The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1904-11-15
Old CITIZEN
PASSED AWAY.
Col. J O. Banks, Honored, Re-
spectec and Loved BY The
Entire Community is
No More,

) iAC lEAC bIC AAoAt 1htfAC ~
one of Mississippi's best and
strongest men at 3 O'Clock Friday
morning, Nov. 10, and Col. James
.. Banks closed q long and ac-
tive life in the last dreamlesz
sleep that awaits US ALL 1t is
well 10 dwell for a moment upon
the sterling qualities of heart and
head reflected in the career of
men of his mold and seek for in
spiration in his three quarters of
a century spent amid the busy
walks Of life.
Born September 9th, 1929 in
Tuscaloosa, Ala, his growth re-
ceiyed all the training Of head
and body that wise father and
abundant means could supply.
Graduated at the University Of
Alabama as his ancestors and
children have done, love Of study
and reflection induced him to
turn from the vocation of large
landed proprietor with its abun-
dant leisure and attendant temp
tarions 70 the study of medicine.
After securing his diploma from
Jefferson Medical School in
Philadelphia. the young doctor
returned TO his native State TO
practice his chosen profession.
Though welded to science his
heart was not proof against the
dangerous infection that sur
rounds our radient southern
beauties and he, accepting the
advice OF friends. that a young
doctor should marry TO succeed,
wooed and won the hand of Miss
Margaret Coleman of Eutaw, Ala.
Three children survive this mar
riage, they are Mrs. Hampton
Osborne of this city, Mr.. Willis
Banks, Of Bent Oak, Miss, and
Mr.. Jas. O. Banks of Eutaw, Ala.
Abundant success attended the
active prosecution of the doctors
profession, ard the large inter
ests Of realty and other wealth
forced him to relinquish his call
ing and confine his attention to
his investments. Always stu
dent, as the years rolled by, he
accumulated finely selected IL
brary and acquired a vast fund
of information that irradiated
every incident of his after life.
When war called all Southern
manhood TO the colors the young
father turned from his Lowell ones
t the forefront of battle and took
his place on the firing line. He
went out in the 41st Mississippi
Regiment Infantry as 1st lieuten-
ant among the first troops. Once
in the thick of battle, while shell
and sho. were making a carnival
of death about him he met and
shook hands with beloved kins-
man whom he had not seen for
years, bade him t'God speed and
goodbye then the billowing
smoke swallowed him up. Again
while in business in a distant
State ali associate assumed large
obligations in his absence that
seriously embarrassed the firm.
He promptly ratified the compact
and securing proper extensions,
discharged from his private
means every dollar. Thus was
his life in peace and war made
luminous by that high sense Of
honor and devotion to duty,
which makes a really great man.
He moved to Columbus, Miss.
in 1854, and during 1867 took
up his residence in st. Louis,
Mo. Soon after the death Of his
wife there he returned to Column
bus, where he actively partici-
pated in all public affairs, and
was 20 be found in the place of
a good citizen and churchman
at all times, In 1870 he married
Miss Lucy Young, one Of the
lovely daughters nf Colonel Geo.
II. Young, OF Waverly, Miss.
He always exerted a powerful
influence in the financial circles
OF our town and made his pres
ence felt at every meeting
Careful Of obligations, he was
equally scrupulous in discharg-
ing them. When dark clouds