The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-14

: ~ 4AAoD OAo SlCp l4ICIC was AASl4A , SS@4
to year, a handsome increase in the
| profits.
! The young moralist was encouraged
! i'll this honorable Christian course by
his old friends, George F. Pierce, James
E. Evans and William NJ. Wightman,
gentlemen high in the church. Mr..
! Williams was Jealous, though not
bigoted, member of the Methodist
Episcopal church. There was nothing
narrow in his religious opinions and
! feelings; he accepted various official
duties in religion and education. He
was steward and trustee of Trinity
church, Charleston, a member of the
! joint board of finance in the South Car
, DINA conference and trustee Of Wofford
college, to which, as we'll as to Emory
college in Georgia, he made liberal con-
tributions.
! Mr.. Williams was twice married; first
| to Louisa A. Wightman, in 184S, sister
of Bishop William M. Wigntman, a lady
of deep piety, possessing many of the
characteristics of her brother and of
| her sainted mother. His second wife
| was Martha F. Porter a daughter of
John W. Porter, of Madison, Ga, a
| lady of rare qualities of heart, mind
and person. This marriage took place
| in November, 1856. Four children, two
sons and two daughters, bless this I'M
| ion s i
| Fourteen years had come and gone
/ since Mr.. Williams left his Nancochee
home. He had, by his superior bust
ness talents, accumulated larger cap
! ital than could be used to advantage,
even in their extensive Augusta house.
| Having been for some years favora-
bly, impressed with Charleston, he Wis
| tied that city in 1852, and established
the wholesale grocery house of George
| w. Williams & Co., on strictly temper
ance principles. The sales in the All
gusta and Charleston houses were soon
increased to two million dollars per an
mum, and the profits from one hun
bred thousand dollars per annum. Mr..
Williams was elected a director in the
State Bank Of Georgia, at the early age
of twenty three. 1t was in this we'll
managed institution that he gained his
first knowledge in banking. Just In the
prime of vigorous manhood. at the
I breaking out of the war between the
| States we find Mr.. Williams at the
head of two of the largest commercial
| houses of the south, an alderman of the
| city of Charleston, chairman Of the
committee Of ways and means, which
position he held during the entire war;
director of the Bank Of South Carolina;
also of two railroad companies; the
. financial counsellor of host Of friends,
ever ready to engage in all public
works and enterprises which looked to
the prosperity of his adopted city and
state. During the war, through his I'M
firing exertions, thousands of the des-
titute poor were supplied daily with
food. On the landing of the Federal
troops Mr.. Williams secured their ser
vice in extinguishing the fires then rag
ing in various parts of the city. He
thus saved from the flames and dis
tributed food to feed twenty thousand
people four months. 1t was not Mr..
Williams intention, at the close of the
war, to engage again in the mercantile
business, but to establish a bank. e.,
Before this was fully accomplished he
was solicited by friends and customers
to return to his old business, and his
was the first house to resume business
in Charleston after the war. He at
once commenced the erection of large
ware houses in the burnt district for
the storage of cotton and his extensive
, stores on Hayne street were filled with
merchandise He also opened a bank
ing house and in a short time was fully
immersed in business. His firm re-
,1aI, to wa
sand bales Of cotton in one seasan, in
cash value about five million, besides
doing a grocery and fertillZing business
Of many millions. Some fifty partners
have been associated with him in his
long business career many of them
having been brought up from the hum
blest office grade, and many have re-
tired with fortunes. Mr. Williams has
divided, including interest, profits aris-
ing from his various firms since he be-
gan business in Augusta, Ca, in 1912 to
the present time, more than twenty
five million dollars. This will show
what ten dollars will do when handled
by one of Mr. Williams push, thrift
and energy and is valuable lesson for
the youth just starting in life.
The banking department of George
W. Williams & Co.'S business increased
to such an extent that they found it
necessary to secure larger accommoda-
tons for that branch, and in 1875 Mr..
williams purchased the fine brown
stone building, No. ! Broad street,
which had been erected by the State
Bank Of South Carolina, at a cost Of
one hundred thousand dollars. To this
single location he removed the Carolin
Savings Bank and the banking depart
ment of George w. Williams & Co.
Since then Mr.. Williams has devoted
himself almost exclusively to banking
and in winding up his old mercantile
and fertilizing firm. His object in es-
tablshing the Carolina Savings bank in
conjunction with the banking business
of George w. Williams & Co. was to af-
ford persons of moderate means an OPP
portunfty of outstanding their resour-
ces. He felt that a savings bank, pro-
perly conducted, would tend to encour-
age frugality, industry and thrift
among the laboring classes, white and
black, and also teach the young the
habits of saving and economy. 1t also
gave him an opportunity of training his
sons to strictly business habits.
Before closing this sketch we desire to
record one Of the noblest acts of Mr..
] c. L. a