USA > Arkansas > Historical review of Arkansas : its commerce, industry and modern affairs > Part 50
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Dr. James M. Daly, whose name initiates this article and who has well upheld the paternal prestige both as a physician and citizen, is indebted to the public schools of his native place for his early educa- tional training, and he began the study of medicine under the able and exacting preceptorship of his honored father. He covered the required ground with appreciative discrimination and began the active work of his profession in his native county when he was twenty-one years of age. His ambition, however, prompted him to fortify himself still further for the work to which he had determined to devote his life. and he thus entered the medical department of the University of Ar- kansas, in the city of Little Rock, where he completed the prescribed course and was graduated, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, as a member of the class of 1897. Since that time, determined to spare no pains or effort in keeping in touch with the advances made in medical and surgical science, he has taken a number of valuable post-graduate and clinical courses, principally in the leading medical institutions of Vol. III-22
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the city of Chicago and under the direction of the Mayo Brothers, the celebrated physicians and surgeons of Rochester, Minnesota.
After continuing in the successful practice of his profession in his native county for a number of years Dr. Daly removed to Bingen, Hemp- stead county, where he remained until the spring of 1902, when he established his home at Nashville, Howard county, which has since con- tinned the seene of his work in his profession. Here he controls a large, appreciative and representative practice, based alike upon his professional ability and his personal popularity. He has an abiding human sympathy, but has brought this above the plane of mere senti- ment to become an actuating motive for helpfulness. He has served as president of the Howard County Medical Society and is one of its most popular and valued members, besides which he is also identified with the Arkansas State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He is chief surgeon for the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad and also for the Graysonia-Nashville Lumber Company, one of the largest concerns of the kind in the entire southwest. He has devoted special attention to surgery.
Dr. Daly is a man of broad views and strong individuality, so that he is found aligned in the march of progress as an exponent of civic loyalty. He has contributed his quota to the support of all under- takings advanced for the well-being of his home town and state, and it should be specially noted that he was one of the original promoters of the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad, which has opened up to proper development a most opulent and attractive section of the state of Ar- kansas. He became a stockholder of the company at the time of its organization and still continues as such. His political support is given to the Democratic party, but, realizing the exactions of his profession, he has manifested no ambition for public office. In the Masonie fra- ternity he has attained to the thirty-second degree of the Ancient Ac- cepted Scottish Rite, in which he is affiliated with the Albert Pike Con- sistory, in Little Rock. He also holds membership in the adjunet or- ganization. the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Both he and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church.
On the 12th of September, 1894, was solemnized the marriage of Dr. Daly to Miss Minnie C. Harris, who was born in the state of Georgia but who was a child at the time of the family removal to Nevada county, Arkansas, where she was reared and educated. Her father, Judge William Harris, was one of the honored and influential citizens of that county. Dr. and Mrs. Daly have three children-Harry, Iva and Margaret.
JOHN W. BISHOP. Many men excel in achievements along some given course, but to few is it permitted to follow several lines of en- deavor and stand well to the front in each. In the career of John W. Bishop, of Nashville, Howard county, Arkansas, is given a striking illustration of such exceptional accomplishment, and further emphasis is given to this faet on the score that he has in the most significant sense been the architect of his own fortunes. As a lawyer he has won pronounced prestige. as a business man he has produced results of most positive character and as a publicist and loyal citizen he has wielded marked influence in the promotion of undertakings that have signally conserved civic and industrial progress. As one of the representative members of the Arkansas bar and as one of the state's veritable cap- tains of industry he is consistently accorded special recognition in this history of Arkansas and its people.
