Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-05-09

| business in that north Georgia town
and among my first acquaintances was
young William J. Harris, likewise
just out of the University of Geor-
gia. Mr.. Harris supported himself
and footed his own bills while at
school, and his education was the
product of his own endeavors. Re-
turning home to Cedartown, he en-
gagged in business with remarkable
energy and a determination 10 sue
coed in spite of many difficulties. As
! one of a large family of children, he
sought his own way and relied upon
his own initiative, and from the very
first he has succeeded in a remarka-
Bile life of accomplishments.
Just when he was ready to enter col
lege his fathers health failed and
I William J. Harris worked and saved
the money to pay his way through col
/ loge. Afterwards he assumed the
/ debts of his father aid helped to edu-
cate his brothers and sisters.
No matter whether he proposed or
labored under stress, he was always
thought full and generous to those de-
/ pendent on him. Indeed, while he
was working his way up the ladder.
he contributed part of his means Of
ten borrowing money himself, to aid
struggling young men in Polk county
who desired an education, but did not
have the means themselves. This
sacrifice on the part of Mr.. Harris
is possibly one of the delightful re-
Elections upon his brief but already
brilliant career, and the writer has
often heard young men now grown
to manhood and succeeding admirably
in life, express their gratitude to him
for the aid granted by Mr. Harris in
their earlier struggles. Every now
and then he refers with pride to the
raise in life of those whom he has
Helped, and with merry twinkle in
his eye and fond interest in their
real success, he pleasingly refers to
them as "some of my boys who are
making good in life
His father was an officer in the Con-
federate army under General Jno. B.
Gordon, and the old soldier has al
ways been close to the heart of this
Georgia. Mr. Harris some years ago
married the daughter of Fighting
Joe" Wheeler, and many Georgia
veteran remembers with pride this gal
,ant hero of the Confederacy, who was
born near Augusta, Georgia, and who
twice during the war saved his home
city from being burned by shernan's
army.
Mr.. Harris is descended from Gen
eral John Coffee, of Telfair county,
Georgia, for whom Coffee county was
pamed. He has more than one broth
err who has distinguished himself and
rendered service Of high order to
the country His eldest brotehr is one
aG the leading educators of Georgia,
Icing now at the head of the State
Institution for the Deaf at Cave
Spring. Another brother is a gem
eral in the United States army and
one of the adjutant generals at army
headquarters in Washington. He was
ereveted by President Mckinley for
gallantry in the war with Spain
This brother soon goes to France,
where he requested service when war
wss declared Another brother is q
leading specialist in the medical pro-
fession of Birmingham, Alabama.
who volunteered and is now a major
IN the army in France Still another
brother is captain in the United States
army, and all have requested service
in France.
One characteristic of Mr.. Harris
that reveals the real man is his gen.
crosby to every good cause and his
liberality to those in need, when it is
remembered that he has not been a