The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-05-12

He born in Charleston, S. c., September IA,
1866. His parents died when he an infant, and
he adopted by his aunt, the wife of farmer and
spent his boyhood in farm work and attending a
country school,
With scholarship gotten for him by cousin,
Rev. A. Toomer Porter, he educated first at the
Porter Military Academy and then at college. After
graduation at college, he spent year at work
teacher and then upon civil service examination
appointed clerk in the custom service of the
government, where he worked for eighteen months.
He then moved to Waycross, Ga, where his only
sister lived, and went to work as seal clerk in the
railroad yards then billing clerk in warehouse of
that company After about months in this ser
vice. he appointed official court reporter of the
Brunswick Judicial Circuit which position he held
for five years. during which time he frequently
called to Florida to report important cases.
The second year after his appointment as court
reporter he married at Brunswick, Ca, and four
months thereafter was admitted to the bar. few
years later he was appointed solicitor general,
prosecuting attorney for the nine counties composing
the Brunswick Judicial Circuit and the duties of this
office he discharged with distinction.
In 1890 he elected to the Georgia legislature
and served two years in that capacity member of
the committee judiciary, ways and and
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 or tax gathering laws of Georgia; was
conspicuous in his opposition to freak legislation of
all kinds land the author of number of bills of
general effect which the statute books of that
state, and have been amended or repealed
In 1896 he formed law partnership with Mr..
]. c. Reynolds and the firm of Toomer & Reynolds
has continued until the present.
He moved his home and business to Jacksonville
Fla, in 1905, and Immediately became identified with
her business interest; with the developn 1t of
Florida and the practice of law with limited gen
eral centage, which did include the representa-
ton of any of the so-called special interests but did
include the representation of farmers merchants
manufacturers and some of the modest business in
terests of the city and state.
His family, of which he is very proud consists of
wife and eight children, three girls and FIVE boys
He is the owner of 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 member of the Elks the Odd
Fellows and the Knights of Pythias
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 rial of the against the naval stores trust and
again in the trial of instituted by the govern
ment against the Merchants and Miners Transporta-
ton Company Ga steamship company and two rail-
roads and firm of grain shippers in Philadelphia
The government won these cases
He has acquired comfortable home and mod
est amount of means, and is in every sense an Az
ERAGE man with some legal and business training
no Arguments with large corporations, and thor
oughly in touch and in sympathy with the great mid
He Presents His Candidacy to All the People
the Views Which He EutertaipS aud Has Fxrressed