USA > Georgia > Fulton County > Atlanta > History of Atlanta, Georgia : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 12
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Although Mr. Goode had pursued the foundation studies in a law school, undisturbed by the details of office practice, thus acquiring a general but com- manding view of the whole body of the law, his professional idea ranged out- ward and upward into the region of general studies and even polite literature. But fearing that he might be ranked as a literary'lawyer-a lawyer who, aiming to practice in the courts, thinks more of his literature than of his law; less of his- musket than his uniform-during the first four years after his admission to the bar he applied himself to the study of law with severely exclusive zeal. Hence, it was not until the summer of 1876 that he accepted any of the nu- merous invitations given him to deliver literary addresses. This year he made the address at the commencement exercises of Union Female College in Eu- faula. This at once established his reputation as a gentleman of rare literary attainments. The board of trustees of the college tendered him a vote of thanks for the address, and they united with many of the leading citizens in requesting a copy for publication. Of this address the Eufaula papers con- tained the following notice: "His address was the index of an uncommonly superior intellect. It was full of wisdom. It sparkled with humor. It was delicately spiced with valuable satire. It towered occasionally to the heights. of eloquence. Some of its figures glittered with real splendor-the splendor of gold, the flash of the diamond. To be the author of such a speech at such an age, is to be a man that the world will hear of hereafter." From this time forward, invitations to make addresses poured in upon him from various sources ; but he was wise enough to decline most of them, and it was not un- til the summer of 1879 that he again consented to deliver a purely literary ad- dress, and this time in Columbus, Ga. In commenting on this address the Co- lumbus Daily Times said : " The entire address was a masterpiece of thought and beautiful diction, and fully sustained the reputation of its author, who ranks high in his native State, both at the bar and in the literary world. All had been led to expect of Mr. Goode something unusually good in the way of an address, and in common with every one who heard him, we can safely say that none were disappointed." The Enquirer-Sun thus wrote : " The manner
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of Mr. Goode was happy and fascinating throughout the delivery of his ora- tion. He spoke without manuscript, and to the entire delight of all his hear- ers. His speech was one of the best literary addresses ever delivered in Co- lumbus. An evergreen has been added to the bright wreath which already crowns the brow of the distinguished orator."
Dr. Paul De Lacy Baker, brother of the brilliant orator, Generel Alpheus Baker, and one of the most distinguished physicians of Alabama, noted for his. general scholarship and literary attainments as well as for his scientific skill, in summing up the characteristics of Mr. Goode, as they presented themselves to. him, in a later address by Mr. Goode, in Eufaula, said : " Mr. Goode's intel- lectual organization is remarkable ; he is, indeed, a sort of mental wonder; a more rapidly conceiving mind than his rarely exists. The electrical genera- tion of thought seems almost beyond the control of his volition, and there re- sults such a torrent-like outpouring of ideas as would overtax a less copious. vocabulary, and overwhelm an utterance of less sustained rapidity and power. . Independent of this lightning like generation of original thought, he is pos- sessed of a mental storehouse, so to speak, wonderfully capacious, wherein a most studious industry has accumulated a vast store of knowledge. This men- tal pabulum has been so digested and appropriated as to render it ever and in- stantly available, through the swift agency of a quick and comprehensive ap- preciation, and an ever alert memory of truly miraculous activity and power."
