Newspaper Page Text
. ...
?
k x_-^* & “
Js*sl &" <% IBi E?
■t /?%h IL ISL.
wLJ I Wat wg»p wbm
^ x tf§SS^ ; «StS“
VOLUME FIVE
NUMBER TEN
A LEADING 'BANKER-CITIZEN OF MISSISSIPPI
"Private” /. T. Thomas, the Untitled ”Prince of Finance” and Philanthropy Who is President of the Grenada 'Banks
—"Humanity His Hero. ”
OME MEN are cast in heroic mold —
some have to work “like five hundred”
(whateverthat means) to measure up
to the full stature of greatness—some
poor souls, alas! never attain it at all
—while it is the glorious experience
of yet other men to blend bigness of
birth with bigness of effort and nobility
of life, and thus give to the world that
I'» l IgllM-!
inspiring resultant —the beauty and glory of individ
ual triumph.
Such a man as this last inspiring type of stalwart
masculinity is J. T. Thomas, of Grenada, Miss. He
is prominent enough to be called “Hon.”; he is tall
enough to be called “Captain”; he is leader enough
to be called “Colonel”; and he is dignified enough
to be called “Major”; but so far as this writer’s
knowledge extends, he has never been dubbed or
daubed, with any empty prefixes or affixes to his
name —he is just affectionately known by his neigh
bors as “Tol” Thomas —an untitled “Prince of Fin
ance” and philanthropy—a “high private” in the
forward ranks of generous Grenada’s truest progress.
A Lucky “Thirteen.”
No man can be President of thirteen live and
lusty banks, or one bank with that many springing,
spreading “branches”, without being talked about
“right much* in the territory where he “lives, moves
and has his being.”
Be it said right here (and we think our readers
know this paper well enough to vote “Aye” to this
proposition) that the fact that a man simply has
money and ability to make more, would never give
him a front page story or any other kind of space in
The Golden Age. From our first issue we have
rejoiced to tell the story of men and women whose
lives are worth while —who have done enough and
are doing enough to make them actual, practical
heroes and heroines in everyday life.
Sometimes while lecturing and visiting in the
commercial baliwick of some sordid “captain of
finance,” the editor of this paper has heard a remark
like this: “Got money? Yes —but that’s all. It
would take all the doctors and corkscrews in the
county to get it out of him.”
But in the territory of “Tol” Thomas—my—!
This is the spirit of the unvarying comment of
every man, woman and child:
“Fine man —mighty fine man! He is not only a
great master of business, but he carries his heart in
the right place. He thinks noble thoughts, plans
noble plans, does noble deeds, and his purse strings
are always loose to the limit of his ability toward
every noble work.”
The Value of Example.
One thing this wandering worker knows—J. T.
Thomas knows the value of example, and he loves
to see his home community do a big-hearted, gener
ous deed, and when the great Baptist Memorial
A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE—WATCH THIS PAGE NEXT WEEK.
ATLANTA, GA., APRIL 28 1910
Hospital of Memphis was presented at Grenada, this
great-hearted Presbyterian laid out the line of battle
and led the contributions in such away that every
body went home happy, because of the princely sum
of Fifteen Hundred Dollars which all classes and
creeds in the congregation had given.
When the editor of this paper instructed his good
Georgia friend, Rev. N. W. P. Bacon, who is now
pastor at Grenada, to secure “by subterfuge, stealth
or strategem,” a picture of J. T. Thomas, without
his knowing it, and send some biographical data
for this sketch, the picture for the cut on this page
came first, followed pretty soon by the following
characteristic epitome from our genial, gifted friend,
who, despite his sojourn of years in Mississippi,
!! Hli! 111
J)
/ J. T. THOMAS, Financier and Philan- y
■ thropist, Grenada, Miss.
during which he has become immensely popular as a
preacher and a citizen, still carries the fragrant
memory of Georgia, and declares that there is no
other name quite so safe to “conjure with.” Mr.
Bacon says:
“You may say that ‘Tol’ Thomas is not yet fifty
years old. (That is about as definite as would be
safe in mentioning the age of a man who is past
forty). He was reared in Grenada, educated in
Grenada, married in Grenada to Miss Ruth A. Jones,
of Grenada —one of the most charming women in
Grenada. He began his business career in Grenada,
and has always livejl in Grenada. He entered the
Grenada Bank at its organization in 1891 as its cashier.
In fact it was he who really organized the bank. He
became president on the death of Mr. John Griffith,
the bank’s first president. Indeed, he is a full-fledged
Grenada product. My! my! how did he do all this
when he never lived in Georgia? What would he
have done if he had been born in Georgia?”
Torbert Tells a Story.
Our big-hearted, big-bodied friend, Chas. A. Tor
bert, of the Bank of Ackerman, who is one of the
strongest men in Mr. Thomas’ banking system, and
who would almost rather tell and laugh over a good
story than to declare a divided, gets his friend,
President Thomas, in a crowd and tells it on him
that when he came from his birthplace in Grenada
county, a great, big, red-headed, awkward boy,
he was so badly “skeered” by the first train he ever
saw that he had to be blind-folded and backed in
before he could be tamed,” but before very long he
had “got the run of things,” and now Mr. Torbert
is the victim of Mr. Thomas’ joke which he tells joy
ously at his own expense: The two gentlemen
were enjoying a little “rest cure” in Memphis. Mr.
Torbert going as the guest of Mr. Thomas. But
after several days of receiving all the honors, he
rebelled when the ticket came for the last supper,
Torbert reached for the slip dclaring that he would
no longer be the recipient of his friend’s courtesy.
An argument ensued, and before Torbert was aware
Thomas had paid the waiter and dismissed him.
“Why did you do that, Thomas?” demanded Tor
bert, as he rose from the table in a huff. “You
knew I wanted to pay for that supper, and I want
you to understand that I don’t appreciate being
treated in any such way.” Mr. Thomas looked up
with a wavering smile overspreading his genial
face: “Oh, Torbert, old boy,” he said, “I know you’re
a good fellow, and you are not close-fisted, but you
are so bloomin’ slow a-getting to your money.”
Here is a list of the enterprising men whom Mr.
Thomas has gathered about him in his great banking
system, and who are close akin to the president in
making their lives count for the best up-building of
their respective communities:
Officers and Managers of Grenada Bank for 1909.
J. T. Thomas, President Grenada
G. W. Armstrong, Vice-President ....Coffeeville
Max Ginsburger, Vice-President Grenada
J. H. Caldwell, Vice-PresidentCharleston
G. H. Moore, Vice-PresidentOakland
W. R. Irving, Vice-PresidentAckerman
J. P. McGraw, Vice-PresidentLouisville
H. T. Gaines, Vice-PresidentTimberville
T. W. Foard, Vice-PresidentEupora
R. A. Creekmore, Vice-President.. .Calhoun City
C. C. Fancher, Vice-PresidentMcCool
M. H. Moore, Assistant Cashier Grenada
O. C. Leigh, Manager Eupora
C. A. Torbert, Manager Ackerman
W. F. Lambert, Manager Charleston
(Continued on Page 5.)
TWO DOLLARS YEAR.
FIVE CENTS A COPY.
