The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-05
FOUNDER OF CLEARWATER
ES-W0NDERFUL e.
OLD MAN


his comrades who wore the grey.
The deceased served during the
Civil war in Company F, 53rd Ala
bama regiment. The remains were
buried in the Home cemetery at
O'Clock, December oath.
This news was handed to us last
evening by Col. R. b. Kyle, who ran
across the small announcement in
a Montgomery newspaper, the first
intimation his old friends and com
| rades here had of his death.
The subject of this sketch was
born in Lounds county, near Hayes
vile, Ala, November 4th, 1924. He
was reared upon a cotton plantation,
ana after receiving meager or lin
/ tied education in the country
schools of that day, he went to Mo-
bile in October, 1S43, and engaged
himself with NJ Vilinger as an APP
prentice to learn the watch and
jewelry business. After serving a
time Of several months as apprent-
ice and journeyman he went to Full
ton. Miss. in 1916 and set up a shop
| for himself for the repairing of
watches, jewelry, clocks, etc About
this time the Mexican war broke out
and young spurlin Joined a volun-
| teer company, being elected second
sergeant. He did not see service,
howver, as the United States quota
of volunteers wanted was filled be-
fore his company could report for
duty, which was a great disappoint-
ment Mr.. Spurlin then went to
Louisville, Miss, remaining there
two years. From there he emf
grated to Minden, La, a new and
/ prosperous county at that date,
1878, overrun by sportsmen from
every State and territory. During
his three years residence in Min
den he studied and practiced dem
tistry in connection with repairing
watches and jewelry.
About this date, 1867, the first
electric telegraph line was put in
operation between Washington, d.
c., and Baltimore. Becoming much
interested in the new and prospec-
lively useful invention, Mr.. Spurlin,
! by the aid of information obtained
! from the Scientific American and
other sources, constructed rude
working model, using the Morse al
phabct, /. e., dots and dashes made
on paper tape, moved by clock work,
by which to demonstrate in lecture
that message could be conveyed
by electricity by wire instead of
ser ding letters on or through the
wires, as many at that time and day
believed the only way messages
cou'd possibly be transmitted. He
also constructed an electric engine.
machine that easily made three or
fou" hundred revolutions per min
ute. and strange to say. five years
later, in 1883 at the Crystal Palace,
New York. (the first International
far held in the United States). Mr.
Spurln saw the same machine in
principle only built on much
lar'cr scale constructed by Prof
Gage, of Baltimore, with small
circular saw attached, cverting pow
CT sdflicicnt to saw latls from
wh''a pine timber This wa~ the
first electrical machine every en-
ploEe' to assist in turning the
wheels of prosperity of the nine
teenth century.
In the year 1881 Mr.. Spurlin 20
turned to Alabama and located in
the town of Camden, where he has
remained 81 years, devoting his time
exclusively to the watch and Jew
elry business.
i Shortly after the Civil Whr he
came to the west coast. purchasins
for q song vast acres of land, much
of which is now the sites Of Clear
water and st. Petersburg.
Col. Spurlin was actively engaged
in various enterprises up to eight
years ago, when he sold out a Cura
Goa plant. connection made from
oranges juices. Since that time he
has wandered over the face of the
earth. Six or seven years ago he
toured Europe, climbing the Alps,
and all those tourist stunts.
When he returned to Florida he
lived first in st. Petersburg then
larse and then Clearwater. and
then back to Camden. Ala. Then he
went to New York to visit special
lists When he returned he was
feeble, and was wheeled about most
of the time.
From man of large land hold
in@s and Of wealth, he was reduced
TO almost poverty. and he sacrificed
his last real estate for the mere
necessities of life, or borrowed from
friends who seldom refused him.
The last days in Clearwater he sold
cheap jewelry from a street stand.
lia was kindly soul. He always
had hoquet of flowers for friends
after his money vanished. and his