Now (1895) in addition to his old business of butcher, he operates a hack and dray line, a coal and wood yard, and an undertaker’s establishment, giving constant employment to about twenty-five persons at a daily outlay of about $25. His wife, once Miss Lucy Arrington, whom he married in 1875, is a suitable help for him, no less in his labors of love than in his business enterprises. He is worth not less than $15,000. His life is an inspiration to poor young men starting the journey of life. Mr. Loveless is an honest man, which in the language of another, is the noblest work of God. The character of the man may be seen in his advice to his laborers: “Pay your debts if it takes the last cent you have.”
Eason, Rev. James Henry.—Among the younger and scholarly men of Alabama is Rev. James Henry Eason. This energetic Christian worker and model of moral courage was born October 24, 1866, in the “piney” woods, eight miles from Sumterville, Sumter county, Ala.—fifteen miles from the railroad.
His father, Jesse Eason, has served as deacon in the Sumterville Baptist Church for a number of years, and is highly respected by both races in his community.
His mother, Chaney Eason, is a faithful Christian worker in the church, as well as a devoted wife and mother. Mr. Eason’s strength of character, talent and success are, to a large degree, heritages from this good woman. His mother taught him his alphabet one Sabbath when he was only five years of age. The early part of his life was spent with his parents on the farm, and he attended public school near his home. His first teacher was a Mr. Poe, a white man, who said to him, as they were coming from school one day: “You will be a smart man one of these days.”
James did not advance very far in his books under this teacher, who taught the old method of going through the spelling book first, next the reader and then review. Besides, the schools only lasted three months in each year. His marked improvement was not made until his parents moved to Sumterville, and he began studying under Rev. C. R. Rodgers and H. D. Perry from Selma University. It was in the Wednesday evening prayer meetings, held in the school by Rev. C. R. Rodgers, he received a deep and effectual religious impression. A year afterward—October, 1881—he was baptized into the Sumterville Baptist Church by Rev. G. Lowe. In November of the same year he entered the Alabama Baptist Normal and Theological School at Selma, Ala., now Selma University. In 1885 he graduated from this institution with the highest honors of his class—his class being the second class to graduate from this institution. Along with the normal course he took the college preparatory course, and began his college course in the fall of 1885. After spending about two years in this course he abandoned it on account of financial embarrassment and other unfavorable circumstances. To this point he had kept himself in school by working on the farm during the summer months.
In 1883 he took a little school at Ohio, Ala., and in 1886 he canvassed and sold the Colored Chieftain. In 1887 he was elected principal of Garfield Academy, Auburn, Ala. It was in this position his noble qualities claimed the attention of the public as a teacher and preacher—yes, as a leader. Here the desire of higher education burnt again upon his heart and, against the protest of patrons, he resigned this position and entered Richmond Theological Seminary, Richmond, Va., in 1887. After three years of hard study he graduated ahead of his class in 1890 with the degree of B. D., and returned to Alabama and began work as professor of mathematics in Selma University—a position he still holds. He was ordained in Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma, Ala., in 1891, and took charge of Union Baptist Church, near Marion, Ala. He has baptized one hundred persons. He is moderator of New Cahaba Association, and managing editor of the Baptist Leader. As a teacher he is admired by the pupils and respected by the faculty. He is a hard student and takes high rank as a preacher, and excels in persuasive oratory. He is original, broad minded and good natured, and is much respected among the brethren of the State.
Rev. T. W. Walker, Pastor Shiloh Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala. Moderator Mt. Pilgrim Association.
Mason, Dr. Ulysses Grant.—We feel justified in saying, that among the rising and foremost young men of Alabama is the one whose name heads this article. He is the youngest son of Mary and Isaac Mason; was born November 20, 1872, in Birmingham, Ala., which city is still his home.
Until the age of 16 his school advantages were limited to the rural districts, where educational facilities were few. But his desire to learn soon exhausted the shallow draughts of the primary school, and therefore he entered the State Normal School at Huntsville, Ala., now located at Normal, Ala., where he drank more freely from the deeper springs of science and art. Aside from his regular course, he pursued the carpenter’s trade, at which his success was soon apparent; for, two months after entering, he was advanced to the position of foreman over some of his older colleagues. He graduated from the above named school June 1, 1891. As a student and teacher the thought uppermost in his mind was that of serving his race by helping to lift it to a higher plane of intellectual culture, for he was not slow to see the moral and physical disadvantages under which it was laboring. To effect this result, he dedicated all his energies to the social and educational betterment of his race. After finishing the course at this school, he taught, as a stepping stone to further usefulness, having held with honor and respect the principalship of the Calera public school. He resigned this position, much to the regret of the school board and patrons, to enter the Meharry Medical College, Nashville. His success as a student of medicine surpassed even his previous career, causing the surprise and even the envy of many who claimed to have towered far above him in the literary world. He was appointed prescriptionist for the clinic, and assistant professor of clinical medicine in the absence of Prof. R. F. Boyd, B. S., M. D., D. D. S., in which capacity he proved very efficient. He refused the honor of valedictorian of his class, and was unanimously elected treasurer.