USA > South Carolina > Men of mark in South Carolina; ideals of American life: a collection of biographies of leading men of the state, Volume III > Part 17
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Truly
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DAVID PINCKNEY M'BRAYER
Cotton mills and of the Jackson Cotton mills at Iva, South Carolina.
In the choice of an occupation Mr. McBrayer was free to follow his own inclination. His mother exerted a great and permanent influence upon him for good. The books which have been most helpful to him he names as works on history and science. Although yet a young man, he is a man of achievement and is a worthy member of the class of men who have done, and are doing, much to promote the material prosperity of the South and the well-being of the country at large. He has always tried to do his full duty, and to a great degree this wise and persistent effort accounts for his success.
On January 15, 1896, he was married to Eugenia Beelson. They have had four children, all of whom are now (1908) living.
The address of Mr. McBrayer is Whitner street, Anderson, South Carolina.
THOMAS FRANKLIN McDOW
M cDOW, THOMAS FRANKLIN, lawyer, was born in Liberty Hill, Kershaw county, South Carolina, De- cember 27, 1863. His parents were Thomas Franklin and Isabella Louisa (Cunningham) McDow. His father was a physician, who attained a high rank in his profession and who was elected to an important official position in the State Medical society. He was a man of the highest integrity, a public-spirited citizen, and kind and indulgent in his home. The earliest ancestors in this country were Thomas McDow, who came from Scotland in 1760, and Arthur Cunningham, who emigrated from Ireland about 1785. The Cunninghams became wealthy, and before the war held a large number of slaves.
In childhood and youth, Thomas F. McDow lived in the country. His health was excellent. He was fond of outdoor life and took great pleasure in fox hunting and swimming, but he was also a lover of books, and, at this time, history was his favorite reading. He had no regular tasks to perform-a fact which he now seriously regrets, because he believes that "hard work and a lack of means," at this time, would have been of great advantage to him later in life. After passing through the Bingham school, he entered South Carolina college; but, as he did not complete the course, he was not graduated. He then studied law, 1884-86, and in the year last named he was admitted to the bar, and commenced the practice of his profession at Lancaster, South Carolina. In December, 1888, he moved to Yorkville and formed a partnership with Wilson & Wilson; this partnership was dissolved in 1893, and he has been practicing alone since that time. He has been engaged in a large number of the most important civil and criminal cases which have been tried in his circuit since he opened a law office in Yorkville. He has never sought prominence in political or civil affairs, but in 1888 he was chairman of his party's organization in Lancaster county ; he was mayor of Yorkville, 1890-92, and was a member of the state house of representatives from York county, 1898- 1900, and was the author of the bill appropriating $30,000 to build the new dormitory at Winthrop college, and a member of
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yours truly This. I. m wow .
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THOMAS FRANKLIN M'DOW
the investigating committee of the state penitentiary which revealed rottenness in that institution.
Of the classes of books which Mr. McDow has found most helpful in preparing him for carrying on the work of life he names history and poetry as giving him the most enjoyment, but adds that Markham's "Man with the Hoe" made the deepest impression upon him of any one thing that he ever read. The first strong impulse to strive for such prizes as he has won in life came as he was leaving South Carolina college, when he was twenty-one years of age. When choosing a profession he was free to follow his own wishes.
In estimating the relative strength of certain specified influ- ences upon his success, he places first that of home. His mother, especially, made a strong and enduring impression upon his intellectual, moral and spiritual life, and he says that to him "she was a perfect woman." Next in order came private study and hard work at Bingham school for two years. The time passed in college did not bring the good results that he expected. Neither in college nor elsewhere has he given special attention to athletics or taken up any system of physical culture. He is a Mason, a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and founder of the chapter at South Carolina college, a member of the Woodmen of the World, and also of the Knights of Pythias, of which he was chancellor commander. In politics he is a Democrat of the "1876 variety." His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church.
In reply to an inquiry regarding the principal public services which he has rendered, he says: "Did my duty as a child in 1876, and rode with Hampton at Lancaster, and tried to keep the people of York county from going astray in 1890 over 'Tillman and Reform.' I was for Sheppard and Orr, and conservative county chairman." When requested to make suggestions derived from his own experience and observation as to principles, methods and habits which will help young people to attain true success, he replied: "Study thoroughly the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and follow his advice."
