The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-06-02
]. G. RICKETS AS l KNEW HIM.

Time has past its 30th cycle since |
come to know the subject of this ar
ticle, which was about 1892. In July
1894 at this time his children by his
first wife were all grown up except
one girl and he has told me since,
among many other things that prior
to the above date, he had been worth
more than 10,000-and in that day
this amount was considered a small
fortune for a country merchant. But
in the year 1894, j. G. Ricketts, fro
tune was squandered, and numbers of
men living in and around his home
town, Sardis, know how his wealth
slipped from under his care. do not
know, however, the number of these
men, and / can call their names who
are honest enough to admit these
jfacts, but let that be as it may.
When my sister, his last wife, mar
ried j. G. Ricketts,, in July 1894, he
was absolutely broke and at that time
lived in home in East Sardis, and il
was at that time one of the best hous-
es in the town. About the above date
his home was given over to his credit.
ors and the late John Fowler moved
lin. With the few hundred dollars my
sister had he bought little delapidat.
ed home in West Sardis adjoining the
then Jno. Mayo home. Ricketts, enter,
ed the mercantile business and run il
about the above date in Lewis Goff's
name, for he could not do business al
that time, or did not in his own name
For several months he was connected
in the mercantile business with Mr.
Golf, and then Robert Washburn
His last partner was j. Oscar Brown
and this brought his business career
near the year of 1900 at which time
all of his children except one were Out
West. In 1896, his first son, Asa
Bryan Ricketts, was born to his last
wife, at which time j. G. Ricketts, anc
his wife were struggling to get on hi:
financial feet again. About this date
was in school at Sardis, under Profs
Yates and Harold and be it said tt
the everlasting honor of his now wild
owed wife whose health is broken anC
decrept, that she worked hard as only
a faithful wife can do.
After the dissolution of his partner
ship with j. o. Brown he entered the
mercantile business in his own name
and by the year 1915 ]. G.. Rickett:
had quite little property. After tbs
above date he entered partnership
with A. B. Ricketts, and under thi.
partnership he made his best money
for this son had just finished bust
ness course at Bowling Green, Ky.
have no desire to elaborate but Il
tell the plain truth about a plair
man sand his wife and all who know
his wife knew also that she is hare
worker and was faithful helpmete
and with her and her son A. B. Rick
etts, ]. G. Ricketts, accumulated prac.
tically all he had left of his secont
fortune when he died, and this wa.
done wher all his children Of his first
wife except one were out Of the State
of Tennessee.
| do not know the tenets of his will
but do know that if "laborer is wor.
thy of his hire" his property should
go to the ones who produced it.
On April 18th, 1922, A. B. Ricketts,
was working in the store when his
father died in that store which had
become a part of his life.
And ] may add. that was the pass
ing of poor mans friend, Mason
Odd Fellow and a devoted member OF
the Baptist church as we'll as a Chris
tian gentleman.
ELI JONES.