USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. III > Part 61
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Mullen, William H., a leading figure in the commercial life of Durant, was born in Choctaw county, Miss., in 1865, a son of W. H., Sr., and E. M. (Matthes) Mullen. - The father was a native of Nashville, Tenn., and the mother of Georgia. The former was a planter who came to Colum- bus, Miss., while a young man and engaged in planting. During the Civil war he was captain of a company in the Confed- erate service. The subject of this sketch received an academic education in the common schools of Mississippi and in a commercial college of Lexington, Ky. He began his business career as a bookkeeper for J. K. Coffee, dealer in general merchandise. In January, 1891, he and his partner under the firm name of Mullen & Owen purchased the business of J. K. Coffee and have continued it since. Since that time the industry has broadened and grown, until now it brings in more than one hundred thousand dollars yearly. The firm also handles more than half the cotton that is brought into Durant yearly. In politics Mr. Mullen is a Democrat, but his other interests are so extensive that he has had no time to actively engage in political campaigns. He has never married. Aside from his mercantile and cotton business he is president of the Durant Manu- facturing Company, and holds the same office in the Medill Mercan- tile Company and the Medill Cotton Compress Company of Medill, Indian Territory. Mr. Mullen is a man of fine business qualifications, sterling integrity and an excellent model of the self-made man. Through persistency and hard work he has attained to a position of some eminence.
Mounger, Henry, a lawyer of Port Gibson, Miss., was born at Enon, Perry county, Miss., Sept. 20, 1861, and is the son of Edwin H. and Mary (Jones) Mounger, both of whom were natives of Mississippi, the former being a Methodist minister. Mr. Mounger was educated in the public schools, and at the Centenary college, in Louisiana; and was graduated from the latter institution in 1883. He studied law at Natchez, Miss., and was admitted to the bar at that place in 1884, after which he located at Port Gibson for the practice of
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his profession. He has served as mayor of Port Gibson and trustee of the city schools. Mr. Mounger is a member of the Methodist church. He was married Sept. 1, 1886, to Jessie Popkins, daughter of E. Popkins, of Natchez, Miss.
Moore, James, one of the influential citizens . and prominent merchants and planters of Yalobusha county, is a repre- sentative of one of the honored pioneer families of this section of the State and has here maintained his home from the the time of his birth, being at the head of the well known mercantile firm of Moore & Company, of Oakland. He was born on the home plantation, near the village of Oakland, Oct. 7, 1839, and is a son of James and Harriet Gaston (Dav- idson) Moore, both of whom were natives of the State of North Carolina, where the former was born July 5, 1803. The great- grandfather of the subject of this sketch likewise bore the name of James Moore, and he was a colonel in the militia of North Carolina, and commanded North Carolina troops during the War of the Revo- lution. His son, Laurence, grandfather of James, of this sketch, held various positions of public distinction in North Carolina, where the family was one of prominence and influence, having been there founded in the early colonial days. James Moore was reared and educated in Yalobusha county, and has here been identified with the planting industry from his youth up. Early in 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company K, First Mississippi cavalry, but he soon became so badly afflicted with rheumatism as to be incapacitated for active field service, being discharged and then supplying a sub- stitute. Later, as his health permitted, he was attached independ- ently to the commissary department of the Confederate service, doing all in his power to uphold the cause of the South in its struggle to maintain its rights and institutions. Since the war he has gained marked success in his chosen field of endeavor, owning 2,000 acres of valuable land and being concerned in one of the leading general mercantile enterprises of his native county, where he commands the confidence and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Moore is one of the leaders in the councils of the Democratic party in this portion of the State, and he has been called to offices of high public trust. He was a member of the board of supervisors of Yalobusha county for four years, during three of which he served as president of the body. He represented his county eight years in the lower house of the State legislature, and is now a member of the State senate, representing the Twenty-eighth district, comprising Yalobusha and Grenada counties, having been elected to the senate Nov. 3, 1903. He and his wife are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and he has served as steward and as superintendent of the Sunday school. On Aug. 16, 1859, Mr. Moore was united in
