The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-27
ELL-KN0WN MAN
PASSES BEYOND
Robert w. Powers, Prominent in
Business Circles, Dies After
Long Illness.
SERVED IN CITY COUNCIL
Was Member of Old Richmond
Howitzers and Present al
John Browns Raid.

Mr.. Robert W. Powers, for many
years one of the most prominent
business men of the city. and senior
member of the Powers Taylor Drug
Company. died at his residence. No. $40
Park Avenue, at 7:i5 o'clock yesterday
morning after a long illness. Mr.
Powers had been in falling health for
several years. and for this reason, and
owing to his advanced age, he had
not been active in business for long
while.
The funeral will take place from the
First Baptist Church this afternoon at
A o'clock, and the service will be con-
Quoted by the pastor. Rev. DIR. George
". Mcdaniel. The pall-bearers Will be
as follows:
Honorary-Judg Samuel B. Witt
Messrs. l.. Y. Morris. Charles f. Wingo
Daniel Mccarthy, John b. Purcell, c.
Saunders, Jr., George w. Latimer, r.
NJ. Smith. d. o. Davis. Lewis H.
Blair, w. S. Forbes, William p.
Poythress, Nudge Edmund Waddill
and Major Clay Drewry.
Active-Messrs L. r. Caperton. Rich
ard Gwathmey, c. NJ. Ferrell, A. w.
Patterson. Albert Alsop. ID. NJ. Gwath-
.ney, Carlton Jackson and Graham B.
Hobson.
The intcrment will be made in Holly
wood Cemetery.
Sketch of Mr.. Powers.
Robert w. Powers was born at New
town. King and Queen county, May
| IS. 1881. and was therefore in the
| seventy sixth year of his age
He was a son of the late William
| Powers. of King and Queen and had
| the following brothers and sisters, all
| Of whom are now dead: the Rev. Pike
| Powers, long q distinguished minister
of the gospel in this city, w. Fl.
Powers Of the late firm OF Powers,
Blair & Company; Pinckney Powers,
| Philip Powers. Sidney Powers. Mrs,
W. II. Harrison and Mrs. John p.
Ballard.
Tho subject of this sketch spent his
early boyhood in his native county,
but in the early fifties he went to
| stanton and secured position as
a clerk in u retail drug store. In
| 1854 young Powers came to Richmond
and was given a place as clerk in
the drug store Of Messrs Purcell,
Ladd & Company, remaining with this
| well-known firm until 1860, when he
bought out the retail drug business
| of Grayson &; Wood, at the corner OF
! Fifteenth and Main Streets and ran
| 1t on his own account as n general
drug store
|
old firms as those of Dove 4. Company,
Meade & Baker Peterson & Company,
| Alexander Duval, and Addie & Gray
| were in active business. Their names
have all long since faded from the
signs, and the propretors have all
| passed to their reward.
1 In 1867 Mr.. Powers removed his
store to the present stand, No. 1905
| East Main Street, whore he was in
| continuous business UP to the time of
| his death, and where he saw the estab-
lishment started by himself develop
/ into one of the largest drag jobbing
houses in the South
Was First to Open.
| Upon the evacuation of Richmond
in April, 1868, the drug store of Mr..
Powers was the first to open, and he
soon laid in sufficient stock to sup
| ply the needs of the people.
From that time his business in
creased steadily, and he was attentive
to it up to a short time before his
i recent illness, though his health had
not boon good for the past few years.
The Arm name was at first simply
r. w. Powers, and Mr.. Powers was
the sole proprietor, but III lS'2 MI
Il, d. Taylor was admitted as part
ner, and the name of the tlrm was
changed to n. w. Powers & Com.
| pany. In lSoV .tllc tcoHN'i'i WIS -
corporated under tho name of the
Powers-Taylor Drug Company, and Is
now in successful operation. enlarge
ments and improvements having been
recently made on an extended scale.
For forty lone years Messrs. Powers
and Taylor have been associated inti-
mately in the conduct of the business
ana they we're as devoted to one an
other as If they had been brothers.
SO much for the business side OF Mr.
Powers's life, which was marked al
every point by integrity, energy ant
popularity, and mt the end by degree
OF success which comes only to those