The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-07-18
Father of Mrs. c. ID. Jones and
Mrs. John Crawford of
This City.
WAS LEADING FINANCIER
MIR. Heath Had Been in Poor
Health for Number of Years
But Was Seriously Ill Only
Short Time.

| SHdIlolte, N. u, July 1S.-Ben ia
min Dawson Heath, a leading Char
| lotte business man for a quarter of
| century and one Of the city's
wealthiest men, died yesterday after
noon at o'clock at his home.
'Heathcote," on Central avenue, from
heart trouble. Mr. Heath had been
in poor health for a number of years.
but his condition had been consid-
cred serious only for the past two
weeks. Had he lived until July 90
he would have been 40 years old
Mr.. Heath was widely known as a
cotton mill owner and financier. Be-
| ginning life without advantages. Re
| fought all Obstacles in the way of sue
cess and was reputed to be rated at
more than $2,5OO,OOO at the time OF
his death. Mr.. Heath was of a phi
lanthropic nature and made many
gifts to deserving causes. Among
them was donation of $4,000 to
the Methodist orphanage at Winston
Salem. and the property on which the
Hawthorne Lane Methodist church
and the parsonage are located. He
was steward in Tryon Street Meth
odist church for over 20 years, and
| was one of the organizers, a few years
| ago. OF Hawthorne Lane church.
Until the death Of his brother, o.
+. Heath, he was a member of the
cotton firm of Heath Brothers. Since
| Mr.
TO his extensive cotton mill holdings.
He was president of the Charlotte
National bank for 10 years.
Funeral This Afternoon.
Funeral services will be conducted
at Hawthorne Lane Methodist church
| this afternoon at 3 o'clock. DIR. T. F.
| Marr, the pastor, and Bishop John c.
Kilgo will officiate. Interment will
take place in Elmwood cemetery.
Mr.. Heath was born in Lancaster
county, South Carolina, July 90,
| 1S49. He was the son OF Moses Chap
| pei and Mary Morrow Heath. and was
one of family of 10 children. Mr.
Heath's mother came from the fight
ing Morrows who hold an important
place in the military history Of Amer
lea. Heath is an old and aristocratic
name, borne in early Norman days by
William Waite Hethe, John de la
Hethe and in later times by Robert
Heath. The Heaths settled in North
cumberland county, Virginia. in the
late seventeenth century. and found
ed Heathville, the present county
seat. The Heaths were among the
first to receive land grants in America
from Charles /.
Saved to Go to school.
Benjamin Dawson Heath spent his
boyhood days attending country
school and assisting in farm work at
home. In 1867 his father died. and
year later young Heath embarked in
the mercantile business and opened
general store at WaXhaw. y. c. He
realized the Importance OF a business
education, and as soon as his savings
permitted, took a commercial course
in Baltimore. After graduating he
Immediately returned to his business
at WaXhaw, which occupied his atten-
ton until 1874, when he opened a
general mercantile. cotton and bank
ing establishment at Monroe. contin- |
uing this business until 1891. Mr.. |
Heath then removed to Charlotte. |
where he has resided since. and where
he soon became a leading factor in
the business and civic life.
He was senior member of the cot
ton and banking firm OF Heath Broth
ers until 1897, when, with others. he
organized the Charlotte National
bank. He was president until 1911,
when succeeded by Julian II. Little,
who later was succeeded by John NJ.
Scott, the present president.
In 1912 Mr.. Heath found il neces-
sary to devote his entire attention to
his industrial enterprises which in
cluded the Manetta Mills, at Lando. S.
c.; Jackson Mills, Monroe. and the
Newton Mills, at Newton, of which he
was president and general manager.
Other concerns of which he was pres
Continued on Page 5.)