Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1914-05-15
JOHN c. c. MAYO
DIED IN new YORK
HEROIC STRUGGLE TO REGAIN
health LOST BY NOTED
kaNTucKlAN.
WAS VICTIM OF UREMIA
Millionaire Labored To Develop Re
3. sources Of His Native state, Gain
80, ing Success and Wealth.

Western Newspaper Union News Service,
Lexington, Ky.-John c. Calhoun
Mayo, Democratic national committee
man from Kentucky, died at the Wal
dorf.Astoria, New York. Uremic pol
soning was the cause. Mr.. Mayo at
the time Of his death was surrounded
by members OF his family and close
friends. The end was courageous, the
same as Mr.. Mayo's career. After a
long struggle for health in Cincinnati
and his home city OF Paintsville, KY,
Mr.. Mayo was brought to New York
April rs and took the apartments in
which he died. He had the attention
of this city's and Americas best spe-
cialists, but they were unable to help
him. A week ago Mr.. Mayo showed
a slight Improvement and arrange
ments were made to take him to Long
Beach, Long Island, where, 1t was
thought, the ocean breezes would ben
eft him. g..
Born In Pike County.
John c. C. Mayo was born in Pike
county, Kentucky, away from rail-
roads and from schools, just half.
century ago. His father was Thomas
Jefferson Mayo and his mother a men,
Der OF the Leslie family, and they. to-
gether with his brothers, George
Washington, Milton and Tom and his
sister Fannie, now Mrs. William At
kinson, are living IN Pike and johnson
counties.
AS boy John Mayo came to know
ne contents. of his native hills and he
realized more than any other man of
his day and time the value of coal and
iron and other minerals and clays
therein. His first and constant idea
was the development of those re-
sources for his people-the mountain
people-and for himself He came
to the Blue Grass when youth and
was graduated with high honors from
the. Kentucky Wesleyan college, then
at Millersburg, now at Winchester
Then he went back to his beloved
mountains and taught school and
studied law. He was finally admitted
20 the bar and his small savings he
invested as rapidly as possible in land,
which was then cheap-so cheap that
1t was virtually given to him. He was
a natural geologist and he rode the
mountains over during the vacation
period and often from Friday adjourn.
mont OF his school until the following
Monday morning.
Bought Up Coal Mines.
He located lands that people wanted
10 sell and he bought options upon
thousands OF acres, though he was for
ever telling his people of the possibili-
ties in the lands If they would hold
them. His operations had been on
the west side Of the Big Sandy river
IN Johnson and Pike counties when
about 1889 or 1890 he got into touch
with the Merits. who were big iron
and coal operators OF that period.
They gave him 100000 in cash and
notes for 100000 for 10000 acres in
Johnson and Pike counties and told
h4m that they would pay him SIG an
acre for all that he could buy for them
on the eastern side of the Big Sandy
Mayo first bought his mother a nice
home in Pike county and then began
investing the remainder OF his 100000
cash and his discounted notes for
100000 in outright purchases and op-
lions on the east side OF the river.
Rated as MuitlmiIllonaire.
From that time his progress was
nothing short OF wonderful. He was
generally conceded to be a multimil-
lionaire: In addition TO the $7O,OOO,O 900
consolidated coal corporation, which
controls 100000 acres in Pike and
FLetcher counties and 10000 acres in
Johnson and Martin counties, together
with a vast acreage In West Virginia |
Mayo was interested ip the $50, 900
Elkhorn Coal and Fuel Co., which. con.
OILS 265,00O acres in Letcher and !
her Kentucky counties; the Slemp
onsolidated Coal Co., which, controls /
900 acres; the Toms Creek Coal
D., which has 10000 acres; the VIII
Noal and Coke Co., which has |
Eres. and in several other com.
About IA years ago Mayo |
hed Miss Alice Meek. daughter of
v4eek, OF Paintsville, who oper-
Tline Of steamboats, on the Big
y river and was heavily interest
the timber Industry They have
children, John, IL years old. and
aret, years old. Mayo's home
nrnishings in Paintsville are mag
mt and cost, 1t is said, between |
700 and 100000,