USA > Georgia > Georgia's public men 1902-1904 > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
Mr. Mizell was married at Folkston May 24, 1893. to Miss Haddock. of that place, and they have five children-Clyde. Roy. Everett. Cleo and Gladys.
The previous political service of Mr. Mizell has been as Clerk of the Su- perior Court of Charlton county, which position he filled ably and acceptably until he tendered his resignation to make the race for the Legislature. He has always been a staunch and loyal Democrat and has given his party good service at various times. Mr. Mizell is by occupation a naval stores operator and has considerable holdings among the pine forests of his native county.
Mr. Mizell's committee appointments for the present session are: State of the Republic, Wild Lands.
182
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
HON. J. O. BEAUCHAMP.
J AMESOLIVER BEAU- CHAMP. Representative from Butts County, is a na- tive of that county and has resided within its borders his entire life with the exception of the years spent in the army. He was born in Butts County, in May. 1846. In 1861 he enlisted in a company formed in Butts which was made a part of the 30th Georgia Regi- ment for service in the Confeder- ate army. One of the youngest members of the regiment, he en- listed as drummer boy and served throughout the war.
Mr. Beauchamp has served as mayor of the town of Jackson. where he resides, and for eighteen years was sheriff of Butts County. In the latter capacity he made a splendid reputation as a brave and unflinch- ing officer. Ile is widely known throughout the State and is an influential member of the House. Ile is a member of a number of committees, among them being General Agriculture. County and County Matters. Corporations, Privileges and Elections. Labor and Labor Statistics, and Georgia School for the Deaf.
Mr. Beauchamp's son, Chas. O. Beauchamp, was mayor of Jackson one term and is one of the most prominent young men in that section of the State.
HON. M. B. RICE.
M AJOR BARTON RICE. Representative from Forsyth county. was born in that county on January 11, 1845. His parents were Ben- jamin J. and Susan Buford Rice. He was married in Lumpkin county. February 23, 1871. to Miss Miranda L. Smith, and to them have been born seven children-E. M .. Alice, R. S., J. M., G. E., H. M. and Susan. Mr. Rice is a farmer by occupation and resides at Pleasant, Forsyth county.
Mr. Rice enlisted in Company E, Fourteenth Georgia Regiment, in May,
183
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
1862, being at that time a few months over 17 years of age, and served throughout the rest of the war, surrendering at Appomattox when the fortunes of the Confederacy finally failed. Mr. Rice was a good soldier and made a splendid reeord as a valiant fighter for the cause of the South.
After Lee's surrender Mr. Rice returned to his home in Forsyth eounty, arriving there some time in May and assisting in putting in the erop for that year. Ever since that time he has followed the peaceful pursuits of agricul- ture and has been successful in his endeavors. He has the confidence and respeet of the people of his county, and will render them good service as their Representative. He is serving on the following committees: Blind Asyhun, Corporations, Manufactures.
HON. J. B. SANDERS.
J. B. SANDERS, Representa- tive from Heard County, was born in Carroll Coun- ty in 1864. When he was quite young his parents, moved to Cow- eta County. where he attended school for several years. After at- tending the Southern Medical College, in Atlanta, he graduated from that institution in 1888 and located in Corinth. Heard County. where he began the practice of medieine. He has been very sue- eessful in his profession and has established a splendid practice, be- ing one of the leading physicians of that section of the State.
Dr. Sanders married Miss Ruth Spearman. daughter of Hon. Wesley Spearman, a former representative from Heard. They have two children. Christina and Katie Ruth. In the history of Heard County but one man has been elected to succeed himself in the House and Dr. Sanders bears this unique distinction, which is a great tribute from his constituency to his worth as a man and ability as a legislator.
184
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
HON, J. M. McBRIDE.
J AMES MONROE MCBRIDE, Representative from Lee county, was born in Ogle- thorpe, Macon county, Georgia. Feb- ruary 1, 1868. He has resided in Lee county for a number of years, and is engaged in farming, and also in mercantile pursuits. Mr. Mc- Bride was married August 3, 1890, to Miss Lou Reese Laramore. They have three children-Merlin, Mary Davis and Rowe.
Mr. McBride had never entered political life previous to this year. At the beginning of the campaigu he was solicited to make the race for the House, and was successful in leading the entire ticket. His residence is at Leesburg.