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John W. Bishop claims the fine old Blue Grass commonwealth as the place of his nativity and is a scion of old and honored Southern families, the original representatives of the Bishop family in America having settled in Virginia in the Colonial epoch of our national his- tory. He was born near the city of Ashland, Boyd county, Kentucky, on the 28th of April, 1862, and is a son of George W. and Elizabeth (Ison) Bishop, natives respectively of Virginia and Kentucky. Mr. Bishop was doubly orphaned before be had attained to the age of eight years, and though he inherited a large estate in Virginia he derived nothing from this bequeathment, owing to the fact that no one came to the front to protect the interests of the lad, the while he himself was too young to have any appreciation of the measures necessary to the conservation of his estate. When he was thirteen years of age he came to Arkansas-an untrained boy without financial resources or influ- ential friends. With the exception of three years, which were passed in Texas and Oklahoma, he has maintained his home in Howard county, this state, and the long intervening years have been marked by large and worthy accomplishment on his part. No fortuitous circumstances compassed the youth of Mr. Bishop, but he had the will to dare and to do, as well as the judgment to formulate definite and consistent plans for advancement in education and in productive usefulness and suc- cess. Concerning this period in his career the following pertinent state- ments have been made : "His educational opportunities were, of course, very limited. as he had to shift for himself and make his own living during the years that the average boy is spending in school and col- lege. Through his own initiative he was able to attend the public schools at intervals and finally to complete a partial course in the old Southwestern College, at Mineral Springs, Arkansas, a noted educa- tional institution in those days, but his time and necessities did not permit of his graduation."
By the very constituency of his physical and mental make-up, apathy and inanition have been ever impossible to Mr. Bishop, and in his course from youth to the present day there has been naught of in- direction or obliqnity. He has set his goals and has struggled until he reached them. holding as insuperable no obstacles placed in his path. In 1883, soon after attaining to his legal majority, Mr. Bishop began reading law under the preceptorship of one of the leading members of the bar of Howard county, and he continued to devote his attention to sneh careful and appreciative study of the science of jurisprudence until 1887. He was at that time fully eligible for admission to the bar, though he did not seek such admission until 1896, having in the mean- while been identified with varions lines of enterprise, through the me- dinm of which he was gaining valuable experience and making gradual progress toward independence and substantial success.
Upon his admission to the bar Mr. Bishop engaged in the active practice of his profession at Nashville, Howard county, and he has brought to bear in this connection the same indomitable energy, definite purpose and close application that marked the earlier stages of his career and through which he has made of success not an accident but a logical result. Inviolahle integrity has characterized every stage of his career, and though his strong individuality and insistent holding to his convictions have naturally created antagonisms at times, these have been of superficial order and have not militated against the uniform confidence and esteem accorded to him by those with whom he has come in contact in the various relations of life. He has known fellowship with struggle and adversity and thus has no false standards. He places
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true valuations upon men and affairs and has the fullest appreciation of the dignity and honor of honest toil and endeavor in whatever field of human activity. Thus he is kindly and tolerant in judgment, the while he is ready to lend a hand in aiding those who are less fortunate and who merit such consideration. He is essentially a worker and has seant sympathy with drones or idlers.
In the work of his profession Mr. Bishop has gained high standing at the bar, and he is known as a versatile and resourceful advoeate and duly conservative counselor. He has so applied himself as to gain a broad and exact knowledge of the law, and he has marked facility in applying the same in connection with the presentation of causes before court or jury, as well as in the deliberations of the counsel chamber. He retains a large and representative elientage and is known as a specially skillful corporation lawyer. He has maintained his residence in the village of Nashville since 1900 and has shown a loyal and publie-spirited interest in all that has tended to advance the general welfare of his home city, county and state. He is general attorney and secretary of the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad Company and secretary and at- torney of the Graysonia-Nashville Lumber Company, which bases its operations upon an investment of three and one-half million dollars and which is one of the most important concerns of the kind in the entire Union.
