Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-31
Huff, at 81, Still
Has a Punch

AS rule, when a man finds himself
with the weight of 81 years on his
shoulders, he gives up the fighting game
ana prepares to spend the remaining
years of his life peacefully.
But not SO with Colonel w. A. Huff.
OF Macon. For years and years down in
Macon he has been known as a man
with decided opinions and a man who
never hesltated to express them in plain
words and who would fight at the drop
OF the hat Yes. and he will drop the
hat himself
So when he told United States Judge
Emory Speer a thing or two and wrote
what many other people in Macon would
like to have written but who lacked the
nerve, those who know Colonel Huff
were not surprised
There are thousands who remember
the time when Colonel Huff and Wes-
ley Patterson jumped about this state
and several others in special trains and
private cars trying to dodge high sher-
ifs and shoot out their differences as
southern gentlemen used to settle dis
putes. Both men We're anxious to fight
and nobody could have been more anx-
ious than Colonel Huff
Hasn't Lost FearIessness.
That was years ago when Colonel
Huff was not burdened with the weight
Of his 81 years. But while he may
have lost some of the physical strength
and activity he possessed at that time,
he has lost none of his fearlessness and
his inclination to fight for what he
believes to be right
When he was mayor of Macon. back
in the seventies, he made things move
and under his administration the town
progressed 1t was Colonel Huff who
put Macons noted Central City park on
the map, and ii was he who started
holding the big state fairs there. And
up until this day Colonel Huff has
fought for the preservation Of this park
and for the perpetual holding of state
fairs there He has never hesitated
too, to fight for things he had hand
in doing when he was mayor.
They sent him to the legislature from
Bibb and he kept things moving in the
capitol He was always on the job
and whenever he saw or thought he SO W
somebody trying to slip something over
he had things to say in a manner al
his own.
A political campaign in Macon with
out Colonel Huff taking a prominent
part is like show with the scenery and
costumes shipped by mistake to an
other town. political campaign in
Macon would not be interesting if the
colonel was not espousing somebody
cause or rather trying to put a crimI
in the other fellow
He's Some Speechmaker.
He can make a speech which sizzles
and which will make reporters work
their pencils on note paper with fever
ish anxiety Frequently he has made
such speeches in Macon meetings and
has expressed his opinion of men pres
ent and their actions He knew wher
he made these speeches that he was liza
BILE to have to defend himself, but he
didn't mind doing that
Sometimes his opinions about public
men and their actions would be too moi
for the newspapers TO print Or maybe
they would be too long and only a shor
synopsis could be printed. Then Colo
mel Huff would have his expressions
printed in hand bill or pamphlet form
and he would see that they were thor
oughly distributed.
! Only recently he attacked his tWC
colleagues on the Macon board of Wate
commissioners in this manner and tolC
things in his frank manner
He has had troubles. too, has Colone
Huff. His troubles would have crushed
many a man and sent him to his grave
But Colonel Huff has a spirit which
neither 81 years nor sickness nor los
of fortune can crush.
Once Wealthy Man.
There was time when he was ont
Of Macon's wealthiest citizens. Hi
home was the show place of the tow
and he took leading part in the in
dustrial activities. The remnants o
/ his fortune got into Judge Speers cour
nearly thirteen years ago and the lit