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marriage to Miss Emily Jane Carson, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Ann (Lott) Carson, of Charleston, Tallahatchie county, Miss., her ancestors having been numbered among the early settlers of South Carolina, while the family was founded in Mississippi about 1833. Reverting to the genealogy of Mr. Moore, it may be stated that both his paternal and maternal ancestors removed from North Carolina to Tennessee, from which State the representatives came to Mississippi in an early day. In a fraternal way he is identified with the Masonic order and the Knights of Honor. Mr. and Mrs. Moore became the parents of three sons. The eldest, James Benja- min, died at the age of three months. Greene Harris Moore, the second son, is a merchant and planter, being the general manager of the firm of Moore & Company, of Oakland, and being one of the prominent and popular business men of Yalobusha county. He married Miss Zanah Herron, and they have three children-James Moore, Jr., aged thirteen years (1905); William Black Moore, aged nine years; and Catherine, aged two years. Benjamin Carson Moore, the third son of James and Emily J. Moore, is general buyer for the firm of Moore & Company, and is also a buyer and shipper of cotton, while he likewise is held in high esteem as a reliable business man and progressive citizen. He has been twice married. He first wed- ded Miss Birda Sayle, who died in 1899, being survived by two of her three children-David Carson, aged nine years, and Emily Jane, aged seven years. In 1901 Benjamin C. Moore married Miss Carrie Nance, and they have two children-Wilallia, aged two years, and Morris, aged four months at the time of this writing. Both sons are Democrats in politics and both are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, South.
Mulvihill, Michael J., the efficient and popular postmaster of Vicksburg, has passed practically his entire life in this State, with whose civic and public inter- ests he has been intimately identified from his youth to the present, ever holding the unqualified esteem and confidence of the community. He was born in La- Salle, Ill., July 17, 1855, and is a son of Michael and Mary (Cregan) Mulvihill, both natives of Ireland, the former having been born in County Kerry and the latter in County Limerick. Their marriage was solemnized in the Emerald Isle, whence they immigrated to America in 1847, the father being a successful railroad contractor, in which line of enterprise he was one of the contractors in the construction of various portions of the Illinois Central railroad-both western and southern branches of the present extensive system of this company. As a contractor he was associated in partnership with Colonel Budd and General Ransom. , He came to Mississippi in 1859 and settled in Natchez, and for several years thereafter he was a contractor
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on levee work, and he has also built a portion of the "Little J" rail- road, between Jackson and Natchez. He was a prominent contrac- tor in the early days and also was identified to a certain extent with mercantile pursuits. He met with severe financial reverses as a result of the Civil war but partially recouped his fortunes, continuing his residence in Mississippi until his death, in December, 1901, his wife passing away in January, 1873. The subject of this review was educated in the excellent school conducted by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Natchez, and as a youth he was employed in the first oil mill established in the State, the samc having been in Natch- ez. A predilection for mechanics led him to enter upon an ap- prenticeship at the machinist's trade, which he learned in Vicksburg and Chicago and which he followed as a vocation until 1876, when he engaged in the general merchandise business in Vicksburg, build- ing up a large and profitable enterprise and continuing identified with the same until 1894. He then began operations in dealing in lands and in promoting various industrial and capitalistic enter- prises, in which connection he did much to enlist capital in the devel- oping of the great resources of Mississippi. He was thus identified with the Vicksburg Land, Manufacturing and Improvement Com- pany, being manager of the same. The company succeeded in secur- ing to Vicksburg a number of valuable industries and brought about the installation of the electric street railway. Mr. Mulvihill has been a trustee of the State Charity