On December 27, 1893, Mr. McDow was married to Mary Simons Clarkson. Of their three children, all are now living.
The family residence is in Yorkville, York county, South Carolina.
SAMUEL EDWARD MCFADDEN
M CFADDEN, SAMUEL EDWARD, was born December 7, 1869, in Chester, South Carolina. His father was John C. McFadden; and his mother, Margaret L. (Waters) McFadden. His earliest known ancestors in America were Scotch-Irish on both sides. Practically all his life has been passed in the city of his birth. In May, 1886, he was graduated from the Bryant and Stratton Business college, in Baltimore; in June, 1890, he was graduated from Furman university with the degree of A. M .; and these courses were followed by a third in the law department of the South Carolina college, from which he was graduated in June, 1894, with the first honors of his class and with the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
Immediately upon graduation from the law school he formed a copartnership with J. L. Glenn, at Chester, South Carolina, which firm practiced as Glenn & McFadden until January, 1908, when it was dissolved by mutual consent. The firm engaged in a general practice, specializing in corporation law and in capital cases on the criminal side of the court. In the course of his prac- tice Mr. McFadden has defended twenty-eight persons charged with capital offenses-none of whom was executed; only one of them has been sentenced to life imprisonment, and over two- thirds of the number named were acquitted.
Mr. McFadden has devoted himself to the practice of his profession exclusively, and has never sought or held any office, political, civil, or ecclesiastical. In college he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Greek letter fraternity, and was president of the literary societies to which he belonged, both at Furman university and the South Carolina college, to-wit: the Adelphian and Clariosophic, respectively. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, but to no other secret order. While he belongs to no church, his affiliations have been with the Baptists. He votes the Democratic ticket.
On November 14, 1900, Mr. McFadden was married to Miss Ethel Means, of Chester, South Carolina, and they have had three children, all of whom are now (1908) living.
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5 Ery truly yours,
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SAMUEL EDWARD M'FADDEN
While Mr. McFadden has devoted himself to his profession, exclusive of politics or business, he is a man of decided literary taste, and owns one of the best and most extensive libraries of general literature (including the classics) in the state. His efforts have been frequently in demand at different places in the state as an occasional orator and an after-dinner speaker.
His father, John C. McFadden, is a self-made man, strong intellectually and morally, and faithful in the performance of every duty and trust. His mother is a woman of exalted common sense and piety. Whatever of success Mr. McFadden may have attained, or may hereafter attain, he attributes as justly due to the teaching and example of his parents and of Drs. James C. Furman and C. H. Judson, two of his instructors at Furman university.
The address of Mr. McFadden is Chester, South Carolina.
HENRY PINCKNEY McGEE
M cGEE, HENRY PINCKNEY, banker and cotton mill president, was born in Abbeville, South Carolina, October 25, 1850. His parents were Michael and Sophronia McGee. His father was a successful farmer, and was noted for his honesty and patriotism. He was descended from a family that came from Ireland and settled in North Carolina near the Virginia line.
The early life of Henry McGee was passed in Abbeville county, a section which suffered greatly during the War between the States. There were many obstacles in the way of obtaining an education, and he did not begin to appreciate the importance of higher training until he was seventeen years old. As a boy he worked on the farm, and it is said of him that he did more work than any slave owned by his father. He took the lead in all kinds of farm labor and required others to follow. Two or three months each year he attended the common schools, and later he was a student at Furman university for one year. Subse- quently he took a business course, and, at the age of twenty-one, engaged in mercantile business at Due West, South Carolina, with practically no capital.
But the hard work of the farm, together with the excellent training and moral support he had received from his mother, encouraged and stimulated him and filled him with a desire to rise in the world. That his efforts would be crowned with success was highly probable then and has since been fully demonstrated. Mr. McGee removed to Greenville, South Carolina. He is now president of the City National bank, and also president of the McGee Manufacturing company, of Greenville, which manufac- tures into yarn the waste product of cotton mills. Before the organization of this company all of this waste material had been shipped to New England. Mr. McGee started the movement in South Carolina, and the property is paying a handsome dividend to the stockholders. He is vice-president and director of the Woodside Cotton mills, of Greenville, and a director of the Greenwood Cotton mills and the Carolina mills. For a number of years he was a director of the Bank of Greenwood, of the
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Farmers bank, of Abbeville, and of the Farmers Loan and Trust company, of Anderson, South Carolina.
