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Men  of  Mark  in  Virginia 


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Ideals  of  American  Life 


A  Collection  of  Biographies  of  the 
Leading  Men  in  the  State 


LYON   G.  TYLER,  LL.D. 

President  William  and  Mary  College 
Editor-in-Chief 


VOLUME  H. 


Illustrated  with  many  Full  Page  Photo-Steel  Engravings 


MEN  OF  MARK  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
Washington,  D.  C. 
1907 


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THE  NEW  TOM 

PUBLIC  LIDEiEi^ 

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Copyright,  igo? 
by 
Men  of  Mark  Publishing  Company 


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JOHN   HENRY  ALEXANDER 

ALEXANDER,  JOHN  HENRY,  lawyer,  was  born  in 
Clarke  county,  Virginia,  September  23,  1846.  His 
father,  William  C,  was  a  farmer  of  Clarke  county,  a 
man  of  integrity,  decision  of  character,  business  ability,  and 
marked  literary  proclivities.  He  neither  held  nor  desired  public 
office,  but  followed  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  as  an  unobtrusive 
farmer  and  private  citizen.  John  H.'s  mother  was  Susan  C. 
Alexander,  a  woman  of  great  force  of  character  and  of  intellec- 
tual tastes :  to  her,  by  her  husband's  early  death,  fell  the  training 
of  her  son;  and  all  that  he  is,  he  owes  to  the  influence  of  his 
mother.  After  giving  him  such  home  training  as  was  proper 
to  set  him  on  the  wsly  of  righteousness,  she  sent  him  to  a  prepara- 
tory school  of  which  the  late  Virginius  Dabney  was  principal; 
here  he  received  a  great  stimulus  toward  intellectual  pursuits, 
under  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  post-bellum  teachers  of 
Virginia.  From  this  school  he  proceeded  to  the  University  of 
Virginia,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1870  with  the  degree 
of  B.  L.  At  the  university  young  Alexander  came  under  the 
influence  of  Dr.  W.  H.  McGuffey,  and  of  John  B.  Minor,  the 
famous  law  professor,  whose  name  has  long  been  a  household 
word  among  the  lawyers  of  Virginia. 

With  such  teachers  and  such  home  training,  Mr.  Alexander 
had  moral  and  mental  capital  to  take  him  through  life.  In 
addition  to  this,  however,  he  had  family  traditions  to  inspire 
him  to  do  something.  His  father's  father,  John  Alexander,  was 
a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812.  John's  father,  William,  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution. 

The  earliest  American  ancestor  of  the  Alexanders  was  John 
Richard  (Alexander),  who  came  from  Scotland,  and  settled  in 
Dumfries,  Prince  William  county,  Virginia,  about  1750. 

With  such  vigorous  Scotch  blood  coursing  through  his  veins, 
with  such  training  as  he  received  from  his  mother,  and  with  such 
teachers  as  the  fates  provided  him,  we  can  see  that  the  career  of 

Vol.  2— Va.— 1 


4  JOHN    HENEY   ALEXANDER 

John  H.  Alexander  is  but  a  logical  evolution.  He  might  have 
been  a  failure.  He  might  have  thrown  himself  in  the  face  of  the 
forces  that  were  working  to  make  him  a  man ;  but,  with  natural 
ability  and  such  environments,  without  any  interference  on  his 
part,  he  is  what  he  is. 

In  boyhood,  John  Alexander  read  books  of  adventure,  such 
as  Scott's  novels,  etc.  In  later  life,  he  fed  his  mind  upon 
metaphysical  works  and  standard  poetry,  the  one  class  training 
his  logical  powers;  the  other,  his  imagination  and  his  taste. 
Take  a  young  man  so  trained,  with  teachers  already  named,  put 
him  in  close  touch  with  such  older  men  as  Dr.  William  H. 
McGuffey,  Major  Burr  P.  Noland,  General  William  H.  Payne, 
and  we  see  a  product  of  a  high  order. 

In  spite  of  his  youth,  Mr.  Alexander  served  one  year  in  the 
Confederate  army,  with  Mosby's  Rangers ;  and  his  experience  has 
taken  shape  in  a  lecture  on  Mosbj^'s  men,  which  he  has  frequently 
delivered.     He  occasionally  writes  for  the  press  on  similar  topics. 

Mr.  Alexander  began  life  in  1871  as  a  lawyer  in  Middleburg, 
Virginia.  As  a  boy,  he  longed  to  be  a  lawyer;  hung  around  the 
courthouse  while  important  cases  were  being  argued.  All  the 
influences  around  his  youth  at  Warrenton,  Virginia,  were  such 
as  to  create  within  him  a  thirst  for  honorable  distinction  in  law. 
This  thirst  was  no  wise  abated  while  he  sat  at  the  feet  of  John 
B.  Minor,  the  greatest  law  teacher  ever  known  to  living  genera- 
tions of  Virginians.  An  honorable  ambition  has  guided  Mr. 
Alexander  from  youth  to  ripe  maturity.  It  stimulated  and 
inspired  him  when  General  William  H.  Payne,  the  knightly 
paladin  of  Warrenton,  asked  him  to  become  his  partner;  and 
the  intimacy  between  these  two  spirits  was  a  joy  to  both. 

Mr.  Alexander  has  rendered  valuable  service  to  his  people  as 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  committee  of  Loudoun  county.  He 
belongs  to  several  social  and  beneficiary  orders,  such  as  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Masonic  order. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  supreme  tribunal  of  the  first  named,  and 
has  been  its  chief  tribune  since  1898. 

What  is  the  philosophy  of  this  successful  life?  What  is 
the  basic  principle  upon  which  John  H.  Alexander  has  built  his 
vigorous  manhood  ?     Let  us  hear  his  advice  to  young  Americans : 


1 1 1 

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JOHN    HENRY   ALEXANDER  O 

"  Be  uncompromisingh^  loyal  to  the  Truth."  There  we  have  it. 
The  poet  said,  "  He  is  a  freeman  whom  the  truth  makes  free." 
A  greater  yet  put  it  in  terms  of  eternal  life. 

October  1,  1874,  Mr.  Alexander  married  Emma  H.  Hughes, 
of  Loudoun  county,  Virginia.  They  have  had  six  children ;  five 
survive. 

His  address  is  Leesburg,  Virginia. 


WILLIAM  EDV/IN  ALLEN 

ALLEiS^,  WILLIAM  EDWIN,  lawyer,  was  born  in 
Augusta  county,  Virginia,  June  21,  1861.  His  parents 
were  Alfonzo  Samuel  and  Frances  E.  Allen.  His 
father  served  in  the  Confederate  States  army  throughout  the 
war  and  at  its  close  returned  to  his  home  without  a  dollar  and 
thoroughly  disheartened. 

The  boyhood  of  William  Allen  was  passed  on  a  farm  of 
which  his  father  was  tenant.  The  environment  was  unfavorable 
and  hardships  were  many  and  severe.  There  was  no  public 
school  near  his  home,  and  even  if  there  had  been,  the  poverty  of 
his  parents  would  have  prevented  his  attendance.  He  was 
poorly  clad  and  until  he  was  past  ten  years  of  age  he  never 
had  a  pair  of  shoes.  From  earl}^  childhood  he  was  a  worker, 
so  early,  in  fact,  that  he  says  he  cannot  remember  the 
time  when  he  did  not  work.  Fortunately  he  was  large  and 
strong,  and  the  ambition  to  excel,  which  he  inherited  from  his 
mother  and  which  has  distinguished  him  in  later  life,  made  him 
earnest  and  persistent  in  his  effort  to  "  do  more  work  than  the 
other  fellow." 

In  his  eleventh  year  he  left  home  and  returned  only  for 
occasional  visits.  He  found  work  in  a  large  saw  mill  near  the 
Natural  Bridge.  Here  he  remained  for  two  jqrys  and  for  more 
than  half  of  this  period  he  drove  a  team  of  six  steers  hauling 
lumber  to  a  point  on  the  James  river.  For  several  years  after 
leaving  the  mill  he  was  employed  on  a  farm  and  on  various  public 
works.  When  he  was  seventeen  he  went  to  Earlysville,  a  village 
in  the  northern  part  of  Albemarle  county,  to  work  for  his  brother- 
in-law  in  a  country  store.  Up  to  this  time  he  Imew  nothing  of 
books  but,  from  some  cause  that  he  never  was  able  to  explain,  his 
ambition  to  become  educated  was  aroused,  and  after  the  work  of 
the  day  was  done  he  sat  up  late  in  order  to  learn  to  read  and 
write.  For  his  work  at  this  place  he  received  only  his  "  victuals 
and  clothes;"  but,  after  serving  his  apprenticeship,  he  became 


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WILLIAM   EDWIN    ALLEN  9 

clerk  in  a  country  store  nine  miles  south  of  Charlottesville,  where 
he  remained  two  years.  He  then  obtained  a  position  in  a  store  at 
Charlottesville  and  as  part  payment  for  his  work  he  was,  for 
four  months,  allowed  to  attend  a  public  school  from  ten  o'clock 
in  the  forenoon  until  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  This  was 
his  entire  schooling  until  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia; 
where  he  attended  law  lectures  during  the  sessions  of  1887-88 
and  1889-90.  At  the  university,  he  was  heavily  handicapped  by 
the  necessity  of  working  in  order  to  obtain  money  with  which  to 
pay  his  expenses.  In  1890  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  at 
once  commenced  practice  at  Charlottesville.  In  a  short  time  he 
removed  to  Clifton  Forge.  Later  he  settled  in  Covington,  where 
he  has  continued  to  reside. 

Mr.  Allen  has  been  successful  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. From  1891  to  1895  he  was  the  state's  attorney  for 
Alleghany  county  and  in  the  autumn  of  1903  he  was  again  elected 
to  the  same  office  for  a  term  of  four  years.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat.  He  has  been  chairman  of  the  county  committee; 
member  of  the  State  executive  committee,  and  a  delegate  from 
the  tenth  district  of  Virginia  to  the  Democratic  national  conven- 
tion at  St.  Louis  in  1904,  at  which  Hon.  Alton  B.  Parker  was 
nominated  for  the  presidency. 

Regarding  the  various  influences  which  have  aided  him  in 
his  efforts  to  succeed,  Mr.  Allen  states  that  he  left  home  too  early 
in  life  to  obtain  from  it  the  help  which  many  men  have  received, 
though  he  gained  useful  lessons  from  the  precepts  and  example 
of  his  mother.  School  could  do  but  little  for  him  on  account  of 
the  limited  time  which  he  was  able  to  attend.  Private  study 
gave  him  what  mental  discipline  he  has  had.  Contact  with  men 
in  active  life,  combined  with  a  resolute  purpose  to  make  his  way 
in  the  world,  has  done  more  for  him  than  anything  else.  He  has 
never  sought  to  "  shine  "  but  has  earnestly  tried  to  become  a  use- 
ful man.  His  most  helpful  reading  in  his  earlier  years  was 
"  Self -Help,"  by  Samuel  Smiles,  and  various  works  on  history. 
Almost  at  the  beginning  of  his  study  he  determined  to  become 
a  lawyer  and,  through  many  hardships  and  almost  insuperable 
difficulties,  he  kept  constantly  to  this  purpose.  After  working 
all  day  he  frequently  studied  until  two  o'clock  the  next  morning. 


10  WILLIAM   EDWIN    ALLEN 

The  success  that  he  has  won  shows  what  can  be  done,  even  under 
the  most  unpromising  conditions,  by  well-directed  effort  and  an 
intelligent  and  unswerving  purpose. 

Mr.  Allen  was  married  November  18,  1891,  to  Lucia  G.  Ster- 
ling. They  have  had  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  living 
in  1906.  Their  home  is  at  Covington,  Alleghany  County,  Vir- 
ginia. 


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CHARLES  JEFFERIES  ANDERSON 

ANDERSON,  CHARLES  JEFFERIES,  was  bom  in 
Richmond,  Virginia,  August  12, 1848,  and  is  a  son  of  the 
late  George  W.  Anderson,  of  Richmond  and  Margaret  L. 
Anderson,  his  wife.  The  father  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
leading  merchants  of  Richmond,  and  was  possessed  of  virtues  of 
mind  and  character  that  won  for  him  the  highest  esteem.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch,  is  of  English  descent,  being  a  great- 
grandson  of  Colonel  Joseph  Jefferies,  of  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania, 
of  the  Revolutionary  army.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent 
mostly  in  the  city  of  Richmond.  His  first  military  training  was 
received  at  the  Virginia  Military  institute,  at  Lexington,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1869.  In  1864-65  he  was 
a  cadet  in  the  Virginia  Military  institute  corps  of  cadets  in  the 
Confederate  States  army. 

In  1870  he  began  an  active  commercial  career  in  Richmond, 
being  a  member  of  the  firm  of  George  W.  Anderson  and  Sons. 
His  people  have  from  time  to  time  claimed  both  his  civic  and 
military  services  and  in  every  emergency  General  Anderson  has 
measured  up  to  the  standard  of  the  "  man  four  square."  From 
1871  to  1893  he  was  actively  allied  with  the  Virginia  volunteers, 
rising  by  steady  steps  from  captain  in  1871  to  major,  lieutenant- 
colonel,  colonel  1st  Virginia  regiment,  brigadier-general  1st 
brigade  in  which  latter  capacity  he  succeeded  General  Fitzhugh 
Lee  in  1885,  serving  as  such  until  1893,  when  he  was  appointed 
adjutant-general  of  Virginia,  and  so  continued  until  1898. 

In  1873  he  wa.s  commissioner  from  the  state  of  Vir- 
ginia to  the  Vienna  exposition.  In  February,  1906,  he  was 
again  appointed  adjutant-general  of  the  state  by  Governor 
Swanson,  an  appointment  which  is  thoroughly  approved  by  the 
people  at  large  and  especially  by  men  in  military  circles. 
General  Anderson  has  from  time  to  time,  served  his  city  and 
state  in  political  offices.  In  1902  he  was  a  member  of  the  city 
council  of  Richmond.     In  1903-04  he  represented  Richmond  in 


M  CHARLES    JEFFERIES   ANDERSON 

the  house  of  delegates  of  Virginia.  In  1906  he  was  sent  to  the 
state  senate  as  a  senator  from  Richmond  city. 

He  is  connected  in  an  official  capacity  with  the  R.  E.  Lee 
camp  Soldiers'  Home,  the  Richmond  Male  Orphan  society,  the 
Virginia  Military  institute  board,  and  with  various  other  well- 
known  organizations. 

General  Anderson  is  endowed  with  traits  of  heart  and 
manner  that  make  him  not  only  a  good  soldier  at  all  times,  but 
a  worthy  citizen  in  every  sense.  Intelligent,  modest,  dignified, 
courteous,  he  well  embodies  the  virtues  of  a  true  Virginian. 

General  Anderson  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Army  and  Navy  club,  of  New  York  city,  of  the 
Commonwealth  and  Westmoreland  clubs,  at  Richmond,  and  is  at 
present  (1906)  a  member  of  the  board  of  governors  of  the  last 
named  club.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 
In  political  affiliation  he  is,  and  always  has  been,  a  Thomas 
Jefferson  Democrat. 

His  postoffice  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


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WILLIAM  EDWARD  ANDERSON 

ANDERSON,  WILLIAM  EDWARD,  M.  D.,  is  the  son  of 
William  Watkins  Anderson  and  Laura  Marks  Anderson, 
and  was  born  in  Prince  George  county,  Virginia,  Sep- 
tember 10,  1866.     Like  many  other  Virginians,  he  is  of  Scotch 
descent,  his  earliest  ancestors  having   come  from   Scotland  to 
Virginia  in  colonial  days  and  settled  on  York  river. 

Dr.  Anderson's  boyhood  was  spent  in  the  country,  where  he 
worked  on  the  farm,  and  gained  a  practical  knowledge  of  farm- 
ing operations.  His  education  was  commenced  under  a  private 
instructor  and  was  continued  in  the  public  schools  of  his  county, 
but  for  some  years  prior  to  his  entrance  to  college  he  again  had  a 
private  teacher.  After  passing  a  year  at  Randolph-Macon 
college  he  entered  the  Medical  college  of  Virginia,  at  Richmond, 
in  1886,  and  remained  there  during  the  sessions  of  1886-1887  and 
1887-1888,  diligently  seeking  to  equip  himself  for  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession.  He  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine  in  1888.  and  since  that  time  has  been  activelv 
engaged  in  practice,  in  which  he  has  achieved  success  and 
prominence. 

Dr.  Anderson  is  one  of  the  surgeons  of  the  Norfolk  and 
Western  railroad,  and  is  a  director  in  a  number  of  private 
corporations  and  institutions,  to  the  conduct  of  which  his  business 
acumen  and  sound  judgment  have  materially  contributed. 
Among  other  business  positions  which  he  occupies  is  that  of 
president  of  the  Farmville  telephone  company. 

Like  many  physicians  w^ho  are  influential  in  their  several 
communities.  Dr.  Anderson  is  imbued  with  the  civic  spirit,  and 
is  much  interested  in  politics.  He  is  the  chairman  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  of  his  county;  and  is  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  State  Female  Normal  school,  at  Farmville.  His 
interest  in  practical  social  science  has  led  him  in  the  direction  of 
valuable  public  service  in  connection  with  works  of  charity  and 
the  public  prisons ;  and  he  is  actively  identified  with  the  organi- 


18  WILLIAM   EDWARD   ANDERSON 

zation  and  conduct  of  several  associations  which  are  engaged  in 
or  related  to  these  subjects. 

From  1892  to  1896,  Dr.  Anderson  was  a  member  of  the 
Farmville  guards,  a  military  company  of  his  town.  From  1896 
to  1898,  he  was  first  assistant  surgeon  of  the  3rd  Virginia 
regiment  of  infantry  volunteers;  and  he  served  as  captain  and 
assistant  surgeon  in  the  Spanish-American  war.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Medical  association;  a  member  of  the 
Medical  society  of  Virginia,  in  which  he  held  the  office  of  its 
first  vice-president  in  1903-1904,  and  was,  at  its  last  meeting, 
elected  a  delegate,  for  the  next  two  years,  to  the  American 
Medical  association — one  of  the  highest  honors  the  society  can 
bestow.  He  is  also  a  member,  and  one  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee, of  the  Tri-State  Medical  association  of  Virginia  and  the 
Carolinas.  He  is  president  of  the  Orange-Keysville  Railway 
company,  and  for  six  j^ears  he  has  been  president  of  the  town 
council  of  Farmville.  He  is  fond  of  all  outdoor  sports,  but 
especially  of  fox  and  bird  hunting,  and  fishing.  His  horses  and 
dogs  are  some  of  the  finest  in  Southside  Virginia.  His  religious 
affiliation  is  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he 
is  a  prominent  member. 

On  April  30,  1901,  Dr.  Anderson  married  Pearl  Horton 
Venable;  they  have  had  three  children.  Their  home  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  their  section  of  the  state. 

Dr.  Anderson  and  his  family  reside  in  Farmville,  Prince 
Edward  County,  Virginia. 


I 


DECATUR  AXTELL 

AXTELL,  DECATUR,  vice-president  of  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Railroad  company,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Elyria,  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  February  8,  1848,  and  on 
both  sides  of  his  family  is  descended  from  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Massachusetts  colony; — through  his  father  from  Daniel  Axtell 
of  Berkhampstead,  England,  who  settled  in  Massachusetts  in 
1641,  and  by  his  mother  from  John  Alden  and  Priscilla,  his  wife, 
who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower  and  settled  at  Plymouth  in  1621. 
His  ancestors  were  people  of  high  character,  great  intelligence, 
and  excellent  social  standing.  In  his  parentage,  also,  he  was 
much  blessed;  for  his  father  and  mother,  Almon  and  Sophronia 
Boynton  Axtell,  were  physicially,  intellectually  and  morally  far 
above  the  ordinarj^  From  them  he,  doubtless,  inherited  those 
sturdy  virtues,  the  cultivation  of  which  made  him  what  he  after- 
wards became.  Almon  Axtell's  chief  occupation  was  farming; 
and,  while  the  son  was  reared  in  a  town,  he  was  familiar  in  child- 
hood and  youth  with  country  life  and  with  all  that  is  implied  in 
such  knowledge.  The  influence  of  a  loving  and  gracious  mother 
was  especially  strong  in  arousing  his  ambition,  and  he  early 
became  fond  of  books,  especially  history,  which  he  read  with 
avidity.  Decatur  Axtell's  primary  and  secondary  education  was 
obtained  in  private  and  public  schools  and  under  tutors;  in  later 
years,  he  attended  Illinois  college,  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  having 
first  gained  some  experience  of  practical  life  before  entering 
college.  He  found  mathematical  works,  psychological  and 
philosophical  treatises,  biography  and  history,  with  a  sprinkling 
of  the  best  standard  fiction,  most  congenial  to  his  tastes  and  most 
helpful  in  fitting  him  for  his  future  career. 

In  the  year  1864,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  left  home,  to  enter 
on  his  life's  work,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  his  father,  became 
attached,  as  rodman,  to  a  corps  of  civil  engineers  engaged  in  the 
construction  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad.  T^Hiile  not  ambi- 
tious in  the  ordinary  sense  of  that  word,  he  started  out  with  the 
firm  resolve  to  stand  in  the  front  rank  of  his  profession,  so  far  as 


20  DECATUR   AXTELL 

honorable  and  intelligent  effort  would  enable  him  to  do  so. 
Inspired  by  home  influences  and  by  the  congenial  and  helpful 
companions  of  maturer  years,  the  young  man  forged  ahead 
rapidly,  to  high  and  honorable  success.  Ere  long  we  find  him 
assistant  engineer  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad,  then  assistant 
engineer  and  division  superintendent  of  the  St.  Louis,  Iron 
Mountain  and  Southern  Railroad.  He  afterwards  became  chief 
engineer  of  the  Cairo,  Arkansas  and  Texas,  consolidated  at  a  later 
date  with  the  Iron  Mountain. 

In  the  year  1880,  Mr.  Axtell  was  called  to  be  general  manager 
of  the  Richmond  and  Allegheny  Railroad,  and  supervised  the 
construction  and  operation  of  that  important  enterprise  as  general 
manager,  vice-president  and  director  until  it  was  consolidated  in 
1890  with  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio,  with  which  company  he  has 
since  continued  as  vice-president.  He  is  also  president  of  the 
Toledo  and  Ohio  Central,  and  vice-president  of  the  Kanawha  and 
Michi2:an  Railwav. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  much  the  larger  part  of  Mr.  Axtell's 
life  has  been  given  to  efficient  and  productive  service  in  the 
Southern  and  Southwestern  states,  and  that  about  two-thirds  of 
his  adult  years  have  been  spent  in  building  up  the  interests  and 
advancing  the  prosperity  of  the  state  and  city  of  his  adoption. 
It  is  pleasant  to  say  that  his  fellow  citizens  of  the  Old  Dominion 
recognize  his  work  with  grateful  appreciation,  and  regard  him 
not  only  as  a  most  valuable  agent  in  the  material  development  of 
this  section  of  the  country,  but  also  as  a  gentleman  of  worth  and 
culture  whom  it  is  a  privilege  to  know. 

Mr.  Axtell  is  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers;  the  Virginia  Historical  society;  the  Mayflower 
society;  the  Sons  of  Colonial  Wars;  and  of  the  Westmoreland 
and  Commonwealth  clubs,  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  his  only  departure  from  the  support  of 
his  party  being  in  a  vote  for  William  McKinley  against  W.  J. 
Bryan. 

Mr.  Axtell  married  Mav  Cantrell,  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas. 
Their  home  is  at  926  West  Franklin  Street,  Richmond,  Virginia. 


RUFUS  ADOLPHUS  AYERS 

AYEES,  PvUFUS  ADOLPHUS,  lawyer,  ex-attorney- 
general  of  Virginia,  was  born  May  20,  1849,  and  his 
parents  were  M.  J.  Ayers  and  Susan  Lewis  Yv^ingfield. 
Upon  his  father's  side  he  is  descended  from  John  Ayers,  who 
came  from  England  in  early  youth,  resided  in  North  Carolina 
until  manhood,  married  and  removed  to  Bedford  county,  Vir- 
ginia,  where  he  became  a  distinguished  minister  of  the  Methodist 
church.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  teacher,  of  unbending 
will,  sterling  integrity,  and  of  excellent  reputation  for  truth  and 
morality.  On  his  mother's  side  he  is  descended  from  John 
Lewis,  the  first  settler  of  Augusta  county,  Virginia,  who  was 
born  in  Donegal,  Ireland,  and  settled  on  Lewis'  creek  in  Augusta 
county,  in  1732.  He  and  all  his  sons  were  distinguished  in  the 
Indian  wars  of  the  Border.  (For  a  more  particular  account  of 
the  Lewis  family,  see  the  biography  of  Lunsford  L.  Lewis). 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  robust  and  active  boy,  vsdio 
was  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  all  athletic  sports.  His 
father  died  when  he  was  eight  years  old,  leaving  Mrs.  Ayers  in 
straitened  circumstances;  and  young  Ayers  was  at  work  all  the 
time  he  was  not  in  school.  He  cut  and  hauled  wood,  cultivated 
the  garden,  and  to  help  his  mother  did  many  odd  jobs  for  the 
neighbors,  who  paid  him  liberally.  He  loved  to  work,  was  full 
of  energy,  and  did  whatever  came  to  hand.  During  this  critical 
period  of  General  Aj^ers'  life,  the  influence  of  his  mother  w\as 
very  great.  YHien  his  father  died,  leaving  six  orphan  children, 
her  courage  never  failed,  but  she  met  all  the  trials  of  her  position 
bravely  and  cheerfully.  Though  not  highly  educated,  her  mind 
was  well  trained,  and  her  superior  mental  endowments  were 
apparent  to  all  who  knew  her.  She  taught  her  children  never  to 
shrink  from  any  difficulties  that  lay  in  their  path  but  to  meet 
them  bravely,  and  that  honor  and  integrity  far  outweighed  every 
other  consideration  in  life.  General  Ayers,  with  loyal  devotion, 
declares  that  he  owes  all  he  is  and  all  he  expects  to  be  to  his 
mother.     He   attended   the   Goodson   academy   at   Bristol,   Vir- 


24:  RUFUS   ADOLPIIUS   AYERS 

ginia  until  1861,  when  the  war  closed  the  school.  He  was  then 
twelve  years  old  and  never  went  to  school  any  more.  Very 
fortunately  he  had  made  excellent  use  of  his  time  from  eight  to 
twelve  years ;  and,  although  deprived  of  all  scholastic  advantages 
after  twelve,  he  read  and  studied  everything  he  could  lay  his 
hands  on.  Histories  and  biographies  were  his  favorite  books, 
but  he  liked  novels  also,  and  he  read  a  host  of  them,  good,  bad 
and  indifferent. 

After  leaving  school  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  retail  store,  and 
remained  in  that  business  until  April,  1864,  when  he  went  into 
the  Confederate  army  to  defend  the  state  of  his  nativity  to  which 
he  was  to  be  of  such  service  m  after  years.  For  the  first  six 
months  he  served  on  an  independent  detached  command  and  the 
remainder  of  the  time  in  the  field  quartermaster's  department 
for  East  Tennessee. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  he  pursued  the  work  of  a  sales- 
man and  merchant  on  his  own  account  for  seven  years,  but,  in 
1873,  abandoned  it  for  the  profession  of  a  lawyer.  This  was  not 
an  accidental  step,  but  the  fulfilment  of  a  long  cherished  pur- 
pose. He  was  naturally  ambitious,  and  he  felt  the  desire  of 
transmitting  to  his  descendants  a  record  that  would  compare 
favorably  with  any.  The  idea  of  becoming  a  lawyer  came 
to  him  not  long  after  his  return  from  the  army.  During 
the  summer  after  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  he  cultivated  a 
crop  of  corn  with  the  horse  brought  with  him  from  the  war. 
He  began  his  work  in  the  fields  early  in  the  morning,  and  during 
the  heat  of  the  day  would  lie  under  the  trees,  and  read,  and  study. 
That  summer's  reading  fixed  his  determination  to  be  a  lawyer, 
and  after  a  time  he  consulted  with  his  uncle.  Judge  G.  A.  Wing- 
field,  of  Bedford,  who  encouraged  him  with  the  remark  trite  but 
stimulating:  "There  is  plenty  of  room  at  the  top."  He  sold 
goods  and  studied  law,  and,  at  length,  after  eight  years  came  to 
the  bar  with  the  determination  to  succeed.  His  mother,  who  had 
all  the  strength  of  the  Lewis  blood  and  intellect,  was  a  constant 
source  of  encouragement  and  inspiration. 

In  1875,  Mr.  Ayers  was  elected  attorney  for  the  common- 
wealth for  Scott  county  and  served  four  years  until  1879,  during 
which    time   he   was   clerk   of   the   committee    on   finance    and 


RUFUS   ADOLPHUS   AYERS  25 

reading  clerk  of  the  house  of  delegates.  He  was  also  editor  and 
proprietor  of  a  weekly  newspaper  called  the  "  Scott  County 
Banner,"  published  at  the  court-house  during  this  period.  In 
1876  he  prepared  the  charter  for  the  railroad  between  Bristol 
and  Big  Stone  Gap,  Virginia,  and,  in  1877,  organized  the  com- 
pany which  commenced  its  construction.  In  1881  Mr.  Ayers  was 
instrumental  in  organizing  the  Virginia  Coal  and  Iron  company 
— the  largest  coal  company  in  Virginia — and  has  been  counsel  for 
and  a  director  in  the  company  ever  since.  He  organized  the 
Bank  of  Gate  City  in  1889;  the  Interstate  Finance  and  Trust 
company  and  the  Wise  County  bank  in  1901  and  1902 ;  the  Vir- 
ginia Tanning  and  Extract  company  in  1897;  the  Stone  Gap 
Colliery  company,  and  Wise  County  Terminal  company  in  1902 ; 
the  Tazewell  Coal  and  Land  corporation,  and  the  Seaboard  Coal 
company  in  1901 ;  and  at  different  times  quite  a  number  of  smaller 
companies,  with  many  of  which  he  is  still  connected  in  an  official 
capacity.  Besides  assisting  in  building  the  railroad  from  Bristol 
to  Big  Stone  Gap,  General  Aj^ers  was  the  leading  spirit  in  build- 
ing the  railroad  from  Norton  to  Glamorgan,  and  the  Big  Creek 
branch  of  the  Norfolk  and  Western  railway. 

During  this  time  Mr.  Ayers  held  many  political  offices.  In 
1880  he  was  supervisor  of  the  census  for  the  fifth  district  of 
Virginia  under  appointment  from  President  Hayes,  who  was 
required  by  act  of  congress  to  ignore  politics  in  making  the 
appointments.  From  January  1,  1886  to  January  1, 1890,  he  was 
attorney-general  of  Virginia.  From  1883  to  1895  he  served  on 
the  state  central  and  executive  committees  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  in  1901  and  1902  he  represented  Wise,  Dickinson  and 
Buchanan  counties  in  the  convention  called  to  revise  the  consti- 
tution of  the  state. 

In  all  these  positions  General  Ayers  performed  a  distin- 
guished part,  but  he  regards  the  legal  fight  which  he  made 
whilst  attorney-general  against  the  bondholders,  as  the  most 
important  service  he  ever  rendered.  For  two  years  the  bond 
holders,  holding  over  ten  million  dollars  of  tax  receivable  coupons, 
tried  by  every  legal  device  to  force  them  into  the  treasury. 
The  crisis  came  when  Hugh  L.  Bond,  judge  of  the  United 
States  Circuit  court,  issued  a  sweeping  injunction,  restraining 


26  KUrUS    ADOLPHUS   AYERS 

all  the  state  officers,  including  the  heads  of  the  departments  of 
Richmond  and  himself  as  attorney-general,  from  executing  those 
statutes  of  Virginia,  which  made  it  extremely  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  to  force  the  tax  receivable  coupons  into  the  state 
treasury. 

General  Ayers  was  not  disturbed,  but  in  order  to  carry  the 
question  of  the  power  of  the  Federal  court  to  the  Supreme  court 
of  the  United  States  boldly  disobeyed  the  mandate  of  Judge 
Bond.  He  could  not  get  the  sheriff  of  Eichmond  to  act,  so  he 
served  himself  the  notice  of  suit  which  brought  him  into  con- 
tempt. General  Ayers  was  arrested  and  upon  the  hearing  was 
fined  five  hundred  dollars;  and  when  he  declined  to  pay,  was 
ordered  to  jail.  Upon  this  he  promjDtly  sued  out  a  writ  of 
habeas  corpus  from  the  Supreme  court  of  the  United  States. 
At  the  hearing  he  was  represented  by  the  eminent  lawyers  Roscoe 
Conkling,  John  Randolph  Tucker,  Colonel  W.  W.  Gordon,  and 
Charles  V.  Meredith.  The  court  set  aside  the  order  of  imprison- 
ment and  discharged  General  Ayers  from  custody ;  and  the  ques- 
tion of  the  public  debt,  which  had  so  long  agitated  the  state,  was 
settled  not  long  after  on  terms  honorable  to  the  state  and  really  to 
the  advantage  of  the  bondholders.  The  general  assembly  of  Vir- 
ginia unanimously  passed  a  joint  resolution  commending  general 
Ayers'  conduct  which  was  transmitted  to  him  by  General  Lee, 
with  a  very  complimentary  letter.  "  I  take  great  pleasure,"  he 
wrote,  "  in  uniting  with  the  legislature  in  its  commendation  of 
the  spirit  that  enabled  you,  while  obeying  the  laws  of  your  state, 
to  look  through  the  bars  of  a  jail,  in  order  that  you  might 
peaceably  see  the  rights  of  Virginia  under  the  constitution  pre- 
served." 

Second,  however,  only  to  the  work  of  preserving  the 
sovereignty  of  the  state  has  been  the  part  taken  by  General  Ayers 
in  the  development  of  Southwest  Virginia. 

The  multiplied  experience  of  General  Ayers  renders  him 
particularly  competent  to  give  good  and  wholesome  advice  to 
the  young.  He  thinks  he  might  have  attained  even  greater, 
success  than  he  has,  if  he  had  given  more  time  and  attention  to 
fewer  enterprises.  He,  therefore,  advises  young  men  to  follow 
closely  what  they  undertake,  and  not  to  undertake  more  than 


RUFUS    ADOLPHUS   AYERS  27 

they  can  give  full  care  and  attention  to.  He  urges  them  to  keep 
busy  at  all  times,  for  idleness  wrecks  more  lives  than  all  other 
causes  combined.  "It  is  rare  that  a  young  man  who  has  kept 
busy  from  infancy  becomes  dissipated  and  wild.  Such  men 
generally  begin  to  plan  out  work  for  themselves  early,  and 
rarely  arrive  at  maturity  without  some  definite  aim  in  life. 
Good  character,  high  moral  ideas,  strict  integrity  and  usefulness, 
form  a  capital  more  lasting  and  more  to  be  desired  than  money 
without  them." 

In  politics,  General  Ayers  has  been  loyal  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  Democratic  party  and  has  never  changed  his  opinions.  He 
is  not  a  member  of  any  church,  though  he  contributes  to  the 
support  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  of  which  his 
wife  is  a  member.  He  is  very  fond  of  horseback  riding,  hunting 
and  fishing,  and  for  exercise  plays  lawn  tennis.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  has  served  as  master  of  a  lodge. 
In  his  manners  he  is  exceedingly  genial  and  kind,  and  there  are 
few  as  popular  men  in  the  state  as  Rufus  A.  Ayers. 

On  June  8,  1870,  he  married  Victoria  Louisa  Morrison,  and 
six  children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  three  only  are 
living  (1906)— Kate  Lewis  Pettit,  (nee  Ayers),  Harry  J.  Ayers, 
and  James  B.  Ayers. 

His  address  is  Big  Stone  Gap,  Wise  County,  Virginia. 


Vol.  2— Va. 


OSCAR  BAYNE  BARKER 

BARKER,  OSCAR  BAYNE,  merchant,  was  born  in  Han- 
over county,  Virginia,  March  15,  1861.  His  parents 
were  Francis  Marion  and  Dematris  Ann  Barker.  His 
father  was  a  prominent  Baptist  minister.  His  mother  was  a 
woman  of  sincere  piety,  whose  influence  for  good  upon  her 
family  and  acquaintances  was  strong  and  enduring. 

When  Oscar  B.  Barker  was  only  two  years  old,  his  father 
died,  leaving  his  eight  children  to  the  care  of  their  mother,  who 
was  in  straitened  circumstances.  The  boy  was  healthy  and 
strong,  and  as  he  increased  in  years  he  bore  his  full  share  of 
the  work  about  home,  attending  school  as  opportunity  offered, 
and  making  gratifying  progress  in  his  studies.  He  early 
developed  traits  of  industry  and  enterprise,  and  under  the  care- 
ful training  of  his  pious  m^other,  established  a  reputation  for 
sobriety  and  integrity''.  The  financial  condition  of  the  family 
was  such  that  a  college  course  was  out  of  the  question.  There- 
fore young  Oscar,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  went  into  the  busy 
world  to  carve  out  his  own  fortune.  For  two  years  he  served 
as  clerk  in  a  store  at  Peaksville,  Bedford  county,  Virginia. 
Then  he  accepted  a  better  position  at  Liberty  (now  Bedford 
City)  Virginia,  in  a  hardware  store.  After  remaining  in  this 
position  five  years  he  acquired  an  interest  in  the  business  and 
became  its  active  manager.  Several  years  later  he  moved  to 
Lynchburg,  Virginia,  where  he  established  a  wholesale  hardware 
house,  and  where  he  still  remains  as  president  of  the  Barker- 
Jennings  Hardware  company.  The  business  has  grown  to 
mammoth  proportions,  and  is  now  the  largest  establishment  of 
its  kind  south  of  the  Ohio  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  rivers. 
The  building  in  which  it  is  conducted  contains  two  and  a  half 
acres  of  floor  space,  and  its  traveling  salesmen  cover  the  whole 
of  the  territory  of  three  states — Virginia,  West  Virginia,  and 
North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Barker  has  never  sought  official  positions  and  in  several 
instances  the  demands  of  his  business  have  compelled  him  to 


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OSCAR   BAYNE   BARKER  31 

I 

decline  honors  of  this  kind  which  the  people  have  desired  to 
confer  upon  him.  Nevertheless  he  has  not  shirked  calls  to 
take  prominent  part  in  enterprises  intended  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  community.  He  has  been  pressed  into  service  as 
president  of  the  Southern  Jobbers  Hardware  association.  He 
has  also  been  president  of  the  Lynchburg  board  of  trade,  chair- 
man of  the  public  school  board,  director  in  various  business 
corporations,  and  is  now  (1906)  a  director  in  the  First  National 
bank.  He  has  also  been  identified  with  the  management  of 
various  other  bodies,  including  the  Jones  Memorial  library,  the 
Lyceum  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  association. 

In  business  Mr.  Barker  has  always  pursued  a  broad  and 
liberal  policy.  The  rewards  that  have  come  to  him  are  those 
that  are  due  him  for  close  application  and  honorable  dealing. 
He  has  never  received  financial  aid  from  others,  and  the  result 
of  his  efforts  indicate  what  "  self-help  "  can  do  for  one  who  is 
earnest  in  purpose  and  upright  in  conduct. 

Notwithstanding  the  demands  of  his  large  business  interests, 
Mr.  Barker  has  always  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  religious 
affairs  of  the  city,  being  deacon  in  the  College  Hill  Baptist 
church  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  His  fellow- 
citizens  have  learned  to  count  on  him  for  cooperation  in  every 
undertaking,  secular  or  religious,  for  the  advancement  of  the 

city. 

Mr.  Barker  is  of  a  genial  and  social  disposition,  and  partakes 
with  a  relish  of  innocent  amusements,  preferring  for  relaxation, 
bowling  and  horseback  riding.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight 
Templar,  a  Shriner  and  an  Elk.  In  politics  he  has  always  been 
a  Democrat. 

The  example  of  Mr.  Barker  should  be  an  inspiration  to 
aspiring  young  men,  proving  as  it  does,  that  business  success 
may  be  gained  by  legitimate  means,  without  taking  short  cuts, 
or  resorting  to  questionable  practices,  and  without  sacrificing 
higher  interests. 

Mr.  Barker  was  married  on  December  20,  1882,  to  Miss 
Estelle  A.  Wright.  Of  their  five  children,  four  are  living  in 
1906. 

Their  residence  is  1104  Wise  Street,  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


WILLIAM  CAREY  BARKER 

ARKEE,  WILLIAM  CAREY,  physician,  was  born  in 
Goochland  county,  Virginia,  February  24,  1857.  His 
father,  the  Reverend  Francis  M.  Barker,  was  a  noted 
minister  in  the  Baptist  church,  and  his  mother  was  a  woman  of 
fine  Christian  character. 

The  boyhood  of  Y^^illiam  Barker  was  passed  in  the  country. 
At  this  period  his  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education  were 
limited.  He  attended  the  common  schools  near  his  home,  read 
such  medical  books  as  he  could  secure,  and,  under  the  influence 
of  his  parents  made  a  careful  study  of  the  Bible.  YTien  the  way 
was  opened  for  him  to  attend  a  higher  institution  of  learning,  he 
took  a  course  at  Richmond  college,  after  which  he  studied  at  the 
Virginia  Medical  college  and  was  graduated  therefrom,  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.,  in  1884.  He  then  located  at  Fredericksburg, 
Spottsylvania  county,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession for  which  he  had  shown  a  marked  taste  from  his  early 
years. 

In  1897  Dr.  Barker  removed  to  Buchanan,  Botetourt  county, 
Virginia,  where  he  has  continued  to  reside.  From  1887  to  1897, 
he  was  assistant  physician  to  the  State  hospital  for  the  insane, 
at  Petersburg.  His  resignation  was  accepted  by  his  associates 
with  deep  regret,  and  they  said  of  him :  "  Dr.  Barker  has 
always  discharged  his  duties  here  faithfully,  efficiently  and  cheer- 
fully. His  sua^dty  of  manner,  gentleness  of  disposition  and 
uniform  courtesy  have  greatly  endeared  him  to  all  connected 
with  the  hospital."  In  his  private  practice  he  has  been  very 
successful,  and  by  the  same  gentleness  and  courtesy  that  was 
shown  at  the  hospital  he  has  endeared  himself  to  the  community 
in  which  he  lives  and  labors. 

Dr.  Barker  was  married,  first,  in  1887,  to  Etta  H.  Jones,  and 
second,  in  1892,  to  Mabel  E.  Elam.  A  son  by  the  first  marriage 
and  a  daughter  by  the  second  were  living  in  1906.  In  politics. 
Dr.  Barker  is  a  Democrat  and  since  1901  he  has  been  chairman 
of  the  executive  committee  of  his  county.     On  September  IG, 


.'^£n  a/'j^c^/C  J^uHis^nn^  /Jam/7^nz^ 


4 


WILLIAM    CAREY   BARKER  35 

1905,  he  was  nominated  by  acclamation  by  his  party  for  the 
house  of  delegates  from  Botetourt  count}^,  and  on  the  Tth  of  the 
following  November,  he  was  elected  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
His  religious  affiliation  is  with  the  Baptist  church.  He  is  a 
Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow  and  does  much  to  promote  the 
interests  of  these  orders. 

His  address  is  Buchanan,  Botetourt  County,  Virginia. 


ROBERT  PATTON   BARRON 

BAERON,  EGBERT  PATTON,  banker  and  business  man, 
was  born  at  Turkey  Cove,  Lee  county,  Virginia,  March 
10,  1868.  He  is  the  son  of  W.  N.  G.  Barron,  Jr.,  and 
Eliza  J.  Barron.  His  father  was  a  farmer  of  Lee  county,  a 
public-spirited  citizen,  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  community 
in  which  he  lived,  and  highly  popular  among  his  acquaintances. 

Mr.  Barron's  youth  was  spent  in  the  country  on  his  grand- 
father's farm,  where  he  learned  to  work  at  an  early  age.  During 
the  fall  and  winter  seasons  he  attended  the  public  free  schools, 
and  a  private  school  conducted  through  the  subscriptions  of  the 
neighborhood,  who  thus  emplo3^ed  a  teacher  for  four  months  in 
the  year,  to  round  out  the  public  school  session  of  five  months. 
When  not  at  school,  he  did  the  ordinary  work  of  a  boy  on  the 
farm,  and  gave  to  that  labor  his  entire  attention  in  the  time  of 
harvest. 

In  1889,  having  determined  to  equip  himself  for  a  business 
career,  he  entered  the  Eastman  National  Business  college  at 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1890 ;  and 
in  1895  he  entered  upon  the  activities  of  a  banker  as  cashier  of 
the  banking  house  of  Eufus  A.  Ayers  and  Company,  at  Big 
Stone  Gap,  Virginia.  This  position  he  held  until  1892,  and  per- 
formed its  duties  so  intelligently  and  successfully,  that,  when  the 
Ayers  and  Company  bank  was  succeeded  in  1892  by  the  Inter- 
state Finance  and  Trust  company,  he  became  cashier  of  the  new 
institution,  which  position  he  retained  until  1896.  He  is  now 
vice-president  of  the  Interstate  Finance  and  Trust  company,  and 
also  holds  the  responsible  office  of  treasurer  of  Wise  county, 
Virginia. 

Mr.  Barron  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  is  high 
priest  in  the  Royal  Arch  chapter.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  held  all  the  offices 
in  its  subordinate  and  encampment  branches. 

Mr.  Barron  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party,  to  which 
he  has  always  belonged,  and  is  influential  and  popular  in  the 


l4/as  hznqtan,!?-  C- 


fe^---^"-^^^ 


ROBERT  PATTON  BARRON  39 

local  membership  of  his  party,  as  is  evidenced  by  his  holding  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  important  political  offices  in  his 
county. 

On  September  30,  1895,  Mr.  Barron  married  Mollie 
Dempster;  and  of  their  marriage  have  been  born  five  children, 
all  of  whom  are  now   (1906)  living. 

Mr.  Barron's  address  is  Big  Stone  Gap,  Wise  County,  Vir- 
ginia. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  BRAMBLITT 

BEAMBLITT,  WILLIAM  HENEY,  physician,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Liberty,  now  Bedford  City,  in  the  county  of 
Bedford,  Virginia,  January  29,  1829.  His  father  was 
Elkanah  Bramblitt,  a  farmer  of  Bedford  county;  his  mother, 
Mildred  Dearing. 

W.  H.  Bramblitt  grew  up  in  the  country,  and  worked  on  the 
farm  from  the  time  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  until  he  was 
twenty,  when  a  severe  and  protracted  spell  of  typhoid  fever 
incapacitated  him  for  further  physical  work.  In  his  youth 
his  attention  was  attracted  to  subjects  of  popular  scientific 
interest;  and  to  his  reading  in  this  direction  Doctor  Bramblitt 
attributes  the  development  of  his  inclination  and  determination 
to  pursue  the  career  of  a  physician.  He  attended  the  New  Lon- 
don academy  for  a  few  months ;  and  later,  entering  the  University 
Medical  college  of  the  city  of  New  York,  pursued  a  course  in 
medicine,  and  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine  in  1857.  After  that  time  he  took  a  post-graduate 
course  in  medicine  at  Bellevue  Medical  college,  in  1871. 

Doctor  Bramblitt  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Jonesboro,  North  Carolina,  in  1857.  When  the  War  between  the 
States  broke  out  in  1861,  he  raised  and  organized  the  Grayson 
cavalry  and  commanded  the  company  as  captain  up  to  the  end  of 
its  term  of  enlistment.  He  was  then  appointed  surgeon  and 
ordered  to  the  63rd  Virginia  infantrj^  for  duty,  and  was  engaged 
during  the  progress  of  the  war  in  both  field  and  hospital  work. 

Besides  doing  a  general  practice  in  his  community.  Doctor 
Bramblitt  has  been  examiner  for  a  number  of  life  insurance  com- 
panies. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  health  for  the 
county  and  town  of  Pulaski,  and  there  has  been  conferred  upon 
him  honorary  membership  in  the  Southwest  Virginia  Medical 
society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Medical  society,  of  the 
American  Anti-tuberculosis  league,  and  other  professional  and 
scientific  bodies;  and  has  received  the  compliment  of  being 
recorded  in  Ashherst's  "Principles  and  Practice  of  Surgery," 


I 

J 


WILLIAM    HENRY   BRAMBLITT  48 

under  the  title ;  "  Litigation  of  Internal  Carotid  Artery,"  as 
having  performed  one  of  the  only  two  operations  of  the  kind 
done  during  the  War  between  the  States. 

Doctor  Bramblitt  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  is  a  Democrat  who  has  never  changed  his  politics. 

Doctor  Bramblitt  has  been  married  three  times:  First,  on 
May  22,  1864,  to  Eliza  H.  Thomas,  of  Smyth  county;  second, 
on  February  21,  1872,  to  Mary  Watson,  of  Pulaski  county;  and 
third,  on  February  15,  1906,  to  Cora  Hazelgrove,  of  Cumberland 
county,  Virginia.     He  has  no  children  living. 

Doctor  Bramblitt's  address  is  Pulaski,  Virginia. 


JOHN  PATTESON  BRANCH 

BEAKCH,  JOHN  PATTESON,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Petersburg,  Dinwiddie  county,  Virginia,  October  9,  1830. 
His  earliest  known  ancestors  were  Christopher  Branch 
and  his  wife,  Mary,  who  came  from  England  in  the  good  ship, 
London  Merchant,  previous  to  the  year  1623.  On  his  mother's 
side,  his  grandfather,  John  Blythe  Eead,  was  born  in  Wales.  All 
his  other  ancestors  lived  in  Chesterfield  county,  Virginia. 

Mr.  Branch  is  the  son  of  the  late  Thomas  Branch  and  Sarah 
Pride  Branch  (nee  Read).  His  father  was  a  merchant  and 
banker,  prominent  in  the  com^mercial  and  other  affairs  of  the 
city  of  Petersburg,  and  afterwards  of  the  city  of  Richmond,  and 
was  well  known  throughout  the  state,  alike  for  his  success,  and 
for  his  integrity  and  religious  life.  It  has  been  said  of  him  that 
"  he  was  most  conscientious,  and  loved  justice  above  all  other 
virtues."  He  served  the  city  of  Petersburg  both  as  sheriff  and  as 
mayor,  and  in  1861  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Secession  con- 
vention. Like  many  other  Virginians  he  was  at  first  opposed  to 
secession,  but  afterwards  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Confederacy, 
seeing,  with  his  approval,  five  sons  and  three  sons-in-law  enter 
its  service. 

With  such  parents,  Mr.  Branch  had,  by  his  very  birth,  a 
most  hopeful  start  in  life.  His  father  gave  him  the  very  best 
educational  advantages  in  the  public  and  private  schools  of  his 
native  city.  At  the  time  he  would  have  entered  college,  his  health 
was  quite  poor,  and  so  he  turned  aside,  to  engage  at  once  in  the 
commercial  career  to  which  he  was  to  devote  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  In  1848,  he  entered  his  father's  office  as  a  clerk.  At  this 
time  he  began  to  spend  many  of  his  spare  moments  in  the  study 
of  books  on  commercial  subjects,  from  which  he  derived  large 
help  in  the  pursuit  of  business.  But  more  valuable  still  was  the 
training  he  received  under  the  advice  and  guidance  of  his  noble 
father,  to  whom  he  has  so  constantly  and  justly  given  the  credit 
for  much  of  his  prosperity  and  much  of  the  best  in  his  own 
character.     He  was  led  to  the  choice  of  his  occupations  as  much 


PU&LIC 


JOHN    PATTESON    BRANCH  47 

by  his  father's  desire  to  have  him  in  the  office  with  himself,  as  by 
his  own  love  for  a  commercial  life.  This  business  life  in  contact 
with  his  father  and  since  has  proved  to  be  a  valuable  aid  in  the 
enlargement  of  his  intellectual  powers  and  in  the  broadening  of 
his  views  upon  all  subjects  of  real  moment. 

He  remained  in  mercantile  business  until  the  Civil  war,  and 
after  the  war  turned  his  attention  to  banking,  removing  to  Rich- 
mond in  the  year  1871.  More  than  twenty-five  years  ago,  he 
became  president  of  the  Merchants  National  bank  of  Richmond, 
which  position  he  has  filled  ever  since  with  the  most  marked 
success. 

When  the  Civil  war  broke  out,  along  with  so  manj^  other 
young  men  from  the  best  homes  in  Virginia,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  army,  and  became  first  lieutenant  in  the  41th 
Virginia  battalion.  He  remained  in  the  service  of  his  state  until 
the  war  closed,  and  was  at  Appomattox  court-house  when  General 
Lee  surrendered  his  worn-out  forces  to  the  superior  strength  of 
General  Grant.  On  the  retreat  from  Petersburg  to  Appomattox 
court-house,  he  was  detailed  on  the  staff  of  Major  Snodgrass,  who 
was  acting  quartermaster-general  of  General  Lee's  army. 

On  May  12,  1863,  during  the  progress  of  the  Civil  war,  he 
married  Miss  Mary  Louise  Merritt  Kerr,  of  Petersburg.  From 
this  union  there  were  born  four  children — two  sons,  Blythe 
Walker  Branch,  of  Paris,  France,  and  John  Kerr  Branch,  of 
Richmond,  Virginia ;  and  two  daughters,  Effie  Kerr  Branch,  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  and  Mrs.  Authur  Graham  Glasgow,  of  London, 
England,  (nee  Margaret  Elizabeth  Branch). 

