USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III > Part 99
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William and Patrick Brown were active In- dian fighters in Kentucky in the early days and they took up their residence on a tract of one thousand acres of land which had been granted to William Brown by patent in 1784. This land was situated about three miles north of Hodgenville, the judicial center of Larue county. The land was divided between the two brothers and William retained the south- ern part. There he, one of the sterling pio- neers of the state, continued to maintain his home, until his death, which occurred in 1825, and in compliance with his own request his re- mains were interred beneath a spreading oak on his old homestead. In 1792 he married Hannah Street, daughter of John and Frances (Park) Street. The former was a son of John and Hannah ( Waddy) Street. John Street, Sr., came to Virginia from England and was one of the early merchants in New Kent county, Virginia. William and Hannah (Street) Brown became the parents of the following named children: John, James, Pat- rick, Frances, Mary, William, Sarah, George and Alfred. John T. S. Brown, the eldest and the' father of George G. Brown of
this sketch became a successful farmer and merchant of Hart county and both he and his wife continued to reside at Munfordville un- til their death.
George Garvin Brown gained his early edu- cation in the schools of his native town but upon the outbreak of the Civil war all educa- tional matters throughout the state were much disrupted. In 1863 he came to Louisville, where he attended high school for eighteen months, after which he returned to the par- ental home. In September, 1865, he returned to Louisville, where he was employed in a clerical capacity in a wholesale drug house conducted by Henry Chambers & Company, until January, 1870, when he entered the em- ploy of R. A. Robinson & Company, who had succeeded to the business. In the following May he entered into partnership with his brother, John T. S. Brown, Jr., in the grain, produce and whiskey business and a few years later Henry Chambers, Mr. Brown's old em- ployer, was admitted to the firm, whereupon the title of Brown, Chambers & Company was adopted. Upon admission of Mr. Chambers to partnership the business was made that of wholesale liquor dealing exclusively. Finally J. T. S. Brown withdrew, after which the business was conducted under the firm name of Chambers & Brown until the Ist of Janu- ary, 1881, when Mr. Chambers disposed of his interest to his partner. Mr. Brown then ad- mitted to partnership two young men who had been in his employ-George Forman and James Thompson. Thereafter the business was conducted for several years under the title of Brown, Thompson & Company. After the withdrawal of Mr. Thompson the title was changed to Brown, Forman & Company and upon the death of Mr. Forman in 1901 Mr. Brown purchased the entire business, which he has since conducted under the title of Brown-Forman Company, in compliance with a previously written agreement with his for- mer and honored associate, Mr. Forman. The business was incorporated in January, 1902. The finely equipped distillery of the concern is located at St. Mary's, Kentucky, and the general offices and wholesale headquarters are maintained in the city of Louisville. The company have a number of brands of the highest grade of whiskies and their trade is widely disseminated throughout the Union. The officers of the company are as here noted : George G. Brown, president; Owsley Brown, vice-president ; Caldwell Hunter, second vice- president ; and William B. Penick, secretary and treasurer. And in addition to this the di- rectorate includes Vernon Brown, Mark T.
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Alexander and John B. Cary. Mr. Brown is an old-time Democrat but at present may be classed as an Independent.
On the Ist of February, 1876, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Mrs. Amelia (Ows- ley) Robinson, daughter of Erasmus B. and Elizabeth (Bodley) Owsley, and of the eight children of this union five are now living- Owsley Brown, who is vice-president of the Brown-Forman Company; Elizabeth Bodley, who is the wife of Howard Hammond, of Stockton, California; Robinson Swearingen, who is a member of the class of 1911 in the University of Virginia; Innes Akin, who is engaged in business in Stockton, California ; and Amelia Bella, who remains at the parental home.
George G. Brown is the author of an inter- esting and logical work entitled, "The Holy Bible Repudiates Prohibition," and the same was first published in 1910. It includes a compilation of all verses containing the words wine or strong drink as appearing in the Bible and proving that the scriptures commended. and commanded the temperate use of alcoholic beverages. These quotations number two hundred and twenty and indicate a careful and accurate research, while Mr. Brown has made pertinent comments touching a large number of the quotations. His summing up of the situation is altogether cogent and the work is one that well merits consideration on the part of all fair-minded citizens. The attitude of Mr. Brown in this connection is sufficiently well indicated by his statements in the preface to his volume and the same is herewith repro- duced. The work mentioned is published in cloth and paper bindings and copies of the same may be secured through its author on application to his headquarters, 117 West Main street, Louisville, Kentucky.