Although he did not finish his collegiate education, Mr. McGee has always realized the importance of taking a complete course. Given the opportunity to go over his life again, he would have finished it, and he believes that a college education is more important at the present time than when he was young. For fifteen years he has served as a trustee, and is now chairman of the executive committee, of Furman university, which insti- tution is under the direction of the Baptists of South Carolina. He has been a constant and zealous worker for the cause of education, and has contributed largely to the financial support of the colleges when in need of assistance. He is a member of the First Baptist church of Greenville, in which he holds the office of deacon.
On December 27, 1877, Mr. McGee was married to Miss Emma C. Mckay. Of their three children, all are living in 1908.
The address of Mr. McGee is Greenville, South Carolina.
MURRAY SMITH MCKINNON
M cKINNON, MURRAY SMITH, of Hartsville, Dar- lington county, South Carolina, merchant, and twice mayor of Hartsville, was born at St. Pauls, Robeson county, North Carolina, on the 19th of March, 1872. His father's name, Archie Calvin Mckinnon, indicates his Scotch Presbyte- rian descent; and he was the son of John McKinnon, who came from Scotland and settled near Fayetteville, North Carolina, having named his son out of his reverent love for the great Pres- byterian theologian of Geneva. A. C. Mckinnon was a merchant and a distiller of turpentine, of whom his son writes, "his marked characteristics were his sturdy independence and his love of the Presbyterian church."
Born and reared in the country, as a boy strong in consti- tution, robust and full of spirits, he took a healthy and a normal interest in all boyish sports and amusements, yet he was especially fond of good reading. He was taught in his boyhood to work on the farm; and he "did chores," milked the cows and attended to the chickens, as did most of the boys born on the farms of South Carolina in the two decades which preceded the War between the States.
At a time when he would have no doubt gone to college his father lost all his property, and the son was forced to work in a store instead of taking a liberal course of study. But he had acquired in early boyhood a desire for good reading and a love of the best literature, which has stood him in good stead all his life, as a delight and a relaxation as well as a means of acquiring information.
In 1892 Mr. Mckinnon took a position as clerk in a store at Clyde, South Carolina, having determined to qualify himself for the life of a merchant and storekeeper. On the 31st of December, 1903, he married Lilla McLure, daughter of Henry and Mary McLure, of Troy, South Carolina. They have had two children, one of whom was living in 1907.
After establishing himself at Hartsville, the people of his town, having seen something of his method of doing business, soon showed their appreciation of the young man who had settled
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yours truly m. S. M.Kun
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MURRAY SMITH M'KINNON
among them by twice electing him mayor of Hartsville. Mr. Mckinnon is a Mason, a Knight Templar, and a Knight of Pythias. He is a Democrat in politics and has always been loyal to the principles and to the nominees of the Democratic party.
In his church relations he is a Presbyterian. His favorite form of exercise and amusement is quail shooting.
Mr. Mckinnon's address is Hartsville, Darlington county, South Carolina.
Vol. III .- S. C .- 16.
WILLIAM MARCELLUS MCPHEETERS
M cPHEETERS, REV. WILLIAM MARCELLUS, D. D., LL. D., was born at St. Louis, Missouri, April 8, 1854. He is the son of Reverend Samuel Brown McPheeters, D. D., and his wife, Eliza C., née Shanks. The ancestors of the family came to this country from the North of Ireland, about 1700, settling first in Pennsylvania, and later removing to Virginia.
Until he was eleven years old William Marcellus McPheeters lived in St. Louis; then, for five years, near Shelbyville, Ken- tucky, and for the next five years in the towns of Fincastle and Lexington, Virginia. After a primary education in the "old field" schools in Kentucky, he attended the classical school at Shelbyville, Kentucky. From Washington and Lee university he was graduated with the degree of A. B. in June, 1874. He took a professional course at the Union Theological seminary, Hampden-Sidney, Virginia, graduating in 1878.
