Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-29
Brief Biographical Sketch
OF Mr.. J. r. Gray, Journals
Editor, Who Died Monday


ton for his family outweighed his So
clal inclinations, he was a man of most
hospitable disposition, and entertained
great many friends at his home on
Peachtree road. He belonged TO the
leading clubs of Atlanta and OF late
years took q lively interest in golr. he
hunted a good deal in the Maine woods
in winter and made regular hshing
trips 10 Florida. Automobile touring
was another recreation in wnlcn ne
took great pleasure. He and MRS. Gray
with members of the family, made many
trips over the New England summer
touring routes, and his car was In the
series Of New York-Atlanta tours
which began with the establishment or
the New York Herald-Atlanta Journal
highway, known as THE National High
way" and closed with the running or
the Glidden tour in 1911 from New
York to Jacksonville via Atlanta.
Mr.. Gray came of Presbyterian stock
and was a lifelong member or TINS de-
nomination, his membership being In
the North Avenue Presbyterian church
FUNERAL SERVICES.
The funrela services were held Thurs
day morning at "Greystone," the family
home on Peachtree road. and he lies at
rest in the family lot at Oakland ceme-
terry.
1t was a simple ceremony, cut digni-
fed by a deep sincerity, that formed the
final tribute to the late president and
editor of The Journal. Beginning at 10
o'clock, it was over by IL. Yet in that
brief hour those who had assembled
there found the expression Of the great
love they bore him and their grief at
his death.
In the sunshine of the bright June
morning they gathered beneath the oak
trees in the front yard, on the porch
of the fine old house. and within it's
doors-close and dear friends of the
Gray family; men who were warm ad-
mirers of Mr.. Gray and, like him, lead
ers in the building of Atlanta; people
from out-of-town who had travelled far
that they might pay this last tender
benediction; and, by the score and the
hundred, those employees of The Journal
to whom his death has been loss not
one of them can yet quite realize.
THE JOURNAL OFFICE CLOSED.
The office was closed for the funeral.
No wheel of labor turned while special
cars conveyed all of them, from the
heads of departments to the humblest
office boys, out Peachtree road to Grey
stone"
One by one they filed past the casket
within the house to look for moment
on the face of the man who had been
Mr. Gray" to all of them-a name they
had never spoken except with an anec-
ton and respect that was the more
earnest because it was so unconscious.
A few of them had been with the
paper since Mr.. Gray became editor,
and before. These, perhaps, felt his
passing the most. for theirs we're the
associations of years, ties that were
stronger than the usual ties between
employer and employed. Others, by
reason of their very work, seldom saw
Mr.. Gray during his lifetime, and knew
him only as the head. the chief.
Yet even these had come to look UP
to Mr. Gray and to believe in him and
be loyal to him and to feel that in the
room on the third floor they had not
only a leader, but a friend. The Junior
COPY boy knew Mr.. Gray only as the
big kindly man with whom she some
times rode on the. elevator, but he, like
the others, had felt a strange sorrow
at his death, and his face. too, showed
the hurt within his heart.
In his editorship. Mr.. Gray has
spread the fellow feeling through every
office and to all who worked under him,
and in his death there was none VINO
did not grieve. They loved him. and
those who watched saw this as they
passed the casket.
The services begun with a hymn,
sung by Mrs. Frank NJ Pearson-an old
scotch hymn that had been a favorite
with Mr.. Gray, L Will Sing You Song
of That Beautiful Land" Then the
ministers offered prayer and read few
chapters from the Bible.
DIR. OGDEN'S PRAYER.
DR.. Dunbar II. ogden, pastor of the
his prayer of the tender and precious
memories left to his friends by Mr..
Gray, the comradeship in which he
dwelt with all about him. He asked
that through his friends Mr.. Grays life
and spirit shall not die, and that,
through Gods comfort, the loneliness
and the bitterness shall be taken away
and peace shall also come.
Dr. Richard Orme Finn, pastor OF
the North Avenue Presbyterian church'
read several extracts from the Scrip
tures-verses that told of the suffering
others had endured, verses that told
how courageous hearts have conquered
sorrow, and the compassionate words or
Jesus that begin, Let not your heart
be troubled; we believe in God, believe
also in me-" He closed with the read
ing of the twenty-third psalm.
A final benediction was offered by DR..
ThOrnwel Jacobs, president Oh OeIe-
thorpe university, and the services
ended with another hymn by Mrs. Pear
son, Tennyson's Crossing the Bar"
Only the members of the family,
few intimate friends and the honorary
escort, went to the cemetery. The cas-
ket was borne from the house between
, double lines of men, standing with
barred heads, and again at the grave,
the escort formed a double line for the
passing of the casket as Mr.. Gray was
laid to rest with the reading of the
burial ritual by DR.. Finn.
The pallbearers were: j. d. Jern1-
gan, B. +. Bennett, r. L. Bradley, w.
s. Wier, James L. Turner, w. l. CAL
loway Julian Manasse and Park II.
Hall.
Members of the honorary escore were:
John s. Cohen Charles d. Atkin.
son, John A. Brice, j. l.. Wilt
ford, John D. Simmons, ]. A. Willis,
Ralph Smith, John Paschall, Harllee
| Branch, w. c. Jones, A. w. Beaverton,
Frank Carter, w. G. Long, c. L. Near,
| T. NJ. Brumbey. ST., John K. Ottley, E,
| Rivers, DR. w. S. Elkin, Senator Hoke
| Smith, Henry H. Cabaniss, John E.
Murphy, Reuben r. Arnold, E. r.
| DuBose, Frank NJ. lyman John w.
| Grant Judge william T. Newman,
| Charles r. Hopkins. Hooper Alexan-
w Woods