hospital, at Vicksburg, for four years, and he has shown an abiding interest in all that makes for the development and prosperity of his home city and State. His advice and counsel have weight in city affairs and he is essentially a loyal and public-spirited citizen. He was originally aligned with the Democratic party but in 1884, owing to his opinions on the tariff and money issues, he joined the ranks of the Republican party, supporting James G. Blaine for the presidency and having voted for each presidential candidate of the party since that time. His attitude in this respect, however, did not lose to him aught of local esteem and influence, and in local affairs he does not hold to partisan lines. In January, 1902, he received from President Roosevelt the appointment of postmaster of Vicksburg, and his administration has been altogether able and acceptable as is evidenced by the fact that in January, 1906, he was reappointed for four years. He is a communicant of the Catholic church and is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of St. John and the Catholic Knights of America, of which last he was the first State president in Mississippi, having been elected in 1882, and he represented the order in the seventh, eighth and ninth meetings of the supreme council, held respectively at Chattanooga, Philadelphia and Chica- go. On Jan. 6, 1880, Mr. Mulvihill was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Finegan, who was born and reared in Vicksburg, and they have seven children-Katie, Patrick, Margaret, Mary, Helen, Michael and Louise. In conclusion reversion may be had to the fact that Mr. Mulvihill was closely identified with the overthrow of the "carpetbag" rule in Vicksburg during the reconstruction
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period after the Civil war, this city having been the first in the South to take measures to bring about legitimate government. Capt. John D. Tinney, of this city, organized a movement for this purpose, organizing the first company for definite action, in the spring of 1874 Mr. Mulvihill was the sixth man to sign the roll and was commissioned lieutenant. In December following a conflict took place between the opposing forces, and the odious regime was practically over- thrown. On the ninth of the month a detachment of Captain Tin- ney's company, under command of Lieutenant Mulvihill, visited the residences of the officeholders, who had their records concealed in cellars and basements, and succeeded in finding and confiscating these county and city records which they bore to the court house and delivered to A. M. Paxton, Sr., and Harper Hunt, of the citi- zens' committee. It is needless to say that the occasion was a nota- ble one in the history of Vicksburg, the excitement running high at" the time. Mr. Mulvihill is disbursing postmaster for the R. F. D. service for the State of Mississippi. The postmaster general's de- partment requested that they be furnished with the complete de- scription of his system of bookkeeping employed at his office because of the fact that it was one of the most complete in use of any office in the United States-the system having been inaugurated by Mr. Mulvihill. His books have recently been audited (March, 1906) and were found to be in excellent condition. Because of his bookkeep- ing system he was given especial commendation. Mr. Mulvihill was one of seven children, only two of whom are living. Patrick W., his brother. is in the hardware business at Natchez. He has also been alderman of that city and is now city treasurer.
Murry, John Y., M. D., of Ripley, Tippah county, is a distinguished representative of his profession in Mississippi, where he has been engaged in practice for nearly sixty years, and he has been an honored and influential factor in the public and civic affairs of this commonwealth, where he has lived from his boyhood. The doctor was born in McNairy county, Tenn., May 6, 1829, and is a son of Abel Vance Murry, who was born in North Carolina, in 1791. Doctor Murry's father was a soldier in the Creek Indian war and also in the War of 1812, having served under General Jackson and having taken part in the battle of New Orleans. Through the maternal line he was of the family of which came Zebulon D. Vance, governor of North Carolina and United States senator, and Robert Vance, member of congress from the same State. In Wilkes county, Ga., Abel V. Murry was united in marriage to Miss Sallie McAlpin, in 1814, his wife having been a native of that State. He became a successful planter in Tennessee and was a member of the county court of Mc- Nairy county, that State. In 1835 he removed with his family to
