Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-12-10
MANY HAVE MADE FORTUNES.
Some Have Chosen Political
Careers With Equal
Success.

man who in the past 40 or more
years has gone TO Louisville has
made good No matter what bus.
ness they embarked in they pushed
right on TO success. We mention
just a few instances: Wiley B.
Mathews, contractor and builder,
who one would not have supposed to
know anything about tobacco and
how to handle it, died millionaire,
every dollar of it, presumably. made
in dealing in the weed. He has sons
now in the business.
Col James F. Buckner, another
one of our citizens, took up his resi-.
dence in the Falls City about the
same time as did Mr.. Mathews. He
pulled a rich plum from the Govern
ment in the shape of Collector of r.
ternal Revenue. Col. Buckner's c.
reer as government officer was one
of remarkable straightforwardness,
efficiency and honesty. There was
but one ripple Of disturbance during
his term Of Office, his cashier de.
faulting for several thousand dollars,
but Col. Buekner made good the loss
and he was afterward reimbursed
by the Government.
His younger son, James F. Buck
Ter, Jr., was small boy when his
father went to Louisville. After
the Louisville Board of Trade was
organized the young man was made
its manager and has continued in
that position up to the present time.
He is a man of unusual executive
ability and there is not like organ
ization in the United States that has
better man at its head.
James S. Phelps was another man
t1at forged to the front in the to.
bacco business in Louisville. For
many years he and his oldest son.
John Phelps. operated one of the
largest tobacco warehouses in the
city, and for long period they con-
Quoted their business with such sue
cess that when the time came for
retiring they found it job to do SO,
as their old patrons kept applying to
them to handle their crops.
John c. Durretr, who quit the dry
goods business here. went to Louis
vile and got into the tobacco bust
ness with both feet" and there he
stayed for many years. Though the
great cyclone on the night of March
9th. 1890. swept his large ware
house from the face Of the earth,
excepting the foundation. he rebuilt
and kept right along, until he had
made "a barrel" Then he bought a
large farm and babe good-by to
Louisville. so far as business was
concerned.
John Suites. one of the foremost
men in business circles If Louisville,
left here good many years ago. but
not so far back as those mentioned
above. His success has been phen
Louisville has honored him
in many ways and today he is rae0g-
nized as one Of the best of financiers
In the city. Born and raised to
manhood on farm only few miles
north of HopKinsville. it seems a
little strange that. after leaving the
farm and starting out in life, he
should choose to assume a place in
the metropolis of the State where
ludicious handling of elusive dollars
should engross his deepest thought.
but it is presumed that an inherited
judicial nature was the real key to
mis- remarkable success among men
used to city life. There is not man
IN Louisville today who stands high
Or in the estimation of all classes
han the North Christian farmer
who took what is called here a hand
'ome fortune to Louisville and threw