Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-07-16
cox WANTS TO
BE PLAIN JIM
CONTINUED From Page L.

CONTINUED From Page II
hangs on the wall of the room where
in Cox was born, while close by hangs
a portrait of Cox's grandmother and
on another wall a likeness OF Jimmy
Cox himself 1t three.
knowing the Democratic candl-
date to be al excellent man | cannot
10 otherwise thar vote 81" him, eX-
MA MS Alf Thomas, for ne is now out
in in the fed where he and JIM
nv used to work till tie sun set and
JGnmy's eyes we're heavy with sleep
LIKE THE OLD, OLD
READER STORY
And perhaps Agnes MargeTum le-
members the old story in McGuffey's
reader in which the old mother waits
for the return of her favOrite BOY
who has gone to far countries to
win fame and fortune.
Then when she is on her death-bed
he comes back rich and famous and
She dies content because her eyes
have seen the glory of her dreams Jul
filled.
That's Jacksonburg.
Hither come the pilgrims now to
view the tiny, forgotten hamlet where
presidential candidate was born;
and they call on Agnes Margerum,
she who now is Mrs. Breitenbecher,
and who went to school with Jimmy
Cox. to ask her what sort of boy
he was and what he looked like and
was he smart at school.
COX WAS REAL
lNGUlSl1NE BOY
we were In the same room IN
school, she says. And then she goes
on 10 tell how ne was always at the
heau OF his class; and now nc was
ever asking the teacner questions
y,nen the orners were saying nothing;
and how he would pore over Nena-
ME School history of the United
States and read about the presidents
anu the Civil War which was then
still a new story; and how after
s,nooi he would often call on an old
soldier to consult with him about the
battles and to argue disputed points.
Hes forward kind of a boy,
the veteran once said to relative OF
Jimmy. >,
You don't understand that boy"
replied Jimmy's relative. HES just
set on learning"
And Agnes Margerum Breitenbech-
er says it's wonderful, truly, that IN
its declining years, JacksonbuTg
should win national renown because
Of this boy who was born here and
become a place of pilgrimage to
which come those who still love the
tradition of the home-spun, old-fash-
toned America that grew It's great
men on farms.
Then, after they have spoken to
her and inspected the house Jimmy
Cox was born in these pilgrims wan
der down the road to James Skaters
general store to chat with Shafer
about those Jimmy days.
Shafer is an authority on Jimmy.
To his store the boy would come to
buy groceries for his mother and to
stop and listen to the debates that
went on around the cracker barrel or
the stove, and occasionally to ven
ture a question; or to listen to ghost
stories that old-timers told, until, as
Shafer says, Jimmy was afraid to go
home alone.
And there are items that show that
on Feb. IL, 1885, Jimmy bought a
pen for a cent, and on April 26, he
bought glue for 20 cents. Here are
the very items:
To pen by James, Sol.
To Royal Glue by James $40.
That was Jimmy himself" ex-
plains Shafer.
Then the visitor goes to the church
where Cox was janitor and wanders
back into the church-yard where his
grandparents rest and scan the fad
ing epitaphs on their tombstones, the
one inscribed to his grandmother
reading thus:
Sweet is the sleep our mother
takes,
Till in Christ Jesus she awakes.
Then will her happy soul rejoice.
To hear the blessed saving voice"
Jacksonburg's hotels are gone: and
also the blacksmith shop and the pork
industry-but what matters that af-
ter all?" ask the village folks. Jack
sonburg's pride is in the children who
have gone away and made good,
whether in the factory, or as doctors,
or lawyers, or in the household, and
maybe in the presidency of the United
States.