A stanchi and effective advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratie party, Mr. Bishop has given yeoman service in behalf of its canse, but only twiee has ho eonsented to serve in publie offiees. For four years he was deputy circuit clerk for the eighth (now ninth) judicial eireuit of the state. and in 1890 he was elected treasurer of IToward county, an incumbeney which he retained for two terms-a period of four consecutive years. His election to this offiee was com- passed with no opposition, as he received the endorsement of the three leading political parties represented by tickets in that election. Con- cerning other elements in the life record of Mr. Bishop, the following data are substantially the context appearing in a sketch that appeared in a recent edition of the American Lumberman, which is the leading trade journal of the lumber industry in the United States and which is published in the city of Chicago:
"By way of giving variety as well as spice to an already versatile career, Mr. Bishop engaged in newspaper work in Oklahoma for two years and. as he eheerfully admits, imbihed the 'booster' spirit in that new commonwealth. His business undertakings have been eminently successful, and his rather varied interests make such' elaim upon his time that he may be very properly designated as a busy man. He was one of the original promoters of the Memphis, Paris & Gulf Railroad, now known as the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad, and has been iden- tified with the corporation owning that road as its general attorney and secretary from the time of its organization, in 1906. He has also been connected with the Nashville Lumber Company sinee its formation, in 1906, and is now secretary of the new Graysonia-Nashville Lumber Com- pany."
The efforts of Mr. Bishop in connection with the projecting and building of the railroad mentioned in the foregoing paragraph have been especially noteworthy and have proved beneficent in fostering the development of one of the most favored sections of the state of Ar- kansas-a section wonderfully opulent in natural resources-mineral, timber. agricultural and horticultural. The general direction of the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad is from the northeast to the south-
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west, with eastern terminus at Helena, Arkansas, and it is the intention of the corporation to extend the line to the city of Dallas, Texas, where important transfer and connection facilities will be controlled. At the time of this writing, in the opening of the year 1911, about one hun- dred and twenty miles of the road have been completed-all in Ar- kansas-and the line is already in effective operation, with an adequate equipment of rolling stock. The operating headquarters are at Nash- ville, Howard county, and the line is the most important that has been constructed in Arkansas for many years.
Mr. Bishop is affiliated with the Masonie fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World. His genial personality makes him a popular factor in social circles, and the many exactions of his professional and business interests have not in the least impinged upon his natural cordiality and urbanity. He is essentially democratie, with no semblance of exclusive- ness or ostentation. He and his wife are aetive and zealous members of the Presbyterian and Baptist churches, respectively, in Nashville.
On the 23d of October, 1883, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bishop to Miss Ella C. Hill, who was born at Newberry, South Carolina, and who is a daughter of Dr. James Hill and Martha (Owens) Hill, who are now dead, the former dying near Nashville about the year 1874 and the latter about the year 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop have three children- Corinne, John and Mark.
WILLIAM P. FEAZEL. Both as a legist and jurist has this honored citizen of Nashville, Howard county, gained marked prestige, and he is numbered among the essentially representative members of the bar of the state, within whose borders he has been identified with the work of his profession for thirty years. He served more than a decade on the bench of the ninth judicial circuit, and the records covering his administration give unequivocal evidence of his fine judicial ability and earnest and diseriminating services in the conserving of law and justiee. Howard county is favored in elaiming him as a member of its bar, and he is now engaged in the general practice of his profession, with a substantial and representative clientele.
Judge Feazel was born at Farmersville, Union parish, Louisiana, on the 25th of December, 1856, and is a son of Solomon and Elizabeth ( Farmer) Feazel, both of whom were likewise born and reared in that historie old commonwealth. The father during the most of his active career was a farmer, and the parents are deceased. Judge Feazel gained his early educational discipline in the sehools of his native state, whenee he eame to Arkansas in 1877. He began the study of law under the ahle preceptorship of the firm of Smoote & Kelso, of Magnolia, the judicial eenter of Columbia county, this state, and made rapid and sub- stantial progress in the assimilation of the science of jurisprudenee, with the result that he proved his eligibility for and gained admission to the bar in 1880, upon examination before the eireuit court at Mag- nolia. In the following year he entered upon the practice of his pro- fession at Richmond, Little River county, where he gained valuable experience and where he remained until 1885, when he established his permanent home at Nashville, Howard county, which has since been the scene of his professional labors, which have been attended with eumulative sueeess and prestige. No citizen of the county commands more unqualified confidence and esteem and none maintains higher eivic ideals.
