Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10
photo by Bell

tPnOtO Bellb
but six years of age In his early teens
he rode the mail" and was so engaged
when he was appointed clerk in store
at Eufaula, Ala. He was but fifteen years
old then, but he made a success in his new
field of endeayor. He learned 10 speak
stores customers were of the Creek tribe.
There was cultured society in the thrive
ing community. as many of the settlers
had gone west to grow up with the
country.
An incident of his life there while q
clerk had an important bearing upon his
future. He Joined Thespian society and
when the club decided to play "Pizarro'
young Pugh was cast for minor role,
messenger who came on once to announce
something in few words. Shortly before
the play was to be given the man who
was to play "Alonzo' was taken sick and
Pugh was given the role. He studied hard,
and when the play was presented he won
more applause than did any one else.
His success determined him to become an
actor. But his sister and her husband, who
had great influence over him, were strict
Presby terians, and they opposed play-act-
ing. TO get the idea out of his head DR..
Cowan, the sisters husband, offered to
send James to school for two years and
support him while he studied law. That
started the young man in the profession in
which he afterward stood so high.
Admitted to the Bar.
Mr.. Pugh attended school at Lagrande,
Ga, the famous college of the south. Upon
returning to Eufaula he entered a law
Office, and at the age of twenty-one was
admitted to the bar. Becoming the law
partner of Jefferson Buford, who was then
at the head of the Eufaula bar the Young
lawyer rose rapidly into prominence. He
was subsequently the leader of that bar
Mr.. Pugh entered politics early in life,
and back in 1910 he vas stumping his
county for William Henry Harrison for
President. He was elector for Taylor
in lS4S. In 1850 he visited Washington,
and while here attended frequently tho
debates of the body OF Legislators in which
afterward he was to become prominent. At
that time secession was narrowly averted,
and the excitement of the crisis brought
forth the stirring oratory of Webster and
Clay and stephen a. Douglas.
In 1852 Mr.. Pugh affiliated with the demo-
cratic party and voted for Pierce for Presi-
dent, and in 1853 he was sworn I'm as o
member of the Thirty sixth Congress. That
was an historic body, the last time the men
from the southern states sat in Congress
before the momentous period of the rebel
lion. He was a southern man and sympa-
thizer, and steadfastly defended the atti-
tude of the south and the doctrine OF
state rights. >
Enters the Confederate Army
When Alabama seeded from the Union
Representative Pugh resigned his seat ana
became a private in the confederate army.
While carrying a musket he was made
member of the confederate congress and {
served in that capacity until the body was
dissolved. :
At the conclusion of hostiIities Mr.. Pugh
again took up the practice of law. He
rose in prominence in the south. and in
1874 he was the presiding officer of the
state convention at which the white resi-
dents OF Alabama determined to take the
rule of the state into their own hands.
Mr.. Pugh was in the thick of the fight, and
did much toward establishing the suprem-
acy of the white residents of the state at
that time. In 1875 he aided as member
of the convention. to frame new state
for Alabama.
In 1873 Mr.. .Pugh ran for the Office OF
United States Senator from Alabama. bur
was defeated by Gov. Houston. The latter
died after serving one year, and to the
vacant chair Mr. Pugh was elected. For
seventeen successive years he held hie
nat In the upper body OF the national