HON. J. M. SLATON.
J OHN MARSHALL SLATON, Representative from Fulton County, is serving his third term in the House. He is a native of Meriwether County, Georgia, where he was born December 25, 1866. After spending the early years of his life on the ancestral plantation, he moved to Spalding County and attended the country schools of the neighborhood for several years. Coming to Atlanta, he passed through the public schools and received a diploma from the Boys' High School in 1880. Mr. Slaton then entered the sophomore class of the State University, where he took a high stand in his classes and in the various activities of college life. Ile grad-
185
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
uated from that institution in 1886 and began the study of law in the office of Hopkins & Glenn. Several years after being admitted to the bar he formed a partnership with John T. Glenn which continued for several years. He is now a member of the firm of Slaton & Phillips, of Atlanta.
Mr. Slaton was first elected to the House in 1896 and has made an envi- able record in that body. He has been chairman of the General Judiciary Committee and has had a prominent part in shaping all recent legislation. Before coming to the Ilouse, Mr. Slaton had been president of the Young Men's Democratic League and had taken a great deal of interest in political matters. He is a member of several secret orders and holds important positions in them. Besides being chairman of the General Judiciary Committee in the present House, Mr. Slaton is on several of the most im- portant among the others.
Mr. Slaton married Mrs. Sarah Frances Jackson, daughter of the late W. D. Grant, Georgia's wealthiest citizen.
HON. R. B. BLACKBURN.
R OBERT B. BLACKBURN, of Atlanta. is a member of the Fulton delegation in the present General Assembly. He is one of the young members of the House serving for the first time in official capacity-although it is a simple statement of fact, recognized by all the older and more experienced members, that he is one of the most efficient in committee work. and one of the best equipped and most eloquent in the forum of debate. He was elected to the Legislature solely on his merits and personal popularity, winning over a large field of strong aspirants.
Mr. Blackburn is vice-chairman of the Committee on Amendments to the Constitution, and a leading member on the Ways and Means and Gen- eral Judiciary Committees.
During the present session of the Legislature Mr. Blackburn has attracted
186
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
wide newspaper notice and general popular favor by his introduction of a bill known on the calendar as the Blackburn Patrol Bill, a measure that seeks to correct horrible erime in Georgia by providing for the appointment. through the several grand juries, of a patrol of seven men from each militia district in the counties, who are to operate under a captain and arrest all vagrants and criminals, receiving pay from fines imposed.
Mr. Blackburn is a representative member of the legal profession in Atlanta, having been admitted to the practice in Kentucky, by special legis- lative act, before he attained his majority.
He was born in Barnesville, Georgia, July 15, 1865. His father was Dr. J. C. C. Blackburn, a distinguished physician and gifted writer, who married Miss Francis A. Holmes. R. B. Blackburn was married to Miss Mamie E. Johnson, of Atlanta, on November 19, 1895. He is a brother of the well-known editor and writer. Benjamin II. Blackburn, than whom no man in the South wields a more vigorous or gifted pen.
HON. C. C. HOUSTON.
C LINTON CRAIG HOUSTON, Representative from Fulton County, is serving his second term in the House. His father, Rev. Washington Jackson Houston, was a South Carolinian. a member of one of the most promi- nent families of the State and a minister of the Christian Church for many years. His mother was a member of the Craig family which Is well known in Virginia, being one of the leading family connections in the western section of the Old Do- minion.
Mr. Houston is a printer by trade and came to Atlanta from Virginia eight years ago. He was married in 1887 to Miss Mina Stewart and has two children, Evah, aged fourteen, and Gladys, aged eleven.
Since coming to Atlanta, Mr. Honston has taken a very prominent part in
187
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
. the trade union movement as he had in Virginia before. He is a member and President of the Local Typographical Union and has been one of the leaders in its ranks. He is now Secretary-Treasurer of the Georgia Federa- tion of Labor which is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. He takes great interest in all labor questions and is active in his legislative work. He is an ardent supporter of the movement to prevent the employment of children in the cotton mills of the State.
Mr. Houston is Chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Labor Statistics and is a member of the committees on Enrollment; Penitentiary : Pubhe Printing : and Temperance.
HON. B. B. BOWER.
B YRON BEAUFORT BOW- ER, Jr., Representative from Decatur County, is a native of that county, where he was born June 27, 1874. He is the son of Judge B. B. Bower, one of the most prominent attorneys in that section of the State for a number of years.
