[Autobiography of George Wilberforce Soule']
Father Isaac Hatfield Soule, born 1800 to 1810 in Dutchess Co. N.Y. Mother Augusta Ann Bates, born 1830 married to Father 1845.
G.W. [George Wilberforce Soule] was born in Buffalo, N.Y. February 23, 1849, moved by Steamer to Milwaukee Wis. From there to Whitewater, Wis. In 1850. Settled about six miles south of Whitewater near Utters Corners in a farming community. Lived in various houses in the same neighborhood for several years. About 1856 father bought a house on another’s land, an original settler’s cabin, and we lived there until 1862.
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS
Started to public school at about four years. Attended the usual neighborhood district school with fair regularity from the time I was four and a half to the time I was thirteen, when we left that section.
At about ten years commenced to do an occasional days work helping neighbors. Got twenty-five cents per day; had the firewood to cut for the home from about that time. We kept one milk cow, and some chickens. Mother usually did the milking. Father was away most of the time at his work, from one to several miles from home.
By the time was 12, earned enough working out to buy own clothes, when was 12 Mother hired horse and buggy from neighbor, and with her drove to Washara County, 120 miles to visit her people, Father, two brothers and one sister. Several small lakes were near Grandfather’s home, enjoyed fishing greatly. One of my uncles had just enlisted for the Civil War, spent about two weeks with them and drove home.
Had taken great interest in the Presidential canvas in 1860, led my schoolmaster in putting up a higher flag pole than any other nearby school.
When we reached Walworth County in 1850 that section was in first stage of development. It was practically all divided up into farms of an average of about 200 acres each. The owners on all these farms were living on them almost altogether in pioneer type log cabins and were just beginning to build comfortable farm buildings. Father’s work there had been largely building for the various neighbors. These people were practically all native Americans, coming from the other states and from Canada. There was neither wealth nor poverty amongst them. When we left there in 1862 the character of the section had changed but little, matured to some extent, of course. There were a few people then who were not farm owners. A few were foreign born, Irish and Norwegians, but the native born people greatly predominated.
About 1857 Father had gotten a neighbor who was going to a county just settling up to buy land from the Government, to buy some for him. Got 120 acres at $1.25 per acre. (This was several years before the free homestead law was passed).
In 1862 when was 13, Mother decided we must move to the above land. Father went first by public conveyance, rail across the state to Prarie-du-Chein, steamer to Trempeleau on Mississippi River which was the nearest—35 miles from land.
Father being gone, the family consisted of Mother; daughter Sarah 15; son G.W. 13; daughter Sylvia 10; daughter Eugenia 8; son Will 4; son Frank 2; son Halbert an infant. We had little money. Mother decided it would take too much of it to move by public conveyance, sent me out among the neighbors to buy yoke of oxen and wagon. (Had a little experience driving oxen working for neighbors), and into neighboring groves to cut poles for making wagon cover. Shipped most of the belongings, taking just enough to serve in camping out on the trip and started. Decided to take the family cow along to help in sustenance on the trip; cow had never been broken to lead, refused to be either led or driven. After going a few miles, left cow to be sold with neighbor, and proceeded.
Started one Wednesday in September, distance about 300 miles. Made about fifteen miles per day, camped out every night. First Saturday night camped near a farmers from whom bought corn, standing in field to feed oxen. Fractional currency had entirely disappeared from circulation. Went to pay the farmer on Monday morning, postage stamps the only medium, tendered the amount in stamps; the farmer belonged to the Democratic Party, and did not sympathize with the war, laid the stamps in his hand, looked at the, said “Postage Stamps, D___m such currency, that’s what the Black Republicans are doing for the country!”
The most of the country we passed through was very sparsely settled. The roads would at this time be called excreable, but generally passable. We occasionally came to hills so steep that we all had to walk and sometimes push the wagon to get up. We met with no special trouble nor incident worth mentioning, and reached our destination about eighteen days after starting—a distance of about 300 miles.
About the time we started on the above described trip the last of the serious Indian massacres of settlers started in Southern Minnesota. In that part of Minnesota lying some distance west of the Mississippi River and south of St. Paul, settlement had just commenced and there were comparatively few settlers in several counties. The Sioux Indians ranged over that section in considerable numbers but had shown no hostile intentions. Several thousand of them made a plan to exterminate the white men of that section. The settlers got no work of this. The Indians distributed themselves in small parties over a quite considerable extent of territory and at a given signal, attacked the inhabitants. For twenty-four hours they met with almost no resistance. They exterminated all of the white people. Gradually the warming got out and there was sufficient resistance to check the massacre.
There had been probably 2000 of the settlers assassinated before there was any effective resistance. This took place about the time we started on our trip, but we had no word of it until we were several days en route. When we heard of it we were going directly toward this Indian trouble. It was about 100 miles west of our destination and of course rumor had it that it was greatly more extensive than it was. It was rumored that they had reached into Wisconsin with their atrocities. Inhabitants along the route with whom we talked urged us to turn back, but we kept on.
