USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume IV > Part 68
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As a boy Dr. Abraham G. Jones had the in- spiration of the example and service of his houored father to give him high ideals of what constitute a worthy life. He lived on his father's planta- tion, attended the rural schools, and also attended the school taught by Professor Baldwin at Bethania. His family had been actively identified with the Moravian Church for many generations and for his higher education he was sent to the old school maintained by that denomination at Nazareth Hall in Pennsylvania.
A boy of eighteen, Doctor Jones enlisted Sep- tember 4, 1862, in Company K of the Fifth North Carolina Cavalry. He was mustered into the serv- ice as a corporal and subsequently was promoted to sergeant. For a few months he and his comrades were stationed in the eastern part of North Caro- lina, and during that time Doctor Jones was cap- tured by the enemy and was confined as a prisoner of war at Newbern, for several weeks until paroled. On being exchanged he joined his command which in the meantime had gone to Virginia. His regi- ment was commanded by General Gordon and was attached to the famous cavalry corps of General Stuart. Doctor Jones remained with his regiment in all its movements and had many arduous ex- periences as a soldier. In the fight at Chamber- lain's Run he was wounded, being hit by a ball that furrowed its way through the right side of his neck. He was sent to the hospital at Danville, and was still in the hospital when his command surrendered. He had left his horse in care of a friend and recovered it and rode home and was granted his parole at Greensboro. Doctor Jones has carefully preserved many interesting me- mentoes of his war service and of the war in gen- eral. Among others he has the parole paper and also a revolver and leather girdle captured from a Union soldier and a leather cartridge box.
His first work after the war was on the farm,. but a year later he turned his attention to the study of medicine. One course of lectures he took in the University of Virginia and then going to New York City entered the University of New York, from which he was graduated M. D. in the spring of 1868. Doctor Jones practiced at Bethania a. year, spent several months in Texas and on re- turning to North Carolina located permanently at Walnut Cove, from which town he has looked after his widening interests as a practitioner for over forty-five years. He possesses many of the characteristics and abilities of his honored father and is greatly beloved by his wide circle of friends and professional patrons.
Doctor Jones was married in 1876 to Nannie E. Dalton. Mrs. Jones was born at Dalton in Stokes County, North Carolina, a daughter of David Nicholas and Melissa (Rives) Dalton and a grand-
Seo A Smathers
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daughter of Absolum B. and Nancy (Poindexter) Dalton. Her maternal grandfather was William Rives, a prominent planter of Chatham County, North Carolina.
Doctor and Mrs. Jones have seven children : Margaret Melissa, Fannie Louise, Annie Kate, Abe Dalton, Beverly Nicholas, Nannie Ella, and Robert Rives. Margaret is the wife of L. H. Smith and has a daughter Frances Patterson. Fannie L. married Norman Stone.
Doctor Jones besides his large private practice is local surgeon for the Norfolk & Western and the Southern Railway companies. He is a mem- ber of the Stokes County and the North Carolina State Medical societies and the American Medical Association, and fraternally is affiliated with Wal- nut Cove Lodge Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, and Norfleet Camp of United Confederate Veterans.
GEORGE HENRY SMATHERS was admitted to the bar in June, 1881. With ability out of the ordi- nary, with the greatest of industry and most com- plete fidelity he has in the years since his admis- sion represented increasingly important interests entrusted to his charge, has served private clients and the larger public welfare with equal devo- tion, and has a record that may without hesita- tion he placed side by side with the foremost lawyers in North Carolina.
Mr. Smathers was born in Buncombe County near the Haywood County line on January 29, 1854. His family has been in this section of North Carolina for several generations. Grandfather George Smathers was born in what then was Buncombe County, but is now Haywood County. His father, John C. Smathers, was born in Hay- wood County February 15, 1826. His mother was Lucilla E. Johnson, a native of Haywood County and daughter of Harry Johnson, who moved to Haywood County when he was ten years of age. His father and mother were married during the year 1847, and moved to the place which has since been so well known as Turn- pike, midway between Asheville and Waynesville, where they lived until their death, except an in- terval between the years 1872-6, when they lived at Waynesville. His mother died at the old home- place at Turnpike on May 5, 1911, and his father died there on July 21, 1918, and when he died he was ninety-two years, five months and six days old, and among the old inhabitants he was one of the best known men in Western North Caro- lina, as he had in former years been an active business man.