Mr. Bower is a graduate of the University of Georgia and is a lawyer by profession. He is en- gaged in the practice at Bain- bridge, and by his ability and en- ergy has built up a handsome prac- tice. Ilis first legislative experi- ence was gained as a member of the llouse in 1898-99. when he made a reputation as one of the brightest among the young members. He was again elected to the next House. This year Mr. Bower made the race for the Senate against Hon. John D. Harrell, but was defeated in the primary. Hon. B. Nusbaum, who had been elected to the House from De- catur, died before taking his seat and an election was called to fill the vacancy. Mr. Bower made the race and was elected.
Mr. Bower has been prominent in the public affairs of his county since his graduation and is one of the most popular young men in that section of the State. He was lieutenant-colonel and aide-de-camp on the staff of Governor Allen D. Candler during his first term.
188
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
HON. E. L. RAINEY.
E UGENE LEIGH RAINEY, editor and proprietor of the Dawson News, and repre- sentative from Terrell county in the House, is one of the best equipped of all of the members. First. because in his editorial cap- acity, he has long made a study of State affairs, and, therefore, brought with him to the Legislature a thor- ough knowledge of the State's needs, as well as an extended ac- quaintance among the leaders in both branches of the Legislature. These circumstances, in connection with his splendid native ability, enabled Mr. Rainey to take at once an active and prominent stand, and he is already recognized as one of the most valuable members of the House.
Mr. Rainey was born in Perry, Houston county. July 17. 1863. His parents were W. L. and Johnnie Rainey, well-known residents of that county. He attended Perry Academy until he was 16 years of age. when he began his apprenticeship in the office of the Perry Home Journal, where he worked for two years. At the age of 18, in connection with C. M. DuPree. of Houston county, he began the publication at Vienna of the first paper ever published in Dooly county. From Vienna he went to Dawson in 1884, and for several years was connected with the Dawson Journal, which was one of the oldest and best established papers in Southwest Georgia, and a factor in the affairs of that section.
In 1888 he bought an interest in the Macon Evening News and became business manager of that paper, but in a short time. having an opportunity to buy the Dawson News, he sold his Macon interest and returned to Daw- son, and has since published what is generally regarded as one of the best weekly papers in the South. His office is thoroughly equipped with an up-to-date steam printing plant, being a combined newspaper and job office.
In November, 1889, Mr. Rainey married Miss Mamie E. Symmes, a niece of John B. Perry, one of the most prominent and wealthy men of Dawson. Mir. Rainey is the father of two children-Ellagene, a girl of 12 years of age, and Clem, a boy of 8.
189
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
Mr. Rainey has long been prominent in the political affairs of his section. He served nine years as member of the City Council of Dawson, being for several years mayor pro tem. of his town, and for twelve years as a member of the City Publie School Board. having been recently elected for a term of eight years. He was chairman of the Terrell County Executive Committee and the Eleventh District Senatorial Committee for four years, which latter position he resigned during the past spring to become a candidate for the Legislature. To the latter position he was elected without opposition. in recognition of his long serviee to his party and section as well as of his personal worth. It is seldom that such a compliment is paid a man in Ter- rell county, where there are almost always too factions arrayed against each other. Mr. Rainey also holds appointment from Governor Candler as mem- ber of the advisory board for the Second Congressional district of the Lou- isiana Purchase Exposition.
HON. J. W. H. UNDERWOOD.
J OSEPH W. H. UNDERWOOD, Representative from White county, is a native of Hall county, where he was born on Sep- tember 15, 1852. His parents were Dr. A. F. Underwood and Mrs. Sarah Underwood, formerly Can- trell, who were well-known residents of Hall eounty for a number of years. Mr. Underwood is married, has no children, and resides at Cleveland, which has been his home since 1860.
Mr. Underwood was edueated in the common schools of that section of the State and afterwards studied law under the preceptorship of Judge J. J. Kimsey. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1878, and has continued in the practice of his profession since that time, having built up a splendid practice in his eounty.
