Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-01-09
SKETCHES OF CITY Fathers.
HENRY G. DENT, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
OLE AInERMEN-

HENRY G. DENT, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
OF ALDERMEN.
Believing that Mr. Dent would be elect
| ed chairman of the board Of aldermen, the
publication Of this sketch was postponed
till to-day. He was yesterday MAIDS
| president of the municipal senate, and the
public would know something of his his
tory. He was born in Rowan county,
North carolina, in 1924. His father made
Tennessee his hons in 1926. In 1s41 Mr..
Dent became a citizen OF Memph 6. He
earned his first money By ~grUbbing, and
has neTsr since felt himself as rich as
when he pocketed IS 80, the wages for
his first weeks toll. Through three years
Nj, Dent was q dr2y-drivsr, and this fact
may account for his sturdy opposition TO
a and adhesion to another candidate for
the mayOralty. He accumulated 1880 as
g drsymsn and became g grocer, fitting
up an establishment st the corner OF Beal5
and fernando. At the expiration Of
twelve months he concluded, after a
brown study, 20 take an account Of stock.
His balsnce-sh5ss showed that he had
Left neither money, nor goods, nor credit,
nor friends, and That he owed $500. He was
In a blue way. He turned himself loose
as a lsbOrer in q briekysrd at two dollars
and hfBy csnBs per day, and while en-
gagged In this original Isreeliish avocs-
ton, g Mosss, In the shape OF 6 Main
street dry goods man, appeared. and en-
ployed him, st ton dollars psr month, as
a lively eounter-hoppsr. His employer
soon sold him with mis- other stock in
trade to Sam Tate and George Robertson. |
then doing g smashing dry goods bust
ness on Main, northOf, and near Madison, |
where an Rucs1One8F now runs q pair Of
rsThide lungs. DENTS salary was sons
what advanced, and at the close of the
second year he extingUished the debt of
the grocery business. He was 4 clerk and
annn1nna- - - H. -aAT- -a-EN1-A-- I
till 1850, when he began to operate on his
own account in resi- estate. Then the
Dent family prospered in the world, and
never gathered wealth more rapidly till
one Ulysses came among them.
NIB. DENT As a WARRIOR.
When the war began, our president of
the Memphis senate was worth certainly /
one hundred thousand dollars. We re- !
MEMBER that IN the first year Of the IN |
-plessantness he was ordered by Governor
Harris to enUmerste the wives snd chill
dren Of soldiers In the service, that they
might draw money for thsir support
nom The county treasury. This was q
most agreeable task a not 8 brOomstick
was l6Ysled at his head while ~diacharging
It.. The people were grateful snd cur
alderman was happy. Soon afterwards, |
the governor, in order to test his military
strength, directed Mr.. Dent 70 take the
cepsus of the Seventh ward and furnish
the name OF each citizen capable OF bear
ing srDs. he wss advised hat II he failed
to report fully and fairly, he would be
hned 5000 and imprisoned twelve months.
Mr.. Dent began his work on OaUsey street
snd was met By an srmy Ia petsicoats;
shovels, hstehsts, hammers snd even pis-
tolls were brsncished in his face. Msjor
McKissick was appealed TO for q squad Of
sololers, and none appearing, Mr.. Dsnt
was forced Is prosecute bis work by night
sDd to gather facts by indirectiOn, The
task was tedious and never dDished. One /
bright morning the Federal fsg hoased
Over the city and Nj. Dent furled brs bsD-
ner in the Seventh ward. II IL had not
bsen for this last demonstrating, Mr.. Dent
would have received every vote in his
ward n the late election.
B Oh GRATITUDE,
Through the war he had a merry time.
His house WIS tbs rendezvous OF can
tured COnfederatss who escaped from
northern prisons, and Mr.. DENTS money
was expended lsvishly in buying sentries
and In securing th9 exit Of COnfsdsra5es
to their southern homes and armies.
IL 10 8 curious fact that in only
three instances hsve debts Incurred for
money borrowed by these hseing people
been repUdisted, and only one man has
appealed to that Federal decree which
makes debts CONTRACTED IN promotion OF
~ AobGAAACh NtA LIS ulLlb LULU UE I
given TO the world that Misrepresentation
Of holy loyalty may be made immortal.
HIS sLooD.
Mr.. Dsnt is still q real estate broker, in
which sVocstion he has ever been emil
nentiy successful He has besn, for many
years, q Baptist, and has given ss gene
rously 10 all The churches As perhaps sny
citizen of Memphis. From its founda-
ton he has been n Of the trustees of the
Lesth orphan asylum, now having an en-
doWment Of $50, 200, snd made slm0st self
sustaining through his and the lsbors of
his associates. Though he is Of the great
family, and though often urged to do
so, he has never applied to the good
President Of the United States for an
othce. He perhaps felt q little OF
royal blood dancing through his
veins when the aldermen were about TO
elevate him TO The Craftsmanship of the
board, In fact, Mr.. Dent lost
30 heavily by incidents Of the war snd by
or three destructive CONGREGATIONS
1t Is possible he would, ike the great
head Of the house, accept q small present
8 farm near Chicago CT Of 2 Wills at
Long Branch. !
Seriously. Mr.. Dent IA a.thorough-g going,
c~lesr-headed business man, he RTssps q ,
proposition instantly and comprshends Il !
n all It's b arings. He forms his opinions /
2 edheres to them with q per-
Linsclty sometimes suggestive OF Obsti-
macy. He is plsln-sp0keD, like the
mayor, andfesOluts and incorruptible. 7
The city fathers acted wisely in making
him their presiding officer, and the city
yves the Seventh ward a debt of graft
Jude for its electiOu of guch an alderman.