigned to accept
a position in the comptroller's of
flee, and M. A. Brown, of Jack
sonville, was appointed. Mr.. Brown
only served a few months when he
also resigned, having been appointed
sheriff of Duval county. To succeed
Mr.. Brown the governor appointed j
Emmett Wolfe, of Pensacola, who is
discharging the duties of that Office
today.
State Department.
The first secretary of state under
the Democratic rule since the wal
was W. d. Bloxham. He was sue
ceeded in 1881 by John L. Crawford
of Crawfordville, who was re-appoint
ed once and elected four successive
times Of the service he rendered
the state and of his value as a public
official l can say nothing that could
more appropriately express the sen
| tinlent of his people than to quote
the proclamation of the governor, is
sued upon the Cay of his death and
4 being unique as an official proclama
ton in the fact that it was the first
state paper ever issued in Florida
without having affixed thereto the
great seal of the state. For the first
time in her history Florida was with
out custodian of the seal which by
law must be affixed to every official
document. The proclamation fol
lows:
State of Florida, Executive Office
John L. Crawford, secretary of state
of Florida, a learned physician, a
member of the second assembly OF
Florida, afterward a state senator fo1
sixteen years, later secretary of state
! for twenty-one years, truly a public
servant for nearly forty years, dis
tinguished for purity of character,
honesty of purpose, and faithfulness
to duty. is dead.
! Notwithstanding his feebleneSs
and lingering illness, the intelligence
Of his death came as a shock. The
closing of his life, so useful, honorable
and illustrious, at the end of one year
OF his present term, to which the
state had called him, causes great
sadness to the people of the state OF
Florida, and deserves appropriate and
: sorrowful recognition.
Now, therefore, it is hereby re,
! Cuested az a mark of regard for the
distinguished dead, that the flags upon
/ the capitol and upon all public build
ings of the state of Florida, includ
ing the armories of the Florida State
Troops, be displayed at half-mast, and
that the state offices be closed until
and including the day of the funeral
and the officials and citizens of the
state, for like period, are requisite d
to unite in appropriate tokens of re
spect."
Governor Jennings, Immediately
upon the death of DR.. Crawford, ap
pointed the latter's son, H. Clay
Crawford, the present secretary of
state, to succeed him. In the pri
mary of 1902 he was elected for the
unexpired term and in 1904, was re
elected for the full term of four years
The chief clerk in the state depart
ment is John F. DOrmOn, of Live Oak;
the corporation clerk is Samuel T.
Cobb, of Madison. and Mr.. Crawford S
stenographer is Miss Bessie Taylor
of Tallahassee, daughter Of the late
w. R. Taylor, of Jefferson county. The
state department occupies the offices
formerly used by the governor.
Comptroller.
! w. d. BloXham was appointed comp
troller during Fleming's administra
ton to succeed the late w d. Barnes
of Mariana, and served the state in
this capacity through the remainder
of this and the succeeding administra
ton He was succeeded by William
H. Reynolds, of Polk county. Mr.
Reynolds was not a stranger to thf
people of the capitol as he had served
several terms in the state senate prev
ious to his election to a state Office
He was a very quiet, unassuming man
but was quick to make friends anC
was an exceedingly popular official
He was reelected at the Jacksonville
convention of 1900, without oppOSi
ton, but died in Tallahassee during
the first year of his second term. His
wife and family live in Tallahassee
where Mrs. Reynolds holds position
in the Florida Female College.
] To succeed Comptroller Reynold.
the governor appointed Alonzo Church
Groom, of Brooksville Mr.. Groom
was elected in the primary of tina
year for the uneXpired term and tw,
years later elected for the full tern
of four years.
This is decidedly the busiest de
partment of the state government
, There are several clerks in this de
partment that have been there for 81
many years that they seem, in a way
:, to be and form a very part OF th'
eomptroller's Office. Among thes'
may be mentioned Emmett McGriff
l OF Ir IhaElG1