PROMINENT PERSONS
253
Kentucky, went to Mineral City, now Big
Stone Gap, and there they practiced suc-
cessfully until they dissolved partnership
in 1894. The following year Mr. Bullitt
formed a partnership with J. L. Kelly, hav-
ing offices at Big Stone Gap, and at Bristol,
Virginia. While their practice is a general
one, it is chiefly connected with corporation
v^ork, and the firm of Bullitt & Kelly is a
-well known one. In 1885 and 1886 he served
at a member of the Kentucky legislature,
and was a candidate for congress in Vir-
ginia in 1896, but withdrew because of his
dissatisfaction with the Chicago platform.
He was first lieutenant and then captain of
the Crescent Hill Guards (Cavalry), this
later becoming Company E, of the Louisville
Legion. He and his partner, Mr. Mc-
Dowell, organized the "Police Guard," of
Big Stone Gap, about forty of the best men
of the town joining this body. Mr. Bullitt
was elected captain, and Big Stone Gap be-
came a model town of the west. This body
IS still in existence, and is mentioned in the
dedication of "Blue-Grass and Rhododen-
dron," by John Fox, Jr. who says : "To
Joshua Bullitt, Henry Clay McDowell,
Horace Fox, the first three captains of the
Guard." One of the stories in this book,
"Civilizing the Cumberland." contains an
account of the "Police Guard" and its cap-
tain. Mr. Bullitt is the author of: "Panics
and their Causes," "New Woman," "Trusts
and Labor Unions," and "Objections to the
Torrens System." His address is Big Stone
Gap, Wise county, Virginia.
Mr. Bullitt married, in 1885. Mrs. Maggie Talbott Churchill, only daughter of Jere- miah J. Talbott, of Jeflferson county, Ken- tucky.
Mears, Otho Frederick, born near Keller.
-\ccomac county, \'irginia, June 4, 1862, son
of Benjamin W\ Mears and Emma S. Mapp,
his wife, is a descendant of a family, whose
ancestors settled on the Eastern Shore at
ail early date. He studied at Onancock
Academy, and at Randolph-Macon College,
where he pursued his studies for two years.
Upon his return to the Eastern Shore, he
taught school for five years. He next stud-
ied law under John B. Minor and James H.
Gilmore at the University of Virginia, from
which he was graduated June 30, 1886.
.After his admission to the bar, he located
for active practice in .Accomac, and shortly
afterward formed a business connection
with Thomas C. Walston, and then removed
to Eastville, where the partners conducted
a successful business until the death of Mr.
Walston, which occurred in December,
1SS7. since which time Mr. Mears has de-
\oted his entire time to his private practice,
to the duties pertaining to the office of com-
monwealth's attorney, to which he was
elected twice. Mr. Mears married, Novem-
ber 19, 1890, Florence R. Holland, daughter
of N. L. Holland. His address is Eastville,
Virginia.
Summers, Lewis Preston, was born four and a half miles west of Abingdon, Wash- ington county, Virginia, November 2, 1868, a son of John Calhoun Summers and Nannie Montgomery Preston, his wife, who was a daughter of John F. Preston, of Locust Glen, Washington county, \'irginia, and a sister of the later Dr. Robert J. Preston, superintendent of the \\'estern State Hos- pital for a number of years. The immigrant ancestor of Mr. Summers in the paternal line was George Summers, of Flemish
