The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-02-20
JONES OF NEVADA"
A Reminiscence of a Romantic Ca
reer in the West.


A reminiscence of Senator John
Percival Jones, Of Nevada, who died
in California, a little over month
ago, appears in the January num-
Der of The National Review" pub
lished monthly in London. 1t is
written by Noreton Frewen, an init
mate friend Of the senator since
1878. 1t is entitled "Ad Memoriam:
Jones of Nevada. -
The article attempts to portray his
rugged character by bringing to-
gether a series of personal anecdotes,
told for the most part, in the dead
mans own language. Mir. FreWen
regarded Senator Jones as one Of
the most romantic characters in the
public life of this generation and
speaks with a deep sense of personal
loss of his death at his beautiful Santa
Monica home in SO ,thern California
, last month. He continues:
John Percival Jones was born in
Hereford about 1926. What | can
put on record of this wonderful roll
ing stone is only the memory | re-
tain of irnumerable conversations
dating back nearly fve-and-thirt}
years. Ny Old friend Was really Z
shy and Unobtrusive personality,
studious, thoughtful and romantic,
as ,one is likely to be who had lived,
in his own words, much alone in
the mountains with his Maker |
often begged him to leave some lit
erary fragment OF a life so really
historic when We recall its immense
span, from the marches OF Wales to
California, from the ministry Of
Liverpool 10 the presidency of Taft.
1t is possible that some members of
his charming family or his attached
secretary. Mr.. Eugene Davis, may
have in store for the world\a book OF
surprising interest; but for the
present sketch | must rely altogether
on a memory which he impressed,
perhaps. more than any man | en-
countered on all my tramps abroad.
l heard Senator Jones once reply
to an English friend who said:
-''When shall dine with you in the
White House? ?"-''Alas, never! The
dearest wish of the great American
nation is thwarted, for | was born in
England. But the caste exclusive
ness of you English was so repel-
lent that when l was five months
old decided to emigrate, and took
all my family with me-"
Passing rapidly over the emigra
tion of the Jones family to the
United States and the subsequent
seizure of John Percival and his two
brothers with the gold fever in lS49,
Mr.. Frewen plunges into his own
memories of his friend, after he had
become an honored member of the
national legislature. He recalls
conversation which he had with the
senator in Cleveland's term, at time
of great industrial depression. The
senator said:
No man lacking in humor can run
this nation. The first president |
knew was Lincoln. Lincoln liked
me, liked my stories Of the West;
told NE good stories, too Times in
1864 were bad in Nevada; the
boys" wanted postoffices and small
trifes Of that kind. | had gone to
the president with considerable
list. He signed them all. AS | was
leaving, he said: John go slow on
this office business; remember, thirty
millions of people are knocking at
my door, and all told there are less
than a quarter of a million offices.
But few days later some other
good fellow had written ME from the
West, and l went again to the White
House and found the president sit
ting on the sofa. Before | could tell
him what | wanted he said: John,
| am a sick man" | said: Mr.. presi-
dent, you are You have got all the
symptoms of smallpox. Well! that