The enterprise-recorder., 1912-05-17
From The State Of Florida
PERSONAL HISTORY

q, ne was DoIn III NlafleStOn, SOuln OafOllna
Sept lith 1866. His parents died when he was
an infant and he was adopted by his aunt, the
Wlle ol a iarmer, and spent his boyhood in farm
work ana attending country school,
With scholarship gotten for him by cous-
n Rev. a. 1oomer Porter he was educated first
at the Porter Military Academy and then at col
ege. lie spent one year at work as a teacher
and then upon civil service examination was
appointed clerk in the Customs service of the
Government, where he worked for eighteen
months.
He then moved to WaycroSs, Georgia where
his only sister lived, and went to work as seal
clerk IN the railroad yards, then as billing clerk
IN warehouse of that company. After about
seven months in the service, he was appointed
oihclal court reporter of the Brunswick Judicial
Circuit which position he held for five years
during which time he was frequently called to
Florida To report mprorant cases.
The second year after his appointment as
court reporter, he married at Brunswick, Geor-
gla, and four months thereafter was admitted
to the bar. A few years later he was appoint
ed Solicitor General, or Prosecuting Attorney,
for the nine counties composing the Brunswick
Judicial Circuit, and the duties Of this office he
discharged with distinction.
In 1890 he was elected to the Georgia Legs-
Iature and served two years in that capacity, as
member of the Committee on Judiciary, Ways
and Means, and a number of other important
committees, including the Steering Committee
Of seven, which regulated the order of business
for the Legislature.
He made vigorous fight for the reform of
the assessment and tax-gathering laws of Geor-
gia; was conspicuous in his opposition to freak
legislation of all kinds; and was the author of
number OF bills of general effect which are on
the statute books of that State and have never
been amended or repealed.
In 1896 he formed law partnership with
Mr. j. c. Reynolds, and the firm of Toomer &
Reynolds has continued until the present
He moved his home and business to Jack
sonvllle Florida, in 1905, and Immediately be-
came Identified with her business interests: with
the development of Florida; and the practice of
law, with limited general clientage which did
not include the representation of any Of the So
called special interests, but did include the
representation of farmers, merchants, manu-
facturers, and some of the modest business in
terests of this city and State.
His family, of which he is very proud, con-
sists of wife and eight children, three girls
and five boys.
He is owner of a good farm in Duval
County.
He is member of the Protestant Episcopal
Church and has done great deal of active work
in the building of churches and Young Mems
Christian Associations. He is a member of the
Elks, the Odd Fellows, and the Knights of
PythlaS.
He has twice been selected by the United
States Government to act as Assistant Attorney
General in the trial of important cases; first, in
the preparation and trial of the case instituted
by the Government against the Merchants &
Miners Transportation Company Ia steamship
company and two railroads, and firm of grain
shippers in Philadelphia. The Government won
these cases.
He has acquired comfortable home and
modest amount of means and is in every sense
an AVERAGE man with some legal and busi-
ness training; no alignments with large corpo-
rations, and thoroughly in touch and in sympathy
with the great middle classes and masses of
people.
While his name was mentioned by some of
the press of the State in connection with the
GOvernorship Of this State four years ago, yet,
until he sought membership in the United
States Congress- he has never asked nor held
public office in Florida. He is in no sense an
Office seeker, but has the equipment, health,
energy, and experience to make capable repre-
sentative of the State in the United States
Congress
He presents his candidacy all the people of Florida
tans and has expressed upon questions of real public interest