For  several  months  he  and  his  family  occupied  a  tent. He  found


69:8  CYCLOPEDIA   OF  GEORGIA

employment  for  about  two  months  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  a
Philadelphia  concern  and  then  entered  the  establishment  of  Tally,
Brown  &  Co.,  of  Atlanta. When  M. C. &  J. F. Kiser  started  bus-
iness, in  1868,  Captain  Everett  entered  their  employ,  remaining
with  them  as  salesman  until  1872,  when  he  became  a  member  of
the  firm. He  remained  with  this  establishment  throughout  its
changes  until  its  final  dissolution,  in  1892,  when  the  limitations  ex-
pired and  the  Everett-Ridley-Ragan  Company  was  organized,  with
Captain  Everett  as  its  senior  partner. This  firm  built  up  a  very  large
and  prosperous  business  under  his  able  executive  management,
becoming  one  of  the  largest  wholesale  drygoods  and  notion  houses
in  Atlanta. He  continued  actively  identified  with  this  house  until
his  death  and  the  business  is  still  continued,  under  the  title  of
Everett,  Ridley  &  Co. Captain  Everett  was  always  a  quiet  and
busy  merchant,  though  not  so  selfishly  immured  in  his  own  enter-
prises as  not  to  be  deeply  interested  in  current  events  or  to  show
his  abiding  faith  in  the  growth  and  increasing  prosperity  of  At-
lanta. He  was  a  model  citizen ;  prosperity  and  health  were  meted
out  to  him  in  superb  measure;  and  his  life  was  one  of  inviolable
integrity  and  honor  in  all  its  relations. The  circumstances  attend-
ing his  death  were  sad  indeed. He  left  his  store  about  one  o'clock,
March  21,  1904,  for  dinner  with  his  son  Quincy. As  they  were
passing  up  Peachtree  street  the  spindle  of  the  front  axle  of  the
buggy  in  which  they  were  riding  broke. While  Captain  Everett
was  trying  to  keep  his  horse  under  control  both  he  and  his  son
were  precipitated  from  the  vehicle. Captain  Everett's  head  strik-
ing, on  the  stone  curbing. He  died  a  few  minutes  later,  without
having  spoken. He  was  one  of  the  noblest  of  men. In  the  busi-
ness, political  and  social  world  he  held  the  respect  and  confidence
of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. But  it  was  not  in  these  cir-
cles that  he  shone  to  the  best  advantage. His  home  life  was
beautiful  and  was  remarked  upon  by  all  who  had  observed  it. 