Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 2867Coburn and Ray, all of whom reside at Clayton. Judge Smith is a memberof the Baptist Church and is back of many of its benevolent and philanthropic movements. -1,1Although for many years a man oi affluence, owning valuable propertyat Clayton in addition to his farm, Judge Smith has known less prosperousdays and what he has accomplished in every way has been due largely to hisown industry and enterprise. He is widely known over Rabun County andis one of the ablest judges of Northern Georgia.DB. PATRICK H. MELL was born July 19, 1814, in Walthourville, LibertyCounty,- Georgia. In 1838, after a two years' course at Amherst College andsome experience in Connecticut as a teacher, he was elected principal of theOxford Classical and English School, connected with Emory College, and inthe following year began preaching as a Baptist clergyman. From 1848 untilshortly before his death in January, 1888, he was pastor of the Bairdstownand Antioch churches. As a parliamentarian and presiding officer he heldan eminent position, largely gained from his many years of experience asmoderator and president of the Baptist State associations and conventions ofGeorgia from 1855 to 1888. During the last two years of the war he servedas colonel of a regiment raised in Athens.Doctor Moll's educational work extends over a period of fifty-two years,forty-seven of these years were spent as a college professor and chancellor ofthe University of Georgia. He was elected professor of ancient languages inMercer University, February 17, 1841, and remained in connection with theUniversity until October 23, 1855, when he resigned to accept a position inthe University of Georgia, and moved to Athens January, 1857, to take upthe duties of professor of ancient languages in the University of the State.In 1860 the board of trustees appointed him professor of ethics and metaphysics and vice chancellor. He retained the latter position until 1872,when the university was re-organized at the time the Agricultural and Mechanical College became a part of the university system. In 1878 DoctorMell was elected chancellor of the University of Georgia, being at the head ofits affairs' at the time of his death. He was a Doctor both of Laws and ofDivinity.JAMES M. SMITH, jurist, congressman, blacksmith, and thirteenth governorof the State of Georgia, was born on his father's plantation in Twiggs County,Georgia, October 24, 1823. Admitted to the bar in 1846, he at once locatedfor practice at Columbus, Georgia. Early in the spring of 1861 he enteredthe Confederate service as major of the Thirteenth Georgia Infantry and, onaccount of bravery displayed at one of the fights around Richmond, was promoted to the colonelcy. In 1863 he was elected to the Confederate Congress,but continued his service in the field and was wounded in the fall of 1864 atCold Harbor. At the conclusion of the war he resumed practice at Columbus.In 1870 he was elected to the Lower -House of the Legislature and in January,1872, while serving as its speaker, was chosen governor. He was re-electedfor a term of four years. His successor, Governor Colquitt, appointed him amember of the State Railroad Commission, the chairmanship of which heretained to the end of his term. In 1888 he was appointed judge of theSuperior Court in the Muscogee Circuit, which position he held until the dateof his death, November 20, 1890.W. R. FINCH. Typical of the progressive spirit which in recent years hascontributed to the business prestige of Georgia, W. R. Finch belongs to thatclass of men who owe their present success to their own enterprise and energy.Still a young man he has made a firmly established position for himself amongthe business men of Cornelia, where he is engaged in a number of enterprises,