USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume VI > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104
In 1907 Mr. McLean married Ada M. Thomas, who was born in Guilford County, daughter of John and Fannic ( Andrews) Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. McLean have five children: Fannie Narcissus, Thomas Irving, Ada Margaret, Robert William and J. C. McLean. Mrs. McLean is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Frater- nally Mr. McLean is affiliated with Greensboro Lodge No. 602, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Buena Vista Lodge No. 21, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Greensboro Lodge No. 80, Knights of Pythias.
WILLIAMS SPICER, M. D. While for a number of years Doctor Spicer practiced in the general field of medicine in Wayne County, he has during the past four years devoted all his time and energy to surgery, a department in which his natural talents and experience give him a place of special rank among North Carolina surgeons. He not only enjoys a large private practice but has recently given to Goldsboro a hospital which the people of that community regard as one of their most valuable institutions.
Doctor Spicer was born at Goldsboro, North Carolina, May 7, 1878, a son of Dr. John Daniels and Emma Fredora (Williams) Spicer. He took up the same profession that his father had digni- fied, and after his education in Davidson College became a student in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York City. While there he served one year as house physician, and after returning to North Carolina gave his time for fifteen years to general practice and surgery. Even at the begin- ning his special skill in surgery was recognized and the growing demands made upon him as a surgeon work as a general practitioner. In January, 1914, Doctor Spicer built Spicer's Sanitarium, a fine modern hospital, with twenty-five beds and a nurses' training school, in which the class usually averages ten.
Doctor Spicer was formerly city and county physician and a member of the county board of health, and has always maintained active rela- tions with the local, state and national medical societies, and also belongs to the Seaboard Associa- tion of Surgeons.
Doctor Spicer is a member of the Algonquin Club and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He married Miss Ruth Gold, of Wilson, North Carolina.
LYNN BANKS WILLIAMSON is efficiently carry- ing many responsibilities in connection with the great cotton mill industry in Alamance County, and most of his experiences and industrial con- nections have been with the Holt & Williamson mills in and around Graham.
Mr. Williamson was born in Caswell County, North Carolina, July 23, 1872, son of John Wil- liams and Virginia Frances (Williamson) William- son. His father was in the tobacco business. The son had a public school education, as a boy worked in a tobacco factory, and at the age of sixteen went into the cotton mills as a clerk, afterwards turning to the practical side of that industry, and has a thorough knowledge of both the technical and business details. Mr. Williamson is secre- tary-treasurer and general manager of the E. M. Holt Plaid Mills, is secretary-treasurer and gen- eral manager of the L. Banks Holt Manufacturing Company, and is also connected with the cotton mills known as the Oneida, Carolina, Belmont and Alamance. He is a director in the Alamance Loan and Trust Company.
Mr. Williamson also takes a prominent and public spirited part in local and state affairs and is enrolled for war service as chairman of the county board of defense and food administration. He is also former alderman of Burlington. Mr.
118
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Williamson and family reside at Graham, and he is deacon of the Presbyterian Church of that city.
November 21, 1907, he married Eleanor Virginia Farish, of Caswell County. They have one child, Eleanor Virginia.
CLARENCE OETTINGER. Though only forty years from his birth, Clarence Oettinger has already accomplished those things which ambitious m. n strive to emulate. He is one of Lenoir County 's most substantial and successful men.
Mr. Oettinger was born at Kinston December 14, 1876, a son of Abe and Bertha (Rosenthal) Oettinger. His father was a Kinston merchant. Clarence Oettinger attended a private school con- ducted by Morson & Denson at Raleigh and also had a business college course at Baltimore, Mary- land. Almost his first practical business experi- ence was as a telegraph operator, but he soon joined his father in the general merchandise busi- ness. Since 1907 he has been an active factor in the real estate and insurance field at Kinston. Mr. Oettinger is secretary and treasurer of the Kinston Insurance & Realty Company; is secre- tary and treasurer of the Carolina Land and De- velopment Company; secretary and treasurer of the Mutual Building and Loan Association; sec- retary and treasurer of the Southern Drainage and Construction Company and a director of the Farmers and Merchants Bank at Kinston. With all these duties he still finds time to serve as auditor of Lenoir County and is a director of the Chamber of Commerce and the Kinston Fair Association. His only fraternal connection is with the Woodmen of the World.