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George H. Smathers was educated in the public schools and at Sand Hill Academy, and was pre- pared for the bar in the famous law school of Dick & Dillard at Greensboro. On his admission he located at Waynesville, where he engaged in active practice until he moved to Asheville about eight years ago.
Mr. Smathers gained special fame by his work in perfecting the title to the lands of the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians in Jackson, Swain, Gra- ham and Cherokee counties, N. C. He was ap- pointed special assistant United States attorney by Attorney-General Miller during President Har- rison's administration, and specially charged with the litigation prosecuted by the United States in behalf of the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians vs. Wm. H. Thomas and about two hundred other defendants in the two suits respectively, of the
Eastern band of Cherokee Indians vs. Wm. H. Thomas and others, and the United States vs. Wm. H. Thomas and others, then pending in the U. S. Circuit Court for the Western District of North Carolina, and his work was so satisfactory, that although a republican, he was continued in charge of this litigation by Attorney-General Olney under President Cleveland's second term, and by succeeding administrations until the title of the Indians was perfected in 1902. After the pleadings had been filed against the numerous defendants in the suits, Mr. Smathers was called
on by Attorney-General Olney for a report as to the status of the two suits, and Mr. Smathers accordingly made his report and recommended that inasmuch as it appeared to him that it would take many years to settle the title to the Indian lands by litigation, that in justice to the Indians, he deemed it advisable to try and effect a compro- mise with the numerous defendants in the suits. Mr. Olney authorized Mr. Smathers to proceed to try and effect a compromise with the defendants along the lines outlined in his report, and Mr. Smathers accordingly went to work and effected compromise with the different defendants by pay- ing to them a stated sum of money for their interest in the lands claimed by them, and com- promise agreements were entered into between the United States and the defendants, and Congress made the necessary appropriations from time to time to carry the same into effect, and compro- mise judgments and decrees of the court were entered in the two suits from time to time from the year 1894 up to the year 1902, when the title of the Indians was perfected to about 100,000 acres of land in the counties above mentioned, and the defendants surrendered possession thereof to the Indians. The work done by Mr. Smathers in perfecting the title to the Indians proved en- tirely satisfactory to the United States, the Indians and the defendants.
Mr. Smathers has attained an enviable place in the bar of his home state largely through his own efforts. His education was practically self di- rected from the time he was fourteen years of age. Another important achievement with which Mr. Smathers may be credited, was the work he did in helping to secure the Champion Fibre Com- pany to establish its large pulp and acid plants at Canton, N. C., and since the establishment of the same, he has been the attorney for this company. The pulp mill when established was said to be the largest in the world. For some twenty years Mr. Smathers has largely specialized in land title work.
He served as mayor of Waynesville in 1886-7, and in 1896 was elected state senator from the Thirty-third District, then comprising Buncombe, Madison and Haywood counties, which elected two senators. Major W. W. Rollins, former postmaster of Asheville, North Carolina, was his colleague. Mr. Smathers served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his term in the State Senate. For a number of years he practiced law as the head of the firm of Smathers & Crawford, has partner being Hon. William Thomas Crawford, who represented the Tenth North Carolina Dis- trict in Congress for many years.
Mr. Smathers is now and has been attorney for the Champion Fibre Company since its organiza- tion in 1904, and on account of the large amount of legal work required of him by this company, he surrendered the general practice sometime ago, and now gives his time exclusively to the work of
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this company, reserving only such time as is neces- sary to take care of the work of clients that he had on hand, and his private business.
January 6, 1892, Mr. Smathers married Daisy Rice, of Montgomery, Alabama, daughter of Samuel F. Rice, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, at the age of thirty- three years. Mr. and Mrs. Smathers have one child, Ellen Rice Smathers, born July 30, 1893, and who was married September 5, 1913, to Alli- son Cady Clough of Warren, Pennsylvania. Mr. Clough entered the United States Forestry Service with the army division of that service, and was sent to France in December, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Clough have one son, Allison Cady Clough, Jr., born November 17, 1914.
