Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II, Part 135

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Mississippi > Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II > Part 135

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The Stonewall Manufacturing company, manufacturers of 4-4 A. A. sheeting, 7-8 A. A. shirting, C. C. drills, 8-oz osnaburgs, carpet warps and yarns, has its extensive cotton mills at Stonewall Station, Clarke county, Miss., immediately on the line of the Mobile & Ohio railroad, three and a quarter miles south of Enterprise, eighteen miles south of Meridian, and eight miles north of Quitman, Miss. The locality is as healthy as the average of this section of the state. Women and children compose fully three-fourths of the working force in the mills, very few men being needed, who have to be skilled in cotton manufacturing. Boys and

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girls from ten to fifteen years old are employed in spinning, doffing, and other light work, which children can do quite as well as grown people, and are paid usually by the piece, and earn from $8 to $12 per month, the average being about $10 at these ages. Boys and girls from fifteen to sixteen years do similar work, and earn from $10 to $15 per month. Grown young ladies are employed at weaving, spooling, reeling, speeder and warper tending, all light and easy work, but requiring skill and close attention, at which they earn from $15 to $25 per month according to their capacity, all being paid by the piece. The above prices are for skilled lielp. While learning they are paid less, say $5 to $8 per month for boys and girls, and $10 per month for grown young ladies. It usually requires two to four weeks to learn the work, after which they are paid for all they do. A few industrious young ladies earn from $25 to $30 per month. The cost of living is low. Rents for houses range from $2 to $7.50 per month, according to size of house. A house of two rooms and two fire-places, with gallery, etc., rents for $3.25; three rooms and two fire-places, $4.25; four rooms and two fire-places, closets and gallery, $5.25 per month. Yards and gardens are neatly fenced in, and all repairs to houses, fencing, wells, etc., are done free, and kept in good order. Young ladies can get board in private families at $8 to $10 per month. A resident physician lives on the place, and is sub- ject to call at all times to any member of a family, for which medical services a charge of fifty cents per month is made for those only who work in the factory. As the work is light and genteel, and inside of a comfortable building, it is specially suitable for women and children.

The morals of the village are as good as those of any place in the South, no drunkenness, profanity or other immoral or unbecoming conduct being tolerated. There are two very handsome church buildings-one Methodist and the other Baptist-both of which have serv- ices regularly, and Sunday-schools every Sabbath. There is also a public free school, main- tained four months in the year, and occasional private schools in the intervals. The manage- ment of the mills is as lenient and conservative as is consistent with good discipline and well - established business principles. The mills have been in operation about twenty-two years, and have never passed a pay-day without having paid off the operatives in full. The entire management and employes are Southern people, and nearly all from the surrounding counties in Mississippi and Alabama. The company is under the management of Dr. O. F. Cawthorn, president and treasurer, and T. L. Wainwright, superintendent and secretary. Dr. O. F. Cawthorn has been president since May, 1879. He is a man of worth and the highest order. of business and executive ability; being the pioneer successful manufacturer of artificial ice, . and the first to establish a successful electric light plant in Mobile, Ala. Mr. T. L. Wain, wright, youngest son of W. D. and Mary A. Wainwright (nee Taylor), was born in Greene county, Miss., November 30, 1851. His parents removed to Washington county, Ala., when he was two years old. He grew to manhood in Alabama, and at twenty years of age came.to Clarke county, Miss., and settled at Stonewall. In youth he attended country schools and at twelve years of age went to boardingschools. After attending other schools, he entered a special school at Beaver Meadow, Ala., under W. J. White, a graduate of Chapel Hill. Here he pursued special branches, viz. : Latin, bookkeeping and civil engineering, for two years. On coming to Stonewall he became accountant for the Stonewall Manufacturing company, and continued in that capacity until March, 1875, when he became superintendent and secretary to succeed Mr. R. N. Taylor, which position he now holds. The mill formerly contained thirty-one hundred and sixty-eight spindles and one hundred looms, and the machinery was mostly old style and much worn. In 1879, under Dr. Cawthorn's management, new machinery. engine, etc., were added and the mill became a paying investment. In 1882 its capacity was

