The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-11-28
changed to Hand g. Williams. One Of

changed to Hand & Williams. One O
the first acts of the young merchant
on becoming q member of the firm
was characteristic of the man. He
had been taught by his father that il
was wrong to traffic in spirituous Ii
uuors. One half of their stock in
trade consisted of such goods. He
persuaded his partner to abandon that
branch of their business. 1t was pre-
dicted that they would lose the most
profitable part of their trade by this
course. MI. Williams would not al
low pecuniary gains to turn him from
course that he believed to be right.
With a firm trust in Providence, he
continued to prosecute his business
with his accustomed energy and fore
thought. So far from losing by his
bold step, there was, from year to year,
q handsome increase in their profits.
Fourteen years had come and gone
since Mr.. Williams left his Nacoochee
home. He had, by his superior bus,
iness talents, accumulated larger cap
ital than could be used to advantage,
even in their extensive Augusta
house.
Having been for some years favor
ably impressed with Charleston, he
visited that city in 1872, and estab'
lished the wholesale grocery house Of
Geo. w. Williams & Co., on strictly
temperance principles. The sales in
the Augusta and Charleston houses
were soon increased to two million
dollars per annum. Mr.. Williams was
electeda a director in the State Bank
of Georgia at Augusta, at the early
age of twenty-three. It was in this
we'll managed institution that he
gained his first knowledge in banking
Just in the prime of vigorous man
hood at the breaking out of the wal
between the States, we find Mr.. Will.
liams at the head of two of the largest
commercial houses in the South, an
alderman of the city Of Charles
ton, chairman of the committee oi
ways and means, which position he
held during the entire war; director o1
the bank of South Carolina; also o1
/ two railroad companies the financial
counsellor of host of friends, evel
ready to engage in all public works
and enterprises which looked to the
prosperity of his adopted city and
State. During the war, through his
untiring exertions, thousands of the
destitute poor were supplied daily
With food. On the landing of the
Federal troops, Mr.. Williams secured
their services in extinguishing the
fires in various parts of the city. He
thus saved from the flames, and dis
tributed, food enough to feed 10000
people four months. It was not Mr.
Williams's intention, at the close of the
war, to engage again in the mercan'
tile business, but to establish bank.
In 1865 he proceeded to Washing,
ton for the purpose Of procuring 9
charter for the First National Bank oi
Charleston. Before this was accom-
plished however, he was solicited by
friends and customers to return to his
old business, and his was the first
house to resume business in Charles
ton, after the war. He at once com
menced the erection of large ware
houses in the burnt district for the
storage of cotton, and his extensive
stores on Hayne street were filled with
merchandise. He also opened bank
ing house, and in a short time was
fully immersed in business, His firm
receivedas much as $4,000 bales o.
cotton in one season, in cash value
about $5,OOO,OOO, besides doing a gro
Gerry and fertilizing business Of many
millions.
Some fifty partners have been asso'
ciated with him in his long busines;
career, many of them having beer
brought up from the humblest cfice
grade, and many have retired with
fortunes. Mr.. Williams has divided
including interest, profits arising
from his various firms since he began
business in Augusta, Ga, in 1872
more than twenty-one million of dol
lars. This will show what ten dollars
will do when handled by one of Mr.
Williams's push, thrift and energy,
and is valuable lesson for the youth
just starting in life. The banking de-
partment of Geo. w. Williams and
Co.'s business increased to such an eX-
tent, that they found it necessary to
secure larger Accommodations for that
branch, and in 1875 Mr.. Williams pur-