Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

3302 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANSand operated some of the best known of Georgia railroads, has himself givenservice as a railroad executive, has been active in other business affairs, andfor a number of years has practiced law and has served as deputy clerk ofthe United States Circuit and District courts.Gol. John C. Printup was born in Rome, June 18, 1850, a son of Daniel S.and Ava C. (Choice) Printup. Both his parents were natives of New YorkState, and the grandfather, John Printup, married Cornelia Schemmerhorn,of one of the old and influential New York families of Dutch stock. Daniel S.Printup is recalled as one of the eminent lawyers of Rome during the lastcentury. He was graduated in law from the Union College at.Schenectady,New York, and came before his marriage to Georgia, several years prior tothe Civil war. He began practice in Rome, and was married in that city.An able lawyer, he also served as mayor of Rome and in other importantoffices, and during the war was colonel in the Fifty-fifth Georgia Infantry,and in one of the battles was taken prisoner, held captive on Johnson Islandone year, then sent to the prison at Elmira, New York, and remained inprison there for another year. Among his fellow prisoners were Hon. William A. Wright and Governor H. G. McDaniels. Daniel S. Printup and othermembers of his family are credited with having had a hand in the construction of all the early railways of Georgia except one. They supplied bothcapital and executive ability in the construction of the old Selma & Dalton,between Dalton, Georgia, and Selma, Alabama, now a part of the SouthernRailway; the Rome & Decatur Railway; the Giddens & Rome Railway, running between Rome and Kingston. Col. Daniel Printup died in 1887 at theage of sixty-four, and his wife passed away in 1904, aged seventy-four.There were two sons, and of these Joseph J. Printup has for a number ofyears been in the Government service at "Washington, District of Columbia.Col. John C. Printup spent his early life subject to influences of homeand of social and political conditions which could only reflect to advantageon his future career. He was liberally educated, was reared in a home ofculture, and in such surroundings as would stimulate his natural ambition.At the time of the occupation of the City of Rome by the Federal troops duringthe war his mother took him to Union Point in Georgia, and for several yearshe lived on his uncle's farm. Even at that time he had an active spiritwhich prompted him to independent effort, and before the close of the warwas working on the Georgia Railway as a newsboy, a position he held untilthe close of hostilities. The family then returned to Rome, and he preparedfor college at private schools and an academy, chiefly under the instructionof M. A. Nevin, and was chosen valedictorian on his graduation from academyin 1868. In August of the same year he entered the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia, as a cadet, and remained until 1870. His collegecourse was completed in the University of Virginia.On his return to Rome, Colonel Printup was appointed treasurer of theRome Railway Company, a post he held until 1874. He then became generaltraveling agent for the Selma, Rome & Dalton Railways, resigned after a yearto accept the position of cashier in the banking house of which his father waspresident, the Printup Brothers Company, and had an active experience asa banker in that post until 1891. His many relations with important businessaffairs can be only briefly noted. He was senior member of the firm ofJohn C. Printup & Company, cotton factors. In 1876 he organized and waselected captain of the boy military company, the Hill City Cadets, which becamenoted for its fine military discipline. In 1886 Colonel Printup was electedgeneral superintendent of the Rome & Decatur Railway, and on the deathof his father was chosen president of that company. He was also presidentof the Printup Land & Improvement Company at Rome during the naturalcourse of its existence until all its properties were sold.In 1883 Colonel Printup's friends announced his name as candidate for