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Tippah county, Miss., being one of its early settlers and here devel- oping a fine plantation. He was one of the members of the county court in the pioneer days and was influential in public affairs. At the time of his death he was enroute to Texas to which State he was moving. He died in Saline county, Arkansas, his wife having died in McNairy county, Tenn., when the subject of this sketch was only three years old. Doctor Murry secured his rudimentary education in the schools of Tippah county, where he was reared to maturity and where he has continuously made his home. He took a course in the medical department of the University of Louisville, Ky., in 1848-9, and in 1854-5 he attended a course of lectures in the cele- brated Jefferson medical college, in Philadelphia, from which he graduated in March, 1855, thus further fortifying himself for the practice of the profession in which he has attained to so eminent success within the long intervening years. He initiated his active professional work March 1, 1849, at Ripley, Miss., where he has ever since made his home and professional headquarters, holding the affec- tionate regard of the people among whom he has so faithfully and ably labored in his humane profession. Having been an uncompro- mising advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, his interest in public affairs has been of vital order and he has naturally been called to offices of distinction. He served as county treasurer from 1851 to 1855, inclusive; was then made county sheriff, holding the office until 1859; and he was a representative of his county in the State legislature in 1883-4. He served ten years as chairman of the Democratic executive committee of Tippah county and was a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1880, in Cincinnati. During the war between the States he was a loyal soldier of the Confederacy, having been captain of Company A, Thirty-fourth Mississippi infantry, with which he served in the army of Tennessee, under General Bragg. The doctor stands high in the time-honored Masonic fraternity, having been grand master of the Mississippi grand lodge in 1876-7, and grand high priest of the grand chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Mississippi in 1874-5. He is a valued member of the American medical association, whose conven- tions he has frequently attended as a delegate from his State. He was president of the Mississippi medical association in 1892-3, and in 1890 he was president of the Tri-State medical association of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. He is a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and was a delegate to its general conference in 1878, at Atlanta, Ga .; for forty years he has held membership in the church at Ripley. In 1849 Doctor Murry was united in marriage to Miss Emily Virginia Holcombe, daughter of Levi S. and Sallie A. (Whitlow) Holcombe, who were residents of Ripley at the time. Mrs. Murry's parents were native of South Carolina and were pioneer settlers of Marshall county, Miss., whence they later removed to Ripley, Mr. Holcombe having been a success- ful planter and merchant. Mrs. Murry was summoned to the life eternal in 1859 and was survived by four children, namely: Sallie, who is the wife of Col. J. W. T. Faulkner, a prominent lawyer of
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Oxford, Miss .; Dr. William M., a resident of Dumas, Tippah county ; Emily V , who is the wife of John S. Harris, of Ripley; and Elizabeth P., who is the widow of Dr. Enoch N. Hunt and is now (1906) serv- ing her fourth term as librarian of the University of Mississippi. In 1860 Doctor Murry married Miss Mary E. Miller, of Ripley, daughter of Rev. Charles P. and Sallie (Etter) Miller, who came from Tennessee to Mississippi, the former having been one of the pioneer clergymen of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, in this State. Doctor and the present Mrs. Murry have six children, concerning whom the following brief record is given: John Young, who is a leading mem- ber of the bar of Tippah county, is engaged in practice at Ripley, and was a member of the State legislature in 1890, and has served as secretary of the State senate consecutively since 1893; Mary Etter was graduated in Stonewall college, at Ripley, and remains at the parental home; Dr. Charles Miller, was graduated in Jefferson. medical college, Philadelphia, in 1890, and is now associated with his father in the practice of his profession-he served as a member of the State board of health from 1896 to 1900, having been appointed by Gov. McLaurin-Margaret T., who was educated at Whitworth female college, Brookhaven, Miss., is now the wife of Enoch R. Rich- ey, who is engaged in the drug business in Ripley; Anna McAlpin, who remains at home, is a graduate of the Ripley male and female college; and Julia M., a graduate of the University of Mississippi, is the wife of Robert A. Cox, a prominent banker and real estate owner and dealer of Hico, Tex.
