The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-10-30
HON. THOMAS O. COVER.
"A GREAT LOSS TO GREENvILLE.
Full and Complete Sketch of His
Eife-What n Man of Energy Can DO
for a Communicable Labors in
MANY Dfrecffnna

Eife-What n Man of Energy Can DO
for COmmunity-His Labors I'm
Many Directions.
The death of Hon. Thomas G. Cover,
OF Greenville, is serious loss to the
city where his energies were expended
for half a century, but it is also great
loss to the State Of which he was an
adopted citizen. The following sketch
of his career was written three years
ago from data furnished by Mr.. Cow
er, and was published in book en-
titled Eminent and Representative
Men of the Carolinas u:
Hon. Thomas Claghorn Cover, one
of the prominent and influential busi-
ness men and honored citizens OF Green
vile, S. c., was born at Abbott, Pisca-
taquis County, Me-, April %, 1922. liv-
ing there until he was nineteen years
of ago, receiving his common school
education there and at Foxcroft acade-
my. On leaving the academy he
taught one term Of school, at the close
of which he came to this place, arriv-
ing January 10, 1872 having been
twenty-oue days on the trip. AS times
and methods Of travel have SO chang
cd since then, we give sketch of the
trip. He left home (about twenty
horse and sleigh, travelling in that
manner to Great Falls. N. H.; the
snow not affording good sleighing from
that point, he was forced to exchange
the sleigh for light wagon, continu-
ing the trip via Boston to Dedham,
where he sold his turnout comprising
Aaorse, wagon, harness, robes, etc.
taking stage coach for Providence. On
reaching Providence the journey was
h,yw IN
down the Potomac to Aqua creek,
there taking the stage for Fredericks-
burg, Va, resuming travel by rail
then to Raleigh, N. c., thence by stage
again via Greensboro and Lincolnton
to Greenville. In consequence OF the
bad condition of both rail and stage
roads and the slow schedules of the
former, the trip occupied twenty ono
days, which could now be made in forty
hours. Greenville County has been
his home since his first arrival, which
in few months will complete q half
century. AT this day there is but one
man living in Greenville who was in
business here on Mr.. Covers arrival.
He went to work with an indefatigable
erergy and pluck, first serving q two
years. apprenticeship at carriage man
uiacturing In the Greenville Coach
Factory, which was established in 1885,
by Thomas M. Cox and E. N. Cover,
. an elder brother of Thomas c., who
had removed to South Carolina from
Massachusetts in 1884, and was by
trade blacksmith of rare skill. This
factoryis still hourishing, and is now
owned by Henry @. Markley.
On July %, 1884, Mr.. Cover married
Jane Jones Williams, of Williamson,
West Allen Williams, and grand
daughter OF Samuel Williams, the lat
ter giving her farm in Greenville
County fourteen miles south of what
was then called Greenville village, the
fall succeeding their marriage, to
which they moved in January, 1845.
There Mr.. Cover farmed during the
season Of 1915, but in consequence of
an almost entire failure in crops that
year, owing to general and long con-
tinued drouth, and loss of several
hundred dollars thereby, he dctermin
ed to resume his trade and establish
carriage and wagon factory on his
farm, in which enterprise he was very
successful, during the four years that
he continued in it, In January, 1919,
he returned to Greenville, and became
partner in the Greenville Coach Fac
tory, the firm name becoming Cover,
Cox s. Cover. The business was very
prosperous for that day and time, and
at the commencement of the war, by
dint of hard work, untiring energy and
rigid economy, Mr.. Cover had accumu-
lated about 100000. At the first call
for Confederate volunteers. he prompt
ly responded joining the Brooks
Troop, and after drilling for several
weeks the company left here on the 9th
of June, 1851, and was mustered into
service in the Hampton Legion. His
business interests were left in charge
of his wit and eldest daughter, the
latter having just graduated from the
the Laursnsville female college, and
who is now the wife of Capt. o. p.
Mills, OF Greenville, S. @. Mr.. Cover
served one year as assistant quarter
master OF HamptOn's brigade, at the
end of which time he was detailed by
the Confederate government to return
home, and manufacture for the quar-
termaster and ordnance departments,
supplies, consisting of ambulances,
wagons, gun carriages, caisons, sad
dies, etc., continuing in this until the
close OF the war.
1t may here be stated that in the
spring Of 1865. the ordnance depart
ment paid to the firm of Cover, Cox,
Markley 81 Co., some $50, 900 or $40, 900,
which was then worthless as Gen. Lee
had already surrendered, fact that
neither the officers of the government
nor members of the firm were aware
of; about like amount was duo them
from the quartermaster's department,
which is still unpaid. In consequence
of losses already mentioned, and other
heavy losses incident to the freeing of
slaves, the condition OF the firm was
reduced to very low ebb, in fact 1t
was a financial wreck, as was the con-
dition of most other Southern business
men at that time. To add to the trou-
bles and atllictions of Mr.. Cover, about
this time his wife sickened, and after
an illness of year, died, August 4,
1866. Notwithstanding these depress-
ing circumstances, financial and do
mestic Mr.. Cover, with the same
pluck and energy that had character
lied his previous career, set about
anew to rebuild his ruined fortunes
and regain his former condition Of COM
fort and independence. The firm re-
established itself, and for several years
did & prosperous business, but In con
sequence Of becoming security for a
large amount of debts, mostly ante
"lum, he was obliged to suspend busi-
80. ~hc debts, of which the ante
lum were chiefly for negroes, ag-
sgated between $4,000 and 100000.
had become obligated for these
BITS before the breaking out of the
ar, and it was the emancipation OF
the slaves that ruined the men for
whnnn bp hol he atpafy canal U