In 1874 Mr. Underwood was appointed postmaster at Cleveland, and eon- tinued to hold the office until 1829. He held no other publie offiee until 1898, when he was elected to the Senate from the Thirty-second district, which
190
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
position he filled with signal ability, and at the expiration of his termn was nominated for Representative from White and was elected, serving the years 1900-1, and was re-elected this year for another term. He is conceded to be one of the leading members of the House, and is serving as chairman of the Committees on Mines and Mining, and also as a member of the committees on Enrollment, Excuse of Members, Special Judiciary.
HON. J. H. HALL.
J OSEPH HILL HALL, Repre- sentative from Bibb county, is the senior member of the delegation from that county and is one of the most forceful figures in the House. Mr. Hall was born at Knoxville, Crawford county, Geor- gia, March 31. 1844. and comes from a family which has been noted in the legal annals of the State for many years.
Mr. Hall is a lawyer by profes- sion and is a member of the firm of Guerry & Hall, which is conceded to be one of the strongest legal com- binations in the State. He has never held official position other than member of the House, and was first elected to this position in 1898, and has served continuously since that time. He occupies a peculiar position in the House, and there is no member whose words command closer attention than his. His eminent professional attainments and rugged honesty of char- acter have made him a marked man since his entrance into the House, and it is safe to say that Mr. Hall is better known to the people of the State of Georgia than any other member of the body.
Mr. Hall might well be termed the defender of the rights of the common people and the guardian of the Constitution. An attack on either of these, however insidious or veiled. is sure to bring the member from Bibb to his feet. and no more doughty champion could be found in the ranks of legisla- tors. He is a forceful and logical speaker : always in earnest, he commands
191
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
the attention of his colleagues by the power of his oratory and the common sense of his arguments.
Mr. Hall is especially interested in legislation to regulate railroad and other corporations and make them amenable to the laws of the State, and while his efforts were for a time without avail, the strength of his following showed that the crusade preached by the member from Bibb is well under way and is gaining strength every day.
In the opinion of a great many people of the State. this tribune of the people is destined to play an important part in State politics should he care to continue in public life. His splendid reputation for ability and rugged honesty has spread throughout the State, and his attitude on public ques- tions is undoubtedly favored by a large element of voters. No political combination has been able to defeat him in his home county, and his friends say that wider combinations could not defeat him in wider field. As Representative. Mr. Hall is of value to the entire State, and his public services are appreciated by the people.
HON. G. G. GLENN.
G EORGE GRANT GLENN, resentative from Whit- field county, was born at Dalton, Georgia, October 28, 1868. ITis father, Jesse A. Glenn, was one of the most prominent figures in that section of the State, and was Colonel of the Thirty-sixth Georgia Regiment in the Civil War. His mother before her marriage was Miss Eliza J. Cook.
Mr. Glenn was married in Decem- ber. 1891. to Miss Mollie R. Quil- lian of Dalton. and there have been born to them four children-Jesse Grant, George Stanton, Dessie Inez and Edgar Latham.
Mr. Glenn is a life-long Repub- lican and was appointed by President Harrison to the work of compiling the recorded indebtedness of the Seventh Congressional District for the
192
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
Census Department in 1890. He served four years as city attorney of Dalton, and in June. 1896, moved to Atlanta, where he engaged in the practice of law in the office of Glenn & Rountree. Hon. W. C. Glenn, the distinguished head of the firm. being his brother.
After living in Atlanta for several years and practicing his profession with marked success. Mr. Glenn returned to Dalton in 1901 to resume the practice of law at his old home. He announced for the Legislature at the opening of the last campaign, and after a warm contest was successful in defeating the Democratic nominee, Frank E. Shumate, by a majority of 126.
HON. L. J. KILBURN.
L EW. J. KILBURN. one of Bibb county's three repre- sentatives in the House, is serving his second term in that body, having been triumphantly re- elected the last time in spite of a four-cornered fight, in which it was intended that he should bear the brunt of the contest. Mr. Kilburn first came to the Legislature as the candidate of the labor element of Bibb, it having been the custom there to concede the right of the laboring people to name one of the three candidates. Mr. Kilburn re- ceived the undivided endorsement of the combined labor forces of Macon and Bibb county, but even then he seemed to prefer to remain at home and let someone else make the race. Such was the pressure brought to bear upon him, however. that he finally allowed, for the first time in his life, the use of his name for nolitical office. But, having done that much, he refused to take a scramble for the palce, and in the heated contest which followed Mr. Kilburn seemed more a spectator than a candidate, and if it is ever absolutely true that the office seeks the man, it was true in his instance. ITe led the ticket by a handsome margin, and his sweeping victory was not alone a triumph for organized labor, but was as much a tribute to himself, for much of it was due to Mr.
