Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

2892 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANSCarolina and his mother of Virginia. Bailey F. Julian was born about 1810,came to Forsyth, Georgia, in 1830 as one of the early settlers, and was a prominent farmer and stock raiser in that vicinity until his death in 1886 at theage of seventy-six. In early life he studied law but he never practiced. Whilepast the age of military service he volunteered during the invasion of Georgiaby the Federals and served with the Home Guard in defense of- Atlanta. Hiswife died in 1894 at the age of sixty-six. Of their five children Dr. Julianwas the oldest.While his father was a very substantial planter, the fact that his earlyboyhood was spent in the Civil war decade accounts for a number of limitations and handicaps upon the acquisition of an education. He attended suchcommon schools as were maintained during that period, and he finally completed a course at the Midway High School. As a result of his efforts as ateacher he paid his way through the Southern Medical College at Atlanta,where in 1887 he was graduated M. D. His first practice was done in Forsythand Gwinnett counties, and from Buford in the latter county he moved toSouth Georgia in the fall of 1887, locating at Pearson in Coffee County. Thatwas his home for ten years, but since 1897 he has had a large practice atTifton.Doctor Julian is surgeon for the A. C. L. Railroad and is vice presidentof the Citizens Bank of Tifton. He is a member of the State and CountyMedical societies, is a democrat in politics, a Mason and a member of theBaptist Church. He owns extensive farms and city property and for yearshas had all the practice that he could well attend to.On June 26, 1888, at Pearson, Georgia, Dr. Julian married Miss LairaKirkland, daughter of Joel and Elizabeth Kirkland. Her mother is still living at Pearson. Doctor and Mrs. Julian have three children: Stella E. is thewife of C. F. Shingler, a prominent citizen of Ashburn, Georgia, and theyhave two children, Clinton F. and Laira Louise Shingler. Lelia G. Julian,born at Tifton, is now in the senior year of the Tifton High School. GeorgeW. Jr., born in 1904, at Tifton, is in the grade schools.R. C. NEELEY is head of one of the largest mercantile firms in the Stateof Georgia. It is a business which has been developed from modest beginningsand largely through his own initiative and energies, and now employs animmense amount of capital and operates a chain of general merchandiseor department stores in and about Waynesboro, where Mr. Neeley has beenone of the most prominent citizens in the past forty years.One of five children he was born at Savannah, Georgia, in May, 1856, ason of Thomas W. and Philo (Whitehead) Neeley. His father, a native ofSouth Carolina, came to Georgia when a young man and located in Savannah,where he soon became a factor in the cotton business. He enlisted in theConfederate army and was a captain and afterwards served as quartermaster. He died shortly after the close of the war. Mr. Neeley's motherwas born in Burke County, Georgia, a daughter of John Whitehead.R. C. Neeley began his practical business career at a time when mostboys of the modern generation are attending school. His own educationcame from the Charlotte Hall State School in Maryland and for a time heworked in Baltimore, Maryland, and for one year was a student at law inNew York City. However, in 1875, at the age of nineteen, he returned toGeorgia and began to apply himself in a business way at Waynesboro as anemploye of Major Wilkins for several years, from 1876 to 1886. He wasthen in business with Mr. McKinzie, but at the end of five years sold outand became a member of the firm of Wilkins, Neeley & Jones. He nextestablished a small business 6f his own, and rapidly developed it until in1900 the R. C. Neeley Company was incorporated and he has since been