Mr. Oettinger was married August 10, 1904, to Miss Mamie Dawson, of Kinston, daughter of John H. Dawson. They have one child, Marion.
THOMAS GARDNER HYMAN. The city of New- bern has a group of as live, enterprising and successful business men as any community of its size in the State of North Carolina. One of these, and one of the controllers of the destiny of a number of business concerns, is Thomas Gardner Hyman, who has been identified with it for the greater part of his career.
Mr. Hyman was born in New York City April 8, 1870, a son of Theodore Ballard and Anna Capers (Gardner) Hyman, both North Carolinians. His father was an industrial executive, and for many years was identified with rice milling and the lumber industry.
Thomas G. Hyman spent his early youth at Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he attended the high school. Later he was a student in Davidson College, and also had a business course at Bryant & Stratton Business College, Baltimore.
For three years he was associated with his father in the lumber business; but in 1894 he moved to Newbern, buying an interest in J. J. Disosway & Company 's machinery and mill supply business. In a few years he personally bought out this com- pany, and in 1897 he organized the Hyman Sup- ply Company of Newbern, of which he is presi- dent. This business grew rapidly under his man- agement, and soon he saw the necessity for larger fields, so he organized the Hyman Supply Com- pany of Wilmington, North Carolina, and this company, too, is making marked success under his guidance.
Mr. Hyman also organized the Craven Foundry and Machine Company, of which he is secretary and treasurer. He is vice president of the Caro-
lina Brick Company at Kinston, and president and organizer of the Newbern Ford Company. He also organized the Newbern Cotton Oil and Fertilizer Mills and remained with the institution for three years as secretary and treasurer.
He was the first secretary of the Newbern Chamber of Commerce, and has filled the office of president and vice president of this organization. He has also been a member of the city council and is a director of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad. He belongs to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, is a trustee of the First Presbyterian Church, is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, and also belongs to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fra- ternity and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He has been chairman of the Craven County exemption board since its organization.
Mr. Hyman's life has been a busy one, with his many business interests to demand his attention, but he has always found time to take active part in every undertaking for the good of his city, state or nation.
To the charitable organizations of Newbern he is of inestimable value, being at all times ready to aid them financially or to give them wise counsel in the conduct of their affairs.
His many acts of kindness are never known to the outside world, but one who knows him well has aptly said of him: "The predominating char- acteristic of Thomas Gardner Hyman is his inces- sant desire to help those less fortunate than himself.''
Mr. Hyman was married May 1, 1892, to Miss Elizabeth Sloan of Greensboro, who died in Janu- ary, 1894, leaving one child, Elizabeth Sloan. On December 6, 1897, he married Harriett Bryan Lane, of Newbern. There is also one child of this union, Laura Bryan.
MURDO EUGENE STREET, M. D. A physician, surgeon, planter and prominent resident of Moore County, the work of Doctor Street which is of most public interest was his connection and in- fluence in the founding and development of the State Sanatorium for Tuberculosis in Hoke County. It was the loss of a beloved brother that turned Doctor Street's energies and studies to methods for combating the white plague. His brother Dr. Charles Street, was graduated in medicine in 1896 from the University College of Medicine at Richmond and died the same year he was grad- uated. This untimely death from tuberculosis led his brother to make a very thorough and exhaus- tive study and investigation of that disease. He read everything that was published on the sub- ject and is today accounted one of the leading authorities on tuberculosis in the state. From grief over his personal loss he came to a broad realization of the fact that a tremendous waste of human life was going on which in many cases could be prevented by a sufficiently early diag- nosis and treatment, and he read numerous papers before the State Medical Society and different associations on this subject.
A classmate in medical college of Dr. Charles Street was Dr. J. E. Brooks of Greensboro. They were furthermore attached by intimate ties of friendship, and the death was a deep personal sorrow also to Doctor Brooks. Thus Doctor Brooks and Doctor Street acquired a mutual sym- pathy and interest on the subject of tuberculosis, and they frequently discussed projects and plans for a state institution for tubercular patients. The result was that under Doctor Brooks' active
M.Eugene Street 74.8.
