Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-06-23
MAI. w. w. MCDOWELL DEAD
a NOBLE SPIRIT GONE TO HIS
LAST REST.
EAis Death OCcusrrs AlrnOst Esn-
saansly. FOLLOWING an Attack of
Heart Disease About 6;3O Yes
serdav AfternOOn-Funer To
morrow


morrow
=" is sad news that THE CITIZEN bears
ny people in Western North Caro-
oday in chronicling the death of
# the best beloved men this section
ha> yer known. Maj. w w. Mcdowell.
He died at his home South Main
street yesterday afternoon at 6:3O
O'Clock.
Maj. Mcdowell has not been in good
good health for a long time. never
having fully recovered from a
protracted illuess a year more
ago. Yet his condition for the
past few months was such as to give
hope of his life being spared for some
time. Wednesday morning, owever,
as stated in The CITIZEN yesterday, he
was prostrated by an attack of neural
gia of the heart Medical attendance
was given him by DIR. w ID. Hlliard and
an improvement in the sufferers condi-
tion was noted. Yesterday afternoon
soon after o'clock he was feeling
much better, and was talking to and ca
ressing one of his grandchildren,
child of John II. Mcdowell.
After spending some time thus, Maj.
Mcdowell walked to another room of
his house, seemingly almost as well as
he had been for months. In few min
utes, however, those who were near
him noticed his faced sutfused from a
rush of blood, caused from his heart
trouble. Anxious members of his family,
fearing he worst, ran to his assistan
and he was taken to his bed, where
wit hin perhaps five minutes of the
currencc of he attack the end came and
this noble man breathed his last.
Maj. w. w. Mcdowell was born at
Pleasant Gardens in Mcdowell county,
N. c., on the banks of the Ca aw ba
river on the 18th OF February, 1923, SO
that at the time OF his death he was over
20 years of age. He was son OF Col.
James Mcdowell, ard Il grandson OF
Col. McDo WELL OF Revolutionary fame.
Mai Mcdowell came to Ashcvile i'll
1S45. In the year following lie was
married here to Miss Sarah l.. Smith.
daughter OF James NJ: Smith, who
was the first white child born west
of the Blue Ridge. He held successlvely
the positions of teller and cashier in the
Ashevile branch of the Bank OF the
Cape Fear until alter the war, his SER
vice in this institution being interrupted
bv the great struggle between North and
South. In 1861 he went into the war with
the Buncombe Rif1emen, the first volunteer
troops organized in the State. He was
with his company at the battle ot Bethel,
June 10, 1861. the first engagemcnt of
the war, and was on the penInsular at
Yorktown for six months. In 1862 he,
with his brother, Col. JOS. A. Mcdowell,
organized the Goth reg iment, N {. State
troops. He did not remain until the
close of he war. returning home on &C
count of his Illness.
Mai. Mcdowell was in the mercantile
business for a number OF years, his first
partnership being with A, T. Summey,
Montravile Patton and George Spears,
under the firm name OF Summey, Spears
& Co. This business was conducted in
the building on south court place now
occupied by J. E. Dickerson & Co,
which store was built by this firm
Later he was engaged with Montrav1ile
Patton in the contracting business
Much of the work in the Swanuanoa
tunnel on the Western North Carolina
railroad was done by this firm. ana
many of the older houses in Asheville
went up under their direction.
About 1870 or II Maj. Mcdowell re-
tired from active business pursuits and
has since lived here, surrounded by faIn1-
ly and friends, happy in enjoyment such
as comes to men those lives are spent,
as his was, in such a waV as to be les
son and worthy of emulation by genera
tiOnS to come.
Mai. McDowell's life throughout was
a lovely one. His was character un-
blenished in the slightest degree. be
was a man of integrity the strictest and
with an honesty that was sunlmpeacha BILE.
| With him friendship once contracted
| remained so always, so long as the
friend deserved to be called such He
| treated every man fairly. and was
a friend alike to poor and rich
| W hite and colored, among those
| he came in contact with. 1t can be sale
of him that of the many people he has
| had business dealings with not one lives
| who became his enemy. Justice
A. T. Summey of this CITY, in re
| ferring feelingly TO Maj. McDoweli''
| death this morning, paid the deceased (
high tribute and said that in all of tn,
years during which he has known NJ al
| Mcdowell intimately not one thing haC
ever occurred that would in the slightes
degree mar that friendship.
| Soon after the war Mai. Mcdowell
Joined the Presby tcrian church, and VI
to the time of his death was mem be
and elder in the First Presbytei ial
church here. He took deep interest il
| he welfare of his church, and it is on Ian,
donated by him that the pretty South
side Presbyterian church was erected
there to stand as one of the monument
to his generosity and uprightness. H
died as he had lived, honorable and hon
ored. and firm in the hope of a blesse
| hereafter.
Maj. Mcdowell leaves a wife an
nine children, seven sons and tw
daughters, as follows: Ex-Chief of Pc
lice w. 9. Mcdowell, ]. A. Med Dwell, ez
Alderman J. Hamp. Mcdowell, John Il
Mcdowell, of the firm of Blair & Mo
Dowell, L. E. Mcdowell, Miss Anna E
Mcdowell, Geo. Nj. Mcdowell. Miss Mar
<. Mcdowell and Arthur 6. Mcdowell
He has one sister living, Mrs. Kate Pat
ton, the widow of Maj. Mcdowell
partner in business, MontravilIe Pattor
Mrs. Patton was in Morg Inton whe
her brother died.
Many bereaved relatives and sorrow
ing friends have visited the late residenC
of he deceased today to take a last loo
at the good man and true friend and off
such coincidence mortals may give.
| El1.. funeral I.zin ncrIIr he