Soon we began to meet covered wagons with families moving in the opposite direction that were fleeing from the danger. We paid little attention to it, proceeded on our journey and found when we arrived there that it was at least 100 miles to where there had been any trouble.
In the neighborhood where we settled there were quite a number of Indians. They however were Winnebagos, none of whom had been hostile for a great many years, and no trouble arose.
We found that Father had made arrangements for us to temporarily occupy the home of a farmer who had recently enlisted in the Army, and expected to leave his home, his wife going to relatives, but we arrived a few days before the family left, and we had still to camp out. This farm adjoined our own piece of land. Father rented a part of that farmer’s land for the next year.
My first job after reaching there was to go to mill. Everyone in that section had wheat ground to get the family flour, and father bought perhaps ten bushels wheat. Took the oxen and wagon by myself, and went to the nearest mill, about 20 miles. It took about three days for the trip. Camped out.
We had to prepare our own farm. This was mostly prairie land, but we had a wood lot sufficient for our own use. Had to have about one-quarter mile of fence to start with. Decided that the best way to get it would be to cut and split rails and posts and make what is called a “Post and mortise fence”. Father assisted in the job of getting out the rails and posts. The posts required five mortises each, which were made with a 2” auger, two holes bored through and cut together with an axe. That job fell almost entirely to me, and was rather a severe test of the muscles of a thirteen year old boy, as was the work of erecting the fence in the spring.
The next job was to prepare a cabin for us to live in. Had to send to a sawmill 28 miles distant to get the lumber for it hauled green, because there was no seasoned lumber to be had, and work it up from the rough by hand. The cabin we built was 14 by 22 ft., story and a half high, which in size was about the average for the neighborhood. At that time the average distance between residences was about 2 miles up and down the valley and a great deal farther across the hills. The region consisted of Trempeleau Valley, an average of 2 miles in width, entirely surrounded by smaller valleys and hills of almost mountainous size.
Father was employed most of the time at outside work to get money for the family sustenance. Had to have a little to invest in farm implements. Got most of our living from the farm. Bought one cow to start with and perhaps a dozen chickens. Of course we had a good sized garden. The first summer planted a few acres each of wheat, corn, and oats, some potatoes, onions and other vegetables, so there was plenty to eat. Bought one yearling to match one we were raising and perhaps several other head of farm stock, pigs, etc.
The second year rented a few acres of outside land, cultivated the five acres of our own land and got a few more acres broken, this work being done entirely with the yoke of oxen we had used in moving, and practically all by G.W., Father being employed at outside work.
About this time a water power flouring mill was being built about three and a half miles from our home, the work being largely done by father which kept him away from home work most of the time. This improved conditions with us considerably because we no longer had to go twenty miles to have wheat ground for flour.
Up to this time there had been no schools anywhere available. A school district was organized and a school house built about 1 ½ miles from our home. Attended one winter term of school, about three months at that school, which covered all my schooling.
Game, more particularly prairie chickens, was very plentiful so that we had plenty of game for food.
The land breaking was done with ox teams, from four to six yoke being hitched to a plow and the third year G.W. made a combination with a young neighbor to run a partnership breaking team. Managed to get money enough to buy a breaking plow which cost about $40.00. The breaking had to be done in the late spring or early summer, the season lasting about two months, and a breaking team would break from one and a half to two acres a day. We broke about seven to ten acres a price for each of us, and then broke land for outsiders at $5.00 an acre to get money to pay expenses. The breaking team subsisted entirely on pasturage. This partnership breaking team was run for three seasons. We got out thirty-five acres into cultivation of our own. Then it was decided that we had better get rid of the oxen and get a horse team, which exchange we made. This enables one person to do more farm work than the oxen.
At this time was 18 years old. My second sister, Sylvia had drowned in Trempeleau River about a mile from our home. The remainder of our family all well and growing normally.
The next winter, the winter I was 19, as the family income was rather slim and as there was not much work to be done about the farm, and as there was work to be had in the pineries about 35 miles from home, decided to go to the pineries, taking the horse team for the winter. Got work at $45.00 per month and board for self and team. Transportation there in the winter was entirely with sleighs, the sleighing lasting about four months. Part of the time the work was hauling feedstuffs from a mill 16 miles distant. Made a trip each day, loading about a ton for a trip about midday and returning and unloading ready for the trip next day. Sometimes had a load both ways. At other times, was sent into a woods logging camp with a load, a distance of about 40 miles, using about three days for a trip. Continued at this until the sleighing was gone in the spring about the last of March.