119
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
leadership and Doctor Street's co-operation the present state sanatorium was established in Hoke County.
At a critical period in its early history, when it was in danger of being neglected and possibly abandoned because of the vagaries of state politics, Doctor Street at a great sacrifice of his own prac- tice and his business interests at home went to the sanatorium and remained there more than a year in charge of its affairs. He managed it so effi- ciently, and at the same time exercised such in- fluence on educating the general public to a knowl- edge of the value of the sanatorium that he was enabled to secure a greatly increased appropria- tion from the State Legislature, and thencefor- ward it was on a basis of permanency as a state institution and has from time to time been af- forded larger facilities and means with which to uphold its high standard of usefulness. It is now recognized as one of the best institutions of its kind in the South and is the pride of all North Carolinians.
Murdo Eugene Street was born on the planta- tion where he now lives in 1866, son of Richard and Candace (Phillips) Street, both now deceased. His father was also born on the old Street planta- tion, which has been the home of this branch of the family since the latter part of the eigh- teenth century. The Street family is of English origin. Doctor Street's ancestors first settled in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1630. A later branch of the family moved to Virginia, where Doctor Street's grandfather, Richard Street, was born. Richard Street came to North Carolina between 1790 and 1800. He married Ann McQueen, daugh- ter of Murdoch McQueen, a Scotch laird of great possessions who came to America in his own ship and established a colony of Scotch in North Car- olina. Ann McQueen was born in Scotland and was twelve years old when brought to America. Her brother, Hugh McQueen, whose name appears in the records of North Carolina as one of its early attorney-generals, left his profession in this state and went to Texas in 1835, joining the Americans in their war for independence. He served under Gen. Sam Houston and was killed in one of the battles of that struggle.
Doctor Street's mother was the daughter of Rev. Louis Phillips, a local Methodist minister. She was the niece of Rev. Charles H. Phillips, a regular minister of the North Carolina Conference. Her brother, the late Rev. B. C. Phillips, was also prominent in the Methodist Church and at the time of his death was pastor of the Trinity Metho- dist Church at Durham.
During the war between the states Richard Street, father of Doctor Street, went out with the first company of volunteers from Moore County, under the command of Captain Martin. This com- pany became part of Vance's famous regiment, the Twenty-sixth North Carolina. He served in the army with a creditable record throughout the war, beginning as first sergeant, and was soon made quartermaster of the regiment.
The Street plantation where Doctor Street was born and where he now lives is on the Deep River in Deep River Township in the extreme north- eastern part of Moore County, a mile east of the rresent Village of Glendon on the Norfolk & Southern Railway. For years it has been one of the large centers of production of agricultural commodities in that soction of the state and com- prises' a landed area of about 1.500 acres.
Doctor Street received his early education in
the local schools and took his medical work in the Medical College of Virginia and the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore. He was graduated from the latter institution in 1893 and has since been engaged in general practice in his home community at Glendon. He has taken numerous post-graduate courses in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, and his work in the gen- eral branches of the profession apart from the service he rendered the Tuberculosis Sanatorium entitles him to high rank in the North Carolina medical fraternity. He is a member of the Moore County Medical Society, North Carolina Medical Society, Tri-State Medical Society, American Medi- cal Association and the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. In politics he is a democrat. Doctor Street married Miss Ollie Brewer of Chatham County. They are the parents of eight children. Helen, Lillian, Ida, Ruth, Flora, Murdo Eugene, Jr., Candace and Elizabeth.
Doctor Street's latest idea is to free the chil- dren, both white and colored, of the South from the slavery of cotton production below legitimate cost. Various laws have freed them from the slavery of cotton manufacture, but the most cry- ing need is to free the children from producing cheap cotton. As an economic factor the very greatest drawback to the South today is working the women and children in cotton production. This inevitably keeps the wage scale so low that legitimate labor prices cannot be paid for cotton production, is the claim of Doctor Street.
GEORGE F. NEWMAN is one of the successful business men of Greensboro, and has lifted him- self through his own energies and talents to a successful position, though he began as a green country boy at wages that would hardly pay his board.
