Raleigh Illustrated
; page twenty-three
Francis A. Cox
In Raleigh one of the highly esteemed young¬
er members of I he legal profession is Francis
A. Cox, member of the law linn of Cox & Cox,
whose offices are in the Commercial National
Bank building. Mr. Cox was born in Raleigh
on August 21, ISS5. He was educated in the
FRANCIS A. COX
Horner School, University of North < arolina,
and University of Virginia Law School, lie
graduated from the University of North Caro¬
lina in 1905, and from Virginia in 1907. In
June, 1907, he was admitted to practice in
Virginia, and in August of the same year was
admitted to the bar of North Carolina. He
immediately entered into partnership with his
brother, Albert L. Cox, the firm becoming Cox
& Cox. Since opening their offices this firm
has become recognized as one composed of men
who arc well up in the requirements of their
profession, and they have established a most
satisfactory and steadily growing clientele.
Thomas H. Briggs & Sons
The handling of hardware, builders’ supplies,
tools, etc., is an important branch of mercan¬
tile enterprise which in Raleigh is ably looked
after by the firm of Thomas II. Briggs & Sons,
whose large store and wa rerooms are situated
at 220 Fayetteville street. This business is one
of the oldest in the city, having been established
in 1865 by Briggs & Dodd, tn 1872 the firm
became Thomas H. Briggs & Sons, and is now
controlled entirely by T. 11. and J. A. Briggs,
son- of the founder. The store is located in a
substantial four-story brick building, the
ground floor being used as salesroom while the
surplus stock is stored in the basement and
upstairs. The building is owned by the firm
and is completely equipped for the proper
handling of the immense business done through¬
out the entire State. The stock embraces shelf
and heavy hardware, builders’ and contractors'
tools and equipments, cutlery and general hard¬
ware, as well as a good line of paints and oils,
varnishes, etc. The members of this firm are
numbered amongst the most representative
husiness men of Raleigh. T. II. Briggs, Sr.,
was. before his death, prominent in public
afTairs, having been a member of the Board of
Aldermen and a director of the State I’eiii
tenfiary. J. A. Briggs was a director of the
State School for the Blind for eighteen year-,
was a member of Board of Aldermen, and is at
present a police commissioner, an office which
he has held for the past three years, T. II.
Briggs, .Jr., has served the city several years as
a member of the Graded School Board, and
has also been a member of the Board of Di¬
rectors of the Colored A. A M. School at Greens¬
boro. Both members of the firm are finan¬
cially interested in a number of local enter
prises and are lsdh directors in local banks.
Merchants National Bank
The latest addition to the financial institu¬
tions of Raleigh, and one which has made a
phenomenal record since its incorporation, is
the Merchants National Bank, whose head of¬
fices are situated in their handsome new office
building on Fayetteville street. This hank began
business on March 29, 1909, and at the close
of business March 29, 1910, just one year later,
showed total resources of $1,2 14. .452.58. de¬
posits amounting to $1,006,102.50, together
with surplus and profits for the year $1 1,190.08.
This tremendous showing for the first year's
business speaks volumes for the good manage¬
ment of the business and for the future success
of the bank. The Merchants National Bank
have one of t lie handsomest suites of banking
offices in the State. They are beautifully fin¬
ished with tile flooring, marble wainscoting, and
with every possible convenience for customers.
The offices are fitted with burglar and fire-proof
vaults and safes for the safeguarding of de¬
positors' money, and the business is conducted
along the broadest lines of liberality consist¬
ent with sound and safe banking principles.
The officers are: President,
К.
C. Duncan;
vice-president, Win. IT. Williamson, who i- also
president, and treasurer of the Pilot Cotton
Mills Company : second vice-president, \V. F.
Utley, of Apex. N. <'.: cashier, W. B. Drake,
dr., formerly of Wilmington; assistant cashier,
8. J. Hinsdale. These gentlemen lone, by their
careful attention to the business, made a most
enviable record for their first year of the hank’s
life, «nil have proven, beyond the shadow of a
doubt, that the Merchants will he one of the
leading financial institutions of North Caro¬
lina in the years to come.
David O. Sunderland, Inc.
One of the greatest of the natural resources
of North Carolina is her lumber, and Raleigh
is the natural center for firms dealing at
wholesale in this commodity. A prominent
firm in this line, and one that has splendid
connections both in the South and the North,
ia David 0. Sunderland, Incorporated. This
business was established three years ago by
Mr. Sunderland and, in April, 1910, incorpora¬
ted as David O. Sunderland, Incorporated, with
Mr. Sunderland as president and treasurer and
К.
L. Gulley as secretary. The company is
capitalized at $25, 000, and does business on
a very large scale, buying lumber all over the
South and shipping in carload lots to large
DAVID 0. SUNDERLAND
dealers and mills in the New Kngland States
and other sections of the North. The firm
occupies commodious offices in the
К
Iks build¬
ing on South Salisbury street. Mr. Sunder¬
land is a native of Washington, D. O., and
has been a resident of Raleigh for five years.
He is a civil engineer by profession, and came
to Raleigh to aceept the position of resident
engineer of the Raleigh and Pamlico Sound
Railroad, and was later appointed assistant
vice-president and purchasing agent of the
Construction Department of the Norfolk and
Southern Railroad. lie is well known through¬
out, the city and is a member of the Chamber of
Commerce, the Capital Club, and the Elks
Society. _
Home Life Insurance Co.
Norfleet .S’. Smith, General Agent.
The Home Life Insurance Company, whose
head offices arc in New York. have, since Sep¬
tember, 1909, Ix'en represented in this city by
North'd S. Smith, general agent for the State
of North Carolina. Being an insurance under¬
writer of experience and judgment, he lias been
able, since opening his agency, to make a siile
stantial showing in business written. lie em¬
ploys a staff of eighteen subagents, and their
success throughout the State is due to the fact
that the Home Life is conducted on honest
methods, with low expense rate and high divi¬
dends to policyholders. This is the company
which stood so w.-ll the examination into Now
York insurance companies in 1905, having been
proven to he an insurance company without
.scandal or questionable transactions, and with a
perfectly dean record. The annual statement
of the company, issued January 1. H*lo, shows
$92,532,583 insurance in force, payments to
policyholders during the year $2,284,245.61,
and a reserve fund, after making policy reserve,
reserve for dividends and all liabilities, of
$1,7117,327.11. This magnificent showing is due
to long years of steady upbuilding, and the
records of the company show that, since 1890,
policyholders have been paid $38.893.122.73.
Norfleet S. Smith, the company's general agent
for this State, is a native of North Carolina,
having been horn in Halifax Comity. His
offices are in HU and 105 Merchants National
Bank building, and are completely equipped
with all the necessary information and statis¬
tics for any one seeking knowledge on insur¬
ance matters.