I did not like farming as well as mechanical work. Before going home I took a job in a small sash and blind factory near where I had been working in the winter. When I returned home, I employed another young man to take my place on the farm for the summer while I worked in the sash and blind factory. To get to my job I walked 35 miles carrying a rather heavy valise. Got there about 10 o’clock at night.
We had about as much land in cultivation as could well be handled with one team and man. Up to this time we had produced on the farm but little for sale, but began to have some wheat to be hauled to market which was 35 miles distant. I returned home about the close of the summer and hauled several loads of wheat to market. Usually made a trip to market with a load of wheat in about three days. Hauled about 32 bushels at a load. Occasionally had a little other farm produce for sale, but not much.
In the early winter of 1869 one of our horses got accidentally killed, by falling on the ice. Father died soon afterwards, and as there was a vacancy for a teacher in our district school, I applied for and got the position for the winter term. In order to do this I had to ride horseback to the residence of the county superintendent about 30 miles to be examined for a certificate. It was a three months school, my salary was $32.00 per month, board myself. Distance to the school was about one and a half miles. Got through the school all right, had about 25 pupils, amongst them one young Norwegian about 25 years old who was well educated in Norway, but attended the school for the sake of learning English. He had a great deal better education than his teacher. Had other pupils, ranging from 6 to 20 years old. Did not like teaching for a profession.
The best thing I could see for immediate trial was boring wells on farms. Had enough left out of my school salary to prepare a small outfit for the work, and went over into Minnesota, a distance of about 50 miles and commenced the work about April. Employed one assistant. Had very good success, made some profit, and about the last of June had enough to buy a horse, which I took home to replace the one that had been killed, the previous winter on the farm. Visited home for a week or two about the 4th of July, found all well. Left for my work in Minnesota.
It went well for a time. Struck a region where the success in securing wells was not good. The winter was coming on, during which the well work could not be continued, and took a job with the railroad, the Southern Minnesota, running west from LaCrosse. Worked for them for a month or two.
Decided I wanted to move into a warmer climate. Took a steamer at LaCrosse for St. Louis. It was the last steamer to make the trip that fall. They took an unusual time to make the run on account of picking up odds and ends of traffic. Took two weeks to reach St. Louis. Sought work in St. Louis. Spent a few days there. Didn’t find a job.
Struck a so called “Labor Agent” who claimed to have use for workmen of all kinds further South. Took a steamer again for Cairo. Everything appeared to be very dull everywhere.
Concluded to go to Memphis. On the steamer from Memphis got acquainted with another man going South looking for work, and he told about a railroad just starting to be built in Southeast Arkansas, called at that time Little Rock, Pine Bluff and New Orleans Railroad. Was about out of money. Couldn’t find anything to do in Memphis and my friend proposed that if I would go with him, he would lend me money for expenses.
We landed at a place then called Eunice, Arkansas, from where the road started toward Little Rock. We found there that the road had ceased operations, gone broke and that the State was feeding several hundred men out of work with no means of getting away. We learned of another railroad starting west from the river from a place called Chicora. We walked up the levee to Chicora, about 12 miles. Found conditions there pretty much the same as at Eunice. Walked back. Passed a plantation about half way where there appeared to be some work going on. Applied for work and didn’t get it. Got back to Eunice about night, had supper. My friend decided to go on South. Told him that I couldn’t afford to borrow any more money from him and would stay there and try to get something to go. I gave him some tools and a gold pen to pay what I had borrowed. A steamer cam along about 9 o’clock that night. Saw my friend on board. Felt rather lonesome, tried the Captain of the boat to work my way South. He would have nobody.
Walked up the bank. Saw a couple of men standing by a tool chest with a lantern. Asked them if they had just got off the boat looking for work. Answer “No, why?” Told them that I had been looking for work there and that there was nothing to be done. Asked if I could do carpenter work, replied yes. They suggested I get in a skiff with them, that they had some work going on about four miles up the river. Went up with them. Found it to be the plantation where we had applied for work. The place was then called the Campbell Plantation. It is where the Arkansas city has since been built. The two railroads mentioned above where both abandoned later and road built from Campbell Plantation or Arkansas City northwest to Pine Bluff and Little Rock.
Found that three of these men had taken some small contracts, one for building a dozen two room negro cabins. They had the contracts at a price that was fairly profitable. Turned in with them and by spring we had made a few hundred dollars each. About Christmas time, the weather had been very cold, was putting a roof on a levee man’s camp shanty. The shingles were frozen. Decided I would go further south in the spring.
About March took a steamer for New Orleans. Steamer landed just after night. The rules were that a passenger was free to stay on board until the next morning. Rambled over the city more or less, slept on the boat, made up my mind I would go to Cuba.
