The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-04-06
DIR. Andrew Simonds.

The follwing sketch is from the Sunday
NeWs and will proyc interesting read
ing as the subject Of it is we'll known
in this county :"Dr. Andrew Simonds.
president Of the First Natioal Bank Of
Charleston and vice president Of the
American Bankers, Association, was
born in Abbcville County, S. c., n Coun-
ty which has given so many distinguish
ed men to tho State. in the same house
in the 'Calhonn Statement" in which
his mother, Jane Hambleton Calhoun,
born. In 1860 he married q daugh-
ter Of the Hon. John A. Calhoun, a rcla-
tiv on his mothers side. His career in life
commenced at Ii years of age rs a teach
er in the west. where he engaged to
teach only the rudimcnts of English.
But he was soon asked to teach the
classics. He had never opened a class
ical book. This was q crucial test for a
boy of IS years, but young Simonds was
equal to the emergency. Commencing
= day ahead Of his class he carried his
pupils through the Latin grammar sue.
cesSfully. making himself a fair Latin
scholar. and then took them through the
excruciating intricacics of the Greek
grammar.
Thus early in life he displayed that de-
termined pluck which knows no failur ).
While teaching in the West he boarded
with a physician who employed him to
attend to his Office, prepare pre-
scriptions and look after the place. Dur
ing this time he read medicine and aid
ed in the office practice By the advice
of this physician he determined to quail
ify himself for practice. For awhile he
read in the Office of the late DR.. Eli Gcd-
dings, Of this city, his lifelong personal
friend. He found, however, that he
had neither taste nor talent for the pro-
fession Of medicine, and soon turned his
attention to mercantile pursuits. in
which i'll a few years he mnde an ample
fortune, on which he retired frou, bus.
mess in 1859 while quite n young man.
About this time the Legislature deter
mined to establish a branch Of the Bank
Of the State in the northwestern part of
the State. DR.. Simonds was then one
Of the leading directors Of the mother
bank in Charleston and was selected to
locate the branch. He visited the sec
ton and selected the town Of AbbevilIc.
He was at once elected president of
the new bank. and his first official net
was to erect a handsome clearinghouse,
which is now occupied by the National
Bank Of Abbcvilfe. By his advice the
money and assets Of the mother bank in
Charleston were sent to him for safe.
keeping during the war. He saved nil
and returned them in the fall Of 1865
without the loss Of a single dollar.
In November, 1866 he came to Charles
ton and organized the First National
Bank, Of which he was elected president
q position which he has held ever since.
He has thus been q bank president for
over twcnty-seven consecutive years,
and for n part Of that time has been
president Of two banks. DR.. Simonds
has always declined public office. All
the successes of his early life, however
have been surpassed by his record as
= banker. 1t is in this sphere that he
has a. uired a national reputation. His
opinions have been often asked on fl.
nanc,al and other public questions and
have been published both at home and
in financial journals Of the North and
West. His replies are models or pith
and brevity, owing to the happy faculty
which he possesses of saying much in
= few words.
His natural aptitude for dealing with
financial questions developed no rapidly
that he has been called a born ~financier.
His strong points are his superior judg-
and seif-reliance, Many who have
differed with him in his large financial
operations at the time. have admitted in
cad that ne was always right He