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increased to fifty-nine hundred and fifty-two spindles, and in 1889 it was brought up to seventy-three hundred and fifty-six spindles, consuming thirty-five hundred bales of cotton annually. About two hundred hands are employed. Steam is the motive power employed and wood is used for fuel. The products of the mills are sold chiefly in Northern markets; at St. Louis, Mo., New York, Philadelphia and in Mobile, Ala., some being exported to South America and to China. The capital stock of the company is $200,000 .; its annual output amounts to $250,000, its pay-roll aggregating $4,000 per month. Mr. Wainwright married Miss Rosa Harvey, of Clarke county, Miss., a native of Holmes county, November, 1875. They have had five children: Cecil, Helen, Ralph, Orville and Zoe. He is a Missionary Baptist, a democrat, a member of the Masonic fraternity and a Knight of Honor, while Mrs. Wainwright is a Baptist.

Of the many prominent citizens of Bolivar county who are of foreign birth Edward Storm, merchant and planter, Stormville, Miss., stands among the foremost. His birth occurred in Prussia, in 1842, and he was the second child born to the marriage of Morris Storm, who with his wife resides in Prussia at the present time. Edward Storm came to the United States when seventeen years of age to join his elder brother, Samuel, who was located at Greenville, Miss. He landed at a point on the Mississippi river where he now resides and which has since been called Stormville. This was then a wilderness, but it has since been cleared by Mr. Storm, who is now the owner of twelve hundred acres of fine land, with four hundred acres under cultivation. He has a gin and sawmill, and in addition to this is inter- ested in merchandising, having started this business in 1869. His stock of goods is valued at $10,000, and his annual sales bring him about $30,000. In 1862 he enlisted in the Con- federate army, Washington cavalry, under Captain Hunt, was captured at Atlanta and paroled and exchanged at Natchez at the close of the war. He was married in 1880 to Miss Kuhn, of Greenville, Miss., who has borne him four children, all daughters: Frankie, Emelie, Lula and Ollie. Mr. Storm is a member of all secret societies. He has always been quite active in politics and was elected a member of the board of supervisors, serving as president of that body for ten years. He erected his fine residence in the seventies, has a pleasant, comfortable home and has the confidence and respect of all. He is postmaster at Stormville. His brother, Saul, was on the steamer Kentucky when it blew up at Columbus, Ark., in 1862, and was killed. He was a prosperous merchant at Bolivar.

John C. Stowers, member of Adams county board of supervisors from the fourth district and one of the county's leading planters and stockbreeders, resides on his plantation, Oak- land, ten miles north of Natchez, in the house in which he was born, in 1832. His father, Caleb Stowers was probably born in the same neighborhood in 1785, and his first marriage was to Miss Elizabeth Wade, who was born in Adams county, and who died there, leaving three sons and three daughters: James, John, Abijah, Margaret, Eliza and Emily, all deceased except the last named, who is the widow of Col. Richard Parkinson, and now resides in Bowl- ing Green, Claiborne county, Miss. In 1826 Mr. Stowers married Miss Anna M. Montgom- ery, mother of the subject, who was born in Concordia parish, La., in 1806. Both spent the last years of their life on the farm where John C. now lives. Mr. Stowers was one of the success- ful and enterprising planters of Adams county, and at the time of his death, which occurred in 1860, he left a very handsome estate. He enlisted in the War of 1812, but was not called into service. He assisted in the capture of Aaron Burr in Jefferson county. He was a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church, and his last wife, who died in 1842, was a member of the Methodist church. His father, John Stowers, who was probably born in the Palmetto state, was one of the first American settlers of Adams county, where he died a well-to-do planter.

