Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-03

.l..sis. TX n
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the
son Of Joseph Ruggles and Jessie
Woodrow Wilson. the father being Q
Presbyterian minister. He was sta
toned at Stanton, Va, at the time Of
Thomas Woodrow Wilson's birth on
Dec. 20. 1856.
The lad attended the best schools
Augusta offered. Public schools were
either non existent or SO poor as to be
worthless. so the boy was put at an
institution kept by Prof. Joseph +.
Derry. with habitation over the post
Office on Jackson street. Its pupils
played in the old burnt lot" near the
bell tower. Later. Professor Derry
moved his school to building on the
river bank next to some cotton ware
houses. Here the boys made the ware
houses their Fairgrounds, exploring
and playing hide-and-seek among the
cotton bales. 1t is said recollection
that the youngsters of that day, when
bent upon some boyish prank, found
that a pad gathered from the cotton
bales was an effective protection from
deserved punishment.
But young Wilson'S real instructor
during the Augusta days was his faith
er. Long before the age at which boys
are imbibing knowledge from books ne
was already receiving from the lips OF
his father an education more varied.
more practical and sound than any
that could otherwise have come to him.
Father and son were constant COM
panions. but it was Sunday afternoons
that the elder devoted particularly to
his sons training. Then. sitting on the
floor, or rather reclining there against
an inverted chair, the gifted parson
poured ont into the ears Of the spell
bound lad all the stores Of his exper-
fence, learning and thought. He was
man OF wide information on the az
fairs Of the world, judge of good lit
erature, q master Of the queen OF
sciences, theology. and wishal. man
Of much imaginative power-mingling
with the warp Of sound
Enters Law School
Graduating from Princeton with the
class of 1879, he returned southwark
and entered the low school Of the UNI
versity Of Virginia.
IN May, 1882, he went to Atlanta to
enter on the practice Of law. At!ar.a
was chosen for this experiment simply
because it was the most rapidly grow
ing city in the south The young man
knew nobody there. He went TO i've
at the boarding house of Mrs. Boylstoh.
born Drayton, and a member OF tnat
old South Carolina family. on Peach
tree street Here he met another young
man, like himself a stranger In the
city, whittier he. too. had come 10
practice law-Edward Ireland RenicK.
The two agreed on a partnership; on
mutual inquiry Renick proved to be
slightly the older, 50 that the shingle
was lettered "Renick 4 Wilson. II
was hung out Of the window OF room
on the second floor. facing the side
street, Of the buildins 4s Marietta
street.
Atlanta l,tisants did not rush en-
masse to .4s Marietta street. In fact,
they never came The brilliant legal
victories for, which. no doubt. Messrs.
Rerick and Wilson were competent.
were never won. Atlant seemed T.
prefer lawyers whom 1t had known.
wilson's sole idea had been to use
the law, as stepping stone to, po-
littcal career; most Of the public men
OF the south had come from the ranks
of the law. In eighteen month IN
Atlanta he learned that 1t was impos-
sfble for man without means to sup
port himself long enough in law to get
into public life; impossible, certainly.
to establish a practice without giving
up all idea Of study and writing not
strictly connected with the profession
The law was Jealous mistress. He
had begun writing a book on congress
sfonal government. and he found the
work OF its composition full OF Joy.
With Joy he found he could not con-
template years Of effort to further the
interests Of clients under the capricious
and illogical statutes Of Georgia, In
terpreted by a supreme court whom ne
could not then look up to 40 masters
in the law.
Found Wife in Georgia.
But the; Atlanta experiment was not
without It's great good fortune.
During tho summer Of 1883 Mr.. Will
son found time to make what turned
ont to be a momentous visit. His old
playmate and cousin. Jessie Woodrow
Bones, with whom he had played In
dian ON the sand hills near Augusta,
was now living in Rome. Ga. Mr.
Bones had started branch OF his
business at Rome. and. finding the
GEORGIA town the prettier and more
agreeable place. had moved his family
there. To Rome had come also another
family with whom the Wilson's had
been intimate In Augusta-the Axsons'
The Axsons were q Georgia lowlands
family, the Rev. Edward Axson's father
was . distinguished clergyman in sa-
vannah. ana his wife's father, the Rev
Nathan Hoyt. was long pastor Of the
Presbyterian church at Athens. Ga.
The calls upon his time not beina
entirely occupying. as has been limited
young Wilson went to Rome to sec hfa
cousfn-afd stayed to see moro of Miss
Ellen Louise Arson. Tho meeting wa
on the piazza Of the Rome home in
East Rome. To be accurate. 1T was moi
quite the couples first meeting; he had
lbeen q passionate admirer Of the lady
when he was a boy Of z. and she was 9
baby. Tho sentiment Of those days
tbeyond the recollection Of either. re-
vived. He took her home that evening
she lived in Rome across the river
lsShe must have been captivating, for
las he came back across the bridge, he
clenched his hand and took q silent
oath that Ellen Louise Arson should