The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-04-05
CAPT. j. STUART LEWIS
! Candidate for Adjutant General Wis.
its University City

Spar, Fla, March 26, 1912.
To the Editor Ocala Banner:
Enclosed is an article from the
Gainesville Sun, for you. to publish, in
connection with my cousin, j. Stuart
Lewis, being candidate for adju'
| tant general. 1t is well known fact
that though no voter the writer al
ways espouses the cause of one wor-
thy candidate. This time it is my
cousin, a capable, honest, Christian
gentleman, a native of Marion, the
central county of Florida. Rally to
his cause, friends. Some of the best
looking "drummers' are also his
cousins, so listen to them; do not
lheed those in for outside men. Our
very own are first and best.
Yours very truly,
MISS JESSIE ASTON OWENS.
Among the prominent visitors to
Gainesville on Thursday was Capt j.
Stuart Lewis of Leon county, candi-
date for adjutant general, and per-
sonal friend of DR.. A. A. Murphree,
president of the University of Flor
ida, and Senator H. H. McCreary. The
captain was DR.. Murphree's guest for
tdinner, but found time while here to
meet many of our people, some of
whom had met him before, and all Of
whom formed favorable impression
of him. His wife, whose maiden
name was Miss Sallie Smoke, and
whom he married in Gainesville in
1889, is a daughter of the late DR..
S. D. Smoke, and was reared at Old
Newnansville, being a graduate of the
East Florida Seminary.
Captain Lewis was born in Marion
county, Florida, Nov. IS, 1865. He is
a son of Dr. James S. Lewis, a Vir-
ginian His mother was a daughter
of Col. Samuel Heath Owens, a South
Carolinian, and niece of Dr. James B.
Owens, who was member of the Sc
cession convention of Florida. Cap
tain Lewis father entered the Con-
federate service in 1861 and served
during the war of secession as sur
geon, and was mustered out at the
close of the war with the rank of
captain.
Captain Lewis attended the public
schools of Marion county, and in 1879
he entered the Kings Mountain Mil
itary Institute. In 1881 he returned
to the farm in Marion county, working
on the farm near Micanopy until 1887,
when he was appointed by Grover
Cleveland in the railway mail service,
which position he held until 1907,
when he resigned to accept a posi-
ton in the office of commissioner of
agriculture of the state of Florida,
which position he recently resigned
to become a candidate for adjutant
general.
Captain Lewis entered the mill
tary service of the state as private
of Company c, Gem City Guards, Pa
latka, Fla, in 1889 Capt. Robt. w. Da-
Wis commanding He was sergeant
and first lieutenant of that company
until 1896, when he resigned and NOV
ed to Waycross, Ga. In 1899 he re-
turned to the state, moving to Tai
lahassee. In 1907 the Bloxham Rifles
was organized in Tallahassee and he
was elected captain, which position
he held until 1911. He believes in a
closer relationship between the men
and officers of the national guard,
and armories at each post equipped
so as to be place of recreation for
the men,
Captain Lewis has the unanimous
endorsement of the democratic ex-
ecutive committee of Leon county, as
shown by the following resolution
adopted at the last meeting of the
committee:
Be it resolved by the democratic
executive committee of Leon county,
Florida, in session, That we endorse
the candidacy of Cept. ]. Stuart Lew
is (former commander of Bloxham
Rifes) for adjutant general of the
state of Florida. We know that if he
| is elected he will manage the affairs
of the office with honor to himself
the militia, the state and the people
whom he serves. We have every con.
fidence in his honesty and ability, and
with pleasure recommend him to the
democratic voters of the state
Captain Lewis is especially well
qualified for the position he is a can.
didate for, and will receive a large
yr@EN