Obituaries (September 24)

Denis Thompson

Utica Saturday Globe, May 1904

 

 

 

Denis Thompson died at his home near Beaver Meadow [Chenango Co., NY], Wednesday of last week after a lingering illness from diabetes.  Mr. Thompson became well known throughout this section of the State through his service of six years as school commissioner in the first commissioner district of Chenango county, in which office he followed Leroy C. Hayes, and was succeeded eight years ago by E Emette Poole, the present commissioner.  For some time prior to his death Mr. Thompson was one of the local agents of the Prudential Life Insurance Company and made his residence in Norwich.  He is survived by one daughter, residing in Beaver Meadow, and a son, who lives in the west.

 

George Cannon

Chenango Telegraph, March 25, 1863

CANNON:  At his father's residence, in Bainbridge, March 7, 1863, Mr George Cannon, aged 23 years.  At the call of his country the deceased enlisted into Capt. D.D. Bullock's Co., 114th Regiment, N.Y.S.V.  He performed the duties of a soldier faithfully and well, until his Regiment reached Fortress Monroe, where he sickened and was sent to the Chesapeake General Hospital, where he was cared for until the last of January.  When by the effort of friends he was granted a furlough, and a physician sent down to see him, who succeeded in returning him to the home of his childhood.  Here the flickering lamp of life continued to burn for about five weeks, and was quenched by the cold finger of death to be lighted more gloriously in his dwelling place of life evermore.  George bore his sufferings, which seemed to be all that flesh is heir to, with a fortitude worthy of the martyr to the good cause, for which he laid down his life.  He murmured not, and was thankful beyond expression that he lived to reach home, where the kind care of those who loved him smoothed the rough road to the gate of death.  He won no honors upon the battle fields of his country, but in all the mortal strife he manifested the true spirit of Christian meekness and having illustrated in every particular that "Tis sweet, Oh, 'tis sweet, for our country to die."

William H. Cannon

September 21, 1913

William  H. Cannon of Binghamton [Broome Co., NY], well known in Bainbridge as a former resident and as agent for the Equitable Life Insurance Company, died in Binghamton Sunday at the age of 78 years.  Mr. Cannon left Bainbridge for Binghamton twenty-seven years ago.

James Graham Cannon

New York Times, July 6, 1916

James Graham Cannon, prominent as a banker here [NYC] for many years, and a director of the Fifth Avenue Bank, Bankers' Trust Company and a number of other leading corporations, died suddenly yesterday afternoon at his home in Golden's Bridge, N.Y., in his fifty-ninth year.  His career was most actively identified with the Fourth National bank, in which he began as a messenger, and of which he was elected President on Aug. 9, 1910.  Mr Cannon was born in Delhi, Delaware county, N.Y., and was a son of the late George B Cannon.  His early education was received in the schools of this city and he entered the employ of the Fourth National Bank in 1876.  Here his ability won him promotion, and he was soon elected Vice President, in which position he remained for twenty years, until elected President.  During this period he won his reputation as the leading authority of the country on clearing houses, his book, "Clearing Houses," being regarded as the standard textbook on the subject.  He was one of the organizers and President of the National Association of Credit Men, and it was he who first introduced the system of requiring merchants to supply statements of their condition when they desired to borrow.  This has come to be a universal custom among the banks of all the great cities.  Mr. Cannon practically reorganized the credit system of the whole United States, and was active in preventing many bank failures.  Mr. Cannon was a leader in the work of the New York Chamber of Commerce, and as Chairman of the Committee on Finance and currency presented several reports which attracted wide attention, and which aided in the better financial administration of the city.  Probably the most important movement Mr. Cannon planned was the use of the Clearing House Association of the country as a basis for the issue of an elastic currency, when required by the demands of trade.  He outlined his plans before a meeting of the Philadelphia Credit Men's Association, during April, 1913.  Before the Pujo Committee, in 1907, he advocated that clearing houses be incorporated, and he reiterated this belief before the credit men.  In regard to obtaining an elastic currency, he said: 

"My proposal before the Pujo Committee was to have the clearing houses located in the Sub-Treasury cities incorporated and prepared to do business with the United States Government; then to have a United States currency printed in large quantities and lodged under proper safeguards with each Sub-Treasury, and authorize the Treasure officials, upon prescribed application, to receive clearing house certificates from the associated banks in any of these cities, as collateral security for the issue of this currency to the extent of 50 per cent.  of the amount of such certificates deposited by the local association.  It is my judgment that this currency should also bear interest, so that the cost of carrying it would be sufficiently heavy to cause it to be retired just as soon as it was no longer required."