Mr.  Branch  has  always  been  a  public-spirited  citizen,  inter- 
ested in  all  the  questions  that  have  concerned  in  any  way  the 
welfare  of  his  city,  his  state  and  his  country.  He  is  the  author 
of  a  number  of  articles  on  finance,  written  primarily  for  the 
purpose  of  instructing  the  public  in  things  vital  to  commercial 
welfare  and  business  development  and  progress.  He  has  been 
recognized  as  a  leader  of  the  agitation  in  his  city  for  good  streets, 
good  sewerage  and  drainage,  pure  food,  and  all  other  things 
looking  to  the  betterment  of  public  health,  having  had  a  large 
part  in  the  good  work  which  has  resulted  in  the  reorganization 
of  the  board  of  health  and  the  adoption  of  more  effective  sanitary 


48  JOHN    PATTESOX    BRANCH 

regulations.  He  has  given  the  money  to  the  city  for  the  erection 
of  the  first  building  for  public  baths  in  the  state  of  Virginia.  He 
has  been  a  liberal  contributor  to  every  public  charity  or  work  of 
general  interest  calling  for  the  gifts  of  the  people  at  large.  He 
has  been  foremost  in  the  discussion  of  subjects  of  public  interest, 
and  has  ever  been  ready  to  give  his  time  and  labor  to  aid  any 
enterprise  that  would  help  the  people,  or  to  prevent  any  move- 
ment which  he  believed  to  have  in  it  possibilities  of  injury.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Westmoreland  club,  the  Commonwealth  club, 
both  of  Richmond ;  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  and  of  several 
other  organizations;  and  has  been  twice  a  member  of  the  execu- 
tive committee  of  the  American  Bankers  association.  Wliile  not 
a  partisan  in  politics,  he  is  identified  with  the  Democratic  party, 
but  was  a  'Wliig  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  between  the 
States. 

Like  his  father  before  him,  Mr.  Branch  has  always  believed 
that  religion  is  indispensable  both  to  private  and  to  public 
welfare  and  happiness,  and  has  found  the  type  of  religion  best 
suited  to  his  needs  in  the  Methodist  church,  which  he  joined  when 
but  thirteen  years  of  age.  He  is  at  this  time  a  steward  and  a 
trustee  of  Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  in  the 
citv  of  Richmond,  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Randolph-Macon  system  of  colleges  and  academies,  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  Methodist  orphanage  of  the  Virginia  confer- 
ence, and  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  "  Methodist  institute 
for  Christian  work,"  in  Richmond,  which  is  planned  and  carried 
on  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  institutional  churches,  in 
many  of  our  larger  cities.  He  has  been  repeatedly  a  delegate  to 
the  annual  and  general  conferences  of  his  church.  To  all  these 
institutions  he  has  given  his  valuable  time  and  advice,  and  has 
made  large  contributions  of  money  as  well.  He  has  recently 
built  and  equipped,  in  memory  of  his  wife,  who  died  in  the  year 
1896,  the  Branch  dormitory  at  Randolph-Macon  college,  in 
Ashland — a  handsome  and  much  needed  building  and  a  valuable 
adjunct  to  the  work  of  this  well-known  school.  He  has  been  one 
of  the  largest  contributors  to  foreign  missions  in  the  Methodist 
church  in  the  South,  and  is  always  appealed  to  by  the  board  of 
missions  in  any  case  of  special  need.     He  is  a  faithful  attendant 


JOHN   PATl^SON    BRANCH  49 

upon  the  worship  of  his  church,  and  believes  heartily  in  the 
essential  teachings  of  Methodism,  and  has  no  sj^mpathy  with  the 
critical  and  sceptical  tendencies  of  the  age  in  matters  of  religion. 
His  pastors  have  often  sought  his  advice  in  things  concerning  the 
church,  and  he  has  been  equally  ready  to  give  such  advice  as 
would  be  conducive  to  the  building  up  of  its  interests. 

But  with  all  his  arduous  labors  in  public  and  in  private 
endeavor,  Mr.  Branch  has  not  been  forgetful  of  the  pleasures  and 
recreations  of  life.  He  has  traveled  quite  extensively  both  in 
Europe  and  in  his  own  country,  and  converses  most  interestingly 
about  his  experiences  and  the  information  gained.  He  finds  great 
pleasure  in  the  entertaining  of  his  friends  in  his  hospitable  home, 
and  makes  a  delightful  host  on  these  occasions.  He  spends  the 
heat  of  every  summer  in  the  cool  breezes  of  the  mountains,  either 
of  New  York  or  of  West  Virginia,  being  a  familiar  figure  for 
about  two  months  of  the  time  at  the  famous  Greenbrier  ^^Hiite 
Sulphur  Springs  in  the  latter  state,  which  he  has  visited  for 
many  years.  His  favorite  recreation  is  driving,  which  he  believes 
to  be  quite  beneficial  to  his  health ;  he  aims  to  have  a  good  horse, 
and  on  his  drives  seeks  to  be  accompanied  by  some  favorite  friend, 
in  whose  companionship  he  casts  oE  the  cares  of  the  busy  day. 

Nowhere  else  is  Mr.  Branch  so  attractive  as  in  his  own 
home.  Here  his  friends  rejoice  to  meet  him,  and  to  have  a  fuller 
acquaintance  with  the  real  man ;  and  here  he  rejoices  to  meet  his 
friends,  and  to  lay  aside  the  restraints  of  the  business  world  in 
social  fellowship.  Here,  too,  his  family  find  him  a  most  con- 
siderate and  indulgent,  but  at  the  same  time  wise  and  instructive 
father,  and  look  upon  him  as  their  hero  greatly  beloved. 

The  rules  which  Mr.  Branch  frequently  mentions  as  con- 
tributing most  efTectively  to  high  ideals  and  to  true  prosperity 
will  not  only  be  helpful  to  our  American  youth,  but  will  also 
indicate  the  secret  of  his  own  life. 

"  Look  first  to  character."  This,  he  believes,  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  all  life  and  of  all  permanent  success,  and  character 
rests  upon  religion.  He  has  been  careful  to  keep  his  life 
unstained,  and  to  put  into  effect  the  proverb,  "  A  good  name  is 
rather  to  be  chosen  than  great  riches."  In  a  long  business  career, 
in  two  cities  less  than  fifty  miles  apart,  his  reputation  for  honesty 
and  integrity  has  been  without  blemish. 


50  JOHN    PATTESON   BRANCH 

"  Look  next  to  health."  He  believes — and  has  shown  his 
faith  by  his  works — that  no  greater  material  blessing  can  come 
to  the  public  than  clean  streets,  clean  homes,  clean  bodies,  pure 
food,  and  consequent  health.  He  has  guarded  his  own  health 
and  conserved  his  strength  in  spite  of  a  life  quite  strenuous  even 
now.  He  has  had  well-nigh  perfect  health  since  reaching  man- 
hood, and  at  present,  at  seventy-six  years  of  age,  is  vigorous  and 
strong,  being  a  man  of  most  attractive  and  commanding  appear- 
ance. 

"  Keep  good  company."  Mr.  Branch  contends  that  the 
unconscious  influences  which  thus  come  into  life  have  most  to  do 
with  the  formation  of  character.  He  has  been  careful  in  the 
making  of  his  friendships,  and  has  been  obedient  to  Shakespeare's 
injunction, 

"  Those  friends  thou  hast,  and  their  adoption  tried. 
Grapple  them  to  thy  soul  with  hoops  of  steel." 

",  Save  a  part  of  your  income,  however  small."  He  has  been 
greatly  interested  in  the  creation  of  habits  of  economy  and  of 
saving  among  the  poor.  The  building  up  of  his  own  fortune 
has  been  the  result  of  obedience  to  this  rule.  Without  being 
stingy,  or  denying  himself  comfort,  he  has  eschewed  foolish 
extravagance  and  those  habits  of  luxury  which  have  wrecked  a 
large  number  of  men  of  wealth,  and  has  lived  within  the  compass 
of  his  means. 

"  What  is  worth  doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well."  In  all  his 
work,  whether  in  church  or  in  state  or  in  business,  as  far  as  time 
and  strength  permitted,  Mr.  Branch  has  been  earnest,  diligent 
and  faithful. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


MARTIN  PARKS   BURKS 

BURKS,  MARTIN  PARKS,  LL.  D.,  was  born  in  Liberty, 
now  Bedford  City,  Bedford  county,  Virginia,  January 
23,  1851.  His  father  was  Judge  Edward  Calohill 
Burks ;  his  mother,  Mildred  Elizabeth  Burks.  Judge  Burks  was 
a  prominent  lawyer,  and,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  stood  at  the 
very  front  of  the  Virginia  bar.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature in  1861 ;  was  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  from  1877  to 
1883 ;  and  helped  to  revise  the  Virginia  code  in  1887.  He  was  a 
thorough  lawyer  of  the  highest  type,  and  stood  for  all  that  was 
best  and  purest  in  the  social  system  of  the  generation  just  passing 
away.  Martin  P.'s  mother  was  a  noble  Virginia  matron  of  the 
highest  type,  and  did  no  little  to  mold  the  character  of  her  son, 
and  make  him  one  of  the  most  useful  and  most  honored  men  of 
the  generation  now  in  control  of  the  destinies  of  the  state.  In  the 
home  presided  over  by  these  two,  there  was  no  idling,  no 
dawdling;  all  were  active  and  strenuous.  Each  boy  had  his 
regular  duties.  The  family  arose  at  4  A.  M.,  and  saw  that  the 
servants  were  up  and  doing.  The  training  of  the  home  was 
towards  thrift  and  energy.  Judge  Burks  himself  set  the 
example  of  industry  and  activity,  and  thus  helped  to  fit  his  son 
for  the  successful  career  that  he  has  had. 

M.  P.  Burks  received  his  rudimentary  education  in  the 
country  schools  of  Bedford  county;  then  entered  Washington 
college,  where  he  took  the  A.  B.  degree  in  1870.  It  was  there  that 
he  came  under  the  personal  influence  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee, 
who  was  president  of  the  college  now  Imown  as  Washington  and 
Lee  university.  After  taking  his  academic  degree  in  Lexington, 
Mr.  Burks  went  to  the  University  of  Virginia,  to  study  law. 
There  he  sat  at  the  feet  of  that  Gamaliel  of  southern  law  teachers, 
John  B.  Minor,  whose  name  figures  prominently  in  these  pages. 
In  1872,  Mr  Burks  took  the  B.  L.  degree  of  the  University  of 
Virginia,  the  acme  of  a  young  law  student's  ambition.  With  this 
degree,  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law,  January  1,  1873,  as 


52  MARTIN    PARKS   BURKS 

his  father's  partner.  From  that  time  till  1900,  he  was  a  practi- 
tioner in  Liberty,  in  Bedford  City,  and  took  a  high  stand  at  the 
bar.  All  these  years,  the  influence  of  Judge  Burks  upon  his  son 
was  very  great;  and  the  life  of  the  father  has  always  been  an 
inspiration  to  the  son. 

M.  P.  Burks  early  showed  an  appetite  for  legal  pursuits. 
He  inherited  his  father's  tastes  and  his  talents.  The  books  that 
did  most  to  fit  him  for  usefulness  in  life  were  the  Lives  of  the 
Lord  Chancellors  and  Chief  Justices  of  England,  more  particu- 
larly of  Eldon  and  Stowell,  who  had  to  overcome  great  difficulties 
in  working  out  their  careers  and  achieving  distinction.  The  lives 
of  great  lawyers,  living  and  dead,  have  exerted  great  influence 
upon  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

In  selecting  law  as  his  profession,  Mr.  Burks  was  influenced 
by  the  manifest,  though  unexpressed,  desire  of  his  father. 
Doubtless  dame  nature  had  a  hand  in  the  matter,  as  we  can 
clearly  see  that  his  tastes  were  very  decidedly  legal;  and  those 
that  believe  in  heredity  can  easily  believe  that  the  son  inherited 
the  aptitudes  of  the  father. 

Since  1895,  Mr.  Burks  has  been  reporter  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals  of  Virginia,  a  position  of  no  little  honor  which  does  not 
interfere  with  his  other  duties.  In  1900,  when  Y/ashington  and 
Lee  needed  a  professor  of  law,  she  called  Mr.  Burks  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  It  may  be  emphatically  said  that  the  choice  was  a 
happy  one,  and  strengthened  the  institution  in  many  quarters. 
We  may  also  say  that,  with  such  men  in  the  law  faculties  of 
Virginia,  young  Virginians  need  not  leave  their  state  to  get  a 
solid  training  for  the  legal  profession. 

Mr.  Burks  is  prominent  in  the  councils  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  in  Virginia.  His  name  is  familiar  to  all  who 
are  well  informed  in  regard  to  the  diocese  of  Southern  Virginia. 
In  politics,  he  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  desired 
public  office. 

In  1893,  Mr.  Burks  published  a  law  book  entitled  "Property 
Eights  of  Married  Women  in  Virginia."  For  tiiis  and  his  fine 
reputation  at  the  bar,  he  was,  in  1903,  made  a  Doctor  of  Laws  by 
Roanoke  College,  Virginia,  a  well-merited  distinction. 


MARTIN    PARKS    BURKS  53 

December  31,  1874,  Mr.  Burks  was  married  to  Roberta 
Gamble  Bell.  They  have  had  two  children,  one  of  w^hom  is  now 
(1906)  living. 

Mr.  Burk's  address  is  Lexington,  Virginia.  As  already  said, 
he  is  one  of  the  law  faculty  of  Washington  and  Lee  University. 


Tol.  2— Va.— 3 


CHARLES  RUSSELL  CALDWELL 

CALDWELL,  CHAELES  EUSSELL,  was  born  near 
Lewisburg,  in  Greenbrier  county,  West  Virginia,  Sep- 
tember 1,  1869.  He  is  a  son  of  DeWitt  C.  B.  and 
Frances  Cena  (Edgar)  Caldwell.  His  father  was  a  physician 
and  surgeon,  who  ranked  high  in  his  profession  and  was  held  in 
esteem  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 

Mr.  Caldwell  grew  up  amid  surroundings  and  under 
influences  that  were  in  a  high  degree  calculated  to  develop  the 
characteristics  of  industry,  independence,  and  determination 
which  have  so  largely  contributed  to  his  success  in  business. 
Leading  the  life  of  a  country  lad,  his  hours  of  leisure  werfe  largely 
devoted  to  reading;  while  he  was  at  the  same  time  taught  the 
lessons,  which  are  not  learned  in  books,  of  self-denial,  industry 
and  thrift,  in  the  necessity  of  having  to  begin  work  at  a  very 
early  age  in  order  to  aid  in  the  support  of  his  widowed  mother 
and  younger  brothers  and  sisters.  He  began  work  as  a  boy  of 
eleven  years  in  a  hoop  factory,  and  worked  at  various  occupations 
with  his  hands  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old.  To  this  he  attri- 
butes not  only  the  development  of  his  health  and  physical 
strength,  but  no  less  a  stability  of  purpose  and  steady  habits, 
together  with  an  insight,  not  otherwise  attainable,  into  the  condi- 
tions that  surround  the  laboring  classes.  He  attended  in  the 
meanwhile  the  public  schools  in  Eonceverte  and  Lewisburg;  and 
later  went  to  Staunton,  Virginia,  as  a  student  in  Dunsmore's 
Business  college,  where  he  was  graduated  in  April,  1886,  Master 
of  Accounts.  He  immediately  secured  a  position  as  bookkeeper 
in  a  wholesale  hay  and  grain  house  in  Staunton.  He  pursued 
the  business  of  bookkeeper  and  accountant  until  1892,  when  he 
engaged  in  the  book  and  stationery  business  in  Staunton  as 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Caldwell  and  Holt.  In  1895  he 
was  made  general  bookkeeper  and,  a  je^r  or  two  afterward,  he 
was  promoted  assistant  cashier  of  the  Augusta  National  Bank 
of  Staunton,  a  position  which  he  held  until  1899.  In  1895  he 
organized    the    Caldwell-Sites    company,    wholesale    and    retail 


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CHARLES   RUSSELL    CALDWELL  57 

booksellers  and  stationers  with  houses  in  Staunton  and  Roanoke, 
in  Virginia,  and  in  Bristol,  Virginia-Tennessee.  Of  this  firm  he 
has  been  president  from  the  date  of  its  formation. 

Mr.  Caldwell's  business  capacity,  integrity  and  agreeable 
personality  have  concurred  to  bring  him  prominently  to  the 
front  in  his  community.  He  has  been,  since  June,  1903,  president 
of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  bank  of  Staunton ;  he  is  president 
of  the  Staunton  ^lerchants  association,  which  office  he  has  held 
from  its  organization  until  now  (1906)  ;  he  is  the  president  of  the 
Staunton  board  of  trade;  and  he  was  from  1899  to  1903,  presi- 
dent, and  is  now  vice-president  of  the  King's  Daughters  hospital 
of  Staunton.  He  was  treasurer  of  the  company  organized  to 
publish  the  first  daily  newspaper  in  Staunton;  and,  with  the 
exception  of  one  or  two  years,  has  been  the  practical  manager  of 
the  paper,  now,  the  "  Staunton  Dispatch  and  News,"  from 
1890  up  to  the  present  time   (1906). 

Among  other  prominent  positions  which  Mr.  Caldwell  holds 
in  his  community/  may  be  mentioned  that  of  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  association  of  the  city. 
While  he  has  had  no  political  aspirations,  and  has  never  been  a 
candidate  for  elective  office,  he  is  possessed  of  a  large  public 
spirit,  and  there  is  nothing  of  moment  which  concerns  his  city 
or  the  people  who  live  in  it,  in  which  he  does  not  take  an  active 
interest. 

Mr.  Caldwell  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  a  fraternal 
benefit  association,  and  is  collector  of  its  council  in  Staunton. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  left  the  party  on  the  money 
question  in  1896,  voting  in  that  election  the  Prohibition  ticket; 
but  returned  to  his  party  allegiance  in  1900,  when  he  supported 
Mr.  Bryan's  candidacy  for  president.  He  is  an  active  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Mr.  Caldwell's  life  has  been  so  closely  devoted  to  work  that 
until  recently  he  has  given  but  little  time  to  what  is  known  as 
recreation.  In  the  past  few  years  he  has  acquired  a  large  farm 
in  Augusta  county;  and  in  the  personal  attention  which  he  gives 
it,  he  finds  a  pleasant  relaxation  from  the  cares  of  business. 


58  CHARLES   RUSSELL    CALDWELL 

He  married,  May  12,  1897,  Mrs.  Bessie  Adams  Allen  (nee 
Adams),  daughter  of  a  prominent  banker  and  business  man  of 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  and  has  one  child. 

Mr.  Caldwell's  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


RICHARD  HENRY  CARDWELL 

CAHDWELL,  RICHARD  HENRY,  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Appeals  of  Virginia,  was  born  at  Madison, 
Rockingham  county,  North  Carolina,  August  1,  1845. 
His  father  was  Richard  Perrin  Cardwell,  and  his  mother 
Elizabeth  Martin  (Dalton)  Cardwell.  Richard  P.  Cardwell  was 
a  farmer  and  a  tobacconist,  and  for  a  time  represented  his  county 
in  the  state  legislature. 

Richard  H.  Cardwell  was  strong  and  vigorous  in  his  youth; 
and  his  natural  vigor  was  greatly  improved  by  his  service  in  the 
Confederate  army,  which  he  entered  upon  at  the  age  of  sixteen. 

He  was  reared  in  the  country  near  a  village  and  was 
accustomed  in  his  boyhood  to  go  to  school  in  the  winter  and 
to  labor  on  the  farm  in  the  summer  and  fall ;  and  he  thinks  that 
this  employment  had  a  most  salutary  effect  upon  both  his  char- 
acter and  his  habits.  He  lost  his  father  in  infancy,  but  his  noble 
mother  exerted  a  most  potent  influence  upon  his  intellectual, 
moral  and  spiritual  life,  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  rearing 
him  to  be  the  useful  man  he  is.  He  met  with  great  difficulties  in 
getting  an  education.  He  first  attended  a  common  public  school ; 
then  Beulah  Male  institute  and  Madison  Male  academy,  but  never 
had  the  opportunity  of  attending  college,  university,  or  technical 
school.  He  is  a  most  conspicuous  example  of  what  a  boy  of 
talent,  industry,  and  character  can  accomplish  without  the  very 
desirable  advantages  of  college  training. 

When  asked  to  name  the  books  or  the  special  lines  of  reading 
which  he  found  m.ost  helpful  in  fitting  him  for  his  work  in  life, 
Judge  Cardwell  promptly  replied :  "  I  attach  the  greatest 
importance  to  my  early  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible."  In  this 
age  when  steam  printing  presses  are  turning  out  thousands  of  all 
sorts  of  books  on  all  subjects,  it  is  refreshing  to  find  a  distin- 
guished judge  who  says  that  he  was  most  helped  in  preparing  for 
his  career  in  life  by  the  reading  and  study  of  the  great  text  book 
of  the  centuries. 

From  1863  to  the  close  of  the  War  between  the  States,  Judge 


GO  RICHARD    HENRY   CARDWELL 

Cardwell  was  a  private  soldier  in  a  North  Carolina  company  of 
the  Confederate  army,  and  did  his  full  share  towards  making  the 
glorious  record  of  the  troops  from  "  the  old  North  State."  Those 
who  know  that  the  brain  and  brawn  and  moral  worth  of  the 
South,  the  very  flower  of  our  youth  and  manhood,  served  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Confederate  army,  and  that  after  the  war  ended 
they  occupied  the  highest  positions  of  honor,  emolument,  and 
trust,  are  not  surprised  that  this  young  soldier  has  risen  to  grace 
the  Supreme  bench  of  the  Old  Dominion. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  3'Oung  Cardwell  returned  to  his  home 
in  Rockingham  county,  North  Carolina,  but  in  1869  he  removed  to 
Hanover  count}^,  Virginia,  to  make  his  fortune  among  his  wife's 
people,  and  engaged  in  farm  work  while  reading  law  and  pre- 
paring for  his  future  career.  In  1874,  he  began  the  practice  of 
law,  and  was  very  successful  from  the  first,  though  he  never  held 
position  in  any  institution,  or  corporation.  He  was  elected  in 
1881  to  the  Virginia  house  of  delegates,  and  sat  in  that  body  until 
1895.  From  1887  to  1895,  he  filled  with  great  ability  the  office  of 
speaker  of  the  house.  In  1884,  he  was  Democratic  elector,  and 
made  a  fine  reputation  as  an  effective  stump  speaker.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  State  Debt  commission,  which  in  1892  settled  the 
public  debt  of  Virginia,  He  was  chairman  of  the  joint  committee 
of  the  legislature  of  Virginia  to  adjust  and  settle  with  Maryland 
the  controversy  over  the  boundary  line  between  the  two  states, 
and  prepared  the  report  which  was  adopted  by  the  legislature  of 
Virginia  and  accepted  and  adopted  by  the  legislature  of 
Maryland. 

To  an  enthusiastic  Democrat  with  the  record  outlined  above, 
political  preferment  was  of  course  open.  Accordingl}^,  in  1894, 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Appeals  of 
Virginia.  He  took  his  seat  on  the  bench  January  1,  1895,  for  a 
term  of  twelve  years.  In  January,  1906,  he  was  reelected  for 
another  term  of  four  years.  Industrious,  able,  and  incorruptible. 
Judge  Cardwell  has  been  in  every  way  an  admirable  judge,  and 
has  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  bar  and  of  the  people. 

Entering  the  practice  of  law  from  his  own  personal  prefer- 
ence. Judge  Cardwell  attributes  his  success  in  life  to  thQ  influence 
of  home  and  his  contact  with  men  in  active  life. 

Judffe  Cardwell  has  been  for  vears  a  consistent  member  of 


RICHARD   HENRY    CARDWELL  61 

the  Presbyterian  church,  and  his  motto  has  been  "  Not  slothfui 
in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord." 

Asked  "  that  from  his  own  experience  and  observation  he 
would  offer  suggestions  to  young  Americans  as  to  the  principles, 
methods,  and  habits  which  w^ill  contribute  most  to  the  strength- 
ening of  sound  ideals  in  our  American  life,  and  will  most  help 
young  people  to  attain  true  success  in  life,"  Judge  Cardwell  gives 
this  characteristic  reply :  "  Honesty,  industry,  straightforward- 
ness in  all  things,  and  seeking  to  acquire  wealth  or  distinction  by 
honest  endeavor  only." 

Hanover  county,  famous  as  the  home  or  the  birthplace  of 
Patrick  Henry,  Henry  Clay  and  other  men  of  distinction,  may 
well  be  proud  that  she  has  on  the  Supreme  bench  of  Virginia 
so  worthy  a  representative. 

On  February  9,  1865,  Eichard  H.  Cardwell  married  Kate 
Harwood,  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  They  have  had  nine  children, 
of  whom  six  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Hanover,  Virginia. 


GEORGE    LAFAYETTE  CARTER 

CARTEK,  GEORGE  LAFAYETTE,  was  born  in  Carroll 
county,  Virginia,  January  10,  1857,  and  his  parents  were 
Walter  Crockett  Carter  and  Lucy  Anne  Jennings.  He 
comes  of  a  family  very  distinguished  in  the  annals  of  Virginia, 
whose  first  representative  was  Colonel  John  Carter,  who  settled 
at  Corotoman  in  Lancaster  county  about  the  year  1649.  He  was 
a  royalist  who  despite  the  subjection  of  Virginia  to  the  authority 
of  the  parliament,  demeaned  himself  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
occasion  his  arrest  for  treasonable  utterances.  He  married  five 
times,  and  his  son  by  Sarah  Ludlow,  daughter  of  Gabriel  Ludlow, 
of  Massachusetts,  was  the  celebrated  Robert  Carter,  who  by  reason 
of  his  vast  estates  and  corresponding  pride  was  known  as  "  King 
Carter."  He  married  twice,  and  had  twelve  children.  A  son 
named  Edward,  by  Betty  Landon,  settled  in  Albemarle  county, 
where  he  was  known  as  Colonel  Edward  Carter,  of  "  Blenheim.*' 
He  married  Sarah  Champe,  daughter  of  John  Champe,  of 
Lambe's  Creek,  King  George  county,  Virginia.  After  Colonel 
Carter's  death,  the  estate  went  to  his  son  Charles,  who  married 
Betty  Lewis,  and  one  of  his  sons  was  William  Farley  Carter,  who 
emigrated  to  Kentucky  with  his  cousins — Lawrence  and  George — 
to  take  up  lands  given  to  his  mother's  father,  Colonel  Fielding 
Lewis,  by  the  government  of  the  United  States.  Robert  Carter 
was  a  son  of  William  Farley  Carter,  and  married  Jane  Crockett, 
daughter  of  the  first  clerk  of  Wythe  county,  and  they  were  great- 
grandparents  of  George  Lafayette  Carter,  now  of  Bristol,  Vir- 
ginia. 

Walter  Crockett  Carter,  father  of  George  Lafayette  Carter, 
was  the  youngest  of  seven  children,  and  because  of  his  father's 
losses  received  only  a  meager  inheritance  of  a  few  acres  in  Carroll 
county,  Virginia,  from  his  mother.  On  this  small  inheritance  he 
lived,  and  reared  his  family,  and  was  respected  as  an  honest,  hard 
working  man.  He  held  several  public  offices  in  Carroll  county, 
and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  War  between  the  States,  was  captain 
of  a  company  of  the  Carroll  militia.     This  company  was  not 


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GEORGE  LAFAYETTE  CARTER  65 

called  into  service  until  May,  1862,  when  with  two  other  com- 
panies it  was  organized  into  a  new  one,  under  the  command  of 
L.  H.  Hampton,  of  Graj^son,  captain ;  Giles  S.  Martin,  of  Carroll, 
and  Isaac  Webb,  of  Carroll,  first  lieutenants;  and  Waiter 
Crockett  Carter,  of  Carroll,  first  sergeant.  It  thus  became  a 
part,  with  nine  other  companies,  of  the  63rd  regiment  of  Vir- 
ginia volunteers,  and  was  brigaded  with  the  50th  Virginia  regi- 
ment, and  other  regiments  under  General  John  S.  Williams,  and 
for  a  time  was  in  General  Loring's  division.  Mr.  Carter's  first 
engagement  was  at  Charleston,  West  Virginia,  in  September, 

1862,  and  not  long  after,  upon  a  reorganization  of  all  "  the  Car- 
roll boys  "  of  the  regiment  into  one  company,  called  company  I, 
Mr.  Carter  w^as  made  one  of  the  three  lieutenants.     In  February, 

1863,  a  battle  was  fought  with  the  Federals  before  Suffolk,  Vir- 
ginia, and  in  this  affair  Colonel  Poage,  commanding  the  regi- 
ment, was  killed,  and  Lieutenant  Carter  so  badly  wounded  in  the 
leg  that  its  amputation  became  necessary.  He  returned  to  his 
farm  and  with  a  courage  that  no  difficulties  could  subdue  renewed 
the  struggle  of  life,  and  kept  it  up  till  a  few  weeks  before  his 
death  twelve  years  later,  showing  in  his  last  days  the  same  fine 
sense,  perseverance  and  self-reliance  which  had  distinguished  him 
from  the  first. 

Upon  his  father's  small  farm,  George  L.  Carter,  the  first  of 
nine  children,  was  born  not  long  before  the  war;  and  though 
apparently  physicallj'-  unfitted  to  endure  the  labors  of  the  field, 
he  had  the  resolution  of  his  father,  and  during  the  spring,  sum- 
mer and  autumn  worked  on  the  farm,  and  in  the  winter  went  to 
a  small  country  school.  At  sixteen  years,  his  father  determined 
to  engage  him  in  some  avocation  more  suitable  to  his  condition, 
and  secured  for  him  a  position  in  a  store  at  Hillsville.  In  this 
new  capacity  he  proved  himself  industrious,  faithful  and  honest, 
and  he  found  time  early  mornings  and  evenings,  to  gratify  his 
taste  for  reading.  Among  the  books  read  in  this  early  period  of 
his  life  were:  Franklin's  Autobiography,  Bunyan's  Pilgrim's 
Progress,  and  the  Bible,  which  afforded  him  a  great  deal  of 
information  and  valuable  mental  culture.  After  four  years 
spent  in  the  store  at  Hillsville,  he  secured  a  position  with  the 
Wythe  Lead  and  Zinc  Mine  company,  at  Austinville,  Virginia. 


66  GEORGE  LAFAYETTE  CARTER 

This  proved  to  be  the  opening  of  his  wonderfully  successful  busi- 
ness career,  and  it  was  not  very  long  ere  he  struck  out  on  his  own 
financial  ventures. 

The  great  opportunities  of  Southwest  Virginia  for  mineral 
enterprises  were  now  awakening,  and  Mr.  Carter  was  one  of  the 
first  to  interpret  the  signs  of  the  times.  He  connected  himself 
with  the  Dora  Furnace  company,  at  Pulaski,  as  vice-president 
and  general  manager.  His  success  enlarged  his  views  and  he 
aspired  to  victory  in  even  wider  fields.  He  saw  that  ten  or  more 
furnaces  were  idle  and  large  coal  fields  in  Virginia,  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  were  undeveloped.  He  conceived  the  idea  of 
uniting  a  number  of  these  separate  and  crippled  enterprises  into 
one  great  organization,  which  should  be  inspired  with  new  life 
and  energy,  and  capable  of  carrying  out  the  natural  result.  He 
sought  out  capitalists  in  New  York,  and  Moore  and  Schley, 
bankers,  financiered  the  movement,  and  in  a  short  time  capital  to 
the  amount  of  $10,000,000  was  provided.  A  company  was  organ- 
ized in  January,  1899,  under  the  name  of  Virginia  Iron,  Coal  and 
Coke  company,  and  the  name  of  George  L.  Carter,  its  president, 
became  famous  in  all  Virginia.  Besides  the  furnaces  two  rail- 
roads were  comprised  in  the  deal  and  175,000  acres  of  mineral 
and  timber  land  in  Tennessee  and  Virginia. 

Unfortunately,  there  occurred  what  frequently  happens,  at 
some  time  or  other,  with  every  business  corporation.  A  faction 
developed  unfriendly  to  Mr.  Carter,  and  in  1901,  by  snap  methods, 
the  company  was  thrown  by  JMoore  and  Schley  into  receivers' 
hands.  Mr.  Carter  would  not  submit,  and  an  appeal  to  the 
courts  was  taken  by  him,  which  resulted  in  the  appointment  of 
Judge  A.  A.  Phlegar,  the  personal  friend  and  counsel  of  Mr. 
Carter,  as  one  of  the  receivers.  Under  their  able  direction  the 
interests  of  the  Virginia  Iron,  Coal  and  Coke  com^pany,  which 
are  immense,  were  put  in  first  class  shape,  and  the  receivers  dis- 
charged by  the  court  in  1903. 

Mr.  Carter,  who  from  his  youth  has  been  interested  in  farm- 
ing operations,  although  in  a  very  small  way,  in  his  earlier  days, 
is  very  fond  of  agricultural  pursuits,  takes  his  only  recreation  by 
occasionally  spending  a  day  or  two  looking  after  his  considerable 
farming  interests,  cattle  and  other  live  stock. 


GEORGE  LAFAYETTE  CARTER  67 

In  1902  and  1903  Mr.  Carter  bought  two  small  railroads  in 
Virginia,  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  and  a  large  acreage  of 
coal  lands  in  West  Virginia,  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  and  imme- 
diately commenced  the  development  thereof  by  opening  up  a 
number  of  coal  mines  on  properties,  and  building  railroads 
thereto. 

He  is  now  (1906)  backed  by  strong  New  York  and  Boston 
interests  in  a  forty  million  dollar  company,  which  is  making 
further  developments  of  its  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand acres  of  Virginia  coal  land,  and  in  completing  an  extensive 
low  grade  line  railroad  from  the  Virginia  coal  field  to  connections 
with  the  South  Atlantic  coast. 

In  response  to  the  question,  what  will  most  contribute  to 
achieve  success  in  life,  Mr.  Carter  replies :  "  A  complete 
knowledge  of  anatomy,  and  a  proper  observance  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  with  constant  industry,  frugality,  honesty  of  purpose, 
nobility,  courage,  persistent  energ^^,  and  the  fear  of  God." 

In  politics,  Mr.  Carter  is  and  has  always  been  a  Democrat, 
although  he  has  never  sought  office  and  cares  nothing  for  it.     The 
religious  element  in  his  character  is  deep  and  earnest,  and,  though 
he  has  never  identified  himself  with  any  church,  he  prefers  the 
Presbyterian    way    of   thinking.     He    states   that   his   mother's 
influence  upon  his  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  life  was  very 
great  and  this  is  probably  the  source  of  his  deep  veneration  for 
the  Sabbath  day,  which  he  wishes  to  keep  "  holy,"  no  matter  what 
may  be  the  call  upon  him.     This  deep  religious  instinct  was 
probably  the  governing  principle  of  his  conduct  after  his  father's 
death  when  m.ade  guardian  to  his  younger  brothers  and  sisters. 
His  supervision  extended  down  even  to  the  smallest  details  of 
their  lives;  and  their  physical,  intellectual  and  spiritual  welfare 
were  ever  the  objects  of  his  tenderest  care.     Feeling  the  incon- 
veniences which  he  had  encountered  from  lack  of  early  mental 
training,  he  took  care,  at  the  expense  of  much  toil  and  anxiety  to 
himself,  that  each  of  his    brothers  and  sisters  should  receive  the 
best  educational  advantages. 

On  April  9,  1895,  he  married  Mayetta  Wilkinson,  and  their 
only  child,  Jimmie  W.  Carter,  is  still  (190G)  living. 

His  address  is  Number  210  Solar  Street,  Bristol,  Virginia. 


LANGDON  TAYLOR   CHRISTIAN 

CHRISTIAN,  LANGDON  TAYLOR,  was  born  in  New 
Kent  county,  Virginia,  May  26,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of 
William  Edmond  and  Ann  E.  (Taylor)  Christian.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  was  a  typical  Virginian  of  the  "  old 
school,"  refined,  courteous,  chivalrous.  Mrs.  Ann  Christian  died 
when  her  son  was  yery  3^oung,  so  that  he  did  not  have  the  benefit 
of  a  mother's  training  and  influence. 

The  Christians  are  one  of  the  largest  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  old  Virginia  families.  Mr.  L.  T.  Christian  is 
connected  with  the  Charles  City  family  of  the  same  name,  and 
many  of  them  have  settled  in  Richmond  and  other  cities  of 
Virginia  and  of  other  states.  Man}^  of  them  have  risen  to 
prominence  m  various  sections,  two  of  the  most  distinguished 
being  the  late  Judge  Joseph  Christian,  long  a  member  of  the 
Supreme  court  of  Virginia,  and  the  present  distinguished  lawyer 
of  Richmond,  George  L.  Christian.  The  family  is  said  to  have 
come  from  the  Isle  of  Man :  they  settled  in  Virginia  early  in  the 
colonial  era,  probably  about  1650. 

Langdon  T.  was  reared  in  the  country,  and  did  such 
"  chores  "  as  a  country  boy  has  to  do.  He  made  himself  gener- 
ally useful,  and  hardened  both  his  physical  and  his  moral  muscle 
for  whatever  might  await  him  in  the  future.  Owing  to  the 
poor  schools  in  his  county,  he  was  deprived  of  educational  advan- 
tages and  in  1870  went  to  the  city  of  Richmond  and  apprenticed 
to  a  furniture  manufacturer.  By  strict  attention  to  business,  he 
soon  ingratiated  himself  with  his  employer,  and  was  entrusted 
with  no  little  responsibility.  In  1880,  he  became  a  funeral 
director;  has  been,  for  nineteen  years,  secretary  of  the  State 
Funeral  Director's  association ;  and  has  served  as  president  of  the 
national  association. 

Mr.  Christian  has  served  in  the  citv  council  of  Richmond, 
Virginia,  and  represented  his  city  in  the  lower  house  of  the 
general  assembly  from  1900  to  1904. 

In   social   orders   also,  he  has  been   prominent.     He  is  an 


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LANGDON    TAYLOR    CHRISTIAN  71 

enthusiastic  Mason,  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  a  Knight  Templar, 
and  has  served  as  past  master,  past  eminent  commander,  and  past 
chancellor,  in  these  orders. 

Mr.  Christian  has  also  taken  an  active  part  in  the  State 
Guard,  having  served  from  1872  to  1898.  He  entered  as  a 
private  and  rose  to  brigade  inspector,  with  the  rank  of  major. 

Mr.  Christian  married  Belle  Beverley  Brown.  They  have 
two  children,  who  are  now  (1906)  living.  They  reside  at  101*2 
East  Broad  Street,  Richmond,  Virginia. 


JOHN  WILLIAM  CHURCHMAN 

CHUECHMAN,  JOHN  WILLIAM,  is  the  son  of  John  S. 
and  Frances  Crawford  Churchman,  and  was  born 
September  12,  1857,  on  his  father's  farm  in  Augusta 
county,  where  he  still  (1906)  resides.  Mr.  Churchman's  ancestry 
on  his  father's  side  can  be  traced  back  to  John  Churchman,  who 
emigrated  from  England  to  America  about  1670,  and  settled  near 
the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Wilmington,  Delaware.  On  his 
mother's  side  he  is  sprung  from  that  sturdy  strain  of  Scotch-Irish 
Presbyterians  who  came  from  Ulster  in  the  early  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  locating  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of 
Virginia,  were  the  pioneers  of  the  westward  advancing  civiliza- 
tion of  their  day  in  the  development  of  a  new  country.  The 
names  of  Churchman  and  Crawford  alike  have  been  honored 
and  respected  ones  in  Augusta  county;  and  among  Mr.  Church- 
man's maternal  ancestors  w^ho  attained  local  distinction  was 
Colonel  James  Crawford,  who  was  for  a  long  period  the  presid- 
ing justice  of  the  county  court. 

Young  Churchman's  early  years  were  spent  in  attending 
country  schools  and  in  working  on  the  farm.  Later  he  was  a 
student  at  Hampden-Sidney  college,  Virginia,  from  which  insti- 
tution he  graduated  in  1878  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
His  original  purpose  had  been  to  pursue  the  study  and  practice 
of  the  law,  to  which  profession  his  tastes  and  natural  bent  of 
mind  inclined  him;  but  the  death  of  an  only  brother  made  it 
necessary  for  him  to  abandon  this  purpose,  and  to  take  charge 
of  his  father's  farm. 

Mr.  Churchman's  sound  judgment,  breadth  of  information, 
and  interest  in  public  matters,  however,  soon  brought  him 
conspicuously  to  the  front  as  a  man  of  affairs  in  his  county;  and 
for  many  years  he  served  most  acceptably  as  a  county 
magistrate.  In  1897,  he  was  nominated  and  elected  by  the 
Democratic  party,  of  which  he  has  alwaj^-s  been  an  unwavering 
adherent,  a  member  of  the  house  of  delegates  in  the  general 
assembly  of  Virginia.     To  this  position  he  has  been  elected  for 


JOHN    WILLIAM    CHURCHMAN  75 

five  consecutive  terms;  and  at  the  session  of  1906  he  was  a 
prominent  and  formidable  candidate  for  the  speakership.  His 
influence  in  the  house  of  delegates,  where  he  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  Democratic  leaders,  is  very  considerable;  and  at  the 
session  of  1906  he  originated  and  secured  the  enactment  of  a 
notable  piece  of  legislation  in  what  is  known  as  "  the  Church- 
man rate  bill,"  requiring  the  railroads  of  the  state  to  sell  five- 
hundred  miles  mileage  books  at  two  cents  a  mile. 

On  August  27,  1890,  Mr.  Churchman  married  Annie 
Johnson ;  and  of  their  marriage  have  been  born  four  children,  of 
whom  two  are  now  living  (1906). 

His  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


CHARLES  JONES  COLONNA 

COLONNA,  CHAELES  JONES,  marine  railway  and  ship 
builder,  was  born  in  Accomac  county,  Virginia,  August 
27,  1849.  His  parents  were  John  Wilkins  and  Margaret 
(Jones)  Colonna.  His  father,  a  planter  and  also  a  sea  captain, 
was  noted  for  his  kindness,  honesty,  and  close  attention  to  busi- 
ness. The  earliest  ancestors  in  this  country  emigrated  from 
Italy,  about  1625,  and  settled  in  the  section  now  comprised  in 
Accomac  and  Northampton  counties,  Virginia.  They  claim  to 
be  descendants  of  the  noble  Colonna  family  and  left  Italy  on 
account  of  religious  persecution. 

In  childhood  and  youth  Charles  Colonna  lived  in  the 
country.  He  was  well  and  strong  and  with  the  exception  of 
having  a  special  liking  for  mechanics  his  tastes  and  interests 
were  those  of  the  average  boy  of  his  time  and  locality.  He  went 
to  the  county  free  schools  but  was  not  able  to  attend  any  of  the 
higher  institutions  of  learning.  AVhen  school  was  not  in  session, 
he  was  obliged  to  regularly  perform  the  various  kinds  of  farm 
work,  and  after  his  school  davs  closed  he  remained  at  home  for 
awhile  and  continued  the  same  kind  of  labor. 

^Vhen  he  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age  he  left  the  farm 
for  the  sea.  He  sailed  before  the  mast  in  the  schooner  C.  C. 
Sadler  for  two  years  and  then  enlisted  on  the  coast  survey 
steamer  Bibb,  as  carpenter.  He  retained  this  position  for  about 
eighteen  months  when  he  resigned  and  went  to  Chicago  and 
found  employment  as  a  ship  carpenter  with  Miller  and  Brother. 
Later  he  worked  in  the  same  line  in  Canada,  Michigan  and 
Virginia.  In  1876,  when  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  com- 
menced business  for  himself  in  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  with 
borrowed  capital  built  a  marine  railway  with  a  capacity  of  about 
forty  tons.  For  a  time  the  tide  set  against  him.  The  capacity 
of  his  railway  was  so  limited  that  he  could  haul  only  small  boats 
and  the  percentage  of  profit  on  this  business  was  very  low. 
For  two  or  three  years  the  outlook  was  dark  and  Mr.  Colonna 
was  almost  discouraged.     But  his  wife  was  wise  and  helpful, 


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CHARLES   JONES   COLONNA  79 

and  very  largely  because  of  her  energy,  economy  and  constant 
encouragement,  he  was  enabled  to  go  on.  As  a  result  of  per- 
severance and  constant  and  careful  oversight  his  business 
increased  and  in  five  years  from  the  time  he  commenced  he 
found  it  necessary  to  enlarge  his  plant.  As  the  one  he  was  using 
was  on  leased  property  he  was  obliged  to  secure  another  location. 
He  purchased  the  place  which  he  now  owns  and  put  in  a  plant 
of  five  hundred  tons  capacity.  His  prosperity  steadily  increased, 
and  after  using  the  new  plant  six  years  he  was  obliged  to  greatly 
enlarge  his  facilities.  He  then  put  in  a  railway  with  a  capacity 
of  two  thousand  tons.  Not  long  afterward  one  of  his  com- 
petitors wished  to  sell,  and  in  1899  Mr.  Colonna  bought  the  John 
L.  Thomas  plant.  Three  years  later  he  purchased  the  shipyard 
adjoining  his  own,  which  was  the  property  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graves, 
by  whom  he  had  once  been  employed.  At  the  present  writing, 
he  has  five  marine  railways  in  operation;  three  on  the  Eastern 
branch  and  two  on  the  Southern  branch.  For  a  long  time  after 
he  commenced  business  he  employed  only  about  fifty  men,  but 
now,  as  for  several  years  past,  he  has  from  one  hundred  to  three 
hundred  men  constantly  at  work.  He  has  built  eleven  transpor- 
tation barges,  and  one  seagoing  steamer  which  bears  his  name. 
But  experience  has  taught  him  that  shipbuilding  in  his  locality 
is  not  profitable.  Consequently,  he  keeps  his  yards  almost 
entirely  for  the  purpose  of  repairing,  and  with  his  five  marine 
railways  he  repairs  on  an  average  some  six  hundred  and  fifty 
vessels  per  year. 

In  estimating  the  relative  strength  of  certain  influences  upon 
his  success,  Mr.  Colonna  says  that  '*  Character  founded  upon 
early  home  influences  has  been  principally  developed  and  molded 
by  contact  with  men  in  active  life."  In  the  daily  press  he  has 
found  the  reading  which  has  been  most  helpful  in  his  efforts  to 
win  success.  His  principal  recreations  are  found  in  driving, 
bicycling,  automobiling  and  boating.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  fraternities,  while  of  civic  bodies  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Norfolk  Business  Men's  association  and  of  the  Norfolk  chamber 
of  commerce.  In  politics  he  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  in 
later  years,  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Eepublican  party. 

Vol.  2— Va.— 4 


80  CHARLES    JONES    COLONNA 

His  religious  affiliation  is  with  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church, 
in  which  he  has  been  a  vestryman  for  twenty  years.  In  reply 
to  a  request  that  he  would,  from  his  own  experience  and  obser- 
vation, offer  suggestions  to  young  Americans  regarding  the 
principles,  methods  and  habits  which  he  believes  will  contribute 
most  to  the  strengthening  of  sound  ideals  and  will  most  help 
young  people  to  attain  success  in  life,  he  says,  "  Young  men  should 
choose  the  occupation  which  they  feel  they  are  best  fitted  for, 
and  then  if  they  are  temperate  and  persistent  they  will  win 
success.  Industry,  temperance  and  honor  are  the  best  fortunes 
they  can  possess." 

Mr.  Colonna  has  been  twice  married;  first,  on  March  20, 
1877,  to  Margaret  O.  Dunston;  and  second,  on  January  30,  1902, 
to  Fannie  C.  Fentress.  Of  his  seven  children,  six  are  living 
in  1906. 

His  address  is  Norfolk,  Virginia. 


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JOHN  WIMBISH    CRADDOCK 

HADDOCK,  JOHN  WIMBISH,  president  of  the  Crad- 
dock-Terry  Company  of  Ljaichburg,  was  born  at  Halifax 
court-house,  Virginia,  August  14,  1858.  His  ancestors 
came  from  Wales  in  the  seventeenth  century,  settling  first  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state.  His  father,  Charles  J.  Craddock,  was 
distinguished  locally  as  a  physician,  as  his  father  before  him  had 
been ;  and  was  for  a  time,  before  the  Civil  war,  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  legislature.  John  Cradclock's  mother  was  before  mar- 
riage Miss  Fannie  Y.  Easley,  of  another  prominent  Halifax 
family.  Dr.  Craddock  died  January  1,  1866,  leaving  a  widow 
and  six  children  ranging  in  age  from  two  to  fourteen  years.  In 
a  country  impoverished  by  war,  under  this  heavy  responsibility 
and  under  the  shadow  of  sore  bereavement,  this  gentlewoman 
faced  the  future  vrith  Spartan  courage.  War  had  wiped  out  her 
husband's  savings,  and  she,  in  order  to  furnish  the  means  for  the 
support  of  her  children  and  their  preparation  for  the  duties  of 
life,  opened  a  boarding  and  day  school  at  her  home.  It  was  here 
that  the  foundations  of  John  Craddock's  education  and  character 
were  laid,  and  to-day  he  looks  back  with  reverence  and  affection 
to  the  teaching  and  influence  of  this  heroic  mother  as  the  source 
of  whatever  good  there  is  in  him  and  his  career. 

The  boy  was  in  his  eighth  year  when  his  father  died. 
Physically,  he  was  not  robust,  but  he  loved  outdoor  life,  and  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age  he  helped  about  the  farm  after 
school  hours.  He  realizes  now  that  the  necessary  activity  and 
self-denial  of  these  early  days  was  of  incalculable  benefit  to  him. 
He  began  his  business  career  in  a  country  store  at  the  age  of 
sixteen.  He  removed  to  Lynchburg  in  September,  1878,  and 
remained  there  in  business,  as  an  employee,  for  six  years.  In 
1884,  he  embarked  in  the  wholesale  boot  and  shoe  business  in 
Baltimore  in  the  firm  of  Spragins,  Stover  &  Craddock.  In  1888 
he  returned  to  Lynchburg  and  with  confident  appreciation  of  its 
advantages  as  a  wholesale  mart,  he  became  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Craddock,  Terry  and  Company.     The  partnership, 


84  JOHN    WIMBISH    CRADDOCK 

after  ten  prosperous  years,  expanded  in  1898  into  the  incorporated 
concern  of  Craddock-Terry  Company,  which  is  now  in  the  full 
tide  of  a  splendidly  successful  development. 

Mr.  Craddock  on  December  6,  1886,  married  Miss  Mary 
Peachy  Gilmer,  of  Chatham,  Pitts^dvania  county,  Virginia. 
They  have  four  children.  The  home  of  the  family  is  a  handsome 
establishment  on  Madison  street,  in  one  of  the  most  attractive 
residence  sections  of  the  city.  Mr.  Craddock  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  with  which  he  has  long  been  connected. 

Mr.  Craddock  is  an  attractive  as  well  as  a  commanding 
figure  in  the  business  sphere.  As  soon  as  the  purely  commercial 
success  of  the  enterprise  which  has  claimed  the  years  of  his  prime 
was  assured,  there  was  evolved  by  him  and  his  associates,  an  ideal 
of  high  and  fine  significance.  Before  the  concern  came  into 
existence  there  was  already  one  wholesale  shoe  house,  and  it  was 
prosperous,  but  expansion  had  not  as  yet  proceeded  sufficiently  to 
give  Lynchburg  distinctive  rank  as  a  shoe  center.  This  com- 
paratively small  city  has  now  become  the  leading  shoe  distributing 
point  in  the  South,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  the  goods  has  also 
come  rapidly  to  the  front.  Half  a  dozen  houses  conduct  each  a 
large  establishment,  three  of  them  embracing  manufacturing 
departments.  Preeminent  in  the  campaign  for  trade  conquest  has 
been  the  Craddock-Terry  Company,  which  has  not  only  earned 
large  dividends  annually  but  has  consistently  operated  on  the 
broad  principle  that  it  is  itself  directly  benefited  by  whatever 
promotes  the  prestige  of  the  market  as  a  whole.  It  is  a  concern 
that  throbs  with  the  spirit  of  leadership,  blazing  new  paths  and 
invading  new  territory,  proceeding  with  dash  yet  with  judgment, 
with  acumen  and  probity.  Mr.  Craddock,  fortunately  associated 
with  able  men  of  like  enthusiasm  and  aspiration,  would  build  a 
business  that  would  be  a  monument — not  onlj^  a  fabric  of  financial 
success,  but  also  an  institution  on  enduring  foundations  that  will 
develop  manhood  and  merit,  that  will  illustrate  the  efficacy  of 
high  business  principles,  and  perhaps  go  far  to  solve,  almost 
before  it  has  arisen,  the  labor  problem  in  Southern  industries. 

