The Pensacola journal., 1917-08-27
A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE
T. A. JENNINGS.
Pv u EeILAlN

(By H. Felkel)
l. Albert Jennings is dead. | knew
him we'll.
For 7 years he befriended me and
was a kind of ideal that I strived for,
but never hoped to gain. A letter 3
few weeks before his sudden death IN
a Birmingham hospital was full Of
the same big, friendly spirit that
Characterized him among his fellows.
For seven years he was my Compan-
ION and gave me the advice that /
would have received from the father
l hardly remember.
Mr.. Jennings was six feet and over
and we'll proportioned. He was as
big mentally as he was physically,
and his heart was bigger than he
was A more moral man l have
never known He. was broad of view,
but chuck full of principle. He was
kind, self-sacrifcing. and he over
flowed with good nature; but he was
courageous, fearless and never quit
fight of his own or for friend till it
was finished. He beamed optimism
into his associates, and gave new life
| and hope to the down-hearted and
discouraged with whom he came in
contact, T. A, Jennings was refresh
! ing.
He enjoyed his work, more for the
employment and training his business
gave others than because it enriched
his own purse. His energy seemed to
have no bounds, and few ever saw
him tired or heard him complain A
travelling salesman in his early life,
he never forgot that young men will
| be young men. He loved clean humor
and he told many stories well, but he
| preferred anecdotes from real life
and his own experiences to the stock
| tales that go the rounds, He was so
! human and sane that it was noticea-
BILE.
| He was a fnancier whose ability
was recognized in the eastern cities.
| A thorough business man, far-seeing
and long-headed. Mr.. Jennings was
| one of the very few Pensacolians who
| withstood the commercial shocks of
| the past four years, When he died
suddenly last Thursday morning at
9:15 o'clock the naval stores market
closed in Savannah and Pensacola,
/ and flags were flown at half mast.
While he was in politics he was
successful in that direction. With
! the exception of the time he was
chosen national committeeman from
| Florida without opposition, he never
offered for office but once, and that
was for the House of Representatives
from Escambia county. He was
| elected by a tremendous majority,
and was speaker that session. Much
of his work in politics was for his
friends, and he was very successful
He fought hard, but was never bitter,
and if he wounded the feelings of a
friends he was sorry and said so. He
was clean. He never took his politics
so seriously that he could not see the
humor in defeat as well as in victory.
He was regarded as a leader who
fought more for principles than for
men.
But with all the pleasure he found
in his work uptown, the joy of his life
was his home. His loves were strong
and from great depths. The wishes
of his wife and his little children
were his law, and in filling their
every limited want he was happiest,
He could not have retired from
business had he chosen to, for his
irons in the fire were too many; but
he was one active public man who
succeeded in quitting politics. In his
Hast years he voted as. every dutiful
imam should, but he refrained entirely
from even the discussion of things
political. I know he bore nc malice
when he died.
If the prayer that the Master
taught US to say, which was the
prayer that T. A. Jennings said every
night, is heard anu answered (and We
all must believe that it isl, he has
already been received with well
done, thou good and faithful servant,
enter" for T. A. Jennings forgave
every man who wronged him, and
every night he knee!ed and asked his
Maker to forgive US our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespess
against u.s."