Regarding it every man's duty to take an intelligent interest in
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matters touching the general welfare, Judge Feazel has never denied his support to measures and enterprises advanced for the general good of the community, and in a broader sense he has manifested his interest in public polity by his allegiance to and effective service for the Demo- cratic party, of whose principles he is an able advocate, being well fortified in his opinions and conviction, as may well be supposed in connection with a man of such broad intellectual ken and practical experience. In 1890 he was appointed judge of the ninth judicial eir- cuit, to fill a vacancy, and his able service on the bench marked him as a logieal successor of himself. Thus it was that at the expiration of the term for which he was appointed he was returned to the office through the stanch support accorded him at the general election, and the popular estimate placed upon his services needs no further voucher than that afforded in the sueeessive re-elections that kept him in tenure of this important office without interruption until 1902-a period of practically twelve consecutive years of service on the cireuit beneh. which he thus dignified and honored by his fidelity and ability. Upon his retirement he resumed the active practice of his profession in Nash- ville, and his interposition is greatly in demand not only as an advo- cate but also as a counselor. He has been identified with much im- portant litigation in both the state and Federal courts in Arkansas and is widely recognized as one of the strong, versatile and worthy repre- sentatives of his profession in the state.
Judge Feazel has maintained much interest in the development and upbuilding of his home town and county, has viewed with satis- faction the advances made along industrial and commercial lines and is himself the owner of a fine peach orchard one mile west of Nashville. He is identified with no fraternal organizations, but both he and his wife are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal church. South.
In the year 1885 was solemnized the marriage of Judge Feazel to Miss Sena Cowling, who was born at Mineral Springs, Arkansas, and whose father, the late J. P. Cowling, a merehant, passed the closing years of his life in Nashville. Judge and Mrs. Feazel have four daugh- ters- Willie, Adele, Lucile and Winfred-all of whom remain at the parental home except Willie, who is the wife of H. G. Maxwell. now of Atlanta, Georgia.
HIRAM G. SANDERSON. Standing prominent among the leading citizens of Ashdown is Hiram G. Sanderson, who for many years was aetively identified with the advancement of the agricultural prosperity of Little River county and as sheriff of the county won an honorable record. A son of the late Edmund S. Sanderson, he was born in 1865 in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, of pioneer stock.
Born in Alabama, Edmund S. Sanderson migrated in early life to Bossier Parish, Louisiana, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. During the Civil war he organized a company for service in the army and, having been elected its captain, went to the front. For bravery on the field of action he was promoted to the rank of major and con- tinued in serviee until the termination of the confliet. Prior to the war he had spent a few months in Little River county, Arkansas, and at its close brought his wife and children to this state, locating then at Rondo, the old county seat of Miller county. He then bought an exten- sive tract of land in Little River county, on the Red river, six miles south of Richmond, and having partly improved his plantation sent for his family and began life in earnest as a planter. Successful in his operations, he acquired ample resources and in 1878 removed with
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his wife and children to Texarkana, where he lived retired from active business until his death, in 1889.
The maiden name of the wife of Edmund S. Sanderson was Martha E. Phillips, who is still living. Of the large family born into their household seven sons are living, namely : Hiram G., the subject of this sketch ; Joseph G., a resident of Louisiana; Jeff D., who for fourteen years was circuit clerk of Miller county; Noah P., of Texarkana, a wealthy merchant and lumber operator; Morris E., of Texarkana, a well-known lawyer; Alexander G., sheriff of Miller county ; and James G., a planter in Little River county.