Mr. George H. Smathers among other business associations is president and general manager of the Brevard Land & Timber Company.
THOMAS S. EANES. The City of Lexington credits Mr. Eanes with having supplied much of the enterprise and business progress of that com- munity and he is a man of affairs and has built up and developed the Lexington Ice and Coal Com- pany, an incorporation which is regarded as a pub- lic utility. Mr. Eanes is secretary and treasurer of this company.
He was born on a farm near Mocksville in Davie County, North Carolina. His grandfather Washington Eanes was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and spent his entire life in that state. He combined the ministry of the Primitive Baptist Church with school teaching. He married a Miss Parrish, also a lifelong resident of Virginia. They had seven sons named Holbrook, Preston, Toplady, Robert, Osborne, John and Arthur Clay. Their daughters bore the names of Mary, Martha, Eliza- beth and Susan. The son Robert died while a soldier in the Confederate Army.
Arthur Clay Eanes, father of Thomas S., was born in Henry County, Virginia, acquired a good education, and as a young man assisted his father in teaching work. Later he removed to Davie County, North Carolina, and became overseer of the Peter Hairston Farm. On account of disability he was exempt from service in the army during the war. After the war he bought a farm near Mocks- ville, and became a very successful tobacco raiser and was noted as an expert in curing the leaf. His home was on his farm in Davie County until his death at the age of seventy-one. He married a Miss Shackelford, who was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, daughter of John and Nancy (Shelton) Shackelford, also natives of Virginia who removed to Davie County, North Carolina, where they spent their last years. Mrs. Arthur C. Eanes had six brothers named Terry, Tavener, James, Rufus, John and William, all of whom were loyal defenders of the South at the time of the war between the states. Her brother John was severely wounded and granted a furlough, return- ing home and dying a few weeks later. All the other brothers died in the army while away from home. Mrs. Arthur C. Eanes died at the age of forty-three. Her children were: John, who died in infancy; Susan, who became the wife of Noah Rouse; James G., a resident of Roanoke, Virginia ; William, who died in Davie County, North Caro- lina, at the age of forty-nine; Emma, wife of Borden Foster; Robert, who died in Roanoke, Vir- ginia; Ada Augusta, who married A. M. Nesse; Thomas S .; Charles, who died in infancy.
Thomas S. Eanes had to be content with such
advantages as were supplied by the district schools during his boyhood, and he spent much of his time working on the farm. On leaving the homestead he entered an apprenticeship with James H. Coley at Mocksville and learned the trade of brick mason. After an apprenticeship of three years, he went to Edgefield, South Carolina, and was em- ployed by D. K. Cecil, a prominent contractor for three years. At the end of that time he was ad- mitted to a partnership in 1899, and the firm did a large business in contracting for all classes of building work until 1903. In that year Mr. Eanes left the partnership and located at Lexington, where he continued the contracting business alone until 1907.
In that year he established yards and headquart- ers for handling wood, coal and ice. At first he shipped in large quantities of ice to supply the- demand for the local community, but in 1914 erected a modern, completely equipped artificial plant, with a capacity for manufacturing all the. ice consumed in Lexington and over a wide terri- tory. From this plant is now distributed ice both for the local demand and for outside towns and communities and in order that his equipment and capital may not lie idle in the winter season he uses them for the fuel business. Mr. Eanes is also. treasurer of the Davidson County Creamery Company.
In 1897 he married Miss Rebecca Cecil, who was born in Lexington, North Carolina, daughter of Samuel and Cornelia (Burke) Cecil. Mr. and Mrs. Eanes are the parents of eight children: Cecil Clay, Thomas S., Jr., Samuel Stanford, Catherine. Cornelia, Charles Raymond, Ralph H., Robert Lee, while William P. died in infancy. The family are all active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Mr. Eames is affiliated with Lex- ington Lodge No. 473 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Lexington Chapter No. 35 Royal Arch Masons, Lexington Council No. 21 Junior Order- United American Mechanics, Lodge No. 71 of the Knights of Pythias and the Patriotic Sons of America. While he has been too busy to take an active part in politics, he has always performed his. duty at the polls as a voter and gave two years as a member of the Lexington Board of Aldermen.
