James Edgar Martin is a stock-dealer and merchant of Now Edinburg, Ark., and was born in Bradley County, Ark., on May 27, 1852, being a son of Dr. John W. and Mary E. (Franklin) Martin, who were born in Virginia and Arkansas, respectively. Both are residents of Warren, Bradley County, Ark., and Dr. Martin is now seventy-one years of age. When a young man, in 1845 he removed from Virginia to Arkansas, and has ever since been a resident of Bradley County. He studied medicine in Virginia, and on coming to Arkansas entered actively upon the practice of this profession, but of late years his practice has been confined to a few of his oldest and most intimate friends. After the close of the Rebellion he opened a general mercantile establishment at Warren, and has become well and favorably known to many, not only professionally and socially, but as a man of business also. He has since the late war between the States been a Democrat is politics and although often solicited by his numerous friends to run for official position, he has at all times refused. His wife was born in Bradley County in 1830, and has lived here all her life. Both are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is a deacon, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity. A family . of twelve children was born to himself and wife, eight of whom are now living, James Edgar being the second child. In his youth he attended the Warren High School, and is 1873 left his home to embark in the mercantile business, first as salesman at Collins Station, in his uncle's employ, then for the firm of Martin & Goodwin, of Warren. In 1816 he came to New Edinburg, and became an associate of Martin & Goodwin in the firm of T. M. Goodwin & Co., but in 1883 he became sole proprietor and has since been successfully engaged in business alone. In connection ,with managing his store he also deals extensively in stock, and is the owner of some very fine registered Holstein and Jersey cattle. He has been grading his stock for four years past, and now has one of the finest herds in the county. He is also the owner of 1,500 acres of land in Bradley and Cleveland Counties, a goodly portion of which is under cultivation, and is accounted not only a successful merchant, but an exceptionally successful farmer and stockman also. Like his father, he is a Mason and a Democrat, and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Word, and whom he married on March 5, 1884, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a daughter of James Word of New Edinburg. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have two children, Anna May and John Ernest.