The  plan  is  definite,  though  of  necessity  gradual  in  its  evolu- 
tion. Since  the  house  was  incorporated  eight  years  ago,  such 
employees  as  have  demonstrated  their  fitness,  have  from  time  to 
been  given  opportunity  to  become  stockholders  under  an  arrange- 


JOHN    WIMBISH    CRADDOCK  85 

ment  making  the  ownership  of  stock  immediate  and  payment 
therefor  gradual.  The  company  contemplates  taking  another 
great  step,  by  which  a  similar  opportunity,  on  terms  that  any 
thrifty  workingman  can  comply  with,  will  be  extended  to 
employees  in  the  manufactory,  whenever  they  shall  have  com- 
pleted a  brief,  fixed  period  as  wage  earners  and  have  established 
a  certain  record  of  compliance  with  reasonable  business  regula- 
tions. This  generous  and  at  the  same  time  judicious  system 
so  far  as  it  has  been  carried  out  has  brought  rich  returns,  finan- 
cial and  moral,  and  the  proportionate  success  of  its  extention  is 
undoubted.  The  enthusiasm  and  the  unity  of  interest  which  it 
insures  make  an  irresistible  bid  for  results.  The  esprit  de  corps 
produced,  resembles  that  prevailing  in  a  proud  battalion — "  the 
house "  for  every  man,  and  every  man  for  the  house.  The 
ambition  of  the  men  and  the  exercise  of  initiative  are  encouraged 
throughout  the  establishment.  The  atmosphere  is  promotive  of 
harmony  and  stimulates  a  spirit  of  business  industry.  This  is 
the  outcome  of  a  principle  of  far  reaching  achievement  that 
appeals  to  the  sensibility  and  imagination  of  a  man  like  John  W. 
Craddock. 

Mr.  Craddock  is  an  influential  and  positive  factor  in  the 
local  business  community,  and  in  the  shoe  trade  of  the  East  and 
South.  He  has  been  president  of  the  Ljmchburg  board  of  trade, 
and  of  the  National  Shoe  Wholesalers'  association,  and  has  been 
selected  to  act  in  many  similar  representative  capacities. 

His  scope  is  by  no  means  limited  to  the  domain  of  commerce 
and  industry,  however.  He  is  "  a  business  man  with  genius  for 
citizenship,"  as  well  as  a  citizen  with  a  genius  for  business.  His 
public  spirit  is  a  proverb,  and  in  every  movement  for  the  promo- 
tion of  civic  progress  v/hich  his  judgment  approves,  he  is  liberal 
with  mone3^,  time  and  thought.  His  aid  in  behalf  of  such  efforts 
is  uniformly  desired,  his  advocacy  is  a  strong  recommendation, 
his  leadership  almost  the  badge  of  victory.  He  has  never  sought 
an  office  and  has  never  held  one  except  that  of  member  of  the  city 
school  board,  in  which  he  takes  great  interest.  His  influence 
upon  the  sentiment  of  his  community  comes  to  him  as  a  private 
citizen  and  has  been  acquired  by  no  meretricious  methods,  but  is 
simply  a  reflection  of  the  public  estimate  of  his  character,  his 
judgment  and  his  disinterestedness. 


86  JOHN    WIMBISH    CRADDOCK 

Once  a  subject  claims  his  attention,  his  passion  is  for  all  the 
available  information  bearing  upon  it.  This  at  hand,  his  grasp  is 
all  but  instant  and  his  decision  prompt.  He  is  a  convincing 
speaker  by  force  of  sincerity  and  lucidity  of  statement.  Contact 
with  men  in  active  life,  next  to  the  home,  Mr.  Craddock  regards 
as  the  greatest  educational  influence  that  he  has  experienced. 
Sensible  of  the  normal  relations  of  things,  he  is  without  affecta- 
tions, and  his  head  will  never  be  turned.  His  power  of  concen- 
tration seems  absolute,  and  his  attention  is  transferred  from  one 
subject  to  another  with  singular  ease.  He  can  by  turns  scrutinize 
the  minutiae  of  shoe  and  leather  statistics,  canvass  the  probabili- 
ties of  an  election,  ponder  the  planting  of  a  hedge  around  a  school 
yard,  take  an  afternoon  drive,  make  a  first  class  speech  at  a 
banquet,  and  then,  later  in  the  evening  as  the  glow  of  the  embers 
dims,  take  down  from  the  shelf  an  ethical  discourse  and  let  in  the 
finer  lights — all  in  one  daj^  and  without  excessive  fatigue  at  the 
end.  It  is  a  man  of  quite  varied  resources  who  can  with  undimin- 
ished zest  and  unimpaired  enthusiasm  thread  the  mazes  of  a  great 
business  through  the  year,  participate  actively  as  a  private  citizen 
in  every  political  contest,  aid  in  municipal  development  in  a 
dozen  different  ways,  help  his  friends  to  solve  their  problems,  take 
a  trip  to  the  seashore  once  in  a  while,  spend  a  month  on  the  farm, 
then  top  it  off  by  sending  to  the  members  of  his  personal  circle, 
as  a  New  Year's  greeting,  a  prettily  printed  leaflet  bearing  the 
uplifting  sentiments  of  Channing's  immortal  "  symphony." 

Mr.  Craddock's  address  is  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


PUBLIC  LIBEAEY 


W^^-U*'-AJ'W^  i-^  .M»^  W  *  . '  WL» 


>M»n^  «i'"»""'  •••'•«-• 


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1 


^ ' 


CHARLES  CURRY 

CURRY,  CHARLES,  who  for  many  years  has  been  one  of 
the  prominent  lawyers  of  the  Staunton,  Virginia,  bar, 
was  born  in  Augusta  county,  Virginia,  January  25,  1858. 
His  father  and  mother  were  Robert  Addison  Curry  and  Hannah 
Anderson  Curry.  He  is  of  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian  extraction, 
his  great-grandfather,  Doctor  Robert  Curry,  having  been  born 
near  Londonderry,  Ireland,  about  1700.  Doctor  Robert  Curry 
was  educated  in  Londonderry,  and  studied  medicine  in  Belfast, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  an  accomplished  swordsman  and  athlete. 
Doctor  Curry  married  in  Ireland,  in  1740,  Ann  Currie,  who  was  a 
daughter  of  James  Currie,  an  officer  at  the  siege  of  Londonderry, 
who  served  in  King  William's  army  at  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne. 
Doctor  Curry  and  his  wife  emigrated  to  America  in  1740,  landing 
at  Philadelphia,  and  came  South  to  Augusta  county,  where  they 
settled.  He  commanded  a  company  in  the  French  and  Indian 
war.  After  that  war  was  over,  he  settled  down  to  the  practice  of 
medicine,  and  followed  his  profession  in  his  adopted  county  until 
his  death  in  his  eighty- fourth  year.  The  farm  on  which  Doctor 
Curry  located,  in  "  the  hill  country  of  Judea  "  in  Augusta  county, 
known  as  Glenn-Curry,  has  been  continuously  in  the  family  since 
that  time,  and  is  still  owned  by  his  descendant,  Mr.  Charles 
Curry.  Doctor  Curry's  son,  Samuel,  married  Mary  Glenn,  who 
was  also  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  her  father,  George  Glenn, 
having  emigrated  to  Virginia  from  Londonderr3%  about  1740; 
and  they  were  the  paternal  grandparents  of  Mr.  Charles  Curry. 
The  father,  grandfather,  and  great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Curry 
were  all  elders  of  the  historic  "  Old  Stone  church  "  of  Augusta 
county;  and  for  fifty  years  Mr.  Robert  A.  Curry  was  superin- 
tendent of  its  Sunday  school. 

All  of  Mr.  Charles  Curry's  progenitors  in  Virginia  were 
soldiers,  his  grandfather  having  been  an  officer  in  the  American 
army,  in  Captain  Kirk's  Virginia  company  in  the  War  of  1812; 
and  his  father,  though  too  old  for  active  military  service,  having 
been  first  lieutenant  in  Captain  Samuel  Bell's  "  Home  Guards  " 


90  CHARLES    CURRY 

during  the  War  between  the  States.  Three  of  Mr.  Robert  A. 
Curry's  sons  lost  their  lives  in  the  Southern  army  in  that  war. 

Mr.  Charles  Curry's  early  life  was  passed  in  the  countr}^, 
and  after  arriving  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  began  work  on 
the  farm,  keeping  this  up  industriously  when  he  was  not  at  school. 
His  father's  means  having  been  much  depleted  by  the  war, 
Charles  Curry,  from  the  time  he  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
obtained  his  education  lar^relv  throuojh  his  own  efforts.  Havins: 
attended  both  private  and  public  schools,  he  became  a  student  at 
the  Augusta  Military  academy,  conducted  by  Captain  Charles  S. 
Roller,  and  rode  or  walked  to  school  from  home  each  day,  a 
distance  of  six  miles.  Here  he  continued  from  his  sixteenth  to 
his  twent}^- fourth  year,  going  to  school  about  five  months  of  each 
school  session,  and  farming  and  working  with  his  hands  the  rest 
of  the  year.  In  1884,  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the 
University  of  Virginia,  and  in  August,  1885,  settled  in  Staunton, 
where  he  has  since  practiced  his  profession,  in  which  he  has  by 
diligence,  industry,  and  determination  achieved  success  and 
prominence. 

Although  he  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics  and  has 
engaged  in  many  political  canvasses  as  a  speaker,  Mr.  Curry  has 
never  aspired  to  a  public  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  attention 
to  his  business. 

Mr.  Curry  is  widely  read  in  general  literature,  and  has 
devoted  especial  attention  to  the  study  of  social  and  scientific 
questions.  He  is  an  effective  and  forcible  writer,  and  has  con- 
tributed essa^^s  and  biographical  articles  to  magazines  and  other 
periodicals.  His  chief  attention,  however,  has  been  devoted  to 
the  study  and  practice  of  law;  and  his  interest  in  his  profession 
has  resulted  not  only  in  the  establishment  of  a  good  clientage  and 
the  attainment  of  reputation  as  a  successful  criminal  and  civil 
lawyer,  but  in  the  production  by  him  of  various  articles  in  the 
''  Virginia  Law  Register  "  and  the  "  American  Law  Review  "  on 
legal  and  kindred  topics. 

Mr.  Curry's  affiliations  politically  are  with  the  Democratic 
party;  but  sometimes  in  local  elections  he  has  exercised  the 
privilege  of  voting  independently. 

On  August  12,  1886,  Mr.  Curry  married  Grace  Elizabeth 
Duncan,  who  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Daughters  of  the 


CHARLES    CURRY  91 

American  Revolution,  and  is  the  regent  of  the  Beverley  Manor 
chapter  of  that  organization,  at  Staunton.     Of  their  marriage 
have  been  born  ten  children,  of  whom  six  survive  (1906). 
His  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


JOHN  GARNETT  DEW 

DEW,  JOHN  GARNETT,  second  auditor  of  Virginia; 
and  former  county  court  judge,  was  born  in  the  village 
of  Newtown,  King  and  Queen  county,  Virginia,  July 
23,  1845.  His  father  was  Benjamin  Franklin  Dew,  a  lawyer, 
farmer  and  teacher  of  King  and  Queen  county,  and  a  magistrate 
and  member  of  the  old  county  court,  at  a  period  when  that 
position  was  one  of  great  dignity  and  responsibility.  His 
mother  was  Mary  Susan  Garnett,  of  the  distinguished  Virginia 
family  of  Garnetts. 

Judge  Dew's  first  ancestor  in  America  was  William  Dew, 
who  came  from  England  at  an  early  date  in  the  history  of  the 
colonies,  and  settled  in  Maryland.  On  his  mother's  side  also 
he  is  of  English  extraction,  the  Garnetts  having  emigrated  from 
England  to  Essex  county,  Virginia,  also  at  an  early  date. 
Among  Judge  Dew's  relatives  who  have  been  of  prominence  in 
Virginia,  was  his  great-uncle,  Thomas  Dew,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  colonial  house  of  burgesses;  and  his  uncle,  Thomas  R. 
Dew,  who  was  a  professor  in  the  College  of  William  and  Mary, 
and  later  its  president,  and  who  was  distinguished  as  a  writer  on 
philosophical  and  sociological  topics. 

Judge  Dew  grew  up  in  a  country  village,  and  learned  as  a 
youth  to  work  about  his  home,  aiding  and  assisting  his  mother 
in  her  household  duties  until  her  death,  when  he  was  ten  years 
of  age,  and,  after  that,  rendering  such  assistance  to  his  father  as 
he  was  able.  He  attended  first  the  schools  of  his  neighborhood, 
and  later  the  academy  taught  by  Dr.  Gessner  Harrison,  formerly 
the  distinguished  professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of  Vir- 
ginia. He  was  still  at  school  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  War 
between  the  States,  and  entered  the  army  of  the  Confederate 
States  during  the  war,  serving  as  a  private  for  two  years  of  that 
struggle.  At  its  close  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia, 
where  he  continued  during  the  sessions  of  1865-1866  and  1866- 
1867,  graduating  in  the  last  named  year  from  the  law  school  of 
the  university  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws. 


JOHX    GARNETT    DEW  95- 

In  1868  Judge  Dew  began  the  active  work  of  life  as  a  prac- 
titioner of  law  in  King  and  Queen  county ;  and  this  occupation, 
together  with  that  of  farming,  save  during  his  service  on  the 
bench,  occupied  his  time  and  attention  up  to  1900,  when  he 
became  second  auditor  of  the  state.  From  1884  to  1900,  he  served 
acceptably  and  with  distinction  as  judge  of  the  county  court  of 
King  and  Queen,  and  was  a  m.ember  of  the  county  school  board 
from  the  first  creation  of  the  board  until  he  went  on  the  bench 
in  1884. 

Judge  Dew  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  since  1900  has 
been  twice  elected  by  the  Democratic  party  second  auditor  of 
Virginia.  In  religious  preference,  he  is  a  Baptist,  and  takes  a 
prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  his  denomination. 

A  sketch  of  Judge  Dew  was  published  some  tim.e  ago  in  the 
Twentieth  Century  edition  of  the  "  Richmond  News-Leader." 

On  October  28,  1875,  Judge  Dew  married  Lelia  Fauntleroy. 
of  the  old  Virginia  family  of  that  name.  They  had  five 
children,  four  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living.  The  family 
residence  is  at  1520  Grove  Avenue,  Richmond,  Virginia. 


HENRY  HAWKINS  DOWNING 

DOWNING,  HENRY  HAWKINS,  lawyer,  was  born  in 
Fauquier  county,  Virginia,  April  20,  1853,  and  is  the 
son  of  John  H.  and  Fannie  Scott  Downing.  John  H. 
was  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Fauquier  county,  a  man  of 
great  force  of  character  and  of  indomitable  energy.  Mrs.  Fannie 
Downing  was  a  woman  of  many  and  varied  accomplishments, 
and  exerted  a  profound  influence  upon  her  son  at  the  formative 
period  of  his  life. 

In  boyhood,  Henry  Downing  was  required  by  his  father  lo 
gain  a  practical  knowledge  of  farming.  He  did  not  believe  in 
the  silver-spoon  system  of  rearing  children,  but  thought  that 
every  boy  should  have  a  practical  knowledge  of  some  craft  or 
business  by  which  he  might,  in  case  of  emergency,  be  able  to 
help  himself  along  if  his  outlined  plans  of  life  should  fail.  To 
Mr.  Henry  Downing  this  training  has  proved  a  godsend ;  for  by 
combining  farming  with  his  chosen  profession  he  has  provided 
himself  with  dual  occupation,  with  diversion  from  the  routine  of 
the  law,  and  with  invigorating  outdoor  exercise. 

Mr.  Downing's  academic  education  was  received  partly  at 
Bethel  academy  and  partly  from  private  tutors.  Thus  prepared, 
he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia  in  the  fall  of  1874,  to  study 
law.  There  he  came  under  the  influence  of  the  gifted  John  B. 
Minor,  then  in  the  high  noon  of  his  great  career  as  a  professor  of 
law.  In  1876,  Mr.  Downing  took  his  degree  of  B.  L. ;  soon  there- 
after he  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Front  Royal,  Virginia.  In 
1879,  he  was  elected  commonwealth's  attorney  of  Warren  county. 
Up  to  the  present  time,  Mr.  Downing  has  continued  his  practice 
without  serious  interruption.  As  already  said,  he  is  also  a 
farmer,  and  we  may  add  that  he  devotes  some  of  his  attention  to 
stock-raising.  His  principal  diversion  is  scientific  farming  and 
the  raising  of  blooded  cattle. 

Mr.  Downing  has  figured  prominently  in  the  public  eye.  As 
counsel  for  the  Southern  Railroad  company,  and  for  the  Norfolk 
and    Western    Railroad    company,    he   has   been    prominent    in 


t 


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«>■' 


HENRY   HAAVKINS   DOWNING  99 

legal  circles.  For  three  terms,  he  represented  his  county  in  the 
house  of  delegates,  where  he  took  an  active  part  in  legislation. 
Since  1898,  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  the 
University  of  Virginia,  and  is  actively  identified  with  the  vigor- 
ous administration  of  that  institution  under  the  new  readme 
inaugurated  by  Mr.  Downing  and  his  colleagues  on  the  board  of 
visitors. 

Mr.  Downing  devotes  some  of  his  time  to  social  relaxation, 
more  especially  to  the  meetings  of  his  lodge ;  he  is  a  faithful  and 
loyal  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Dovrning  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  holds  the  office  of  vestryman. 

Mr.  Downing  has  no  advice  for  the  ambitious  young 
American  save  "  Be  moderate  in  all  things  except  in  accomplish- 
ing your  purpose,  after  you  have  determined  it  is  right."  He 
agrees  with  the  famous  Davy  Crockett,  "  Be  sure  you're  right, 
then  go  ahead."  He  is  a  typical  representative  of  the  Virginia 
gentleman  of  the  generation  now  in  charge  of  state  affairs — con- 
servative, energetic,  faithful,  honest,  hopeful. 

Mr.  Downing  has  married  twice.  His  first  wife  was  Nannie 
T.  Byrne,  daughter  of  John  S.  Byrne,  for  thirty-one  years  clerk 
of  Fauquier  county  circuit;  his  second,  Caroline  E.  Long, 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Susan  Long,  whose  progenitors  were  the 
first  white  people  to  settle  west  of  the  Blue  Eidge.  He  has  had 
four  children,  all  of  whom  are  (1906)  living. 

Mr.  Downing's  address  is  Front  Royal,  Warren  County, 
Virginia. 


5355B 


RICHARD  THOMAS  WALKER  DUKE,  JR 

DUKE,  RICHAED  THOMAS  WALKER,  Jr.,  lawyer 
and  poet,  was  born  in  Charlottesville,  Virginia,  August 
27,  1853.  His  father,  R.  T.  W.  Duke,  served  in  the 
Virginia  legislature  and  in  congress,  and  was  a  colonel  in  the 
Confederate  army.  His  marked  characteristics  were  firmness, 
honor,  dignity,  courage,  and  gentleness.  R.  T.  Duke,  the 
elder,  married  Elizabeth  Scott  Eskridge,  a  descendant  of  William 
Eskridge,  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  first  American  Duke  was  Henry,  the  emigrant,  who 
came  from  Suffolk,  England,  prior  to  1670,  and  settled  in  James 
City  county,  Virginia.  He  was  a  member  of  the  council,  member 
of  the  house  of  burgesses,  and  a  colonel.  Another  ancestor  of 
R.  T.  W.  Duke,  Jr.,  vvas  John  Brown,  chancellor  of  Virginia. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  served  from  March,  1888,  to  March, 
1901,  as  judge  of  the  corporation  court  of  Charlottesville.  From 
1901,  he  has  practiced  his  profession  with  great  success  in 
Charlottesville,  and  stands  at  the  very  front  of  the  bar. 

Judge  Duke  received  his  early  education  under  Major  Horace 
W.  Jones,  an  honored  teacher  in  Virginia.  In  1874,  he  entered 
the  law  school  of  the  university,  w^here  he  came  under  the 
influence  of  the  distinguished  John  B.  Minor,  whose  name  is  a 
household  word  among  the  lawyers  of  Virginia.  Judge  Duke's 
success  in  life  is  partly  due  to  the  home  training  received  from  a 
father  whose  marked  characteristics  have  already  been  named 
and  a  mother  of  high  intellectual  and  moral  endowments.  These, 
with  the  assiduous  reading  of  the  standard  English  authors  and 
the  earnest  study  of  the  classic  literature  of  Greece  and  Rome, 
have  made  him  one  of  the  most  cultivated  writers  and  public 
speakers  in  Virginia,  and  given  him  no  little  reputation  as  a 
poet. 

On  being  asked  to  suggest  principles  that  would  contribute 
most  to  the  making  of  high  ideals  in  American  life.  Judge  Duke 
replied :  "  The  old  time  ideas  of  honesty,  purity,  courage, 
contempt  of  meanness,  and  recognizing  the  fact  that  money  is  the 


RICHARD    THOMAS    WALKER    DUKE,    JR.  101 


smallest  wage  a  man  can  earn."  With  such  men  at  the  front,  the 
old  state  of  Virginia  hopefully  faces  the  future.  In  politics, 
Judge  Duke  is  a  Democrat ;  in  religious  affiliation,  a  Presbyterian. 
In  1904  he  was  elected  president  of  the  mother  chapter  of  Phi 
Beta  Kappa,  located  at  the  College  of  William  and  Mary.  This 
is  a  very  high  literary  honor,  because  it  made  Judge  Duke  the 
official  head  of  an  extensive  body  of  scholars  and  literary  men, 
elected  solely  on  their  merits.  To  Judge  Duke's  poetry,  we  have 
already  referred,  but  it  is  worth}^  of  more  extended  mention.  In 
a  book  of  Southern  poetry  published  by  Lippincott  in  1896  and 
entitled  "  Songs  of  the  South,"  two  of  Judge  Duke's  poems  are 
given  in  full. 

October  1,  1884,  Judge  Duke  was  married  to  Edith  R. 
Slaughter,  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia.  They  have  had  six  children, 
of  whom  five  are  now  living.  At  their  beautiful  home  in  Char- 
lottesville, Judge  and  Mrs.  Duke  dispense  a  lavish  and  graceful 
hospitality  according  to  the  ancient  customs  of  Virginia  social 
life. 

As  already  said.  Judge  Duke's  principal  road  to  success  and 
distinction  has  been  the  law.  To  this  he  has  devoted  the  best  part 
of  his  time  and  attention,  making  reading  and  the  production  of 
poems  and  addresses  only  a  pleasant  recreation.  A  part  of  his 
business  hours,  he  has  devoted  to  public  services  more  or  less 
connected  with  his  career  as  a  lawyer.  He  has  been  grand 
master  of  Masons  in  Virginia;  treasurer  of  the  Miller  board  of 
the  University  of  Virginia  since  1898;  president  of  the  Char- 
lottesville Ice  Company;  director  in  the  Bank  of  Albemarle,  in 
the  Kentucky  Coal  Company,  and  in  the  Washington  Railway 
and  Electric  Company.  For  some  time,  he  served  as  president 
of  the  city  council  of  Charlottesville.  In  all  these  positions  of 
trust,  he  has  lived  out  the  high  ideals  laid  down  in  an  earlier 
paragraph.  No  one  that  knows  the  man  can  doubt  his  honesty, 
his  courage,  his  purity,  his  contempt  of  meanness,  and  other 
qualities  which  he  believes  a  gentleman  should  have.  These, 
united  to  a  broad  culture  and  ability  of  a  high  order,  have  put 
him  among  the  men  of  mark  in  Virginia. 

Recurring  to  Judge  Duke's  career  as  a  lawyer,  it  may  be 
stated  that  in  a  recent  famous  criminal  case  in  Virginia,  Judge 
Duke  was  offered  handsome  inducements  to  act  as  counsel,  but 


102  EICHARD    THOMAS    WALKER   DUKE,   JR. 

declined.  It  may  also  be  stated  that  the  people  of  Albemarle 
county  believe  that  "  Tom  Duke  "  can  do  anything  that  requires 
ability,  grit,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  law. 

His  address  is  Charlottesville,  Virginia. 


-Y 


y-^^^   -^/"  yfy^-f^^      zr.  i  7,  -  z._ 


yy^s  '7'f-!Q-~-  — 


JOHN  THOMAS  DUNLOP 

DUNLOP,  JOHN  THOMAS,  was  born  in  Frederick 
county,  Maryland,  January  25,  1842.  Like  most  of  the 
people  among  whom  he  has  spent  the  larger  part  of  his 
life,  he  is  of  Scotch  blood.  His  first  ancestor  on  the  paternal  side 
in  America  emigrated  to  this  country  from  the  vicinity  of 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  settled  in  Georgetown,  in  the  colony  of 
Maryland,  now  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  One  of  Mr. 
Dunlop's  forbears  was  James  Dunlop,  who  was  a  judge  of  the 
court  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  Mr.  Dunlop's  mother  was 
Catherine  Thomas,  of  the  distinguished  Maryland  family  of  that 
name,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Thomas,  of 
Frederick  county,  Maryland. 

Mr.  Dunlop  grew  up  on  a  farm,  where  he  acquired  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  farming  in  all  its  details,  and  where  he 
also  became  skilled  in  the  knowledge  and  use  of  machinery,  for 
which  he  had  a  liking  and  an  aptitude.  He  attended  a  primary 
school  when  a  lad,  and  was  for  a  short  time  a  pupil  in  a  classical 
academy.  About  the  beginning  of  the  War  between  the  States, 
his  maternal  uncle.  Governor  Francis  Thomas,  of  Maryland, 
then  a  member  of  the  United  States  house  of  representatives  from 
the  fifth  Maryland  district,  offered  to  secure  him  an  appointment 
in  the  West  Point  Military  academy,  or  in  the  Naval  academy  at 
Annapolis,  as  he  might  prefer.  This  offer  his  parents  declined 
for  him;  and  later  the  same  kinsman  offered  to  obtain  for  him 
a  commission  in  the  United  States  army.  But  young  Dunlop's 
sympathies  were  with  the  Southern  people  in  the  great  struggle 
which  was  then  impending;  and  obtaining  the  consent  of  his 
parents  to  come  South  in  1862,  he  joined  Company  G,  7th 
Virginia  cavalry,  and  served  in  the  Confederate  army  up  to  the 
close  of  the  War  between  the  States.  He  relates  that  when  he 
left  home  to  enter  the  Southern  army,  on  bidding  his  mother 
good-bye,  she  said  to  him :  "  John,  I  have  prayed  that  you  might 
be  kept  out  of  this  war,  but  you  have  decided  to  go.  I  do  not 
want  to  hear  of  any  cowardice."     It  was  the  old  classic  story  of 

Vol.  2— Va.— 5 


106  JOHN    THOMAS   DUNLOP 

the  Si3artan  mother  of  antiquity  bidding  her  warrior  son  to  return 
with  his  shield  or  on  it,  repeating  itself  in  a  new  land  and  in  a 
later  century. 

In  April,  1865,  Mr.  Dunlop  began  the  active  work  of  life 
upon  a  farm  in  Rockbridge  county,  Virginia;  and  by  systematic 
industr}^  and  perseverance  he  became  successful  and  acquired  a 
competence.  He  has  continued  in  the  business  of  farming  since 
that  time,  although  he  has  occupied  many  responsible  public  and 
private  positions  in  the  meanwhile.  In  1890,  he  became  a 
director  of  the  First  National  bank  of  Buena  Vista,  of  which 
institution  he  was  in  1893  elected  the  president;  and  since  May, 
1895,  he  has  been  the  president  of  the  First  National  bank  of 
Lexington,  Virginia.  He  represented  the  county  of  Rockbridge 
and  the  city  of  Buena  Vista  in  the  Virginia  house  of  delegates 
during  the  legislative  session  of  1891-1892 ;  and  is  a  Democrat  in 
his  political  affiliations,  although  like  many  other  Democrats,  he 
left  his  party  on  the  silver  issue. 

Mr.  Dunlop  is  a  Presbyterian  in  his  religious  tenets,  and  was 
a  deacon  in  the  Falling  Spring  church  in  his  county  from  1880 
to  1885.  From  1885  to  1890,  he  was  an  elder  in  Falling  Spring 
church ;  and  since  the  last  named  date  he  has  been  an  elder  in  the 
Presbvterian  church  at  Buena  Vista. 

Mr.  Dunlop  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife  having  been 
Mary  Glasgow,  and  his  second  wife,  Alice  McCorkle. 

Mr.  Dunlop's  address  is  Buena  Vista,  Virginia. 


I 


J 


/^/^ 


c^^>. 


JAMES  GASrON  DUNSMORE 

UKSMOEE,  JAMES  GASTON,  was  born  October  22, 
1848,  at  Sinks  Grove,  in  Monroe  county,  now  in  the 
state  of  West  Virginia.  His  father  was  George  Wash- 
ing-ton Dunsmore,  a  prominent  farmer  of  that  county,  who  was 
honored  with  the  confidence  of  his  f  ellow-countrvmen  in  elections 
to  the  positions  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  supervisor  of  his 
county;  his  mother  was  Amanda  Meivma  Crews. 

Like  many  of  the  people  of  his  mountain  section,  Mr. 
Dunsmore  is  of  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian  stock,  his  emigrant 
ancestor  being  James  Dunsmore,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  came 
to  America,  and  settled  in  Monroe  county.  His  youth  was  spent 
on  his  father's  farm,  where  he  did  the  manual  labor  that  falls 
to  the  lot  of  the  average  country  lad.  He  was  educated  at  Rocky 
Point  academy  at  Sinks  Grove;  and  afterwards  attended  the 
Eastman  National  Business  college  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York, 
where  he  graduated  in  1871,  with  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Accounts.  He  also  holds  the  post-graduate  degree  of  Fellow  of 
the  Institute  of  Accounts,  New  York  city,  which  was  conferred 
on  him  in  April,  1896. 

Mr.  Dunsmore's  active  work  in  life  was  begun  as  an  assistant 
teacher  at  Sinks  Grove  in  1868.  His  parents  were  opposed  to 
I  his  making  a  profession  of  teaching ;  but  his  own  inclination  and 
preference  lay  in  that  direction,  and  so  he  wisely  determined  to 
make  it  his  life-work.  He  taught  from  1868  to  1871  in  the 
public  schools  of  Monroe  county;  and  after  graduating  at  the 
Eastman  Business  college,  he  returned  to  his  native  home.  Sinks 
Grove,  took  charge  of  the  Rocky  Point  academy  and  conducted 
it  with  marked  ability  and  success  until  the  spring  of  1880,  when 
he  went  to  Staunton,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  Hoover 
select  high  school  for  two  years.  In  the  summer  of  1882,  he 
severed  his  connection  with  the  high  school  and  established  the 
Dunsmore  Business  college,  a  strictlv  commercial  school,  which 
he  has  owned  and  conducted  with  signal  ability  and  success. 

With  the  development  of  the  material  resources  and  business 


^-  — 


^P&S^i'nat^n,  _ 


^/IXyL^ 


E 


JACOB  Wl  VDLu  EBERLY 

^  BERLY,  JACOi:  V  LK,  was  bom  at  Stras- 


burg,  Shenan  !  12,  1853.     His 

parents    weir     ?'    '(i,  rine    Eberly. 

His  father  was  a  diirii  "^     ariH  lai-er 

a  furniture-ma k*  as  n«  nical 

talent. 

Mr.  V^  slors  came  to  An;- 

settled  arouuci  Keading,  Pennsylvania.     One  of 
Dr.  Eberly,  whose  tr*  on  the  "Practice  of  Med; 

classic  with  the  medical  profession. 

Mr.  Eberly  grew  up  in  the  country.  He  was  of  small  size  a.^ 
a  lad,  but  healthy  and  robust;  and  his  special  tastes  in  boyhood 
were  in  the  direction  of  music.  He  usually  had  duties  to  perform 
at  home,  and  w^as  required  to  work  when  not  at  school. 

His  opportunities  for  education  were  not  of  the  best,  as  the 
preparatory  schools  to  which  he  had  access  were  poor.  Hi" 
attended  for  a  time  the  Hardy  high  school,  at  Moorefield,  We 
Virginia ;  and  afterw^ards  went  to  Koanoke  college,  at  Salem, 
Virginia,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1877  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 

After  leaving  college,  he  was  for  two  years  a  t^eacher  of  u 
schools,  and  after  that  for  eleven  years  he  was  a  mcrohanf. 
the   past   sixteen   years  he  has   been  engt  ged   in   the   ' 
business.     He  has  been  for  a  long  time  past  th-      ashler  of 
Massanutten   bank,   at   Strasburg,   Shenand:  ouiit}',   and   in 

1904  was  elected  vice-president.  Judge   E.    D.   Newman   Ix-ing 
president.     Mr.  Eberly  was  also  treasurer  of  the  board  of  missions 
nd    church    extension    of    the    Evangel  i>"n  I    Lutheran    church 
nited  Synod  of  the  South,  from  1900  to  1904. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and   has  never 
mged  his  political  or  party  allegiance  on  any  issue. 

Mr.  Eberly  married  May  11,  1882,  Ella  Zea.     They  have 

no  children. 

*Tic!  addre'=;'=:  i-^  S>frnc;hnrc".  v'*^henando^V^  Ponntv.  Virflrinia. 


E 


JACOB  WINDLE  EBERLY 

^  BERLY,  JACOB  WINDLE,  banker,  was  born  at  Stras- 
burg,  Shenandoah  county,  Virginia,  April  12,  1853.  His 
parents  were  Philip  Eberly  and  Catherine  Eberly. 
His  father  was  a  farmer  during  a  part  of  his  life,  and  later 
a  furniture-maker.  He  was  noted  for  his  unusual  mechanical 
talent. 

Mr.  Eberly's  ancestors  came  to  America  from  Germany,  and 
settled  around  Reading,  Pennsylvania.  One  of  the  family  was 
Dr.  Eberly,  whose  treatise  on  the  "  Practice  of  Medicine  "  is  a 
classic  with  the  medical  profession. 

Mr.  Eberly  grew  up  in  the  country.  He  was  of  small  size  as 
a  lad,  but  healthy  and  robust;  and  his  special  tastes  in  boyhood 
were  in  the  direction  of  music.  He  usually  had  duties  to  perform 
at  home,  and  was  required  to  work  when  not  at  school. 

Hjs  opportunities  for  education  were  not  of  the  best,  as  the 
preparatory  schools  to  which  he  had  access  were  poor.  He 
attended  for  a  time  the  Hardy  high  school,  at  Moorefield,  West 
Virginia ;  and  afterwards  went  to  Roanoke  college,  at  Salem, 
Virginia,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1877  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 

After  leaving  college,  he  was  for  two  years  a  teacher  of  high 
schools,  and  after  that  for  eleven  years  he  was  a  merchant.  For 
the  past  sixteen  years  he  has  been  engi  ged  in  the  banking 
business.  He  has  been  for  a  long  time  past  the  cashier  of  the 
Massanutten  bank,  at  Strasburg,  Shenandoah  county,  and  in 
1904  was  elected  vice-president.  Judge  E.  D.  Newman  being 
president.  Mr.  Eberly  was  also  treasurer  of  the  board  of  missions 
and  church  extension  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church 
United  Synod  of  the  South,  from  1900  to  1904. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  never 
changed  his  political  or  party  allegiance  on  any  issue. 

Mr.  Eberly  married  May  11,  1882,  Ella  Zea.  They  have 
had  no  children. 

His  address  is  Strasburg,  Shenandoah  County,  Virginia. 


JAMES  ABBOTT  FISHBURNE 

FISHBURXE,  JAMES  ABBOTT,  educator,  is  the  son  of 
Daniel  Fishburne  and  his  Avife,  Margaret  L.  Guthrie, — 
the  former  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  de- 
scended  from  an  English  line  long  settled  in  Virginia,  and  the  lat- 
ter sprung  from  that  sturdy  race  of  Scotch-Irish  Ulstermen,  who, 
going  first  into  the  north  of  Ireland  after  the  covenanter  wars  in 
North  Britain,  emigrated  thence  in  crowds  from  Ulster  to 
America,  and  settled  the  Cumberland  and  Wyoming  Valleys  in 
Pennsylvania,  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of  Virginia,  and  Mecklen- 
burg and  its  surrounding  counties  in  the  middle- western  part  of 
North  Carolina. 

James  Abbott  Fishburne  was  born  April  10,  1850,  in  the 
village  of  Waynesboro,  where  he  now  (1906)  lives,  and  where  his 
father  conducted  the  business  of  a  merchant,  in  which  he  exempli- 
fied the  qualities  of  integrity,  liberality  and  decision  of  character. 
Enjoying  robust  health,  young  Fishburne  grew  up  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  usual  sports  and  recreations  that  are  incident  to  the 
life  of  the  average  bo}^  in  a  country  village,  acquiring  an  educa- 
tion in  the  neighborhood  schools,  and  later  at  Washington  college, 
now  Washington  and  Lee  university,  Lexington,  Virginia,  and 
making  by  his  own  exertions  the  money  with  which  his  education 
was  com.pleted.  In  1870,  he  graduated  from  Washington  college 
with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  soon  thereafter  began 
the  active  work  of  life  in  the  profession  which  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed, as  an  assistant  teacher  in  the  celebrated  Horner  Classical 
school  at  Oxford,  North  Carolina.  Later,  finding  what  he 
rightly  conceived  to  be  a  good  opening  for  a  boy's  school  in  his 
native  town  of  Waynesboro,  he  opened  an  academy  for  day  pupils, 
and  gradually  cleveloped  it  into  one  of  the  best  and  most  success- 
ful military  schools  in  the  state.  This  school  he  still  conducts 
with  recognized  ability,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  numerous 
patrons. 

Prior  to  his  establishment  of  the  Fishburne  school  at  Way- 
nesboro in  1879,  Mr.  Fishburne  had  acquired  wide  and  valuable 


I 


3/-^   -A-._^,/ 71    /-' 


f^^^^<2^.Jy.  xTZ^ 


m^m^mrtimami 


\.......    ^-  ''I 


A^*""'^  *4SJMS  jam 


If 


JAMES   ABBOTT   FISHBURNE  117 

experience  as  a  teacher  and  disciplinarian  in  connection  with 
other  schools  in  which  he  had  taught;  viz.,  the  Horner  school,  as 
above  stated,  where  he  remained  during  the  session  of  1872-1873 ; 
and  later  at  the  Abingdon  Male  academy  in  Southwest  Virginia, 
and  in  the  New  Eoe,  Kentucky,  high  school,  in  which  he  was 
associated  with  Mr.  W.  C.  Guthrie  as  one  of  the  principals,  and 
at  which  he  remained  until  1878. 

In  political  views,  Mr.  Fishburne  is  a  Democrat,  and  has 
never  changed  his  party  affiliations.  In  religious  preference,  he 
is  a  Presbyterian,  having  been  since  1890  an  elder  in  the  Waynes- 
boro church. 

August  28,  1882,  Mr.  Fishburne  married  Mary  H.  Amis. 

His  address  is  Waynesboro,  Augusta  County,  Virginia. 


HENRY  DELAWARE  FLOOD 

LOOD,  HENEY  DELAWAKE,  lawyer  and  congress- 
man, was  born  in  Appomattox  count}^,  Virginia,  Septem- 
ber 2, 1865.  His  father,  Joel  W.  Flood,  was  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Appomattox  county,  served  for  many  years  on  the 
board  of  supervisors,  and  represented  the  county  in  the  house  of 
delegates.  Joel  W.  Flood  was  a  major  in  the  Confederate  army, 
and  served  four  years  under  Lee.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
integrity  and  of  indomitable  energy — traits  which  have  been 
transmitted  to  his  distinguished  son.  The  mother  of  H.  D.  Flood 
was  Ella  W.  Faulkner.  She  was  a  noble  Virginia  woman  of  the 
class  that  teach  their  sons  to  tell  the  truth  and  be  gentlemen. 

The  earliest  American  ancestor  of  the  Floods  was  John 
Flood,  who  came  to  Virginia  about  1620,  and  settled  first  in  the 
corporation  of  Henrico,  and  afterwards  in  Surry  county,  where 
he  was  Indian  interpreter  and  lieutenant  colonel. 

"  Hal  "  Flood,  as  he  is  popularly  known,  had  every  advantage 
of  education.  He  first  attended  a  high  school  at  Appomattox 
court-house,  then  entered  McGuire's  school  in  Eichmond,  Vir- 
ginia; thence  went  to  Washington  and  Lee  university  and  the 
University  of  Virginia.  In  the  last  named  institution,  he  came 
under  the  influence  of  the  famous  John  B.  Minor,  the  most 
distinguished  American  law  professor  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
and  at  his  hands  received  the  coveted  B.  L.  degree. 

With  his  diploma  in  law  (1886),  Mr.  Flood  settled  at 
Appomattox  court-house,  Virginia,  to  practice  his  profession, 
and  soon  entered  public  life,  being  elected  to  the  house  of 
delegates  in  1887.  After  serving  two  terms  in  "  the  house,"  he 
was  elected  to  the  senate.  Meanwhile,  he  was  commonwealth's 
attorney  for  Appomattox  county,  the  duties  of  which  he 
discharged  for  ten  years  with  great  efficiency  and  ability. 

Mr.  Flood  was  very  prominent  in  the  legislature.  In  "  the 
house,"  he  was  recognized  as  a  rising  man,  and  was  unusually 
prominent  for  his  age.  After  he  entered  the  senate,  he  stood  tigh 
among  the  members  of  that  body.     Senator  Flood  was  largely 


HENRY    DELAWARE   FLOOD  119 

instrumental  in  getting  a  new  constitution  for  Virginia.  It  was 
he  that  introduced  the  bill  authorizing  the  people  to  vote  on  the 
question  whether  or  not  there  should  be  a  constitutional  conven- 
tion. This  was  passed  in  February,  1900.  At  the  special  session 
of  1901,  he  was  the  author  of  the  act  providing  for  the  election  of 
members  of  the  convention  and  for  its  organization. 

Another  favorite  measure  of  Senator  Flood's  was  the  bill  to 
put  the  state  department  of  agriculture  upon  a  stronger  basis. 
By  introducing  and  pushing  this  bill,  Mr.  Flood  was  largely 
instrumental  in  bringing  Superintendent  Koiner's  department  to 
its  present  state  of  usefulness  and  efficiency,  though  the  chief 
credit  of  this  is  of  course  due  to  that  distinguished  official  himself. 

A  fourth  bill  of  Senator  Flood's  is  the  one  authorizing  the 
attorney-general  to  bring  suit  against  the  state  of  West  Virginia 
for  her  fro  rata  of  the  old  state  debt.  Mr.  Flood  is  one  of  the 
commissioners  elected  by  the  legislature  to  carry  out  the  provis- 
ions of  this  bill,  and  the  suit  based  thereon  is  now  (1906)  pending 
in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

In  1900,  Senator  Flood  was  elected  to  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives from  the  tenth  congressional  district.  In  1902,  and 
again  in  1904,  he  was  reelected,  his  vote  being  more  than  double 
that  of  his  Republican  opponent.  Mr.  Flood  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  useful  members  of  the  Virginia  delegation,  and  is 
highly  esteemed  by  his  colleagues  in  the  house.  There  are  few 
men  in  the  district  who  would  contest  with  him  for  the  Demo- 
cratic nomination  for  congress,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  he  will 
soon  have  any  serious  opposition. 

In  1901,  ]\fr.  Flood  was  sent  to  the  constitutional  convention 
to  represent  the  counties  of  Appomattox  and  Campbell.  In  that 
body,  he  displayed  his  wonted  energy  and  activity,  and  spared  no 
toil  to  serve  both  his  constituents  and  his  state  at  large.  One  of 
his  greatest  desires  was  to  see  the  suffrage  laws  amended.  The 
people  of  his  immediate  section  were  carrying  the  incubus  of  a 
large,  purchasable  and  utterly  irresponsible  electorate;  and  a 
number  of  citizens  had,  in  mass-meeting,  declared  that  the  burden 
was  greater  than  they  could  bear.  To  lift  "  the  white  man's 
burden  "  was  the  supreme  object  of  the  convention  of  1901-1902; 
and  no  member  of  that  body  was  more  anxious  to  help  than 
"  Hal  "  Flood,  of  Appomattox. 


120  HENEY   DELAWARE   FLOOD 

Though  a  busy  lawj^er  and  an  active  public  servant,  Mr. 
Flood  spares  time  for  social  relaxation.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Westmoreland  club,  of  Eichmond;  of  the  Piedmont  club,  of 
Lynchburg,  and  of  the  Masonic  order. 

Mr.  Flood's  home  address  is  Appomattox,  Virginia. 


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WILLIAM    HENRY  GARDNER 

GAEDNER,  WILLIAM  HENRY,  manufacturer,  was  born 
at  Rosenberger,  Frederick  county,  Virginia,  February 
24, 1865.  His  father  was  James  F.  Gardner,  a  prominent 
physician  of  Hampshire  county.  West  Virginia,  who  represented 
that  county  in  the  state  legislature.  His  mother's  maiden  name 
was  Amanda  R.  Clouser.  Her  people  were  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Frederick  county,  Virginia,  and  in  the  early  days  of  their  occupa- 
tion had  several  skirmishes  with  hostile  Indians. 

The  Gardner  family  is  of  English  origin,  and  came  to  Vir- 
ginia from  Massachusetts.  Among  other  ancestral  families  of 
Mr.  Gardner  are  the  Clousers,  Larricks,  Halls,  Rosenbergers, 
and  Maynards. 

His  early  life  was  passed  in  the  country ;  and  from  his  boy- 
hood he  evinced  an  inclination  for  working  with  carpenter's 
tools.  As  a  youth  he  did  manual  labor  on  the  farm,  working  by 
the  month;  later  he  learned  the  trade  of  millwright  and  built 
several  flour  mills. 

He  attended  the  public  schools  through  all  the  grades;  and 
finished  his  education  at  the  Shenandoah  normal  school  at 
Middletown,  Virginia.  Later  he  took  a  course  of  law  from  the 
Sprague  correspondence  school  of  law  at  Detroit,  Michigan, 
graduating,  in  1902,  at  the  end  of  the  regular  two  years'  course. 

Mr.  Gardner  entered  upon  the  active  work  of  life  as  a  public 
school  teacher  in  Frederick  county,  Virginia,  in  1884.  His  atten- 
tion was  attracted  to  a  consideration  of  the  means  of  producing 
some  substitute  for  tan  bark  in  the  processes  of  tanning;  and  he 
finally  went  into  the  business  of  manufacturing  tanning  extracts 
from  wood  and  bark.  This  business  he  has  successfully  followed 
for  a  number  of  years,  during  which  period  he  has  made  many 
improvements  of  value  in  plants  for  the  manufacturing  of  tan- 
ning extracts.  He  has  been  president  and  general  manager  of 
the  Basic  Extract  company  at  Basic  City,  Augusta  county, 
Virginia,  for  three  years  past,  prior  to  which  time  he  was  general 


124  WILLIAM    HENRY   GARDNER 

manager  of  the  Rio  Extract  company,  of  Rio,  West  Virginia,  for 
ten  years. 

Mr.  Gardner  is  president  of  the  business  men's  league,  of 
Basic  City.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
never  changed  his  political  or  party  allegiance. 

He  married  February  1, 1889,  Frances  N.  Miller;  and  of  their 
marriage  have  been  born  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now 
(1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Basic  City,  Augusta  County,  Virginia. 


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JAMES  RICHARD  GILLIAM 

GILLIAM,  JAMES  RICHAKD,  financier  and  man  of 
affairs,  was  born  In  Campbell  county,  Virginia,  October 
26,  1854.  He  is  descended  from  Sir  Thomas  West,  one 
of  the  colonial  governors  of  Virginia,  tracing  back  to  Anne 
Boleyn.  His  father  was  James  Richard  Gilliam,  whose  wife  was 
Annie  S.  Davenport.  The  elder  Gilliam  was  a  man  of  strong 
devotional  temperament,  a  teacher  by  profession.  He  died  when 
the  son  was  quite  young. 

The  son  passed  his  early  life  in  the  country,  not  making  his 
home  in  the  city  until  he  was  about  twenty-four  years  old.  His 
strong  physique,  his  energy  and  capacity  for  incessant,  exacting 
labor  were  without  doubt  largely  promoted  by  the  outdoor 
requirements  of  his  youth.  At  the  age  of  six  years  he  went  from 
Campbell  to  Amherst  county.  Attendance  upon  county  schools 
in  his  boyhood  and  five  months  at  Kenmore  high  school  consti- 
tuted his  text-book  education.  Previous  to  the  brief  term  at  Ken- 
more,  and  before  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  he  qualified  as  deputy 
sheriff  of  Amherst.  After  leaving  the  school  and  then  engaging 
in  mercantile  business  for  six  months,  he  was  tendered  a  more 
responsible  place  as  deputy  sheriff,  involving  duties  and  respon- 
sibilities equal  to  those  of  the  sheriff  and  requiring  a  bond  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  the  obligations.  He  won  the  reputation 
of  being  one  of  the  finest  county  officials  in  the  state.  While 
holding  this  position  he  also  acquired  a  half  interest  in  the  weekly 
''  Amherst  Enterprise,"  of  which  he  was  business  manager, 
Hon.  Taylor  Berry  and  Mr.  R.  A.  Coghill  being  the  editors. 

Mr.  Gilliam  transferred  his  activities  to  Lynchburg  in  1878. 
From  this  point  of  greater  vantage  he  found  scope  for  exploiting 
assets  of  energy,  health,  brain,  and  readiness,  which  his  early 
contact  with  the  realities  of  life  had  done  so  much  to  cultivate. 
He  has  been  successful  from  the  beginning  to  the  present. 

Mr.  Gilliam  married  Jessie  Belfield  Johnson,  October  25, 
1887,  and  with  their  four  children,  they  reside  on  Lynchburg's  old 
and  hallowed  Court  street.     He  is  a  Methodist  and  a  long-time 


128  JAMES   EICHARD    GILLIAM 

member  of  the  board  of  stewards  of  Court  Street  Methodist 
church.  He  is  an  active  Mason,  affiliating  with  Marshall  lodge, 
and  being  president  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Home  and 
Eetreat,  a  high-class  hospital  conducted  by  the  lodge. 

Mr.  Gilliam  on  locating  in  Lynchburg  engaged  as  a  partner 
in  the  wholesale  grocery  business  and  also  in  that  of  tobacco 
commission  merchant.     Subsequently  he  organized  a  wholesale 
and  retail  furniture  concern,  following  that  with  a  profitable 
venture  in  wholesale  boots  and  shoes.     For  ten  years  he  applied 
his  energies  to  this  enterprise,  at  the  end  of  that  period  selling 
out  to  his    partners,  in  order  to  turn  his  attention  exclusively  to 
developing  coal  properties  and  banking  interests  in  which  he  was 
concerned.     His  sagacity  has  been  amply  demonstrated  in  the 
marvelous  development  of  the  coal  mines  in  Southwest  Virginia 
and  West  Virginia.     He  took  hold  a  few  years  ago  at  a  fortunate 
time,  and  is  now  identified  with  interests  there  whose  dividends 
stamp   the  black  diamonds   of  Virginia  mountains  as   a  more 
attractive  investment  than  the  gold  of  the  Klondike.     Intelli- 
gence to  see  and  nerve  to  act  are  Mr.  Gilliam's,  and  he  has  steadily 
increased  his  holdings  in  this  field.     He  is  president   of  the 
Gilliam,  the  Arlington,  the  Shawnee,  the  Glen  Alum,  and  the 
Lee  Coal  and  Coke  companies,  whose  head  offices  are  in  Lynch- 
burg, the  mines  being  mostly  in  West  Virginia.     His  career  in 
the  world  of  finance  has  been  as  conspicuously  successful,  and  he 
is  president  of  no  less  than  half  a  dozen  banks  in  Virginia — the 
National  Exchange   of  Lynchburg,  the  Lynchburg  Trust   and 
Savings  company,  the  First  National,  of   Clifton   Forge;   the 
Eussell  County  bank,  of  Lebanon,  Virginia ;  the  Powell's  Valley 
bank,  of  Jonesville,  the  Bank  of  Highland,  of  Monterey,  and  a 
branch  of  the  Lynchburg  Trust  and  Savings  company,  at  Bed- 
ford City.    He  is  also  president  of  the  Quinn-Marshall  company, 
dry  goods,  and  a  special  partner  in  the  Lynchburg  Shoe  com- 
pany— both  of  these  being  among  the  city's  big  wholesale  houses. 
At  the  same  time  Mr.  Gilliam  is  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
finance  of  the  upper  branch  of  the  city  council,  and  he  discharges 
this  unsalaried  civic  duty  with  the  same  application  of  ability  and 
^effort  that  he  bestows  upon  his  personal  concerns. 

A  long  list  that,  and  Mr.  Gilliam  neglects  nothing.    All  his 


JAMES   RICHARD    GILLIAM  129 

early  and  later  experience  has  combined  with  his  strong  mental 
endowment  to  equip  him  for  his  work.  The  active  occupations 
of  his  youth,  keeping  him  much  in  the  open  air  and  in  touch  with 
men;  his  early  assumption  of  practical  responsibilities;  the  fact 
that  up  to  the  time  he  became  a  bank  president  he  never  received 
a  cent  of  salary,  his  compensation  for  his  labor  thus  being  what 
he  could  realize  through  his  own  energy  and  initiative — these 
things  contributed  to  the  development  of  a  self-reliant,  judicious, 
progressive  individuality.  The  advice  he  gives  as  the  result  of 
his  observation  and  experience  is  brief  and  clear:  Be  prompt; 
put  thought  and  mind  and  time  on  w^hat  you  have  to  do ;  cultivate 
the  virtue  of  economy.  Physically  Mr.  Gilliam  is  "  fit,"  and  horse- 
back riding  is  his  favorite  form  of  recreation.  With  duties 
which  claim  his  solicitude  in  industrial  fields,  in  finance,  in  com- 
merce, in  church,  in  benevolent  order,  in  municipal  affairs,  he  is 
an  exceedingly  busy  man,  resourceful  and  effective. 
His  address  is  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


ISAAC  ROBINSON  GODWIN 

GODWIN,  ISAAC  ROBINSON,  physician,  was  born  at 
Fincastle,  Botetourt  count}^,  Virginia,  August  8,  1837. 
His  father  was  Thomas  Glynn  Godwin,  merchant,  who 
served  as  magistrate,  and  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors  of 
Botetourt  county,  and  bank  cashier ;  and  his  mother  was  Martha 
Moore  Robinson. 

