The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-11-05
Doctor B. P. Aston.
Respected and Useful Citizen
of Vance County, Who Died
at His Home Near Epson
Last Saturday---Was Greatly
Beloved and Will be Missed
in the Community
IN the Community.

Vance equity has lost one of its
most popular and useful citizens. DR..
Bennett Aston is dead. The end came
at his home near EPSON at l O'Clock
last Saturday, October 31st. The
announcement cast a gloom of sad
ness over the entire community and
friends were reluctant to believe it
| could be true, coming unexpectedly
as it did to many.
DR.. Aston had not been in good
health for some time, but he kept
going and appeared in his usual
spirits. His immediate sickness was
of about five weeks duration. He
was confined to his room but not to
bed and it was not thought that his
indispotion was of anything like a
serious nature. His dinner was
served i'll his room and he had not
LETT the table after rhrtaking Of light
diet more than ten minutes when
the end came. Quietly and peace
fully as a little child falling asleep,
he breathed his last and fell upon
that sleep which knows no awaking
by nature or humaa skill. A fitting
close to life like his-one which had
given ease and rest and comfort to
SO many others,
DR.. Bennett Perry Aston was in
many respects a remarkable man.
He was a unique character. There
was not another exactly like him
And yet he was not an oddity alto
gether-certainly not an eccentric
But he was sui generis, cast in a
different mould from other men. And
this very dissimilaritv marked him
a man among men. He was all gold
Is karat fine-straight, upright, per
pendicular; four square, plumb, ture,
every way you measured him.
A gentleman of the old school-a
Observation-Disclosures and com
mOner cOmbined-a man of fine
sense, quick wit, keen humor and
genial nature, cOnsiderate of the feel
ings of others always and respect
ing their opinions while frank and
outspOken in his own convictions
and never hesitating to let it be
known where he stood on any Ques-
ton, DR.. Aston had thu faculty of
making and retaining friends as few
men have Indeed, he was every
body's friend and everybody was his
friend. His charity was broad aud
his hospitality unbounded. He had
a warm heart and generous impulse
and loved his fellowman. He did
not know how to say No, and no
call of the needy. the sick and dis
tressed went unheeded by him. Is it
remarkable then that he was held in
such warm esteem-almOstid olzed-
bv SO great a number of the people
of Vance and Franklin and Warren
counties among whom he was not
only the good physician but the
good Samaritan also for more than
twenty-five years?
A touching incident in connection
with the burial of this good man as
illustrating the place he held in the
hearts of his peopleis found in n case
we are going to relate here. Among
those who came to pay the last sad
tribute of respect when he was laid
to rest Sunday afternoon was an old
colOred woman who had walked -
miles to bring three little punches of
flowers to lay upon his grave. He
had been a friend to her, one OF the
best friends she had ever had, she
said. Through foul weather and fair
he had cheerfully responded to every
call of need and had gone night or
day to attend the sick and relieve the
suffering in her family whether she
was able to pay him or not, and she
wanted in this humble way to testify
her love and gratitude and pay
feeble tribute to one of the best
men and best friends she ever knew
And in the lives and experience of
others, white and black, there are
scores and hundreds who could bear
similar testimony to the goodness
and largeness of DR.. Bennett Aston S
heart and charity.
DR.. Aston was born in Warren
county and would have been 62 years
old next March. He had been a resi-
dent and practicing physician of the
EPSON neighborhood "a part of the