The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1912-11-13
Our Next Pres
ident.

poi ~ W oIauhton, va, on De
cemher IS, 1886. He is the son
of DR.. Joseph X. Wilson. a
Presbyterian minister. and the
grandson of Judge james Viii.
son, an lrshman of Scotch des-
cent who migrated from Coun-
~ Down to Philadelphia in
1907. James Wilson prospered
and became manager of the
Aurora, leading Democratic
Journal, Philadelphia then be.
ing the national capital.
1t was at Steubenville. {.
that Joseph Ruggles Wilson.
the father OF Woodrow Wilson
was born on February 2s, 1895.
He was the scholar of james
Wilson'S family. Jefferson col
lege graduated him as valedic-
torian in 1874, after which he
taught school and prepared for
the Presbyterian ministry Mt
the Western Theological Semi
nary and Princeton Seminary.
I'm 1919 Joseph II. Wilson mar
ried Janet Woodrow, daughter
of DR. Thomas oodrow n
famous Presbyterian minister
of the day, who was a descend
ant from ancient English stock.
The Rev. MIR. Wilson became
the father of two daughters be.
fore he was called as pastor to
Staunton, Va, where third
child, a son, was born and
chrlstened Thomas Woodrow
When Thomas Woodrow was
two years old his father took a
passionate in Augusta, Ga, and
soon became one of the most
noted ministers of the South
Thoroughly equipped as theo
Logan and pulpit orator of
power, he early reached and
long maintained a position of
much influence in his church.
When the Civil war broke out
he embraced the Confederate
cause.
Tommy Wilson, the Augusta
schoolboy, is described by Prof
John II Derby, one of his teach
ers, as quiet and exceptionally
studious. The most important
instructor Of young Wilson.
however, was his father, IA man
of wide information on the af-
fairs of the world. His father
believed that nobody had grasp
ed a thought until he could put
10 quickly and definitely into
words. This he did himself.
and this he taught his son to
do. As a result Tommy came
TO learn the written symbols in
which speech is set down. he
was learning only u method OF
recording and transmitting n
language which he was already
we'll able TO handle.
The Wilson's moved from An.
gusta TO Columbia, S. c.. in
1870, DR.. Wilson resigning his
pastorate to take the chair of
Pastoral and Evangelistic Theo.
logy in the Southern Presbyte-
rian Theological Seminary. At
Columbia 4 o m m V attended
Charles Barnwelrs privat e
school. At the age of seven
teen he entered Davidson Col.
lege ut Davidson n. Q.
Living at the college was
rather primitive; the boys kept
their own rooms, filled their
own lamps, cut up and brought
IN wood Tor their own fires and
carried in water from the pump.
Dung Wilson joined a literary
society and played on the base
ball nine, once having the pleas
ure of hearing the captain say.
Wilson, you'd make a dandy
player if you weren't so blamed
sleepy"
He did not finish the year at
Davidson, for he fell ill before
examinations came on and was
taken to his home, now at Viii
mington, n. c., where his faith
er had taken n passionate. Here
Wilson took things compare
lively easy for a year. Except
Tor tutoring in Greek and few
other studies that he thought
might be necessary for enter
ance into Princeton, he busted
himself with reading, looking
up the historic DOints of tho