Mr. Goode's partner, Mr. Toney, had studied law at the University of Vir- ginia, and as both were enthusiastic students, they carefully reviewed together the whole course on the common and statute law as presented by Professor John B. Minor, in his institutes, and in 1877, after Mr. Toney had located in Louisville, Ky, they met by agreement, at the University of Virginia, and there took the full summer course of lectures. Thus Mr. Goode, in his office and at the law schools, made himself familiar with the course of study pre- scribed at both Albany, N. Y., and at the University of Virginia. The former, he insists, is the best place to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of commer- cial law, and the latter, he thinks, gives rare advantages for the study of real estate law. Mr. Goode always relied vastly on the pen. With this he aims to correct any vagueness of thought or impression, and in mastering a book, in preparing his arguments, in collecting his evidence, he always uses the pen. He studied the origin of the various provisions of the statute law, believing that a knowledge of the particular phase of national or political history out of which these provisions grew, would throw vivid light on the construction of any mooted meaning. The study of rhetoric he deemed very important, and he gave much attention to it in detail and application of style and arrange- ment, and in its essence and origin. He also believes in the practice of elocu- tion. While attending law lectures in New York, he took lessons in elocution from Professor Charles H. Anthony, who established the Albany Classical In-
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stitute, who was an intimate friend of James E. Murdoch, the celebrated elo- cutionist, and who, himself, had acquired an enviable reputation as a teacher of elocution. These lessons Mr. Goode has constantly remembered, and in his library are to be found copies of the writings and speeches of Burke, Erskine, Choate, Cicero, Demosthenes, Euripides, and many others, marked from be- ginning to end, where passages of eloquence or style pleased him. Edmund Burke and Rufus Choate are great favorites with him, and he reads their works continually. He studies the text books and law reports closely, and his code is carefully annotated. We have already said enough to show that few law- yers come to the bar with more thorough training and more careful prepara- tion than Mr. Goode, and he is still a close student. In his cases and his speeches he trusts to no inspiration of the moment. Everything that can be prepared, is prepared, and his success at the bar was as much the result of his long and careful training, and of days and nights of toil, as of his naturally quick perception and fine memory.
Mr. Goode believes that the most universally acknowledged reprobate has a right to a defense ; that he has a right to the benefit of the laws of the land, and a right to be defended according to the laws, and unless he can be put in jeopardy, in strict accordance with the principles of evidence and of law, he ought not to be jeopardized or harmed, no matter what his seeming guilt may be ; that a lawyer ought not to think anything about, or know anything about, whether his client is right or not ; he only ought to think what can legiti- mately-legally be said for him-what, according to the accepted principles of our law, is the legal defense. He believes that Lord Brougham was right in his view of the identification of the counsel with his clients' interest ; and this view he thinks will permit him to be true to the court as well as to the client, as his attorney's oath requires. He insists that his cases should be fought hard, but fought fairly ; that lawyers should ever be true and fair to opposite counsel ; that they should never take advantage of a doubtful character ; that they should concede to adversaries nothing that they ought not to concede, but concede everything up to that time.] He believes that people outside of our tribunals, and even spectators, should not be able to dictate the course which a lawyer ought to pursue; but that when popular excitement is high against individuals who have incurred popular odium, the lawyer should defend those who cannot defend themselves, be the advocate of those who are hunted by popular clamor, stand by those whom all others desert, breast the fury of the people, stem the popular current, and insist upon a full, fair and impartial investigation before the victim is sacrificed.
Mr. Goode spent part of the summer of 1881 at Saratoga Springs, and while there he determined to remove from Eufaula to Atlanta, and on the first day of September he carried this purpose into effect. He and his friend, Sam- uel T. Barnett, now president of a national bank at Birmingham, Ala., early in
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September, 1881, purchased the real estate business of Mr. Joel Hurt, it being Mr. Goode's intention to now devote himself to real estate law as a specialty. In October of that year the great cotton exposition was opened here, and Atlanta was filled with strangers and visitors from all parts of the coun- try. Real estate suddenly advanced in price, and the demand for it was un- precedented for months and years after the exposition. To familiarize himself with the real estate business, to become acquainted with the people, to locate the properties placed with him for sale, and to meet the increasing demands upon his time in this new line of activity, required a vast expenditure of labor, and necessarily left him less opportunity to devote to his professional duties. However, he appeared in various cases before the Supreme Court for attorneys in different parts of the State, and received many fees as counselor. He ob- tained the charter for the Home Building and Loan Association, and was its attorney for more than a year, but resigned the place because of his rapidly increasing real estate business. From that time up to a few months ago, he has steadily declined to take any cases which required him to appear in the courts and be long absent from his office. But recently, he and Clifford L. Anderson, Esq., son of the attorney-general of the State, have formed a law partnership under the style of Goode & Anderson; and Mr. Goode is thus again in the active practice of the law in all the State and Federal courts.
