Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

3250 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANSsubject of this sketch being his second wife. She was a daughter of ElamFinch, a native of Meriwether County, Georgia, a planter and slaveholder,who settled on a farm in Columbia County in the early '40s. Mrs. PereillaFinch Johnson, who died at the age of forty-three in 1875, was an activemember of the Methodist Church and a lady of exemplary Christian character,who wisely ruled her large household and was held in high esteem by her widecircle of friends.Preston Brooks Johnson was one of a large family, as his father had elevenchildren in all by his three successive wives. He therefore had plenty ofcongenial companions in his youth both brothers and sisters. He was educated in the schools of McDuffie County and at Mercer College, Macon,Georgia. At the age of twenty he began to read law under the mentorship c^flion. Thomas E. Watson, a prominent attorney, and a noted critic and writer,publisher of Watson's Magazine. Admitted to practice in 1880, he soon afterbecame a member of the firm of Thomas E. Watson and P. B. Johnson, thisconnection lasting for about a year, as since 1882 he has practiced his profession alone. He has had a most successful career, being widely known.as an able attorney, thoroughly grounded in the principles of jurisprudence,and as a winning and forceful advocate at the bar. By his associates he isoften termed the Nestor of the Thomas bar, as he is now the oldest lawyerpracticing in McDuffie County. He is attorney for the Thomson City Bankand the Bank of Harlem, Columbia County. An active democrat in politics,lie takes a strong interest in local affairs, and has twice served as mayor ofthe city, having been elected to that office in 1888 and again in 1907, on bothoccasions giving Thomson a clean, business-like administration.On December 12, 1878, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage with MissElla S. Morris, of Columbia County, Georgia, the daughter of 0. S. andSarah (Binion) Morriss. Her father was for many years a prominent citizenof Columbia County, being engaged in the farming and saw-milling industries.He gave five sons to the Confederacy Robert, Jesse, Preston, Charles II. andSullivan F., the last mentioned of whom died of disease while in the service.Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been the parents of seven children, two of whomdied in infancy. Of the other five the following is a brief record: LilianJ. Johnson married Dr. J. T. Burkhalter and died in the United States MarineHospital at Baltimore, Maryland, in June, 1913, leaving five children, Helen,John Thomas, Preston, Frances and Lilian. Her husband, who was a surgeonin the hospital in which his wife died, is now surgeon of the Mobile (Alabama)United States Hospital. Miss Buford Johnson is a graduate of Johns Hop kinsUniversity. Nellie Johnson became the wife of J. E. Wilkerson, a banker ofThomson. She died in the United States Hospital at Baltimore in 1908.Stella Johnson is engaged in commercial business at Richmond, Virginia.Shelton M. Johnson, the fifth surviving child of the subject of this sketch,is now a resident of Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Johnson's religious affiliationsare with the Methodist, Episcopal Church, of which he has been a consistentmember for many years, and is now serving as secretary, treasurer andsteward. For twenty years also he has been Sunday school superintendent.He takes an active and leading part in the North Georgia Methodist Episcopal conferences, not having missed a conference in twenty years. Hiswife, a lady of culture and refinement, is also active in church work, and bothare esteemed members of the best society of Thomas.LAWRENCE MANNING is president and executive head of the Atlantic Engineering Company of Savannah. This is one of the most important organizations of technical talent in the South. The scope of its work covers manysections of the southeastern states, and includes various classes of engineeringand construction work, particularly in drainage, railroad, municipal andindiistrial enterprises.