He has filled pastorates in Franklin county, Virginia, 1879- 1886, and in Marion, Smyth county, Virginia, 1886-88. In 1888 he was elected to the chair in the Columbia Theological seminary which he still holds. Washington and Lee university and the Presbyterian College of South Carolina in 1889 conferred on him the degree of D. D., and Davidson college, North Carolina, in 1905 gave him the degree of LL. D.
He is a member of the Greek letter fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon. Doctor McPheeters has been constantly identified with the Democratic party.
Doctor McPheeters married, October 18, 1878, Miss Emma Gold Morrison. They have had four children, all of whom are living in 1908.
JOHN JACKSON MCSWAIN
M cSWAIN, JOHN JACKSON, of Greenville, Greenville county, a lawyer who prides himself upon helping, chiefly, "poor clients," and will not allow himself to be retained by any corporation, was born at Cross Hill, Laurens county, South Carolina, on the 1st of May, 1875. He is the son of a physician, Dr. Eldredge Tracy McSwain, of Scotch descent; and his mother, Mrs. Jane (McGowan) McSwain, was of Scotch- Irish descent. The sterling qualities which characterize the stock from which his father and mother are descended found expres- sion in their lives, and did much to mold the character of their son, who places first, among the influences which have been decisive in his life, the character and convictions of his father and mother, and the atmosphere of his early home.
Born and reared in the country, he knew a vigorous and active boyhood, and, like many other boys, was especially fond of "horses, cows and engines." He was early taught to do regular and systematic tasks which involved manual labor. Having learned farm work in his early boyhood, he worked on a farm for two years to pay his way through college. This he had the satisfaction of doing; and he was graduated from the South Carolina college with the degree of A. B., "summa cum laude," in 1897. During his college course he became intensely interested in biography, and in the works and the character of John C. Calhoun ; and he specialized somewhat in his study of the consti- tutional history of the United States. In 1898 he studied for three months at a law school; and after teaching for a year or two he continued the study of law and was admitted to the bar in May, 1899. For a time he was in partnership with Joseph A. Mccullough, Esq., but he now practices alone.
Such claim as Mr. McSwain has to be named among the "men of mark of South Carolina" he would perhaps say that he owed chiefly to his determination to interest himself in defending the rights of those who have not money or large possessions, and his determination to oppose those dangers which he feels are threatening the life of our country from unrestrained corporate wealth.
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In his party relations he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Methodist Church, South, but is "no bigot." He feels that all Christians should fellowship with each other.
On the 26th of April, 1905, he married Miss Sarah McCul- lough, a daughter of J. W. Mccullough and Janie Sullivan Mccullough.
Mr. McSwain is an Odd Fellow, a past grand master of the order in South Carolina, and has been a grand representative to the sovereign grand lodge. He is a Mason, a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Woodmen of the World. The Odd Fellows' Orphan home, located at Greenville, South Carolina, is the pride of his heart.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE MAULDIN
M AULDIN, WILLIAM LAWRENCE, business man and legislator, was born in Greenville, South Carolina, June 13, 1845. His parents were Samuel and Caroline (McHardy) Mauldin. His father was of Scotch-Irish descent, a merchant, a man of sterling character and good business ability. Joab Mauldin, one of the paternal great-grandfathers of William Mauldin, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
His childhood and youth were spent in Greenville. He was fond of outdoor sports and of reading. He was taught early in life to depend upon his own exertions. After attending the village school he entered the school of Stephen D. Lee, at Ashe- ville, North Carolina. Entering Furman university, before his course was completed, in November, 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving one year in the Sixteenth regiment, South Carolina volunteers. In June, 1863, he reënlisted in the Second South Carolina cavalry and served in this command until the close of the war.