Next morning on going up town, found the office of the Cuban Steamer Line had been burglarized and the agent murdered during the night, which upset the calculations about boats leaving. No certainly of a boat leaving in less than a week. Decided would run over to Mobile and take a boat there to Cuba. The then called Mobile, New Orleans and Texas Pacific road had just started running and there was a rate war on between the railroad and the steamers from Mobile. Steamers made a fare of $1.00 for the trip. Took the steamer.
As we were going up Mobile Bay, we met a vessel for Cuba just going out. Got to Mobile, found no other vessel due to leave there for Cuba in less than about two weeks. Didn’t want to loaf. Looked around the city for a job, struck one in the machine shop of the then called Mobile, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railroad, recently built. Liked the job pretty well. Gave up going to Cuba and stayed in that shop until about October.
Decided I didn’t like railroad shop work. Thought I would like sawmilling. Had no experience at it. Put an advertisement in the Mobile Daily that I wanted to find a good location for a sawmill somewhere up the country. Got several replies. One from a man at Desoto, Clark County, Mississippi. Stating that he had a good location and a mill already located he wanted to sell, urging me to come and see it.
Had saved only a small amount of money. Went to see this man, and while I have seen a great many dilapidated pieces of machinery running, he had about the worst I have ever seen. Told him I did not want it. He urged me to stay with him for a while anyway. So I stayed temporarily. He got me to help him fix the mill up a little bit. Managed to get it to working a little better. He then urged me to stay, promising me half the profits made by the mill. Stayed that winter. The mill made no profits whatever.
About March I learned that there was a plantation mill about 15 miles away that had been burned down and the owner wanted to re build. Went to see him, made a contract to rebuild his mill. Did fairly well at it. After the mill was rebuilt, he got a contract to build some county bridges which he turned over to me on a half profit basis. Built the bridges. Made fairly well out of it.
Took another little mill repair contract not far away. Made a little money out of that.
About that time a man with whom I had gotten acquainted near DeSoto and who was then at Bladon Springs, Ala. For his health wrote and asked me to come to see him. Went over there. He had a project of buying some mill machinery that was laying out, building it into a sawmill near Bladon Springs. Offered me a half interest, he to provide the means. Supposed he had the means to provide. Knew he had been a good business man and didn’t investigate his financial condition. Went into it. Spent most of what I haD SAVED. Found my partner was not able to supply means to put the business on its feet. At this time he was in Mobile, and he asked me to come down there. Went down to see him. At that time Mobile was the financial center for South Ala. And Miss. During the early 70’s financial conditions in the cotton states were in a very chaotic state. Most of the owners of large plantations went broke. The people who were making money were those who had but little before the war. I went to see my partner’s commission merchant, and found that my partner had no financial resources whatever. He couldn’t do anything about the financial end of the business; decided to drop it. Asked me to go home with him to Miss. He and his family were in Mobile for some celebration in April. Went to his home with him and his family.
I was having attacks of chills and fever that were somewhat troublesome. Was well taken care of.
This man, my partner in the mill venture had a friend who was supposed to be quite wealthy and during the summer of 1872 these two men decided that they wanted to start a turpentine and sawmill business in that neighborhood—this supposedly wealthy man to furnish the means, I to have one-third interest. His home was in another part of the state. I found he probably had the means to do it. I rather took it for granted that he wanted to do it. I saw but little of him and he and I had but little personal communion. I was going almost entirely by what my partner stated in regard to the matter. I recognized that it was a good prospect for turpentine business, but not a good prospect for a commercial sawmill business, the distance to haul the lumber being too great. With the understanding that the turpentine was to be the principal job, I agreed to it.
A small sawmill outfit was purchased which I erected with the understanding that it was to be used only for home market, and that the turpentine business was to be immediately started.
Then came the [panic of 1873 which knocked all financial calculations glimmering. Our moneyed partner couldn’t or wouldn’t put up the capital for the turpentine business.
There was nothing to be made out of the sawmill business at that location. We had the mill on our hands. About this time I married Olivia Sherman Warren, daughter of my partner in the sawmill venture. I surrendered all rights to the property the company had on being released from all obligations, and was free to start something else.
Had been occasionally doing a little business in buying and selling machinery and as agent for manufacturers. Got an order about that time for a small mill outfit of which I was to superintend the setting up, at a distance of about 30 miles. It took about two weeks. Soon had several more similar contracts. Got enough to be fairly profitable. Sometimes worked by the day, a little while superintending some mechanical job.
My father-in-law, Admiral Warren, died about April 1874, down on the Gulf Coast, near Bayou La Batre.
For the year starting about August 1874 made a deal with a sawmill owner who had a little planing mill machinery and didn’t understand very well how to handle it, to put up his planing mill machinery at DeSoto where he delivered his lumber, and do the planning mill work buy the thousand feet for him.
My first child, Hinda Beatrice was born August 20, 1874 while I was erecting the planning mill.
Put up in addition to the planning mill machinery a small Grist mill, doing custom grinding. Made out pretty well for the year.