Dr.  Godwin's  paternal  ancestors  came  to  America  from  Eng- 
land, and  settled  in  Pennsylvania  after  the  War  of  the  American 
Revolution.  His  mother's  ancestors,  the  Robinsons,  were  Scotch- 
Irish,  having  gone  to  Ireland  from  Scotland ;  and  coming  thence 
later  to  America,  where  they  also  settled  first  in  Pennsylvania. 
Among  the  latter  was  the  Hon.  Isaac  Robinson,  who  was  a  man 
of  political  prominence  in  his  section  of  the  state,  and  was  a 
m.ember  of  the  Pennsylvania  legislature  in  the  earlier  half  of  the 
nineteenth  centur}^ 

Dr.  Godwin,  who  was  of  robust  and  vigorous  physical  health 
as  a  youth,  spent  the  early  part  of  his  life  in  the  village  of  Fin- 
castle; where,  when  not  at  school,  his  time  was  occupied  in  his 
father's  store.  To  this  training  he  attributes  the  acquisition  by 
him  of  habits  of  method  and  system,  which  have  continued 
through  life. 

After  attending  the  preparatory  schools  of  his  neighborhood, 
he  became  a  student  of  Washington  and  Lee  university,  then 
Washington  college,  at  Lexington,  Virginia.  During  the  session 
of  1858-1859,  he  studied  in  the  medical  department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Virginia,  but  did  not  graduate.  He  also  studied  medicine 
in  the  Jefferson  Medical  college  of  Philadelphia;  and  in  the 
Virginia  Medical  college  at  Richmond,  from  the  last  named  of 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1860  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  between  the  States,  in 
1861,  Dr.  Godwin  entered  the  Confederate  States  army  and 
served  for  two  years  as  a  private  of  cavalry;  after  which  he  was 
an  assistant  surgeon  of  infantry  for  the  rest  of  the  war. 


T't'^tlS^I  JTi?"-*??/?  - 


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ISAAC  ROBixsoN  godt\t:n  133 

Save  for  the  period  of  his  military  service  he  has  been  a 
practicing  physician  at  Fincastle.  He  is,  and  for  twenty  years 
has  been,  physician  to  the  county  almshouse ;  and  he  has  been  the 
medical  examiner  for  a  number  of  prominent  life  insurance  com- 
panies. He  is  a  member  of  the  Medical  society  of  Roanoke,  Vir- 
ginia, and  of  the  Medical  society  of  Virginia;  and  was  in  1877 
vice-president  of  the  last  named  organization. 

Dr.  Godwin  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
never  changed  his  political  or  party  allegiance.  He  has  served 
as  chairman  of  the  Democratic  county  committee  of  Botetourt 
county  for  several  years;  and  during  the  administration  of 
President  Cleveland  he  was  for  four  years  postmaster  at  Fin- 
castle.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

On  October  28,  1867,  Dr.  Godwin  married  Emma  S.  B. 
Wilson,  a  granddaughter  of  Hon.  Nathaniel  H.  Claiborne,  who 
represented  his  district  in  the  congress  of  the  United  States  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  was  a  brother  of  Hon.  William  C.  C. 
Claiborne,  the  first  governor  of  Louisiana.  From  their  marriage 
have  been  bom  eight  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  (1906) 
living. 

A  brief  biographical  sketch  of  Dr.  Godwin  has  been  pub- 
lished in  the  proceedings  of  the  "  Medical  Society  of  Virginia." 

His  address  is  Fincastle,  Botetourt  County,  Virginia. 


Vol.  2— Va.— 6 


GARRETT  GIDEON  GOOCH 

GOOCH,  GAEEETT  GIDEON,  was  born  in  Orange 
county,  Virginia,  February  20,  1837.  His  father  was 
Thompson  Gooch,  who  was  the  only  son  of  Claiborne 
Gooch,  and  his  mother  was  Elizabeth  Maupin  Jarman,  of  the 
prominent  Albemarle  county  family  of  that  name.  Mr.  Gooch's 
great-grandfather,  Eowland  Gooch,  is  believed  to  have  been  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  brothers  of  William  Gooch,  of  Temple 
Farm,  who  was  a  member  of  the  council  in  the  early  colonial 
history  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Gooch  spent  his  boyhood  upon  a  farm,  where  like  other 
farmers'  sons  he  performed  the  usual  tasks  allotted  to  boys  in  the 
country.  He  attended  the  country  schools  and  later  a  private 
school  in  Orange  conducted  by  Mr.  James  Newman.  His 
tastes,  however,  did  not  lead  in  the  direction  of  either 
farming  or  books;  and  while  quite  a  lad  he  became  deputy 
sheriff  of  Louisa  county,  which  office  he  held  from  1854  to 
1856.  Later  he  held  the  positions  of  conductor  and  of  baggage 
and  express  agent  on  the  old  Virginia  Central  railroad,  now  a 
part  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio.  In  1858  he  was  appointed 
United  States  mail  agent  on  the  Virginia  Central  railroad.  This 
position  he  resigned  in  1861,  and  enlisted  in  the  Confederate 
States  army,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  D,  13th  Virginia 
regiment,  under  General  A.  P.  Hill.  In  1862  he  was  ordered 
back  to  the  mail  service,  in  which  he  remained  until  the  close  of 
the  War  between  the  States.  After  the  war,  Mr.  Gooch  removed 
to  Staunton,  where  he  engaged  largely  in  the  mercantile  business, 
conducting  a  number  of  retail  stores  in  different  sections  of  Vir- 
ginia and  West  Virginia.  Later  he  was  interested  in  the  whole- 
sale grocery  business  in  Staunton,  and  after  retiring  from  that 
occupation  became  a  railroad  contractor  and  builder.  His  care- 
ful attention  to  whatever  he  undertook,  his  energy  and  his  fine 
native  sense,  combined  to  make  him  successful  in  all  of  his  enter- 
prises ;  and  after  a  long  career  in  business,  which  resulted  in  more 


GARRETT    GIDEON    GOOCH  137 

fruitful  accomplishment  than  does  that  of  most  men,  he  retired 
some  years  ago  from  active  participation  in  affairs. 

Mr.  Gooch  was  for  eight  years  a  member  of  the  council  of 
the  city  of  Staunton,  occupying  for  two  years  of  that  period  the 
responsible  position  of  chairman  of  the  finance  committee.  He 
has  been  president  of  the  Dunsmore  Business  college,  an  old  and 
well-established  institution  in  Staunton;  he  was  for  a  long  time 
president  of  the  Daily  News  Printing  company;  and  he  has 
occupied  the  position  of  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  the 
state  institution  for  the  deaf,  dumb  and  blind.  He  was  one  of  the 
incorporators,  and  was  president  of  the  King's  Daughters  hospital 
at  Staunton;  and  has  been  a  director  on  the  board  of  the  local 
Young  Men's  Christian  association,  and  in  various  banking 
institutions. 

Mr.  Gooch  is  prominent  in  Masonic  circles  in  the  state.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge  Chapter  and  Commandery,  and 
is  one  of  the  board  of  governors,  and  is  also  vice-president,  of 
the  Masonic  Home  for  Orphans,  at  Eichmond.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

Though  not  a  politician,  Mr.  Gooch  is  a  consistent  and 
unwavering  Democrat,  having  never  voted  any  other  ticket,  and 
giving  always  liberally  of  his  time,  energy  and  means  to  the 
success  of  his  party.     In  religious  preference  he  is  a  Disciple. 

Mr.  Gooch  married,  March  21,  1872,  Mary  Watson  Payne. 
Their  children  are  two  in  number,  both  successful  young  busi- 
ness men — the  older,  Watson  Payne  Gooch,  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Gooch-Crosby  company,  Roanoke,  Virginia; 
and  the  younger,  Garrett  G.  Gooch,  Jr.,  treasurer  of  the  Stone 
Printing  and  Manufacturing  company,  of  Roanoke. 
His  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


SAMUEL  CECIL  GRAHAM 

GEAHAM,  SAMUEL  CECIL,  lawyer  and  jurist,  was 
born  at  the  home  of  his  maternal  grandfather,  William 
Witten,  of  "  Bluestone,"  Tazewell  countj^^,  Virginia, 
January  1,  1846,  His  father,  who  was  a  successful  merchant  and 
farmer  of  Tazewell  county,  Virginia,  was  Robert  Craig 
Graham.  He  was  born  on  May  26,  1814,  in  Wythe  county,  and 
is  described  as  an  athlete  and  fond  of  all  manly  sports,  especially 
loving  to  hunt.  He  possessed  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  humor, 
and  had  few  superiors  in  telling  a  good  story.  He  persistently 
refused  office  of  any  kind,  though  he  was  much  beloved  and 
trusted  by  the  people.  He  was  frank,  open  and  honest,  not  only 
in  his  dealings,  but  boldly  so  in  his  opinions. 

Judge  Samuel  C.  Graham's  mother  w^as  Elizabeth  Peery 
Witten.  She  was  bom  at  "  Bluestone  "  January  26,  1826,  and 
died  April  7,  1856. 

In  his  paternal  line  Judge  Graham  is  of  Scotch  descent. 
His  grandfather.  Major  Samuel  Graham,  was  born  on  the  voyage 
of  his  parents  across  the  Atlantic  ocean  to  America.  A  local 
historian  of  the  family  says  of  him :  "  He  was  about  six  years 
of  age  at  the  beginning  of  the  War  for  American  Independence. 
He  married  Rachel  Montgomery,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Nancy 
Agnes  Montgomery.  He  served  as  a  volunteer  captain  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  during  his 
service  at  Norfolk,  Virginia.  A  short  time  prior  to  this,  how- 
ever, he  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature  for  two  years. 
He  died  in  the  year  1835,  in  Smyth  county,  Virginia,  and  his 
remains  were  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Chatham  Hill."  The 
years  Major  Graham  served  in  the  legislature  were  1806  and 
1808,  and  for  Wythe  county. 

On  his  mother's  side  Judge  Graham  comes  from  the  families 
of  Witten  and  Cecil,  of  Maryland.  His  maternal  grandfather, 
William  Witten,  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Witten.  Thomas  Witten 
was  the  son  of  Thomas  Witten,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  Tazewell  county,  and  came  to  Virginia  in  1771  from  Lord 


-i^MtW^titM 


SAMUEL    CECIL    GRAHAM  14:1 

Baltimore's  Catholic  colony  of  Maryland.  Along  with  him  came 
Samuel  W.  Cecil.  Witten  and  Cecil  each  had  ten  children,  and 
five  of  each  family  intermarried,  among  them  Judge  Graham's 
great-grandfather  and  great-grandmother. 

He  is  thus  descended  on  his  father's  side  from  the  Grahams, 
Montgomerys,  Craigs,  and  Crocketts;  and  on  his  mother's  from 
the  AVittens,  Cecils,  Peerys,  and  Davidsons,  all  of  whom  were 
settlers  of  the  mountain  valleys  of  Southwest  Virginia. 

Judge  Graham's  mother  died  when  he  was  about  t^n  years  of 
age.  He  attended  the  log  cabin  schools  of  the  mountain  section 
as  a  lad,  where  his  general  schoolmaster  was  an  old  Scotch- 
Presbyterian,  by  name  Donald  Macdonald,  who  with  his  father, 
taught  him  from  early  boyhood  to  ride  and  to  shoot,  as  well  as 
the  value  of  truth,  independence  and  self-reliance. 

Leading  the  free  life  of  the  fields,  woods  and  mountains,  he 
saw,  when  still  a  boy,  the  outbreak  of  the  War  between  the  States ; 
and  with  the  longing  to  enter  the  ranks  of  the  Confederacy, 
finally  succeeded,  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  in  persuading  his 
father  to  let  him  join  the  army.  In  November,  1863,  he  volun- 
teered as  a  private  in  Company  I,  16th  Virginia  cavalry,  then  in 
winter  barracks  in  Tazewell  county.  This  regiment  was  com- 
manded at  the  time  bv  his  uncle,  Lieutenant- Colonel  William  L. 
Graham,  a  born  soldier,  who  illustrated  in  his  gallant  career  the 
virtues  and  the  courage  of  the  best  type  of  the  Confederate 
soldier,  and  who  is  still  living  (1906)  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  Judge  Graham's  service  in  the  army  was  one  of 
fighting  and  riding  until  the  war  ended.  He  was  wounded  three 
times  in  action ;  once  in  June,  1864,  at  "  Hanging  Rock,"  near 
Salem,  Virginia,  in  the  ankle  joint;  a  second  time  at  Monocacy 
Junction  in  July,  1864,  in  the  left  leg;  and  a  third  time,  and 
desperately,  at  Moorfield,  in  Hardy  county.  West  Virginia,  in 
August,  1864,  by  a  shot  from  a  minnie  ball  in  the  right  breast, 
which  passed  through  the  upper  lobe  of  his  lung  and  through 
the  lower  part  of  his  shoulder  blade. 

When  the  war  closed,  he  went  home,  and  worked  on  the 
farm,  assisting  his  father,  who  had  also  volunteered  in  the  Con- 
federate army  before  the  close  of  the  war,  in  restoring  the  farm 
to   a   condition   which   would   enable   the   family   to   live   com- 


142  SAMUEL    CECIL    GRAHAM 

fortably  again.  Then  he  attended  the  local  country  schools,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1867,  entered  Emory  and  Henry  college.  Here  he 
remained  during  the  sessions  of  1867-1868  and  1868-1869,  when 
he  left,  expecting  to  return  home  to  take  charge  of  his  father's 
farm. 

Finding  an  opportunity,  however,  to  fulfill  his  desire  of 
becoming  a  lawyer,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Colonel  Andrew 
J.  May,  at  Jeffersonville,  then  the  county  seat  of  Tazewell. 
Here  he  assisted  Colonel  May  in  his  office,  in  order  to  pay  his 
board  and  the  use  of  his  books.  In  October,  1870,  he  was 
licensed  to  practice  law;  and  in  January,  1871,  he  opened  a  law 
office  for  himeslf  at  Tazewell.  He  immediately  acquired  a  good 
law  practice ;  and  from  that  time  has  continued  in  the  pursuit  of 
his  profession  with  an  ability  and  success  that  have  made  him  one 
of  the  distinguished  lawyers  of  his  state. 

Three  years  after  coming  to  the  bar  he  was  elected  judge  of 
the  county  court  of  Tazewell  county,  and  held  the  office  until 
1880.  In  July,  1881,  he  became  associated  with  Major  Robert 
R.  Henry  under  the  firm  name  of  Henry  and  Graham ;  and  this 
partnership,  still  continuing,  is  now  perhaps  the  oldest,  as  it  is 
among  the  best  known  in  Virginia. 

Judge  Graham  has  been  engaged  during  his  career  as  a 
lawyer  in  many  important  cases  in  the  different  courts  of  the  two 
Virginias,  both  state  and  federal,  involving  titles  to  minerals  and 
lands;  the  law  of  corporations,  wills  and  trademarks,  contracts, 
riparian  rights,  damages  for  wrongful  acts,  and  all  the  varied 
forms  of  litigation  pertaining  to  his  section  of  the  state,  both  in 
law  and  equity. 

He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Virginia  State  Bar  association 
since  1889;  and  was  its  vice-president  twice,  in  1890  and  1895. 
In  1902  he  was  elected  president  of  the  association,  and  delivered, 
in  1903,  the  president's  address,  "  Some  Philosophy  of  the  Law 
and  of  Lawyers,"  which  is  published  in  Volume  16  of  the  Reports 
of  the  Virginia  State  Bar  association.  In  1892,  he  read  before 
the  same  body  a  paper  entitled  "  A  Criticism  of  the  Profession 
Reviewed,"  which  is  published  in  Volume  5  of  its  Reports. 
Judge  Graham  was  the  charter  president  of  the  Clinch  Valley 
bank  at  Tazewell,  which  was  organized  in  1889 ;  and  remained  its 


SAMUEL    CECIL    GRAHAM  143 

president  until  its  consolidation  in  1894  with  the  Bank  of  Taze- 
well, under  the  name  of  the  Bank  of  Clinch  Valley.  In  this  last 
named  institution  he  has  been  an  officer  since  its  organization. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Kappa  Sigma  college  fraternity;  a 
Mason,  and  has  been  twice  the  worshipful  master  of  Tazewell 
lodge;  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Westmoreland  club,  of  Rich- 
mond, Virginia.  He  is  a  Democrat  of  the  strict  constmction 
school,  and  a  believer  in  the  observance  of  the  tenth  article  of  the 
amendments  to  the  Federal  constitution,  which  provides  that 
"  The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  Constitu- 
tion, nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  states,  are  reserved  to  the  states 
respectively,  or  to  the  people." 

Judge  Graham  is  not  a  member  of  any  church;  but  his 
predilections  are  in  favor  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  which  has 
been  the  church  of  his  Graham  ancestors. 

For  the  past  fifteen  years  he  has  spent  the  months  of  Jan- 
uary and  February  of  each  year  on  the  Indian  river  in  Florida, 
where  he  owns  a  small  cottage  and  a  small  orange  grove,  which  he 
visits  yearly  with  some  of  the  members  of  his  family.  From 
this  point,  with  the  undiminished  keenness  and  vigor  of  the 
veteran  sportsman,  he  seeks  the  unsettled  places  in  Florida,  where 
still  abound  deer,  wild  turkey,  and  other  game ;  and  is  "  hail- 
fellow  well  met,"  hunting  companion  and  friend,  with  many  a 
lusty  spirit  of  the  Floridian  backwoods. 

Judge  Graham  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  whom 
he  married  October  16,  1872,  was  Anna  Elizabeth  Spotts, 
daughter  of  the  late  Washing^ton  Spotts,  and  Jane,  his  wife  (nee 
Kelly).  She  died  September  6,  1895,  leaving  four  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living.  He 
married  June  2,  1898,  Minnie  Cox,  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
daughter  of  the  late  Captain  Henry  Cox,  and  Martha,  his  wife 
(nee  Wooldridge)  ;  and  of  this  marriage  has  been  born  a 
daughter  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Tazewell,  Tazewell  County,  Virginia. 


JACOB  S.  GRUVER 

GEUVER,  JACOB  S.,  educator,  was  born  near  Chambers- 
burg,  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania,  October  31,  1870. 
His  parents  were  Jacob  Isaac  and  Anna  Mary  Gruver. 
The  earliest  known  ancestors  in  this  country  came  from  Germany 
at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  settled  in  or  near 
Philadelphia.  Several  of  the  family  have  been  prominent  in 
their  chosen  professions. 

In  March,  1870,  the  family  removed  to  a  farm  in  Warren 
county,  Virginia,  about  six  miles  from  Front  Royal.  During  his 
childhood  and  youth  Jacob  Gruver  enjoyed  fair  health.  He  was 
fond  of  books  and  attended  public  and  private  schools,  but  from 
the  time  he  was  large  enough  to  help,  until  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age,  his  vacations  were  spent  in  work  on  his  father's  farm. 

Mr.  Gruver 's  career  furnishes  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
molding  and  inspiring  power  of  one  leading  idea,  one  guiding 
principle.  In  his  case  this  principle  was  that  of  intellectual  and 
spiritual  development,  first  for  himself,  and  eventually  for  his 
fellow-men  under  his  guidance.  In  other  words,  he  early  felt  a 
burning  desire  for  the  upbuilding  of  his  own  mind;  and,  after 
devoting  some  years  to  this  purpose,  he  became  convinced  first 
that  he  possessed  the  gift  of  influencing  others,  and,  second,  that 
duty  commanded  him  to  utilize  this  gift  to  the  utmost  of  his 
ability. 

Born  and  raised  on  a  farm,  in  a  region  of  the  state  noted  for 
the  beauty  of  its  scenery,  the  outdoor  life  and  outdoor  labor 
appealed  potently  to  him ;  and  to  this  day  he  earnestly  urges  the 
boys  from  the  farms  to  return  to  the  country  after  finishing  their 
college  course,  and  never  to  take  up  professional  studies  except 
when  possessed  of  decided  talents  for  such  pursuits.  In  his  own 
case,  the  call  was  clear  and  imperative,  as  is  sufficiently  proven 
by  the  fact  that  he  stubbornly  refused  any  help  from  family  and 
friends,  and  worked  away  till  he  earned  money  enough  to  carry 
him  through  college.  This  he  did  by  following  the  trade  of  a 
carpenter,  and  later  by  acting  as  salesman  for  a  prominent  firm 


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JACOB    S.    GRUVER  147 

of  harvesting  machine  manufacturers.  Afterwards  by  engaging 
in  business  in  the  summer  months  and  studying  his  books  in  the 
winter  he  not  only  succeeded  in  maintaining  himself  at  college 
and  passing  successfully  through  his  courses,  but  later  in  per- 
forming the  part  of  a  successful  teacher  and  in  amassing  about  a 
thousand  dollars. 

This  was  really  the  critical  period  of  his  life.  He  was 
popular  in  his  school  work  and  might  have  continued  in  it  with 
bright  expectations.  On  the  other  hand,  his  sound  practical  sense 
and  alert  perception  had  given  him  a  start  in  business  of  uncom- 
mon promise.  Thus  it  was  not  without  a  severe  mental  struggle 
he  decided  to  risk  his  savings  and  prospects,  in  order  to  obtain 
such  a  thorough  college  education  as  would  fit  him  not  only  to 
teach,  but  to  lead  and  influence  teachers,  as  well  as  other  useful 
men  and  women. 

It  is  this  decision,  and  its  ultimate  results,  that  justify  Mr. 
Gruver  in  his  denunciation  of  the  so-called  commercial  spirit  of 
our  age,  the  tendency  to  neglect  all  broader  mental  training  in 
order  to  begin  to  earn  money  at  a  very  early  age.  The  short-sight- 
edness of  such  a  policy,  both  from  an  ideal  and  purely  practical 
viewpoint,  is  sufficiently  demonstrated  by  the  success  which  at 
length  rewarded  his  efforts  and  sacrifices.  For,  of  course,  he  had 
to  labor  hard  and  make  no  small  sacrifice  to  reach  his  goal. 

Early  in  his  college  career  Mr.  Gruver  decided  to  become  an 
educator.  To  fit  himself  for  his  profession  he  took  post-gradute 
work  in  pedagogics.  After  leaving  Otterbein  university  in 
1898,  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.,  he  became  principal  of  the 
Shenandoah  Normal  college,  where  he  remained  two  years.  In 
1900  he  received  the  degree  of  M.  A.,  from  the  university  above 
named.  In  the  same  year  he  became  president  of  Eastern  college, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders.  This  position  he  still 
(1906)  holds.  He  has  been  very  successful  as  an  instructor, 
organizer,  and  disciplinarian,  and,  largely  due  to  his  efforts,  the 
institution  is  prosperous  and  influential.  President  Gruver 
deprecates  the  commercial  spirit  of  the  time  and  the  influence  it 
has  in  forcing  young  people  into  active  life  at  an  early  age  and 
with  only  meager  preparation.  He  is  confident  that  if  they 
would  equip  themselves  with  a  college  education  before  entering 


148  JACOB    S.    GRUVER 

the  work  of  life,  instead  of  commencing  that  work  when  they  are 
only  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age,  they  would  be  much  more 
certain  to  win  success. 

While  not  an  active  politician  President  Gruver  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket.  His  religious  affiliation  is  with  the  United 
Brethren  in  Christ.  He  was  married  August  29,  1898,  to  Annie 
T.  Russell,  of  Accomac  county,  Virginia.  They  have  had  one 
child  who  is  living  in  1906. 

His  address  is  Front  Royal,  Warren  County,  Virginia. 


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DON  PETERS  HALSEY 

HALSEY,  DON  PETERS,  lawyer,  senator,  lecturer,  was 
born  in  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  December  29,  1870.  His 
father,  Captain  Don  Peters  Halsey,  was  a  son  of  Seth 
Halsey,  of  Lynchburg,  and  his  wife,  Julia  D.  B.  Peters. 

Captain  Don  Peters  Halsey  was  of  excellent  English  stock, 
a  lineal  descendant  of  Thomas  Halsey,  who  came  to  America  in 
1633,  and  later  became  a  prominent  citizen  of  Southampton, 
Long  Island.  Captain  Halsey  was  a  man  of  broad  culture  and 
finished  linguistic  and  legal  scholarship.  He  proved  himself  a 
most  courageous,  cool  and  efficient  soldier  and  patriot  during  the 
War  between  the  States.  The  war  over,  he  practiced  law  in 
Lynchburg,  and,  later,  in  Richmond,  till  driven  to  the  country  by 
ill  health.     He  died  January  1,  1883. 

The  mother  of  Don  Peters  Halsey  was  Sarah  Ann  TVarwick 
Daniel,  daughter  of  Judge  William  Daniel,  Jr.,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Judge  William  Daniel,  Sr.,  and  of  John  M.  Warwick, 
Esq.,  all  of  Lynchburg.  She  is  a  woman  of  rare  vigor,  bril- 
liancy and  culture,  and  of  gracious  bearing,  and  has  exerted  over 
her  gifted  son  a  vast  intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  influence. 

Mr.  Halsey  passed  his  boyhood  till  the  age  of  nine  in  L}mch- 
burg  and  Richmond;  the  next  four  years,  on  his  father's  farm, 
"  Fern  Moss,"  in  Nelson  county.  After  that,  he  lived  in  towns 
till  he  entered  college. 

As  a  youth  he  loved  outdoor  life,  and  such  books  as  boys 
usually  like — Robinson  Crusoe,  the  Arabian  Nights,  and  tales  of 
adventure.  His  first  responsible  labor  was  rendered  as  cash  boy 
when  he  was  entering  his  teens.  Subsequently  he  served  as  page 
in  the  house  of  representatives  during  both  sessions  of  the  forty- 
ninth  Congress. 

Many  difficulties  stood  between  young  Halsey  and  a  good 
education:  but  his  taste  for  reading  grew,  and  through  his 
mother's  influence  was  well  directed.  He  soon  attained  a  fair 
acquaintance  with  English  literature,  delighting  in  Shakespeare, 
Scott,  Bulwer,  and  Tennyson,  and  dipping  into  the  works  of 


152  DON    PETERS   HALSEY 

philosophic  and  speculative  thinkers.  Meanwhile,  he  had  passed 
from  the  public  schools  into  the  Episcopal  high  school  at 
Alexandria,  thence  to  Hampden-Sidne}^  college,  where  he  spent 
three  and  a  half  sessions.  After  a  period  spent  in  recouping 
himself  financially  by  reporting  for  the  daily  press,  he  studied 
law  at  Washington  and  Lee  university  during  the  session 
1892-1893. 

Carried  into  the  legal  profession  by  personal  preference, 
by  the  wishes  of  relatives,  and  by  circumstances,  he  began  the 
practice  of  law  in  Lynchburg,  December  7,  1893.  He  soon 
acquired  such  a  reputation  for  sterling  character  and  abilities 
at  the  bar  that  he  was  elected  commonwealth's  attorney  for  the 
city  of  Lynchburg,  and  served  acceptably  in  that  office  from 
July  1,  1895,  to  July  1,  1897.  His  reputation  grew.  A  few 
years  later,  he  was  elected  state  senator  from  Lynchburg  and 
Campbell  counties,  in  which  capacity  he  served,  1902-1901:,  his 
service  including  the  long  session  of  1902-03-04,  when  the  laws 
of  the  state  were  revised  to  conform  with  the  requirements  of  the 
new  constitution.  T^Tiile  in  the  senate,  Mr.  Halsey  introduced 
many  important  measures;  among  them  the  bill  for  revising  the 
laws  for  the  government  of  cities  and  towns,  the  general  gams 
law,  the  "  Halsey  Vagrant  Law,"  and  the  measure  providing  for 
a  statue  of  Robert  E.  Lee  to  be  placed  in  the  Statuary  Hall  of  the 
national  capital.  He  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  fight 
against  child  labor. 

Mr.  Halsey's  courtly  bearing,  his  faithful  attention  to  all  his 
official  duties,  his  strength  in  debate,  and  his  gifts  of  oratory, 
enabled  him  to  take  a  front  rank  in  the  senate  and  hold  it,  not- 
withstanding his  youth  and  the  fact  that  he  had  entered  to  fill  out 
an  unexpired  term.  In  the  presidential  campaign  of  1904  he  was 
chosen  an  elector  from  the  sixth  congressional  district  of  Vir- 
ginia, on  the  Democratic  ticket. 

Mr.  Halsey's  ambition  to  excel  as  a  speaker  was  awakened  in 
his  freshman  year  at  Hampden-Sidney  college.  During  his 
college  course  he  took  the  declaimer's,  the  debater's,  and  the 
orator's  medals  in  succession,  in  the  Philanthropic  society,  the 
first  man  in  the  history  of  the  society  to  take  all  of  them.  Since 
the  beginning  of  his  career  as  a  lawyer  and  a  politician,  he  has 


DON    PETERS    HAi^SEY  151^ 

developed  great  powers  of  oratory,  and  has  become  a  platform 
lecturer  with  a  reputation  approaching  national.  He  is  a  Chi  Phi, 
an  Elk,  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  a  Mason  of  the  dignity  of  past- 
master.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat  by  inheritance  and  convic- 
tion ;  in  church  preference,  an  Episcopalian. 

On  June  11,  1894,  Mr.  Halsey  married  Mary  Michaux  Dick- 
inson, of  Prince  Edward  county,  a  daughter  of  R.  M.  Dickinson, 
a  prominent  lawyer  of  that  county  and  a  son  of  Judge  Asa  D, 
Dickinson. 

Mr.  Halsey's  address  is  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


ALEXANDER   HAMILTON 

HAMILTON,  ALEXANDER,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Williamsborougli  in  what  was  then  Granville  county, 
but  is  now  Vance  county.  North  Carolina,  on  March  18, 
1851.  His  father's  name  was  Robert  Alston  Hamilton,  and  his 
mother's  name  was  Sarah  Caroline  Alexander  Hamilton.  His 
father's  profession  or  occupation  was,  in  early  life,  that  of  a 
planter  and  country  merchant;  later  that  of  a  merchant  in  the 
city  of  Petersburg,  Virginia.  He  held  no  public  office,  so  far  as 
is  known.  He  was  during  some  of  the  years  between  1850  and 
1860,  president  of  the  Raleigh  and  Gaston  Railroad  company, 
whilst  he  was  a  planter.  He  was  a  positive  man,  of  good 
manners,  well  educated  at  Hampden-Sidney  college  and  the 
University  of  North  Carolina;  had  great  energy  and  was  a  man 
of  fine  natural  ability. 

The  history  of  Mr.  Hamilton's  earliest  known  ancestors  in 
America  was  as  follows:  His  grandfather,  Patrick  Hamilton, 
was  born  at  Burnside,  in  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  and  belonged  to 
the  Parkhead  branch  of  the  Hamilton  family  of  Scotland.  He, 
with  several  of  his  brothers,  came  to  this  country  about  the  year 
1800.  He  was  a  well  educated  man  and  very  successful  as  a 
country  merchant  or  factor  for  the  planters,  and  as  a  planter. 
He  accumulated  a  large  estate  for  that  day,  and  left  his  numerous 
family  of  children  wealthy  for  the  times.  He  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  George  Baskerville,  of  Mecklenburg  county,  Vir- 
ginia, a  descendant  of  John  Baskerville,  who  came  to  Virginia 
from  England  about  1670,  and  served  as  clerk  of  York  county. 

On  his  mother's  side  his  earliest  known  ancestor  in  America 
was  Moses  Alexander,  who  was  sheriff  of  Mecklenburg  county. 
North  Carolina,  just  before  the  Revolutionary  war.  It  is  believed 
that  his  people  came  to  America  from  Scotland  shortly  after 
the  Rebellion  of  1745,  and  settled  in  Cecil  county,  Maryland,  and 
some  of  them  went  to  Mecklenburg,  North  Carolina.  In  the  War 
of  the  Revolution,  Moses  Alexander  was  a  Tory,  but  his  children 
were  what  were  called  Patriots  in  that  day,  and  several  of  them 


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ALEXANDER   HAMILTON  157 

were  signers  of  the  Mecklenburg  (North  Carolina)  Declaration 
of  Independence.  Nathaniel  Alexander,  Mr.  Hamilton's  mother's 
father,  was  an  officer  in  the  United  States  navy  with  Commodore 
Perry,  about  1812-14.  He  was  in  later  life  a  planter,  and  often- 
times a  member  of  the  Virginia  senate.  Mark  Alexander,  his 
mother's  uncle,  was  a  member  of  congress  from  what  is  now  the 
fourth  Virginia  district,  from  about  1815  to  1830,  and  also  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  convention  of  Virginia  of  1829-30. 

In  childhood  and  youth,  his  physical  condition  was  good, 
and  his  tastes  and  interests  were  those  of  any  ordinary  healthy 
boy.  He  studied  his  lessons  reasonably  well  and  was  very  fond 
of  outdoor  life  and  the  games  that  interest  boys.  Until  he  was 
about  seven  years  of  age,  he  lived  most  of  the  time  on  a  planta- 
tion in  Granville  county.  North  Carolina,  although  he  spent 
several  years  in  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  whilst  his  father  was 
president  of  the  Raleigh  and  Gaston  Railroad  company.  Since 
seven  years  of  age  he  has  lived  in  Petersburg,  Virginia,  except 
during  the  times  he  studied  at  a  boarding  school  in  the  country 
and  at  college,  and  the  two  years  he  taught  school.  In  early  life 
he  did  not  have  any  tasks  involving  manual  labor.  His  father 
paid  for  his  academic  education,  and  then  informed  him  that  he 
could  do  no  more  for  him.  He  then  taught,  as  an  assistant  pro- 
fessor, for  two  years,  studying  law  one  of  those  two  years,  and 
paying  for  his  legal  education  out  of  the  money  he  made  himself. 

In  1868  he  entered  the  Virginia  Military  institute  and  was 
graduated  in  1871.  The  graduation  there  was  equivalent  to  the 
degrees  of  A.  B.  and  of  Civil  Engineer,  but  he  never  practiced 
engineering. 

During  the  year  1872-73,  whilst  discharging  the  duties  of  an 
assistant  professor  of  Latin  and  Tactics  at  the  Virginia  Military 
institute,  he  took  the  law  course  at  Washington  and  Lee  univer- 
sity. Judge  John  W.  Brockenborough  and  the  Hon.  John  Ran- 
dolph Tucker  being  the  professors,  and  was  graduated  at  the  end 
of  the  year  in  June,  1873,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law. 

Replying  to  the  question  as  to  what  books  or  special  lines  of 
reading  he  found  most  helpful,  Mr.  Hamilton  says  that  he  was 
always  fond  of  economics,  metaphysics,  history  and  biography, 
and  while  he  did  not  like  mathematics,  regarded  the  training 


158  ALEXANDER   HAMILTON 

imparted  by  it  as  of  great  value  to  him.  He  began  the  active 
work  of  life  as  a  man,  about  September  1,  1871,  as  an  assistant 
professor  of  Latin  and  Tactics,  at  the  Virginia  Military  institute, 
and  in  September,  1873,  settled  in  Richmond,  where  he  practiced 
law  for  one  year,  and  then  went  to  Petersburg,  where  he  has  lived 
ever  since. 

As  to  the  relative  strength  of  the  various  influences  which 
have  shaped  his  career,  Mr.  Hamilton  writes :  "  My  home 
influence  was  good;  my  mother  died  when  I  was  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  but  left  a  very  strong  impression  upon  me  for  good. 
The  schools  I  attended  were  all  admirable.  I  was  four  or  five 
years  in  the  country,  in  Granville  county.  North  Carolina,  at  a 
boarding  school  kept  by  Ralph  H.  Graves,  one  of  the  old-time, 
splendid  teachers.  My  associates  there  were  fine  boys,  and  my 
teacher  was  everything  that  could  be  asked.  I  spent  a  year  at 
the  school  of  W.  Gordon  McCabe,  at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 
The  influences  at  McCabe's  school  and  the  instruction  there,  were 
as  good  as  could  be  had  anywhere  or  at  any  time,  in  any  country. 
My  early  companionship  was  not  different  from  that  of  other 
boys  of  my  class  in  life ;  there  were  some  fine  fellows  among  them 
and  some  "  scabby  "  ones.  As  to  private  study,  I  was  alwaj^s  fond 
of  it  and  usually  supplemented  my  work  at  college  in  that  way. 
As  a  boy,  during  the  war,  I  recollect  I  was  very  fond  of  reading. 
Contact  with  men  in  active  life,  since  I  have  become  a  man,  has 
had  great  influence  upon  my  career;  I  have  been  fortunately 
thrown  with  a  very  high  class  of  men  of  great  ability.  I  would 
say  that  I  attribute  a  great  deal  of  any  success  I  have  had  in  life 
to  my  training  at  the  Virginia  Military  institute;  it  enabled  me 
to  make  the  most  of  any  capacity  I  had ;  and  I  also  attribute  much 
of  any  success  I  have  had  as  a  lawyer  to  the  instruction  and  per- 
sonal influence  upon  my  life  of  the  Hon.  John  Randolph 
Tucker,  with  whom,  I  was  very  close,  considering  the  difference 
in  our  ages." 

Mr.  Hamilton's  professional  work,  ever  since  1873,  has  been 
that  of  a  lawyer,  the  other  positions  held  by  him  having  been 
merely  incidental.  Some  eighteen  years  ago,  he  became  vice- 
president  of  quite  a  large  bank  in  Petersburg,  Virginia,  and 
afterw^ards  was  elected  its  president,  which  position  he  now  holds. 


ALEXANDER   HAMILTON  159 

In  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been  vice-president  or  president 
of  various  companies,  among  others  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Rail- 
road company,  and  he  has  been  counsel  for  various  companies  and 
people  for  many  years.  About  1881  or  1882,  he  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  the  Central  Lunatic  asylum, 
now  the  Central  State  hospital,  and  was  made  president  of  the 
board  and  served  about  three  years.  About  1890,  he  was 
appointed  by  Governor  McKinney  a  member  of  the  board  of 
visitors  of  the  Virginia  Military  institute  and  he  is  now  president 
of  that  board.  He  was  elected  from  the  city  of  Petersburg,  a 
member  of  the  Virginia  Constitutional  convention  of  1901-1902, 
and  served  during  the  session  of  that  body.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  public  school  board  of  the  city  of  Peters- 
burg, and  several  years  ago  he  was  president  of  the  Virginia 
State  Bar  association. 

While  at  college  he  was  a  member  of  the  Alpha  Tau  Omega 
Greek  letter  college  fraternity,  and  has  belonged  to  various  social 
clubs  in  Virginia  and  elsewhere.  He  has  always  been  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  but  did  not  approve  of  the  views  of  W.  J.  Bryan  on 
the  money  question.  He  was  born  and  raised  in  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church,  and  attends  that  church. 

As  a  boy,  he  was  fond  of  the  usual  sports  of  boys;  played 
baseball,  rode  and  drove  horses,  swam,  fished  and  did  everything 
that  was  natural.  Since  he  has  been  a  man,  his  exercise  has  been 
horseback  riding  and  walking.  Whist  is  the  only  game  he  cares 
for  as  a  relaxation.  An  excellent  sketch  of  Mr.  Hamilton 
appeared  in  the  "  Virginia  Military  Bomb  "  of  1902.  He  has 
been  married  three  times,  and  has  five  children,  of  whom  all  are 
living. 

His  address  is  Petersburg,  Dinwiddie  County,  Virginia. 


Vol.  2— Va.— 7 


CALDWELL    HARDY 

HAKDY,  CALDWELL,  banker,  was  born  in  Camden 
county,  North  Carolina,  May  13,  1852,  and  his  parents 
were  Henry  C.  Hardy  and  Huldah  E.  Dozier.  On  his 
father's  side  he  is  descended  from  George  Hardy,  who  emigrated 
from  Bristol,  England,  to  Isle  of  Wight  county  about  1660. 
Among  the  early  representatives  of  the  name,  Samuel  Hardy,  of 
Isle  of  Wight,  was  a  leading  member  from  Virginia  of  the  Con- 
tinental congress,  and  died  in  1785. 

The  Doziers  (original  name  Dauge)  were  of  the  French 
Huguenot  stock,  who  early  settled  in  Eastern  North  Carolina  and 
Virginia. 

Henry  C.  Hardy  was  born  in  the  latter  state,  and  was  a 
merchant  and  banker  in  New  York  to  which  place  he  removed, 
and  his  marked  characteristics  were  a  lovable  disposition  and 
strict  regard  for  the  truth.  His  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  a  bright  energetic  boy,  who  was  blessed  with  an  excellent 
physical  constitution,  and  was  fond  of  outdoor  sports  and 
athletic  games.  He  was  seven  years  of  age  when  his  father  went 
North  to  reside  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  there  he  went  to 
the  city  schools  and  attended  the  Brooklyn  Polytechnic  institute. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  quitted  school,  and  entered  his  father's 
office  in  Wall  street.  New  York  city,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  In  1871  he  came  to  Norfolk,  where  he  was  clerk  and 
officer  for  twelve  years  in  the  Farmers  bank  of  that  city.  In 
1885  the  Norfolk  National  bank  was  organized,  and  the  reputa- 
tion of  Mr.  Hardy  for  industry  and  keen  business  insight  caused 
him  to  be  selected  as  its  first  cashier.  The  remarkable  develop- 
ment and  growth  of  the  bank  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  the 
choice,  and  by  the  logic  of  results  he  was  raised  to  the  presidency 
in  1899,  a  position  which  he  has  ever  since  held.  This  bank  is 
not  only  the  leading  bank  of  Norfolk,  but  probably  the  leading 
bank  of  Virginia,  having  recently  increased  its  capital  to  one 
million  dollars,  with  a  surplus  of  half  a  million. 

In   1893,  the  Norfolk  Bank   for  Savings  and  Trusts  was 


CALDWELL    HARDY  161 

organized  by  the  stockholders  and  officers  of  the  Norfolk 
National  bank.  It  does  a  savings  bank  and  trust  business,  and 
besides  paying  dividends  at  six,  seven,  and  eight,  and  even  ten 
and  twelve  per  cent  on  its  stock,  has  accumulated  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  undivided  profits.  It  has  also 
a  deposit  of  a  million  and  a  half  dollars. 

Mr.  Hardy  is  justly  proud  of  the  two  successful  institutions 
of  which  he  is  president,  the  rank  and  standing  of  which  are 
further  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  stocks  of  both  are  bid  for 
at  over  three  hundred  dollars. 

Fully  appreciating  the  value  of  an  institution  with  such 
wide  spread  principles  as  the  American  Banker's  association,  he 
early  identified  himself  with  its  life,  and  was  selected  in  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  in  1900,  as  a  member  of  the  executive  council  of 
that  body.  In  1902  he  was  elected  president  of  that  association, 
and  served  it  in  a  manner  which  made  him  known  throughout 
the  banking  circles  of  America. 

Nor  has  Mr.  Hardy  confined  his  energies  to  banking.  He  is 
public  spirited  and  is  connected  with  many  other  enterprises. 
He  took  a  leading  part  in  the  establishment  of  the  Monticello 
hotel  of  Norfolk,  and  has  served  in  the  city  council. 

It  is  probably  in  Mr.  Hardy's  personal  relations  that  we  find 
those  characteristics  which  account  for  much  of  his  success. 

He  is  an  optimist,  yet  a  conservative  of  recognized  judgment. 
His  success,  both  as  a  man  of  large  business  affairs  and  influence, 
as  well  as  in  all  the  personal  relations  of  life,  is  perhaps  due  to 
several  very  conspicuous  characteristics.  Among  these  is  a  self- 
control  which  gives  him  at  all  times  ease  and  poise;  a  marked 
consideration  for  others,  which  makes  him  courteous  and  con- 
siderate of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact ;  a  just  estimate  of 
his  own  rights  and  the  rights  of  others,  which  makes  him  a 
valued  friend  and  adviser;  but  conspicuously  does  he  possess  that 
power  of  statement,  which  not  only  makes  his  views  clear,  but 
inspires  a  sense  of  security  and  confidence  in  those  who  come 
under  his  influence. 

He  took  great  interest  in  the  establishment  of  the  Virginia 
club  house,  a  building  seven  stories  high,  and  which  has  been 
pronounced  the  finest  club  building  in  the  South.     As  a  fitting 


162  CALDWELL    HARDY 

recognition  of  his  merit,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  club  for 
two  terms.  He  is  also  a  non-resident  member  of  the  Maryland 
club,  of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  He  finds  relaxation  from  work  in 
playing  golf  and  witnessing  games  of  baseball  and  other  athletic 
sports. 

In  politics  he  has  never  been  what  may  be  called  a  party 
man,  as  he  holds  the  interests  of  the  country  superior  to  the 
dogmas  of  party  platforms.  But  he  has  generally  voted  the 
Democratic  ticket. 

In  religious  preferences  he  is  an  Episcopalian,  and  attends 
St.  Paul's  church  in  Norfolk.  From  the  experiences  and  obser- 
vations of  a  busy  and  successful  life  he  has  this  advice  to  offer 
to  young  men :  "  Live  uprightly  and  make  one  great  branch  of 
human  effort  the  controlling  purpose  of  life,  and  success  will 
come." 

On  December  8,  1875,  he  married  Lucy  Hardy,  his  half 
second  cousin,  and  from  this  union  four  children  have  resulted, 
all  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living. 

Mr.  Hardy's  address  is  Stockley  Gardens,  Norfolk,  Virginia. 


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ASHER  WATERMAN   HARMAN,  JR. 

HARMAN,  ASHER  WATERMAN,  Jr.,  fanner,  and 
state  treasurer  of  Virginia,  was  born  in  Staunton, 
Augusta  county,  Virginia,  September  6,  1850.  His 
father  was  Michael  G.  Harman,  colonel  of  the  52nd  regiment, 
Virginia  infantry,  and  prominent  in  his  generation  in  Virginia, 
as  a  business  man  of  great  energy  and  a  high  order  of  executive 
talent.     Mr.  Harman's  mother  was  Caroline  V.  Stevenson. 

His  early  life  was  passed  in  the  town  of  Staunton;  and  he 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  in  Augusta  county,  during  his  vaca- 
tions. He  obtained  his  primary  education  in  the  local  schools; 
and  in  September,  1868,  entered  the  Virginia  Military  institute, 
at  Lexington,  as  a  cadet,  and  graduated  on  July  4,  1872. 

Upon  leaving  the  institute,  he  began  the  active  work  of  life 
as  manager  of  stage  lines  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  and  con-' 
tinned  in  this  business  until  1881.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the 
business  of  railroad  contracting ;  and  was  president  for  a  time  of 
the  James  river  packet  line  from  Richmond  to  Buchanan  and 
Lexington,  Virginia,  prior  to  the  building  of  the  Richmond  and 
Alleghany  railroad  along  the  line  of  the  old  James  river  and 
Kanawha  canal.  From  1874  to  the  present  time  (1906)  Mr. 
Harman  has  been  engaged  in  the  business  of  farming  in  Rock- 
bridge county,  Virginia. 

He  was  elected  treasurer  of  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia  by 
the  general  assembly,  and  went  into  office  on  January  2,  1886; 
and  was  continuously  reelected  by  the  general  assembly  up  to  the 
time  of  the  going  into  operation  of  the  state  constitution  adopted 
by  the  Constitutional  convention  of  1901-1902.  That  instrument 
made  the  office  of  state  treasurer  elective  by  the  people;  and  Mr. 
Harman,  having  received  the  Democratic  nomination,  was  in 
November,  1905,  elected  to  a  further  term  of  four  years,  begin- 
ning on  February  2,  1906. 

He  has  always  been  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
has  never  changed  his  allegiance  to  its  principles  or  organization. 
I  He  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 


166  ASHER   WATERMAN    HARM  AN,   JR. 

Mr.  Harman  married  on  December  11,  1872,  M.  Eugenia 
Cameron ;  and  of  their  marriage  have  been  born  twelve  children, 
of  whom  eleven,  six  boys  and  five  girls,  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


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FRANK  PIERCE  HARMAN 

HAEMAN,  FEANK  PIEECE,  was  bom  May  24,  1856,  in 
Floyd  county,  Virginia.  He  belongs  to  the  Harman 
family  who  were  among  the  early  German  settlers  of 
the  Valley  of  Virginia,  and  whose  descendants  are  still  prominent 
in  Augusta  and  Eockbridge  counties.  His  ancestors  were  soldiers 
in  the  Eevolutionary  war,  and  his  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812. 

Mr.  Harman's  father,  Mr.  William  Harvey  Harman,  is  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  Floyd  county,  where  he  owns  and 
still  manages  a  large  stock-farm  and  store,  and,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six,  is  still  a  man  of  great  will-power,  energy  and  busi- 
ness capacity. 

On  his  maternal  side,  Mr.  Harman's  grandmother  was  Mary 
Todd,  whose  family  was  among  the  early  settlers  of  Eichmond, 
Virginia.     His  mother  was  Marietta  Yearout. 

Mr.  Harman  received  his  education  at  private  schools  and 
from  tutors  in  his  father's  family.  When  not  at  school,  he 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  took  charge  of  his  father's  store.  In  this  responsible 
position  he  evinced  an  aptitude  for  business  affairs  and  a  rare 
executive  ability. 

Mr.  Harman  was  among  the  first  Virginians  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunities  afforded  by  the  opening  of  the  great 
Pocahontas  coal  field,  and  in  the  year  1887  embarked  in  the  coal 
business  by  becoming  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Turkey  Gap 
Coal  company.  Of  this  company  he  was  made  secretary  and 
treasurer,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  had  active  charge  of  its 
financial  affairs. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Harman,  although  only  a  little  over 
thirty  years  of  age,  began  to  be  recognized  among  the  business 
men  of  that  section  as  an  able  organizer.  He  was  elected  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Flat  Top  Coal  and  Coke  association,  an 
organization  composed  of  the  entire  thirty-eight  original  coal 


170  FRANK   PIERCE    HARMAN 

operations  of  the  Pocahontas  field.  This  position  he  filled 
acceptably  for  several  j^ears. 

Mr.  Harman's  success  and  wonderful  concentrative  and  con- 
structive ability  attracted  the  attention  of  others  outside  of  the 
Pocahontas  field,  and  in  1898  he  was  made  purchasing  agent  for 
the  Virginia  and  Southwestern  railway.  He  was  also  appointed 
to  a  similar  position  in  the  Virginia  Iron,  Coal  and  Coke  com- 
pan}^,  a  corporation  which  has  done  more  to  develop  Southwest 
Virginia  than  any  other  enterprise  ever  organized  in  the  state. 
In  the  same  year  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  Hollins  institute,  one 
of  Virginia's  foremost  schools  for  young  ladies.  This  position 
he  held  until  its  reorganization. 

In  1891,  Mr.  Harman  was  elected  vice-president  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Roanoke,  Virginia,  which  position  he  still 
holds.  In  the  same  year  he  organized  the  Pinnacle  Coal  and 
Coke  company,  on  Crane  Creek,  in  the  Pocahontas  coal  field,  and 
was  made  president  of  that  corporation. 

Two  years  ago  he  removed  to  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  where 
he  acquired  control  of  the  wholesale  dry  goods  and  notion  busi- 
ness of  Guggenheimer  and  Company.  Of  this  old,  established 
business,  he  was  elected  president,  and  now  has  active  charge  of 
its  affairs.  In  1904  he  was  elected  a  director  of  the  National 
Exchange  Bank,  in  that  city. 

Mr.  Harman  represents  the  business  man  evolved  by  the 
conditions  of  the  New  South ;  he  possesses  the  aggressiveness  and 
enterprise  necessary  to  overcome  the  many  obstacles  which 
presented  themselves  to  his  section  during  the  period  of  com- 
mercial reconstruction — necessary  to  the  work  of  placing  his  state 
on  a  firm  financial  basis. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  he  was  opposed  to  the 
free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver.  He  has  never  taken  an 
active  part  in  politics,  was  never  elected  to  any  office,  and  never 
belonged  to  any  fraternity.  He  has  alwaj^s  affiliated  with  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Mr.  Plarman  has  a  taste  for  farming  and  country  life,  and  is 
fond  of  hunting  and  horseback  riding.  At  one  time,  he  owned 
the  beautiful  estate  "  Glenvar,"  situated  in  Eoanoke  county,  and 
brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  improvement. 


FRANK   PIERCE    HARMAN  171 

Mr.  Harman's  experience  and  observation  lead  him  to  suggest 
to  young  men  that  they  be  honest,  truthful,  candid  and  fair  in 
their  dealings  with  men,  and  that,  while  avoiding  stinginess,  they 
should,  nevertheless,  practice  economy. 