BROOKE GWATHMEY EMPIE. About the time he. completed his literary studies Brooke Gwathmey Empie was called home by the death of his f ther, . and for nearly twenty years applied himself to. various business affairs before taking up the study and the practice of law. Since then lie has been recognized as one of the leading members of the Wilmington bar, and has also made a most ( dit- able record in public service.
He was born at Wilmington November 8, 1856, a son of Adam and Virginia (Gwathmey) Fmpie. His father was for many years a successful law- yer at Wilmington. The son attended private. schools, the Colston Military Academy, the Bethel Military Academy at Warrenton, Virginia, and at the end of his four years course was graduated in 1876.
The death of his father occurred about that time, and in 1878 he entered the service of the Bank of New Hanover at Wilmington as mes- senger. Enthusiasm and diligence in his work have been the characteristics of Mr. Empie's career throughout. He was promoted teller in the bank, and filled that position until 1885. For the next six or seven years he was in the cotton ex- port business. An important service he rendered
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the cotton industry was his efforts to secure equi- table freight rates for the small shippers of cotton, and he busied himself with this matter for some time during the year 1893. For three years Mr. Empie was connected with the Standard Oil Com- pany at Lynchburg, Virginia.
In the meantime he had begun the study of law, and spent the year 1897-98 in the law de- partment of the University of North Carolina. He was graduated in June, 1898, and in the mean- time, in the preceding February, had been li. sed to practice. Since then he has enjoyed a high standing at the Wilmington bar.
In 1905 Mr. Empie was elected a member of the State Senate from the district comprising New Hanover and Brunswick counties, and his con- stituency returned him to the office in 1909. For the term 1915-16 he was elected recorder " the Criminal Court in Wilmington City and New Hanover county, and in that position he also has civil jurisdiction in contracts comprehending all claims recognizable by justices of the peace up to the value of $1,000 and torts up to $500.
Mr. Empie has been a member of the Alpha Tau Omega college fraternity since 1876. His church is the St. James Episcopal.
On September 5, 1905, he married Mary Allen Poisson.
JOHN COLUMBUS HAMMACK, M. D. After gradu- ating from the College of Physicians and Sur- geons in 1895, Doctor Hammack located for prac- tice at Walkertown, and his reputation and serv- ice have beeu constantly increasing in the suc- cessive years. Doctor Hammack is a physician and surgeon of high qualifications, and in his profes- sional career he has measured up to the high at- tainments of the family ever since it became iden- tified with this part of Western North Carolina.
Doctor Hammack was born on a farm iu Kern- ersville Township of Forsyth County, a son of Thomas B. Hammack, a grandson of John Ham- mack, and a great-grandson of the original immi- grant of the family. The great-grandfather was a native of England and on coming to America settled in Culpeper County, Virginia. Doctor Hammack 's grandfather, John Hammack, was born at Culpeper, Virginia, and as a young man came to North Carolina and bought a tract of land in Middle Fork Township of Forsyth County. This land he operated with the aid of his slaves and he lived there prosperous and contented until his death at the age of eighty-three. He was twice married. By his first wife he had three children named Robert, Elizabeth and Martha. For his second wife he married Emily Wilkerson, who was a lifelong resident of North Carolina and died at the age of seventy-nine. Her five children were named Thomas B., John Henry, James A., George W. and Nancy.
Thomas B. Hammack, father of Doctor Ham- mack, was born in Middle Fork Township of Forsyth County in 1838. He grew up on the farm and during the war between the states of the Confederate government assigned him to one of the factories for the, manufacture of salpetre, which was extensively used in the manufacture of ammunition. Upon leaving his father's home he bought land in Kernersville Township, lived there many years, and finally sold and bought another place in Salem Chapel Township. There he was successfully engaged in general farming until after the death of his wife and he is now spending his declining years in the home of his son, Doctor
Hammack. Thomas B. Hammack married Adeline Young, who was born in Forsyth County. Her father, Jesse Young, was born in Stokes County, North Carolina, and was the son of a native Englishman, who on coming to America located along the Dan River near the mouth of Town Creek in North Carolina. There he improved a farm and made it his home until his death. Jesse Young bought land near the present site of Dennis in Forsyth County, and was a general farmer and before the war used his slaves to cultivate his crops. His death occurred there at the age of eighty-three. Jesse Young married Anna Young, who died when in her ninety-ninth year. She reared six children named Rebecca, J. Davis, Pau- line, Mary, Adeline and James. Mrs. Adeline Hammack died in 1911, the mother of two sons, Dr. John Columbus and Jesse Davis.
