Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-11-09
HON. j. Nj. SULLIVAN is DEAD.
Passed Away IN Columbia, Succunb-
ing to Attack of Paralysis.
Columbia Record, Nov. p

INSColuy .>oS. 81
Hon. James Mattison Sullivan, OF
the South Carolina Railroad Com
mission. died this morning at 8
O'Clock at his home in this city OF
October 18th. Mr.. Sullivan was 90
years old. He had done faithful, in
telligent service for his city, his coun-
ty and his State, and throughout his
career had shown that his ideal of a
public omcial's duty was unusually
high
1t had been realized from the first
that Mr.. Sullivan's illness was seri-
Gus. Hope Of recovery was held,
however and in the last two or three
days there had been some improve
ment in his condition. Toward the
last he lapsed into Inconsistencies.
Gathered at the residence when the
end came were Mrs. Sullivan, her sis
ters, the Misses Vance and Jessie Du-
Bose. Of Atlanta; G. G. Sullivan, J.
NJ. Sullivan. Jr., Jacob w. Sullivan,
son, with the three Youngest chill.
dren. Vance. Jessie and an infant.
One daughter, Mrs. Nina Sullivan
Smathers, wife Of Dr.. Smathers, of
Anderson, was i'll and unable to come
to Columbia. Two OF Mr.. Sullivan's
brothers. \. B. and w. w. Sullivan,
OF Anderson, were here Sunday, but
had gone home. believing the patient
would recover.
Sketch of His Life.
James Mattison Sullivan was born
at Anderson, September s, 1855. He
was a son OF Capt. n. X. and Emily
Sullivan. His father was one of the
pioneer merchants of the Piedmont
and prominent business man in
Anderson, Pendleton, Walhalla and
Pickens, and served with distinction
in Orr's Regiment from the begin
ming to the end OF the War Between
the States. At the close OF the war
Capt. Sullivan began business in An
dcrson and was so occupied at the
time OF his death, in 1881.
James NJ. Sullivan was educated
in the common schools OF his native
county and was for several years a
student of Prof. w. J. Ligon, one Of
the most successful teachers OF his
day. He also had the advantages OF
a brief collegiate course at Davidson
College, North Carolina, where, ow-
ing to want OF funds, he could not
remain to graduate.
AT the age of 10 Mr.. Sullivan be-
gan the mercantile business in An
derson, which vocation he pursued
| unintcrruptedly until 1897, when he
retired, having built up and estab-
lished, with his brothers, a large
trade in hardware and machinery.
The firm, the Sullivan Hardware
Company, was recognized as one Of
the largest and most successful OF its
kind in the State.
Mr.. Sullivan held no public office
until his election as a member Of the
Constitutional Convention in 1895.
The following year he was elected to
the House Of Representatives. He
served one term in this body and in
the succeeding election he was cho-
sen, without opposition, State Sena-
tor, serving as such the full term of
four years.
lie declined to allow the use of
his name for reelection and was at
once elected mayor Of Anderson. He
held this Office for two consecutive
terms, retiring in August, 1906. For
two years after retiring from the
mayoralty, Mr.. Sullivan was agent at
Anderson for the Charleston and
Western Carolina Railroad.
Less than week previous to the
opening Of the State campaign in
June, 1906, he announced himself a
candidate for Railroad Commissions
er In the Democratic primary. AL
though the firth and last man to en-
ter the race, Mr.. Sullivan was nomi-
mated by a handsome majority and
subsequently elected, and served as a
member of the Commission up to his
death.
Mr.. Sullivan was married May 1f,
1877, to Miss Mary A. Wannamaker
of Orangeburg, who died some years
ago, leaving five children. Mr.. Sui
livan's second marriage was to Miss
Harriet DuBosc. Of Atlanta, who sur
wives him, with three children. The
family residence was removed to Co
lumbia in September, 1909.