Mr.  Harman  believes  his  success  in  life  is  mainly  due  to  home 
training,  habits  formed  in  early  life,  and  the  assistance  of  a 
practical,  sensible  wife. 

In  October,  1883,  he  was  m_arried  to  Eugenia  Edwards. 
They  have  six  children,  four  boys  and  two  girls,  all  of  whom  are 
(1906)  living. 

His  postoffice  address  is  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


GEORGE  MOFFETT  HARRISON 

HAEEISON,  GEOEGE  MOFFETT,  of  the  supreme  court 
of  Virgina,  was  born  February  14,  1847,  near  Staunton, 
Virginia,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Jane  St.  Clair 
(Cochran)  Harrison.  Henry  was  the  son  of  Carter  H.  Harrison, 
of  Clifton,  Cumberland  county,  Virginia,  who  was  the  son  of 
Eandolph  Harrison,  of  Clifton,  Cumberland  county,  Virginia. 

On  his  father's  side.  Judge  Harrison  is  connected  with  many 
of  the  best  old  families  of  Virginia,  such  as  the  Eandolphs,  the 
Amblers,  the  Carys,  the  Byrds,  and  the  Carters ;  and  the  Harrison 
family  itself  has  furnished  one  "  signer,"  one  governor,  and  two 
presidents  of  the  United  States.  On  his  mother's  side.  Judge 
Harrison  is  descended  from  the  Boys,  the  St.  Clairs,  Cochrans, 
Moffetts  and  other  prominent  settlers  of  Augusta  county. 

Judge  Harrison  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  near  Staunton, 
and  along  with  his  brothers  received  his  early  education  at  the 
hands  of  his  father,  a  cultivated  and  finely  informed  gentleman, 
who  took  pleasure  in  instructing  his  own  children. 

At  sixteen  years  of  age,  upon  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities 
in  1861,  consequent  upon  the  secession  of  Virginia  from  the 
Union,  George  M.  Harrison  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army,  in 
which  he  served  with  courage  and  fidelity,  until  April  9,  1865, 
when  he  surrendered  with  the  Fredericksburg  artillery,  Marma- 
duke  Johnson's  battalion,  third  armj^  corps,  of  the  army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  at  Appomattox  Court-house. 

Eeturning  home  to  take  up  the  more  prosaic  duties  of  life,  he 
finally  determined  to  make  of  himself  a  lawyer;  and  in  the 
autumn  of  1869  he  entered  the  law  school  of  the  University  of 
Virginia,  where  he  remained  until  the  summxcr  of  1870.  At  the 
conclusion  of  his  law  course,  he  opened  an  office  in  Staunton, 
where  he  has  sines  resided,  and  where  he  practiced  his  profession 
until  he  was  elected  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  appeals  of 
Virginia,  taking  his  seat  upon  the  bench  on  the  first  day  of 
January,  1895. 

As  in  the  practice  of  law  he  showed  himself  diligent,  con- 


GEORGE    MOFFETT    HARRISON  173^ 

servative,  studious  and  painstaking,  so,  since  he  has  occupied  a 
seat  upon  the  supreme  bench  of  the  state,  his  career  has  been 
marked  by  the  same  characteristics.  His  opinions  are  regarded 
by  the  profession  in  Virginia  as  indicating  a  marked  lucidity  of 
understanding  and  expression,  no  less  than  a  painstaking  and 
careful  power  of  investigation;  and  his  administration  of  the 
high  office  to  which  he  was  called  in  1895  was  so  successful 
and  satisfactory  that  the  general  assembly  of  Virginia  at  its 
session  of  1906  reelected  him  to  succeed  himself  for  the  ensuing 
term  of  twelve  years,  beginning  in  January,  1907. 

During  the  period  of  his  active  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Staunton,  Judge  Harrison  was  counsel  in  many  cases  of  great 
importance  and  involving  large  interests.  His  management  of 
them  always  indicated  the  most  systematic  and  careful  prepa- 
ration in  the  office;  while  his  presentation  alike  of  questions  of 
law  to  the  court  and  of  fact  to  the  jury  was  unfailingly  strong 
and  convincing.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  in  partnership 
with  Harry  St.  George  Tucker,  long  a  member  of  congress  from 
the  tenth  Virginia  district,  and  now  the  president  of  the  James- 
town exposition;  and  the  firm  of  Harrison  and  Tucker  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  in  the  state. 

For  many  years  Judge  Harrison  was  one  of  the  master 
commissioners  in  chancery  of  the  circuit  court  of  Augusta,  the 
duties  of  which  he  performed  with  the  same  conscientious 
industry  and  success  that  have  characterized  whatever  else  he  has 
undertaken  in  life. 

Judge  Harrison  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  convictions 
and  affiliations ;  and,  while  prior  to  his  elevation  to  the  bench,  he 
had  not  held  office  in  Virginia,  he  had  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  the  success  of  his  party,  and  was  an  able  and  con- 
vincing exponent  of  its  doctrines  and  policies  upon  the  hustings. 

Judge  Harrison  has  been  since  early  youth  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  for  years  a  vestryman  of  his  parish. 

On  September  23, 1874,  he  married  Bettie  Montgomery  Kent ; 
and  of  his  marriage  there  are  three  children  now  living,  a  son 
and  two  daughters. 

His  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


THOMAS   WALKER   HARRISON 

AEEISON,  THOMAS  WALKER,  judge  of  the  seven- 
teenth judicial  circuit  of  Virginia,  was  born  in  Lees- 
burg,  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  August  5,  1856.  His 
father,  Matthew  Harrison,  was  commonwealth's  attorney,  and 
represented  his  county  in  the  house  of  delegates  of  Virginia. 
His  marked  characteristics  were  earnestness,  energy,  industry, 
and  great  activity  in  everything  with  which  he  connected  himself. 
Judge  Harrison's  mother  was  Harriet  Jones,  a  lineal  descendant 
of  Richard  Henry  Lee,  the  "  Cicero  of  Virginia,"  and  "  mover  " 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  On  his  father's  side  Judge 
Harrison  belongs  to  the  famous  Virginia  family  which  has 
furnished  "  signers,"  governors,  soldiers,  presidents  in  days  gone 
by,  and  which  is  still  capable  of  furnishing  men  of  mark  to 
Virginia  and  other  commonwealths. 

After  receiving  his  early  academic  training  under  such 
teachers  as  Virginius  Dabney,  the  author  and  scholar,  and  Hilary 
P.  Jones,  the  noted  principal  of  Hanover  academy,  young 
Harrison  entered  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  took  the 
degrees  of  Master  of  Arts  and  Bachelor  of  Law.  With  this 
superb  equipment  and  a  grit  never  surpassed,  he  began  the 
practice  of  law  in  Winchester,  Virginia,  September  1,  1879.  For 
about  five  years,  while  establishing  himself  in  his  profession,  he 
edited  a  newspaper. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  State  senate  of 
Virginia,  and  was  reelected  in  1891.  In  the  senate  he  was  marked 
by  conservatism,  energy  and  devotion  to  duty.  The  way  to 
success,  in  his  opinion,  is  through  honesty,  industry,  and  atten- 
tion to  detail;  and  those  virtues  he  practices  in  his  career  as 
lawyer,  as  senator,  and  as  judge.  His  constituents  have  always 
found  him  a  faithful  and  conscientious  representative.  From 
the  senate  chamber  he  was  raised  to  the  circuit  bench  in  1893. 
This  was  under  the  old  constitution  of  Virginia,  which  expired 
July  10,  1902,  at  12  M.     In  1901,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 


THOMAS    WALKER    HARRISON  175 

constitutional  convention  of  Virginia.  Under  the  new  constitu- 
tion, Judge  Harrison  was  elected  judge  of  the  seventeenth 
judicial  circuit — a  position  which  he  fills  at  present.  His  circuit 
embraces  the  counties  of  Frederick,  Clarke,  Warren,  Shenandoah, 
and  Page,  and  the  city  of  Winchester. 

As  said  already,  Judge  Harrison  belongs  to  the  distin- 
guished Harrison  family,  and  to  the  no  less  eminent  family  of 
Lee.  With  such  antecedents  and  the  educational  advantages 
already  spoken  of,  success  would  seem  inevitable;  but,  when  to 
these  elements  of  inspiration,  we  add  the  virtues  named  above, 
we  may  well  expect  success  of  a  high  order. 

From  early  youth.  Judge  Harrison  has  been  fond  of  books, 
especially  of  history  and  historical  novels.  It  was  in  good 
ground,  then,  that  his  noble  teachers,  Dabney  and  Jones,  and  the 
professors  at  the  University,  sowed  their  seed;  and  it  sprang  up 
and  bore  fruit  an  hundred  fold.  In  the  hurry  of  a  busy  practice 
and  of  his  duties  as  judge,  he  finds  time  to  extend  his  knowledge 
of  the  English  historians,  poets,  and  novelists.  With  such 
standard  literature  he  relaxes  his  mind,  while  too  many  of  our 
people  read  great  masses  of  trash  that  add  nothing  to  their 
culture,  but  merely  kill  time,  and  oftentimes  kill  character  no  less. 

To  young  Americans  eager  for  true,  and  honorable  success, 
Judge  Harrison's  advice  is  to  be  scrupulously  honest  in  all 
business  dealings,  to  work,  and  pay  strict  attention  to  details,  to 
be  frugal  and  sober. 

Judge  Harrison  has  been  twice  m.arried :  first  to  Julia  Knight, 
who  died  Januarv  19,  1899 ;  second,  to  Xellie  Cover.  Bv  his  first 
marriage,  he  had  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living 
(1906).  By  his  second  marriage,  he  has  had  one  child,  now 
living.  Judge  Harrison  resides  in  Winchester,  Virginia,  and 
can  be  found  there,  except  when  his  duties  as  judge  oblige  him  to 
be  elsewhere. 

In  politics.  Judge  Harrison  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  never 
been  a  professional  politician,  but,  as  already  seen,  has  served  his 
people  in  a  representative  capacity.  His  success  in  life  is  due 
to  a  combination  of  causes,  such  as  home  training,  laudable  family 
pride,  example  of  his  elders,  education,  culture,  energy,  integrity, 


176  THOMAS    WALKER    HARRISON 

ability.  It  is  a  great  thing  for  the  state  when  such  scions  of  her 
most  honored  families  stand  at  the  front,  to  steer  the  ship  of 
state,  and  to  wear  judicial  ermine. 

The  postoffice  address  of  Judge   Harrison  is   Winchester^ 
Virginia, 


ft 


HALLER  H.   HENKEL 

HENKEL,  HALLER  H.,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  New  Market, 
Virginia,  April  5,  1852,  and  his  parents  were  Doctor 
Samuel  Godfrey  Henkel  and  Susan  Koiner. 

The  Henkel  family  was  of  Hungarian  origin.  The  progeni- 
tor of  the  American  branch  was  Johann  Henkel,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
of  Leutscham,  Hungary,  who  was  appointed  court  preacher 
to  Lewis  11.  of  Hungary,  on  the  recommendation  of  Martin 
Luther,  subsequently  became  confessor  to  Queen  Marie,  and 
author  of  a  prayer  book  and  other  theological  works.  His 
descendant,  Gerhard  Henkel,  court  preacher  of  Frankfort-on- 
the-Main,  came  to  America,  in  ITIT,  bringing  with  him  his 
entire  family  of  seven  adult  children.  The  great-grandfather 
of  Doctor  Haller  H.  Plenkel,  Eev.  Paul  Henkel,  was  a  most 
self-sacrificing  and  efficient  pioneer  Lutheran  missionary.  This 
last  had  issue.  Doctor  Solomon  Henkel,  an  eminent  physician, 
who  studied  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  under  Doctor 
Benjamin  Rush;  and  his  son.  Doctor  Samuel  Godfrey  Henkel, 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  also  graduated  at  that 
university,  as  did  his  uncles.  Doctor  Silver  A.  Henkel  and  Doctor 
Solon  P.  C.  Henkel,  and  his  brother.  Doctor  Caspar  C.  Henkel, 
who  afterward  became  acting  division  surgeon  of  General 
Stonewall  Jackson's  corps. 

On  his  mother's  side.  Doctor  Henkel  is  also  descended  from 
German  stock  of  Lutheran  faith.  His  mother  inherited  the  best 
traits  of  this  stock,  and  transmitted  to  her  son  strong  moral 
principles,  sincerity  of  purpose  and  physical  stamina. 

Doctor  Henkel  was  a  strong,  healthy  boy,  whose  early  days 
were  spent  in  his  native  town  and  on  his  mother's  farm  in  the 
suburbs.  He  went  to  school  and  during  his  spare  time  worked 
on  the  farm,  reckoning  no  manual  labor  too  severe  for  his  under- 
taking. Having  attained  his  eighteenth  year,  he  entered  the 
New  Market  Polytechnic  institute  and  pursued  a  regular  course 
of  study,  graduating  in  1873,  with  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 
For  mental  discipline  only,  and  with  no  idea  of  practicing  law, 


180  HALLER    H.    HENKEL 

he  attended,  in  1876,  the  summer  law  course  of  John  B.  Minor, 
at  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  at  the  ensuing  regular  session 
entered  the  medical  department,  where  he  remained  one  year.  The 
next  fail  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
New  York,  and  won  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  at  the  end 
of  the  first  session  of  his  attendance,  being  among  the  ten  who 
received  honorable  mention  out  of  a  graduating  class  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  At  a  competitive  examination  for  a  position  on 
the  staff  of  Bellevue  hospital,  he  was  declared  "first  best"  in  a 
class  of  twenty-six  competitors. 

Then  fully  equipped  for  his  position,  he  began,  in  1881,  the 
active  work  of  life  at  Staunton,  Virginia,  and  met  with  the 
success  which  his  careful  preparation  and  distinguished  talents 
deserved.  He  has  been  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  board 
of  health  in  Staunton,  and  local  surgeon  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  and  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railways.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  board  of  health  of  Augusta  county,  a  member  of  the  Medical 
society  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  and  physician  to  the  Mary 
Baldwin  seminary  and  Virginia  Female  institute,  both  large 
female  schools  located  at  Staunton,  Virginia.  He  has  from  time 
to  time  read  papers  on  medical  subjects  before  the  medical 
societies  of  Virginia  and  other  states. 

In  political  affiliation  Doctor  Henkel  is  a  Democrat,  who 
has  always  adhered  to  the  party  platform;  while  in  religious 
matters  he  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelfcal  Lutheran  church. 

The  dominant  traits  of  his  character  are  self-reliance, 
independence  and  tenacity  of  purpose,  which  qualities  coupled 
with  strong  will  power,  moral  stamina  and  indefatigable  indus- 
try, have  placed  him  in  the  first  rank  of  his  profession.  He  is 
popular  with  the  people  of  Staunton,  who  hold  his  character  as 
a  gentleman  and  talents  as  a  physician  in  high  esteem. 

In  1886,  Doctor  Henkel  married  L.  Olive  Turney,  eldest 
daughter  of  Thomas  E.  Turney,  of  Clinton  county,  Missouri. 
They  have  one  child,  Miss  Hallie  H.  Henkel,  a  recent  graduate 
of  the  Virginia  Female  institute. 

His  present  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


TuE  FEW  YOKK 

FlIRLIC   LIBllAHY 


TELiUlSfi  'i  '' 

«  i- 


■^■'as'iirz0^a/3,^ 


0-^f-f-^^  ^^K/U^ 


\ 


STOCKTON  HETH 

ETH,  STOCKTON,  soldier,  planter,  and  stock-raiser, 
was  born  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  April  5,  1839.  His 
father  was  John  Heth;  and  his  mother  was  Margaret 
Pickett.  His  father  was  an  officer  in  the  United  States  navy 
with  Commodore  Decatur,  and  was  naval  attache  on  special 
service  to  foreign  countries  upon  occasion.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  and  was  distinguished  for  his 
personal  magnetism,  his  courage,  and  his  social  eminence. 

Captain  Heth's  emigrant  ancestor  to  America  was  Henry 
Heth,  who  came  to  Virginia  from  England  in  1759,  and  settled 
in  Richmond.  With  him  came  two  brothers,  William  and  John, 
all  three  of  v/hom  were  charter  members  of  the  Society  of  the 
Cincinnati.  The  emigrant,  Henry  Heth,  who  was  the  great-grand- 
father of  Captain  Stockton  Heth,  married  Agnes  Mackey.  He 
was  captain  and  major  in  the  1st  Virginia  regiment  in  the  War 
of  the  American  Revolution,  and  was  with  Gen.  Montgomery  at 
the  taking  of  Quebec,  where  he  was  promoted  for  bravery  in  the 
face  of  great  peril  and  danger. 

His  son,  Henry  Heth,  was  Captain  Stockton  Heth's  grand- 
father, and  married  Ann  Hare;  he  served  in  the  War  of  1812, 
with  the  rank  of  major. 

Captain  Stockton  Heth's  early  life  was  spent  partly  in  the 
city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  partly  in  Culpeper  county,  on 
the  estate  of  his  uncle  by  marriage,  Colonel  Richard  Cunning- 
ham, who  with  his  wife  took  charge  of  the  young  boy  upon  the 
death  of  his  parents  and  treated  him  as  a  son.  He  was  sent  to 
the  Episcopal  high  school  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  and  later  to 
the  Virginia  Military  institute  at  Lexington.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  War  between  the  States,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Con- 
federacy in  the  capacity  of  captain  of  the  "  Brandy  Rifles,"  of 
Culpeper  county,  which  was  a  part  of  the  18th  Virginia  infantry. 
Later  he  became  an  aide  on  the  staff  of  his  brother,  Major-Gen- 
eral  Harry  Heth,  and  upon  the  staff  of  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart. 
By  the  latter  he  was  recommended  for  promotion  for  gallantry  at 

Vol.  2— Va.— 8 


184:  STOCKTON    HETH 

the  battle  of  Cliancellorsville,  it  being  his  duty,  among  others,  to 
carry  dispatches  between  the  lines  daily,  by  reason  of  which  he 
was  exposed  to  the  fire  of  friend  and  foe  alike.  He  served  with 
fidelity  and  courage  throughout  the  war,  and  was  cnce  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Reams  Station. 

Captain  Heth,  being  after  the  close  of  the  war  an  exten- 
sive land  owner  in  both  Virginia  and  Mississippi,  has  been  since 
that  time  engaged  in  cotton  planting  in  the  latter  state,  and  in 
cattle  raising  in  Virginia ;  and  he  has  also  been  largely  interested 
in  the  promotion  and  development  of  the  town  of  Radford,  Vir- 
ginia, which  was  built  on  land  once  owned  by  himself  and  his 
wife. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  of  the  Order 
of  the  Cincinnati,  and  of  the  Confederate  Veterans  association. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  never  changed  his  party 
allegiance. 

As  a  young  man,  he  was  an  active  participant  in  all  athletic 
sports ;  and  he  now  finds  his  recreation  and  amusement  in  horse- 
back riding  and  driving. 

Captain  Heth  married,  in  October,  1867,  Isabella  Norwood 
Hammet;  and  of  their  marriage  there  are  now  (1906)  five  chil- 
dren living:  Sue  Hammet,  Virginia  C,  Pickett,  Stockton,  and 
Clement. 

His  address  is  East  Radford,  Montgomery  County,  Virginia. 


^ 


J 


(ptAA^ 


GILBERT  JOHN  HUNT 

HUNT,  GILBERT  JOHN,  a  prominent  general  contractor 
and  builder,  was  born  in  Fredericksburg,  Virginia, 
February  IT,  1843.  His  father,  Gilbert  J.  Hunt,  was 
noted  as  a  designer  of  unusual  artistic  taste  and  a  skilled  and 
successful  mechanic,  who  was  born  in  Xew  York  city  in  1812, 
and  coming  South  to  Virginia  in  1833,  settled  in  Fredericksburg, 
where  he  married  his  wife,  Jane  Jones.  Mr.  Hunt's  great-grand- 
father w^as  also  Gilbert  J.  Hunt,  of  Xew  York  city,  who  was  an 
ardent  patriot  in  the  Revolutionar}^  struggle  between  the 
American  colonies  and  Great  Britain,  and  was  a  writer  of  some 
local  reputation.  On  his  mother's  side  Mr.  Hunt  is  of  Scotch 
extraction,  being  a  descendant  of  a  !^IcDonald  ancestor,  who  was 
a  gallant  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  serving  in  the  Continental 
army  throughout  the  war,  and  participating  in  the  siege  of 
Yorktown  and  the  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis's  army.  This 
progenitor,  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  settled  in 
Caroline  county,  Virginia,  and  married  a  Miss  Searle,  also  of 
Scotch  descent,  of  whose  marriage  Avas  born  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Jennie  McDonald,  who  married  Samuel  Jones,  of  Fredericks- 
burg, and  was  the  maternal  grandmother  of  Mr.  Hunt. 

Gilbert  J.  Hunt  was  one  of  eleven  children.  His  health  in 
youth  was  delicate,  and  so  his  father,  after  sending  him  for  a 
while  to  the  common  schools  of  Fredericksburg,  determined  to 
put  him  to  work  at  a  trade  that  would  tend  to  improve  his 
physical  condition.  To  this  judicious  action  of  his  father,  Mr. 
Hunt  attributes  not  only  the  foundation  of  the  sound  health 
which  he  has  since  enjoyed,  but  also  that  of  the  success  which  he 
has  achieved  in  his  life  work  of  master  builder  and  contractor. 

AVhen  the  War  between  the  States  began  in  1861,  Mr.  Hunt, 
although  then  only  eighteen  years  of  age,  had  by  diligence  and 
attention  to  business  already  made  of  himself  an  excellent 
mechanic.  There  followed  upon  the  inception  of  hostilities  a 
natural  demand  on  the  part  of  the  Confederate  government  for 
skilled  workmen  in  its  several  mechanical  departments;  and  Mr. 


188  GILBERT    JOHN    HUNT 

Hunt  was  accordingly  detailed  for  service  in  the  gun-carriage 
department  of  the  artillery  workshops  in  the  Confederate  States 
arsenal,  where  he  rendered  valuable  service  during  a  large  part 
of  the  war. 

Mr.  Hunt  has  been  from  boyhood,  a  zealous  and  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  which  he  has 
contributed  both  of  his  time  and  means.  He  taught  in  its 
Sunday  school  for  ten  years,  and  was  Sunday  school  superin- 
tendent of  his  church  for  twenty  years.  He  was  for  a  yet  longer 
period  chairman  of  the  board  of  church  stewards,  and  has  filled 
every  office  in  connection  with  his  church  that  could  be  held  by 
a  layman. 

Mr.  Hunt  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and  initiative ;  and  in  the 
conduct  of  his  large  and  successful  business  as  contractor  and 
builder,  he  has  relied  upon  his  own  skill  as  a  designer  in  making 
his  own  drawings,  plans  and  specifications;  while  at  the  same 
time  he  has  kept  his  own  books  and  accounts,  and  transacted  his 
large  business  without  the  intervention  or  aid  of  bookkeepers. 

Mr.  Hunt  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations,  and  has 
never  swerved  in  his  allegiance  to  his  party. 

On  April  29,  1864,  Mr.  Hunt  married  Ella  Griffith,  and  of 
their  union  seven  children  have  been  born,  of  whom  five  (1906) 
survive.  Two  of  his  sons  are  successful  physicians,  and  another 
is  an  architect  and  builder  associated  in  business  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Hunt's  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


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WESTWOOD    HUTCHISON 

HUTCHISON,  WESTWOOD,  banker,  was  born  on  a 
farm  in  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  October  T,  1846,  and 
is  the  son  of  Beverly  and  Mary  Purcell  (Hixon) 
Hutchison.  His  ancestors  on  both  sides  were  of  old  English 
stock,  and  in  this  country  were  practically  coeval  with  the 
founding  of  the  American  colonies.  On  the  paternal  side  were 
the  Hutchisons  and  the  Eogerses;  on  the  maternal  side,  the 
Humphreys  and  Hixons. 

His  great  great-grandfather,  Andrew  Hutchison,  was  born 
in  England,  in  1687,  came  to  the  colonies  while  still  a  young 
man,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Loudoun  county,  Virginia, 
(near  Aldie)  on  the  road  subsequently  laid  out  by  General  Brad- 
dock  during  his  march  to  Fort  DuQuesne.  This  pioneer  estate 
subsequently  became  the  family  homestead,  and  has  remained  in 
possession  of  his  descendants  ever  since.  One  of  the  sons  of 
Andrew  Hutchison,  grandfather  of  Westwood,  settled  in  Prince 
William  county,  Virginia,  and  at  one  time  was  presiding  officer 
of  the  county  court  at  Dumfries,  which  then  consisted  of  a  body 
of  magistrates.  He  married  a  Miss  Rogers,  whose  grandfather 
had  been  a  customs  officer  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  under  appoint- 
ment of  the  crown  of  England. 

The  Humphreys  and  Hixons  emigrated  from  England 
to  America,  and  first  settled  in  the  colony  of  Pennsylvania. 
Thomas  Humphreys,  Mr.  Hutchison's  great-grandfather,  removed 
to  the  colony  of  Virginia  in  1760,  and  his  brother,  David 
Humphrey,  at  a  later  period,  became  an  aide  on  the  staff  of 
General  Washington  during  the  War  of  Independence.  After 
the  close  of  that  struggle,  he  followed  the  sea,  made  a  cruise  to 
China  as  captain  of  a  vessel,  and  ultimately  died  in  Philadelphia 
in  the  year  1800.  Another  great-grandfather,  James  Hixon, 
resided  on  Little  River,  near  Bull  Run  Mountain,  in  Prince 
William  countv.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,    and,    by    virtue    of   the    distinguished    services    rendered, 


192  WESTWOOD    HUTCHISON 

receiA^ed  a  grant  of  land  on  Little  River,  near  Bull  Run  Mountain, 
Virginia,  where  he  settled  and  continued  to  reside  until  his 
death.  He  was  actively  interested  in  the  building  of  the  Little 
River  pike,  extending  from  Alexandria  to  Winchester,  Virginia, 
and,  during  its  incipiency,  made  a  trip  to  Philadelphia  on  horse- 
back, to  place  before  congress  some  important  matters  in  con- 
nection with  this  road. 

Beverly  Hutchison,  father  of  Westwood,  was  a  man  of  strong 
will,  a  keen  sense  of  honor,  and  marked  integrity.  In  early  life 
he  engaged  in  merchandising ;  later,  took  up  farming,  and,  while 
still  under  middle  age,  was  elected  sheriff  of  Prince  William 
county.  He  was  also  in  later  life  a  member  of  the  county  court 
of  Loudoun. 

Westwood  Hutchison  passed  his  boyhood  in  the  country 
amid  wholesome  surroundings,  and  was  trained  to  habits  of 
promptness,  punctuality,  and  industry.  He  was  fond  of  outdoor 
sports,  books,  and  the  pleasures  of  home  life.  He  was  especially 
attracted  to  classical  poetr}^  and  other  forms  of  literature,  and  the 
Bible  played  no  little  part  in  the  formation  of  his  ideals. 
Educationally  speaking,  he  is  largely  a  self-made  man,  though  he 
attended  some  of  the  local  schools  of  his  county.  At  a  time  when 
he  might  have  entered  college,  the  war  came  on,  and  he,  like 
nearly  all  the  3^oung  Virginians  of  his  day,  volunteered  to  defend 
his  state  from  invasion.  He  served  some  time  as  a  private 
in  the  39th  Virginia  battalion. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Hutchison  settled  down  to  farming  in 
Prince  William  count}^,  and  dcA^oted  himself  to  that  occupation 
for  many  years. 

Though  not  a  politician,  Mr.  Hutchison  has  filled  some 
public  offices.  In  1885,  he  was  elected  a  magistrate,  but  soon 
resigned  that  position  to  become  a  school  trustee.  In  1886,  he 
was  appointed  to  take  the  school  census;  in  1887,  he  was 
appointed  land  assessor;  and  from  1891  to  1899  he  held  the  office 
of  county  treasurer.  In  1892,  his  well-known  talent  for  business 
led  Governor  P.  W.  McKinney  to  appoint  him  distributor  of  the 
direct  tax  fund.  'W^ien  the  National  Bank  of  Manassas  was 
organized,  Mr.  Hutchison  was  made  cashier,  and  still  serves  most 
efficiently  in  that  capacity.     In  1905,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 


WESTWOOD    HUTCHISON  193 

the  town  council  of  Manassas.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hutchison  is  a 
Democrat;  in  church  preference,  a  Baptist.  Since  1870  he  has 
been  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church. 

December  7,  1871,  Mr.  Hutchison  was  married  to  Susan  Ish. 
They  have  had  fourteen  children,  ten  of  whom  are  now  (1906) 
living. 

His  address  is  Manassas,  Virginia. 


ROBERT  GREEN   JAMES 

JAMES,  ROBEET  GKEEN,  was  born  at  Fincastle  in  the 
county  of  Botetourt,  February  18,  1866,  and  his  parents 
were  Green  James  and  Susan  Bosserman.  Little  is  known 
of  the  ancestry  of  the  family,  as  both  parents  died  when  Mr. 
Robert  Green  James  was  too  young  to  make  inquiries.  His 
father  was  a  man  of  fine  talents  and  character,  and  from  1861- 
1865  he  represented  Botetourt  in  the  house  of  delegates.  His 
marked  characteristics  were  honesty,  fidelity  and  wit.  He 
founded  and  edited  a  newspaper  at  Fincastle,  Virginia,  called 
"  The  Valley  Wliig;"  and  when  the  corner  stone  of  the^  Washing- 
ton monument  at  Washington,  District  of  Columbia,  was  laid. 
"  The  Valley  Whig "  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  only 
Virginia  paper  to  have  a  copy  placed  in  the  stone.  During 
the  war  from  1861-1865,  Mr.  Green  James  served  in  the  house 
of  delegates  and  had  tvvo  sons  in  Pickett's  division.  Con- 
federate army;  the  oldest,  as  captain  of  his  company  at  nineteen 
years,  was  severely  wounded  at  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  and  left 
on  the  battle  field  and  taken  to  Washington,  District  of 
Columbia ;  was  exchanged  several  months  afterwards,  and  served 
throughout  the  war,  dying  in  1873,  as  the  result  of  wounds ;  and 
the  other  a  private  in  the  same  company,  was  killed  before  reach- 
ing his  eighteenth  year,  in  same  battle  at  Williamsburg,  Virginia. 
His  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  blessed  with  excellent 
health  in  youth,  was  robust  and  hearty,  and  was  always  ready  to 
do  his  part  of  necessary  labor  to  provide  comforts  for  the  family. 
The  example  of  his  excellent  parents  had  a  great  effect  in 
developing  his  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  life.  He  was 
educated  at  the  private  and  public  schools  of  his  county,  but 
spent  one  year  at  Baltimore  City  college  in  the  state  of  Mary- 
land. He  then  took  law  under  John  B.  Minor  at  the  University 
of  Virginia  during  the  session  of  1887-1888;  but,  though  he 
profited  greatly  by  the  lectures  of  his  eminent  teacher,  he  did  not 
stay  to  take  the  degree  of  graduation. 

In  1890,  he  began  the  active  work  of  life  at  Clifton  Forge. 


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ROBERT    GREEN    JAMES  197 

His  inspiration  to  action  arose  from  a  natural  ambition  to  succeed, 
as  others  had  done;  and  while  his  own  personal  preference 
determined  his  mind  to  the  law,  his  home  influences  and  contact 
with  men  in  active  life  had  a  very  strong  part  in  directing  the 
energies  of  his  mind.  That  Mr.  James  has  made  a  success  of  his 
profession  is  shown  by  his  employment  as  attorney  by  a  number 
of  important  corporations  and  institutions  in  Virginia  and  else- 
where. He  served  also  for  eight  years  as  city  attorney  for  Clifton 
Forge,  and  that  is  in  itself  another  proof  of  his  ability  as  a 
lawyer. 

In  religion  Mr.  James  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  South,  and  in  politics  he  is  "  an  independent  Republican." 
Remembering  how^ever,  that  the  law  is  a  jealous  mistress,  he  has 
had  the  good  sense  to  decline  all  overtures  of  a  political  character, 
and  steadily  to  refuse  to  become  a  candidate  for  any  purely  politi- 
cal office.  This  course  of  political  self  abnegation  frees  his 
motives  from  the  charges  often  brought  against  Southern  Repub- 
licans that  they  are  Republicans  for  offices  merely.  This  is  cer- 
tainly not  true  of  Mr.  James,  who  asks  no  rewards  or  favors  at 
the  hands  of  any  person. 

Mr.  James  is  of  a  social  nature,  and  mingles  freely  among  the 
people.  He  is  very  fond  of  reading,  and  has  dived  deep  into 
history  and  theology.  While  at  college  he  joined  the  Kappa 
Sigma  fraternity,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order.  From  the  strain  of  his  every  day  labors,  he 
seeks  recreation  in  walking,  driving,  and  travel. 

He  married  November  6,  1895,  Jeannette  S.  Bleakley,  of  New 
Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  has  had  three  children,  of  whom  two,  a 
son  Robert  Bleakley  James  and  a  daughter  Susie  May  James, 
are  (1906)  living. 

He  is  devoted  to  his  home  and  famih^  and  takes  the  deepest 
pride  and  pleasure  in  both  and  owns  one  of  the  most  attractive 
homes  in  his  section  of  the  state. 

His  present  address  is  Clifton  Forge,  Virginia. 


THOMAS  FOX  JEFFRESS 

JEFFRESS,  THOMAS  FOX,  son  of  Albert  Gustavus  and 
Sara^h  Eliza  Frances  Puryear  Jeffress,  was  born  at  Red 
Oak  Grove,  Charlotte  county,  Virginia,  September  23,  1859. 
His  father  was  a  merchant  and  land-owner  of  Charlotte  county, 
a  man  of  sterling  intergrity,  high  ideals,  and  Christian  charity. 
In  his  early  life,  Albert  G.  was  deputy-sheriff  of  Charlotte  county, 
and  later  on  was  sheriff.  The  example  of  Albert  G.  had  great 
influence  upon  the  subject  of  this  article;  and  this,  together  with 
the  personal  influence  of  the  late  Lewis  Ginter,  of  Richmond, 
helped  to  put  Thomas  F.  Jeffress  among  the  most  prominent 
business  men  of  the  city  of  Richmond. 

A  mother's  influence,  Thomas  F.  Jeffress  has  never  known. 
At  six  years  of  age,  he  lost  his  mother ;  but,  fortunately  for  him, 
his  father  was  a  man  of  feminine  purity  of  character — one  to  set 
him  an  example  of  upright,  moral  living.  In  this  good  father's 
office,  the  youth  spent  much  of  his  time,  helping  the  clerks  in  a 
hundred  matters  of  detail,  and  thus  learning  the  routine  of 
business  wdiile  going  to  school. 

Mr.  Jeffress'  family  have  not  taken  time  to  draw  a  family 
tree  or  to  conij^ile  a  book  of  genealogy.  It  is  certain,  however, 
that  the  Jeffresses  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  Virginia. 
His  mother,  as  her  name  (Puryear)  would  indicate,  was  of 
Huguenot  extraction ;  and  on  her  mother's  side,  she  was  descended 
from  the  Bacon  family  of  New  Kent  county,  Virginia.  To  those 
who  know  the  history  of  the  Huguenots  and  the  history  of  early 
Virginia,  and  at  the  same  time  believe  in  heredity,  it  will  not  seem 
strange  that  Mr.  Jeffress  is  characterized  by  indomitable  vim, 
energy,  and  determination :  "  blood  will  tell  "  in  men  as  well  as  in 
horses. 

Thomas  F.  acquired  his  elementary  education  in  private 
schools  at  home,  and  the  public  schools  of  Charlotte  county,  in  the 
direction  of  vvhich  his  father  took  an  active  and  livelv  interest. 
Thence  he  went  to  Blacksburg  college,  now  known  as  the  Virginia 
Polytechnic  institute.     Later,  he  attended  the  Eastman  National 


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THOMAS    FOX    JEFFRESS  201 

Business  college,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1879  with  the 
title  "  Master  of  Accounts."  In  1880,  he  began  life  as  deputy 
collector  of  internal  revenue  with  his  headquarters  at  Danville, 
Virginia.  Later,  lie  went  into  business  with  Allen  and  Ginter, 
the  well-known  tobacconists  of  Kichmond,  Virginia.  From 
1882  to  1890,  he  was  general  bookkeeper  and  confidential  office 
man  for  Allen  and  Ginter ;  in  1890,  he  became  cashier  of  the  Allen 
and  Ginter  branch  of  the  American  Tobacco  company.  In  1896, 
he  vvas  elected  a  director  of  the  American  Tobacco  company,  and 
managing  director  of  the  Allen  and  Ginter  branch  of  that 
corj^oration.  Meantime,  he  had  organized  the  Wortendyke 
Manufacturing  company,  of  which  he  has  been  president 
practically  ever  since.  Since  1896,  he  has  been  president  of  the 
Crystal  Ice  company.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Lewis  Ginter 
Land  and  Improvement  company,  the  Tidewater  and  Western 
Railroad  company,  and  the  Brookland  House  Drainage  company. 
For  several  years,  also,  Mr.  Jeffress  had  the  general  direction  of 
the  Jefferson  hotel  of  Richmond,  now  sold  to  other  parties. 

"  All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy."  So  says  the 
old  proverb.  So  says  every  man  wise  in  his  day  and  generation. 
Acting  on  this  doctrine,  Mr.  Jeffress  spends  a  small  part  of  his 
time  in  recreation.  He  belongs  to  the  Lakeside,  the  Deep  Run 
Hunt,  and  the  Westmoreland  clubs,  of  Richmond.  He  has  also 
served  five  years  in  the  state  militia ;  partly  in  the  Danville  Grays, 
partly  in  Company  C.,  of  Richmond.  Thus  he  mingles  with  his 
fellow-men,  relaxes  his  mind,  and  fits  himself  for  the  duties  of 
a  strenuous  life. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Jeffress  is  a  Democrat ;  in  church  preference, 
a  Baptist.  In  both  matters,  he  is  conservative  and  orthodox,  not 
blown  about  by  every  whid  of  doctrine,  but  holding  fast  to  the 
essentials  of  political  doctrine  and  church  faith  as  handed  down  to 
him  by  his  liberal  and  broadminded  father  and  forbears. 

November  18,  1885,  Mr.  Jeffress  married  Kate  Lee  Miller. 
They  have  had  one  child,  Robert  Miller,  who  is  now  (1006)  a 
student  at  the  L^ni versify  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Jeffress'  address  is  Mutual  Buildinof,  Richmond.  Vir- 
ginia. 


JAMES  DAVID  JOHNSTON,  JR. 

JOHNSTON,  JAMES  DAYID,  Jr.,  lawyer,  was  bom  in  the 
town*  of  Pearisburg,  Giles  county,  Virginia,  September  16, 
1869.  His  father  was  Hon.  James  David  Johnston,  a 
wealthy  and  distinguished  attorney  of  Giles  county,  who  served 
in  the  general  assembly  of  Virginia  as  a  member  of  the  house  of 
delegates  from  his  county,  and  who  also  held  the  office  of  com- 
monwealth's attorney.  He  was  noted  for  his  ability  as  a  lawyer 
and  his  high  character  as  a  man.  He  was  a  captain  in  the  Con- 
federate army.  His  grandfather  was  Col.  Andrew  Johnston,  a 
business  man  of  large  interests.  His  mother  was  Mary  Ann 
Fowler,  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  Fowler,  an  eminent  physician, 
who  was  born  in  Cocke  county,  Tennessee,  and  lived  at  "  Wild- 
wood  "  on  New  river,  Monroe  count}^  (now  Summers) ,  West 
Virginia. 

The  Johnstons  are  Scotch-Irish,  having  migrated  from 
Annandale,  Scotland,  into  Ireland  during  the  religious  persecu- 
tions and  after  the  fall  of  Londonderry.  Sir  AValter  Scott  refers 
to  the  clan  in  the  following  words: 

"  Within  the  bounds  of  Annandale 
The  gentle  Johnstons  ride; 
They  have  been  here  a  thousand  years, 
•And  a  thousand  more  they'll  bide." 

Mr.  Johnston's  great-grandfather,  David  Johnston,  came  to 
Virginia  from  Eniskillen,  Fermanagh  county,  Ireland,  and 
settled  in  Culpeper  county,  Virginia,  about  1736,  and  removed  in 
1TT8  to  Giles  county.  Among  his  relatives  who  have  been  distin- 
guished for  public  service  were  his  paternal  great-uncle,  James 
Johnston,  who  served  in  the  American  arm}^  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  and  was  with  Washington  at  Valley  Forge;  and  his 
maternal  uncle,  the  Hon.  I.  C.  Fowler,  who  was  speaker  of  the 
house  of  delegates  of  Virginia  in  1877-1878.  His  maternal  uncle, 
Allen  Fowler,  was  a  colonel  in  the  Confederate  army  and  after- 
wards a  distinguished  physician  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 


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JAMES    DAVID    JOHNSTON,    JR.  205 

Mr.  Jolinston's  boyhood  was  spent  in  a  country  village,  where 
he  looked  after  his  father's  farm.  After  attending  the  schools  of 
his  neighborhood,  he  entered  Emory  and  Henry  college;  later, 
Handolph-Macon  college;  and  studied  law  at  the  University  of 
Virginia,  graduating  from  the  last  named  institution  in  June, 
1893,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law. 

In  the  November  after  his  graduation,  Mr.  Johnston  began 
the  practice  of  law  in  Roanoke,  Virginia,  which  he  has  continued 
with  success  and  distinction  up  to  the  present  time  (1906).  Ho 
is  vice-president  and  director  of  the  Yost-Huff  company,  one  of 
the  leading  implement  firms  of  Roanoke,  vice-president  and 
director  of  the  Columbia  Trust  company,  director  of  the  First 
National  bank  of  Pearisburg,  and  was  a  director  in  the  Peoples 
National  bank  of  Roanoke,  which  has  now  consolidated  with 
the  National  Exchange  bank. 

He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  creed,  and  served  in  the 
Roanoke  city  council  from  July  1,  1901,  to  September  1,  1904. 
He  was  elected  president  of  the  council  in  1903,  and  held  that 
office  from  July  1,  1903,  to  September  1,  1904.  He  declined 
reelection  and  gave  the  members  of  council  a  banquet  at  Hotel 
Roanoke,  which  was  a  notable  affair.  At  the  centennial  of  the 
formation  of  Giles  county,  held  May  12,  1906,  Mr.  Johnston  was 
one  of  the  orators. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Kappa  Sigma  college  fratemitj^,  and 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  chapters  of  the  fraternity  at  the 
College  of  William  and  Mary,  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  and 
Randolph-Macon,  Ashland,  Virginia. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  was 
the  founder  of  the  Young  Men's  Brotherhood  of  Trinity  Metho- 
dist church,  of  Roanoke.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Roanoke  Young 
Men's  Christian  association. 

He  takes  an  interest  in  games  and  sports  of  all  kinds,  and  is 
especially  fond  of  riding  and  driving. 

His  address  is  30  Day  Avenue,  Southwest,  Roanoke^ 
Virginia. 


HAMPTON  STEWART  JONES 

JONES,  HAJVIPTOX  STEWART,  clerk  of  the  supreme  court 
of  appeals  of  Virginia,  was  born  at  Columbus,  Muskogee 
county,  Georgia,  March  31,  1867,  son  of  James  Sterling 
and  Virginia  (Stewart)  Jones.  He  is  of  mixed  Welsh-Scotcli- 
English  descent  and  the  scion  of  a  distinguished  colonial  ancestry 
on  both  sides  of  his  famiW.  On  the  jDaternal  side  were  the 
Joneses  and  Abercrombies,  on  the  maternal  side  the  Stewarts  and 
Floyds,  all  prominent,  respectively,  in  their  day  and  generation, 
in  the  early  history  of  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  Georgia,  and 
Kentucky. 

The  early  seat  of  the  Jones  famil}^  was  in  the  state  of  North 
Carolina,  whence  they  scattered  over  several  of  the  Southern 
states.  The  great  great-grandparents  of  Stewart  Jones  were 
George  Prichett  Jones  and  Jane  Elzj^  Jones.  His  great-grand- 
parents were  Reuben  Floyd  Jones  and  Susannah  Wirt  Jones ;  and 
his  grandparents  were  William  Hardwick  and  Ketinca  Aber- 
crombie  Jones,  which  latter  two  seem  to  have  been  natives  of 
Georgia,  where  they  had  a  number  of  near  relatives. 

Jane  Elzy  Jones  was  reputed  to  be  an  extremely  beautiful 
woman,  and  passed  into  the  early  history  of  North  Carolina  as 
one  of  a  number  of  American  heroines.  It  is  related  of  her  that 
during  the  British  occupation  of  this  country,  she  horse-whipped 
a  British  lord,  who  had  offered  her  an  insult  while  escorting  her 
home  from  a  ball  near  Wilmington,  and  whom  General  Tarleton 
afterward  sent  home  in  disgrace.  George  Pritchett  Jones  was 
then  a  young  attorney  of  Wilmington,  and  was  about  to  call  the 
offender  to  serious  account,  when  the  British  general  thought 
best  to  avert  a  possible  tragedy  by  summarily  disposing  of  him  in 
that  way. 

The  Abercrombies  resided  in  Northampton  and  Mecklenburg 
counties.  North  Carolina  down  to  1768  when  they  removed  to 
Georgia.  General  Robert  Abercrombie,  who  fought  in  the  Colo- 
nial wars,  was  the  father  of  Retinca  Abercrombie  Jones  and  her 
l)rother.  General  Robert  Abercrombie,  who  fought  in  the  Indian 


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HAMPTON    STEWART    JONES  209 

wars,  was  killed  at  Tuskegee,  in  1830,  by  the  poisoned  arrow  of 
an  Indian.     He  is  buried  at  Eatonton,  Georgia. 

Before  settlement  in  America,  the  family  seat  of  the 
Abercrombies  was  originally  "  Sterling  Castle,"  near  Sterling, 
Scotland,  where  they  achieved  distinction  in  arms  as  well  as  in 
the  civil  virtues.  The  family  motto  was  "  Vive  ut  vivas,"  and 
the  coat-of-arms,  which  by  right  of  descent  has  passed  down  to 
Mr.  Jones  and  his  family,  is  enblazoned  with  boar  heads,  bearing 
the  inscription  "  Mens  in  arduis  aequa,"  while  the  crest  is  a 
honey  bee. 

The  name  ''  Abercrombie  "  is  said  to  have  originated  during 
the  reign  of  Cromwell.  It  appears  that  a  certain  priest  or  abbe 
was  very  persistent  in  his  zeal  to  fight  on  the  side  of  the  crown 
against  Cromwell.  He  abdicated  his  canonicals  for  the  time 
and  took  up  his  blunderbus,  proving  to  be  a  man  of  great  military 
prowess.  His  name  was  Crombie,  and  he  became  famous  in  the 
local  annals  of  Scotland.  He  was  always  spoken  of  as  the  abbe 
Crombie  of  fighting  fame.  After  the  Restoration,  King  Charles 
did  not  forget  the  fighting  parson,  but  knighted  him.  So  his 
fame  went  abroad  and  he  was  "Abecrombie,"  which  subsequently 
received  the  form  Abercrombie.  English  history  is  replete  with 
the  name  "Abercrombie,"  and  one  of  the  family  fought  in  the 
American  Revolution. 

On  his  mother's  side,  Mr.  Jones  is  descended  in  the  paternal 
line,  from  John  Stewart  or  Sturat,  of  Virginia,  (a  collateral 
descendant  of  the  house  of  Stuart,)  who  married  Ann  Haw,  of  the 
same  state.  Among  their  children  were  two  sons,  John  B.  and 
Charles.  Charles  was  the  eldest,  and  served  as  an  ensign  in  the 
Continental  navy  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant.  John  B.  was  born 
in  1760  and  died  in  Oglethrope  county,  Georgia,  in  1830,  whither 
he  had  removed  from  Virginia.  He  married  Mourning  Floyd, 
a  half-sister  of  first  Governor  John  Floyd,  and  aunt  to  Governor 
J.  B.  Floyd,  of  Virginia.  Floyd  Stewart,  who  was  bom  1787, 
and  died  in  Georgia  about  1868,  son  of  John  B.  (known  as  Gen- 
eral John  B.)  married  Sarah  Daniel,  of  Prince  Edward  county, 
Virginia,  and  had  a  son  John  Daniel  Stewart,  who  married 
Cephalie  Olivia  De  Launay,  of  Milledgeville,  whose  family  first 
settled  in  Virginia  during  the  insurrection  in  Hayti.  The  latter 
were  the  parents  of  Virginia  Stewart,  their  fourth  child,  and  the 


210  HAMPTON    STEWART    JONES 

mother  of  Hampton  Stewart  Jones.  Miss  De  Launay  was  the 
daughter  of  James  De  Launay,  of  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  of 
Emily  La  Boudais,  descendant  of  one  of  the  French  settlers  of 
Hayti,  who  was  driven  from  her  home  through  the  uprising  of 
the  blacks  against  the  whites  on  that  island. 

Gen.  John  B.  Stewart,  the  Georgia  progenitor  of  the  family, 
was  an  officer  in  the  American  Revolution  and  held  the  rank  of 
captain  in  the  Continental  army.  Subsequently,  in  1813,  he  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  Georgia  state  troops,  with  the  rank  of 
brigadier-general.  On  account  of  his  extreme  age  during  the 
War  of  1812,  and  while  the  troops  were  in  rendezvous  at  Camp 
Hope,  near  Fort  Hawkins,  he  was  succeeded  in  command  by  his 
cousin,  John  Floyd. 

The  Flo3^ds  were  of  Welsh  origin,  and  descendants  of  Sir 
Thomas  Floyd  or  (Fludd).  They  received  grants  of  land  in 
Virginia  as  early  as  1623,  and  a  later  grant  is  of  record  in  1681, 
to  Walter  and  John  Floyd  respectively^  Their  descendants 
gradually  dispersed  to  the  South.  William  Floyd,  father  of 
Major  John,  had  eight  sons  and  six  daughters,  of  whom  John 
was  the  eldest.  John  was  twice  married;  first  to  Miss  Burford, 
and  second  to  Jane  Buchanan.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  one 
child.  Mourning  Floyd,  who,  as  already  stated,  married  General 
Stewart. 

To  go  back  a  little,  the  genealog}^  of  Major  Floyd  will  appear 
somewhat  clearer  in  view  of  the  following  statement :  Opechanca- 
nough,  the  celebrated  chief  of  the  Powhatans,  who  was  killed  in 
1644,  left,  it  is  said,  a  young  daughter,  who  on  account  of  her 
beauty,  was  named  the  Princess  Nicketti,  "  the  sweeper  of  the  dew 
from  the  flowers."  A  member  of  one  of  the  cavalier  families  of  Vir- 
ginia fell  in  love  with  her  and  she  with  him,  and  the  result  was  a 
clandestine  marriage,  about  1640.  The  name  of  the  suitor  was 
Nathaniel  Davis,  a  Welshman,  and  many  notable  persons,  in  the 
South  and  West,  are  numbered  among  their  descendants.  Robert 
Davis,  Sr.,  a  son  (from  whom  Jefferson  Davis  was  descended) 
had  a  daughter  Abadiah,  or  Abigail,  who  married  William 
Floyd,  the  ancestor  of  the  Floyds  of  Virginia  and  farther  west. 
William  Floyd  and  his  wife's  brother,  Robert  Davis,  Jr., 
emigrated  to  Kentucky  with  the  first  settlers  of  that  state,  and 


HAMPTON    STEWART    JONES  211 

finally  located  in  the  Blue  Grass  region,  near  Louisville,  where  the 
kinsmen  Floyds  and  Davises  erected  a  fort. 

The  first  governor  Floyd,  of  Virginia,  named  one  of  his 
daughters  for  the  Princess  Nicketti. 

Here  in  Kentucky,  about  1751,  John  Floyd  was  born,  and 
married  as  previously  stated.  He  was  a  surveyor,  legislator  and 
officer  of  the  American  revolution,  and  was  killed  by  the  Indians 
in  1783.  Floyd  county,  Kentucky,  established  in  1799,  was 
named  in  his  honor.  He  made  m.any  surveys  in  Ohio  and  was  a 
member  of  the  party  recalled  by  Governor  Dunmore,  of  Virginia, 
in  consequence  of  the  dangers  attending  the  work  on  the  frontier. 
Eeturning  in  1775,  to  Virginia,  he  became  a  conspicuous  actor  in 
the  stirring  scenes  of  the  times,  and  in  all  the  stations,  civil  and 
military,  to  which  he  was  called,  he  acquitted  himself  with  honor. 

Major  Floyd  was  the  father  of  Governor  John  Floyd,  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  married  Letitia  Preston,  daughter  of  Colonel  John 
Preston,  of  Virginia,  and  grandfather  of  Governor  John  B. 
Floyd,  of  the  same  state. 

James  Sterling  Jones,  father  of  Hampton  Stewart,  was  a 
man  of  excellent  business  ability,  strong  character  and  refined 
tastes.  For  many  years  he  engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  in 
which  he  was  markedly  successful.  His  mother  having  died 
when  her  son  was  but  three  years  of  age,  he  was  bereft  of  her 
kindly  influence  and  teachings. 

