The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1913-11-21
introducing
Myself. Z
Unique Idea of Tennessee
Advocate of Abolition of
c Capital Punishment
From Laws of the State


den, who made a heroic and tell
ing effort to induce the Fifty
Eighth General Assembly of the
State of Tennessee, in regular
session last winter, to repeal the
law inflicting capital punishment
for the commission of crime, and
substituting therefor imprison.
ment for life, has a unique way
of introducing himself by print.
ing on his personal letter heads
the following:
II, Duke O., son of Calvin T.
and Ida Cayce Bowers, was born
November II, 1874, in Mobile,
Ala. My parents moved to Gin
ton, KY, where afterwards | at.
tended school until expelled
from Marvin College In 1892.
Years after this was exonerated
and elected on of the members
|of the Board of Curators, which
office am still honored with. |
was raised up 10 the mercantile
business, did credit business in
Columbus, KY, from 1892 to
1898. Seeing that was a failure
at The credit business; quit it
and sought another field, finally
securing a job news. butching"
on the trains between Danville,
ILL.,, and Toledo, 0. Kept at this
until | found a better place, with
the Columbus Stave Company at
$18per month. A negro working
there by the name Of Benrie
johnson used to say to me, "Mr.
Dukes, what you doin' workin'
down here with us niggers?
Youse got too much sense for a
job like this" Finally one bitter
cold day in December or January
while on top of pile of slaves,
raking the snow off my bare
hands, this thought came to me:
why is it that | am up here on
this pile of slaves raking the
snow off with my bare hands
when | have means sufficient to
start me in the grocery bust
ness?" The answer to this
thought was, Because | can't
say no" Almost with the same
thought came the determination,
II can say no; | will say it. I"
New life was in me, new thoughts
and new ideas took possession of
me. March /, 1899, | again en-
tered the grocery business at
Columbus, Ky, but with entirely
different methods, selling goods
at a small profit for cash and the
customers taking their purchases
home with them. Succeeded so
we'll by and with this plan that
| decided the town was too small
for me, sold out and went to
Memphis, Tenn, where opened
store No. /, August 10, 1902.
My plan appealed so strongly to
the man of family with limited
means that my business grew by
leaps and bounds. | was fought
very strongly by my competitors
because of my small, same
margin of profit on every item
idea. But, by the help of the
people, a few jobbers, and, l be,
lieve, God Almighty, was able
to continue. until had thirty
five stores running and booming.
Unfortunately, or possibly, fortu-
nately, | worked too hard, and
thought that idea of Russell
Sage's a good one-"a man didn't
need a vacation" Though Mr..
Sage was wrong in my case, be.
cause a mental collapse came
very near sending me into eter
nity-it did send me to Europe
for six months, where the poverty
of London and the degradation
of Paris were SO much in evidence
chat | got back to this beloved
country in nearly as bad shape
as | left it. Incorporated my
business, sold one-haif the stock
to Mr.. d. w. Fly, of Memphis,
one Of the squarest men | ever
knew. He lis now running the
business, has added to date five
more stores, has the confidence
of the employees, and by the in
creased sales is undoubtedly
keeping the public friendly to-
ward the business. Mr.. Fly runs
the business and allows me to
run at large. I've got nothing
now to do but to try and make
the world happier. For the past
few months have been devoting
my time, money and energy to
wards abolishing capital punish
ment in this State, but was turn
ed down by the present session
of the lower house of the General