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He had four sons, all of whom became wealthy planters, viz. : Caleb, Lewis, James and Joseph, and three daughters, Louisa, Nancy and Mary, all deceased. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Joseph Montgomery, was a native of Louisiana, it is thought, and he there reared a large family and became a wealthy planter. John C. Stowers, subject of this memoir, was the third of eight children born to his parents: Amanda (deceased), Joseph, Louisiana, Indi- ana and three others who died when small. He received his education in the common schools, was early taught the duties of farm life, and in 1861 he joined the Jeff Davis legion as a private soldier, serving in the Virginia army in Butler's division and Hampton's corps. The last two years he was orderly sergeant and fought at Seven Pines, the seven days' fight around Richmond, Sharpsburg, Brandy's Station, Boonsborough, Md .; Fredricksburg, the battles around Petersburg, Wilderness and many others until January, 1865, when he was sent South and joined Johnston's army. He fought at Bentonville, N. C .; Raleigh and other places, and surrendered with Johnston. He had two horses shot from under him, but was never wounded or captured. After the war he came home on horseback and resumed his farm duties. On the 6th of June, 1866, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Kurtz, a native of Louisville, Ky., whose father died when she was an infant and her mother in 1840, the latter dying from injuries received in the tornado that swept over Natchez during that year. She was then residing on Natchez island. Mrs. Stowers, being left an orphan, was adopted by a Mrs. Pat- terson of Natchez, where she was reared and principally educated. She was afterward a teacher of mathematics in Fayette academy. To Mr. and Mrs. Stowers have been born six children: Martha C .; John C., Jr .; Samuel P., died in 1889, the day before he would have graduated from Jefferson college; John died at the age of four years; Mary P. died at the age of nine years, and one died in infancy. Mr. . Stowers has spent all his life on the farm of his birth, and is the owner of about four thousand acres, one thousand two hundred acres being in Louisiana. This is principally the result of his own energy. He does not make a specialty of raising cotton, but devotes his attention more to stockraising, breeding the Booningle and the Lewis E. Smith horses (trotting stock), Durham cattle and Berkshire hogs. He is also a stockholder in the Rosalie cottonmills. He was master of the Pine Ridge grange during the existence of that order, and since 1886 he has been a member of Adams county board of supervisors, having been elected three times. He is a member of Harmony lodge No. 1, A. F. & A. M., Bluff City lodge No. 1145, Knights of Honor, Natchez lodge No. 3, Knights of Pythias, and he is an elder in the Presbyterian church at Pine Ridge. Mrs: Stowers is also a prominent member of that church. Mr. Stowers is not an aggressive politician but an active worker in local political affairs. He is giving his chil- dren the advantages of the best local schools.

Rev. Joseph Buck Stratton, the pastor of the Presbyterian church of Natchez, Miss., comes of good old English stock, and members of his family have been known in the history of this country almost since the landing of the Pilgrim fathers. Upon braving the dangers of an ocean voyage in a sailing vessel and the unknown horrors and privations of a new and unknown country, they settled in New England. John Stratton, one of the early ancestors of the immediate subject of this biography, removed to Long Island in 1649 and founded East Hampton, after which the family moved to New Jersey, where they lived for many years. Nathan Leake Stratton, the father of Rev. Joseph Buck Stratton, was born in New Jersey, and was there married in the early part of 1815 to Miss Hannah Buck, also a native of that state, and for many years after his marriage followed the occupation of a merchant at Bridgeton. He was a man of most estimable character, did much to improve and benefit the county in which he lived, and in the year 1862 died very suddenly, mourned by a large circle BBB

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of friends as well as his immediate family. His wife had passed from life about 1854, both having been worthy and active members of the Presbyterian church. The maternal ances- tors were also English, and Joseph Buck, the grandfather, was an officer in the Revolutionary war, was with Washington at Yorktown and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis. He was in many of the noted battles of that war, and tradition has it that he was a brave and intrepid soldier. He afterward became sheriff of his county. Rev. Joseph Buck Strat- ton was born in Bridgeton, N. J., December 24, 1815, and in his youth was given educational advantages far above the average. After enjoying the advantages of the high school at Law- renceville, N. J., he completed his course of study at Princeton college, receiving the degree of A. M. in the year 1833. Subsequently he entered upon the study of law, the first two years of his study being under Judge L. Q. C. Elmer, of Bridgeton, the remaining two years being spent under the able guidance and instruction of Hon. John Sergent, of Philadelphia, Penn. In this city he was admitted to the bar in 1837, and there continued to practice until about 1840, at which time he joined the Presbyterian church, and in the fall of that year entered the theological seminary at Princeton, with the intention of making the ministry his life calling. While in this institution his career was characterized by a devotion to his work, and in the spring of 1843 he was graduated. He had been invited to take charge of the church at Natchez, Miss., which invitation he accepted and in the month of May, 1843, he arrived at his destination. He had had no experience in the saving of souls but his heart was in his work and he eagerly and hopefully entered upon his duties. In December, 1843, he was formally ordained and installed as pastor of the church, and here has been expounding the doctrines of his denomination and the principles of Christianity with fervor and zeal for nearly half a century. During this time he has been the pastor and the faithful friend and adviser of one of the most important Presbyterian churches in the South, and although he is now advanced in years he yet shows the fire, life, and eloquence of his younger years. His labors in the vineyard of the Lord have not gone unrewarded, and besides having the love, confidence and esteem of his large congregation he has been the means of bringing many to the feet of Christ. He has often been urged to take other positions, but has always declined and will in all probability end his ministerial career where it began. He has been a close student all his life, possesses literary tastes of a high order, and has written largely for the periodicals of the day, besides publishing several works on theological subjects. In 1856 he received the degree of D. D. from his alma mater, Princeton college. Miss Mary L. Smith, a native of Philadelphia, Penn., became his wife in 1844, but after a married life of four years she died, leaving her husband with two small children to care for, their names being Sidey V., now a prominent architect in New York city, and Mary, who died in 1863. Dr. Stratton's second marriage took place in 1852, Miss Caroline M. Williams, a native of Natchez, Miss., becoming his wife. To them one child was born, whom they named Joseph B. He died on the 16th of September, 1888, having been married to Miss Ruth A. Britton, by whom he had three children.

