Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-25
A SUDDEN DEATH.
j. p. Y. Whitfield Passes Away
at His Home.
The Summons Game at an Early Hour
and Cast Gloom Over the En-
tire City.

The community was greatly shock
ed this morning when it was an
nCunced that j: p. Y. Whitfield haC
died suddenly at his residence IL
South Clarksville, of heart failure
He has been connected with the bes
interests of the city so long, and haC
centered in him the love and admira
tion of such large circle of friends
that his sudden demise was the sub
ject of general comment and uni
versal regret.
Mr.. Whitfield was in his
usual health yesterday and last
night. This morning, however
when he awoke at his usual hour
about $50, he complained of pains
in his chest and arms. His
wife applied restoratives and
a physician was telephoned for, but
he grew worse, and Thomas
Edwards, his son-in law, who
was sleeping in an adjoining room
was called. Mr.. Edwards raised the
sick man to sitting posture, and
gave him all the fresh ar possible,
but all efforts proved of no avail. He
gradually grew worse. and died about
$3.50 o'clock, before the members OF
the family who resided in other parts
of the city could reach his bedside.
John Pashley Yerdley Whitfield,
was born in Philadelphia, Sept. 80,
1927, and was consequently approach
ing his 65th birthday. He was edu-
Gated in the city of his birth, and
went to Brownsville, Pa, where he
he served an apprenticeship as moul-
der in the foundry of Jno. Snoden.
About 1850, he went to Nashville,
Tenn, working as a journeyman
for the Nashville Manufacturing
Co. The same year, however, he was
given the ioremanship Of a foundry
in Charleston, S. c., and moved to
that city. From there he removed to
Pittsburg, Pa, then to Lexington,
KY, where he was foreman in foun-
dry. Ia 1853, Mr.. Whitfield return
ed to Pittsburg, where he was mar
ried May 10, to Miss Martha j. Bates.
His first appearance in Clarksville
was some time in 1854, when he was
offered contract by III, P. Doris, OF
the Clarksville Foundry, to execute
some important work. This work
occupied him about two years, and
during that period h" had become
attached to the cay and in turn the
people had become attached to him.
1t was about this time that Mr..
Doris concluded Clarksvile was too
small place for him, ,,and he wanted
to 60 to larger city, where he would
have larger sale for his stones and
CRATES he was manufacturing. Con-
seguently, in 1851, he sold his in
terest to J. p. Y. Whitfield, Thomas
Prichett and r. M. Hume, and it
was started under the firm name of
Whitfield d Co. A year later than
this Larkin Bradley and James
Clark bought the interest OF Prichett
& Hume, and the firm name was
changed to Whitfield, Bradley & Go.
This firm continued in business until
some time after the war, when Mr..
Whitfield bought the entire property.
1t was Whitfield, Bradley & Co.,
however, that made those famous
rifle cannons and cannon balls for the
Southern Confederacy. The first
cannon made was tested by Col.
R. w. Humphreys, who took them
with detachment of men up the
river, near Searcy's Ferry, to see if
they could be burst. The Colonel
turned loose these engines of de-
struction doubly charged, battering
down the stone cliff on the opposite
side of the river, and ploughing up
the earth like a volcanic eruption.
Elated with this trial, four charges
were put into the cannon, and they
were turned loose at the timber on
the opposite bank. A Kansas tornado
would not have more completely
wiped that timber from the face OF
the earth.
About the close of the war Mr.
Whitfield sold half interest in his
business to Jas. A, Bates, of Pittsburg,
Pa, and Joseph Elliott and Samuel
Crabtree, of Zanesville, Ohio, all
practical machinists, and up to 1865
was conducted by j. A. Bates & Co.
f. G. Bates buying out Crabtree 6
Elliott, md up to within
the last few months the foundry
business was conducted under the
firm name of Whitfield, Bates & Co.,
when it was changed to Whitfield
Drane & Co. After selling their old
saw-mill property in Gallows
Hollow, Whitfield, Bates & Co. too6
a one. third interest in the Sewanet
Planning Mills. In 1888, however
they sold their interest in this en-.
terprise and engaged extensively in
the saw-mill business at Danville
In 1884 they abandoned their busi
ness at DanYille and built theil