Martin, E. J., one of the representative citizens and influential business men of Meridian, is a member of one of the sterling pioneer families of Mississippi, with whose history the name has been identi- fied for more than seventy years. He was born on the homestead plantation in Clarke county, Miss., on Sept. 16, 1854, being the only child of Norman and Eleanor (Chapman) Martin, both of whom were born in North Carolina. Norman Martin had previously married Anna Morrison, who bore seven children and who died in Georgia Of the children of the first marriage three are living. Mr. Martin came from Georgia to Mississippi about 1830 and located in Clarke county, where he became a successful planter and stock-grower, owning a large amount of land and about one hundred slaves prior to the Civil war. He was a man of distinctive honor and integrity and held the respect of all who knew him, while he was public-spirited in his attitude and a man of influence in his community, though never active in the domain of practical politics. He died in Clarke county in 1883 and his widow passed away, in Lauderdale county, in 1886, the former having been a member of the Methodist and the latter of the Baptist church. Mr. Martin was one of the board of commissioners of Lauderdale county at the time of its organization, having had landed interests here, since the same was originally a portion of Clarke county. E. J. Martin, whose name initiates this review, received his early training in the common schools of Clarke county and later was a student in Mississippi college, at Clinton. He assisted in the management of the home plantation until he had
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attained to the legal majority when he engaged in the same line of enterprise on his own responsibility, while he has ever since been identified with the agricultural interests of this section, being the owner of well improved plantations in Lauderdale, Clarke and Kemper counties, and also of other valuable realty, in Meridian and elsewhere. In 1880 he removed from his farm to Meridian, where he held the office of assistant postmaster until 1886, while he was ap- pointed to the office of postmaster in the second administration of President Cleveland, serving from 1892 to 1896. In 1886 Mr. Martin was one of the organizers of the Progress Manufacturing Company, later, the Martin Machine Works, which built up a large industry in the manufacturing of cotton and hay presses, engines, boilers and general lines of machinery and continued to serve as president of this company until 1902, when the business was sold to the present owners, the Wetherbee Brothers. Since retiring from the active administration of the affairs of this business, which was built up largely through his efforts, Mr. Martin has devoted his attention to the management of his farming interests, and in 1906 he organized the firm of E. J. Martin & Sons, engaged in general machinery and mill supply business giving special attention to the sale of portable saw mills. In politics Mr. Martin is a conservative Democrat, and he has shown a loyal interest in public affairs in his State and county. For nine consecutive years he served as a member of the city council of Meridian, and was president of same. For four years he admin- istered the fiscal affairs of Lauderdale county in the capacity of treasurer, and he has been given other testimonials of popular con- fidence and regard. He has served as delegate to county, congres- sional and State conventions of his party, and the interest of the party cause have been closely a matter of concern to him, while liberality and progressive ideas have ever characterized him as a citizen and business man. Both he and his wife are valued members of the Baptist church, and in a fraternal way he has attained to the thirty-second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Masonry, in which time honored fraternity he is an enthusiastic devotee and one prominent in the various departments of the York and Scottish Rite bodies. He is past master of his lodge, grand senior warden of Mississippi, past high priest of his chapter, thrice illustrious master of the council, past eminent commander of the commandery of Knights Templars, past potentate in the temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, while he has held office in the various bodies of the Scottish Rite. He was a promi- nent delegate to the triennial conclave of Knights Templars held in the city of San Francisco in September, 1904, in which connection he had the management of the excursion trains which transported the Mississippi delegation to the coast. He has been five times elected a member of the imperial council of the Mystic Shrine in North America. In November, 1874, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Jennie McLemore, a daughter of Capt. Caleb H. and Louise (Smith) McLemore, well known citizens of Lauderdale county. Cap- tain Mclemore was a valiant defender of the Confederate cause in
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the Civil war, having been captain of his company in the Thirty- seventh Mississippi infantry and serving during the entire course of the war, while he took part in every battle in which his command was engaged, including the battles around Corinth and in the Georgia campaign from Dalton as well as the battles of Franklin, Nashville and Shiloh. He enlisted as a lieutenant of the company, and when its captain was killed in the first battle in which it was engaged, Captain Mclemore assumed command and remained at the head of his company until the close of the war. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have five children: Percy L., Louisiana agent for E. J. Martin & Sons, re- sides in Monroe, La .; Edwin M., a traveling salesman, resides in Meridian; Mary is the wife of John R. Moore, who is engaged in the commission business in Meridian; Robert E. is associated with his father in the machinery business, and Hugh S. is attending school.
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