Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/204

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\'1RGIXIA BIOGRAPHY

(jualities of simple, sincere and reverent conduct have endeared him to the public generally, while with the individual he is the embodiment of the Christly doctrine, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." His personal charm is extraordinary and inde- finable, but he holds his people to him, and in the rural districts where contact is closer than in the cities, this personal charm is doubly apparent. Yet in Richmond, no large entertainment is completely successful Avithout him, and in social circles he is very popular. Could one sum up Bishop Gib- son's attractive personality in one word, it would ])e best expressed in the word simplic- ity, in the sense that he makes it his greatest topic : The simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. This thought he lives out daily with men, women and children, and it is not more his great learning, his priestly of^ce, his eloquent sermons and impressive readings, that influence men and women for good than his living out in his own life the simple and beautiful truth of the Gospel. Although his theology is sound, his creed orthodox, his sermons eloquent, persuasive and logi- cal, these are not the forces that draw the hearts of his people to him. but the confi- dence and love he inspires by his own liv- ing of the simple (lospel truths is the mag- net that draws and holds his people.

Bishop Gibson married, November 12. 1872, Susan Baldwin Stuart, daughter of Hon. A. H. H. and Frances Cornelia (Bald- win) Stuart, of Staunton. Virginia. Chil- dren: Re\'. .Mex Stuart Gibson, married Esther H. Hall, of Arlington. Virginia; Lucy Fitzhugh, at home; Frances Peyton, born in Richmond. Virginia, married Ed- mund Lee Woodward, and resides in China; Mary, at home; Rev. Churchill J. Gibson, of Luray. Virginia, married Gay IJoyd.

George Cameron, one of the most promi- nent tol)acc manufacturers of Virginia, is of Scotch extraction, as his name indicates. His grandfather, Alexander Cameron, was a sheep frirnier at Grantown, Morryshire. Scotland. His wife's maiden name was Grant. Their son, Alexander Cameron, was born at Grantown, where he lived as a farmer and leather merchant, and died in 1839. His wife. Elizabeth (Grant) Camer- on, native of the same section, died in Pet- ersburg. \^irginia. Of their six children. three are now living, namelv : .Alexander.

of Richmond. Virginia; Elizabeth, unmar- ried ; George. The deceased were : William ; Sarah, wife of Robert Dunlop. of Peters- l)urg ; Jane, wife of George Cameron. The last named died in 1872, and his wife fifteen years later.

George Cameron, son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Grant) Cameron, was born April 2.3, 1839- ^n Dreggie. near Grantown. and came to \'irginia with his mother at the age of only two years. \Vhen he was ten years old he returned to Scotland, for his educa- tion. In Petersburg, his elder brothers were engaged in the manufacture of tobacco with the late David Dunlop, and in this way he became interested in that business at the age of fifteen years. Since the early age above mentioned, Mr. Cameron has been most actively identified with the tobacco business, and has come into control of many widely separated depots for handling this product. With great natural ability, and possessed of the traits peculiar to his people, he made rapid progress in business while yet a boy, and in 1862. at the age of twenty-tnree years, he became a partner in the firm of Cameron & Crawford, and later in the firm of William Cameron & Brother, at Peters- burg. Virginia, and the firm of Alexander Cameron Sz Company, at Richmond. In the pursuit of this industry, business houses were established in Australia, and in 1865 his elder brother. William Cameron, now deceased, visited Australia in order to re- adjust business arrangements in that far continent, which had been severely inter- mitted by the war. Australia and India were among the largest consumers of the tobacco manufactured by the Cameron con- cern. L^pon the return of William Camer- on, in 1866, other branches were established, namely: William Cameron t1 IVother. at Petersburg. Virginia ; Alexander Cameron & Company. Richmond. Virginia; Robert Dunlop & Company, at Louisville and Hen- derson. Kentucky ; and George Campbell & Company. Liverpool and London. The owners in these concerns were William Cameron. Alexander Cameron, George Cameron, Robert Dunlo]i. and George Campbell, the last two being husbands of the sisters of Mr. George Cameron. A very extensive business was transacted in the trade of leaf and manufactured tobacco, in Kentucky and Y^irginia. for export. About 1870. at the solicitation of the governor of