At the end of the year the planning mill owners thought they could do better by hiring someone to run it, which let me out.
About the fall of 1875 decided I would take up the custom gin and mill business. At that time the general custom in the cotton countries was changed from large plantations, each with its own ginnery, to small farms who had to get their ginning done elsewhere. Custom mills and gins were being located at favorable places over the state. Decided on a location at Morton (Scott County) Miss. Bought some ground for the mill. Bought the most of the machinery needed. Had sold to a man about twenty-five miles distant an outfit of machinery which I was to erect. The machinery had arrived at its railroad destination, Shubuta, Miss. Learning of that, decided to go to Shubuta to examine the machinery and on the railroad at DeSoto had my left leg and four toes of the right foot cut off by train. This was about March 1876.
The man to whom I had sold the machinery was anxious to have it erected. He came to see me while I was lying up, said he would get the machinery hauled home and wanted me to come out and look after the erection at the earliest possible day. Told him that I would go on a day that was two weeks from the time of my accident. He came for me on that day with a horse and buggy, and I rode out 20 miles and superintended the erection of the machinery for him.
Had saved just enough to enable me to put up the plant I had in view without undue accidents. This accident cost me several hundred dollars which reduced my capital to such An extent that I couldn’t buy quite all of the machinery needed.
When I moved to Morton, I rented a residence. Soon afterwards a man came to me who owned an unoccupied small residence with a lot at Morton and offered to exchange it to me for a circular mill saw. I made the exchange and moved to the house which answered the purpose of a residence until we moved away from Morton in January ’79.
The public gineries in those days were almost always what might be termed “One Unit” affairs. That is, they used only one gin-hear, whereas later when more business came in a number of gin-heads would b e used at each place. Had in view a one gin-hear establishment. To economize as greatly as possible in getting the business started, I found and bought an unused building, tore it down and moved it to my lot. My place was just across the railroad tracks from the passenger station in full view of the trains. Started the erection about the last of April, 1876. Had bought and repaired a used portable grist mill. Got this installed and running about the last of May.
On July 19th a son was born, George Clifton Soule’, died in infancy.
Had intended to buy a cotton press such as were on the market at a cost of about $250.00. Didn’t have money enough to make the purchase. Decided to build a home made cotton press of a rather novel and peculiar construction, such that its cost would be comparatively low. Got that built and installed and the gin-hear in place, ready to run at the beginning of the ginning season sometime in August.
My cotton [press was in the end of the building entirely exposed to view of people passing on the trains. It answered the purpose very well. It attracted a great deal of attention from passersby, and within the comparatively short time after its use was commenced, I had applications from two or three other people to make presses for them such as mine. Built two that fall for other people, and some people who had seen it came to me and offered to pay the expense of patenting and introducing it for a half interest in the patent.
Up to that time I had been dabbling considerably in patented inventions, had taken out several patents from none of which was obtained any returns. They had cost considerable in expenses, and while I recognized that the press I had was patentable, preferred to spend no money on it, and made a contract with these people, they to pay all expenses of making the model and obtaining the patent. (In those days to get a U.S. Patent a model had to be supplied to the Patent Office). They made the model, did not submit it to me before sending it to the parent office, the patent was refused. They came to me about it, and I explained to them that the model did not correctly represent the press I had built, that if they would pay me for making a model they could make a new application and get the patent. They declined to do this, and dropped the matter.
As the ginning season was over—it lasted about three months—decided to add a small sawmill to my outfit, simply for home consumption of lumber. Bought 40 acres of nearby land having some timber on it, bought the remains of an old burned down sawmill, repaired it and put it to work. This t give me something to do between seasons. Sold what little lumber could be made at a fairly remunerative price.
The business ran along fairly well until the gin season of the next year ’78 was about half over.
On the 27th of September, a daughter was born, Leda Arzella.
The place caught fire and burned up completely. I had no insurance. This left me nothing except the house and lot and the 40 acres nearby. Didn’t have means to rebuild my ginnery plant, and decided the best thing for me to do next would be to get the patent on the cotton press which the other people had abandoned. Made the necessary model, application for the patent, obtained patent about March 1878.
The principal advantage of the press was that it was very economical of construction. Found I could buy the necessary metal and machinery parts at a comparatively low price, have them boxed by a factory in St. Louis and shipped direct on my orders to any place. Got out descriptive circular matter, contracted with newspapers advertising the press, and as an emblem a Confederate Flag.
About July commenced to get a great many inquiries and a few orders. The business looked very promising, up to the time that the Yellow Fever epidemic broke out all over the cotton states.
All trains and all mails stopped running on the 6th day of September. There was yellow fever on both sides of us (the Yellow Fever that year proved more destructive than ever known before. A little town a few miles east of us, Lawrence, Miss., lost over half its population during the epidemic). We took a horse team and moved across the country into Clarke County where my wife’s people lived. Of course, all business was stopped but my advertising contracts were still running and piling up indebtedness.