H. M. Street, of Meridian, Miss., was born in Moore county, N. C. His parents, Don- ald Street and Lydia McBryde, were natives of the same county. His grandfather, Richard Street, was a native of Virginia, and moved with his parents, Richard Street and Elizabeth Clapton, to North Carolina, where he married Ann McQueen, who came over from Scotland when quite young with her father, Murdoch McQueen, Donald Street was a farmer. While in North Carolina he represented his county in the legislature and filled other places of trust. His wife, Lydia, was the daughter of Hon. Archibald McBryde, a native of Scot- land. He came to America in early manhood and married Lydia Ramsey, of Chatham

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county, N. C. He was a large planter and a lawyer of ability, and represented his district in congress. H. M. Street was educated at Carthage academy, a high school in his native county, and in his early days devoted himself to agriculture. He came with his father to Mississippi in 1853, and settled in Tishomingo county. He enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861, and remained in the service until the final surrender. He was elected in 1869 to represent Tishomingo county in the legislature. In response to the wishes of his constitu- ents he secured the passage of a bill dividing his county, putting himself in the new county of Prentiss, which he represented for five successive terms. During this time he was twice elected speaker of the house of representatives. In 1882 he removed to Meridian, and in 1889 was elected to the legislature from Lauderdale county. He prepared the bill calling the constitutional convention which met at Jackson, August 12, 1890. He was elected one of the three delegates from Lauderdale county, and assisted in framing the present constitu- tion of the state. He has been nominated by the democrats for re-election to the legislature. The election takes place in November, 1891, and the nomination is considered equivalent to an election. He has been engaged for the past seventeen years in the fire insurance business, and for several years has had general charge of the interests in Louisiana and Mississippi of the Phenix Insurance company, of Brooklyn, N. Y. He is a director in the Citizens' bank, and identified with other interests. He is a Presbyterian, a member of the Masonic frater- nity and of the Knights of Honor. In 1858 he married Miss Charlotte Prindle, by whom he has five children living: Charles Richard, Albert Jackson, Bessie Lee, Ethel McQueen and Lottie Prentiss. His sons both reside in Chicago. In 1887 he married for his second wife Miss Charlotte Ryder, a first cousin of his first wife. Richard Street, a brother of our sub- ject, was killed in battle in front of Atlanta, July 22, 1864. He was a member of the Thirty- second Mississippi regiment, Lowry's brigade of Cleburne's division. H. M. Street was named in honor of his great-uncle, Hugh McQueen, once attorney-general of North Carolina, and afterward a resident of Texas.

Maj. William M. Strickland, of Holly Springs, Marshall county, Miss., is a native of North Carolina. He came to the state with his father, Matthew Strickland, who settled in Panola county, in January, 1837. Major Strickland is recognized as one of the prominent citizens and leading lawyers of north Mississippi. He is well informed upon all subjects connected with agriculture, the principal industry of the state, and has engaged actively, as a democrat, in every political campaign since the war. He has never been an aspirant for office, but has acted upon the maxim, that the post of honor is the private station.