No stranger ever came to Atlanta and so thoroughly and so successfully identified himself with his business in so short a time as Mr. Goode. His re- markable memory enabled him to remember names and faces, and his acquaint- ance with the people increased with wonderful rapidity. For the same reasons he soon grasped the topography of the city and its surroundings, and as he then gave personal attention to all details he carried in his mind the locality and description of the increased amount of property placed on his sale and rent lists. Persons calling at his office for information about any given piece of property in his charge, were promptly answered from memory and without ref- erence to his books as to dimensions, location, price, terms, etc., as if he had been studying specially that particular property that very day. This gave him a vast advantage and impressed his customers with the idea, and it was a cor- rect one, that he was complete master of his business. Added to this was his wonderful energy, his scrupulous care in promptly keeping all his engagements, his fair dealing and candor, his meeting all his obligations, and a most remark- able facility for advertising attractively and judiciously the property in his charge. Thus every year has recorded his success and witnessed an increas- ing business and a stronger hold upon the public confidence, until now no man is regarded his superior in the management of real estate. Through his agency very many people and many thousands of dollars have been added to the city. He has continually advertised Atlanta at home and abroad; and, perhaps, no single individual has ever prepared and distributed, far and wide, so many cir-
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culars and pamphlets, and as much statistical information about Atlanta and the State of Georgia as Mr. Goode. Newspaper editors, the postmaster, and private individuals, constantly refer to him letters of inquiry about Atlanta and the State, that full and correct information may be furnished, and all these in- quiries are particularly and specially answered by Mr. Goode. Hence it is that his correspondence throughout the United States and Canada is very large, and he is constantly in communication with strangers and investors who write and call on him from all parts of the country. No higher tribute could be paid to his integrity and business capacity than is shown by the vast interests in- trusted to his management-such, for instance, as the sale of the Atlanta Cot- ton Factory, of the Citizens' Bank property, of the various churches, of the former Constitution Building, of the Markham House, and of many of the most valuable properties in and near Atlanta. And the most significant fact in all this is, that coming here a stranger to people, to the methods of business, to the city and property, he should, in so short a time, so impress himself upon the community in the midst of the sharpest competition with old citizens, long experienced in the real estate business, as to control so large a patronage. This demonstrates the force of the man.
Mr. Goode is of medium height, has a well-proportioned form, small hands and feet, and nervous bilious temperament, the temperament for hard work as well as brilliant work. His chest is wide and full. He is capable of vast fatigue and endurance. From his frequent sick headaches, and from the look of his fatigued face, many suppose him physically a feeble man. But he is far from feeble-he is simply overworked. He recreates his brain only by change of labors. His mind is constantly at work. Talking to the stream of people who pour into his office continually, superintending the many details of his agency, keeping up a very large correspondence, studying the legal questions submitted in various cases, the evening finds him jaded, but it also finds him at home engaged with a diversified detail of intellectual toil. He loves his books and they recreate him. Deep lines of thought mark his face ; the prom- inent eyebrows, the thin lips, the broad but delicate chin, the high, wide fore- head, and the dark radiance beaming from his eyes, make him a striking face in any crowd, and indicate the deep thinker.
In personal appearance Mr. Goode is said to bear a striking resemblance to Jay Gould. In 1884 the Atlanta correspondent of the Macon Telegraph and Messenger said of him : " Mr. Goode is a handsome gentleman, very neat and pleasant of appearance, and gives an impression of Jay Gould, the great financier." Several years ago, at the New York Hotel, a stranger introduced himself to Mr. Goode and made his striking resemblance to Jay Gould the apology for the introduction. In the Atlanta Constitution, Sunday, April 29, 1888, the letter of the New York correspondent contained the following :
"Looks Like Jay Gould .- I heard an interesting conversation in a broker's
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office this morning. A man who had just returned from a Southern trip said : 'I saw Jay Gould's very image in Atlanta.' .The mischief! was he a Shylock ?' 'No; a real estate agent, named Sam. W. Goode, and a wonderfully bright and clever gentleman I found him. But if you saw him entering that door you would swear it was our Jay.'"
