The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-05-15

ion and wider opportunities, his native
| impulse To render service 10 others
was becoming the controlling factor In
his thought and life. Money meant 10
| him nothing but an instrument; for
money itself he cared nothing for that
which he might be able 10 do with
money he cared much, ard he would
have used his meney and himself for
the benefit OF his State and his people.
| "To him Kentucky owes much
more than at present IL is possible To
tell. Bred in the mountains. from n
family who stopped there during the
migration from Virginia 10 Kentucky
after the Revolutionary war, he liz an
illustration Of the inherent power that
goes with big brain, big heart, and
great imagination. Born 10 straight
ened circumstances, MS are the great
majority OF those whose forefathers
| happened 20 stop In the mountains.
instead OF pressing on through the
passes TO the lnwlands. Mt an age when
| the majority OF his contemporaries
were still unfamiliar with the rudi-
ments OF learning, he had thoroughly
prepared himself TO teach school
|
visualized cities and mines In the
waste places when hut little more
than lad he began the task OF de-
veloping the resources Of the noun !.
tains sll through the mountains he
went taking options, dealing, trading.
swapping lands here and there. he
was essentially n trader, and no better
evidence can there be than the fact
that no man with whom ne ever traded
held just ground FOR complaint against
| him. There was never man from
whom he bought, or to whom he sold.
with whom he could not trade again In
| friendly confidence. His nod was as
good as his word. his word ms good aa
| his bond: never equivocating nor
shifting, the Interpretation Of his
words by the keenest self-interest OF
another was to John Mayo the strict
est bounds OF his own obligation. And
so throughout the mountains he quick
ly became 30 known that to him men
entrusted the sale Of their lands: 10
him men gave options who would not
trust any other.
And with the power that comes
with knowledge and sincere conviction
he persuaded men Of capital 10 invest
In the lands that had lain unknown
and undeveloped since the beginning
Of time, Upon his word hundreds OF
| thousands Of dollars were invested
and no man Of whom we ever heard
who relied upon John Mayos word in
making an Investment lost. When IL
came to the development OF those
lands, the titles to which in many
cases were shadowy because OF grants
made by Virginia, and overlapping
grants made by Kentucky he evolved
plan by which titles could be quiet
ed, so that the millions required for
their development could be invested
with. the assurance OF safety.
ITO him more than to any other man
is due the development OF Eastern
Kentucky. Had he lived he would
have gotten from that development
greater reward than any other man
possibly no greater rewards in actual
financial profits, but greater reward in
the use that he would have made oi
the money that was his, OF the re-
sources that were at his command.
big OF heart big Of brain, OF sturdy
physique, II seems as II he should bt
now but entering on a long career OF
usefulness; but instead his body 4,
being carried TO the mountains hs
loved so well. there 10 rest until the
Judgment Day" .f@