One of the country-wide movements in which Mr. Cannon was leader was the missionary movement for the uplift of the farmer, under the auspices of the Young Men's Christian Association.  Bishop Joseph L. Berry, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, announced the plans of the movement in August, 1910, and Mr. Cannon was one of the Committee of Ten named to manage the revival.  Previous to this, in 1910, Mr .Cannon started an evangelizing campaign in ninety of the large cities of this country, Canada and Mexico. The Young Men's Christian Association was the medium through which the movement went forward, and it is said that much good resulted from it.  In an interview, in which he was asked what were the serious faults of the age, he said: 

"First, I should say we are jeopardizing our home and family life.  The American home is the cradle and the center of all our personal and national virtues--unselfishness, loyalty, thrift, industry and good citizenship.  It appears to me that men are so strenuous nowadays that they are neglectful of their wives and children, and that women are so occupied with outside interests that they are failing in their duties.  When the American home loses its ancient dignity, security and sacredness, the country is doomed." 

Mr. Cannon taught the young men's Bible class of the old Madison Avenue Reformed Church for many years, and is said to have exerted an influence for good over many hundreds of the young men with whom he came in contact.  During the last few months of 1915 he became prominently identified with the movement for the beautifying of Westchester county.  The Westchester Chamber of commerce appointed a commission for this work, and he was one of the number, among whom were Frank A .Vanderlip, President of the National City Bank; E.M. Yerkes, of Yonkers, and Charles E. Tibbetts of White Plains.  In addition to his connection with the Fifth Avenue Bank and Banker's' Trust company, Mr. Cannon was interested in a number of other corporations.  He was a director in the Agricultural Credit Company, the Fidelity Trust company, the Metropolitan Trust company of New York, the Security Bank of New York, the Standard Milling Company, the Transatlantic Trust company of New York City, the united States Guarantee Company, and the United States Mortgage and Trust Company.  he was a trustee of the Associated Simmons Hardware company, the Franklin Savings Bank, and the United States Casualty Company.  Mr. Cannon was also Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, of the Board of Directors of the H.W. Johns-Manville Company, President of the Board of Trustees of the Hahnemann Hospital, a Trustee of New York University, Vice President and a Director of the Packard Commercial School, and Treasurer and a Director of Woodlawn Cemetery. He was a member of the Metropolitan Union league, Sleepy Hollow Country, and Republican Clubs.  Mr. Cannon is survived by his wife, who was Miss Charlotte B. Bradley; a son, James G. Cannon, Jr., and two daughters.

 

Death Notices

Bloomville, NY Mirror, 1859

Died on the 22d inst., in Delhi [Delaware Co., NY], at the residence of her son, George B. Cannon, Mrs. Persis, relict of the late Benjamin D. Cannon, formerly of Cannonsville [Delaware Co., NY], aged 81 years.

 

In Walton [Delaware Co., NY], on the 20th inst., Mr. James Wright, aged 55.

 

On the 22d inst., Mr. Benjamin White, formerly of New Road, aged 60.

 

In Tompkins [Delaware Co., NY], Aug. 12, Ruth Knapp, wife of Justus Knapp, aged 60 years.

 

In Hancock [Delaware Co., NY], on the 2d inst. at the residence of her son, Daniel Doyle, Mrs. Betsey Doyle, relict of the late Edward Doyle, of the same place, aged 82 years.

 

In Gaivs, Ill., Aug. 13 of congestion of the lungs, Samuel Pierce, late of Davenport, Delaware co., N.Y., aged 59 years 4 months.

 



Chenango Telegraph, March 25, 1863

JOHNSON:  In Greene [Chenango Co. NY], Mar. 13, 1863, Ann Eliza, eldest daughter of Mr. Henry Johnson, aged 9 years and 8 months.

 

OTIS:  In Smithville [Chenango Co., NY], Mar. 15, 1863, Mary, wife of Rev. Ashbel Otis, Pastor of the Congregational Church, aged 63 years.

 

PARTRIDGE:  In Smithville [Chenango Co., NY], Mar. 15, 1863, Mr. Avery B. Partridge, aged 47 years.

 

TURNER:  In Preston [Chenango Co., NY], Feb. 7, 1863, Mr. Ethan Turner, aged 81 years.