Doctor Hammack acquired his early education in the district schools, subsequently attended Dal- ton Institute and Liberty Institute. For four years he was a teacher and then entered the rail- way mail service. After six months he became discontented with that work and sought a better means of using his talents to advantage. Taking up the study of medicine he attended lectures in the Baltimore College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he was graduated M. D. in 1895 and in the same year located at Walkertown. Doctor Ham- mack has always kept up with the progress of his profession and has associated with prominent men in the profession and has also made use of medi- cal literature to keep himself well informed. He was a member of the Forsyth County, the North Carolina State Medical societies and the Southern Medical Association and the American Medical Association. Fraternally he is affiliated with Lodge No. 449, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at Winston-Salem. He is an active mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Mrs. Hammack is a member of the Baptist Church. Doctor Hammack was married in 1898 to Olive Fiddler. She was born in Winston-Salem, daughter of William H. and Fannie (Charles) Fiddler. They have two children, William Thomas and Annie.
WALTER EDWARD YOPP. One of the old and re- liable business houses of Wilmington is the under- taking establishment of Walter Edward Yopp, which has been favorably known to the people of this city since 1893. Mr. Yopp has been a lifelong resident of Wilmington, and not only has a substan- tial reputation as an honorable man of business, but is widely known in fraternal circles, particu- larly in connection with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
Walter E. Yopp was born at Wilmington, North Carolina, June 20, 1860, and is a son of Samuel Larkins and Georgiana (Reaves) Yopp. His father, who was a cabinet maker by vocation, was engaged for a number of years in the undertaking business, and was a citizen who was respected and esteemed by the people of his community. The education of Walter E. Yopp was secured in the Wilmington public schools, after leaving which he entered upon his business career as a funeral director and the business has since been developed along lines that mako it a necessary commercial asset. Mr. Yopp has installed the most modern equipment for the reverent care of the dead, and his house is up-to- date and complete in all its appointments. He is secretary and treasurer of the Bellview Cemetery Company. A number of other business interests
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have attracted his abilities, and he is a director of the Co-Operative Building and Loan Association.
Mr. Yopp has been a prominent figure in the public life of Wilmington, having served as alder- man for four terms, or eight years. In 1912 he was elected a member of the Board of County Commissioners, and in 1916 was elected for another four-year term, his public services having been of the highest character. As a fraternalist he belongs to Wilmington Lodge Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Woodmen of the World, the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, the Improved Order of Red Men, and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. Of this latter order he was the founder at Wilmington, and has represented the local lodge in the grand lodge of the state for nineteen years. He is a progressive and honorable business man and a citizen who has always been ready to do his share in advancing the interests of Wilmington and its people.
On April 29, 1891, Mr. Yopp was married to Miss Emma H. Donnelly, and they are the parents of three children: Varina A., Emma Donnelly and Walter Edward, Jr. With his family Mr. Yopp belongs to the Fifth Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a member of the board of trustees.
CHARLES EUGENE MCINTOSH is a teacher by pro- fession, is now superintendent of the city schools of Hickory, Catawba County, and by his achieve- ments and attainments has gained a first rank among the school men of North Carolina.
It is a work in which he is well qualified both by talents and experience. He began teaching in early youth, acquired his liberal education in the intervals of schoolroom work, and has adapted and coordinated his individual training to the best ad- vantage of his professional career. He is of the energetic and progressive type of educators who is helping his native state to realize the vastly in- creased responsibilities of the school system in its relation to the wholesome and thorough training and equipment of the youth of the country.
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