"I was reared on a farm, a son of Scotch and Irish parents from whom I inherited the highest reverence for religion and the Bible. I began reading the Bible as soon as I was able to read at all and my recollection is that I had read it consecutively through before I had so read any other book. The habit of my youth in reading the Bible has been continued to this day and it is a source of gratification to be able to say that my confidence in the Bible and in the true ministers of God has grown with my years.
"I have been a whiskey merchant and mantı- facturer for forty years and believe now, as I always have believed, that there is no more moral turpitude in manufacturing and selling an intoxicating liquor than there is in manti- facturing and selling any other product, of course realizing that man is responsible to
God for his every act and that the conditions surrounding every individual act must be taken into consideration in determining whether it be right or wrong. This applies to every busi- ness and condition in life.
"We are living in a day of conventionality, when man's convenience or vanity undertakes to set up standards of morality that are not found in the World of God. Under such con- ditions, because of my business I am fre- quently charged by some critics with presump- tion in indicating that I either know anything of the Bible or have any regard for it. Such critics have my pity.
"From my ancestors, a not very remote one of whom was a martyr for religious freedom, I have inherited a strong sense of personal responsibility that often forces me to do that which is repugnant to my natural timidity, if not modesty. It is under this condition that I am undertaking to expose what I conceive to be the most dangerous propaganda against civil and religious liberty that has ever con- fronted the American people -- 'Prohibition.'
"If 'Prohibition' meant temperance it would have my most hearty approval but when it assumes the garb of temperance to catch the unwary, while its purpose is to accomplish what is the very antipode of temperance, it must merit my strongest opposition.
"When the 'prohibition' leaders claim the Bible as sanctioning their movement and the churches as their allies they are in my judg- ment guilty of a great wrong. If, on the con- trary, they would teach temperance as it is taught in the Bible-that is, self-control and moderation, and always a virtue, which must come from within and cannot be exercised without free agency-they could with perfect propriety claim that they were acting on the principles laid down in the Bible, and that every true member of God's church was their ally.
"While there is a moral side to nearly every question, I do not believe there is any more reason for making the question of 'prohibi- tion' a religious one than there is for making the question of tariff, conservation of our na- tional resources, the taxation of property, or any other economic question subject for theo- logical discussion. It is only because the pro- hibitionists claim that they have a monopoly of morality and garble and misrepresent the Bible that I am constrained to discuss the question from the standpoint of the Bible, therefore, I shall give so far as I know, every passage in the Bible, where wine or strong drink is mentioned, with what I believe to be an honest explanation of each passage, and I desire here to emphasize my belief that
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here is not in the Bible one word in favor of the prohibition of the manufacture, sale and use of intoxicating liquors.
"If anyone assumes from reading this book that there is any justification for his abusing an alcoholic beverage or anything else he has read the book in vain."
While Mr. Brown has been successful in business his best heritage to his children will be the memory of an act on which is based the following article which appeared in the Courier Journal of March 1, 19II :
GEORGE G. BROWN PAYS DEBTS OF CONCERN WHICH FAILED IN 1887.
Decidedly one of the most unusual circular letters that ever passed through the local post- office, and one that demonstrates that honor with some men is more than a word, was sent out yesterday by George G. Brown, presi- dent of the Brown-Forman Company, a wholesale whisky firm in Main, near Second street, and Hugh L. Barret, president of the Kentucky Lithographing Company, at Han- cock and Main streets. The communica- tion is being addressed to creditors of the old Giant Tobacco Company and is to the effect that Messrs. Brown and Barret are now ready to liquidate the last of the company's liabili- ties, amounting to $12,936.67.
Notwithstanding Messrs. Brown and Barret effected a settlement with the creditors of the company, in which they were stockholders, and were absolved from all liability many years ago, they are mailing checks for the total amounts named at the time of the failure to all those who suffered losses at the hands of the tobacco company, which made an assign- ment in 1887.
The Giant Tobacco Company was organized early in the '8os with the main plant of the concern at Eighth and Jefferson streets. Mr. Brown and Mr. Barret, although not active in the company's management, were stock- holders and indorsers on the company's paper held by the old Kentucky National Bank, the Merchants' National Bank and the Falls City Bank.