193
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
Kilburn's personal popularity with all classes.
Mr. Kilburn was born in Walhalla, S. C., May 28, 1865, his parents being George W. and Mattie Wilkinson-Kilburn. He attended Adger and Newberry colleges and received an adequate education. Afterwards he supplemented this by an apprenticeship in the office of the Keowee Courier. the leading paper of Walhalla.
After learning the printer's trade, Mr. Kilburn in 1885 moved to Macon, Ga .. and has since resided there.
He immediately took an active interest in organized labor affairs, and has been one of the chief factors in making Macon one of the best "organized"" cities in the South. Mr. Kilburn was elected president of the Macon Federa- tion of Labor in 1897. and was unanimously re-elected to that position every year until 1902, when he was unanimously elected president of the Georgia Federation of Labor, the highest office within the gift of the laboring people of Georgia.
In December, 1890, Mr. Kilburn was married to Miss Kathleen Abel, a member of one of the best known and most substantial families of Macon, and they have two handsome boys-Roger, aged 10. and Ray. aged 8.
HON. L. M. LANIER.
county.
L. M. LANIER. Representative from Bryan County. re- . sides at Pembroke. He is a native of the county of which he is now representative, having been born there in 1852. Ile enlisted in the Confederate service as a mem- ber of the 25th Georgia Regiment, and served throughout the war. He was commissioned as second lieutenant and was a brave officer.
Mr. Lanier has been engaged in farming in Bryan County ever since the war and has never before entered politics. He was earnestly solicited to make the race for the House this year by a host of friends throughout the entire Mr. Lanier has reared an interesting family. His wife was for- merly Miss Sarah McElveen, and seven children have been born to them.
194
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
six of whom are now living. The children are Flavius J., W. A., James A., Mrs. Talitha Kennedy, Mrs. Esther Lanier, and Mrs. Gertrude Beasley.
Mr. Lanier is serving on the committees on Special Agriculture, Mines and Mining, Invalid Pensions, and State of the Republic.
HON. E. B. HUTCHESON,
E DWARD B. HUTCHESON, Representative from Haral- son county, resides at Buch-
anan. Ile was born in Draketown, Haralson county, November 18. 1857, the son of Dr. R. B. and Mrs. Ellen Hogne Hntcheson.
Dr. R. B. Hutcheson. father of the present Representative, was a prominent citizen of Haralson. He represented the county several times in the House, and was also a delegate to the Constitutional Con- vention.
After attending the common schools of his neighborhood Dr. Hutcheson, the subject of the present sketch, attended the Atlanta Medical College. Ile graduated from this institution in 1891, and has since prac- ticed his profession with marked success.
Dr. Hutcheson was married December 4, 1881, to Miss Georgia Newton. They have four children. Chester A., Elsa, Arleigh V. and Dewey.
Dr. Hutcheson first made his entry into legislative halls in 1900 as a member of the House. Hle made a record as a faithful public servant, and was re-elected at the end of his term.
HON. J. R. SINGLETARY.
J OIIN ROLAND SINGLETARY, Representative from Thomas County. is a resident of Cairo, in that county, near which place he was born August 8, 1859. His parents were Haynes and Helen Singletary, members of excellent families in that section and connected with many leading families of South Georgia by blood and marriage.
Mr. Singletary is married and has three children-David Hardee, Milton
195
GEORGIA'S PUBLIC MEN.
McKinley and Gussie May. Ile is a lawyer by profession and was grad- uated from the law department of the University of Georgia with the class of 1889, and has since practiced his profession with marked success in Thomas and the adjacent counties.
Mr. Singletary has served two terms as mayor of the thriving little city of Cairo-1890 and 1891-and his administration of its municipal affairs was highly satisfactory to the people of the town. Cairo bears the unique distinc- tion of being the largest inland market for Georgia cane syrup in the State. The farmers of that section give great attention to cane as a money crop, and there are upwards of ten thousand barrels of the sweet commodity marketed in Cairo each year. The addition of a new staple to the list of crops in that section has brought prosperity to the section, and Cairo is one of the most progressive and enterprising little cities in the State.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.