In his manners and personal address Mr. Goode is refined, cordial and graceful. In his dress scrupulously neat, and while displaying good taste, he avoids the extremes of fashion. He is little inclined to conviviality, and one never sees in him the superficial good fellowship of the table which good wine generates. He is a lover of good living, and he likes the good talk at dinners where intellect is present. He is devoted to his friends, highly enjoys the society of good women, and is particularly fond of music. His theory of suc- cess is work. He rises early, but frequently midnight comes before he quits his study for the bed. When he can, he shuts himself up in the inner room of his office. He seems to prefer to be alone there. But he is always genial in the interims of business, and the other gentlemen in his office enjoy his mirthful and curious comments when an odd person comes in or some peculiar thing is said. He reads the daily newspapers thoroughly. He has a good deal of taste for the drama, takes a refined delight in hearing good operas, and enjoys the irre- sistible fun of a good comedy. He keenly appreciates a fine speech, has heard many of the most distinguished orators of America, and is familiar with the style and famous speeches of most of the great orators, ancient and modern. In Atlanta he interests himself in and aids in sustaining many public enter- prises. He is a member of the First M. E. Church, of the Y. M. C. A., of the Capital City Club, of the Driving Club and of the Young Men's Library. He is fond of children, and readily wins their confidence. His home life is pleas ant, and there his friends ever receive a most cordial welcome. He is fond of horses and enjoys horseback riding. Sporting with gun and dog he delights in, but his business cares give him no opportunity to indulge this taste. He makes acquaintances readily, and so thoroughly does he understand human nature, that he causes the humblest and most illiterate person to feel as free to talk with him as the most cultivated or distinguished. His uniform politeness wins him friends, and gives him a strong business patronage from the ladies. The first time he went North was during his summer vacation in 1869 At his hotel in New York he met a Mr. Hoadley, a wealthy gentleman and member of the Stock Exchange. Mr. Goode was in the city several weeks, and Mr. Hoadley became so much interested in him, that he gave him the entree into various clubs and libraries, and afforded him every facility for seeing and en- joying, for the first time, the great metropolis. When Mr. Goode left the city for the purpose of extending his trip into Canada, Mr. Hoadley presented him with the beautiful topaz scarf pin which he has worn constantly up to the present time, about twenty years, as a souvenir of his New York friend.
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This incident is mentioned to show how he wins friends. Atlanta has wel- comed many strangers to her midst; she has many citizens working for her growth and development; but she has no man who is daily contributing more to her prosperity by influencing immigration and capital, and by judiciously advertising her resources and advantages than Samuel W. Goode.
H AMMOND, WILLIAM ROBINSON, a lawyer of Atlanta, was born at Heard county, Ga., October 25, 1848, and is a son of Dennis F. and Ad- eline E. (Robinson) Hammond. His father, for many years one of the leading lawyers of Atlanta, was mayor of the city in 1871, and for seven years was judge of the Tallapoosa circuit. He is now living in Orlando, Orange county, Fla., and engaged in the practice of his profession. He is no less known and respected for a high order of professional attainments, than for the purity and integrity of his personal character. His son, the subject of this sketch, received his earlier education at Newnan and Atlanta, Ga. In 1867 he entered the State University of Georgia, from which institution he graduated in 1869 with the first honors in a class of forty-eight, receiving for proficiency in his studies the highest mark attained up to that time by any student since the opening of the university.
