Statewide County ArArchives Biographies.....Drew, Thomas S. 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 30, 2011, 8:38 pm

Source: See Below
Author: John Hallum

GOVERNOR THOMAS S. DREW.

  Madam Fortune, in her republican log cabin, becomes a fickle dame in the
disposition of her wares. A rail-splitter, tailor, and tanner, each in turn
through her favor became president; a cobbler, vice-president; a well-digger,
governor of a neighboring Commonwealth, and a New England peddler-boy governor
of Arkansas.

  Thomas S. Drew was a native of New England, an honest farmer's son. After
acquiring a good common-school education he left home to seek his fortune in the
south-west, and came into Arkansas through the gates of Missouri in early
territorial times, following the unpretending avocation of peddler for several
years. He was truthful, open, frank, honest, and readily won the confidence of
the early pioneer, and was always a welcome and desired visitor on his
periodical circuit to dispose of his wares. The toiling husbandman, the hunter,
and good housewife commissioned him for a thousand favors when purchasing in the
east, and always found him responsively accommodating.

  When the settlements began to be prolific enough with children he changed his
avocation to that of school teacher on the primitive basis, and finally wedded a
pioneer's daughter, who brought a dowry of fifteen to twenty slaves and a good
plantation to the nuptial union, and he became farmer Drew on a prosperous
basis, honored and respected for the unchallenged integrity of his life.

  Devoid of political ambition, he never aspired to political station, but was
content with the even tenor of a peaceful and quiet domestic life. Two years'
departure from these natural inclinations (1823 to 1825), during which he held
the office of clerk of Clark county, satisfied him with official station.
Un-contaminated by desire to indulge the vanities and luxuries of showy and
ostentatious life, he was contented with the limited smiles of prosperous
husbandry. The prospect of his most daring, youthful vision was filled with the
tinkling bells and music of his lowing herds on the neighboring hills and the
golden fields of waving grain that made him a sylvan king, the happiest of
husbands and the most devoted of fathers; but the tempter came unbidden in an
evil hour and in complete disguise. The democratic convention assembled at the
capitol in 1844, and with but three dissenting voices, nominated Elias N. Conway
for governor, and he firmly declined the nomination on the ground that his
business engagements did not admit the assumption of other responsibilities.
Prominent members of the convention then advised with him as to who would be an
available man to put in nomination, and he advised them to confer the honor on
Thomas S. Drew, of Independence county, his honest old farmer friend, and the
convention, with great unanimity, acted on his advice, and the democracy
ratified the nomination at the polls. Political lightning thus struck one of the
best and happiest farmers in Arkansas, whether as a blessing or curse, let the
sequel tell. He was duly inaugurated in the fall of 1844, and moved his family
to the seat of government, and at the expiration of his first term of four years
was re-nominated and re-elected. At the end of the first year of his second term
his fortune was dissipated, gone, and the meager salary of $1,800 forced him to
resign and try farming again. He returned to Independence county broken in
fortune; from thence he moved to California and tried to retrieve his fortunes,
but failed; from California he drifted into Texas and died at Lampassas in that
State, in 1880, at an advanced age. He was possessed of but ordinary ability,
but no one ever doubted or questioned his integrity either in the private or
official walks of life. His family was extravagant, and he failed in essaying
honors for which nature had not moulded him. His life "points a moral and adorns
a tale" of value to all who seek to profit by the experience of others.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

BIOGRAPHICAL AND PICTORIAL HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
BY JOHN HALLUM.
VOL. I.
ALBANY: WEED, PARSON'S AND COMPANY, PRINTERS.
1887.

Entered according to act of Congress in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-seven,
BY JOHN HALLUM, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/statewide/bios/drew8gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/arfiles/

File size: 4.8 Kb