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10 THE ATLANTIAN SKETCH OFJ. POPE BROWN NEW QUARTERS 15 EAST ALABAMA ST., ATLANTA, GEORGIA CAPITAL *500.000 We act as Trustees for Bond Issues and do a General Banking Business. 4 per cent, paid on Your Savings We Solicit Your Account. S. E. Smith, President W. A. Sims, V.-President H. S. Miles, Sec’y-Treasurer W. C. Seawright, Asst. Secretary DIRECTORS S. T. Marett S. W. Poster E. B. Stuart J. M. Speer W. A. Sims H. S. Miles S. E. Smith from the school taught there at that time. He completed his academic ed ucation at the Mt. Zion Select School, taught in Hancock county, of which W. J. Northen was the rector. He attended Mr. Northen’s school for four years, and, in speaking of the benefits he received from the instruction given there, he says: “For your years I at tended this school, which, it might be said, was the beginning and ending of my education. I had not learned anything up to the time I went there, and did not learn anything at school after I left.” He entered Mercer University upon leaving Mr. Northen's school and graduated in 1873. # Mr. Brown bases his business success upon a short elc- ture his uncle, R. H. Brown, gave him immediately uopn his graduation. He quotes the lecture, as follows: “You must understand that you are thor oughly ignorant and do not know any thing about business. You must go home and go to work. Do not concern yourself about the kind of work, so you work faithfully and honestly. Do not ask your employer what he ex pects to pay you, as you are not worth anything until you learn to work.” He acted upon the advice given and took a position in a cotton warehouse. He slept in the back room of the ware house, not so comfortable a place as he now furnishes his farm hands. He studied business methods very closely and worked "faithfully and honestly.” At the end of the season the proprie tor informed him that he had been al lowed forty dollars per month for his services and that he would be ad vanced to fifty dollars the ensuing year. By W. J. Northen, Ex-Governor of Georgia From "Men of Mark in Georgia.” Published in 1908. The results of the war between the State were more disastrous to the agricultural interests of the South than to any other one industry. The farms had failed of income for four successive years. The slaves had be come freedmen and were taught that liberty meant' license. They were un duly embittered against their former owners. They were averse to work, although themselves in absolute pov erty. The currency of the Confeder acy was then without value and the South really had no circulating medi um. Farmers were without the means for personal support and, of course, they had no money with which to employ labor and no hope for income until crops could be grown. In this condition labor had to be employed and supplied with all necessities as t"> clothing, homes, fuel and provis ions, upon the bare prospect of pos sible crops with very uncertain ser vice. Few men of that day met the de mands of the times with success. The demoralization of labor that followed has greatly paralyzed this industry until the present day. Because of that fact alone, farming, the most profitable industry at the South be fore the war, has been the least profit able since that time. James Pope Brown has been one of the very few men to master the situ ation and make money upon the farm from the very beginning of his efforts. This he has done under the adverse conditions that have confront ed this section. Mr. Brown has won derful business ability; unusual knowledge of the temper, character and habits of the negro; easy methods of control and a general executive force that brings most pleasing and profitable results. ! He was born about six years before | the beginning of hostilities between the States, May 4, 1855. His father, Stephen William Brown, was a man of sturdy qualities. He was abso lutely honest and true. James Pope was born on his grandfather’s farm in Houston county. One year after his birth his father bought a farm in Pulaski and moved to it, beginning business for himself. James Pope attended an excellent primary school, taught in his neigh borhood by Mrs. Oliver. He was later sent to Cave Spring to find a climate free from malaria and at the same time have the benefit of instruction Mr. Brown was quite anxious to be gin farming, but his parents posi tively opposed his wishes as the out look was so unfavorable and the as sociations so very unpleasant. He in sisted, however, that his preferences were strongly that way, in the face of au hindrances. His father finally ad vised him to serve an apprenticeship of two years upon his farm before be ginning for himself. This he did, ac cepting stipulated wages for his ser vices. At the end of the two years he rented a large farm and began oper ating on an extensive scale. He bought fifteen mules, having money enough to pay for only four of them. His wagons, plows, com, forage, meat and meal were bought on credit. The ca3h price for corn was seventy-five cents. He paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per bushel on credit. The cash price for meat was eight cents. He paid twelve and one-half cents, credit. Other credit prices ranged relatively high. At the end of the year he paid all of his indebtedness, except *800, and owned his stock and implements. At the end of his second year he was entirely out of debt. He began buying land and extend ing his operations from year to year, until he now has one of the largest farm properties in the State. He buys all the land adjacent to him that is offered for sale, regardless of fertility or the lack of it. He thinks thin land makes a better neighbor than a troublesome citizen. It is conceded on all hands that Mr. Brown now has the best improved large farm in the State and that his labor is the most pros perous and the best contented. In order to reduce farm expenses in the cost of fertilizers, he organized the Southern Phosphate Company in 1890, with his neighbors as stock holders. He was made president of the company. The business of this organization was satisfactory from the start and paid good dividends on the investment. In 1894 Mr. Brown was elected to the Legislature. He served two years and was re-elected without opposition. He was made chairman of the Com mittee on Agriculture. Fully cogniz ant of the difficulties that attended efforts at successful agriculture at the South, he determined that great relief could be found in some well organized system of education and training. He believed the one thing the most need ed by the agricultural people was knowledge of their business; that is, agricultural education in all its branches as applied to the conditions at the South. He introduced a bill in the Legislature to establish an agri cultural college in connection with the State Experiment Station. His proposition did not meet favorable consideration on the part of the Gen eral Assembly and his measure failed. Mr. Brown has never yielded his views upon this question and he still believes that some such institution as he proposed would greatly help for ward the general prosperity of the State. As he did not find his duties as a legislator at all congenial, he de clined re-election. In 1896 he was made president of the State Agricultural Society. He was not in attendance upon the con vention at the time of his election and he had not at all solicited the honor. After two years service in this po sition, he desired to withdraw, but his resignation was not accepted and his continued service as president cover ed five years. During that time the interests of the society, and thereby the interests of agriculture in the State, were greatly advanced, as Mr. Brown injected into the general sys tem some of his own practical com mon sense methods and business prac tices. In 1897 the citizens of Pulaski, Mr. Brown’s home county, in mass meet ing assembled, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting Mr. Brown to make the race for Governor of the State. He was a personal friend of Hon. Allen D. Candler, who was at the time an announced candidate for the place, and Mr. Brown declined to antagonize him. Mr. Candler was elected. * In 1900 Governor Candler appointed Mr. Brown railroad Commissioner to fill the unexpired term of Hon. L. N. Trammell, deceased. Upon the retire ment of Hon. Spencer R. Atkinson, he was made chairman of the Railroad Commission. Mr. Brown’s policies as a member of the Commission gave him great favor with the people and made him many new friends. His term expired in October, 1905, and he announced in advance that he would