This quarantined condition continued until the 8th day of November, shutting off completely all mail. Our only advices from the outside were in the form of telegrams.
On the night of the 7th of November, a frost came. In those days a frost was supposed to terminate a Yellow Fever epidemic. Trains started running. I got back to Morton on the 9th of November. Imagined I was broke on account of the expenses running against me for advertising. When the mails commenced running they brought in basketfuls for me for several days. I found amongst the mail a sufficient number of orders covered by checks to discharge all obligations. That season’s business turned out instead of a loss as I anticipated, a profit amounting to about $800.00.
Decided the business required a more centralized location. Moved to Meridian, adopting the name of Southern Standard Press Company, although there was no company. Advertised considerably the next year, and sold enough to realize a few thousand dollars profit.
Continued the business through 1880 and 1881 with success. Got somewhat tired of it. Decided I could handle a more important business. Sold out the Southern Standard Press business under a royalty contract for further sales. Rented my shop to buyer.
Had built up a fairly considerable business. Had sold about 750 cotton presses all over the cotton states during the year ’81.
In January ’80 my oldest brother, Will, 23 years, came down from the Wisconsin home and went to work with me. His health was rather precarious which interfered to some extent with his effective work.
My son, Clyde Wilbert, was born March 23, 1880.
About January ’81 my youngest brother, Halbert, 19 years, came down and went to work with me. He was taken with typhoid fever at my home in July, at the same time Brother Will was down with an attack of Bilious Fever also at my home. At that time Typhoid Fever was almost epidemic in Meridian.
My sister Eugenia was making her home with us, and when it was decided Halbert had typhoid fever, sent my wife and children to Morton to stay with friends. Will had practically recovered from his attack of bilious fever and had gone elsewhere to board. Sister and I remained to nurse.
At that time we had neither hospitals nor trained nurses. The nursing fell entirely upon my sister and myself. Halbert died about sixty days after being taken ill. My family came home for the funeral and I sent them all, including myt sister, to my wife’s mother’s home near DeSoto in Clarke County.
My sister was taken with typhoid sometime in November and the fever left her about Christmas Day. It was several weeks before she was able to be brought home.
In December ’81, before my sister had recovered, my other brother Frank, 21 years, came down and made his home with us after we got settled in a new house that I had just built. In January ’82 he in turn was taken with typhoid fever which lasted about 45 days and ended in his death.
On November 9, 1882, Verna Kate was born.
These things had interfered very materially with my doing any business. I then undertook to do some things which proved to be beyond my financial capacity. Had spent about all of my accumulations and in July ’83 I borrowed $1500 by mortgaging my home, rented a small local shop and started business again here [Meridian]. I had invented and patented a small machine in the woodworking machinery line which was a good machine. Had endeavored and failed to get someone in the wood working machinery line to take it up and manufacture it on royalty. When I started the little business here in July ’83 I had in view the manufacture of the above small machine, and also the designing and manufacturing of a different cotton press that was better adapted to conditions as they hen existed, that is, had greater capacity, the Southern Standard Press being adapted to only single gin-head plants and most of the ginneries were beginning to use more than one gin-head. Consequently, they needed a press of greater capacity.
Decided to supply that need. I designed and patented the machine I had in view and took up its manufacture.
After trying out the small woodworking machine to some extent I found that as I had nothing else in the woodworking line to advertise, putting it on the market would be expensive, and dropped it, devoting the work to the cotton press. Sold three or four of the cotton presses that fall, ’83.
Had not room enough in the little shop I had rented to do much. There was across the street what was called a cotton yard. That is, a place that had been enclosed and prepared for the storage of baled cotton. I rented that and moved the cotton press construction to that yard. As there was a pretty good business in storing cotton by the bale that fall and winter, I employed a man to run the place as a cotton storage yard at the same time that I used it for cotton press factory.
The new cotton press took pretty well and in the spring of 1884 I organized a stock company to manufacture it. I had accumulated about $7000. Had with me a young man from Alabama as bookkeeper, etc. He and the young man I had employed for the cotton storage yard each took a small quantity of stock in the cotton press business, which I named Progress Manufacturing Co.
Started with all told about $12,000. Had a few outside stockholders with a few shares each, but I had the controlling interest in the stock. In the early days of ’84 I bought some lots and built a shop for the cotton press business, procuring a fair outfit of machinery. The business progressed pretty well. Made it into a general foundry and machine shop business in addition to the cotton press manufacturing business—the cotton press manufacturing business being essentially a seasonal business and I wanted other work to do in the off seasons. The business built up with fair rapidity.
