The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-07-11
IuNuAtsSMAN SiUkLS I'D.
Died at His Home Near OTaDgsbarg
Saturday Morning.

S2luruay Iuoi iHihS.
Oraageburg. Special.-The death u
c,aSresswan J. William S,ok2S. wA,ch
occurred at his home near this c.~y
Saturday morning az o'clock. w2s
great sac.k to the whole community,
though not unexpected; fer I WAS
known several Gags ago that Little u
any hope was entertained Of his ii2al
recovery. He had been in declining
health fC: months. yet his dsS.re 10
serve his constituency caused him t.
forget self and continue at his Official
work until short time since when ne
was forced by weakness to give up a!
Ct his labors. His private secfetnY
was brought here, however, and a:ten-
Ged to all matters of pressing impo:-
tance.
In the death OF DR.. Stokes the state
and county have lost good citizen.
He was enterpTising and pushing. and
in church and matters OF State, H.
had drawn to himself thousands Of
faithful friends who will sorrow a. his
untimely taking of. He was u1os;e2-
tatious and faithful to every duty; aad
while it may be said with truth tina:
ct one time in his political career he
had many opponents Of his advance
ment in his native county. Il can be as
truthfully asserted now, that OF the
time OF his death there were few who
opposed him, 81 closely had he ident.-
lied himself with the people By his
faithful service as congressman.
Congressman Stokes leaves sur
viving him wife. and mother, and one
brother, Rev. Edwin Stokes, OF the
South Carolina conference, NJ. +.
church, south. and two sisters, Miss
Anna and Lula To all Of these s. cut
the unfeigned symrathies of a soTrow-
ing people.
The time for the funeral has been
fixed for Monday, II O'Clock a. NJ, at
the Methodist church. The deputy
sergeant at arms arrived here Sunday
and the congressional committee came
Monday morning.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Congressman ]. William Stokes was
born in Orangeburg county in 1858.
After attending the public schools he
was graduated from the Washington
and Lee University with hign ho2ors.
After graduation he taught school as
principal of the Lincoln county, Ten
nessee, school for two years. Then It
the age Of 81 he decided to study med!-
cine and entered Vanderbilt universi-
ty for that purpose, completing the
course. While at Vanderbilt he taught
a school near Nashville. At his gradu-
alton he won high honors and won
from among SO contestants a medal or
fered for the best On a medical sub
ject. Though offered the superintend-
ency OF a fine school in Mississippi
he came home and practiced medicine
for year. Finally, the offer being
bettered, he did go to Mississippi! and
took charge of the schools at Corinth.
remaining there six years. Then Lin
ooln county's schools needed him
again and he accepted the suDerinten-
dency for period Of five years. At
the end Of the first year, however, he
was called home to take charge Of his.
fathers estate. DR.. Stokes soon be-
came greatly interested in agriculu-
raj matters and fell into the farmers
alliance with his whole soul, first or
ganizing a sub-aliance, then the county
alliance, and later on purchasing and
running The Cotton Plant in June
1890. He ran the paper for some
time. Still later he became State or
ganizer for the alliance in its palmy.
days and was president OF the organ
ization for some time. In the general
election in 1890 he was sent by his
county to the State Senate. From the
sentae he went to Congress. His
career there, particularly his persis-
tency in the matter Of the rural free
delivery system. IS known to all.
In 1881 Dr. Stokes married Miss E.
l.. Landers. of Fayetteville. Tenn. As
teacher, doctor, farmer, editor and o.
fetal DR.. Stokes was successful.