When the tobacco company went to the wall in 1887, according to the circular, Messrs. Brown and Barret paid in cash the full value of their estates. Two of the other stock- holders, also indorsers, took this same action, but obligations amounting to $12,936.67 re- mained unpaid. The creditors of the com- pany accepted what the indorsers could get together and called it square.
Mr. Brown, however, although he was free and not obliged under the law to pay any part of the deficit, took out an insurance policy on the twenty-year payment plan for the full
amount of the indebtedness outstanding. At that time he never hoped to realize on this policy during his lifetime and made, therefore, provision in his will that in the event of his death, the money should go to pay off this indebtedness. * * *
All of the letters that are being sent out by Messrs. Brown and Barret are addressed to stockholders of the three banks which held the notes of the Giant Tobacco Company. A check for whatever pro rata amount is due is inclosed in each one.
Quite a few of the letters will never be delivered to those for whom they were in- tended because many of the old stockholders of the defunct banks are dead. These, how- ever, are being received by the trustees of the estates and deposited to the credit of the heirs.
Mr. Brown last night earnestly requested that no publicity be given, fearing that his motive might be misconstrued.
Below are given the circular letters re- ferred to in the above article :
GEO. G. BROWN,
117 West Main Street.
LOUISVILLE, KY.,- - -1911.
I enclose my check for $ , payable to your order, the sending of which will be ex- plained by the enclosed form of letter.
The Falls City Bank being now defunct, the amount which would have otherwise been paid to it, will be distrubuted amongst its stockholders, (it amounts to 67 cents per share) and the amount sent you represents your prorata.
Very respectfully,
GEO. G. BROWN,
117 West Main Street.
LOUISVILLE, KY.,- -19II.
On behalf of Mr. Hugh L. Barret and my- self, enclosed please find my check for $ , payable to your order.
As I know you are not aware of any in- debtedness on our part to you, perhaps my sending the check requires explanation. Many years ago, I became a stockholder in the Giant Tobacco Company, of Louisville, Ken- tucky, (Incorporated), although never active in its management. Shortly after, in 1887, it failed and made a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors. Along with three other stockholders, I had endorsed its paper for a large amount, which neither the com- pany nor the endorsers were able to pay in full. A settlement, however, was made with the creditors, by which I paid in cash the full value of my estate, (as did Mr. Barret), and I and the other endorsers were given a com- plete discharge by the creditors, but $12,936.67 of the endorsement debts owing these credi-
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tors remained unpaid and a loss to them. In- tending as I have always done, to effect the payment of that amount to these creditors, if I should ever be able to do so, without injustice to my family, I twenty years ago took out a policy of insurance on the twenty yearly payment plan, to provide a fund for that purpose, and provided in my will for its use that way. I have from the beginning kept the premiums paid, thanks to the generous help, at the time of the failure of my good friends, Dr. J. M. Halloway, Wm. F. Booker and Geo. W. Swearengen, which enabled me to continue in my regular business.
This policy is now become due and with the proceeds and $2,000.00 contributed by Mr. Hugh L. Barret (who was one of the other three endorsers), I.am able to pay the debt which I mentioned and gladly for myself and him, send you your full share of it, $
Very respectfully,
THEODORE WALTERS .- Having, as an exten- sive and prosperous farmer, accomplished a satisfactory work, Theodore Walters has re- cently disposed of his landed property, and at the present time is living in Simpsonville, Shelby county, retired from active business cares. He was born March 28, 1846, on the old Walters homestead, one mile south of Simpsonville, it being the farm on which his father, William Harrison Walters, first opened his eyes to the light of this world.
Isaac Walters, his paternal grandfather, was born near Fredericksburg, Virginia, and was there bred and educated. Ambitious as a young man to better his condition, he followed the emigrant's trail to Kentucky, locating in Shelby county with the early pioneers in 1805 or 1806. Buying a tract of land covered with a heavy growth of fine oak timber, he began the improvement of a farm, and was there a resident until his death, in middle life. In the meantime he followed his trade of a wagon maker for many years, using material grown on his own land, and he carried on a substan- tial manufacturing business, the only other wagon maker in the county at that time having been Isaac Pomeroy, who lived eight miles east of him, in Shelbyville. He erected a good set of buildings, including a wagon shop, but none are now in existence. He married Eliza- beth Pence, who survived him, dying on the home farm at the age of seventy-five years.