At the Cotton States Exposition in New Orleans 1884-1885, I had a cotton press and a steam engine on exhibit. In ’85 I had a very successful year’s business. By ’86, through the accumulation of the business, the capital stock had grown to about $20,000, and by ’87 to $30,000.
Business was too confining to suit my temperament, and I began to leave it very largely in the hands of two of the other stockholders in whom I had confidence. By 1888 I had nearly relieved myself of the active management of the business and was studying other projects. Did not give the Southern Standard Press business the careful supervision I should have done. Thus things proceeded until 1890.
In 1891 I designed and built a small rotary engine which I thought would be adapted to various kinds of work. In the spring of ’92 I put one of these rotary engines in a neighboring sawmill to be used as a steam feed. It answered the purpose well. Decided to concentrate upon the manufacture of that machine. During ’92 got a very good trade in it started, and decided to put up another shop for its manufacture. I abandoned all active connection with the Progress Manufacturing Co., bought the machinery for the new shop in the latter part of ’92. I had about $8000 to put into the new business and found a man whom I believed to be a good businessman to put in an equal amount, and we organized a joint stock company early in ’93 under the name of ‘Soule Steam Feed Works”.
Until about March we had more orders than we could fill. The business looked very promising. Then the general panic of ’93 struck the country, paralyzing all kinds of business, ours amongst other kinds, and we had pretty hard going for two or three years.
In the meantime we designed and patented a machine for stacking lumber at sawmills on dry kiln cars. Sold a few.
In ’95 the business began to pick up to some extent. During the hard times we had mortgaged the plant, paying 10% interest on borrowed money. About ’98 I found my partner and I couldn’t agree. I put it up to him to either buy or sell. He decided to sell, and I bought him out on credit, having the original mortgage also to be paid.
Business kept on improving and by about 1900 had paid off all encumbrances, and the business free and on a profitable basis. It continued to expend normally.
I had always had the ambition to have a country home somewhere on the water, and preferred also to have a mountain. In 1902 I found what I thought was the best place, and purchased a place from an old fisherman, on the narrows of Santa Rosa Sound, Santa Rosa County, Fla., near Choctawhatchie Bay, which had water at its most favorable aspect, although no mountain. Decided to make that my sometime future home. Began to spend some part of my time 1903-04 down there, gradually withdrawing from active business of the Soule’ Steam Feed Works.
At that time my son Clyde, about 23 years old, had taken hold of the business and I had another man as general bookkeeper, whom I thought to be a good business man.
In 1904 my mother moved from Tennessee where she had been living down to this place in Florida, and I built her a small home a few hundred feet from the main house. I had a family in charge of the place down there and spent only a comparatively small part of my time in 1904.
In July 1905 my wife, who had been in poor health for years, died at our home in Meridian. From that time I spent the most of my time at the Florida place.
In December 1905, my sister Eugenia and her family moved from Tennessee down to my Florida place to take charge of it. In 1906 I spent the larger part of my time there, telling the boys in the business, that as they were getting along pretty well in the shop, I wouldn’t bother them very much.
In 1906 sometime in September, a very severe Gulf storm struck the place in Florida, did a considerable amount of damage, destroying the wharves, boat houses, etc. and the front fence along the place. The destruction was so extensive over a considerable section of the country that my son could hear nothing about us for several days. He came down to find out how we were getting along, and we were all right, the storm not having damaged the houses much or interfered with living there.
On the place in Florida we were quite plentifully supplied with home grown fruits. There were an abundance of dewberries growing in the fields for ourselves and all our neighbors. They commenced to ripen in May. Had quite a number of very large heavily bearing mulberry trees, sufficient for a supply for ourselves and all our neighbors. They commenced to ripen in June and there were plenty of them, enough for the hogs included up to the middle or last of August. We had peaches for about two months of the summer, figs from June to August, oranges from October to February and March. Had one prolifically bearing lemon tree. Had scuppernong grapes sufficient to supply ourselves and all our neighbors, which ripened from August to the last of October. There were plenty of oysters for the picking up right in front of our house, and plenty of fish for the catching. We had home grown milk, plenty of butter. We had neither mud nor dust to contend with.
The conditions lasted until we left that section of the country in 1917.
In 1907 I started a new family with Constance Gara of Pennsylvania for a wife. She was born on January 28, 1882. There was born to us on February 5th, 1908, a daughter, Vera Catherine. She died when just one year old. There was born to us on March 15, 1910, Eda Claire.
In 1908 my son-in-law E.F. Billington, who had married my daughter Verna Kate in 1906, came into the business with us at Meridian.
On January 6, 1912, son George Halbert was born and on December 18, 1914, son Robert Gara was born. During this time I stayed with my family at the Florida home most of the time. Left the business largely in the hands of my boys.
We had there at the Florida place practically no school facilities and as the children grew up, realized that they should have better schooling opportunities. Didn’t want to send them away from home to school and decided for a year or two to move to some location with better school advantages.
