Evening star., 1935-02-05

Newspaper comment on the death
of John Barton Payne is marked by
appreciation of the career of man
who raised himself from poverty to
a position of high esteem and spent
the closing years of his life in service
to all distressed people.
1.-The life story of John Barton
Payne" says the jamestown IN. "
Post, sis such as that which has often
been recorded in our American an
mails. His boyhood was handicapped
by poverty. From the obscure viii
lage which was the scene of his birth.
by his industry and sound Judgment
through years of effort he rose to
distinction in the legal profession and
to the enjoyment of plenty. Though
native of Virginia it was in Chi
cago that he won special notice as
talented lawyer" According to the
Manchester IN. HI Union, "he re-
allied that he did not live in a
Utopia and that, consequently. it was
necessary to work to live. So, lit
orally and flguratively, he dug in;
first of all as farm boy. Then he
became a clerk in a country store;
next lawyer. BY the time he was
81 his name had countrywide sig
nificance"
John Barton Payne" the Scranton
Times declare, was an important cit
izen. He held big political Offices, and
was regarded as a fine lawyer and
big business man. In these dual char
acters he held the offices of chairman
and later counsel of the United States
Shipping Board; he was Secretary of
Interior in the cabinet Of Woodrow
Wilson and judge of the Supreme
Court of Cook County, III. The high
places he held attest the caliber of
the man."
His quiet but wide beneficencies
have come too little to the public
attention." says the Newport News
Times Herald. Born a Virginian, the
vicissitudeS of the War Between the
States made him technically a West
Virginian, but his heart was ever with
the Old Dominion and on her he
showered beneficencies within his
means as a patron of art and edu-
cation. The scope of his
interest was wide, his devotion deep
and his loyalty intense. He has served
his generation well and history will
enlarge his stature. He was one of
the greatest sons that The Mother of
States has given the Nation"
But it is not in the realm of law
nor in political Office that Judge
Payne will be best remembered" be-
lieves the Lynchburg Daily Advance
"As humanitarian" they continue,
''hiS conspicuous service will be the
brightest page of his life. Although
65 years of age when called upon by
President Harding to become chair
man of the American Red Cross, he
did not fear to tackle so strenuous a
task and for years he devoted his
efforts to some of the largest relief
enterprises Of all time"
According to the Atlanta Constitu-
ton: Under his direction the Amer
ican Red Cross has become the most
efficient organization for the relief of
the distressed the world has known.
In every visitation from which the
people Of the country have suffered
flood, peStilence, fire, earthquake,
famine, drought and unemployment
the Red Cross under his guidance has
been the succoring organization to
save life and minimize suffering. '* I"
For IA years he served as chairman
of the Red Gross without remunera-
ton other than, as he himself ax-
pressed it, the personal satisfaction
Of serving those whose need was des-
perate."
1.-The name of John Barton Payne,
who just died after a long and event.
full nfe," to the Dayton Herald, "is
associated imperishably with the great