William Harrison Walters, born on the pa- rental homestead in 1812, was but sixteen years of age when, at the death of his father, he be- came head of the household. He assumed the management of the farm, making a home for his widowed mother and for his three sisters, Barbara, Ellen and Mary, who lived with him
until they married and had homes of their own. Subsequently becoming sole proprietor of the homestead property, he added to it by purchase until he had a well improved farm of three hundred acres, on which he erected in 1863 a substantial brick house, with large porches, a pretentious structure for those days. Very enterprising and energetic, he accumu- lated considerable property, owning another farm in Jefferson county, and for several years operating a stock farm near Simpsonville. He died on his farm in 1875, at the comparatively early age of sixty-three years. He was a mem- ber and for many years a deacon of the Chris- tian church at Simpsonville.
The maiden name of the wife of William H. Walters was Sarah E. Logan. She was born in Danville, Kentucky, a daughter of Beatty and Martha (Everhardt) Logan and grand- daughter of James Logan, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, enlisting for service in Baltimore, Maryland. She survived himn. dying on the homestead at the age of sixty-five years. Three sons and three daughters were born of their union, as follows: Theodore, the special subject of this brief sketch; Martin Ray, engaged in farming on the parental home- stead; Robert Rice, who died, in 1899, on his farm, which was located one mile east of Simp- sonville and now occupied by his son Clifford; Rosa, wife of Major Joseph Haycraft, of Owensboro, who served under General John H. Morgan in the Confederate Army; Lillie B., wife of James T. Crenshaw, a prominent farmer of Worthville; and Mary E., widow of Ernest Tyler, formerly one of the leading agri- culturists of Shelby county.
Reared to agricultural pursuits Theodore Walters embarked in business for himself in early life, for many years being engaged in farming and stock-raising and dealing in part- nership with his brother, M. R. Walters. When ready to sell out to his partner, Mr. Walters in settlement took one of the farms lying north of Simpsonville, and there con- tinued his former occupation, carrying on gen- eral farming with excellent pecuniary results for a number of years, in addition making money by buying, feeding and shipping cattle. He has recently sold his farm and taken up his residence in Simpsonville, as above stated.
Mr. Walters married, in 1890, Amelia Ryon, widow of Dr. W. E. Ryon, who was actively engaged in the practice of medicine in Shelby county for upwards of twenty years. Dr. Ryon married Amelia Fontaine, a daughter of Massena and Malitta (Pomeroy) Fontaine, and granddaughter of Aaron Fontaine, who settled in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1798, going there from Virginia, where his emigrant an-
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cestor settled in 1716. On her mother's side the mother died in the spring of 1902, at the she was a granddaughter of Isaac Pomeroy, who came to Kentucky in 1800, becoming a pioneer settler of Shelbyville. Dr. Ryon reared three sons, namely: John Fontaine Ryon, who died at the age of twenty-three years, in 1891 ; William Throckmorton Ryon, engaged in the life insurance business at Louis- ville; and Albion Pomeroy Ryon, an employe of the Carter Dry Goods Company at Louis- ville. Politically a straightforward Democrat, Mr. Walters served for fourteen consecutive years as county magistrate, and as a member of the Democratic Central Committee has been active in campaign work. He is a member of the Christian church, to which his wife also belongs.
CHARLES HUMES SANFORD .- In giving a slight sketch of the commonwealth attorney for the Twelfth judicial district of Kentucky, we are giving the history of a man who has demonstrated that he possesses to a remarkable degree the qualities desired in a public official and that, accepting the trust as a representa- tive, he esteemed it a duty to give attention to the requests of his constituents. Greater faith- fulness and diligence in the execution of these duties and interests, of every conceivable char- acter, would hardly be possible. He regards himself as the servant of his district and labors with zeal to promote the interests demanded by the citizens.