Thomas H. C. Strong, planter, Batesville, Miss. In Monroe county, Miss., on June 1, 1844, there was born to the union of Gen. Elisha and Ann S. (Hill) Strong, a son, whom they named Thomas H. C. The latter was the fifth of six children and passed his boyhood days in his native state. He was a student in the University of Alabama, at Tuscaloosa, when the struggle between the North and South began, but he laid aside his books and in 1861 enlisted in company K, Second Mississippi battalion, with which he remained two years. He was then changed to Armstead's regiment, company I, and remained with the same until peace was declared. He enlisted as an orderly sergeant, but in 1863, at the battle of Lafayette, Ga., he was made lieutenant for gallantry on the field. He afterward served as captain for two years and was in the following engagements: Manassas, Cedar Creek, Leesburg, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Frederick City, South Mountain, Marietta, Resaca. Atlanta, Lafayette, Rome, Spanish Fort, Blakely, Oxford, Gadsden, Whistler and Mobile. He was slightly wounded in the foot by a shell at Sharpsburg, but was not disabled from service. He was paroled at Gainesville, Ala., about one month after General Lee surrendered.

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Mr. Strong then returned to his home, engaged in merchandising for two years, and then started out as a planter, which pursuit he has since continued. He is the owner of four thousand acres of land, one thousand three hundred and seventy-five acres under cultivation, and he is now one of the largest planters of the county. Besides his landed interests he with a company erected a large warehouse at Aberdeen, Miss., covering one and one-quarter acres of land, and at a cost of $14,000. He was married in 1867 to Miss Susan A. Strong, a native of Georgia, as were also her parents, Charles and Adaline (Kennon) Strong, and to this union have been born five children, two living: Charles and Leila. Mr. Strong and family hold membership in the Methodist church, and are highly esteemed in the county. Mr. Strong is a member of the Masonic fraternity and a member of the Knights of Honor. In politics he affiliates with the democratic party. He is one of the county's substantial citizens, and is ever ready to give his weight to any enterprise that will assist the same. His parents were both natives of Georgia, and the father was a very extensive and wealthy planter. He was the owner of a great many slaves prior to the war. He came to Mississippi in 1835 and died in 1878. His wife, who was also a native of Georgia, died in 1878. The father was quite a noted military character, having served as colonel in the War of 1812, and was also gen- eral of the state troops. The paternal grandparents, Charles and Sarah (Thompson) Strong, were natives of the Old Dominion. The grandfather was in the Revolutionary war with General Washington and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. The maternal grand- parents, Thomas and Sallie (McGehee) Hill, were born in Georgia.

Edward Stuart is one of the pioneers of Coahoma county, Miss., but was born in Russell- ville, Ala., April 13, 1823, the eldest of seven children born to Samuel D. and Elizabeth (Louis) Stuart, the former of whom was born in North Carolina and the latter in Tennessee. The father was a wheelwright and spent the most of his life in Alabama and Tennessee, dying in the latter state in 1849. His father was a Scotchman, who came to America from his native land and made his home in the Old North state. Edward Stuart was reared in middle Tennessee and was educated in a private school. At the age of twenty-three, or in 1845, he was married to Miss Winnie A. Baugh, whose birth occurred in the Old Dominion, of which state her parents, William and Sarah (Cheatham) Baugh, were also natives. To Mr. and Mrs. Stuart a family of seven children have been born, six of whom are now living: Mary E., Martha A., Emma G., Lou Lee D., William E. and John H. At the age of nine- teen years Mr. Stuart began to make his own way in the world, and for twelve years worked in a wagon and carriage shop in Fayette county, Tenn., at the end of which time he engaged in the lumber business, continuing for eight years. He then came to Coahoma county, Miss., and here commenced his mercantile career, which he has continued with success up to the present time. In connection with this he has planted to some extent, and is now the owner of a good residence and his place of business in Lyons, his stock of general merchan- dise being valued at about $4,000. He is also the owner of some real estate in Shufordsville, Miss., and has always been found to be a safe and reliable man of business. He is an active and devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has held the position of steward for some time. Although he has lived a quiet and peaceful life, his career has been one of honor and usefulness, and when called upon to serve in any public capacity he has shown sound judgment and an earnest desire to discharge every duty faithfully and well. He has been a member of the board of supervisors, and in this capacity won the respect and esteem of all, for he evinced a thorough knowledge of county affairs, and his desire to make Coahoma one of the leading counties of the state was undoubted. He is well informed on general topics, and in his modest and unassuming way endeavors at all times to do his duty.

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Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II, Part 135

Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 1314