The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-20


ander Stovail. who will be named by
President Wilson as Minister to Switzer-
land, is In every way. representative
Georgian. In Savannah. where he re-
sides, he is a most popular citizen. and,
although he lives in one OF the extreme
ends of the State, there Is scarcely a Sec
ton of Georgia and no portion OF 1t that
does not hold a friend of his. Mr.. Stovall
is at home in any section of the State
Born in Augusta, much of his boyhood
was spent in Athens. and when little
more than thirty-four years OF age ne
removed to Savannah. where ne mas
rounded out a brilliant career as an cal
tor. an orator, and statesman. he WIN
leave the State Of his nativity for his
new home across the seas thoroughly
equipped in temperament and experience
for the diplomatic post which he Is to
FILL President Wilson has made no mis-
take In the selection of this splendid
Georgian to the place of Minister to swift
zerland At Geneva, where he Is TO De
situated, Mr.. Stovall will become bril-
liant and valued member OF the Presi-
dents Official family, and will represent
his country in such manner as to make
every Georgian feel proud of him.
stovan IL Scholarly.
Mr. stovan is, above all else a scholar.
He has a most retentive mind and men,
ory and in his delivery is finished and
delightful. One of his earliest triumphs
was winning an orators medal In
champion commencement debate at the
University of Georgia. The bomDastic
method Of defamation neither appeals to
nor BELTS him. He discusses his subjects
as a debater with calmness ana a
chivalric sense Of respect for the views
of others that adds to the charm OF MS
utterances He has appeared in the TO-
rum of his State: upon the lecture plat
form. in the counsels of his business as
sociates, and upon public occasions. as
well as those of schools and colleges, and
always his efforts has won for him the
unstinted applause and compliments or
those who have heard him. His friends
and associates know that 1t will be the
same abroad as it has been at home, ana
that before he has been great while In
Switzerland he will surround himself with
a coterie of distinguished and accom-
pIished friends who will be charmed with
the new representative of Uncle Sam
4 Native of Georgia.
Mr.. StovalI was born in Augusta July
10, 1851 He Is the son Of Boiling A. and
Martha Wilson Stovall. 1t was in Au-
gusta that he first met his friend-now
the President of the United states
Woodrow Wilson. He and the President
who has honored both the State and the
nation by comforting the appointment
upon him, were boyhood chums. They
lived not far apart and their tastes be-
ing similar they we're thrown much to-
gether. Mr.. Stovall has written one OF
i 70 nf "nadrnU
son. 1t is that which tells of the Presi-
dents boyhood in Augusta, and it gives a
clear insight into the kind of boy the now
Chief Executive was
The new Minister'S father was native
of Sparta, Ga. but his mother was born
in South Africa, where her parents were
PRESBYTERIAN missionaries. He comes OF
a line of ancestry that has never failed
to respond to the call of country. either
in times of war or of peace. The early
Stovalls helped to win the independence
of the struggling colonies more than lo0
wears ago, and in the war oil the so 5
Boiling A Stovall left Augusta TO enter
the service of the Confederacy as SER
geant in Company A, Richmond Hussars-
He later served in the Engineer Corps,
and concluded his service for the Stars
and Bars as a captain of artillery. When
the United States and Spain were at
war in 1895 Pleasant Stovall, as menu
Der of the staff of Gov. William Yates
Atkinson, in concert OF action with
the other members of the STAN, volun-
teered his services to the government,
but was not called into the field.
state University Graduate.
Mr.. Stovan received his preliminary
education at the Academy of Richmond
County, Augusta, and later became a
student of the State University at Ath-
ems He graduated in 1875 with the de-
gree of Bachelor of Science. The Red
and Black have no more devoted disciple
than Pleasant A. StovalI His interest
in the university has never Jagged. He
has contributed his full share to its sue
cess. and as a private citizen and as
member of the Georgia Legislature II has
often been his pleasure to serve his alma
mater. Next to his family and his news
paper he probably loves the State Uni
versity better than anything else.
He has rooted for its baseball team,
cheered its football eleven when it has
gone upon other fields to win new glory,
and has attended its annual commence
ment exercises with as much enthusiasm
at fifty as he displayed at thirty. At
all prominent. affairs in which the Uni
versity of Georgia has been concerned
there has been found pleas" Stovall,
willing and anxious to serve the college
which gave him his diploma and the de-
gree i'm 1915. His class held reunion a
few years ago. and there appeared some
of the best known men in Georgia who
had graduated at the same time that he
did The class of 10 has done much in
Georgia industrialy and professionally,
but no member of 1t has brought more
genuine merit, enthusiasm, and energy
into his daily life than the editor-diplo-
mat who will soon sail for new post
Of duty.
Patrick Walsh His Preceptor.
Mr. Stovalrs first editorial work was
done on the Augusta Chronicle. 1t was
also here that he did his first work as a
newspaper reporter receiving that prac-
teal training in the local room that led
him finally to the chair of chief edi-
torial writer. He served on the Chron-
icle under the late Patrick Walsh, whose
devoted friend he was. The relationship
between the two men was very close,
and it was not Until he decided to es-
tablish a paper of his own that Mr.. Sto-
vail severed his connection with the
Chronicle in 1891 and moved to Savannah.
Here he gave the good people OF that
thriving city a great surprise. He es-
tablished an afternoon paper and made
1t pay. He bought at Sheriff's sale the
broken down plant of paper that had
failed, as 50 many others had done, and,
throwing into his new enterprise the
genius and the courage that has always
characterized his actions in life, he has