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Ernest was originally from Hazelhurst, MS. He was reared in his youth in the home of his grandfather Zacharias James Scott,
Sr. Early on he showed interest in medicine like his grandfather. His grandmother was anxious for him to become a doctor following
his grandfather in that same humanitarian profession. So much so did she not only encourage him but loaned him money to go
to Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville after he graduated from MS college in 1902. He guaranteed repayment to her for that
loan by the purchase of an insurance policy that was still in effect after all his debts were paid back.
It was while Ernest, a student at Vanderbilt Medical School, was visiting at home his first Christmas, that he had developed
the mumps. Not knowing this he had gone turkey hunting with his brothers. This caused the disease to accelerate and destroy
his hearing totally in his left ear. Without hearing in both ears, he was unable to use a stethoscope, which was the main
instrument in diagnosis in that day. Not being able to diagnose accurately, he knew he could not treat people accurately.
Facing the inevitable facts, even though disappointed, he dropped out of medical school and entered the pharmaceutical school
at Vanderbilt.
After graduating from Vanderbilt, Ernest was employed by a Dr. Dampeer who operated a drugstore in Crystal Springs, MS. Around
1912 he moved with his brother Homer to the new county seat, Tylertown, MS. It was here that Ernest and Homer joined in with
two business partners, Mr. J.C. Rimes, later mayor of Tylertown, and Dr. B. Lampton Crawford, a leading physician, to start
the Tylertown Drugstore on the main corner of the new county seat town. There Ernest served as the leading pharmacist of the
town for some sixty years.
It was during Ernest's first marriage that he bought a home on main street near the new post office until Velma the oldest
daughter, left for college. It was in this home that Ernest and his growing family lived until he decided to build a more
modern home on the same lot. As he approached retirement, he decided to sell this house for business purposes and move beyond
Magee's Creek to a new acreage he had purchased from a friend. There he lived until he reached into his upper 80's and needed
extra attention, as did his 2nd wife Bessie Belle. They then moved to a guest house built by their oldest daughter Velma and
her husband Jimmy Sullivan, on Old Hickory Lake in Nashville, TN.
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| Ernest's Drug Store is on the left hand corner. |
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