Early in October 1917 there came another destructive storm on the narrows. This destroyed boathouse and wharves and as the war was then in progress and what little labor there was in the section had been taken away, it was almost impossible to get the facilities rebuilt. Transportation was almost entirely by boat. Went to the neighbors, to the post office, to the store, to the church by boat. Couldn’t keep the boat without a boathouse. Decided then it was the best time to move. So brought the family to Meridian and for a time occupied our previous residence.
My son, Clyde Wilburt married in 1919.
Our business here [Meridian], closing year 1922, which is a corporation is entirely in the family. Has grown with reasonable regularity since it was established. We now have about forty productive employees besides office and sales force. Weekly payroll amounts to $1000.00. Future business looks fair.
TALENTS AND DISPOSITION
When I was a youngster, my ambition was to succeed, at something, entirely by my own unaided efforts. Consequently didn’t feel like joining what might be called “Mutual Benefit Societies” such as Free Masons, Odd Fellows, etc. nor affiliate with any churches. Preferred to feel that whatever I accomplished was due to my own unaided efforts.
Later in life, when I had quite a number of employees in an Odd Fellow’s Lodge here, I joined the Lodge. After my accident I was ineligible to join the Masonic Lodge, probably should have done it in middle life had I been eligible.
My most marked talent was probably MECHANICAL INVENTIONS AND DESIGN. Have probably obtained about forty different United States patents, and a few of them carried to foreign countries. Out of the lot there are perhaps six from which I have obtained some returns. The only way I have ever been able to get anything out of a patent is to manufacture and introduce the patented article myself. Fortunately, I seem to have had fairly good talent in that line which is entirely different from the inventive line.
There are some kind of patents that are really valuable that it takes large capital to manufacture and introduce. With such I have never succeeded. Did succeed however in establishing three different manufacturies at different times. Had almost no capital to start any one of these but I made successful starts and carried them out successfully and increasingly for several years.
The first which was called Southern Standard Press Company I built up quite rapidly, and probably had I continued to devote my attention to it, it would hav developed into an important business. The second, Progress Manufacturing Company was about the same. Up to the time I ceased to give my personal attention to that business it had been very successful and profitable. Was then about 40 years old, and when I started the third business, Soule Steam Feed Works, I resolved that I would stick to it, that I would not surrender the control of the business and it has flourished for about 30 years.
Started the Southern Standard Press business in Morton, Miss. In 1878 practically on credit, owning at that time a village home, worth perhaps $500 and a wood lot worth about $200. By 1881 I had built up a flourishing, profitable business on that. Started the Progress Machine Works in 1884 by borrowing $1500 on my home here at 10%. I incorporated it in 1885 under the name of Progress Manufacturing Company. At that time had about $7000 to put into it. Attended to that business pretty strictly until 1889 when it was a flourishing, profitable business. In 1892 I started the steam feed business with almost no capital. Built one machine, put it in a mill. It was a success and that year built a few more. In 1893, I incorporated that business under the name of Soule Steam Feed Works, and while it was hard pulling the first few years, owing to panicky times, by 1898 I had it on its feet and it has been successful since.
I hardly know where I should class myself as to religion. I have absolute belief in God as the author of all things, but I cannot either make or accept any definitions of God. I do not believe that this life is the end, but what any future state of existence may be, I have no idea. Believe that whatever the future may hold forth, we should make the very best of this life and that that will be the best preparation possible for a future.
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF GEORGE WILBERFORCE SOULE AND CHILDREN
Son of Isaac Hatfield Soule and Augusta Ann Bates
Born on February 23, 1849
First married to Olivia Sherman Warren in 1873.
Daughter Hinda Beatrice, born August 20, 1974
Son, George Clifton, born July 19, 1976
Daughter Leda Arzella, born September 27, 1887
Son, Clyde Wilburt, born March 23, 1880
Daughter, Verna Kate, born November 9, 1882
Hinda Beatrice married C.H. Watts in 1893, died July 1, 1894 without issue
George Clifton died in infancy 1876
Leda Arzella married F.A. Longshore in 1899
Verna Kate married E.F. Billington in 1906
Clyde Wilburt married Frances Adelphine Venable in 1919
There was born to Leda Arzella Longshore a son, Frank Soule Longshore October 1, 1900 and a son, Harry George Longshore September 1, 1902.
There have been no children born to Verna Kate Billington or to Clyde Wilburt Soule
George Wilberforce Soule married a second time to Constance Gara who was born January 28, 1882, married 1907.
There was a daughter, Vera Catherine, born February 5, 1908, died February 5, 1909
Daughter, Eda Claire, March 15, 1910
Son, George Halbert born January 6, 1912
Son, Robert Gara, born December 18, 1914
George Wilberforce Soule died on December 21, 1922. 
