Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-26
Ills Last Hours, and the Funeral Ar
rangements.
An Interesting photographed Sketch
Of the Deceased.
Nashville in the Early Part Of the
Century.

IeLalueQ us FACULTIES 70 LuC 4dcbs us WIG
died something over a month ago. He
leaves three children, a son and two daugh-
tiers. One daughter married Col. f. P.
Cahill, and the other Judge E. II. English,
of Little Rock, Ark, the present Chief
Justice Of that State. The son, George
HObsOn, resides in Edgefield.
Mr.. HObsOn was also connected with the
families of Gen. Granville p. Smith, Col. Z.
w. johnson, and Maj. r. G. McNairy. BE
was widely known throughout the State,
and no man had more friends. Every
body loved "Uncle Nick Hobson.'
The funeral will take place at half past
ten O'Clock this morning, in McKendree
Church, DIS. McFerrin, Summers and
Hammer officiating. DR.. .McFerrin will
preach the funeral sermon, and the re-
mains Will be inferred in the family lot at
Mount Olivet.
To the kindness of Mr.. HobsOn's family
we are indebted for the brief but interest
ing photographed sketch presented be-
low. 1t was written in the summer Of
1873, and, it is needless to say, was not in
tended for the public eye; bat the frank,
kindly way in which the events Of a long
and useful life are told will be read with
mOuTnful interest, not only by the assC-
ciates of his earlier days, but also by the
rising generation who had learned TO love
him and who will find the example of
his blameless career in every way worthy
of imitation,
Autobiography or Nicholas HObsOn.
by father, William HObson, and bennett
w. LaUrine, were married in Cumberland
county, Virginia, on the 18th Of June,
1882. He was in the Revolutionary war
and had command Of a company as captain
and was, as l have been informed, q great
favOrite with the Chief,
Sen. George Washington. They had ten
children, four sons and six daughters. The
children all lived to see their parents buried.
l am the third son, and was born in Cum
berland county, Virginia, on the 9th Of
February, 1898, and am now the only sur
vivOr Of the ten children. My father, with
his family, except my elder brother, Saml
! HObsOn, moved to Tennessee and arrived
at the old homestead, in the vicinity of
Nashville, on the 18th Of April, 1907. he
was a man Of great energy and industry,
and carried with him to his last resting
/ place the name of an honest man, which
is inscribed upon his tombstone.
In settling near Nashville, we found the
country thinly populated and almost an
/ unbTOken forest of the finest timber on the
north side Of the Cumberland. We soon
| had grounds cleared up sufficient to raise
| all our supplies for the family and some
| thing 10 spare. Nashville at that time was
a small village, perhaps not exceeding q
population of five to six hundred souls,
and the buildings;were principally of wood,
Principally of cedar logs. Timber for
building purposes was in demand, and
| there were 10 saw mills TO supply it, con-
| sequently a large amount Of the building
| timber was sawed by hand. Ny father,
| availing himself of the demand, furnished
the builders a large amount Of sawed lum-
| Der and shingles. He was increasing in
wealth aud prosperity, when he became
| the victim Of a disease called by our
! learned doctors the "cOld plague" which
| ended his life of usefulness on the 9th of
| February, 1916. He pursued no other
| business but that Of a farmer, and was sue
| aessful in his pursuits. My mother died
in July, 1918, happy Christian Of the
| Methodist Church.
And now to return to myself. l was
| placed at a county school in 1907, and con-
| tiuued there until 1909, when l entered
| Cumberland College, in the preparatory
/ school, under the charge and tuition of that
| good man, George y. Martin, late Of Maui
| ~ county, who departed this life a few
| months ago, in his 9th year.
/ continued as a student in Cumberland
| College under the good preceptOrs, Martin
! and William Hume, and the highly gifted
/ President, James Priestly, until passed il
/ good credit through the sophomore class
/ at when time withdrew from the college
/ by my own request, and took a position be
/ hind the counter, under Thomas DeadeT-
/ lex. one of the oldest merchants in Nash.
| Vile, at a salary Of so per annum AMI
| goods furnished me at cost for my clothing
| / remained with him during the year 1913,
| when he disposed Of his stock o.
| goods and retired from business. l Oh
| tanned position with VIM. NichOl, AMI
| remained with him at a salary Of 500, anC
az the end of the year he was so vel
pleased that he placed TO my credit on the
| books the sum Of STA for the year.
! continued with him and others at salarie:
| ranging from $3.50 to $500 until July,
! 1916, when the death Of my fathel
made II necessary that l should take charge
Of my mothers business on the farm anC
manage her affairs until man better skill
ed at farming was procured.
In the latter part Of the year 1917 anC
winter of ISIS, l was solicited TO 90 L
] Huntsville, Ala. In April of that year,
found myself in that most beautiful and
hOspitable little city, and was offered in q
week Of my arrival the position of chic
clerk and assistant cashier in the "Planters
and Merchants Bank of Huntsville" lat ;
salary Of one thousand dollars per annum
| remained in the bank about two years
filling that position very satisfactorily L
myself and, l believe, equally so to the
presiding officers and the board of directors
as they sent me to Savannah, Ga, witt
the funds belonging to the United States
received for the sale Of public lands solo
in Alabama and deposited in the Planters
and Merchants Bank, said bank being the
depository of the public monies. Mr.
Tudor Thicker, then Treasurer OF til
United States, required about $3.50, 90
transferred and deposited in the brancl
bank of the United States. The following
sums at dates kere named were placed un
der my charge in bank notes, which l de
livered, carving the several amounts OF
horseback, in a large pair Of saddle bags
made for that purpose. Two Of the trips
made alone. In August, 1878, l carried
100000, accompanied by a young maj
named Joel Rice; in October, 1918, SPA,
500, and in February, 1919, S2S,5OO. Thes'
two last trips 1 performed alone, the dis
lance being about $50 miles, requirin!
about % days to make the trips. This wa
all successfully accomplished and duplicate
! receipts returned TO the bank, and th'
board Of directors ordered $500 placed L
nv credit on the books Of the bank.
! 1 remained with the bank as its Office
! for about two years, when l resigned m!
position and commenced the mercantile
business with James Ewing, in the nam,
| Of HObsOn & Ewing.
Ny partner was a good man, honorable
and honest, a gentleman whom everybody
loved and hOnOred; but, unfortunately, hi:
career was destined to be short; he filleI
his grave while in the vigor Of manhOOC
and prosperity, with that insiduOus diseas'
which preyei rapidly upon'his vitalS, soOI
passing away with q rapid consumption
which showed no abatement from the time
he was attacked. Meanwhile, l sold on
the remaining stock Of goods and returneC
| TO the country, on a farm, and married Sa