The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-11-28
PRES|NENT FINLEY OF
SOUTHERN RY. DIES
Sudden Summons Follows Stroke
of ApOplexy.
TRIBUTE BY ANDREWS
Funeral Services Will be Held i'm
Washington Today-Born and
Reared i'm the South.

Washington, Nov. 25.-William
Wilson Finley, president of the
Southern Railway and a leading
figure in movements for the deyelon-
ment of the South, died here todav
as a result of stroke of apoplexy
which he suffered a few hours be-
lore. He did not regain consciousness
after he was striken.
Mr.. Finley's familey friends and
associates were wholly unprepared
tor mis- sudden death. Scarcely past
prime of life, he was vigorous and
energetic and seeminly in the hest
or health until a moment before he
was telled by the stroke. He passed
yesterday evening quitely with his
tamily and retired apparently in the
best physical and mental condition
When he arose about 7o'clock this
morning, he casually observed to Mrs.
F1nly that he had feeling of slight
oppression in his head. She left the
room for a moment to obtain some
mild remedy. When she returned he
was leaning over a dresser with his
head buried in his hands. She at
tempted to assist him but he fell
INTO her arms unconscious. The fam
lily physician was called and every
effort was made to revive him. At
1:5O this afternoon he passed away
with Mrs. Finley, three Of his daugh-
ters and his son at the bedside.
SUDDEN TO FRIENDS.
Until the end not ever Mr.. Finley's
most intimate personal and business
associates knew that he had been
stricken. Many of his personal friends
in, railroad circles were in the city
attending rate hearings before the
interstate Commerce Commission. His
only son. w. w. Finley, Jr., Con-
nected with the traffic department of
the Pennsylvania Railroad at Newark
| n. j. was notified of his fathers
condition and arrived at the house
about Is minuets before the death.
Mr.. Finley is survived by Mrs Fin
| ley, Misses Lottie ". Lille D.. Leo
nora and Celestne Finely and his
son. Miss Lottie was out of the CITY
/ and could not reach mere before her
fathers death. The funeral services
will be held in st. Johns EspicopaI
Church, this city at II a m. next
| Friday. Burial will be in Oak Hill
| Eemetary.
BORN ON GULF COAST.
Mr.. Finley was born on September
2. 1853, i'm Pass Christian. on the
Gulf Coast of Mississippi He was ed
ucated in the private schools Of Pass
! Christian and grew to early manhood
/ in the atmosphere of this picturesp Ie
! section % the South. At the agn Of
| 20 he entered the railroad service as
a stenograPher and by 1889 he had
! tl!cd almost every minor positiCr in
! the clerical department oF various
railroads. During the succeedinps six
years Mr.. Finley served several rail
road systems in important eXeCutN q
| caDa acities. became on October : .
! SSH third vice president OF the
. Southern Railway Later he was ser
ond vice presidetn Of the Cheat North
ern Railway but on September Is,
/ 1886, he returned to the Southern
Railway as second vice president. Ten
years later, in December. he was
chosen presidem Of the Southern in
succession to Samuel Spencer, who
"as killed in rear-end collision on
the morning OF Thanksgiving Day, six
years ago.
Mr.. Finley vas president not only
Of the Southern hallway, but also of
The Southern Railway Company in
Mississippi, the Mobile & Ohio Rail.
road Co. the Cincinnati New Orleans
C Texas Pacific hallway CO., the NIa-
bGma Great Southern Railroad Com
pary, the Georgia Southern &. Florida
Railway CO., the Virginia & South
western Railway Co.. and The Northen
Alabama Railway Company. He was
also d director Of the Chicago. mdi-
annapolis e Louisville Railway Co.
tie Old Dominion Steamship Com
pany the Equitable Life Assuran q
Society and orthe companies and a
trustee of the John f. Slater Educat-
iOnal Fund.
On March 3, jG1O, the legrce of
LII. u. ae conferred upCE Mr. Finley
- the ulale University Of Louisiana
ard on .rrc, 2, $40 the sam degree
vas conferred upon hin, by the State
3 University of It"Ttucky. @ was vice
Oresideu and chairman Of the eXeru-
ave committee o. the AmerICab High.
way ! ssh, iation Y hich Is tha clearing
house for the good raods movement
iii the United States. He was one of
the founders of the origizstion and
through it aided the road Movement
throughout the South.
Southern VIII Cease All Work For