The active business of life he commenced in 1867 as a clerk in a drug store in Greenville. Later he became one of the pro- prietors of that store, and he is interested in other mercantile enterprises. While the Greenville and Laurens railroad was in process of construction he was president of the company. Dili- gent in business and upright in his dealings, he secured the confidence of the people among whom he lived, and in 1876 he began to take an active interest in politics. In 1877 he was chosen mayor of Greenville. In 1882 he became a member of the legislature from Greenville county, and he served until 1884, when he was elected to the state senate. Two years later he was chosen lieutenant-governor, and he was reelected in 1888. His course in this important position was able and impartial. It was during his term of office that the question of acceptance by the state of the conditional bequest of Mr. Clemson of the former home of John C. Calhoun as a site for a state agricultural and mechanical college, to be known as Clemson college, was decided. When it was announced that the vote was a tie, Mr. Mauldin
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cast his vote in favor of the measure and thus saved the property to the state and secured the establishment of the college.
The Tillman movement of 1890 caused his temporary retire- ment from public life, but in 1898 he was again elected to the legislature. He was reelected in 1902, and two years later he was elected to the state senate, of which body he is now (1908) a member. He has several times been county chairman of the Democratic party.
Mr. Mauldin retired from business several years ago. He enjoys reading and the quiet of home life. His exercise he takes in horseback riding. In Masonry he is a past master, and he is a past chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he has always been a Democrat.
Of the various religious denominations he prefers the Bap- tist. Mr. Mauldin has always believed that the people may be trusted to do what is right when they are given an opportunity. The people, in turn, trust his judgment and have been glad to follow his leadership in public affairs. In the truest and best sense, his has been the life of a public man. He has seen his native place grow from a small village to a city with a popula- tion of twenty-five thousand. During all this period he has been identified with its progress, and has been earnest and efficient in promoting its best interests.
On June 21, 1870, Mr. Mauldin married Eliza Thompson Kern. Of their six children, five are living in 1908.
Mr. Mauldin's address is Pendleton street, Greenville, South Carolina.
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Yours Truly John He Maxwell
JOHN HAMPDEN MAXWELL
M AXWELL, JOHN HAMPDEN, M. D., physician, was born near Old Pendleton, in Anderson county, South Carolina, December 19, 1831. He was the son of Captain John Maxwell and Elizabeth (Earle) Maxwell, repre- sentatives of two of the most prominent families of South Caro- lina, both of whom were natives of Greenville county.
The Maxwell family is of Scotch descent. Its members were among the first to make a stand for liberty, and pledge life, fortune and sacred honor for their country. It traces its history back to the twelfth century, and has had many distinguished members. "Gallant John" won high commendation at Chevy Chase, 1388; and John, fourth Lord Maxwell, took part in the battle of Flodden, 1513. The family has also been well repre- sented in church and state and in the fields of science and letters by several of its members who came to this country before the middle of the eighteenth century. Among those who were dis- tinguished in early American history were William Maxwell, who served in colonial wars, represented New Jersey in the Con- tinental congress, was a brigadier-general in the Revolutionary army, and led the pursuit of Sir Henry Clinton across New Jersey; and Thompson Maxwell, a ranger in the French war and a member of the famous "tea party" in Boston, who fought at Bunker Hill and was promoted brigadier-general in the War of the Revolution. Later celebrities were William Maxwell (born in Norfolk, 1784), who established the "Virginia Historical Register," and Dr. George Maxwell (born in Georgia in 1827), who invented the laryngoscope.
Captain John Maxwell, father of the subject of this sketch, was a man of striking personality. He was born at "The Grove" in Greenville county, of Scotch parentage, in the year 1791. His father, General Robert Maxwell, was the sheriff of the district, which office in those days compared favorably with that of ruler of a small principality. His responsibilities and risks embraced contentions with hostile Indians and repressions of the illegal acts of lawless white settlers, and at times the sheriff carried his life in his hand. This was literally true of Sheriff Maxwell,
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who, while in the performance of his duty, fell by the bullet of an unseen foe, who had been made to feel the heavy hand of the law by this intrepid officer.
In early manhood Captain John Maxwell married Elizabeth Earle, a sister of Judge Baylis Earle, and daughter of General Earle. The couple founded a home on Seneca river, at a site which is still known as Maxwell's Bridge. Of their eleven chil- dren, three-Eliza, John, and Miriam-are now (1908) living.
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