Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

3086 GEORGIA AND GEOEGIANShis activities until 1900, when he removed to Ellaville. Here his success hascontinued to be on a parity with his recognized ability as a resourceful triallawyer and well fortified counselor, and he is known as one of the leadingmembers of the bar of the Southwestern judicial circuit, besides which hehas effectively proved his ability in the discharge of judicial functions. InAugust, 1910, Governor Joseph M. Brown appointed him judge of the citycourts of Ellaville, and at the expiration of his first term he was reappointed byGovernor Slayton, his present term on the bench expiring in September, 1918.He has shown marked circumspection and fidelity in the discharge of hisjudicial functions, as evidenced by the fact that he has never had a decisionreversed by courts of higher jurisdiction nor had a case appealed to theSupreme Court of the state.Judge Hart is a recognized leader in the local councils of the democraticparty and while he has given yeoman service in the furtherance of the partycause there was little of political significance when he was elected to the officeof Mayor of Ellaville, in which he served three consecutive terms 1913,1914 and 1915. His first election was compassed by a two-to-one majorityand at his successive re-elections he had no opposing candidate. Popularappreciation of his able service as head of the municipal government wasindicated in the overtures made to him to serve a fourth term, an honor whichhe declined. The judge takes a lively interest in all that touches the civicand material welfare of his home village and county and gives a generalsupervision to his fine farm of 400 acres, situated about four miles southwestof Ellaville. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and he and his wife,as well as their three eldest children, hold membership in the MisionaryBaptist Church. For many years he was a popular teacher in the Sundayschool, and he likewise served as' Sunday school superintendent at varioustimes.On the 7th of September, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of JudgeHart to Miss Eveline P. Stokes, who was born at Buena Vista, Marion County,and they have five children, whose names and respective dates of birth arehere noted: Henry Aaron, January 18, 1898; James Homer, May 17, 1900;Mary Edgar, August 18, 1902; Isaac Solomon, February 29, 1904; andEsther, October 4, 1906.JOHN C. BUTT. At this juncture it is a matter of satisfaction to enterreview concerning a well known and popular representative of one of the oldand honored families of Central Georgia, and he whose name initiates thisparagraph is to be designated consistently as one of the able and prominentmembers of the bar of his native county, where he is also serving with markedefficiency and acceptability as judge of the court of ordinary of MarionCounty, with secure place as one of the most loyal and. public-spirited citizensof Buena Vista, the judicial center of the county. Within this article alsowill appear a sketch of the career of Judge Butt's brother Noah, who isengaged in the practice of law at Lumpkin, the judicial center of StewartCounty.John Campbell Butt was born in Marion County on the 21st of January,1874, and is a son of Noah B. and Harriet V. (Duke) Butt, both natives ofMarion County, where the respective families settled in the pioneer days.Noah B. Butt was born in the year 1843 and was a son of William B. Buttand Elizabeth (Campbell) Butt, the former a native of Warren County andth^ latter of Jefferson County, this state, William B. Butt having been oneof the first settlers of Marion County, where he developed a large plantationand became the owner of a retinue of slaves. In politics he stood forth as astalwart advocate of the principles of the whig party. He played a large andbeneficent part in the early development of Marion County along both civicand industrial lines and the names of both himself and his wife merit endur-