The  childhood  and  youth  of  Mr.  Jones  were  divided  between 
farm  and  city  life.  After  studying  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  state,  and  at  the  University  of  Georgia,  he  took  a  practical 
commercial  course  at  Eastman's  Business  college,  at  Pough- 
keepsie.  New  York.  He  began  his  active  career  in  the  office  of  a 
New  York  life  insurance  company,  and  later  was  appointed 
private  secretary  to  the  president  of  the  Cape  Fear  and  Yadkin 
Valley  Railroad  company,  at  Greensboro,  North  Carolina.  He 
held  this  position  from  1886  to  1889,  and  was  subsequently  asso- 
ciated with  his  father  in  the  life  insurance  business  at  Richmond, 
Virginia.  He  held  a  position  in  the  office  of  the  general  superin- 
tendent of  the  Southern  Railway  company  until  1895,  when  he 
was  elected  secretary  of  the  supreme  court  of  appeals  of  Vir- 
ginia, which  office  he  held  until  1903.     In  the  latter  year  he  was 

Vol.  2— Va.— 9 


212  HAMPTON    STEWART    JONES 

promoted  to  the  position  of  clerk  of  that  tribunal,  which  he  now 
(1906)  holds  by  virtue  of  faithful  duty,  and  special  attainments. 

On  November  28,  1893,  he  married  Mary  Field  Yancey, 
daughter  of  Charles  Kincaid  and  Lizzie  Field  Yancey,  of  Rich- 
mond, Virginia.  They  have  two  children,  Marie  Sterling  and 
Virginia  Stewart,  both  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Chi  Phi  fraternity  at  the  University  of  Georgia, 
and  of  the  Westmoreland  club,  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  His 
principal  sport  and  relaxation  is  found  in  hunting  and  golfing. 
In  politics  he  has  always  been  identified  with  the  Democratic 
party,  while  in  religion  his  affiliations  are  with  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church. 

In  speaking  of  the  fundamental  essentials  of  success  in  life, 
he  says :  "  Every  young  man  should  strive  to  do  his  best  no 
matter  what  may  fall  to  his  lot.  I  believe  a  young  man  can 
achieve  almost  anything  he  desires  by  being  energetic,  reliable, 
faithful  in  whatever  he  undertakes,  diligent  and  stable,  and 
always  true  to  himself." 

His  address  is  307  South  Third  Street  Richmond,  Virginia. 


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WILLIAM  ISAAC  JORDAN 

JOEDAN,  WILLIAM  ISAAC,  was  born  April  22,  1839,  in 
Halifax   county,   Virginia,   and  his  parents   were  Elijah 
Jordan,  a  farmer  of  that  county,  and  Martha  Faulkner 
Jordan. 

As  a  youth  he  was  of  robust  strength  and  vigorous  consti- 
tution. His  early  life  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm.  He 
attended  the  academy  at  Black  Walnut;  and  in  1854,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  he  began  the  active  work  of  life  in  a  store  at  Black 
Walnut,  having  at  that  early  age  conceived  the  purpose  of 
becoming  a  merchant. 

Upon  the  secession  of  Virginia  from  the  Union  in  1861,  he 
answered  the  first  call  to  arms;  and  served  in  the  War  between 
the  States  from  its  beginning  to  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate 
army  at  Appomattox,  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  3rd  Virginia 
cavalry. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865,  Mr.  Jordan  went  into  the 
mercantile  business,  in  which  he  had  acquired  considerable 
experience  in  the  service  of  others,  on  his  own  account.  In  1878, 
in  conjunction  with  his  brother,  Mr.  R.  E.  Jordan,  he  opened  a 
private  bank,  which  was  the  first  bank  of  any  kind  in  the  county, 
and  which  was  conducted  under  the  banking  firm  name  of  R.  E. 
and  W.  I.  Jordan. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Jordan  was  elected  to  and  served  in  the  Vir- 
ginia house  of  delegates.  In  1888,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Virginia  senate,  and  in  1892,  was  reelected  to  the  senate, 
serving  in  each  instance  a  term  of  four  years. 

He  is  no  longer  in  active  business,  further  than  as  the  same 
is  incident  to  the  positions  which  he  continues  to  occupy  of  vice- 
president  of  the  Planters  and  Merchants  bank  of  South  Boston, 
vice-president  of  the  South  Boston  Savings  bank,  and  director  in 
the  Barbour  Buggy  company. 

Among  other  positions  of  distinction  which  Mr.  Jordan  has 
filled  was  that  of  commissioner  from  the  sixth  congressional 
district  of  Virginia  to  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago  in  1893. 


216  WILLIAM    ISAAC    JORDAN 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church ;  and  is  affiliated  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat ;  and  it  has 
been  as  his  party's  nominee  that  he  has  been  honored  with  the 
representation  of  his  county  in  both  houses  of  the  general 
assembly  of  Virginia.  He  has  never  wavered  in  his  political 
allegiance  to  Democracy. 

Mr.  Jordan  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Elizabeth  Buster,  whom  he  married  September  27,  1876.  His 
second  wife  was  Miss  Lightfoot  Hobson,  whom  he  married 
August  24,  1904.     He  has  no  children. 

He  is  fond  of  horses,  is  a  good  judge  of  a  horse,  and  finds 
his  chief  relaxation  in  riding  and  driving. 

Mr.  Jordan's  address  is  South  Boston,  Virginia. 


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WILLIAM  HARTMAN  KABLE 

KABLE,  WILLIAM  HARTMAN,  educator,  principal  of 
the  Staunton  Military  academy,  was  born  in  Jefferson 
county.  West  Virginia,  September  25,  1837,  and  is  the  son 
of  John  and  Elizabeth  Hunter  (Johnston)  Kable.  His  father 
was  a  farmer  and  manufacturer,  a  man  of  integrity,  industry  and 
energy,  and  was  descended  from  a  long  line  of  German- American 
ancestors,  who  immigrated  to  America  in  1684,  and  settled  with 
William  Penn  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  Here,  not  far  from 
Philadelphia,  the  Kables  and  Hartmans  lived  for  several  genera- 
tions; and,  when  the  War  of  the  Revolution  broke  out  in  1776, 
many  of  their  sons  were  enlisted  both  as  privates  and  officers  ia 
that  struggle.  It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  seven  sons  from  a 
single  family  gave  their  lives  to  the  patriot  cause,  and  their  self- 
sacrificing  service  to  that  cause  forms  one  of  the  glowing  pages 
in  American  history. 

During  the  period  of  childhood  and  youth,  William  H. 
Kable  was  strong  and  healthy,  inured  to  the  invigorating 
atmosphere  of  country  and  village  life,  and  had  a  fondness  both 
for  reading  and  for  the  intricacies  of  machinery.  He  had  the 
advantages  of  careful  home  training,  was  placed  in  school  from 
very  early  childhood,  and  was  required  to  make  himself  familiar 
with  all  the  work  going  on  about  farm  or  house.  This  contact 
with  the  practical  things  of  everyday  life,  together  with  the 
strong  moral  and  spiritual  influence  of  the  boy's  mother,  fitted 
him,  to  an  unusual  degree,  to  meet  the  difficulties  and  the  stern 
realities  of  later  life.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  obliged 
by  circumstances  to  rely  upon  his  own  efforts  to  continue  and  com- 
l^lete  his  education,  and,  nothing  daunted,  he  set  about  finding 
the  ways  and  means  in  the  true  spirit  of  self-reliance.  After 
fitting  for  college  in  a  private  school,  he  entered  the  University 
of  Virginia,  where  he  pursued  an  academic  course,  giving  par- 
ticular attention  to  languages  and  physics,  and  then  accepted  a 
position  to  teach  in  a  private  school.  In  1860-61,  he  was  assistant 
in  Green  Plain  academy,  Southampton  county.     Then  came  the 


220  WILLIAM    HARTMAN    KABLE 

Civil  war;  and  for  the  four  succeeding  years,  the  young  teacher 
saw  service  in  camp  and  on  the  field  of  battle.  He  enlisted  as  a 
private,  passed  through  the  intervening  grades,  and  was  mustered 
out  a  captain.  When  the  smoke  of  battle  cleared  away,  he 
returned  to  his  chosen  vocation.  From  1872  to  1883,  he  held  the 
principalship  of  Charleston  academy,  Jefferson  county.  West 
Virginia;  and  in  the  latter  year  he  became  principal  of  the 
Staunton  Military  academy.  For  distinguished  service  in  the 
field  of  education,  Columbian  (now  George  Washington)  univer- 
sity, Washington,  District  of  Columbia,  conferred  upon  him 
the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Captain  Kable's  career  as  a  teacher  and  administrator  has 
been  replete  with  successes  and  honors.  His  equipment  as  a 
military  educator  is  an  unusual  one,  combining,  as  it  does,  prac- 
tical military  experience  and  a  soldierly  bearing  with  a  cultivated 
mind  and  the  intuitions  of  the  teacher.  In  this  connection,  the 
testimony  of  the  late  Hon.  William  L.  Wilson,  ex-postmaster- 
general,  and  president  of  the  Washington  and  Lee  university, 
may  be  fitly  reproduced  as  summing  up,  in  brief  form,  Captain 
Kable's  characteristics :  "  No  teacher,"  says  President  Wilson, 
"  ever  more  fully  commanded  or  deserved  to  command  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  the  community  than  Captain  William 
H.  Kable.  In  scholarship  he  is  thorough,  exact,  and  always 
advancing;  a  good  linguist,  a  good  mathematician,  and  some- 
thing of  an  enthusiast  in  several  of  the  physical  sciences.  As  a 
man,  his  character  is  of  a  sterling  type ;  which  fits  him  to  be  the 
exemplar  of  the  young,  while  as  a  citizen  he  is  liberal,  progres- 
sive, and  public-spirited.  Indeed,  he  blends,  in  a  union  not  often 
found,  good  scholastic  habits  and  tastes  with  that  common  sense 
which  is  the  basis  and  guarantee  of  success  in  the  calling  of  a 
teacher  as  in  other  difficult  professions." 

In  other  words,  his  success  in  life  is  an  accomplished  result, 
and  his  influence,  as  an  exemplar,  is  borne  witness  to  in  no 
uncertain  terms.  Such  a  man  always  has  a  message;  and  the 
message  he  transmits  to  the  youth  in  this  case  is  fraught  with 
wisdom  whether  it  be  from  the  teacher  or  from  the  man.  The 
writer  recalls  interrogating  him  about  his  message  to  young  men, 
and  his  answers  were  substantially  as  follows :     "  Select  a  con 


WILLIAM    HARTMAN    KABLE  221 

genial  occupation.  Do  all  that  you  possibly  can  for  the  benefit 
of  employer  or  patron  without  regard  to  pay.  Never  compromise 
your  integrity,  sense  of  right  or  of  duty  for  any  prospect  of 
gain  or  profit.  Accept  the  Christian  religion  and  live  up  to  it.'' 
This  is  a  creed  not  only  to  be  pondered,  but  to  be  lived. 

Captain  Kable  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Though  mixing 
little  in  what  is  usually  known  as  politics,  he  served  for  some 
time  on  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Jefferson  county,  West 
Virginia,  and  was  president  of  the  county  court  for  four  years. 

Captain  Kable  has  been  twice  married.     His  first  wife  was 

VVillie  L.   Gibbs,  who  bore  him   seven  children,  six  of  whom 

are  living.     She  died  June  10,  1888.     His  second  wife  was  Mrs. 

Margaret  HoUaday,  of  Albemarle  county,  Virginia,  to  whom  he 

,was  married  December  29,  1903. 

His  address  is  Staunton,  Augusta  County,  Virginia. 


BITTLE  CORNELIUS  KEISTER 

KEISTER,  BITTLE  COENELIUS,  physician  and  special- 
ist, was  born  at  Newport,  Giles  county,  Virginia, 
January  29,  1857.  His  parents  were  William  Keister 
and  Nancy  Keister.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  leather- 
dealer  of  Newport,  and  was  mayor  and  councilman  of  the  town 
at  the  period  of  its  first  incorporation. 

Dr.  Keister's  paternal  great-grandfather  was  a  German,  and 
emigrating  to  America  from  Hamburg  in  1750,  located  in 
Pennsylvania.  His  maternal  great-grandfather  bore  the  name 
of  Epling,  and  was  an  Englishman  who  came  to  this  country 
about  1770. 

Dr.  Keister's  youth  was  spent  in  the  village  of  Newport, 
where  with  a  normally  robust  and  vigorous  constitution  he 
engaged  in  the  sports  that  are  characteristic  of  that  period  of  life, 
and  pursued  a  course  of  reading  and  of  private  study.  In  the 
meantime  he  worked  on  his  father's  farni,  driving  the  two,  four 
and  six  horse  wagons  that  his  father  used  in  his  business,  and 
engaged  in  hauling  goods  to  the  town  merchants  from  the  depot, 
which  was  eis^hteen  miles  distant.  His  bovish  life  was  a  busv 
one ;  and  he  was  as  diligent  in  developing  his  spiritual  side  as  he 
was  in  the  more  material  activities,  becoming  superintendent 
of  the  local  Union  Sunday  school  when  only  eighteen  years  of 
age. 

The  taste  which  later  led  to  his  subsequent  choice  of  a 
profession,  to  which  his  father  was  opposed,  and  whose  opposition 
necessitated  Dr.  Keister's  making  his  own  way  at  college  and 
university,  was  indicated  in  his  boyhood  by  his  literary  inclina- 
tions; for  in  addition  to  reading  such  lives  of  distinguished  men 
as  fell  in  his  wav,  and  for  which  class  of  literature  he  had  a 
liking,  he  borrowed  books  treating  of  physiology  and  anatomy 
from  a  medical  acquaintance,  and  studied  them  with  great 
interest  and  eagerness. 

He  attended  the  White  Gate  academy  in  1876,  and  Roanoke 
college,   at  Salem,  Virginia,   during  the   session   of   1877-1878. 


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BITTLE    CORNELIUS    KEISTER  225 

In  the  fall  of  1879,  despite  the  expressed  desire  of  his  father 
that  he  should  become  a  minister,  he  entered  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  three  years,  and  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1882 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  1884  he  took  a  post- 
graduate course  in  the  New  York  Polyclinic;  and  in  1894  a 
similar  course  in  the  Chicago  Polyclinic.  In  1900  he  studied 
for  nearly  one  year  in  the  Physiological  and  Bacteriologic 
institute  of  Berlin,  Germany,  pursuing  at  the  same  time  a  course 
in  the  Berlin  universit}^  Dr.  Keister  holds  the  honorary  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts  from  Koanoke  college. 

The  active  work  of  his  life  began  in  the  fall  of  18T8,  when 
he  obtained  a  position  as  principal  in  the  graded  school  in  the 
village  of  Newport.  In  1882,  upon  his  graduation  from  the 
college  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Baltimore,  he  located  in 
the  town  of  South  Boston,  Halifax  county,  Virginia,  and  there 
practiced  medicine  up  to  1900.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  the 
owner  and  physician  in  charge  of  the  Keister  Home  Sanitarium, 
at  Roanoke,  Virginia,  which  is  a  private  hospital  for  the  treat- 
ment of  certain  chronic  diseases  and  nervous  affections. 

Dr.  Keister  was  appointed  in  1900  by  Commissioner-General 
Peck  delegate  to  the  first  congress  on  professional  medicine, 
which  was  held  in  Paris;  and  read  a  paper  before  this  inter- 
national assemblage  entitled  "The  Attitude  of  "the  Medical  Pro- 
fession of  the  United  States  on  the  subject  of  Proprietary 
Medicines.-'  He  was  also  elected  by  the  American  Medical 
association  a  delegate  to  the  thirteenth  International  Medical 
congress,  which  met  in  Paris  in  1900. 

Dr.  Keister  is  a  deacon  in  St.  Mark's  Lutheran  church  in 
Roanoke,  and  was  appointed  in  July,  1904,  by  Governor  Andrew 
J.  Montague  a  delegate  to  the  thirty-second  annual  convention  on 
charities  and  correction,  which  met  at  Portland,  Oregon.  He  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics ;  and  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical 
association,  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Medical  society,  and  has 
been  a  delegate  to  various  medical  association  meetings  from  time 
to  time,  and  is  a  member  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political 
and  Social  science. 

Dr.  Keister  has  been  a  systematic  and  diligent  student  of  his 


226  BITTLE    CORNELIUS    KEISTER 

profession  and  a  prolific  writer  upon  subjects  germane  to  his 
profession.  He  published  in  1894  a  volume  on  "  Alcohol  as  a 
Food  vs.  Alcohol  as  a  Poison,*'  of  which  he  is  now  preparing  a 
second  edition ;  and  he  has  contributed  largely  to  the  "  Virginia 
Medical  Semi-Monthly,"  the  "Atlanta  Medical  and  Surgical 
Journal,"  the  "  New  York  Medical  Journal,"  the  "  Medical 
Register,"  the  "  Medical  Review,"  the  '*  Journal  of  the  American 
Medical  Association,"  "  American  Medicine,"  and  others ;  and  he 
has  read  papers  and  delivered  addresses  before  various  medical 
societies  and  associations. 

Dr.  Keister's  biography  has  been  published  in  "  Transactions 
of  the  Medical  Society  of  Virginia,"  and  in  "  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  of  America,"  by  Dr.  Irving  A.  Watson,  published  in 
1896  by  the  Republican  Press  association.  Concord,  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

Dr.  Keister  married  June  16,  1885,  Miss  Laura  H.  Shaver; 
and  of  their  marriage  have  been  born  two  children,  both  of 
whom  are  living  (1906).  Their  names  are  Willie  Shirey  Keister 
and  Helen  Marguerite  Keister. 

His  address  is  22  Seventh  Avenue  Southwest,  Roanoke, 
Virginia. 


JAMES  KEITH 

KEITH,  JAMES,  LL.  D.,  president  of  the  court  of  appeaU 
of  Virginia,  was  born  in  Fauquier  county,  Virginia, 
September  7,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Isham  and  Juliet 
Chilton  Keith. 

Isham  Keith  was  a  successful  farmer  of  Fauquier  county, 
was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  a  member  of  the  legislature, 
discharging  his  duties  with  marked  integrity,  industry,  and 
courage. 

Judge  Keith's  earliest  known  ancestors  in  this  country  were 
his  great-grandfather,  James  Keith,  his  great  great-grandfather, 
William  Kandolph,  and  his  great  great  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Isham. 

Judge  Keith  in  early  childhood  was  feeble,  but  his  youth  was 
robust  and  his  health  generally  good.  He  was  reared  in  the 
country,  and  had  the  usual  advantages  of  a  country  boy  of  his 
day.  The  influence  of  his  mother  was  very  strong  in  giving  him 
an  inclination  to  study,  in  directing  his  education,  and  in  shaping 
his  life.     To  her  he  largely  attributes  his  success  in  life. 

As  a  lawyer  and  jurist,  Judge  Keith  has  found  law  books  the 
most  useful  in  fitting  him  for  his  life  work,  and  next  to  these  the 
standard  works  of  English  literature. 

James  Keith  was  prepared  for  college  in  private  schools  in 
Fauquier  county,  Virginia,  and  took  his  law  course  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Virginia,  under  that  prince  of  teachers,  John  B.  Minor. 

On  the  16th  day  of  April,  1861,  Mr.  Keith  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  famous  Black  Horse  cavalry,  and  in  December, 
1863,  was  made  adjutant  of  the  4th  Virginia  cavalry.  He  rode 
with  Payne  and  Wickham  and  Fitz  Lee,  "  followed  the  feather  " 
of  "  Jeb  "  Stuart  on  many  a  field,  and  saw  his  last  service  on  the 
9th  of  April,  1865,  at  Appomattox  court-house  in  that  cavalry 
charge  which  drove  Sheridan  back  nearly  two  miles,  captured  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  was  not  halted  until  they  encountered  the 
Army  of  the  James  under  General  Ord,  and  were  obliged  to 
"  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  resources." 


28  JAMES    KEITH 


Mr.  Keith  "  accepted  the  situation  "  calmly,  and  returning 
to  his  home,  went  vigorously  to  work  to  redeem  his  ruined 
fortunes.  His  father's  wish  and  his  own  personal  preference 
determined  him  to  devote  himself  to  the  profession  of  the  law. 

^Yhile  no  one  ever  had  a  happier  home,  surrounded  by  more 
ennobling  influences,  with  unexceptionable  companionship,  yet 
contact  with  men  in  actual  life,  the  discipline  of  the  army  and  the 
sacrifices  of  a  soldier's  life,  have  exerted  a  most  potent  influence 
upon  his  life  and  character. 

Judge  Keith  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature  in 
1869-1870,  was  elected  circuit  judge  in  1870,  and  \y^  several 
reelections  was  continued  in  that  position  until  January  1,  1895, 
when  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  on  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court 
of  appeals  of  Virginia.  He  was  soon  made  president  of  the 
court,  and  still  holds  that  position  (1906).  A  very  able  lawyer 
and  most  competent  judge,  he  has  worn  unsullied  ermine,  and 
won  a  wide  reputation  as  one  of  the  best  judges  the  state  has  ever 
had.     In  Januarj^,  1906,  he  was  reelected  for  a  term  of  ten  years. 

"  A  Democrat  after  the  Cleveland  type,"  Judge  Keith  has 
taken  little  active  part  in  politics,  but  has  wide  influence  among 
the  leaders  of  the  state;  and,  while  he  has  never  changed  his 
politics,  he  has  "  sometimes  stayed  at  home  "  on  election  days. 

Judge  Keith  is  a  man  of  fine  social  qualities,  fond  of  fishing, 
rides  a  bicycle,  has  fine  conversational  powers,  and  is  very  popular 
in  his  wide  circle  of  acquaintances  and  of  friends,  who  are  hoping 
for  him  many  more  years  to  adorn  the  bench,  and  be  useful  to 
Virginia  and  the  cause  of  justice. 

The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  has  been  conferred  upon 
Judge  Keith  by  the  Washington  and  Lee  university,  Lexington, 
Virginia. 

February  16,  1887,  Judge  Keith  was  married  to  Frances 
Barksdale  Morson,  of  Warrenton,  Virginia.  They  have  had  two 
children,  both  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


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SAMUEL  LEE  KELLEY 

KELLEY,  SAMUEL  LEE,  lawyer,  was  born  near  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  June  22,  1864,  while  his  mother  was 
nursing  sick  Confederate  soldiers  at  the  Howard's 
Grove  hospital.  His  father,  Samuel  Alexander  Kelley,  was  of 
Irish  extraction,  his  mother,  Mary  Jane  Quinn,  w^as  of  mixed 
Scotch  and  Irish  lineage.  Samuel  A.  v/as  a  tinner  and  plumber, 
and,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  was  carrying  on  his  busi- 
ness in  Charlottesville,  Virginia.  He  enlisted  in  the  Confederate 
army,  and  served  in  Garnett's  brigade  of  Pickett's  division.  He 
died  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  five  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Kelley  afterwards  married  David  Shields,  a  railroad  contractor, 
and  died  in  January,  1893,  leaving  two  other  children,  Ernest 
A.  Kelley,  now  a  prominent  railroad  man  of  New  Orleans,  and 
T.  H.  Shields,  also  engaged  in  railroad  w^ork  in  the  West. 

The  first  of  the  family  in  America  was  Robert  Kelley, 
father  of  Samuel  A.  and  grandfather  of  Samuel  Lee,  who  came 
from  Londonderry,  Ireland;  first  to  Canada,  thence  (1832)  to 
Alexandria,  Virginia. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  academic  education 
in  the  private  schools  of  Charlottesville,  Virginia;  Huntington, 
West  Virginia;  and  Churchland  academy,  Norfolk  county,  Vir- 
ginia. Later  on,  he  entered  Richmond  college,  and  from  there 
went  to  the  University  of  Virginia  to  study  law. 

Before  entering  college,  Mr.  Kelley  had  been  engaged  in 
railroad  and  levee  construction,  in  the  South  and  Southwest, 
spending  four  years  in  rough,  out-of-door  work,  necessarily  con- 
ducive to  bodily  strength  and  health.  His  tastes,  however, 
naturally  of  a  literary  nature,  had  been  greatly  fostered  by  the 
training  and  influence  of  his  mother,  a  woman  of  rare  intellectual 
powers,  clear  judgment,  and  broad  sympathies,  possessing  a 
dominating  personality  and  great  force  of  character.  He,  there- 
fore, as  soon  as  the  opportunity  offered,  began  his  preparation 
for  the  practice  of  law,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1888,  entered  the 
University    Law    school.     John    B.    Minor    was    still    dean    of 


"232  SAMUEL    LEE    KELLEY 

American  law  professors.  Age  had  not  abated  his  ability  nor 
loosened  his  herculean  grasp  upon  the  great  science  he  had  taught, 
with  matchless  devotion,  for  fifty  years.  Young  Kelley  devoted 
himself  ardently  to  the  task,  and  so  profited  by  the  instructions 
of  his  great  teacher,  that  in  one  session,  he  took  the  B.  L.  diploma 
of  the  University  of  Virginia  (1889).  He  also,  in  that  year, 
received  one  of  the  honors  most  highly  valued  among  university 
students — that  of  "  final  president "  of  the  Washington  society. 

In  1890,  Mr.  Kelley  settled  in  Eichmond  to  practice  his  pro- 
fession, being  actuated,  in  his  choice  of  location,  partly  by 
business  reasons,  but  principally  his  mother's  love  for  the  capital 
of  the  dead  Confederacy^  He  has  also  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  political  life  of  his  state.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Richmond  city  Democratic  committee,  and  for  six  years  a  repre- 
sentative of  Richmond  city  in  the  house  of  delegates.  In  1900, 
he  was  a  presidential  elector  and  for  four  years  was  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  third  district  on  the  State  Democratic  Executive 
committee.  Feeling  the  necessity,  however,  for  giving  closer 
attention  to  his  law  practice,  he  decided  in  1905  to  give  up 
politics,  beyond  taking  some  part  in  the  campaigns  of  his  party. 

Mr.  Kelley  is  recognized  as  a  lawyer  of  ability,  and  is  known 
throughout  the  state,  having  been  heard  on  the  stump,  during  the 
past  eight  years,  in  nearly  every  county  and  city.  As  a  member 
of  the  general  assembly  he  has  been  both  useful  and  prominent, 
and  from  the  first,  ranked  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  that  body. 
As  a  debater  and  orator,  he  has  few  equals  and  no  superiors ;  and 
was  for  the  last  two  terms,  chairman  of  the  ranking  committee 
and  Democratic  floor  leader.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
capitol  building  and  enlargement  commission,  under  whose 
supervision  the  splendid  improvements  to  that  ancient  and 
historic  state  house  have  just  been  completed. 

After  serving  but  one  term,  Mr.  Kelley  opposed  Mr.  Ryan 
for  the  speakership,  but  subsequently  withdrew.  Had  he 
returned  to  the  house  for  another  term,  it  is  generally  admitted 
that  he  would  probably  have  been  chosen  for  that  place ;  and  his 
friends  confidently  predict  for  him  further  political  honors, 
should  he  care  to  seek  them. 

Mr.  Kelley  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  religion,  and  is  a  member 


SAMUEL    LEE    KELLEY  233 

of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians. 
He  belongs  also  to  the  Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans  and  to  the 
order  of  Elks,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Westmoreland  and 
Albemarle  clubs. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


ALBERT  ELLSWORTH  KRISE 

KRISE,  ALBERT  ELLSWORTH,  was  born  December  1, 
1864,  in  the  town  of  Canton,  Bradford  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  parents  were  Charles  August  Krise  and 
Christina  Floeckler.  His  father  was  a  German  by  birth,  but 
early  left  his  native  city  of  Wurtenburg,  and  emigrated  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  took  up  the  saddlery  trade,  and  also 
held  many  municipal  offices  in  Canton,  the  town  of  his  residence. 
Many  of  his  ancestors  had  been  highly  distinguished  in  that  most 
perfect  of  all  military  organizations,  the  German  army.  He  was 
a  man  revered  and  respected  by  all  his  large  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances for  his  industry,  his  integrity,  and  his  general  willingness 
to  help  those  in  need.  By  his  father,  as  well  as  by  his  devoted 
mother,  Mr.  Krise  was  early  taught  the  best  morals,  the  highest 
principles,  and  the  great  lesson  which  cannot  be  learned  too  soon, 
of  self-support. 

After  graduating  with  honor  at  the  Canton  high  school,  Mr. 
Krise  accepted  the  position  of  runner  in  the  First  National  bank 
of  Canton  in  the  year  1882.  Since  then,  he  has  been  cashier  of 
the  First  National  bank,  of  Frostburg,  Maryland;  president  of 
the  City  National  bank,  of  Norfolk,  Virginia,  in  1892;  president 
of  the  Atlantic  Trust  and  Deposit  company,  of  Norfolk,  in  1903 ; 
a  director  in  the  Union  Trust  and  Title  corporation,  of  Norfolk ; 
a  director  in  the  Virginia  Guaranty  and  Trust  company,  of  New- 
port News,  Virginia;  treasurer  of  Norfolk,  and  an  officer  in  a 
great  many  corporations,  thus  working  his  w^ay  up,  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time,  from  the  lowest  position  in  the  banking 
business  to  the  highest. 

In  his  political  preference,  Mr.  Krise  is  a  Democrat.  He 
has  changed  his  allegiance  but  once,  and  that  was  on  account 
of  the  money  question  in  the  McKinley-Bryan  era,  when  so  many 
lifelong  Democrats  voted  for  McKinley. 

Mr.  Krise  finds  some  time  for  social  relaxation  and  mingling 
with  his  fellows.     He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order,  being  a 


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i 


ALBERT   ELLSWORTH    KRISE  237 

Master  Mason,  a  Knight  Templar  and  a  member  of  the  order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  has  held  official  positions  in  these  bodies. 

Some  interesting  data  of  Mr.  Krise's  life  was  published,  a 
few  years  ago,  by  Col.  W.  H.  Stewart  in  his  "  History  of  Norfolk 
County." 

On  January  22,  1896,  he  married  Blanche  Collins,  daughter 
of  S.  Q.  and  Octavia  Hitch  Collins,  of  the  well-known  Norfolk 
family  of  that  name. 

His  address  is  Norfolk,  Virginia. 


Tol.  2— Va.— 10 


PHILIP  ASA  KRISE 


KKISE,  PHILIP  ASA,  banker  and  broker,  was  born  in 
Louisa  county,  Virginia,  February  20, 1833.  His  parents 
were  Jacob  and  Mildred  (Williams)  Krise.  Plis  earliest 
known  ancestors  in  this  country  came  from  Germany  and  settled 
in  Pennsylvania  and  Marjdand. 

The  childhood  and  youth  of  Philip  Krise  were  passed  in  the 
country.  His  health  was  good,  and  he  was  required  to  perform 
the  tasks  that  usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  boy  on  a  farm.  As  he 
grew  older,  he  worked  in  the  fields  during  the  summer  and 
attended  school  only  in  the  winter.  But  he  was  ambitious  to 
secure  an  education  and  to  become  a  teacher.  Difficulties  were 
great,  yet  by  resolute  effort  they  were  overcome  to  the  extent  that 
a  partial  course  of  study  was  taken  at  the  college  in  Buckhannon, 
now  in  Upshur  county.  West  Virginia.  Pie  began  teaching  in 
that  town,  but  the  outbreak  of  the  War  between  the  States 
brought  his  teaching  to  a  close  and  changed  the  whole  current  of 
his  life. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  surrender  at  Appomattox,  Mr.  Krise, 
with  a  capital  of  only  a  few  hundred  dollars,  commenced  busi- 
ness as  a  broker,  dealing  in  gold,  silver,  and  the  notes  of  state 
banks.  He  traded  in  the  bank  paper  until  legislation  for  its 
redemption  went  into  effect,  and  continued  dealing  in  gold  and 
silver  until  the  congress  of  the  United  States  passed  the  act 
requiring  the  resumption  of  specie  payments.  Since  that  time,  he 
has  dealt  in  the  various  securities  usually  handled  by  bankers  and 
brokers.  After  retiring  from  business,  he  erected  the  Krise 
building  in  Lynchburg,  a  fire  proof  structure  43  x  130  feet  and 
seven  stories  high.  In  this  building  is  located  the  American 
National  bank,  of  which  Mr.  Krise  is  vice-president  and  one  of 
the  largest  stockholders.  Among  his  other  business  interests  may 
be  noted  the  Bonsacks  Cigarette  Machine  company,  which  he 
financed  twenty-two  years  ago,  and  of  which  he  has  been  secre- 
tary,  treasurer,   and    director   ever   since.     This   company   was 


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PHILIP   ASA    KRISE  241 

organized  with  a  capital  stock  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
and  has  paid  over  three  million  dollars  in  dividends.  He  has 
been  active  in  his  efforts  to  promote  the  interests  of  Lynchburg, 
and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  four  years. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Krise  is  a  Democrat.  In  1888,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  National  Democratic  convention  that  nominated 
Mr.  Cleveland  for  the  presidency.  His  religious  affiliation  is 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  reply  to  a  request  for 
his  opinion,  he  names  honesty  and  promptness  in  meeting  all 
obligations  as  the  best  means  for  young  people  to  adopt  in  their 
efforts  to  secure  true  success  in  life. 

Mr,  Krise  was  married  September  30,  1868,  to  Mary  Virginia 
Davis.     Thej^  had  one  child,  a  son,  who  died  in  1903. 

Their  home  is  Number  600  Church  Street,  Lynchburg, 
Virginia. 


JOSEPH  THOMAS  LAWLESS 

LAWLESS,  JOSEPH  THOMAS,  lawyer  and  state  senator, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Portsmouth,  Virginia,  on  the 
second  day  of  May,  1866.  He  is  the  son  of  Thomas  J. 
and  Ellen  Nolan  Lawless,  who  were  born  in  the  county  of  Galway , 
Ireland,  his  father  being  of  the  well-known  Kilkenny  family  of 
his  name.  He  is  a  highly  respected  and  popular  citizen  of 
Portsmouth,  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits, 
but  has  now  retired  from  active  business. 

Joseph  T.  Lawless,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  man  of 
splendid  physique,  having  always  been  strong  and  robust.  When 
a  youth  and  young  man,  his  favorite  sports  were  baseball  and 
football,  which  doubtless  aided  his  physical  development.  His 
early  life  was  passed  in  the  city,  and,  as  a  child,  he  had  a 
predilection  for  literature  and  law.  He  was  a  bright  and  prom- 
ising youth,  and  took  a  high  stand  at  school.  His  academic 
education  was  acquired  at  the  Webster  Military  institute,  Norfolk, 
Virginia,  and  the  Benedictine  college,  known  as  St.  Mary's 
college,  Belmont,  North  Carolina,  where  he  took  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  in  1882.  He  entered  Richmond  college,  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  in  1893,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  law 
in  1895.  He  found  Shakespeare,  Emerson  and  Herbert  Spencer 
most  helpful  in  fitting  him  for  his  life  work. 

Mr.  Lawless  has  had  a  remarkable  career  in  public  life,  and 
is  noted  as  a  strong  political  manager,  being  widely  known  and 
exceedingly  popular  with  the  public  men  of  the  state.  He  was 
a  close  friend  of  Governor  Charles  T.  O'Ferrall,  and  was 
director  of  his  canvass  for  the  Democratic  nomination  for 
governor.  Mr.  Lawless  began  the  active  work  of  life  in  1883  as 
reading  clerk  of  the  house  of  delegates  of  Virginia,  and,  having 
a  natural  taste  for  public  life,  soon  rose  to  merited  distinction 
among  the  public  men  of  Virginia.  At  the  time  referred  to,  the 
thirty-third  senatorial  district,  composed  of  Norfolk  county  and 
the  city  of  Portsmouth,  was  overwhelmingly  Republican,  and 
the   Democrats  had  little   chance  of  success.     The   Democratic 


JOSEPH    THOMAS    LAAVLESS  245 

convention  of  this  district  met  at  the  city  hall  in  Portsmouth,  in 
1889,  and  unanimously  nominated  Mr.  Lawless,  then  only  thirty- 
three  years  of  age,  to  lead  their  forlorn  hope.  He  manfully 
shouldered  the  responsibility,  mastered  the  situation,  and  was 
triumphantly  elected  to  the  state  senate,  where  with  his  strong 
personality  he  soon  took  a  leading  part  in  the  deliberations  of 
the  legislature  of  his  native  state.  His  ability  and  popularity 
gained  him  hosts  of  friends,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
four  years,  he  was  elected  by  the  legislature  secretary  of  the 
commonwealth.  He  made  a  most  efficient  state  officer,  and  was 
four  times  successively  reelected,  without  opposition,  until  1901, 
when  he  voluntarily  retired.  Although  solicited  by  friends,  he 
declined  to  offer  for  another  term,  having  decided  to  take  up  the 
active  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  the  city  of  Norfolk, 
Virginia.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  the  Hon.  John  L. 
Jeffries,  who  was  a  prominent  candidate  for  the  Democratic 
nomination  for  attornev-ffeneral  of  Virginia  in  1902.  This  firm 
soon  won  its  way  to  public  favor,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most 
prominent  law  firms  in  eastern  Virginia. 

In  1902,  Mr.  Lawless  aspired  to  the  Democratic  nomination 
for  congress,  from  the  second  congressional  district  of  Virginia, 
but  was  defeated  by  the  present  incumbent,  after  a  lively  canvass, 
which  was  highly  creditable  to  the  ability  of  Mr.  Lawless.  Mr. 
Lawless  is  a  personal  friend  of  Governor  Claude  A.  Swanson, 
who  has  appointed  him  on  his  staff,  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 
Mr.  Lawless  is  a  member  of  the  American-Irish  Historical 
society,  and  vice-president-general,  and  has  several  times  made 
addresses  of  historic  value  before  it  at  its  annual  meetings  in 
New  York. 

Colonel  Lawless  is  a  prominent  club  man,  having  been  a 
member  of  the  most  select  clubs  in  his  state.  When  a  resident  of 
Richmond,  he  was  a  member  of  both  the  AVestmoreland  and 
Commonwealth  clubs,  and,  since  taking  up  his  residence  in  Nor- 
folk, he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Virginia  club.  In  1902,  he 
was  made  a  director  of  the  Atlantic  Trust  and  Deposit  company, 
of  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  still  serves  in  that  capacity. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  Colonel  Lawless  has  always 
been  a  Democrat;  in  religious  faith  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic. 


246  JOSEPH    THOMAS   LAWLESS 

His  success  in  life,  Colonel  Lawless  attributes  to  home 
influence,  school  training,  and  contact  with  men  in  active  life, 
supplemented  by  private  study.  He  believes  that  the  foundation 
of  a  successful  career  must  be  laid  in  the  home  and  be  developed 
in  the  schoolroom;  after  which  must  come  concentration  of  mind, 
and  persistent  effort  towards  a  definite  aim  in  life.  His  own 
remarkable  success  will  give  great  weight  to  this  advice  for  young 
Americans. 

April  15,  1890,  Mr.  Lawless  was  married  to  Marie  C. 
Antilotti.  They  have  had  five  children,  four  of  whom,  two  boyi 
and  two  girls,  are  now  (1906)  living. 


LUNSFORD  LOMAX  LEWIS 

LEWIS,  LUNSFOKD  LOMAX,  was  born  in  Rockingham 
county,  March  17,  1846,  and  his  parents  were  Samuel  H. 
Lewis  and  Anne  Maria  Lomax.  On  both  sides  of  his 
family  Judge  Lewis  comes  of  the  most  distinguished  Virginia 
ancestry,  and  he  has  worn  the  mantle  of  their  fame  with  credit 
and  dignity.  His  father  was  descended  from  a  sturdy  Scotch - 
Irish  emigrant,  John  LeAvis,  the  representative  of  a  family  of 
Huguenots,  ayIio  took  refuge  in  Ireland  from  persecution  in 
France,  following  the  assassination  of  Henry  IV.  John  Lewis 
was  the  son  of  Andrew  Lewis  and  Mary  Calhoun,  his  wife,  who 
was  born  in  Donegal  county,  Ireland,  in  the  year  1678.  In  an 
affray  that  occurred  in  the  county  of  Dublin  with  an  oppressive 
landlord  and  his  retainers  he  slew  one  or  two  of  them  for  killing 
his  brother,  an  officer  in  the  King's  army,  who  lay  sick  at  his 
house.  Escaping,  he  found  refuge  in  Portugal,  and  about  1732 
came  over  to  Virginia  with  his  famih^,  consisting  of  his  wife, 
Margaret  Lynn,  daughter  of  the  laird  of  Loch  Lynn  in  Scotland, 
and  his  three  sons,  Thomas,  William  and  Andrew,  born  in 
Ireland.  Pleased  with  the  glorious  accounts  of  the  country 
beyond  the  mountains,  he  selected  a  spot  near  Staunton  and 
erected  upon  it  a  stone  house  which  came  to  be  known  as  "  Lewis' 
Fort."  He  was  thus  one  of  the  advanced  guard  of  the  great 
army  of  Scotch-Irish  emigrants  that  poured  by  thousands  before 
the  Revolution  into  the  beautiful  vallev  of  the  Shenandoah 
river.  He  obtained  patents  for  a  hundred  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  different  parts  of  this  country,  and  when  he  died,  left  an 
ample  inheritance  to  his  children.  He  had  four  sons,  three 
already  noticed  as  born  in  Ireland,  and  a  fourth,  Charles,  added  to 
the  number  after  his  arrival  on  the  soil  of  old  Virginia,  and  who 
was  killed  in  command  of  a  regiment  of  the  Virginia  troops,  in 
1775,  at  the  famous  battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  at  which  his  brother. 
General  Andrew  Lewis  commanded. 

Thomas  Lewis,  the  eldest  son,  and  the  ancestor  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  a  man  of  learning  and  sound  judgment,  who 


248  LUNSFORD   LOMAX   LEWIS 

was  greatly  appreciated  b}^  the  sagacious  and  God-fearing 
inhabitants  of  Augusta  county.  He  received  many  honors  from 
the  people  of  Virginia.  He  was  first  appointed  by  the  faculty  of 
William  and  Mary  college  surveyor  for  the  county  of  Augusta. 
In  1765  he  was  representative  for  Augusta  in  the  house  of  bur- 
gesses and  voted  for  Patrick  Henry's  resolutions  against 
the  stamp  act.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Revo- 
lutionary conventions,  in  1775  and  1776,  which  ushered  on  the 
war  of  the  American  Colonies  with  England,  and,  in  1777,  was  a 
commissioner  to  treat  with  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  Ohio.  In 
1788,  he  was  a  member  of  the  state  convention  called  to  consider 
the  Federal  Constitution,  and  was  subsequently  a  member  of  the 
state  legislature  of  Virginia.  Finally  on  October  31,  1790,  this 
sturdy  patriot  closed  a  life  full  of  honor  and  success  and  was 
interred  in  the  soil  of  Rockingham  county,  which  had  been 
formed  from  Augusta  county.  His  brother,  Andrew  Lewis,  who 
lived  in  the  county  of  Botetourt,  was  a  man  of  imposing  appear- 
ance, and  was  renowned  for  his  military  genius.  He  commanded 
the  Virginians  in  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  fought  in  1775 
with  Cornstalk  and  his  Shawnees  and  confederated  Indians. 
His  magnificent  statue  adorns  the  Washington  monument  in 
Richmond,  and  is  fully  suggestive  of  the  remark  made  in  regard 
to  him  by  the  governor  of  New  York,  in  1768,  that  "  the  earth 
seemed  to  tremble  under  him  as  he  walked  along." 

Thomas  Lewis  had  four  sons,  who  were  soldiers  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  the  youngest  of  whom,  Thomas,  bore  an 
ensign's  commission  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age.  His  second 
son,  Charles,  afterwards  represented  Rockingham  county  in  the 
house  of  delegates,  and  was  a  man  of  marked  ability.  He  was 
a  personal  and  political  friend  of  John  Marshall,  afterwards 
chief -justice  of  the  United  States,  as  was  his  father  before  him. 
Charles  Lewis'  second  son.  Samuel  H.  Lewis,  was  the  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  was  born  and  reared  in  Rock- 
ingham county.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  after- 
wards represented  Rockingham  county  in  the  house  of  delegates. 
He  was  a  brave,  earnest,  industrious  man,  a  worthy  descendant 
of  the  brave  John  Lewis,  of  Ireland. 

On   his   mother's   side,   Judge   Lewis   is   a    descendant   from 


LUNSrORD    LOMAX   LEWIS  249 

several  of  the  most  distinguished  families  in  Virginia.  His 
grandfather  was  John  Tayloe  Lomax,  of  Fredericksburg,  who 
was  for  many  years  judge  of  the  general  court  of  Virginia,  and 
could  name  among  his  ancestors  Sir  Thomas  Lunsford,  lieutenant 
of  the  Tower  of  London  during  the  reign  of  Charles  I. ;  Ralph 
Wormeley,  of  Rosegill,  Middlesex  county,  Virginia,  for  many 
years  member  of  the  Virginia  council;  John  Tayloe,  of  Mount 
Airy,  another  influential  colonial  councilor,  and  Rev.  William 
Lomax,  a  learned  and  cultivated  minister  of  Essex  county. 

Thus  uniting  the  best  blood  of  the  Scotch-Irish  and  the 
cavalier  emigrants.  Judge  Lewis'  career  of  prominence  and 
success  seemed  almost  a  certainty  froin  his  birth.  After  attend- 
ing the  usual  primary  schools,  he  entered  the  academic  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Virginia  in  October,  1865,  and  the 
next  year  took  the  law  course,  graduating  as  Bachelor  of  Law, 
in  July,  1867.  He  began  the  active  work  of  life  in  Culpeper 
county  soon  after,  and  soon  acquired  a  large  and  increasing 
practice.  In  1870  he  was  elected  commonwealth's  attorney  of 
Culpeper  county,  and  was  reelected  in  1873,  but  before  entering 
upon  a  second  term  he  was  appointed  by  President  Grant  to  the 
office  of  United  States  district  attorney,  in  which  position  he 
served  continuously  till  the  year  1882,  when  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  William  E.  Cameron  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  court  of 
Virginia,  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  R.  C.  L. 
Moncure.  This  same  vear  he  was  elected  bv  the  general  assemblv 
of  Virginia  to  the  court  for  a  full  term  of  twelve  years,  which 
term  began  January  1,  1883.  On  that  day  he  was  chosen  by  his 
associates  on  the  bench  president  of  the  Supreme  court,  and  in 
this  capacity  he  served  his  country  until  the  expiration  of  the 
term  for  which  he  was  elected.  In  his  high  office  he  won  the 
esteem  of  men  of  every  quality,  was  industrious,  impartial,  and 
upright,  and  fully  maintained  the  prestige  of  a  judge  who  could 
not  be  influenced  or  swaved  by  anv  interest  or  combination  of 
interests.  The  time  of  his  service  on  the  bench  was  a  period  of 
much  political  passion,  and  it  was  fortunate  for  Virginia  that  he 
held  the  position ;  for  he  was  fearless,  and  determined  to  do  the 
right  thing  at  every  hazard. 

On  January  1,  1895,  Judge  Lewis  returned  to  the  bar  and 
changed  his  residence  to  Richmond.     But  he   did  not  remain 


250  LUNSFORD   LOMAX   LEWIS 

in  privacy  long ;  for  President  Roosevelt,  having  a  great  opinion 
of  his  talents,  restored  him  to  the  office  which  he  had  filled  under 
President  Grant — that  of  United  States  district  attorney.  In 
this  position  he  remained  until  1905  when  he  was  nominated  by 
the  Republican  party  governor  of  Virginia.  He  received  the  full 
vote  of  that  party  in  the  fall  election,  but  the  Democratic  candi- 
date was  elected  by  a  large  majority.  He  Avas  then  reappointed, 
by  President  Roosevelt,  district  attorne}^,  and  he  still  (1906) 
holds  the  office.  In  social  circles  Judge  Lewis  is  very  much 
beloved  by  all  who  know  him.  He  is  gentle  in  his  manners, 
clear-headed,  and  open  and  cordial  in  his  conversation.  In 
politics  he  ^s  and  has  always  been  a  Republican,  but  he  has  not 
been  an  ekrremist,  and  he  never  indulges  in  sharp  and  unkind 
remarks  about  his  opponents.  In  this  way  he  is  spoken  of  with 
praise  by  all  good  Democrats,  who  remember  that  vv^hen  harsh 
measures  have  been  proposed  by  the  party  in  power,  the  people  of 
Virginia  have  found  him  repeatedly  interposing  his  influence  in 
their  behalf. 

Judge  Lewis  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Rosalie  Botts, 
daughter  of  Hon.  John  Minor  Botts,  who  was  very  distinguished 
as  an  orator  and  politician  before  the  War  between  the  States; 
and  second,  in  December,  1883,  to  Janie  Looney,  a  daughter  of 
Colonel  Robert  F.  Looney,  of  Memphis,  Tennessee. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


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WILLIAM  H.  LEWIS 

LEWIS,  WILLIAM  H.,  superintendent  of  motor  power,  was 
born  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York,  October  18,  1845; 
and  his  parents  Avere  George  Lewis  and  Mary  French. 
They  Avere  respectively  of  Welsh  and  English  extraction  and 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  George  Lewis  was  a  railroad  conductor,  and  died  in 
1876,  aged  sixty-nine  years,  leaving  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
William  H.  Lewis,  one  of  the  sons,  attended  the  public 
schools,  and  when  he  was  about  thirteen  years  old,  entered,  as 
an  apprentice,  tlie  shops  of  the  New  York  Central  railroad. 
After  he  had  passed  partially  through  his  apprenticeship,  he 
joined  the  14th  XeAv  York  volunteer  regiment  as  a  drummer  boy, 
and  served  in  the  War  between  the  States  until  October,  1861. 
He  was  then  discharged  on  account  of  his  youth,  and  returned 
home  and  resumed  the  work  of  his  apprenticeship,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  he  Avorked  as  a  machinist  in  the  Brookhm  naA^y 
yard.  In  1864,  he  located  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  serA^ed  as 
machinist  with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  railroad.  A 
year  later  he  acted  as  locomotiA^e  engineer  with  the  Hannibal 
and  St.  Joseph  railroad,  having  charge  of  the  first  locomotive 
used  in  the  territory  west  of  the  Missouri  riA^er.  At  that  time  the 
vast  plains  of  the  West,  noAv  dotted  Avith  towns  and  cities,  were 
inhabited  by  bands  of  hostile  Indians  and  swarmed  Avith 
immense  herds  of  buffalo. 

In  this  employment  he  remained  until  1873,  when  he  received 
an  appointment  as  master  mechanic  of  the  Northern  Pacific  rail- 
road, which  had  just  been  finished  as  far  as  Fort  Abraham 
Lincoln,  the  extreme  Avestern  military  outpost  of  the  United 
States,  garrisoned  by  General  George  S.  Custer  and  the  7th 
regiment  of  United  States  cavalry,  fated  afterwards  to  annihila- 
tion at  the  hands  of  "  Sitting  Bull  "  and  his  band  of  Sioux 
Indians.  In  his  capacity  as  master  mechanic  of  this  road,  it  was 
Mr.  LeAvis's  good  fortune  to  contract  lasting  friendships  Avith  the 


254  WILLIAM    H.   LEWIS 

leading  generals  and  other  officers  in  command  of  that  section  of 
the  country. 

In  1878,  after  a  service  of  four  years  with  the  Northern 
Pacific  railroad,  Mr.  Lewis  applied  for  the  position  of  chief  of 
the  steamboat  inspection  service  of  the  United  States  and  was 
strongly  endorsed  by  Brigadier-General  Alfred  H.  Terry,  of  the 
United  States  army,  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  Hon.  William 
Windom,  General  La  Due  and  Hon.  Alexander  Ramsey. 

He  was,  however,  appointed  to  another  position,  and  took 
charge  of  the  second  division  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  railroad, 
where  he  remained  four  years.  In  1882,  he  was  appointed 
master  mechanic  of  the  Oregon  Short  line,  the  first  road  to  be 
built  across  Idaho  to  Oregon.  He  remained  with  the  Oregon 
Short  line  two  years,  when  he  became  master  mechanic  of  the 
Xickel  Plate  line,  ha^dng  its  headquarters  at  Chicago.  Five 
years  later  he  received  the  appointment  of  master  mechanic  on 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Northern  railroad,  extending  from 
Chicago  to  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis.  This  position  he  held  for 
eight  years,  or  until  July,  1897,  when  he  was  appointed  to  his 
present  position  as  superintendent  of  motor  power  of  the  Norfolk 
and  Western  Railway  company.  Since  his  connection  with  this 
road,  it  has  made  a  marvelous  increase  in  property  equipments, 
and  Mr.  Lewis's  record,  meeting  all  the  requirements  of  hi.-^. 
position,  stamps  him  as  a  man  of  unusual  ability.  He  is  a 
member  of  numerous  organizations — of  the  Western  Railway 
club,  of  which  he  has  been  president,  of  the  American  railway 
master  mechanics  association,  of  which  he  has  also  been  president, 
and  of  the  Northwestern,  New  York  and  Richmond  Railroad 
clubs,  and  in  1905,  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  International  railway 
congress  held  in  Washington.  During  his  long  and  honorable 
service  in  these  organizations  he  has  served  on  important  com- 
mittees and  contributed  several  papers  on  important  technical 
subjects.  He  is  a  member  of  the  chamber  of  commerce  of 
Roanoke,  Virginia,  and  a  director  of  the  National  Exchange  bank. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

He  is  a  man  of  fine  and  robust  physique,  and  has  the  con- 


WILLIAM    H.    LEWIS  255 

fidence  both  of  the  officers  and  employes  of  the  railroad  with 
which  he  is  connected. 

