The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-05-26
DIR. THOMIs J. CITCmIxGS.
Tvieksburg Herald.I

the state, mississippi is called up
on to mourn the passing away of
one of her oldest. most honored
and accomplished sons, and his
departure from the busy scenes Of
life leaves a void in the circle in
which he moved that can never be
filled.
DIR. Catchings was born in GeOr.
gia, September IL, 1906, and con-
sequently was in the 18th year of
his age. From early youth TO the
hour of his death the deceased
was 4 citizen of Mississippi, and
it may be said with entire truth,
that this Commonwealth held with.
n its wide boundaries no son more
devoted to its interests and honor.
Adopting the profession of medi.
cine, he established himself in the
then young and growing town of
Canton, in Madison county, where
he soon secured the highest pro.
fessional reputation, and became
a prominent and honored citizen
in u community where men OF
brains and character were conspic.
uously abundant. DR.. Catchings
not only early won his deservedly
high reputation as physician, but
he secured the substantial reward
of his arduous lab0rs in the shape
of an ample fortune, which en-.
ablcd him to retire from practice
forty years ago, and while in the
prime of life, to devote his atten.
ton to the more congcnial avoca.
tion of a planter. His success as
an agriculturalist was as complete
and marked as was his triumph in
the practice Of medicine, and
chiefly for the same reason. In
the conduct of whatever business
DIR. Catchings engaged he brought
to bear superior native ability,
aided by sound judgment, supple.
mentcd by great learning and va.
ried stores of information upon
almost every subject. In fact, but
few people we have ever known
were better equipped for the af.
fairs of life than the honored citi.
zen who has just passed away.
With an energy that never falter.
ed, an intelligence that grappled
with and mastered every subject
that engaged his attention, aud a
character for integrity that never
encountered q breath of suspicion,
whatever our dead friend willed
to do soon became an accomplish.
ed fact.
When DR.. Catchngs abandoned
the practice Of medicine, lie re.
moved to Kinds county, where he
soon became as successful as q
planter as he had previously been
as a physician, and the people OF
that county were prompt to rccog'
nize his ability and call him into
the service of the State. Against
many able and eager competitors,
he was repeatedly chosen to repre-
sent Kinds county in each branch
of the Legislature, and there, as
everywhere else, his course was
distinguished by zeal and ability
that made him a recognized man
of mark.
In politics, previous to the late
colossal civil war, DIR. Catchings
was O Wing, and a devoted follow
er of the great leader of that par
ty, gallant old Harry of the West
and was opposed to secession
When, however, the voice of Mis-.
sisslppi declared for separation
he bowed to the decision of his
old mother, and during all the wild
storm of war, with its myriad sor
rows and misfortunes, the State
had no truer or more devoted son
When the war came to a close
in common with his fellow citi
zens, DIR. Catchings found himself
stripped of nearly all of the for
tune which years of industry had
accumulated, but lie INDUCED IN
no unmanly lamentations. Cheer
fully accepting the situation, he
set himself manfully to work to
gather from the shattered wreck
material wherewith to build a new
barque with which to navigate the
troubled ocean of life, and for Sc
veral years he had been residing
in Snnflower county, where he
owned an estate. Here, under adj
verse circumstances, his life was
marked by the same characters
tics that distinguished him in hap.
pier days. His courage, his fidel
ity, the steadiness of his friend
ship, and the gentle, flowing cour
tesy which was a part of his ma
ture, shone even more brightly
than in his days of prosperous af
fluence, and rendered his society
at all times a delightful pleasure
n