The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-04
A GREAT ALBANIAN
JOHN T. AsHCRAFT

One of the greatest privileges which have come to me during the past tWeNe years in Alabama has been the 1rleno- ship of a splendid heroic son of the soil. John T. Ashcraft. The link be- tween us was our common hate or tuberculosis and our united purpose to wipe it off the map of this state have seen little public comment on the fact announced on February 10, that MT Ashcraft had died at Fl Paso, Texas, on the preceding day Tne story should be told, however, and the memory kept green of magnificent soldier of democracy who through ten years had courageously carried on personal fight for life and for vigo. with which to do his work, while he was doing that work. MT Ashcraft was born in Clay coun- ty in 1859 October 15l During the Civil war, therefore, he was very wee citizen, but showed the stuff that was in him by doing his best to take the place of his father, who had gone to battles He was thus a typical example of Alabama's boyhood in the sixties. Snatching an education and pressing on through school to some post by which he could contribute to the well fare of the large family, all younger than himself, he was a man before he l was grown There were two years at | the Lineville High School and sixteen months at Auburn, whence he gradu- | ated with the degree of C. E.. in June. ] 1880. Immediately thereafter he joined i Prof W. s. Worrell in the charge of school at Newton, Ala. and taught in southern Alabama and Texas for the ten years following his graduation. We who knew him toward the end know | how closely he must have knit himself | to the lives of the young people in 1 those southern schools. Their grati- tude still follows him. One former pupil writes about his "father-fr friend" l and another calls him "our gentle i; friend. The words call up the face 1 that bore in every line the marks of a sweet chivalry, the eyes that looked ] out anticipating-as Emerson is said l to have done-that any newcomer or chance acquaintance was sure to bring some message from the gods I can imagine that he must have stirred a couraseous ambition in many hearts by ! the force of this sweet expectancy
 i, MT. Ashcraft married in December 1Ss6 MISS Annie Hendrick--a dear lady who 1 survives him-the daughter of the late pr. G. Hendrick of Brundridge, Ala. Seven children also survive to carry on a. noble tradition
 1 In 1887 MT. Ashcraft removed to Flor ence, after two years in Texas and established an office as lawyer there in september, 1888. By an inevitable at traction his parents, brothers and sisters also migrated there, and united with him Tn various industrial ventures where his enthusiasm led the way He became vice president of the Ashcraft Cotton Mills, president Of the Florenre Wagon Works and secretary of the Tennessee Valley Fertilizer Company. He was also director and attorney for several other interests. posts which he surrendered later under the stress of ill heash In the broad field of citizenship he became a member of the city council and of the board of edu- Tcation, senior deacon of the First Bap- tist Church of Florence and a trustee of | Howard College He also became a Mason and Knight of Pythias. An ardent advo- cate of prohibition and a constant cham pion and modest helper who succored tn ( poor and unfortunate. never allowing his left hand to know what his right hand did, his passion was not so much ex- pressed in words in deeds. a passion for righteousness, for reconstruc citing bro- ken lives When neighborhood feuds or family quarrels were brought to him in
 the course of his law practice, he never | regarded the lure of fees. but devoted himself to quiet peace making In poli- tics he was an equal suffrage democrat . How broad and generous was his view of citizenship is shown by his record with ;,the constitutional convention in 1901
 
 portant committees. His politics were oi
 that supreme kind which goes direct t the source of sorrow and prosperity 1 Every election found him keen, not fol 1 personalities but for the goal. To hin
 elections were sacred events wherein the
 welfare and happiness of his fellowmer
 were at stake. This world goods tha
 came to him were held with light ant
 generous hand. He was a man of sacri flee as well as a man of prayer.
 About six months before his death. Mir
 Ashcraft retired from the practice Q
 law and banquet was given in his honol l hv members of the bar at Florence
 Younger men joined with the older prac ttioners in ren,in iscences of his com ra d Q ship and chivalry. "The banquet wa turned into love feast,'' writes Judge R IT. Simpson, one of the most notable fig
 ures present.
 adding to the sacrifice by her unpurge' indifference to the Great Whit Plaurue-' As ] said before, ten, years 0 ceaseless battle availed to keep John T Ashcraft among us for wet a lttl
 while" Whenever he was in Alabama h
 was the same kind. self-sacrf1cing citi
 zen: whenever he left the state it wa I to gain a new reimbursement of strenFtf 1 that he might still "carry on.' Whethe 1 at home or abroad his mind was alway
 occupied with the interests of his fellow
 men, Because he believed in the King
 dom of God he was intensely interested i the doctrine of the square deal.
 It was this that made him the cham i pion of the southern farmers, who's
 products of cotton oil and peanut o lwere. and are subject to al. iniquitiou
 tax which works to the interests C
 dairies selling milk floods insufficient