The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-11

One of the. handsomest, stateliest
and most dignified of Florida's Gov
ernors is Park M. Trammell, the
twenty-sixth and last one whose biog-
raphy have the honor so far of writ
ing. His father, John w. Trammell,
lived in Alabama prior to Parks
birth, and IL Park had not been born
so soon he would have been a native
Governor, as his father decided to
make Florida his home, it being
Parks birth at such a time that pro-
longed his stay for a while longer in
Alabama. The Trammell family, as
can quite easily be seen by their
portraits, and probably the very name
itself, is of Scotch extraction. All the
members of the family almost from
time immemorial were interested in
education and doing all in their power
for their children, one of the natural
traits of the Scotch nation. By trac-
ing the Trammells back as they can
be traced, we find that they would
all rather have educations than fine
houses.
Park Trammell's grandfather, a ma
tive of Georgia, was we'll educated
man, doctor by profession and
served as a surgeon throughout the
Civil War on the Confederate side.
His father though not college grad
uate was a man we'll posted on the
affairs of State, serving as treasurer
of Polk county, Florida, in 1886; in
the Florida Legislature at the special
session called by Gov. Francis P.
Fleming in 1887; in the regular ses-
sions of 1889 and 1891, and for a
time was superintendent of the State
Hospital at Chattohoochee, which by
a singular happening his son Worth
also held. John w. Trammell was
married to Miss Ida Park, of Lee
county, Alabama whose ancestors
had been famous in the development
of the country, her father being sol
der and patriot in the Civil War. He
died in 1904, leaving four most ex
cellent sons: Park, who became Gov
ernor; John, lawyer and legislator;
Worth and Ripley, who became sue
cessful in their respective lines.
Early Life.
Park Trammell was born, as before
mentioned, just before his father ha(
moved to Florida, in Chambers coun
ty, Alabama, August 8, 1875, is littl,
over forty years old now, having al
ways made Florida his home. Though
his father had been quite a renowned
and successful man and his grand
father well educated, they did not &C
quire riches on account of the trou
bles after the war; But If they die
not leave young Park gold and riches
they left him, in the words of one o.
his admirers, something better; q
handsome face, a we'll poised physique
and great and sublime mind"
His father, during Parks infancy
moved to Polk county, Florida, and
as true to most of the early pioneers
he lived in the country. The unfor
tunate financial distresses of hi.
father prevented him from building
nice house and we read of Park liv
ing in log cabin in Polk county IL
his earliest days; and though h,
looks as stately as any king born ii
a mansion or palace, he differs from
the king by making himself what h,
is, for nature set out to make him al
far as possible from the palace, an,
he is essentially a self-made man
through his own exertions making hi
way from the log cabin to the Cover
nor's mansion.
No kind of respectful work was be
meath the youthful Park. He plowe,
his fathers fields, planted and heir
ed run the farm, packed oranges ant
worked in printing house. Whel
he had day of his own he woul
cut wood and sell it in the streets O
Lakeland in order to help pay hi
fathers expenses. 1t was only occas
sionally that he would allow himsel
to go hunting or fishing.
Thirty years ago only a few month
of the year were given to the youth
in country districts in which to a
tend school, and with such poo
chances of acquiring an educatio
scarcely one accomplished much VIII
did not help himself, and If youn
Park had not said when boy tina
he was going to be something" an
helped himself to the knowledge G
the world which is ready for any on
who will dig for it. he would still b
blowing. cutting wood and paekin
oranges in Polk county. In speech