Mr. Newman was born on a farm in Sumner Township of Guilford County, and is a great- grandson of Joseph Newman, a grandson of Hampton Newman, who was born in the same township, and a son of Junius H. Newman, who was born at the same locality in Guilford County in 1850. The grandfather bought a farm in Sum- ner Township and was a general farmer there until his death about 1853. He married Diana Hod- gin, also a native of Sumner Township. At the death of her husband she was left a widow with four small children, and she played a noble part in keeping them together, in superintending the activities of the farm and seeing that her children were educated and situated in good homes of their own.
Junius H. Newman grew up on the home farm and finally succeeded to ownership of part of the estate. He still lives there, is in comfortable cir- cumstances, and has always made his lot that of an agriculturist. He married Anna Cordelia Swig- gett. She was born in Sumner Township, daugh- ter of George Washington and Martitia (Safright) Swiggett. They reared four children, three of whom are still living, George F., Henry L. and William O.
George F. Newman spent his early life on the farm, had a country school education, and was not yet nineteen years old when he left the country to become clerk in a grocery store at Greensboro. His employers valued his services at the beginning at $3.25 per week. He remained with them, getting experience, for a year and a half, and then took a more responsible position with the Southern Rail-
120
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
road Company and was in the railroad service for seven years. During the latter part of that time he was cashier. In 1905 he was elected secretary of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, but after two years resigned to organize the Newman Ma- chine Company, a local industry which he has brought to a high degree of success and has made one of the important concerns of the city. He has always been active head and president of the company.
In 1901 Mr. Newman married Nellie Pearl Simth, who was born in Guilford County, daugh- ter of Sidney N. and Ellen Smuth. Mr. and Mrs. Newman have a son, George F., Jr. The family are members of St. Andrews Episcopal Church at Greensboro, in which Mr. Newman is a vestryman.
WILLIAM BRICE STUART. Too often a man's usefulness and opportunity for service in the world are limited to his special vocation and business. Some few men break through the re- strictions that tie them to their daily tasks and express their talents and the results of their experience to the lasting good and benefit of their fellow men.
A case in point is William Brice Stuart, man- ager of the Postal Telegraph Company at Char- lotte. Mr. Stuart is an old time as well as a modern telegrapher, and has been identified with the commercial phases of that business for many years. The scientific knowledge gained by many years of experience he has utilized in connection with his deep and sincere interest in his fellow man, by going on to the lecture platform, and has been heard as an entertainer and instructor in a large number of churches, Young Men's Chris- tian Associations and schools throughout the state.
Mr. Stuart was born at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina, in 1869, son of James H. and Sarah (McAllester) Stuart, both now de- ceased. His father, a native of Scotland, was a graduate of several universities and became prominent as an educator and linguist. He taught in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and other British cities, and on coming to America located at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina, where he continued teaching several years. Many people of middle age in that county went to school to him and have a grateful memory of this educator and scholar and express the highest appreciation of his talents and ability as well as his sterling and lofty character.
William Brice Stuart grew up and received his education in Winnsboro. Like many boys he had an early inclination for telegraphy, and with him it became the means of a permanent voca- tion. He learned the art in a local railroad office, and for several years was a telegrapher with railroad companies. He then went into the commercial telegraphy field and for over thirty years has been active in that line as operator, office manager and district manager. For twenty- three years he was with the Western Union Com- pany. His last position with that company was as manager of the office at Savannah, Georgia. He was also manager of the Athens, Macon and Atlanta offices of the Western Union in Georgia. Since transferring his services to the Postal Tele- graph and Cable Company he has been manager at Ashville and Raleigh, North Carolina, Colum- bia, South Carolina, and in 1916 came to Char- lotte, where he is manager of the Charlotte office and a large district embraced in the Charlotte territory.