Charles H. Sanford is the commonwealth attorney for the Twelfth judicial district of Kentucky, which embraces the counties of Henry, Oldham, Trumble, Shelby, Anderson and Spencer, extending from the Ohio to Salt Rivers and being one of the two largest dis- tricts in the state. He was born on a farm in Henry County, Kentucky, on September 15, 1870. He is the son of Lewis M. Sanford, a native of Henry county, Kentucky, the son of Charles Sanford, a native of Scott county, Kentucky, the son of John Sanford, who was a Virginian and was the Kentucky pioneer. The mother of our subject was Fannie Morton Smith, who was born in Henry county, Ken- tucky, the daughter of Abraham Owen Smith. a native of Kentucky, the son of Thomas Smith, who was the first president of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company. The first engine on the Lexington branch of that road was the "Thomas Smith," named for him. He was also the first millionaire in Kentucky. His son Thomas built the Fourth Street Bap- tist church on the corner of Fourth and Wal- nut streets in Louisville with his own money and was the pastor of the church when he died.
The father of our subject died on May 6, 1901, at the age of seventy-seven years, and
age of forty-two years. The father was en- gaged in farming and banking, in which line he organized the National Bank of Newcastle, of which he became president, and when that bank was converted into the Bank of New- castle, a state bank, he was still the president of the new bank and held the position until his death, being known and recognized as a well- known financier and banker of his section of the state. Both the parents were members of the Christian church.
Charles Humes Sanford was reared on the farm and is indebted to the Newcastle public schools for the elements of his education. After having passed through the preliminaries he then attended Hanover College, Indiana, passed through a course in Centre College, Kentucky, and finally graduated at Notre Dame College in the class of 1890, with the degree of A. B., and in 1893 graduated from the Cincinnati Law School with the degree of B. L. Mr. Sanford was admitted to practice that same year before the Ohio Supreme Court, and in 1894 he was admitted to the Kentucky bar and immediately entered into practice at Newcastle. He was elected city attorney of Newcastle that same year ( 1894), and in 1897 was elected county attorney of Henry county, holding that office for four years. In 1903 he was elected commonwealth attorney and re-elected in 1909 for a term of six years beginning in 1910.
Mr. Sanford has followed a course that is noteworthy, and if his example was followed by some other attorneys and public officials it would redound to the credit of their various communities and materially increase the reve- nues of the same. Mr. Sanford owns and lives on the old farm where he was born, is a di- rector in the Bank of Newcastle and fratern- ally is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Elks, and also of the Signa Chi, a Greek letter college fraternity, and the Phi Delta Phi, a law fraternity. His religions convictions are with the Christian church. Too honest to brook even the shadow of deceit and too jealous of personal righteous- ness to think of the least departure from what he deems to be just and fair, he has only con- tempt for mercenary morals in the individual and equally for a purchasable integrity in posi- tions of public trust. Such a man regards right more highly than he can by possibility estimate any mere matter of public favor or gratification of mere selfish desire, gained at any appreciable sacrifice of truth or justice. During his first term as commonwealth attor- ney he prosecuted the International Harvester Company and the American Tobacco Company
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on the charge of being a trust in violation of the Kentucky Anti-Trust Law and secured convictions against each of them, which was the first time that convictions had ever been secured against those monopolies in Kentucky. Another notable contest was against the Stand- ard Oil Company in Kentucky. The wagons operated by the Standard Oil Company in Ken- tucky were assessed a license fee of five dol- lars, which they refused to pay and had re- fused to pay for a number of years. Among the first things Mr. Sanford did when he en- tered upon the duties of commonwealth attor- ney was to secure indictments against the Standard Oil Company for failure to pay the license fee. He got a verdict against the com- pany, the judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeals, and the next Legislature raised the license fee to fifteen dollars for each wagon, which the company is now paying. This action of Mr. Sanford was followed by other com- monwealth attorneys throughout Kentucky, which resulted in the Standard Oil Company paying into the Kentucky state treasury from $60,000 to $100,000. He has taken an active interest in the prosecution of the "night riders" and has cases pending in the courts of Shelby county at the present time. Whether in the social, the political or the business spheres of his life, Mr. Sanford follows his convictions. Radical and decisive in his opinions, his pur- poses are taken irrespective of popular esti- mate and carried forward resolutely. What- ever his success in political life may be, his adaptation to meet the demands of the people proves that when the sum of his work shall be shown it will be the record of an honest man, a man of unblemished moral character and de- cisiveness of achievement in all the fields of responsibility he has occupied.
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