The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-04-18
LEWIS ". PARKER
HAS PASSED AWAY
Founder of Largest Southern Cotton
Mill Group is Dead at
Fiity-One.
The State.

The State.
Green1il!e, April ll.-Lewis ". Par
ker, organizer and former president of
the Parker Cotton Mills company and
formerly president of the American
Cotton Manufacturers association,
died at his home on east Washington
street in Greenville, this morning
about 6 O'clock Mr.. Parker had been
in failing health for some time. He
was a figure Of national prominence
in the manufacturing world, rising
rapidly after leaving the practice Of
law and entering the cotton mill field
He was affiliated with other great in
dustries also. He was a leader in the
efforts to have the Piedmont & North
ern line constructed and was a direc
tor OF that electric railway. He was
formerly a member of the executive
! committee of that corporation. The
Parker Cotton Mills company was the
| largest cotton mill combination in the
South, including 16 mills and operat-
ing some 014,70S spi dies The cap
ital stock of the company, after its
completion was $12 100000. Mr. Par
ciate editor of The Piedmont. an aft
ciate editor of THE Piedmont. an aft
e-noon newspaper OF Greeaville.
The funeral services Will be held
Wednesday afternoon at O'Clock at
Christ Episcopal church. this city, and
Will be conducted by the Rev. w. H.
X Pendleton rector OF the Church Of
tie Advent. Sparta burg. Surviving
members of the family are his Wife
who was Miss Margaret Smith Of
Richmond the Misses Lucia and Mar
garet Parker. and two sons. Austin
Smith Parker and Lewis W. Parker.
Mr.. Parker leaves three brothers, Will
liam Henry Parker. lawyer Of Char
lesion; Thomas Parker of Belveaere,
Calf, a retired naval commander. and
Capt. FraHcis l.. Parker Of the Twelfth
Ycavalry A sister. Lucia Wardlaw
Parker. dean of the University High
school of Chicago also survives hin.
Born in Abbeyille.
Lewis Wardlaw Parker was born at
Abbeville, this State, July Ii. 1863, and
was. therefore, 81 years OF age when
he died. His father, William Henry
Parker, was a lawyer of distinguished
ability and was also interested in
banking. His mother was Mrs. Lucia
Wardlaw Parker. Lewis Parker en-
countered difficulties in obtains g his
education, as his family was large and
its means limited At the age of 10
he went to work in a mercantile estab-
lishment of his home city AID con-
tinued to work for two years
Later he entered the University Of
South Carolina. completing the a. B.
degree in 1885, winning high llonors.
He then took the law course a d was
graduated two years later For a
time he taught school in Columbia and
in Barnwell. In 1888 he removed to
Green1ille and entered upon the prac-
tice of law
He was a partner at different times
with ]. A. Mccullough aad H. J.
Haynsworth. In 1897 he forsook the
practice of law in order to enter the
manufacturing field. assuming charge
of the Victor Manufacturing company
at Greer. He was then interested IN
certain banking business also. He
was one Of the organizers of the Mon
aghan mill of Greenville.
Mr.. Parker's rise in the manufacture
ing world was rapid. He was very
generally regarded as leading cotton
manufacturer of the South and after +,
ward of the nation. At later time
he was chosen for the difficult task Of
reorganizing the Whaley group OF
mills, located In and near Columbia.
The condition of the mills was not
rcseate But Mr.. Parker succeeded in
his task.
He was actively interested in well
fare work in his several mills.
Effects Great Merger.
lsbout April /, 1911, he effected the
organization Of the Parker Cotton
Mills company. which at that time
was composed of three subsidiary
companies, embracing the following
mills: Apalache, Victor. Greer, Mon
aghan, Beaver Dam. Capital City.
CRANKY Olympia and Richland. Later
+bo O++orov y1opt of ITpion tho WAL