Arch Avary

• General Notes
  • The Ellaville Sun Friday, September 17, 1937 No. 12
    
    Dr. Arch Avary, Sr., surgeon general of the United Confederate Veterans and distinguished retired physician, father of Dr. Arch Avary, Jr., of Ellaville, was paid final tribute Monday at funeral services conducted from Peachtree Chapel in Atlanta.
    
    Dr. Avary, who was 90, died Sunday at the Soldier's Home in Atlanta where he had lived for the past three years to be with his comrades of the War Between the States.
    
    A widely known, physician, Dr. Avary retired from active practice 15 years ago. Following his graduation from Southern Medical College, now a part of Emory University, in 1880, he studied in Germany and Austria before establishing practice in Atlanta.
    
    He served two enlistments in the Confederate army.
    
    Dr. Avary was a member of a distinguished Columbia County family. His father Dr. James Corbin Avary served in the General Assembly.
    
    Bishop Warren A. Candler and Dr. Edwin G. Mackey, of the First Methodist church of Atlanta, officiated at the funeral. The Fulton County Medical Association, of which he was a life member, furnished an honorary escort.
    
    Eleven surviving Confederate veterans wore uniforms at the rites and the flag at the Veterans Home flew at half mast throughout the day.
    
    Besides an only son, Dr. Arch Avary, of Ellaville, he is survived by two brothers, Dr. James Corbin Avary and Robert Avary of Atlanta.
    
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    This is getting the old memory cells to working. So on another twist of family tales, has anyone else heard, or can add to, or correct my memory here, about my grandfather, Dr. Arch, having been
    offered a gift of initial stock in The Coca Cola Company by Asa Candler? My grandfather served as the Candler family's personal physician for many years and was a close family friend. I understand
    that he refused the offer because the formula at that time contained cocaine and because one of his brothers (maybe Thomas?) had a serious problem with drugs. I read that cocaine was withdrawn from
    the formula back in the 1920's when the Feds got into the drug regulation business.
    Coca Cola was originally formulated in 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton and originally was given to relieve headaches. I recall my grandmother Wilson mentioning taking Coca Cola for a headache (guess the tiny bit of cocaine then in it helped! ) ;-)
    
    Anyone else able to confirm any of this stock refusal story above - possibly from overhearing your elders' discussions? Anyone care to correct, add to, or "embellish" any of this info?
    
    While attending craft shows a number of years ago, I had a conversation with a fellow exhibitor (about my age _ I have forgotten his name) whose grandfather had a pharmacy up towards Marietta (?) back at the turn of the century. His grandfather was also offered initial stock by Asa Candler, but at the market price!!! His family was actually still in the pharmacy business at the time so it might
    be easy to confirm this info.
    
    Arch(er)III
    _______________________________________________________________________________Daddy used to tell a tale (supposedly true) that happened around the turn of the century at the "Avary Pharmacy" in Atlanta. It must have taken place after Emory had opened their Medical school
    in Atlanta.
    
    One day a large barrel or cask was mistakenly delivered to the Avary Pharmacy instead of Emory Pharmacy School. The proprietor asked Jim, the elderly black gentleman "porter" who worked at he
    pharmacy, to move it to the cellar. The assumption was that someone had sent a barrel of cider. A group of men who regularly hung out at the pharmacy gathered around. The bung was knocked out and a spigot was installed. When a glass was drawn off, it smelled to high heaven.
    
    Old Jim was then told to grab an ax and knock off the top of the barrel to find out why the cider had spoiled so badly. When the top was removed, a cadaver slowly rose from the barrel! Jim was up
    the cellar stairs and gone - never to work there again!
    
    It seems that the muscles of the carefully folded cadaver were under tension. So when the barrel top was removed, the cadaver rose to great old Jim.
    
    That is how I remember the tale. I don't know if my "facts" are correct, but it is a lot of fun.
    Steve

Details of Arch's family with Eugenia Dearing Fulton