Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-12
" 4 s=s-ess- DEATH IF THOMAS SEDDON Comes Suddenly and Shocks
 the Entire Community. USEFUL CAREER AT AN END Taken Home to Be Laid by the Side of Ills
 Dead Father-Brief Resume of
 His Life.

Sunday morning at 9.30 o'clock, at the beautiful home of MT. J. Bruce Morson on Sycamore street, near Highland ave- nue, death entered the portals and bore away the soul of Thomas Seddon, presi- dent of the Sloss Iron and Steel com pany. The demise was sudden and unex- pected, although deceased had been vic- tim of Bright's disease for a number of years, and this, aided by congestion of the lungs, caused his death. He was in his usual health up to Friday, and on Saturday morning he was taken i'll and forced to go to bed, from which he never arose.
 Deceased had never married and leaves several brothers and sisters, one of the former being Judge James Seddon of the city court of St. Louis, and another Will liam Seddon, a well-known broker of Baltimore. Mr. J. Bruce Morson was a cousin of deceased.
 The remains were escorted to Rich mond Va, yesterday morning over the Southern by Mir. and Mrs J. Bruce Nor son and Gen. E. w. Fucker, vice-presi- dent of the .Sloss Iron and Steel company. The body will be laid to rest beside the remains of his father, in the family bury ing ground on Cabot Hill, near Rich mond
 In the death of Thomas Seddon Bir- mingham sustains loss which it will re- quire much time to replace. He was the very embodiment of push and enterprise, and his work went far toward bringing Birmingham before the world as an iron center.
 Resume of His Career.
 Thomas Seddon was a son of James Alexander Seddon, a brilliant Virginia sta tesman, who before the war was member of congress and represented the Confederacy in the celebrated peace com mission in 1861. N'i
 When war was declared MT. Seddon re- signed his seat in congress and was ap- pointed secretary of war for the Confed- eracy. At the close of the war he retired to his home at Cabot Hill, where he pass ed the remainder of his days peacefully and quietly. tAt' @'"
 Thomas Seddon. was a law student at the University of Virginia, and graduated with high honors. He went to Baltimore and practiced law for short time This life, however, was too tame for his young and aspiring spirit, and he went to New York and embarked in the stock broker age business. He was given substan- tial assistance by Joseph Bryan and oth- CT Virginians, who admired his ability, and later Calvin S. Brlce, Joseph Bryan and others induced him to enter the rail- road field as a director and treasurer of the Richmond and Danville Extension company. The other officers of the com pany were: John w. Johnston, president; Joseph Bryan, vice-president; l. Y. Sage, general manager, and H. D. Ansley, au- ditor. 7'HH&t<
 The first important work of the com pany was the building of the Georgia Pa cific road to thislccity. The work was. completed in 1883, The company next purchased the property of the Milner Coal and Railway company. This was really done to secure right of way on west for the Georgia Pacific, but in the purchase the valuable coal lands in and around Coalburg were secured These lands now belong to the Sloss company. The nine miles of track were turned over to the Georgia Pacific and the lands to the Coalburg Coal ana Coke company This deal caused a big jump In the Elk tension company's stock from $20 to $500. Deceased was a very prominent figure in the deal -r-a .-r
 r The company of which he was the head at this time was known as the Sloss Iron and Steel company and Capt. Joseph r. Johnston was president. The Sloss company bought the Coalburg lands be- longing to the Extension company In 1886 MT. Seddon began to become gener- ally known and a year later was called to the presidency of the Sloss Iron and Steel company, which position he held until his death. Not only was MT. Seddon the literal head of the Sloss company, but his was | the magic hand which made everything | in and around he-property of the com pany flourish and improve. By his skill l ful guidance the company was steered | beyond financial cesspools, and today's standing of the Sloss Iron and Steel com | pany is lasting monument to his abil- | ity.
 | Outwardly deceased was a cold-heart- | ed man, but those who knew him inti- mately always referred to him as man | of charitable inclinations.