Mr. Stuart is a thoroughly practical and thor- oughly trained telegraph man. He learned the business years ago when the art was almost in its infancy, and has carried his knowledge up to the highest point of latest development in that field. He is also an expert in the highly specialized technique of wireless telegraphy. The romance and fascination of electricity have al- ways made a strong appeal to him and many years ago he was impressed by the religious phase of the art, or rather the usefulness of the electrical science as a means to illustrate relig- ious ideals and reality and demonstrableness of God. It was through this that he was brought into the lecture field, and under the auspices of the Young Men's Christian Association and in conjunction with Mr. C. A. Brooks, a baritone singer, has delivered his lectures before Young Men's Christian Associations in several of the South's leading cities. His two chief lectures are "The Two Greatest Invisible Forces of God, Elec- trical and Spiritual Power, " and "Wire and Wire- less Messages by a Wireless Operator." Both lec- tures are illustrated by steroptican views and a full equipment of telegraph instruments and de- vices, including telegraph, telephone, cable, wire- less, fire alarm, police and burglar alarm, signal service, messenger calls, and all purposes for which the telegraph is used. Merely as a little private philanthropy, Mr. Stuart has also lectured in all the schools of Charlotte, his chief subject in schools being "The Uses and Abuses of Elec- tricity. "
Wherever these lectures have been delivered the comments of the press and the individual audi- tors have been exceedingly commendatory. It is permitted here to make just one extract from the Charlotte News, as follows:
"During the past two weeks the school chil- dren of the city of Charlotte have been treated to an address on the uses and abuses of electric energy by W. B. Stuart of this city, in which many interesting and heretofore unknown facts about this unseen agency are being made known to the children. Mr. Stuart is a speaker of rare ability and his talk before the schools are edu- cational to a high degree."
Another active interest of this very busy man who seems to exemplify the dynamic spirit of his special profession is as general chairman of the efficiency committee of the Trinity Methodist Church in Charlotte. It is largely through him that a committee has been vitalized and made an instrument of incalculable good to the church and the community. The chief purpose of the committee is to meet and welcome all visitors, newcomers or strangers in the city, invite them to the church, direct them to other churches if they so desire, give information and advice in re- gard to getting located in homes, and, in brief, to be of genuine benefit to all people coming to the city whether as transients or home makers. Mr. Stuart possesses the kindly genial manner and other personal gifts which make him rarely fitted for this line of work. People always feel at home in his presence. To the work of the committee he gives his personal attention and does not allow it to be delegated to younger or less experienced men.
Mr. Stuart also takes much interest in fra- ternal affairs. He is affiliated with Phalanx Lodge of Master Masons, Charlotte Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, with Mecklenburg Lodge Knights of Pythias, Fulton Lodge of the Independent Order
WG. Carter.
121
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA
of Odd Fellows, Hornet's Nest Camp of Wood- men of the World and Dilworth Council, Junior Order United American Mechanics. He is editor of the fraternal page of the Charlotte Observer, appearing in that paper each Sunday and one of its leading features.
At Winnsboro, his native town, Mr. Stuart mar- ried Miss Mamie Ruff. Her father was Sheriff Ruff, of Fairfield County, a well-known citizen of that section.
R. HOPE BRISON, though still in his thirties, has achieved a remarkable business success and his name stands significant of practical accomplish- ment in the city of Gastonia. Mr. Brison has built up a large and successful grocery house, and more recently has established a splendid artificial ice plant to the resources of the city.
He was born at Clover in York County, South Carolina, in 1883, a son of William I. and Mollie (Jackson) Brison. They were natives of the same county. R. Hope Brison grew up and received his education at Clover. As a young boy he mastered the art of telegraphy, and his first practical em- ployment was as a railway operator. He was engaged in that service, stationed at various points along the Southern Railway, until 1902. In that year he located permanently at Gastonia.
When Mr. Brison came to Gastonia he was still under age, but his spirit of enthusiasm and ear- nestness made up for the lack of maturity and experience. His first connection was with the firm of J. Flem Johnson & Company, wholesale grocers. The business appealed to him and drew out all his ambition and vigor and in a few years he had made himself a partner in the firm. Then in 1912 he succeeded the J. Flem Johnson & Company and has since been in business for himself. The firm title is R. Hope Brison & Company, and that same firm name is associated with several lines of busi- ness conducted by him. The wholesale grocery house has been built up and now commands a trade over a large section of North Carolina. Under the same firm name is conducted a large coal yard on East Long Avenue in Gastonia.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.