to say and being able to say it, others are willing to listen and be instructed.

He has the rare faculty of saying what he means and clothing his thoughts in such language that no double interpretation can be put upon his statements. The quaint old adage of calling a spade a spade applies in his case. As a type of the useful citizen, the able legislator, the genial and hearty friend, the man of culture, breadth and fullness, Mr. Allison is conspicuous. Such men at the head of public affairs give stability and confidence to the nation. Our country has been favored with many of this description, and among this galaxy of shining ones must be placed the subject of this brief biography.

CHARLES FREDERICK CRISP.

MR.

R. CRISP has been a well-known figure in Congress since the period of his first election. He had gained a wide celebrity in Georgia, had shown himself, in various ways, to be a man suited to leadership, and his elevation to the House of Representatives was only to be expected, and was a worthy tribute to the man. He seems to have been by nature marked out for political life, and it will be generally admitted that in Washington he found his appropriate sphere.

Mr. Crisp was born in Sheffield, England, January 20, 1845. His parents were Americans, tem

porarily residing in England, and returned to this country in 1846, when the subject of the sketch was about one year old. Thus, although Mr. Crisp is not a native of the United States, he comes as near it as one possibly can, being distinctively American by parentage and education.

The family having settled in Georgia, the boy was placed in the common schools, where he received his education. While quick to learn and exhibiting qualities of mind much above the average, he also displayed marked traits which have been prominent through all his subsequent career. He was independent, positive, aggressive, and selfreliant. He was not in the habit of allowing any of his rights to be invaded without showing quick resentment. In time, he became a leader among the young men by whom he was surrounded, and over whom he exerted great influence.

Even at this period he seemed to combine in a remarkable degree wise foresight and judgment with impetuous force. He was evidently born to be a power in whatever sphere circumstances placed him. He shared the spirit of the South which flamed out in secession, and in this he was only like the great body of young men in the Southern States. It is a well-known fact that quite largely the Confederate Army was composed of this class. They were strong in their convictions; they were eager for action in the field; they

were willing to take risks and make sacrifices. They did not count their lives dear to them, and history shows that tens of thousands of them fell upon the battle-field, reddening its sod with their warm blood.

In 1861 Mr. Crisp entered the Confederate Army as a lieutenant. He saw a good deal of active service in the field, showed himself to be a good soldier, and won the approbation of his superiors. He was a prisoner of war from May, 1864, until June, 1865. After his release he studied law, and practiced first at Ellaville, and afterward at Americus, Ga., which latter place became his subsequent home. He quickly took high rank in his profession, and gained rapid prominence, being well thought of by older lawyers as well as by the community in which he lived.

In 1872 he was appointed solicitor-general of the Southwestern Judicial Court, and held that office until the middle of 1877, when he became judge of the Superior Court of the same circuit. He showed himself to be fully equipped for the exacting duties of his position, lending dignity to his office, and evincing that impartial spirit which properly belongs to the occupant of the judicial bench. He could have remained in this position if he had chosen, but whether satisfied with his successes or not, his fellow-citizens had already expressed their wishes to have him represent them at Washington.