|
The late Dr. James H. Parker, of New York City, was one of those Southerns who made a success in the business world of the great metropolis. After the war, in which he had a real soldier's part, he was in the cotton business in Charleston, S. C., for some years; but in 1872 he went to New York, got a seat in the Cotton Exchange, and became one of the active men of that city. He served as President of the Cotton Exchange for three terms and was President of the Mutual Alliance Trust Company until it combined with another big company, when he became one of the directors. It is of this business connection that a story is told so illlustrative of the Golden Rule in business that it is a pleasure to record it. When the big Claflin failure occurred, Dr. Parker's bank was carrying a good amoutn of the firm's paper. which had been bought by Dr. Parker, this paper having for years been considered as good as government bonds. After the failure was announced, Dr. Parker had all of this stock transferred to his private account, thus taking all the loss, amounting to several hundred thousand dollars, upon hinself and preventing any depreciation in the value of the stock of his bank, which would have caused a loss to so many others. It is rare, indedd, that commercial life has the record of such sacrifice of self-interest. Dr. Parker was a native of North Carolina, a schoolboy when the war began. He enlisted at once and was made a lieutenant, at the age of nineteen, in the 62d Regiment of Georgia Cavalry, later being transferred to a North Carolina brigade. After the war he studied medicine and practiced for a while; but in 1870 he became a cotton commission merchant in South Carolina, going from there to New York City. He had been President of the New York Southern Society and also Commander of the New York Camp of Confederate Veterans. He an his wife, who was Miss Juliet A. Jones, of Charleston, have been prominent figures if the Southern colony of the city, and Mrs. Parker is President of the New York Chapter, U. D. C.
SOURCE: Confederate Veteran Magazine, June, 1915.
|
 Promote Your Page Too |
|||||||||