Familiar with the various branches of agriculture as practiced in the South from his early youth, Hiram G. Sanderson came from his home in Texarkana to Little River county to take charge of the old Sanderson plantation, which his father had improved. Fortune smiled on his efforts, and for many years he was more or less interested in agricultural pursuits, having retained possession of the parental home- stead until 1910, when he sold out his farming interests. For a num- ber of years, however, Mr. Sanderson has resided in Ashdown, where he owns valuable property. Prominent in public affairs, he was elected sheriff of Little River county in 1892 and served until 1898, three con- secutive terms in the same position. In 1906 he was again elected sheriff of the county and served until 1910, when he retired.
Mr. Sanderson married Della Wheelis, who was born in Alabama, but was brought up and educated in Little River county, Arkansas. Three children have blessed their union, namely: Glover Gertrude, Elizabeth and Ruth, but the latter died aged eleven months.
SETH C. REYNOLDS. A rising young lawyer of Ashdown, Seth C. Reynolds has made a brave start in his active career and is fast win- ning for himself an honored name in the legal fraternity of Little River county. A native of Arkansas. he was born in Faulkner county. where his father, Dr. J. M. Reynolds, is still a resident, his home being in the village of Naylor.
Born, reared and educated in Faulkner county, Dr. J. M. Rey- nolds, who has been actively engaged in the practice of medicine for many years, has, with the exception of ten years spent in Independence county, Arkansas, resided in his native county. A man of broad mind and liberal views, he gave to each of his children exceptionally good educational advantages, and among his sons that have attained dis- tinction in professional circles special mention may be made of Pro- fessor John H. Reynolds and Rev. James A. Reynolds. John H., pro- fessor of history at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, is the author of Reynolds' History, used in the university, and is also editor and compiler of the historical volumes being issued by the State His- torical Commission. Rev. James A. Reynolds is pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
Acquiring a substantial education in the days of his youth and early manhood, Seth C. Reynolds came. in 1900, to Ashdown, then a little town of four hundred souls, and for eighteen months had charge of the first long term school here established. Subsequently continuing his studies, he was graduated from Hendrix College, in Conway, Ar- kansas, with the elass of 1904, after which he taught school two ses- sions in Richmond, Little River county. Going then to Ann Arbor, Mr. Reynolds studied for a year in the law department of the Univer- sity of Michigan, and in 1907 was graduated from the law department of the University of Arkansas. Immediately beginning the practice of
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law at Ashdown, Mr. Reynolds has met with most encouraging success, having already established a substantial patronage.
Although Mr. Reynolds has never been a candidate for public office, his talent and ability as an orator has brought him into prom- inenee throughout the state as an able and influential campaign speaker. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and to the Wood- men of the World. True to the religious faith in which he was reared, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and the superintendent of its Sunday-school.
Mr. Reynolds married, in Richmond, Arkansas, Nelle MeCrary, danghter of N. C. MeCrary, one of the oldest and most prominent men of Little River county.
CHARLES M. TAYLOR, M. D. Measured by its beneficence, its recti- tude, its produetiveness, its unconseious altruism and its material sue- cess, the life of the late Dr. Charles Minor Taylor counted for much, and in this history of the state in which he so long maintained his home and to whose progress and prosperity he contributed in most generous measure it is but consonant that a fitting memoir be accorded. It is not the name alone but the man himself. the great, true, noble soul, that it is hoped this brief sketch may reveal, so that a tribute of honor may be perpetuated where honor is well due. A physician and surgeon of distinguished ability, self-abnegating in his service to suffering humani- ty; a valiant and loyal supporter of the Confederacy during the eli- macterie period of the Civil war, in which he served in the responsible office of surgeon and medieal director of the general hospitals of the Trans-Mississippi Department: a citizen who labored in season and out to further the material and eivie advancement of Arkansas; and a mod- est, unassuming man whose sympathy and kindliness were instant and whose bearing that of a dignified and cultured gentleman of the fine old regime-it may well be said that Dr. Taylor's life signified much, espe- cially to the state which he honored and which honored him.
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