Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 2971died' at the age of sixty-three in 1896. Her six children, of whom MirabeauL. was the oldest, were: Samuel Himter, who has been associated throughouthis life' with his older brother" and is a member of the Wood Bros. MercantileCompany of Conyer*^Pi>eston E., who died at the age of fifty-five on December 3, 1914; Ella E., who married Patrick II. Cooper, and both are now deceased ; Rev. John Henry, a prominent minister of the Christian Church, andnow pastor of the Christian Church at Winder-and president of the ChristianCollege at Auburn; Mattie, wife of William A. Minor, one of the most successful scientific; small farmers in Georgia, with home near Stone Mountain.They are all stanch prohibitionists.When'his father died Mirabeau L. Wood was thirteen years of age. Hiseducation came from attending the "old field" schools. He and his brotherSamuel at once determined to assist their mother in carrying the heavy burdens of the home, and for three years after their father's death they werehired out and their earnings all went to the upkeep of the little home. For anumber of years these two lads endured all kinds of hardships and privationsand for many years have had the consciousness of duty well performed in thosetasks. Mirabeau L. Wood did not marry until all the younger members of thefamily were reared and educated. At the age of sixteen he and his brotherSamuel began farming in a small way. As a result of their previous faithfulwork and evidences of ability their credit was good for anything they neededin Newton County, and from the outset they steadily prospered. At the present time these brothers and other members of the family own and operatenear 1,000 acres of land in Rockdale County, devoted to crops of cotton andcorn.In 1904 the Bank of Ctmyers was organized with a capital of $30,000. Mr.Wood served as vice president for the first three years, and has since beenhead of this institution as president. Along with his many business interestsas a merchant, planter and banker, Mr. Wood has always taken an active partin public affairs. He served as tax collector for Rockdale County from 1884to 1888, was for five years a member of the city council of Conyers, for threeyears on the school board, and for one year was mayor. He is a democrat, andhe and his wife are both active in the Christian Church and Sunday school.For recreation he enjoys outdoor life and is fond of travel with his wife andother members of the family. Mr. Wood wasi married June 13, 1900, atConyers to Miss Emma J. Riley, daughter of Judge Addison Riley. To theirmarriage has been born one son, Francis Lamar Riley Wood, on March 26,1901. .EDWARD THOMAS BROWN. A distinguished member of the Atlanta bar,also foremost as a figure in democratic politics, no man of his generation inGeorgia has exercised an influence finer in quality and purpose than EdwardThomas Brown. He has merged the two characters of citizen and lawyer into ahigh personal combination that is constantly exercising its influence for thebetterment of his home city and state.A native son of Georgia, born in Gainesville, Hall County, January 7, 1859,he is a son of Warren A. and Louisa C. (Hoyt) Brown. His father was bornin South Carolina, August 22, 1825, and his mother at Washington, Georgia,January 20, 1829. He is a lineal descendant of Maj. AVilliam Brown, whowas commissioned captain and later major in the Second Regiment of SouthCarolina Riflemen during the war of the Revolution.Edward Thomas Brown was educated in Davidson College at Davidson,North Carolina, and after his graduation took up the study of law in theoffice of Judge II. K. McKay at Atlanta. Under this excellent preceptor hemade rapid strides, and in 1878 when only nineteen years of age was admittedto the bar. At that time he began the practice of his chosen calling at Athens,Georgia, which continued to be his home until 1899. While at Athens he built