The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-10-13
The COn1lOnWe1.l Ia .
Entered at the Post Gios CT Sco:loaa
Neck, N C as Second Glass Matter.
GENERAL MA TTIfEIF ITIITt-
KER NS0.U.

Written by request OF The Commonwealth.
At O'Clock on the morning ct til.
Sth instant, Gen. Ransom, serTan: {.
all, beloved OF al, laid down The bur
dens and cares Of earth and entered in
to the rest which wat Is on lie vel
spent. The end came as he had know
it would Gene, suddenly ana painfully
after busy y CO The plantation i;
retired about 8 O'Clock. When t.:t
fatal seizurs came he called his o;des
son who YVES the emily member Ct ,lis
family with him, The usual renncd;a>
EEers tiied, The other spiis were stirn
inoncd froill their rlantations, Tx
family physician was sent tor and then
the period Of painful waiting. Three
of the sens had arrived. One of them
was on a plantation too far eff to be
reached in time. Mrs. Ransom and
her only daughter were still at Blowing
Rock where they had spent the sum
mer and did not get home unit! the
following day. A. intervals the suffer
er cried, ''Unless l get better l must
die" At last, feeling that death had
come, he cried, Boys, do right. God
bless your mother" It was all over
During the afternoon Of Monday, the
10th instant, Il great company, one
thousand persons or more, among them
State officers and others from Raleigh,
from Henderson also and from Wei
don, gathered to pay the last tribute
to the man whom they had so long
loved and admired and followed.
Maj. Weston, once a Confederate SOL
dier but now clergyman Of the Epls-
copai church, read the burial service,
ard the body was tenderly and rever-
emily laid 10 rest in the family bury
ing ground near the home to which
he had gone with his young wife many
years before and to which he always
returned whenever he obtained release
from the demands OF public business
Early Saturday morning the telegraph
carried the news of his death into every
part OF the State and there was sorrow
among all classes Of the people that
the great man had passed away. 1t is
too early even if there were time and
space fer al extended sketch Of him
blt The readers of rnE CoMMoNwEALTE
will ex2ec. to see !, brief statement Ct
the salient points Ct his extraordinary
career
His lineage goes back to the begin
ming Of things IN the United States.
Among the colonists who settled
jamestown, Va, were two brothers
bearing the name Of Whitaker. One
OF them was a clergyman of the church
OF England and ckildless; the other,
more fortunate, had children. About
the same time a group Of colonists,
Ransom. Singleton and others settled
In Gloucester county. One OF the
Slngietons was member of the Viz
gin!a company which had much to do
with the establishment and building
up OF the colony. Descendants of the
Ransons and the Whltakers came into
North Carolina; the former settling in
Warren county and the latter in Hall
fax. The Whitakers are still large
and influential fanally in the region
which they first settled. Matthew
Whitaker was six times elected to the
house OF representatives and five times
to the senate OF the State legislature.
Once he was opposed and beaten by
Gov. Branch. When Mrs. Whitaker
heard OF it she said to her husband,
"You must beat Mr.. Branch next time
1t it takes half of your estate" He
did beat thu Governor and then retired
from political life.
Priscilla, daughter OF this couple,
married Robert Ransom, of Warren.
She was fine type OF the southern
woman OF the period of strong, SYM
metrlcal character and beautiful life.
Even more than the father she mould
Cd and shaped the lives of the children.
This was specially tue OF the eldest
son, Matthew Whitaker, who was born
on the Sth day Of October, 1926, and
who to the close of his lie cherished
her memory with strong and tender
affection
The elder Ransom did not prosper
In business and when the time came
Tor Matt to enter the University there
were serious difficulties in the way.
But the literary society, OF which he
was member, aided him. Friends
also proffered help and he graduated
with great eclat in 1874. One of the
friends who came to his relief in time
OF sore need was named Clanton. For
him Gen. Ransom cherished a crate
full remembrance and few weeks be-
lore his death declared his purpose to
erect monument to his benefactor if
his life should be spared. The end
was nearer than he thought; and after
all the best monument to his friend
was his own splendid career and his
affectionate and grateful remembrance.
1t was large and distinguished class.
VI the thirty-slx members recall but
two who are now living: Menalcas
Landlord, Esq, of Norfolk, Va, and
Rev. Thos. E. Skinner, D. D.. Of
Arden, N. G.. Four of the men of that
class have left their impress on their
generation. DR.. Skinner, John Pool,
Jam0s Johnston Pettigrew and Matt
Rannom. The last two were competl-
tors for college honors, and the rivalry
was 20 keen as to lead to personal alien
alton. For several years after they
had graduated they did not speak to
each other when they met. Pettigrew
received the vaiedictory and a new
place was created for Ransom, He
was appointed to deliver the English
Saiutatory a duty which, 1 think,
began and ended with him. Gen.
Ransom, late in life, thought that Pet
tigrew was his superior In mathema-