On  July  10,  1870,  he  married  Miss  Anna  A.  Baldwin, 
daughter  of  Wilbur  Baldwin,  of  Palmira,  Missouri,  and  four 
children  have  resulted  from  this  union,  one  of  whom  died  at  an 
early  age.  The  surviving  children  are  T.  E.  Lewis,  Jr.,  who  is 
general  foreman  of  the  Norfolk  and  Western  railway,  at 
Norfolk;  Archie  W.  Lewis,  material  inspector  of  the  same  road, 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  S.  Brooks,  of  Norfolk,  Virginia.  Mrs.  Lewis 
was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  her  death  occurred  at 
Eaglewood,  Illinois,  January  14,  1886. 

The  address  of  Mr.  Lewis  is  Roanoke,  Virs^inia. 


WILLIAM  MILLER  McALLISTER 

McALLISTEE,  WILLIAM  MILLER,  lawyer,  ex-legis- 
lator, was  born  March  6,  18i3,  near  Chambersburg, 
Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  his  parents  were 
Thompson  McAllister  and  Lydia  Miller  Addams.  His  earliest 
ancestor  in  this  country  was  Major  Hugh  McAllister,  who  was 
one  of  that  great  army  of  emigrants  to  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
ginia from  the  Province  of  Ulster  in  the  north  of  Ireland.  He 
first  settled  about  1730  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania.  Like 
all  his  countrymen  he  was  distinguished  for  his  bravery  and  love 
of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  His  second  son,  Hugh  McAllister, 
was  born  in  1736,  in  Little  Britain  township,  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  passed  his  youth  in  the  place  of  his  nativity. 
At  twenty-two  he  enlisted  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and 
went  under  Washington  and  in  Captain  Forbes'  company  in 
1755  to  Fort  Du  Quesne.  He  afterwards  married  Sarah  Nelson, 
of  Lancaster  county,  who  emigrated  also  from  Ireland.  Hugh 
McAllister  served  afterwards  in  Pontiac's  war  and  in  the  Revo- 
lution. At  last  after  a  life  of  heroism  and  labor,  constantly 
exposed  to  the  danger  of  Indian  attack.  Major  McAllister  died 
September  22,  1810.  His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave  on 
July  7,  1802.  They  had  issue,  six  children — the  youngest  of 
whom  was  William  McAllister.  He  was  born  in  August,  1775, 
and  married  November  2,  1802,  Sarah  Thompson,  the  daughter 
of  William  Thompson,  Senior,  who  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Brandywine  and  Germaiitown.  William  McAllister  served  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  in  after  years,  served  as  one  of  the  two 
associate  judges  of  Juniata  county,  in  Pennsylvania. 

He  w^as  a  man  of  great  business  capacity,  full  of  energy  and 
industry,  prominent  in  church  work,  and  noted  for  his  hospitality, 
and  uncompromising  in  principles  and  opinions.  His  second 
son  was  Thompson  McAllister,  who  was  born  August  30,  1811, 
at  the  homestead  of  his  father,  and  was  a  farmer  and  railroad 
contractor.  In  1847  he  served  in  the  legislature  of  his  state,  and 
in  1849,  removed  to  Virginia,  having  purchased  a  tract  of  two 


V^. 


I 


VaMurn' 


WILLIA^r    MILLER    MCALLISTER  259 

thousand  Iayo  hundred  acres  at  Covington  in  that  commonwealth. 
Here  he  attached  himself  Avith  great  enthusiasm  to  the  interests 
of  his  adopted  state,  placed  his  farm  in  excellent  condition,  and 
interested  him.self  in  constructinor  railroads  connecting  Covin2"ton 
with  the  Tidewater  district.  ^Yhen  the  War  between  the  States 
broke  out,  he  flung  himself  into  the  strife  with  a  patriotism 
almost  unequalled.  He  raised,  and  at  his  own  expense,  largely 
equipped  the  first  volunteer  compan}^  for  the  Confederate  army 
in  Alleghany  county.  He  fought  in  the  battle  of  Manassas,  and 
afterward  had  command  of  the  home  guards  and  reserves  in  the 
Alleghany  section,  a  territory  in  which  invasions  of  the  enemy 
were  frequent  and  precipitate.  The  labor  and  care  to  which  he 
was  subjected  impaired  his  health  and  five  3'ears  after  the  war  he 
spoke  of  himself  as  a  "  broken  down  old  man."  He  died  March 
13,  1871,  and  he  was  grieved  for  as  a  man  "  as  brave  and  gallant 
in  war  as  he  was  courteous  and  gentle  in  peace." 

His  son,  William  Miller  McAllister,  was  a  boy  of  robust  con- 
stitution, who  attended  the  country  schools,  and  what  is  now  the 
State  College  of  Pennsylvania,  and  worked  each  day  on  the  farm 
when  not  otherwise  engaged  with  his  books.  He  was  eighteen 
years  old  when  the  war  came  on,  and  he  responded  with  alacrity 
to  the  call  of  his  adopted  state.  He  was  a  private  in  Company 
A,  2Tth  Virginia  regiment  (Stonewall  Brigade,  Army  of  North- 
ern Virginia),  during  the  year  1861,  w^hich  company  was  con- 
verted into  an  artillery  company  November  12,  1861 ;  and  he 
served  as  one  of  the  gunners  in  the  same  till  April  9,  1865, 
participating  in  many  battles  and  engagements. 

After  the  war  he  engaged  as  a  day  laborer  on  his  father's 
farm,  where  he  continued  three  years.  He  studied  and  read  at 
odd  times  and,  in  1868,  borrowed  money  to  attend  the  University 
of  Virginia.  At  that  noble  seat  of  learning  he  studied  law,  and 
on  July  1,  1869,  took  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law,  immediately 
after  which  he  located  at  Warm  Springs,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  has  been  a  practicing  lawyer  ever 
since  with  a  large  clientage.  In  1873,  he  was  elected  common- 
wealth's attorney  for  Bath  county,  and  continued  in  that  office  by 
virtue  of  Successive  elections  for  ten  years.  From  1893  to  1898, 
he   was   special   attorney   of  the  United   States   department   of 


2G0  WILLIAM    MILLER    MCALLISTER 

justice,  acquitting  himself  with  great  credit  of  the  responsible 
duties  imposed  upon  him  in  this  connection. 

He  also  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising,  making  a 
great  success  of  his  work. 

In  politics  he  has  also  been  prominent.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Democratic  committee,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  years,  ever  since  1880,  and  he  was  for  twenty  years  a  member 
and  chairman  of  the  Democratic  committee  of  Bath  county. 
From  1899  to  1901  he  was  a  member  of  the  house  of  delegates, 
where  he  proved  himself  a  good  parliamentarian  and  able  debater. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Western 
State  hospital  for  four  years ;  a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors 
of  the  Virginia  Military  institute  four  years;  and  he  is  at 
present  (1906)  a  director  in  the  Citizens  National  bank,  at  Cov- 
ington, Virginia.  He  has  been,  and  is  still,  commander  of  Bath 
Camp,  No.  43,  Confederate  veterans.  Mr.  McAllister  is  a  man 
who  loves  society,  and  for  several  years  he  has  been  a  member  of 
Warm  Springs  lodge.  No.  253,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.  He  has  served 
as  master,  and  is  now  junior  deacon  of  the  same,  and  is  a  Royal- 
Arch  Mason. 

His  recreation  consists  in  fishing  and  hunting,  whenever  he 
can  find  time  to  leave  his  business,  which  is  really  very  seldom. 
In  religious  matters  he  inherits  the  principles  of  his  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestors,  and  since  1869  has  been  a  ruling  elder  in  the 
AVarm  Springs  Presbyterian  church. 

AVhen  asked  if  he  had  anything  to  say  calculated  to  aid  the 
young  to  attain  true  success.  Colonel  McAllister  sends  this 
message  to  them :  "  Keep  the  mental  and  physical  man 
employed,  avoid  an  aimless  life;  do  not  make  haste  to  become 
rich;  be  temperate  in  all  things;  be  honest  and  industrious;  be 
frugal  without  being  penurious  and  miserly;  live  within  your 
income;  avoid  brutal  sports;  govern  your  temper;  deal  squarely 
with  all  and  live  peaceably." 

On  October  27,  1869,  Colonel  McAllister  married  Margaret 
A.  Ervin.  of  Bath  countv,  Virginia. 

His  present  address  is  Warm  Springs,  Bath  County,  Vir- 
ginia. 


CARLTON  McCarthy 

McCAETHY,  CARLTON,  mayor  of  Eiclimond,  was  bora 
in  Eiclimond,  August  18,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of 
Florence  McCarthy  and  Julia  Anne  Humes  McCar- 
thy. His  father  came  directly  from  Ireland,  and  his  mother, 
though  born  in  Virginia,  was  of  Scotch  parentage.  Florence 
McCarthy  was  an  honored  merchant,  and  his  marked  character- 
istics were  gentleness,  purity,  industry,  and  fidelitj^ 

Carlton  McCarthy's  health  and  physical  condition  in  youth 
were  excellent,  and  his  special  tastes  were  those  common  to  the 
city  boy,  and  the  love  of  books.  His  early  life  was  passed  in  the 
city;  he  had  no  regular  tasks  which  involved  manual  labor;  and, 
as  he  expresses  it,  he  was  "  as  free  as  a  bird  except  in  school." 

The  influence  of  his  mother  on  his  intellectual,  moral,  and 
spiritual  life  was  very  strong,  and  she  was  indeed  his  "  guiding 
star." 

He  enjo^'ed  the  advantages  of  the  fine  academies  which  Rich- 
mond had  at  that  time,  and  was  about  ready  to  enter  college 
when  the  war  of  1861  burst  upon  the  country  and  caused  the 
young  men  of  the  South  to  exchange  the  "  midnight  lamp  "  for 
the  "  camp  fires  of  the  boys  in  gray."  He  had  acquired  a  fond- 
ness for  reading,  and  enjoyed  equally  Cooper's  "  Leather  Stocking 
Tales  "  and  Morley's  "  Gladstone." 

Carlton  McCarthy  entered  with  liveliest  interest  and 
sympathy  into  the  feelings  of  the  youth  of  Virginia,  who  enlisted 
to  defend  their  homes  and  firesides  against  invasion;  and  it  was 
as  much  as  father,  mother,  and  elder  brothers  (who  were  in  the 
army)  could  do  to  prevent  him  from  enlisting  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen. But  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  just  after  his  gallant  brother, 
Captain  McCarthy,  of  the  Eichmond  Howitzers,  had  been  killed, 
he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Eichmond  Howitzers  and 
served  until  the  close  at  Appomattox.  The  highest  eulogy  that 
can  be  passed  on  the  military  career  of  Carlton  McCarthy  is  to 
say  that  he  proved  himself  to  be  in  every  respect  worthy  to  belong 
to  that  incomparable  body  of  men  who  made  the  name  of  the 

Vol.  2— Va.— 11 


262  CARLTON    MCCARTHY 

Richmond  Howitzers  forever  illustrious.  After  "  the  surrender,-' 
Mr.  McCarthy  returned  to  Richmond,  went  vigorously  to  work 
amid  the  blackened  ruins  of  the  citj^,  and  for  a  time  made  his 
living  by  working  in  a  tannery.  Later  on,  he  became  a  bookseller 
and  stationer;  then  secretary  of  a  building  and  loan  association, 
and  then  "  city  accountant  " — it  being  his  business  to  examine  the 
accounts  and  pass  on  the  bookkeeping  of  all  of  the  city  officials. 
In  this  last  capacity,  he  introduced  many  reforms,  and  greatly 
improved  the  financial  system  of  the  city,  discharging  his  duty 
with  marked  ability,  skill,  and  fidelity. 

In  1904,  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Richmond,  and  is  now" 
(1906)  discharging  the  duties  of  his  office  with  great  ability  and 
without  favor  or  partiality.  He  seems  never  to  ask  whether  this 
or  that  course  is  popular,  or  whether  it  will  be  to  his  own 
advantage,  but  fearlessly  to  do  whatever  he  may  think  right. 
Many  may  differ  with  him,  but  none  can  ever  doubt  his  con- 
scientious discharge  of  his  duty  as  he  sees  it. 

Mr.  McCarthy  says  that  the  circumstances  which  surrounded 
him  when  he  returned  from  Appomattox  made  necessity  the 
first  strong  impulse  in  him  to  strive  for  such  prizes  as  he  has 
won,  and  that  home  first,  the  army  second,  and  next  his  reading, 
have  been  the  most  potent  influences  that  have  brought  him 
success  in  life. 

Not  long  after  the  war  I\Ir.  McCarthy  wrote  a  small  book 
entitled,  "  Walks  about  Richmond,"  which  was  not  only  deeply 
interesting,  but  which  contained  much  of  valuable  historic 
material.  Later,  he  wrote  "  Our  Distinguished  Fellow-Citizen," 
and  "  Soldier  Life  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia."  This 
last  book  has  been  considered  so  interesting,  and  portrays  so 
faithfully  the  life  of  the  private  soldier  that  it  has  been  adopted 
by  the  state  board  of  education  for  use  in  the  public  schools  of 
Virginia.  Besides  writing  these  books,  Mr.  McCarthy  has  com- 
piled and  edited  several  volumes  of  the  "  Records  of  the 
Howitzers,"  which  are  very  valuable  for  a  history  of  that  gallant 
organization. 

Mr.  McCarthy  has  been  an  honored  member  of  the  R.  E. 
Lee  Camp  No.  1,  of  Confederate  veterans;  the  Richmond 
Howitzer   association,   the   Virginia   division   of  the   Army   of 


CARLTON    MCCARTHY  263 

Northern  Virginia  association,  and  of  the  Commonwealth  club, 
Richmond. 

Mr.  McCarthy  has  always  been  a  staunch  Democrat,  and 
has  never  changed  his  political  affiliations.  He  has  been  a 
frequent  speaker  at  public  meetings,  especially  since  he  has  been 
mayor  of  the  city,  and  always  acquits  himself  well,  haying  a 
sharp,  incisive  style,  which  never  fails  to  interest  and  impress  his 
hearers. 

Being  asked  "  "^^Hiat  has  been,  and  what  is  now  the  sport, 
amusement,  form  of  exercise,  or  mode  of  relaxation  which  you 
enjoy  and  find  most  helpful,"  he  replied :  "  Walking  with  a 
congenial  friend."     He  is  known  as  one  of  the  truest  of  friends.. 

Mr.  McCarthy  has  been  for  years  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  and  is  active  in  Sunday  school  and  other  church  work. 
He  is  frequently  called  on  to  speak  at  religious  meetings,  and 
sometimes  accepts  to  the  great  edification  and  profit  of  those  who 
hear  him. 

Asked  that  from  his  own  experience  and  observation  he 
would  "  offer  suggestions  to  young  Americans  as  to  the  princi- 
ples, methods,  and  habits  which  you  believe  will  contribute  most 
to  the  strengthening  of  sound  ideals  in  our  American  life  and 
will  most  help  young  people  to  attain  true  success  in  life,"  he 
replied :  "  Unselfishness,  cheerfulness,  honesty,  industry,  un- 
wavermg  hope."     These  words  portray  the  man  himself. 

January  5,  1877,  Mr.  McCarthy  married  Susie  Ryall  Apper- 
son,  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  They  have  had  seven  children,  all 
of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


LEWIS  H.  MACHEN 

MACHEN,  LEWIS  H.,  lawyer  and  state  senator,  was  born 
near  Centerville,  Fairfax  county,  Virginia,  July  10, 
1871,  and  his  parents  were  James  P.  Machen  and 
Georgia  Dent  Chichester,  his  wife.  His  father  is  a  farmer,  was 
for  many  years  county  surveyor  for  Fairfax  county,  and  is  noted 
for  his  honesty,  modesty,  and  public  spirit.  His  grandfather  was 
Lewis  H.  Machen,  who  for  forty  years  was  chief  clerk  of  the 
United  States  senate,  and  his  paternal  grandmother  was  Caroline 
Webster,  of  New  Hampshire.  Among  his  earliest  known  ances- 
tors were  Thomas  Machen  who  came  from  England  to  Westmore- 
land county,  Virginia,  about  1780,  and  Richard  Chichester,  who 
settled  in  Lancaster  county  about  1700. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  strong  healthy  bo}^,  who 
was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  until  fourteen,  occasionally 
worked  in  the  field.  The  means  of  his  family  were  moderate, 
and  for  three  years  he  was  taught  by  a  governess  in  his  home. 
Then  he  went  to  the  public  schools  three  years,  to  Berkeley  school 
at  Orange  one  year,  to  Locust  Dale  academy  two  years,  to  the 
Episcopal  high  school  near  Alexandria  three  years.  With  this 
excellent  preparation  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia  in 
1891,  where  he  spent  two  years  in  the  academic  department  and 
one  year  in  the  department  of  law.  He  received  two  medals 
during  his  stay  there,  the  orator's  and  the  debater's  medals  in  the 
Jefferson  literary  society.  He  was  also  closely  identified  with 
the  college  publications,  being  assistant  editor  of  "  Corks  and 
Curls,"  and  editor-in-chief  of  "  College  Topics "  and  of  the 
"  University  Magazine."  In  May,  1892,  he  represented  the 
university  in  the  Southern  intercollegiate  oratorical  contest  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  in  1893,  he  was  president  of  the 
University  Democratic  club. 

After  leaving  the  university  Mr.  Machen  taught  one  session 

(1894-1895)    at  the  Episcopal  high  school,  and  the   following 

year    (1895-1896)    engaged  in  newspaper  work  in  Washington, 

District  of  Columbia.     In  November,  1896,  he  entered  Columbia 

university  at  Washington,  and  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor 


^t^sM'n^fffn,  J7.  ^ . 


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I 


LEWIS   H.    MACHEN  267 

of  Law  from  that  institution  in  June,  1897,  when  he  located  for 
practice  at  Fairfax  court-house,  Virginia.  He  continued  there 
until  1904  when  he  removed  to  Alexandria,  Virginia,  where  he 
is  one  of  the  law  firm  of  Machen  and  Moncure. 

He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  politics  of  the  state,  and 
has  stumped  the  eighth  congressional  district  of  Virginia  three 
times.  In  1900  he  was  presidential  elector,  and  in  1903,  he  was 
elected  to  the  state  legislature  from  the  fourteenth  senatorial 
district,  for  a  term  of  four  years.  During  his  first  session  in  the 
legislature  he  led  an  unsuccessful  fight  for  a  legalized  primary 
and  was  the  author  of  the  statute  allowing  depositions  of  the 
prosecutrix  in  assault  cases.  During  the  session  of  1906,  he 
secured  the  passage  of  amendments  to  the  constitution  intended  to 
secure  greater  opportunity  for  the  consideration  and  discussion 
of  measures.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  more  important 
debates,  and  secured  the  enactment  of  a  number  of  laws. 

He  is  a  member  of  Eta  chapter  of  the  D.  K.  E.  fraternity 
of  the  University  of  Virginia,  of  the  Marshall  chapter  of  the  Phi 
Delta  Phi  fraternity  of  Columbia  university,  and  of  the  West- 
moreland club,  at  Richmond,  Virginia.  At  college  he  was  a 
gymnast  and  played  football  and  he  takes  outdoor  and  gymnastic 
exercises  every  day.  He  is  a  Democrat  who  has  never  swerved 
from  his  party  principles,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church.  "  Golf,  walking,  and  running  for  office  "  have 
been  his  favorite  modes  of  diversion  and  exercise.  The  books 
which  he  has  found  most  helpful  have  been  the  standard  novels, 
histories  and  poetry,  Webster's  speeches  and  the  "  Virginia  Code." 
He  writes  occasionally  for  magazines  and  delivers  addresses  upon 
literary  and  historical  subjects.  Plis  first  impulse  to  strive  for 
the  prizes  of  life  may  be  traced  to  the  influence  of  his  mother, 
who  was  a  woman  of  high  ideals  and  ambitious  temperament. 
He  also  received  great  help  and  encouragement  from  his  uncle, 
the  well-known  Baltimore  lawyer,  Arthur  Webster  Machen. 

Wlien  asked  for  a  few  words  of  advice  to  young  men,  Mr. 
Machen  said :  "  Concentrate  early.  Don't  fritter.  Take  plenty 
of  exercise.  Avoid  stimulants  and  narcotics,  race  horses  -md 
cards.  If  industry  and  honesty  cannot  win,  then  '  lose  like  a 
gentleman.' " 

Mr.  Machen  is  not  married,  and  his  address  is  Alexandria, 
Virginia. 


ALVAH  HOWARD  MARTIN 

AETIN,  ALVAH  HOWARD,  was  born  in  Norfolk 
county,  Virginia,  September  20,  1858,  and  his  parents 
were  Colonel  James  Green  Martin  and  Bettie  Love 
Martin,  (nee  Gresham).  His  father  served  as  a  member  of  the 
house  of  delegates  from  Norfolk  county  in  1859-60,  and  was 
presiding  justice  of  Norfolk  county  court,  and  later  on,  a  prac- 
ticing lawyer  of  his  county.  He  was  a  man  of  popular  and 
affable  manners,  and  of  great  influence  with  his  neighbors.  Alvah 
Howard's  grandfather.  Colonel  James  Green  Martin,  Sr.,  was  a 
soldier  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  his  great-grandfather,  Joseph 
Martin,  was  a  distinguished  frontiersman,  who  passed  many 
years  in  the  backwoods,  fought  in  many  battles  with  the  Indians, 
served  in  the  legislature  of  Virginia,  and  was  commissioned 
brigadier-general  of  militia — withal  one  of  the  most  striking 
characters  in  the  history  of  western  Virginia. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  passed  his  childhood  in  the  country, 
where  for  several  years  he  was  taught  by  his  mother  at  home. 
He  was  rather  delicate  in  health,  but  studious  and  energetic. 
He  had  no  regular  tasks  on  the  farm,  but  was  always  ready  to 
assist  when  called  upon.  He  attended  a  grammar  school  and 
the  Webster  institute,  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  but  at  sixteen  years 
of  age  became  an  assistant  to  the  clerk  of  Norfolk  county,  with 
a  view  of  studying  law  at  a  later  date.  In  this  position  he 
remained  for  six  years,  and  acquired  a  great  deal  of  practical 
information  and  an  extended  acquaintance,  while  at  the  same 
time  pursuing  his  favorite  studies.  In  1880  he  was  appointed 
clerk  by  the  judge  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  not  long  after  was  con- 
firmed in  the  position  by  popular  election.  The  demands  on  his 
time  for  the  proper  discharge  of  the  duties  of  this  im.portant 
office,  and  extensive  business  enterprises  with  which  he  became 
connected,  caused  him  to  abandon  his  original  idea  of  practicing 
law.  The  proof  of  his  character  and  ability  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  he  was,  thereafter,  reelected  four  successive  terms  of  six 
years  each  to  the  clerkship  in  the  wealthiest  and  most  populous 


l^'^shia^t^^^C. 


V-Ly^^y^^^ 


m 


ALVAH   HOWARD   MARTIN  271 

county  in  the  state — serving  to  date  (1906)  a  period  of  twenty- 
six  years  in  all ;  and  his  office  is  claimed  by  his  friends  to  be  the 
best  in  the  state.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  Eepublican,  but  his  liberal 
views,  gentlemanly  manners,  and  obliging  demeanor  drew  to 
him  the  support  of  many  of  the  opposite  party. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Martin  held  some  of  the  highest  posi- 
tions in  the  Republican  organization  of  the  state,  was  one  of  the 
three  members  of  the  State  Executive  committee,  and  was  three 
times  elected  a  delegate  to  the  national  conventions  of  his  party. 

In  business  connections  also  Mr.  Martin  has  proved  a  success. 
He  is  actively  directing  some  of  the  largest  enterprises  in  the 
state,  embracing  banking,  real  estate,  timber  and  coal  lands,  farm- 
ing and  other  interests,  and  has  large  investments  in  these  enter- 
prises. He  is  president  of  the  Merchants  and  Planters  bank, 
director  in  the  National  bank  of  Commerce,  first  vice-president 
of  the  Jamestown  Exposition  company,  president  of  the  Chesa- 
peake Building  association  and  president  of  several  land  com- 
panies and  industrial  corporations.  He  served  as  chairman  of 
the  improvement  board  of  the  town  of  Berkley  for  several  years, 
and  upon  tendering  his  resignation  received  a  vote  of  thanks  from 
the  council  for  the  able  manner  in  which  he  had  discharged  his 
duties. 

Mr.  Martin  is  a  busy  man,  but  he  finds  relaxation  occa- 
sionally as  president  of  the  famous  Ragged  Island  Gunning 
association,  one  of  the  finest  ducking  preserves  in  the  country, 
where  President  Benjamin  Harrison  and  many  other  distin- 
guished people  have  been  entertained. 

From  his  own  experience  and  observation  he  believes  that 
study,  self-reliance,  steadiness  of  purpose  and  industry  are  the 
true  methods  to  strengthen  sound  ideals  in  American  life. 

On  January  6,  1881,  he  married  Mary  Eva  Tilley,  and  they 
have  six  children  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Norfolk,  Virginia. 


WILLIAM  GEORGE  MATHEWS 

MA.THEWS,  WILLIAM  GEOKGE,  general  contractor, 
was  born  at  Glasgow,   Rockbridge  county,   Virginia, 
—  January  7,  1866.     His  father  was  Alexander  Mathews, 

a  farmer  of  Rockbridge  county ;  and  his  mother  was  Kate  Ogden. 
Mr.  Mathews'  family  is  from  Buckingham  county,  Virginia; 
his  father  having  been  born  in  that  county. 

Mr.  Mathews  grew  up  in  the  country,  where  he  worked  on 
the  farm  of  his  uncle,  the  late  W.  G.  Mathews,  Sr.  In  1871,  he 
removed  with  his  father  to  another  farm  which  he  owned  near 
Big  Island,  in  Bedford  county,  Virginia ;  and  resided  there  until 
1877,  returning  to  Rockbridge  in  the  last  named  year. 

He  acquired  his  earlier  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
at  Fancy  Hill  academy,  in  Rockbridge  county;  and  in  the  fall 
of  1884  entered  Richmond  college  where  he  remained  for  two 
sessions,  leaving  college  in  June,  1886.  He  did  not  return  to 
college  on  account  of  the  bad  health  of  both  his  father  and  uncle, 
who  were  partners  in  business,  and  whose  affairs  he  was,  there- 
fore, compelled  to  look  after.     They  both  died  in  1891. 

Mr.  Mathews  acquired  his  first  business  training  under  the 
direction  of  this  uncle,  Mr.  W.  G.  Mathews,  Sr.,  who  was  the 
owner  of  several  farms,  and  was  interested  in  various  business 
concerns;  and  who,  upon  his  death  in  1891,  left  his  nephew  as  his 
executor. 

From  1895  to  1902  Mr.  Mathews  was  engaged  in  farming, 
and  was  a  partner  in  a  mercantile  business  in  Glasgow.  In  the 
spring  of  1902,  he  began  contracting,  his  first  railroad  work  in 
that  line  being  the  construction  of  the  connecting  link  between 
the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  and  the  Norfolk  and  Western  railways 
at  Glasgow.  He  followed  this  contract,  which  he  successfully 
executed,  with  a  number  of  smaller  contracts;  and  in  1904, 
formed  the  Mathews- Curtis  company,  with  general  offices  at 
Clifton  Forge,  Virginia,  which  does  business  as  railroad  and 
general  contractors,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  some  large 


I 


WILLIAM    GEORGE    MATHEWS  275 

construction  contracts  for  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Kailway 
company. 

In  January,  1904,  Mr.  Mathews  removed  to  Clifton  Forge 
and  organized  the  Alleghany  Construction  company,  building 
contractors,  which  concern  is  now  engaged  in  that  place,  in  a 
real  estate,  building  contracting  and  lumber  business. 

In  the  fall  of  1904  he  organized  the  Merchants  and 
Mechanics  bank  of  Clifton  Forge,  which  began  a  business,  which 
has  since  proved  highly  successful,  on  the  first  day  of  the  follow- 
ing January.  Of  this  bank,  Mr.  Mathews  has  been  since  its 
formation  the  president. 

In  April,  1906,  he  became  interested  in  the  organization  of 
a  company  to  acquire  and  control  the  famous  Natural  Bridge,  in 
Rockbridge  county,  under  the  name  of  the  Natural  Bridge 
company ;  and  of  this  enterprise  he  is  the  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Mathews  is  a  Mason,  and  is  a  pastmaster  of  the  lodge  at 
Glasgow.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Alleghany  chapter  Number 
24,  at  Clifton  Forge,  and  of  the  Alleghany  commandery  Number 
23,  at  Clifton  Forge;  and  is  a  Shriner  and  member  of  Acca 
Temple,  at  Richmond,  Virginia. 

On  June  4,  1889,  he  was  married  to  Blanche  I.  Michie,  and 
of  their  marriage  have  been  born  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are 
now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Clifton  Forge,  Alleghany  County,  Virginia. 


HENRY  CLAY  MICHIE 

ICHIE,  HENRY  CLAY,  was  born  in  Albemarle 
county,  Virginia,  elanuary  9,  1842.  He  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Frances  Garth  Michie.  James  Michie  was 
a  farmer  and  planter  of  Albemarle,  living  a  rural  life  upon  his 
plantation,  but  at  the  same  time  discharging  when  called  upon 
by  his  fellow  citizens  the  duties  of  responsible  local  oflFicial 
position.  He  was  for  years  presiding  justice  of  the  Albemarle 
county  court,  a  bench  distinguished  in  its  day  for  the  sound 
common-sense,  the  integrity,  and  the  industry  of  its  members. 
He  was  a  strong  Whig  in  his  political  views,  and  an  admirer  of 
the  governmental  policies  of  Alexander  Hamilton  and  Henry 
Clay.  Their  earliest  ancestor  in  Virginia  was  John  Michie,  who 
is  said  to  have  been  banished  from  Scotland  for  participation  in 
one  of  the  Stuart  uprisings  in  the  eighteenth  century.  James 
Michie,  after  his  service  upon  the  bench,  became  in  due  course, 
according  to  the  custom  of  his  day,  high  sheriff  of  Albemarle 
county,  a  position  Avhich  he  filled  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  fellow 
county  men. 

Henry  Clay  Michie's  father  gave  him  every  opportunity  in 
the  way  of  obtaining  an  education;  and  he  was  at  school  either 
under  the  instruction  of  local  teachers,  or  in  a  boarding  academy, 
until  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia  in  October,  1860. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities  in  the  spring  of  1861  between 
the  Northern  and  the  Southern  states,  he  left  the  university  and 
joined  the  Confederate  army,  in  which  he  served  for  four  years 
as  private,  sergeant,  first  lieutenant,  and  captain.  He  took  part 
in  Pickett's  famous  charge  at  Gettysburg,  where  he  was  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner.  He  bears  on  his  person  the  scars  of  two 
other  wounds  received  in  the  battles  of  Gaines  Mills  and  Second 
Manassas,  respectively. 

At  the  close  of  the  war.  Captain  Michie  returned  home  and 
took  up  the  duties  of  life  as  a  farmer.  On  December  10,  1867, 
he  married,  in  Alabama,  Miss  Eunice  Dandridge  Sykes;  and  of 
their  union  were  born  six  children,  all  of  whom  (1906)  survive. 


%  4>.  97z^^^^ 


Em&T&EN.,  UNITED  CONFEUERATE   VEEEJUNS. 


'H 


HENRY   CLAY   MICHIE  279 

Captain  Michie  has  always  taken  a  warm  interest  in  the 
preservation  of  the  memories  of  the  War  between  the  States, 
in  which  be  bore  so  honorable  a  part ;  and  he  has  been  repeatedly 
the  commander  of  the  John  Bowie  Strange  Camp  of  Con- 
federate veterans  of  Charlottesville,  Virginia,  and  was  for  three 
years  brigadier-general  of  the  3d  brigade  of  the  Virginia 
division,  United  Confederate  veterans. 

Captain  Michie  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations,  but 
declined  to  support  the  Democratic  nominee  for  president  in 
1896  on  the  money  question. 

Captain  Michie's  address  is  Charlottesville,  Virginia. 


HERBERT  MILTON  NASH 

NASH,  HEEBERT  MILTON,  M.  D.,  physician,  was  born 
in  Norfolk,  Virginia,  May  29,  1831.  His  father  was 
Thomas  Nash ;  his  mother,  Lydia  Adela  (Herbert)  Nash. 
Thomas  Nash  was  a  physician  of  Norfolk,  and  was  a  man  of 
unusual  presence,  great  suavity  of  manner,  and  withal  a  philan- 
thropist and  a  Christian.  He  neither  desired  nor  sought  public 
office,  but  accepted  the  office  of  magistrate  by  appointment  of  the 
governor,  in  1837,  but  resigned  the  office  in  1843.  Mrs.  Lydia 
Nash  was  a  Virginia  matron  of  the  old  regime,  and  her  example 
left  its  impress  upon  her  children. 

There  were  perhaps  earlier  emigrants  of  the  name,  who 
settled  in  New  England,  but  they  were  Puritans.  His  earliest 
Virginia  ancestor  was  Thomas  Nash,  who  came  with  his  wife, 
Anne,  and  several  children,  from  England  in  1665,  and  settled 
in  Lower  Norfolk.  He  was  a  zealous  royalist  and  an  adherent  to 
the  Church  of  England.  His  grandson,  Thomas,  great-grand- 
father of  Dr.  H.  M.  Nash,  was  a  vestryman  of  St.  Bride's  parish. 
Lower  Norfolk,  from  1761  to  1794.  His  son.  Dr.  Nash's  grand- 
father joined  the  patriot  army  when  a  mere  boy,  and  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Great  Bridge,  December,  1775.  He 
served  throughout  the  War  of  the  Revolution  until  he  was 
captured  by  the  British.  In  the  War  of  1812,  he  again  rendered 
conspicuous  service  to  his  country. 

Herbert  M.  Nash  was  sent  to  good  schools  in  Norfolk, 
Virginia;  thence  to  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1852.  In  1853,  he  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Norfolk,  after  having  studied 
clinical  medicine  at  the  New  York  hospitals,  and  has  continued 
in  full  practice  to  the  present  time  (1906). 

AYhen  the  yellow  fever  scourge  desolated  Norfolk  in  1855, 
Dr.  Nash  stood  fearlessly  at  his  post,  and  ministered  to  the 
afflicted.  He  is  the  sole  survivor  of  the  corps  of  physicians  that 
practiced  during  that  terrible  epidemic. 

In  April,  1861,  when  Virginia  seceded  from  the  Union  and 


'■''y-^^s^  iy  J,K.Camph.Ll  }re^^°''^ 


HERBERT  MILTON  NASH  283 

called  upon  her  sons  to  rally  to  her  side,  Dr.  Nash  gave  up  an 
excellent  practice  and  entered  the  Southern  army  as  assistant- 
surgeon.  In  1862,  he  was  made  surgeon ;  in  1864,  chief  surgeon 
of  the  artillery  of  the  third  army  corps,  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  (A.  P.  HilFs  corps).  At  Seven  Pines,  Frederfcksburg, 
Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  in  the  Wilderness,  at  Spottsylvania 
court-house,  Hanover  Junction,  Second  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg 
and  Appomattox,  he  ministered  to  the  sick  and  the  wounded  of 
the  Southern  army.  He  served  the  cause  of  the  South  because 
he  believed  in  it.  He  was  a  conscientious  states-rights  Democrat 
of  the  old  school,  and  believed  in  the  principles  for  which  the 
South  contended  and  for  which  the  flower  of  Southern  m^anhood 
gladly  offered  their  lives. 

After  the  war  was  over.  Dr.  Nash  returned  to  his  practice 
in  Norfolk.  From  that  time,  he  has  been  a  familiar  figure  on 
the  streets  of  Norfolk.  His  name  is  a  household  word  in  that 
city.  His  advice  is  sought  far  and  wide,  and  his  love  for  general 
practice  has  kept  him  from  going  into  a  specialty  which  might 
have  brought  him  greater  fame  and  greater  fortune. 

Dr.  Nash  has  frequently  been  honored  by  the  citizens  of 
Norfolk.  For  many  years  he  was  president  of  the  board  of 
health  of  that  city,  and  during  his  term  enlarged  its  work  and 
extended  its  activities.  Later,  he  was  quarantine  medical  officer 
of  the  district  of  the  Elizabeth  river,  appointed  by  the  governor 
without  his  own  knowledge  or  solicitation.  He  is  now  (1906) 
president  of  the  board  of  quarantine  commissioners,  his  experi- 
ence in  yellow  fever  making  him  especially  useful  in  such 
positions.  For  some  time  he  was  president  of  the  Norfolk 
Medical  society,  and  of  the  State  Medical  society  of  Virginia  in 
1893,  and  is  now  (1906)  vice-president  of  the  State  Medical 
examining  board.  He  also  served  as  visiting  physician  to  the 
city  hospitals  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  the 
Medical  College  of  Virginia. 

Political  offices  Dr.  Nash  has  never  held  or  desired.  He  is 
a  life  long  Democrat,  of  the  strict  construction  school,  believed 
in  the  doctrines  taught  and  expounded  by  John  Randolph,  Cal- 
houn, Jefferson  Davis,  and  other  political  leaders,  and  con- 
scientiously upheld  the  secession  of  Virginia  in  1861. 


284  HERBERT    MILTON    NASH 

In  religious  preference,  Dr.  Nash  is  an  Episcopalian. 
His  ancestors  were  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  and 
since  the  Revolution  his  people  have  been  prominently  connected 
with  the  Episcopal  church.  Dr.  Nash  himself  served  for  many 
years  in  the  vestry  of  St.  Paul's  church,  Norfolk,  and  regularly 
attends  its  services. 

His  principal  joy  has  been  to  practice  the  healing  art;  only 
incidentally  has  he  laid  up  a  moderate  competency.  He  believes 
that  a  "  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things 
which  he  possesseth,"  and  that  fame  and  wealth,  if  they  come 
at  all,  should  be  regarded  as  strictly  secondary. 

On  February  21,  1867,  Dr.  Nash  married  Mary  A.  Parker, 
daughter  of  Nicholas  W.  and  Elizabeth  Boush  Parker.  They 
had  two  daughters,  both  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  181  Freemason  Street,  Norfolk,  Virginia. 


THE  NEW  YORK 

PUB-LIC   LIBRAEY 


ASrOR,   LENOX   A?fD 

TILDBN    FOUNDATIONS 

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^>U-%''±^ 


EDGAR  DOUGLAS  NEWMAN 

EWMAK,  EDGAR  DOUGLAS,  lawyer,  judge,  and 
banker,  was  born  at  the  home  of  his  maternal  grand- 
father, in  the  town  of  Woodstock,  Shenandoah  county, 
Virginia,  March  26,  1854.  His  father  was  Benjamin  Penny- 
backer  Newman,  of  Shenandoah  county,  who  was  engaged  up  to 
1874  in  the  business  of  iron  manufacturing  in  that  county,  and 
afterwards  in  that  of  agriculture;  and  his  mother  was  Elizabeth 
Hickman.  Judge  Newman's  first  ancestor  in  America  was 
Robert  Newman,  who  came  to  Virginia  from  Wales  in  1618,  in 
the  ship  Furtherance. 

The  boyhood  of  Judge  Newman  was  spent  in  the  country, 
where  from  the  time  he  was  ten  years  old  he  had  to  look  after  the 
cows,  horses,  and  sheep  upon  his  father's  farm ;  and,  as  he  grew 
older,  he  assisted  his  father,  in  the  hours  spent  away  from  school, 
in  the  bookkeeping  and  correspondence  incident  to  the  business 
of  operating  his  iron  furnace  property.  After  attending  a  high 
school  at  Duffield,  West  Virginia,  conducted  by  Rev.  John  A. 
Scott,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  young  Newman  entered  Randolph- 
Macon  college,  at  Ashland,  Virginia,  in  1871.  After  remaining 
there  for  two  sessions,  he  entered  the  Virginia  Military  institute, 
at  Lexington,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1876,  and  in  which  he 
subsequently  served  as  assistant  professor  for  a  year  after  grad- 
uation. After  leaving  the  institute,  he  took  up  the  study  of  law ; 
and  in  1877  he  began  his  life-work  as  an  attorney  in  the  office  of 
Messrs.  Walton  and  Walton,  lawyers,  of  Woodstock,  Virginia. 

Since  1877,  Judge  Newman  has  practiced  his  profession  with 
success  in  his  native  town,  and  in  the  meantime  has  been  largely 
interested  in  various  banking  and  financial  institutions  of  his 
section,  including  the  Shenandoah  National  bank,  at  Woodstock ; 
the  Massanutten  bank,  at  Strasburg,  Virginia;  the  Citizens 
National  bank,  at  New  Market,  Virginia;  the  Peoples  bank,  at 
Mt.  Jackson,  Virginia;  the  Shenandoah  Valley  Loan  and  Trust 
company,  at  Woodstock;  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  National 


288  EDGAR   DOUGLAS    NEWMAN 

bank,  at  Winchester,  Virginia ;  and  others — with  all  of  which  he 
has  had  some  official  connection. 

Judge  Newman  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  South.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  supported  the 
Palmer  and  Buckner  ticket  in  1896  on  the  money  issue.  He  has 
never  held  or  aspired  to  elective  public  office;  but  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  was  from  1883  to  1886 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  county  committee  of  Shenandoah 
county,  and  from  1901  to  1901  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
State  Central  committee. 

Since  June,  1888,  Judge  Newman  has  been  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Randolph-Macon  college  and  its  allied  schools ; 
and  he  has  been  at  different  times  a  member  of  the  joint  board  of 
finance,  the  board  of  missions,  and  the  board  of  education,  of  the 
Baltimore  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South. 

From  1886  to  1898,  Judge  Newman  presided  over  the 
county  court  of  Shenandoah  county,  and  made  an  enviable 
record. 

On  December  20,  1877,  Judge  Newman  married  Mary  Ott 
Walton;  they  have  had  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  (1906) 
living. 

His  address  is  Woodstock,  Virginia. 


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JOHN  CALHOUN  NOEL 

NOEL,  JOHN  CALHOUN,  attorney-at-law,  was  born  in 
the  village  of  Jonesville,  Lee  county,  Virginia,  July  21, 
1865.  His  father  was  James  R.  Noel,  who  followed 
first  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  and  later  was  engaged  in  the  business 
of  managing  a  hotel. 

Mr.  Noel  knows  but  little  of  his  ancestors,  save  that  those  on 
his  father's  side  first  settled  in  Campbell  or  Bedford  county, 
Virginia. 

He  grew  up  and  spent  his  childhood  and  youth  in  the  village 
of  his  birth,  and  was  general  chore-boy  for  the  tavern  which  his 
father  managed.  His  health  was  vigorous;  his  physical  condi- 
tion good  and  strong;  and  his  special  tastes  and  interests  at  that 
period  were  in  athletic  sports,  and  hunting  and  fishing. 

His  education  was  acquired  at  the  Jonesville  high  school,  and 
he  found  no  opportunity  of  attending  college.  In  1886,  he  began 
the  active  work  of  life  as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Lee 
county,  and  continued  to  teach  until  1895,  entertaining,  however, 
in  the  meanwhile  a  determination  to  make  of  himself  a  lawyer. 
During  the  nine  years  of  his  life  as  a  teacher,  he  worked  and 
studied  in  a  lawyer's  office  in  spare  moments,  and,  having  thus 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  profession,  stood  his  examination 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  began  the  practice  of  law  in 
Lee  county  in  1895,  which  he  has  since  successfully  continued  to 
the  present  time  (1906).  He  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace  from  1896  to  1898 ;  and  that  of  commonwealth's  attorney  of 
Lee  county  from  July,  1899,  to  July,  1903.  In  1903  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  state  senate;  and  in  the  presi- 
dential election  of  1904,  he  was  nominated  on  the  Republican 
ticket  for  presidential  elector  from  the  ninth  congressional  district 
of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Noel  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  in  both  the  subordinate  lodge  and  the  encampment,  and 
has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  subordinate  lodge.  In  1906  he  was 
elected  grand  warden  of  the  grand  lodge  of  Virginia.    He  is  also 

Vol.  2— Va.— 12 


292  JOHN    CALHOUN    NOEL 

a  Mason,  and  member  of  the  Bine  Lodge  and  the  Koyal  Arch 
Chapter,  and  a  Knight  Templar.  He  has  been  the  worshipful 
master  of  his  local  Masonic  lodge,  and  has  held  the  position  of 
district  deputy  grand  master  of  his  district. 

Mr.  Noel  is  an  active  member  of  the  Republican  party, 
having  changed  his  political  allegiance  in  1896  on  the  money 
question.     In  religious  preference,  he  is  a  Methodist. 

On  July  4,  1889,  he  miarried  Mary  Elizabeth  Jessee;  and  of 
their  marriage  have  been  born  three  children,  two  of  whom  are 
now  (1906)  living. 

Kis  address  is  Pennington  G^ap,  Lee  County,  Virginia. 


I 


EUGENE  OULD 

OULD,  EUGENE,  merchant  and  legislator,  was  born  in 
Halifax  county,  Virginia,  June  T,  1857.  His  father  was 
William  Jacob  Ould,  a  lawyer,  merchant  and  farmer, 
who  was  commonwealth's  attorney  of  his  county ;  and  was  captain 
of  a  militia  company  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  between  the 
States.  Captain  Ould  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate 
States  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  served  throughout  its 
continuance  with  fidelit}^  and  courage.  Mr.  Quid's  mother  waa 
Martha  Frances  Ballou. 

On  his  father's  side  Mr.  Ould  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  Ould 
ancestor  having  emigrated  to  America  from  Scotland  about  1800 
and  settled  in  Cumberland  county,  Virginia.  On  his  mother's 
side  he  is  of  French  Huguenot  ancestry.  His  maternal  grand- 
father, General  William  Thomas  Ballou,  of  Halifax  county, 
Virginia,  was  a  general  of  state  militia  prior  to  the  War  between 
the  States.  He  was  a  man  of  extensive  possessions  and  was  a 
large  slave  owner.  Five  of  his  sons  fought  in  the  Confederate 
army ;  and  General  Ballou  contributed  generously  of  his  means  to 
the  support  of  the  Southern  cause. 

Mr.  Ould  grew  up  in  the  country,  and  from  an  early  age  had 
regular  duties  to  perform  between  school  hours,  which  required 
hard  manual  labor.  The  disciplinary  influence  of  these  youthful 
tasks  he  esteems  as  of  great  value  in  the  formation  of  his  char- 
acter and  habits. 

He  received  an  academic  education  and  was  prepared  for 
college  in  a  private  school  and  by  tutors  especially  employed ;  but 
the  death  of  his  mother  at  this  period  interfered  with  his  plans, 
and  his  desire  to  get  a  collegiate  education  was  frustrated. 

He  began  the  work  of  life  as  a  merchant  in  the  county  of 
Campbell  in  1876,  and  has  since  followed  the  mercantile  business, 
to  which  he  has  paid  close  personal  attention,  and  in  which  he  has 
been  successful,  continuously  up  to  the  present  time. 

He  has,  however,  found  opportunity  to  take  an  active  interest 
in  public  affairs,  and  has  served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  of  his 


296  EUGENE    OULD 

county  for  five  years,  and  as  a  member  of  the  county  school  board 
for  twelve  years.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  general 
assembly  of  Virginia  in  1904;  and  again  in  1906  for  a  term  of 
two  years;  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Eastern  State  hospital  for  the  insane,  at  Williamsburg,  from. 
September  14,  1900  to  April  13,  1903.  Mr.  Ould  has  been 
especially  interested  in  the  public  schools  of  the  state,  and  par- 
ticularly of  his  immediate  locality,  and  he  has  devoted  all  the 
time  possible  to  be  given  from  his  business  to  their  advancement. 
He  has  in  preparation  for  publication  a  series  of  articles  on 
primary  education. 

Mr.  Ould  is  a  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  past  master  of  his  Masonic  lodge, 
in  which  he  has  served  as  master  for  a  number  of  years. 

He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  never  changed  his  political  opinion 
nor  failed  in  his  party  allegiance. 

Mr.  Ould  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which 
he  holds  the  offices  of  deacon  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school. 

He  married  October  22,  1884,  Alberta  Caroline  Thomas ;  and 
of  their  marriage  have  been  born  eight  children,  three  of  whom, 
William  Bransford,  Guy  Hewitt,  and  Mattie  Dixon,  are  now 
(1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Evington,  Campbell  County,  Virginia. 


JAMES  MORRIS  PAGE 

PAGE,  JAMES  MOKEIS,  scholar  and  educator,  was  born 
in  Louisa  county,  Virginia,  March  4,  1864.  His  father, 
Thomas  Walker  Page,  was  a  farmer  in  Albemarle  county, 
and  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  His  most  marked 
characteristic  was  a  love  of  learning,  more  particularly  of  the 
classic  authors,  a  characteristic  of  man}^  Virginia  gentlemen  of 
the  ante-bellum  period.  Prof.  Page's  mother  was  Nancy 
Watson  Morris,  who  belonged  to  an  honored  Virginia  family. 

The  first  Page  in  America  was  John,  the  emigrant,  who 
was  born  in  Bedford,  England,  in  1627;  emigrated  to  Virginia 
in  1650,  and  settled  in  Williamsburg,  Virginia.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  King's  council,  a  vestryman  of  Bruton  parish, 
and  one  of  the  "  colonels,"  so  prominent  in  the  colonial  era.  He 
died  in  1692,  and  his  tomb  lies  at  the  west  door  of  Bruton  parish 
church.  Of  his  descendants,  not  a  few  have  reached  distinction, 
among  those  now  living  being  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  the 
eminent  author,  Thomas  Nelson  Page. 

On  the  Page  side,  also.  Professor  Page  is  descended  from 
Dr.  Thomas  Walker,  the  first  mian  that  migrated  from  Virginia 
to  Kentucky,  being  twenty  years  ahead  of  the  famous  Daniel 
Boone.  From  him,  the  name  Thomas  Walker  came  into  the 
family.  • 

Professor  Page  began  his  education  under  his  father,  already 
referred  to  as  a  man  of  culture  and  of  classical  attainments. 
From  an  intellectual  mother,  also,  James  M.  Page  inherited 
strong  literary  proclivities.  Not  surprising  is  it  then,  to  find 
that  he  took  the  first  degree  (A.  M.)  with  great  credit  in  June, 
1885,  at  one  of  the  colleges  of  Virginia,  (Eandolph-Macon). 
Thence,  he  proceeded  to  the  University  of  Leipsic,  where  he  took 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy  (Ph.  D.),  in  1887.  From 
1887  to  1895,  Dr.  Page  conducted  a  boys'  school  of  high  grade 
at  "  Keswick,"  Albemarle  county,  Virginia.  In  1896,  he  was 
elected  adjunct  professor  of  mathematics,  in  the  University  of 
Virginia,  and  in  1900  was  made  a  full  professor.     In  addition 


ROSEWELL  PAGE 

PAGE,  KOSEWELL,  was  born  at  Oakland,  Hanover  county, 
Virginia,  November  21,  1858,  and  is  descended  from  a 
family  which  has  been  one  of  prominence  and  distinction 
from  the  days  of  the  colony.  Colonel  John  Page,  of  Bruton 
Parish,  came  to  Virginia  from  Middlesex  county,  England,  about 
1650.  His  wife  was  Alice  Luckin,  of  Essex,  England.  His 
tombstone  in  Bruton  Parish  churchyard  at  Williamsburg  states 
that  he  was  "  one  of  their  Majesties  council  in  the  Dominion  of 
Virginia,"  and  that  he  died  January  23,  1692,  aged  sixty-five 
years.  The  second  son  of  Colonel  John  Page  was  Matthew  Page, 
of  Rosewell,  Gloucester  county,  who  was  also  of  the  council,  and 
who  married  Mary  Mann  of  Gloucester.  Their  son,  Mann  Page, 
also  of  the  council,  married  first,  Judith  Wormele}^,  and  second, 
Judith  Carter,  a  daughter  of  "  King  "  Carter  and  his  wife,  Judith 
Armistead.  The  oldest  son  of  the  second  marriage  was  Mann 
Page,  Jr.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Continental  congress  from 
Virginia  in  1777,  and  whose  first  wife  was  Alice  Grymes.  Their 
oldest  child  was  John  Page,  a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of 
William  and  Mary  college,  a  member  of  the  committee  of  safety, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  famous  Phi  Beta  Kappa  society,  and 
governor  of  Virginia.  Governor  Page's  first  wife  was  Frances 
Burwell,  and  their  eighth  child  was  Francis  Page,  of  Hanover 
county,  who  married  Susan  Nelson,  daughter  of  General  Thomas 
Nelson,  Jr.,  of  Yorktown,  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, Revolutionary  governor  of  Virginia,  and  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  Virginia  forces.  Their  son,  Major  John  Page,  of 
Oakland,  Hanover  county,  was  born  about  1822.  He  was  a 
lawyer  by  profession,  commonwealth's  attorney  of  Hanover 
county,  and  major  on  the  staff  of  General  William  N.  Pendleton, 
chief  of  artillery  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  in  the  War 
between  the  States.  He  married  Elizabeth  Burwell  Nelson,  and 
had  three  children.  Rev.  Frank  Page,  now  minister  of  St.  John's 
Episcopal  church,  Brooklyn;  Thomas  Nelson  Page,  the  author, 
and  Rosewell  Page,  of  Oakland,  Hanover  county. 