After graduation he began the study of law in his father's office, and was admitted to the bar in 1870. He immediately entered upon the practice of his profession in partnership with his father under the firm name of D. F. & W. R. Hammond. This relationship continued until 1881, and from that date until his election to the Superior Court bench in 1882 for the unexpired term of Judge Hillyer, he remained alone. So satisfactory was his discharge of the duties of his judicial position that in the fall of 1883 he was elected for a full term practically without opposition. After a few months further service on the bench, he was convinced that personal interest demanded the resumption of the active duties of his profession. He accordingly resigned his judicial office, and in partnership with Hon. John I. Hall, of Griffin, Ga., under the firm name of Hall & Hammond entered upon a general legal practice. His career since, as before his election to the bench, has been marked by a high degree of success. He has been connected with some of the most important litigation which has occurred in this part of the State, and in every case has acquitted himself admirably. He has been a hard worker in his profession, and in the thoroughness with which he prepares his cases, and in the elaborate investiga- tion of every possible point liable to have a bearing upon the question at issue, are chiefly to be found the elements of his success. He is not a brilliant speaker, nor is he an orator, except as clearness of thought, concise perspicuity of expression and intense earnestness make the orator. In argument he is forcible and impressive, having more weight in the court, where wit and rheto- ric are held in least esteem. He is judicial in the order of his thought and
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mental st: ucture, and is well fitted for judicial functions. His patient, pains- taking industry, his capacity for labor, his power of incisive analysis, his large knowledge of the principles and the precedents of the law, are conspicuous in all the fiel is of litigation, but appear to best advantage in the sphere of a judge. He is large and robust, tall and commanding in person, and possesses a cer- tain dignity of manner that imparts itself to the question he has under consid- eration, that magnifies its importance. He is deliberate in thought, speech and movement, never excitable or impulsive. His reading has taken a wide range outside of law, but his taste is utilitarian rather than æsthetic.
In no one could there be more of harmony between mental and moral forces than in Judge Hammond. His private life is above approach. In all the ele- ments that constitute the worthy citizen he excels. He is a man of strong convictions, of great sincerity and high sense of duty. He follows his convic- tion regardless of personal consequences, but always leaves the impression upon the community and upon his friends that he is sincere, honest and up- right, and that he can be relied upon under all circumstances. No man has ever doubted the integrity of Judge Hammond. What he says is believed ; what he does is never questioned. There is a very strong religious sentiment in his character. He shows it in his conversation, and more than all else, he exhibits it in his life. He is a member of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, and since 1870 has been a steward. But while he is unbending in his religious faith he is nothing of the Pharisee and none of the Puritan. In his modes of thought and life he is eminently practical, but abounding in domestic affec- tion, and loyal to the core as regards principles and friends. Such in brief are the prominent characteristics of Judge Hammond, who, in a comparatively few years of professional life, has attained as prominent a position as a lawyer that promises so much in the years to come, and whose career as a man and citizen command the respect and esteem of all.
He was married in 1870 to Lollie Rawson, daughter of E. E. Rawson, one of Atlanta's oldest and most respected citizens. Judge Hammond has had little taste for the uncertainties and unsatisfactory results of political life, and while he takes a keen interest in the management of public affairs the allurements of official station have not been sufficient to entice him from his legal pursuits. He was elected a member of the board of education of Atlanta in 1888, and is also a trustee of Wesleyan Female College, the oldest female college in the world.
H EMPHILL, HON. WILLIAM A. The subject of this sketch was born in Athens, Ga., on the 5th of May, 1842.
Athens is an educational center, and among its institutions of learning is the State university. Young Hemphill enjoyed the best school advantages, and when he reached the proper age he was sent to the university, from which
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he graduated in 1861. Although a mere boy, only nineteen, Mr. Hemphill immediately volunteered in a Confederate regiment, and joined Lee's army in Virginia. The youthful soldier served through the war, and made a fine mili- tary record. He is a man of few words, and in relating the story of any inci- dent in which he bore a part, he never brings himself to the front in a conspic- uous manner. At Gettysburg he was severely wounded in the head, but was so fortunate as to completely recover and regain his former strength and health.
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