ROSEVrELL   PAGE  303 

Rosewell  Page,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  taught  by  his 
father  and  in  the  private  schools  of  his  neighborhood  until  he 
was  old  enough  to  enter  Hanover  academy,  then  conducted  by 
Colonel  Hilary  P.  Jones.  In  1876  he  entered  the  University  of 
Virginia  as  a  student  in  the  academic  department ;  and  in  1880  he 
took  the  law  course  in  the  university,  under  Professor  John  B. 
Minor. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 
of  law  in  Danville,  Virginia,  and  continued  there  until  1888,  when 
he  removed  to  Richmond  and  formed  a  partnership  with  John 
Rutherfoord,  Esq.,  which  lasted  until  January  1,  1904.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  Richmond  Bar  association,  and  continues 
a  member  of  that  bar  though  now  residing  at  his  old  home  in 
Hanover  county. 

Mr.  Page  grew  up  in  an  old  fashioned  Virginia  country 
home,  and  in  an  environment  which  was  calculated  to  develop  hi^ 
natural  literary  inclinations.  He  combines  with  his  ability  as  a 
lawyer,  and  his  extended  knowledge  of  his  profession,  no  little 
of  the  aptitude  for  expression  that  has  been  illustrated  so  con- 
spicuously in  the  career  of  his  distinguished  older  brother, 
Thomas  Nelson  Page ;  and  he  has  written  and  published  from  time 
to  time  a  number  of  stories  and  essays — the  latter  especially 
dealing  with  the  historical  period  of  the  Virginia  colony  and 
with  economic  subjects.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
scholarly  and  accomplished  men  in  the  state;  and  is  a  public 
speaker  of  great  force  and  clearness.  His  business  acumen  and 
soundness  of  judgment  have  been  often  called  into  service  by  his 
■fellow  citizens ;  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors  of 
his  county,  and  actively  interested  in  the  improvement  of  roads, 
and  the  development  of  the  public  school  system.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Hall's  Free  school,  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  home,  a  notable  school  in  Virginia  of  sixty  years' 
standing ;  and  is  an  able  and  effective  exponent  of  the  principle  of 
compulsory  education. 

Mr.  Page's  scholarship  and  literary  distinction  have  been 
recognized  in  his  election  to  membership  in  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
society,  which  his  Revolutionary  ancestor,  Governor  John  Page, 
aided  in  founding  at  William  and  Mary  college,  and  whose  roll 


04  ROSEWELL   PAGE 


contains  the  names  of  many  men  who  have  been  illustrious  in  the 
history  of  colony  and  commonwealth. 

Mr.  Page  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Miss  Susan  Dabney  Morris,  daughter  of  Edward 
W.  Morris,  Esq.,  of  Hanover  county;  and  his  present  wife  is  a 
daughter  of  Kev.  Robert  Nelson,  D.  D.,  who  was  for  thirty 
years  Episcopal  missionary  to  China.  There  are  three  children 
of  Mr.  Page's  second  marriage. 

Mr.  Page's  postoffice  address  is  Richm.ond,  Virginia. 


Ui^^ulC 


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h. 


V      I 


■-TU^l^^ 


O- 


GEORGE  EMORY  PLASTER 

PLASTER,  GEORGE  EMORY,  M.  D.,  was  born  in 
Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  May  12,  1826,  and  his  parents 
were  Henry  Plaster  and  Fanny  Lloyd.  On  his  father's 
side  Doctor  Plaster  is  of  German  descent.  The  first  of  the 
family  in  this  country  was  Michael  Pflaster,  who  came  to 
America  from  his  home  on  the  Rhine,  settling  first  in  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  came  about  1750  to  Loudoun 
county,  Virginia.  Michael  Pflaster 's  son  Henry  (grandfather  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch)  was  born  in  1760.  Doctor  Plaster's 
father  was  Henry  Plaster,  Jr.  The  marked  characteristics  of 
this  family  are  honesty,  truthfulness,  and  readiness  to  treat  other 
men  justly.  George  Emory  Lloyd,  his  mother's  father,  was 
born  in  1758  in  Maryland,  and  both  Henry  Plaster,  Sr.,  and 
George  Emory  Lloyd  were  soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution ; 
the  latter  receiving  a  wound  in  the  battle  of  Brandywine. 

The  early  life  of  Doctor  Plaster  was  spent  in  the  country  on 
his  father's  farm.  He  attended  first  an  "  old  field  school  "  and  in 
1842-43-44  he  was  a  pupil  at  the  Lisbon  institute,  a  high  grade 
school,  where  he  took  courses  including  mathematics,  chemistry, 
and  Latin.  His  father  naturally  preferred  that  he  should 
follow  his  own  occupation,  but  the  son's  wishes  were  strongly 
inclined  to  a  profession,  and  having  a  brother-in-law,  a  practicing 
physician,  who  offered  him  a  place  in  his  office,  he  devoted  his 
energies  to  mastering  the  subject  of  medicine.  In  1847  he  took 
a  course  at  the  University  of  Maryland,  and  in  1848  took  his 
degree  of  M.  D.  About  this  time  the  rush  to  the  gold  fields  of 
California  occurred,  and  Doctor  Plaster  was  one  of  those  who 
made  haste  to  reach  the  El  Dorado.  He  went  around  Cape  Horn. 
stayed  two  years  in  California,  and  returned  to  London  in  1851. 
After  that  period  he  practiced  medicine  in  his  native  county  for 
nine  years. 

When  the  great  War  between  the  States  began,  Doctor  Plaster 
helped  to  enlist  a  troop  of  cavalry  for  the  defence  of  Virginia, 
and  was  mustered  into  service  as  second  lieutenant  in  a  company 


308  GEORGE   EMORY   PLASTER 

of  which  Eichard  H.  Dulany  was  captain,  and  served  to  the  end 
of  the  war  in  the  6th  regiment  of  Virginia  cavalry.  During  this 
time  he  acted  as  adjutant  of  the  regiment  by  detail  for  six  months, 
and  subsequently  was  promoted  for  "  distinguished  valor  and 
skill "  to  the  position  of  captain,  when  he  was  transferred  from 
company  A  to  H,  of  said  regiment.  He  was  in  nearly  all  the 
battles  of  the  war  in  which  the  regiment  was  engaged,  including 
second  Manassas,  and  Brandy  Station  (where  his  company  was 
on  picket  at  Beverley's  ford  on  the  Rappahannock  river,  and  he 
fired  the  first  shot  on  the  picket  line,  his  company  making  such 
stubborn  resistance  as  to  stop  the  onrush  of  the  Federal  advance, 
thus  giving  the  brigade,  commanded  by  General  William  E. 
Jones,  time  to  mount  and  meet  the  assailants) ;  also  Gettysburg, 
Trevilians,  Winchester,  Spottsylvania,  Yellow  Tavern  (where 
General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  fell).  Cold  Harbor,  Five  Forks  in  Din- 
widdle county,  and  some  sixty  other  minor  engagements.  He  was 
captured  in  the  retreat  to  Appomattox  and  held  a  prisoner  on 
Johnson's  Island,  Lake  Erie,  until  June  20,  1865,  when  he 
returned  to  his  home  utterly  broken  in  fortune,  and  was  forced 
to  begin  life  anew  at  the  age  of  forty,  taking  up  again  the  arduous 
duties  of  a  country  doctor,  with  that  courage,  fortitude  and 
energy  so  characteristic  of  Lee's  veteran  soldiers.  In  1867  he  w^as 
elected  from  Loudoun  countv,  a  member  of  the  constitutional  con- 
vention  and  in  1881-82  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature.  Afterwards  he  continued  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion and  is  still  (1906)  pursuing  the  rounds  of  duty.  Indeed,  so 
incessant  has  been  his  work  that  he  has  had  little  time  for 
recreation  of  any  kind.  The  treadmill  of  duty  seemed  to  him 
ever  turning,  and,  as  he  aptly  writes,  he  was  "  forced  to  keep 
step  vvdth  its  movements." 

Doctor  Plaster,  in  party  affiliations,  is  a  Democrat,  and 
though  not  connected  himself  with  any  denomination,  he  has  a 
preference  for  the  Episcopal  church  to  which  his  wife  and 
children  belong.  He  was  for  years  a  member  of  the  lodge  of 
Odd  Fellows  at  Bluemont,  and  has  held,  at  one  time  or  another, 
all  the  offices  in  said  lodge.  Doctor  Plaster  is  fond  of  reading, 
and  before  studying  medicine,  he  read  everything  in  reach,  being 
especially  interested  in  history.     Since  his  profession  became  so 


GEORGE   EMORY   PLASTER  309 

preoccupying,  his  reading  has  been  largely  confined  to  works  on 
medicine.  From  his  large  experience  in  life,  extending  over 
eighty  years,  he  offers  this  advice  for  the  benefit  of  the  young: 
"  Truthfulness,  honesty,  temperance  and  industry,  I  regard  as  the 
cardinal  means  of  true  success.  The  practice  of  these  may  not 
lead  to  great  riches  or  renown,  but  will,  at  the  end  of  life,  leave 
few  regrets  or  disappointments."  On  June  IT,  1873,  Doctor 
Plaster  married  Sallie  Meade  Taliaferro,  daughter  of  Colonel 
James  Monroe  Taliaferro,  of  "  Hagley,"  King  George  county, 
Virginia,  and  nine  children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom 
eight  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Bluemont,  Loudoun  County,  Virginia. 


HENRY  STIER  POLE 

POLE,  HENRY  STIEE,  M.  D.,  physician  and  specialist,  was 
born  February  23,  184T,  in  Hookstown,  Baltimore  county, 
Maryland.  His  father,  William  Pole,  was  a  member  of 
the  Maryland  state  legislature;  his  mother,  Emily  (Stier)  Pole, 
was  a  good  woman  and  left  a  marked  impression  for  good  upon 
his  character  and  life.  The  Pole  family  of  England,  from  which 
he  is  descended,  is  an  old  and  honorable  one;  his  first  American 
ancestor,  John  Pole,  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Mary- 
land, near  Hagerstown,  date  uncertain. 

Dr.  Pole  had  many  struggles  and  difficulties  to  go  through  to 
get  his  education,  but  he  doggedly  persisted  and  succeeded, 
despite  the  fact  that  his  health  was  more  or  less  bad  until  he  was 
twenty-five.  He  chose  his  profession  solely  because  of  his  love  of 
a  physician's  work ;  and  that  he  acquired  the  necessary  education 
in  spite  of  many  obstacles,  was  doubtless  largely  owing  to  his 
belief  in  doing  what  duty  requires  as  though  this  day  were  the 
last;  in  finishing  well  what  one  has  undertaken;  in  regarding 
one's  occupation  as  the  most  honorable;  in  never  intentionally 
wounding  the  feelings  of  another,  and  in  never  allowing  an 
intentional  affront  to  pass  unnoticed.  Most  of  his  education, 
from  primary  and  preparatory  public  and  private  schools  to 
university  work,  was  acquired  between  working  hours,  as  from 
the  age  of  fourteen,  when  he  moved  from  the  country  to  Balti- 
more, he  was  compelled  to  earn  his  living.  Yet,  so  great  was  his 
energy-  and  determination,  that  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  entered 
Washington  university,  Baltimore,  Maryland,  as  a  medical  stu- 
dent ;  he  remained  there  during  1865-66,  but  was  compelled  by  cir- 
cumstances to  leave  before  graduating.  Through  hard  private 
study  he  was  qualified  to  practice  medicine,  and  did  practice,  in 
Virginia,  among  those  too  poor  to  pay  a  physician,  years  before  h(^ 
had  a  diploma,  for  love  of  it  and  of  suffering  humanity.  In 
1867,  he  located  at  Plot  Springs,  Bath  county,  Virginia,  which 
has  since  been  his  home. 

In  1880,  he    completed  his  medical  studies,  at  the  College  of 


yi4,-r. 


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HENRY    STIER    POLE  313 

Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Baltimore,  Maryland,  graduating 
M.  D.,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  resident  physician  at  the 
Hot  Springs,  where  he  has  treated  many  thousand  patients,  and 
acquired  extensive  reputation  as  a  specialist  in  gout,  rheumatism, 
and  kindred  diseases.  Ten  years  ago,  one  of  his  sons.  Dr.  Edgar 
A.  Pole,  became  his  assistant.  His  profession  is  everything  to 
him;  in  it  he  finds  all  that  other  men  get  out  of  all  forms  of 
sport  and  recreation.  He  has  never  listened  for  a  moment  to  any 
proposition  that  would  bring  interests  outside  of  his  profession 
into  his  life;  he  consented  to  accept  the  position  of  health  officer 
of  Bath  county,  because  its  duties  were  in  line  with  his  profession. 

He  is  very  independent  in  disposition ;  prefers  to  do  his  own 
thinking  and  form  his  own  opinions  on  all  subjects.  He  is  not 
affiliated  with  any  political  party,  but  votes  as  he  thinks  best 
after  considering  the  issues  and  the  candidates;  he  attends  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church,  but  belongs  to  none;  his  creed,  as 
stated  by  himself,  is :  "I  believe  in  God  and  Jesus  Christ,  and 
in  doing  my  duty  to  man  and  my  country."  As  to  the  man,  he  has 
been  well  described  by  a  man  of  prominence,  who  made  his 
acquaintance  during  a  sojourn  at  the  Hot  Springs:  "He  is  an 
affable  gentleman  of  the  Virginia  type,  finely  educated,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  entertaining  conversationalists  I  ever  met."  A  well- 
known  ]^ew  England  physician  and  writer,  wrote,  in  a  medical 
publication,  of  Dr.  Pole  as  a  specialist:  "His  study  of  these 
diseases  has  developed  a  fund  of  information  and  a  skill  in  their 
treatment  which  I  believe  is  possessed  by  no  other  man  in  the 
United  States."  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  asso- 
ciation; Virginia  Medical  society,  and  of  the  Tri-State  Medical 
society  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolina s. 

He  married  September  15,  1869,  Mary  Emma  Beard.  Ten 
children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  have  been  bom  to  them, 
of  whom  nine,  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  are  now  (1906) 
living. 

His  address  is  Hot  Springs,  Bath  County,  Virginia. 


WALTER  A.   POST 

POST,  WALTEK  A.,  civil  engineer,  business  manager, 
financier,  was  born  in  Kingston,  Ulster  county.  New 
York,  January  7,  1857,  son  of  Thomas  and  Frances 
Angeline  Post.  He  is  of  English  lineage  and  his  first  American 
ancestor  was  Lieutenant  Richard  Post,  who  at  one  time  served 
in  the  British  navy,  but  subsequently  settled  at  Cape  Cod  in 
1640.  His  father  was  a  steamboat  captain  of  marked  honesty  of 
character  and  persevering  nature,  whose  best  efforts  were 
devoted  to  the  rearing  and  educating  of  his  large  family. 

Walter's  youth  was  passed  amid  village  surroundings,  and, 
notwithstanding  his  delicate  plwsical  condition,  he  was  fond  of 
study  and  boyish  investigations.  He  attended  public  and 
private  schools,  up  to  the  age  of  fifteen,  when  he  was  obliged  to 
leave  school  and  begin  Vv'ork  on  account  of  the  expense  resulting 
from  much  sickness  in  his  father's  family.  He,  accordingly,  in 
1872,  became  clerk  in  a  store  in  the  city  of  Albany,  New 
York. 

His  first  desire  was  to  study  medicine,  and  with  this  in 
view,  he  placed  himself  under  a  private  tutor  for  the  purpose  of 
fitting  for  college.  Additional  sickness  and  several  deaths  in 
his  immediate  family  interrupted  this  plan,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  abandon  all  hope  of  a  college  education.  Nothing  daunted, 
however,  he  determined  to  secure  a  better  education  than  he  then 
possessed,  and  continued  to  study  by  himself. 

In  this  way,  he  drifted  along  for  a  few  years,  without  a 
definite  aim,  during  which  time  he  developed  a  deep  interest  in 
the  study  of  astronomy,  and  had  learned  much  of  the  mathe- 
matics of  that  science.  It  was  a  short  step  to  the  study  of  phj^sics, 
and  under  the  advice  and  stimulus  of  some  friends,  who  were 
civil  and  mechanical  engineers,  he  turned  in  earnest  to  the  study 
of  engineering,  without  thought,  however,  of  making  it  his  life 
w^ork. 

In  November,  1880,  he  came  to  Virginia  to  take  executive 
charge    of    some    contracts    for    the    construction    of    terminal 


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WALTER   A.    POST  317 

improvements  for  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railway  company, 
at  Newport  News,  under  his  brother-in-law,  J.  Eugene  White. 
In  this  capacity  his  tastes  for  engineering  had  fine  opportunity 
for  practical  development,  and  from  this  time  forward  he  was 
identified,  in  some  capacity,  with  almost  everything  pertaining 
to  the  expansion  of  Newport  News. 

In  June,  1890,  he  was  appointed  civil  engineer  of  the  New- 
port News  Shipbuilding  and  Dry  Dock  company,  and  in  that 
capacity  had  much  to  do  with  the  design  and  construction  of 
the  plant  of  that  company,  which  at  that  time  was  just  coming 
into  being.  During  the  same  period — 1890  to  1898 — ^he  held  the 
position  of  engineer  for  the  Old  Dominion  Land  company,  and 
his  map  of  the  "  City  of  Newport  News  "  made  for  that  company, 
was  the  one  mentioned  in  the  charter  of  the  city,  when  that  instru- 
ment was  granted. 

The  experience  gained  in  designing,  laying  out  and  con- 
structing the  plant  of  the  Newport  News  Shipbuilding  and  Dry 
Dock  company  gave  Mr.  Post  an  unusual  familiarity  with  much 
of  the  detail  of  that  company's  business;  and  when  a  vacancy 
occurred  on  April  1,  1898,  the  position  of  general  superintendent 
was  offered  to  and  accepted  by  him.  The  title  of  the  position 
was  changed,  on  January  1,  1905,  to  that  of  general  manager. 
Since  his  full  control  of  the  works,  beginning  in  1898,  the 
business  of  the  company  has  been  quadrupled,  and  its  conduct 
has  met  with  unqualified  acceptance  by  its  owners. 

From  1897  to  the  present  time  (1906)  Mr.  Post  has  been 
president  of  the  First  National  bank  of  Newport  News;  from 
May,  1899,  he  has  been  president  of  the  Citizens'  Railway,  Light 
and  Power  company;  and  is  also  vice-president  of  the  Security, 
Trust  and  Savings  bank,  of  the  same  place.  He  served  as  first 
mayor  of  Newport  News,  as  provided  in  the  charter  of  the  city, 
was  elected  for  a  second  term,  and  declined  the  nomination  for  a 
third  term.  In  both  local  and  national  politics,  he  has  always 
been  a  conservative  Democrat. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  American  society  of  Civil  Engineers ; 
Fellow  of  the  Royal  Astronomical  society  of  England;  member 
of  the  Council,  American  society  of  Naval  Architects  and  Marine 
Engineers;  member  of  the  Astronomical  society  of  the  Pacific; 

Vol.  2— Va.— 13 


318  WALTER   A.    POST 

member  of  the  Virginia  club  of  Norfolk;  and  associate  of  the 
Society  of  Naval  Engineers. 

Mr.  Post's  philosophy  of  success  is  largely  that  which  has 
been  evolved  out  of  his  own  wide  and  diverse  experience. 
''  Patience,  self-respect,  self-content,  close  observation,  careful 
investigation  as  to  the  principles  involved  in  any  problem  or 
vocation,  willingness  to  work  hard,  determination  to  succeed," 
has  been  to  him  a  living  creed  as  well  as  a  homily  of  advice  to  the 
young  men  of  the  time. 

On  September  26,  1878,  Mr.  Post  married  Ada  Frances, 
daughter  of  the  late  George  and  Eleanor  AYhite,  of  New  York. 

His  address  is  5600  Huntingdon  Avenue,  Newport  News. 
Virginia. 


DAVID  ALEXANDER  PRESTON 

PRESTON,  DAVID  ALEXANDER,  deputy  clerk  of  the 
United  States  District  and  Circuit  courts  of  Abingdon, 
Virginia,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Abingdon,  December 
29,  1869.  He  is  the  son  of  Samuel  A.  Preston,  whose  birthplace 
was  Londonderry,  Ireland,  and  of  Mary  Cummings  Parrott  Pres- 
ton, his  wife,  thus  being  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Mr.  Preston's 
father  was  a  merchant  of  Abingdon,  noted  far  and  near  for  his 
courtesy,  as  well  as  for  his  scrupulous  honesty.  His  mother, 
who  devoted  herself  to  her  children,  exercised  a  great  and  good 
influence  over  her  son,  both  during  his  childhood  and  his  subse- 
quent life.  After  a  healthy  childhood,  spent  chiefly  in  the  sports 
and  schools  of  a  small  country  town,  he  took  up  the  burden  of  life 
at  the  early  age  of  seventeen,  by  acting  as  runner  in  the  Exchange 
and  Deposit  bank  of  Abingdon,  his  desire  to  help  his  mother  and 
sisters  acting  as  a  spur  to  his  ambition.  It  is  to  this  early  start 
that  he  attributes  the  success  of  his  life. 

From  October,  1886,  to  August,  1893,  a  space  of  nearly  seven 
years,  he  remained  with  the  Exchange  and  Deposit  bank ;  and  in 
August,  1896,  he  engaged  in  other  business.  He  was  deputy 
clerk  to  the  United  States  District  and  Circuit  courts  of  Abing- 
don, Virginia,  from  August,  1896,  to  July,  1905;  deputy  of  the 
county  of  Washington,  Virginia,  from  July,  1899,  to  January, 
1905,  and  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Abingdon,  from  November, 
1894,  to  January,  1905.  He  still  (1906)  retains  the  position  of 
deputy  clerk  to  the  United  States  Circuit  and  District  courts  of 
the  Western  District  of  Virginia,  at  Abingdon. 

Mr.  Preston  is  a  member  of  the  local  chapter  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  of  which  he  is  the  treasurer,  and  of  the  Woodmen  of 
the  World,  and  the  Elks.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat;  in  reli- 
gious preference,  a  Presbyterian.  His  favorite  mode  of  relaxa- 
tion is  riding  and  driving. 

In  response  to  a  question  as  to  the  principles,  methods  and 
habits  which  he  believes  contribute  most  to  the  strengthening  of 
sound  ideals  in  American  life,  and  most  help  young  people  to 


322  DAVID    ALEXANDER    PKESTON 

attain  true  success,  Mr.  Preston  says :  "  First,  honesty  in  all 
things;  second,  temperance;  third,  close  personal  attention  to 
every  employment  undertaken;  and  fourth,  promptness  in 
business  and  all  other  engagements,  no  matter  how  small." 

On  November  10,  1892,  Mr.  Preston  married  Mary  Louise 
Fowler,  daughter  of  Hon.  I.  C.  Fowler,  who  was  speaker  of 
the  house  of  delegates  of  Virginia,  1881-82.  They  have  had 
three  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Abingdon,  Virginia. 


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JULIAN  MINOR  QUARLES 

UARLES,  JULIAX  MINOR,  school-teacher,  lawyer, 
judge,  congressman,  and  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Con- 
stitutional Convention  of  1901-2,  was  born  in  Caroline 
county,  Virginia,  September  25,  1848;  and  was  the  youngest  son 
of  Peter  Quarles  of  that  county,  who  was  a  school  teacher  in  his 
early  life,  and  later  a  planter,  and  who  served  in  the  United  States 
army  in  the  War  of  1812.  Peter  Quarles  died  while  his  son 
Julian  was  very  young;  but  the  youth's  mother,  Mary  E.  Waddy, 
of  Scotch  descent,  was  a  woman  of  great  energy  and  force ;  and 
to  her  influence  upon  his  career  Judge  Quarles  attributes  much 
in  the  formation  of  his  character  and  the  development  of  his 
tastes  and  inclinations. 

On  his  father's  side.  Judge  Quarles  is  of  English  descent, 
being  descended  from  John  Quarles,  who  was  a  charter  member 
of  the  Virginia  company  of  1609.  His  Quarles  ancestors  came 
to  the  colony  at  a  very  early  date.  Among  his  colonial  progeni- 
tors was  Edward  Nelson,  a  sea-captain  from  the  county  of 
Essex,  England,  who  came  to  Virginia  in  1718  and  settled  in 
Hanover  county. 

Like  most  Virginia  country  boys  of  his  day,  Julian  Quarles 
was  fond  of  hunting,  fishing  and  other  outdoor  sports ;  but,  owing 
to  then  existing  conditions,  he  was  little  able  to  indulge  this 
taste.  Four  years  of  his  youth  passed  in  the  tremendous  period 
of  the  War  between  the  States;  and  the  fact  that  he  had  three 
brothers  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  three  other 
brothers  in  the  Confederate  army  of  the  West,  served  to  impress 
indelibly  upon  his  mind  and  memory  the  events  of  that  trans- 
cendent struggle.  One  of  these  brothers,  N.  F.  Quarles,  who 
was  killed  in  action  on  the  third  day  of  the  second  battle  of 
Manassas,  had  especially  distinguished  himself  in  the  battle  of 
Cedar  Run,  August  9,  1862,  by  capturing,  alone,  nineteen  pris- 
oners and  three  flags;  in  recognition  of  which  General  "Stone- 
wall" Jackson  presented  him  with  an  officer's  sword,  now  in  the 
possession  of  his  family. 


326  •  JULIAN    MINOR   QUARLES 

Not  old  enough  to  enter  the  army,  Judge  Quarles  nevertheless 
frequently  visited  the  camps  to  see  his  brothers  and  friends ;  and, 
when  the  enemy  made  raids  into  the  section  of  the  country  in 
which  he  was  attending  school,  he  left  home  and  accompanied 
the  Confederate  forces.  While  hardly  ever,  during  that  period, 
out  of  the  sound  of  cannon,  and  living  in  the  midst  of  excitement 
and  uncertainty  as  to  results,  he  yet  devoted  himself  assiduously 
to  his  studies,  to  which  his  natural  tastes  inclined  him;  and  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  well  advanced  in  them  for  one  of 
his  age.  He  attended  the  Pine  Hill  academ.y,  a  school  conducted 
in  Louisa  county  by  Captain  John  Richardson,  and  afterwards 
was  a  pupil  at  Aspen  Hill  academy  in  the  same  county,  under 
C.  J.  Kemper  and  J.  M.  Harris.  Having  lost  all  of  his  property 
by  the  result  of  the  Civil  war,  while  a  youth,  he  was  left  with- 
out means  and  had  a  hard  struggle  to  complete  his  education. 
Having  taught  school  for  several  years,  in  1872,  he  entered  the 
academic  department  of  the  University  of  Virginia.  In  1873- 
1874,  he  studied  law  in  the  law  department  of  the  university;  and 
settling  in  Staunton,  Virginia,  in  September,  1874,  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  There  he  has  resided  and  practiced 
law  continuously  ever  since,  except  for  a  period  of  about  two 
years  that  he  spent  in  the  northwest. 

Judge  Quarles  has  been  a  master  commissioner  in  chancery  of 
the  court  of  hustings  for  the  city  of  Staunton ;  a  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Western  State  hospital  of  Virginia;  a 
judge  of  the  county  court  of  Augusta  county,  Virginia ;  a  master 
commissioner  in  chancery  of  the  circuit  court  of  Augusta  county ; 
and  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Mary  Baldwin 
seminary  of  Staunton.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity  and  is  a  Knight  Templar.  Judge  Quarles  was  nominated 
and  elected  by  the  Democratic  party  to  the  fifty-sixth  Congress 
of  the  United  States  from  the  tenth  congressional  district  of 
Virginia,  and,  during  his  service  as  congressman,  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  country  by  the  introduction  of  his  resolution  of 
sympathy  with  the  Boers  in  their  struggle  for  constitutional 
liberty  in  South  Africa ;  and  by  the  ability  of  his  speeches  on  the 
floor  of  the  house  of  representatives,  especially  those  on  the  bill 
to  regulate  trade  with  Porto  Rico,  and  on  the  urgent  deficiency 


JULIAN    MINOR   QUARLES  327 

appropriation  bill,  in  which  he  advocated  establishing  and 
increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  rural  free  delivery  system. 

Judge  Quarles  and  Mr.  A.  C.  Braxton  of  Staunton,  were 
the  two  delegates  from  Augusta  county  and  the  city  of 
Staunton  in  the  Virginia  state  constitutional  convention,  which 
sat  in  the  city  of  Richmond  in  1901-1902,  and  made  the  present 
constitution  of  the  commonwealth.  His  argument  in  the  con- 
vention against  the  administration  of  an  oath  to  its  members  was 
among  the  strongest  speeches  made  in  that  body;  and  he  was 
also  prominent  in  the  debates  on  the  judiciary  ordinance,  in  which 
he  strongly  favored  the  election  of  the  state  judges  by  the  people 
and  the  retention  of  the  jury  system  as  then  existing,  and  on 
other  important  ordinances  before  the  convention. 

On  October  19,  1876,  Judge  Quarles  married  Cornelia  Stout,, 
of  New  Hope,  Augusta  county,  w^hom  he  survives. 

His  address  is  Staunton,  Augusta  County,  Virginia. 


WILLIAM  A.  RINEHART 

RINEHAET,  WILLIAM  A.,  was  born  in  Botetourt  county, 
April  5,  1846,  and  his  parents  were  John  and  Mary  Jane 
Rinehart.  His  father  was  a  farmer  of  character  and 
integrity,  who  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty 
years.  His  grandfather,  Aaron  Rinehart,  came  from  German}^ 
and  located  near  Fincastle  in  Botetourt  county,  Virginia,  about 
1753.  William  A.  liinehart  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  enjoyed 
excellent  health.  His  tasks  were  those  of  the  average  country 
lad,  and  he  had  the  usual  experiences  of  farm  work.  He  acquired 
a  limited  education  at  the  country  schools  because  of  the  War 
between  the  States,  which  broke  out  when  he  was  only  sixteen 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Rinehart  served  three  years  in  Company  C, 
2nd  Virginia  cavalry,  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  after  engag- 
ing in  many  battles  was,  at  Gettysburg,  disabled  in  his  arm  by  a 
severe  wound. 

The  following  is  quoted  from  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Rine- 
hart by  Gen.  Thomas  T.  Munford,  (commander  of  Wickham's 
old  brigade)  under  date  of  November  8,  1905,  from  Lynchburg, 
Virginia :  "  My  dear  Rinehart :  I  have  been  making  enquiries 
as  to  your  location — wishing  to  write  to  you.  I  have  been  work- 
ing at  a  paper  which  I  wish  to  publish  in  pamphlet  form  as  a 
matter  of  love  for  my  old  comrades  who  served  with  me  in  the 
Confederate  war.  My  object  is  to  do  justice  to  some  of  the  men 
who  so  nobly  exemplified  their  work  by  their  deed,  and  I  always 
felt  that  you  were  second  to  no  soldier  in  the  command." 

After  the  war,  being  unable  to  perform  physical  labor,  he 
engaged  for  five  years  in  the  lumber  business  and  spent  seven 
years  more  superintending  railroad  work.  In  1880  he  became  a 
railroad  contractor,  and  has  pursued  this  line  of  work  ever  since. 
He  is  now  president  of  the  Rinehart  and  Dennis  company,  one  of 
the  largest  railroad  contracting  firms  in  the  South,  with  offices  in 
the  Colorado  building,  Washington,  District  of  Columbia.  He 
is  also  vice-president  of  the  First  National  bank,  at  Covington, 
Virginia,  which  is  a  very  successful  institution.     Nor  has  Mr. 


;^^?a!«SS5S?!gV 


inw;>tnii«iw— ■■ 


"1 


WILLIAM    A.    RINEHART  331 

Rinehart  been  forgetful  of  his  political  duties.  He  is  a  Demo- 
crat, who  has  never  changed  his  views,  and  during  the  session  of 
1896-97  he  represented  the  counties  of  Alleghany,  Bath  and 
Highland  in  the  Virginia  legislature. 

He  is  a  Mason,  who  has  taken  much  interest  in  the  fraternity, 
and  attained  the  digTiity  of  a  Shriner. 

Various  references  to  his  military  career  occur  in  H.  B. 
McClelland's  Work  "  The  Campaign  of  Stuart's  Cavalry." 

In  religion,  Mr.  Rinehart  is  affiliated  with  the  Baptist  church, 
and  is  much  respected  for  his  Christian  character. 

On  December  20,  1867,  he  married  Mary  Lewis  Lipes,  and 
nine  children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  four  survive  at 
the  present  writing. 

His  address  is  Covington,  Alleghany  County,  Virginia. 


JOHN  FRANKLIN  RIXEY 

IXEY,  JOHX  FRANKLIN,  lawyer,  farmer,  legislator, 
member  of  the  lower  house  of  congress  from  the  eighth 
Virginia  district,  was  born  in  Culpeper  county,  Virginia, 
on  August  1, 1854,  son  of  Presley  M.  and  Mary  H.  (Jones)  Rixey. 
His  father's  estate  suffered  almost  total  ruination  from  the 
ravages  of  the  Civil  war,  and,  early  in  life,  he  w^as  obliged  to  face 
the  necessity  of  largely  providing  by  independent  effort  for  both 
his  education  and  for  the  earlier  years  of  his  professional  career. 
After  attending  the  public  schools,  and  some  time  spent  at  Bethel 
academy,  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  was 
graduated  in  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875,  and  first 
engaged  in  practice  at  Culpeper.  From  1879  to  1891  he  served 
as  commonwealth's  attorney  for  Culpeper  county,  and  meanwhile 
forged  to  the  front  as  an  able,  skilled  and  resourceful  lawyer. 
In  1896,  the  Democratic  party  made  him  its  candidate  for  con- 
gress from  the  eighth  Virginia  district,  and  he  was  thereupon 
elected  to  the  fifty-fifth  Congress.  Fie  was  reelected  to  the 
fifty-sixth,  fifty-seventh,  fifty-eighth  and  fifty-ninth  Congresses, 
embracing  a  period  of  public  service  in  the  lower  house 
extending  over  ten  years,  and  in  1906  was  elected  to  the 
sixtieth  Congress.  During  the  session  of  the  fifty-seventh 
Congress,  he  advocated  the  admission  of  Confederate  as  well  as 
Union  soldiers  to  all  soldiers'  and  sailors'  homes  and  other  public 
institutions  maintained  by  the  government,  as  well  as  Federal  aid 
to  state  homes  maintained  for  Confederates  to  the  same  extent  as 
is  practiced  for  state  homes  maintained  for  Union  soldiers.  In 
the  present  congress  he  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee 
on  naval  affairs.  During  the  sessions  of  congress,  he  delivered 
a  number  of  well  considered  speeches  chiefly  on  our  colonial 
policy  and  questions  growing  out  of  it.  Among  these  were  his 
deliverances  on  the  "Bankruptcy  Bill;"  the  "Financial  Bill;" 
"Proposed  annexation  of  Hawaii;"  "Against  the  Unnecessary 
Great  Increase  in  Military  Expenditures;"  and  on „ the  "War 
Tariff" — all  of  which  were  published  for  general  circulation. 


JOHN    FRANKXIN    RIXEY  333 

He  was  married  on  November  30,  1881,  to  Ellie,  daughter  of 
Hon.  James  and  Fanny  Barbour,  of  Culpeper,  Virginia. 

Mr.  Rixey's  address  is  Brandy  Station,  Culpeper  County, 
Virginia. 


WILLIAM  GORDON  ROBERTSON 

ROBEETSOX,  WILLIAM  GORDON,  was  born  in  Char- 
lottesville, February  12,  1856,  and  his  parents  were 
William  J.  Robertson  and  Hannah  Gordon.  His  father 
was  descended  from  Rev.  John  Robertson,  of  Scotland,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  eminent  lawyers  of  his  day.  He  was  born  in 
1817,  graduated  as  Bachelor  of  Law  at  the  University  of  Virginia 
in  18^1,  practiced  lav/  and  served  as  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Appeals  of  Virginia  from  1857-1865.  His  marked 
characteristics  were  integrity,  justice,  keen  analytical  power,  and 
all  that  goes  to  make  a  great  lawyer.  On  the  other  hand,  William 
Gordon  Robertson's  mother  was  descended  from  John  Gordon,  a 
Scotch  merchant  of  Xewberry,  County  Down,  Ireland,  who  came 
to  Virginia  w^ith  his  brother  James  about  1738.  They  were 
enterprising  and  industrious,  and  became  wealthy  and  influential 
in  Lancaster  county,  where  they  resided.  About  1759,  John 
Gordon  married  Lucy,  daughter  of  Colonel  Armistead  and 
Hannah  Harrison  Churchill,  and  their  son  James  was  born  about 
a  year  later.  He  lived  at  Germanna  in  Orange  county,  married 
his  cousin  Elizabeth  Gordon,  and  served  in  the  state  convention 
of  1788,  and  died  in  1799.  His  son,  William  Fitzhugh  Gordon, 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  January  13, 
1787,  and  died  August  28,  1858.  He  had  a  long  public  career, 
was  a  rigid  disciple  of  the  States  Right  school,  and  an  inflexible 
champion  of  the  rights  of  the  South.  On  this  account,  when 
General  Andrew  Jackson  announced  the  consolidating  principles 
of  his  administration,  Mr.  Gordon,  who  had  been  a  Crawford 
Democrat,  joined  the  coalition  formed  in  1834  known  as  the 
'\'\^iig  party.  But  not  many  years  later,  suspecting  the  designs 
of  the  Whigs,  he  rencAved  his  connection  with  the  Democratic 
party.  He  served  only  one  term  in  congress,  but  that  sufficed  to 
give  him  a  historic  name,  for  he  had  the  honor  of  proposing  the 
sub-treasury  system,  which  was  finally  adopted  by  the  Democratic 
party.  He  is  generally  referred  to  as  General  Gordon,  for  at  his 
death  he  held  the  commission  of  major-general  of  the  Virginia 


WILLIAM    GORDON    ROBERTSON  335 

militia.     His    daughter,    Hannah,    born    September    21,    1817, 
married  August  16,  1843,  Judge  Robertson  and  died  in  1861. 

William  Gordon  Robertson,  the  son  of  this  noble  couple, 
united  ancestral  talent  with  high  moral  purpose,  strong  will 
power,  and  high  ideals.  He  first  attended  the  excellent  academy 
conducted  by  Major  Horace  AY.  Jones,  in  Charlottesville,  and 
then  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Virginia.  He  spent  five 
years  in  the  academic  course  and  took  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts.  The  sixth  vear  of  his  stav,  1878-1879,  he  devoted  to  the 
study  of  the  law,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  was  given  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Law.  But  after  all,  only  a  small  part  of  his 
education  was  received  at  school  and  at  college.  Mr.  Robertson 
was  from  his  earliest  days  an  omnivorous  reader  of  all  sorts  of 
books,  and  though  it  is  difficult  to  say  which  book  influenced 
him  the  most,  ^^erhaps  the  writings  of  Carlyle  gave  more  direction 
to  his  thoughts  than  any  other  thing.  His  early  life  was  spent  in 
the  town  of  Charlottesville,  the  Athens  of  Virginia.  Under  such 
influence  of  descent  and  environment,  Mr.  Robertson  acquired  an 
extensive  culture,  which  he  improved  by  private  study  and  coming 
in  contact  with  the  leaders  of  the  Virginia  bar.  "  The  blood  of 
my  honored  father  in  my  veins,  was,  if  anything  was,"  he  says, 
the  source  of  his  first  strong  impulse  to  strive  for  the  prizes  of 
life.  He  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Richmond  in  October,  1879, 
but  after  a  year  moved  to  Roanoke,  then  in  its  infancy,  where  he 
was  made  corporation  judge  in  1884,  and  held  the  position  for 
eight  years.  In  this  position  Mr.  Robertson  had  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity for  exhibiting  his  great  legal  powers,  which  speedily 
insured  him  the  high  respect  of  everybody.  Accordingly,  he  was, 
in  18923  made  one  of  the  counsel  for  the  Norfolk  and  Western 
railroad,  and,  in  1901,  the  people  of  Roanoke  selected  him  for  the 
highest  honor  which  it  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of  the  Virginia 
people  in  recent  years  to  bestow ;  namely,  membership  in  the 
convention  called  to  amend  the  state  constitution.  In  this  body. 
Judge  Robertson  pursued  a  very  original  and  conservative  part, 
and  was  generally  found  in  opposition  to  the  views  of  the 
majority.  In  some  cases  he  was  able  to  make  a  few  but 
important    amendments.     In    supporting    his    opinions.    Judge 


336  WILLIAM    GORDON    ROBERTSON 

Robertson  was  logical,  witty,  and  at  times  eloquent,  and  he  bore 
always  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  popular  members  of 
the  convention. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Chi  Phi  fraternity  of  the  Unirersity 
of  Virginia,  of  the  American  Bar  association,  and  of  the  Roanoke 
City  Bar  association. 

He  is  a  Democrat,  but  by  no  means  a  partisan,  and  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

He  married  November  2,  1882,  Nanny  Anthony  Brecken- 
ridge,  and  they  have  seven  children:  Julia  B.,  William  J., 
Peachy  G.,  William  Gordon,  Jr.,  George  M.,  Anne  A.,  and  Sarah 
B.  Robertson. 

His  postoffice  address  is  Roanoke,  Virginia. 


JOHN  FRANKLIN  RYAN 

RYAN,  JOHN  FRANKLIN,  farmer  and  grazier,  and 
formerly  speaker  of  the  house  of  delegates  of  Virginia, 
was  born  in  the  village  of  Loudoun,  in  the  county  of 
Loudoun,  Virginia,  November  9,  1848.  He  was  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam T.  and  Margaret  A.  (McFarland)  Ryan. 

William  T.  Ryan  was  born  in  Ireland.  He  obtained  a 
classical  education  and  inherited  considerable  property.  After 
losing  his  property  in  speculation  he  became  a  teacher,  but  later 
in  life  he  engaged  in  mercantile  affairs.  His  wife  was  a  daughter 
of  James  McFarland,  who  was  of  Scotch  descent.  She  exerted 
a  fine  moral  influence  over  her  son,  who  acknowledges  his  deep 
indebtedness  to  her. 

John  F.  Ryan  was  reared  in  the  country  and  was  accustomed 
to  more  or  less  of  the  sports  and  pastimes  of  the  average  Vir- 
ginia country  lad.  He  was  not,  how^ever,  required  to  perform 
any  manual  toil.  Plis  education  was,  at  first,  in  the  private 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  later  in  boarding  schools — the 
best  that  were  to  be  found  during  the  later  years  of  the  War 
between  the  States,  and  during  the  years  immediately  following 
the  close  of  that  great  struggle.  Amongst  all  the  books  he  has 
read  and  the  special  lines  of  study  he  has  pursued,  he  assigns  to 
the  place  of  first  importance,  in  respect  to  their  influence  upon 
his  character  and  life,  the  Bible,  Shakespeare,  and  history. 

Mr.  Ryan  was  long  conspicuous  as  a  member  of  the  Virginia 
legislature,  having  represented  his  county  of  Loudoun  in  the 
house  of  delegates  during  eleven  terms.  He  accepted  office 
reluctantly  at  the  outset.  He  honestly  endeavored,  nevertheless, 
to  be  faithful  in  measuring  up  to  its  responsibilities.  His 
manner  in  meeting  the  responsibilities  of  his  office  so  pleased  his 
constituents  in  Loudoun  that  they  returned  him  time  after  time 
to  the  house;  and  so  pleased  his  fellow-legislators,  that  they 
voiced  their  admiration  in  electing  him  five  times  to  the  office  of 
speaker.  His  general  faithfulness,  his  engaging  presence,  his 
breadth   of   mind   and   his   generosity   of   spirit,   his   executive 


338  JOHN    FRANKLIX    RYAN 

abilities,  his  justice,  firmness,  tact  and  popularity,  have  vindicated 
to  the  public  mind  these  repeated  elections  to  the  speakership. 

He  was  prominently  mentioned  as  a  suitable  representative 
of  Loudoun  in  the  last  Constitutional  convention  of  Virginia. 
He  declined  to  become  a  candidate  for  this  honor,  however, 
possibly,  as  has  been  supposed,  because  he  was  at  the  time  already 
holding  office.  His  friends,  who  are  many,  and  to  be  found  in 
every  portion  of  the  state,  have  named  him  as  one  of  the  possible 
future  governors  of  Virginia.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  a  stalwart 
in  his  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  the  party. 

He  has  never  married.  He  has  been  content,  notwith- 
standing, with  a  simple  form  of  life. 

To  young  Americans,  looking  forth  with  mingled  eagerness 
and  timidity  on  the  battle  of  life,  he  says,  "  Be  honest,  be  indus- 
trious, be  sober,  be  truthful,  and  success  will  follow." 

His  postoffice  address  is  Areola,  Loudoun  County,  Virginia. 


14^  6ina-f^n,^  / ' 


WILLIAM  WILSON  SALE 

SALE,  WILLIAM  WILSOX,  was  born  at  Fairfield,  Rock- 
bridge county,  Virginia,  September  30,  1870,  and  his 
parents  were  William  M.  Sale  and  Sarah  Estaline  Tem- 
pleton.  By  profession  his  father  was  a  prominent  planter,  and 
before  the  war  one  of  the  largest  slave  holders  in  the  valley  of 
Virginia.  Though  never  a  candidate  for  public  office,  his 
marked  characteristics  were  strict  integrity,  keen  sense  of  justice 
and  the  broadest  sort  of  charity.  On  the  maternal  side,  Mr.  Sale 
is  the  grandson  of  John  Templeton,  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction, 
distinguished  during  his  day  as  an  agriculturist.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  took  part  in  all  the  work 
thereon,  which  was  an  experience  valuable  especially,  because  it 
taught  him  the  necessity  of  determined  labor.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  obtained  at  the  public  and  private  schools  of  Rockbridge 
county,  and  he  studied  also  under  his  mother's  direction;  and 
Colonel  Sale  says  that  he  thinks  the  influence  of  his  mother  and 
reading  the  biographies  of  successful  men  were  what  determined 
him  to  make  life  a  success  if  possible.  At  eighteen  years  of  age 
he  accepted  the  position  of  clerk  in  a  general  store,  but  soon 
gave  up  the  work  for  further  study.  In  1891,  he  went  to  Wash- 
ington and  Lee  university  and  spent  two  sessions  studying  law, 
graduating  in  1893  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law. 

During  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  settled  in  Norfolk  and 
began  the  active  practice  of  his  chosen  profession.  He  formed 
a  partnership  with  W.  A.  Ross,  Esq.,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Ross  and  Sale,  and  this  partnership  existed  until  1895,  after 
which  he  practiced  alone  until  he  formed  a  new  partnership  in 
Norfolk  with  Tyler  and  Mann.  With  a  determination  character- 
istic of  the  man,  he  soon  succeeded  in  attracting  attention,  and 
the  proportions  of  his  practice  rapidly  increased.  He  made  a 
specialty  of  corporation  and  chancery  practice,  and  soon  became 
an  attorney  for  the  National  Building  association  and  the 
Guarantee  Building  and  Loan  association,  of  Baltimore.  He  is 
at  present  vice-president  of  the  Southern  Shorthand  and  Busi- 

Tol.  2— Va.— 14 


342  WILLIAM   WILSON    SALE 

ness  university,  of  Norfolk,  possibly  the  largest  in  the  South, 
having  filled  the  position  of  lecturer  on  commercial  law  in  this 
institution  for  three  years.  He  is  also  local  counsel  for  the 
Southern  Bell  Telephone  and  Telegraph  company,  and  indeed, 
for  all  the  long  distance  lines  leading  into  Norfolk;  general 
counsel  for  the  Seaboard  bank  newly  incorporated  and  for  the 
Lafayette  Anne  corporation,  in  which  company  he  also  holds 
the  position  of  vice-president;  and  finally  general  counsel  for 
the  West  Highland  Park  Land  company  and  the  West  Park  View 
corporation,  of  Portsmouth,  Virginia. 

While  thus  making  for  himself  a  name  in  legal  and  business 
matters,  Mr.  Sale  has  also  been  prominent  in  military  circles. 
He  was  for  several  years  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Lee 
Rifles,  and  an  active  member  of  Company  H,  4th  Virginia 
volunteers,  and  in  1898  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  J.  Hoge 
Tyler  a  member  of  his  military  staif,  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 

In  his  political  principles,  Mr.  Sale  is  a  Democrat,  who  has 
repeatedly  received  evidences  of  the  popular  esteem.  He  has 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Democratic  city  executive  committee, 
and  as  vice-president  of  the  third  ward  Democratic  club.  In 
1900,  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  national  Democratic  con- 
vention at  Kansas  City  from  the  second  congressional  district, 
and  at  the  state  convention  of  the  Democratic  party  held  in 

1904,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Democratic  convention  of 
this  district  and  also  a  member  of  the  state  central  committee  of 
the  party.     In  1901,  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  and,  in 

1905,  was  honored  again  with  this  position.  In  this  body  he 
has  been  among  the  youngest  members,  but  has  been  always 
found  efficient  and  useful.  On  March  22,  1906,  Mr.  Sale  was 
appointed,  by  Governor  Swanson,  a  member  of  the  Virginia 
commission  to  the  Jamestown  Exposition.  In  various  ways  he 
has  been  active  in  promoting  that  great  enterprise,  having  intro- 
duced the  bill  for  a  charter  and  prompted  all  other  legislation 
necessary  to  its  success. 

In  his  social  life  Colonel  Sale  has  been  active  in  various 
orders  and  societies.  While  at  college,  he  joined  the  Kappa 
Alpha  society,  and  has  become  since  a  member  of  the  Elks, 
Eagles,  Maccabees,  and  Pythians.     He  is  also  a  member  of  the 


WILLIAM    WILSON    SALE  343 

Senior  German  club,  Southern  Pleasure  club,  at  Ocean  View ;  and 
the  Military  club.  In  his  religious  afiiliation,  Mr.  Sale  is  a 
Presbyterian. 

He  has  given  special  attention  to  athletics  and  has  been 
greatly  benefited  by  several  years'  use  of  Checkley's  system. 
The  forms  of  outdoor  exercise  preferred  for  the  most  part  are 
walking  and  horseback  riding,  vvdiich  he  finds  very  beneficial. 

In  answer  to  the  question  whether  he  had  anything  to  say 
respecting  the  lesson  to  be  drawn  from  any  "  partial  failures  " 
he  may  have  met  with  in  life,  Colonel  Sale  writes :  "  Every 
successful  life  has  its  partial  failures,  but,  as  Tennyson  says, 
'Men  may  rise  on  stepping  stones  of  their  dead  selves  'to 
higher  things.' "  To  the  question  whether  he  would  not  give 
some  useful  advice  to  the  youth  which  might  serve  to  help  them 
to  attain  true  success  in  life,  he  replies :  "  Let  them  study  the 
lives  of  the  marvelous  men  who  fought  for  liberty  in  the 
Revolution  and  laid  the  foundations  of  our  unique  country,  and 
live  up  to  their  example  as  almost  a  religion.  Do  not  remove 
the  ancient  landmarks — that  is  true  Democracy." 

Colonel  Sale  has  never  married. 

His  present  address  is  33  Lowenburg  Building,  Main  Street, 
Norfolk,  Virginia. 


OLIVER  JACKSON  SANDS 

SANDS,  OLIVER  JACKSON,  banker,  was  born  at  Fair- 
mont, Marion  county.  West  Virginia,  December  14,  1870. 
His  parents  were  Joseph  Evans  and  Mary  Virginia 
(Eyster)  Sands — the  latter  a  daughter  of  Doctor  William  Eyster, 
a  prominent  physician  of  Fairmont,  West  Virginia.  His  father 
is  cashier  of  the  First  National  bank  of  Fairmont,  and  has  been 
prominent  in  the  work  of  developing  the  coal  and  other  material 
interests  of  the  Monongahela  valley;  he  is  a  high-minded  man, 
successful  in  business,  and  always  ready  to  give  a  helping  hand 
to  all  deserving  men  who  seek  his  advice  or  assistance. 

The  earliest  ancestor  of  the  family  in  this  country  is  supposed 
to  have  been  a  son  of  Archbishop  Sandys  and  to  have  come  from 
England  to  Long  Island,  New  York,  in  early  colonial  times.  It 
is  probable  that  the  next  generation  changed  the  spelling  of  the 
name  to  Sands.  One  of  the  family  removed  from  Long  Island  to 
Annapolis,  Maryland,  where,  about  the  year  ITOO,  he  built  or 
purchased  a  house  which  is  now  (1906)  standing  and  is  owned  by 
one  of  his  descendants.  John  Sands,  also  of  Annapolis,  the 
paternal  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  rendered 
efficient  service  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

In  childhood  and  youth,  the  time  of  Oliver  Sands  was 
divided  between  the  village  and  the  country,  and  during  his  school 
vacations  he  worked  on  a  farm.  He  attended  the  neighborhood 
schools,  and  then  for  a  while  studied  at  the  State  Normal  school, 
at  Fairmont;  but  he  was  so  anxious  to  enter  active  business,  for 
which  he  had  a  strong  inclination,  that  he  did  not  take  the  full 
course,  and,  consequently,  was  not  graduated.  In  the  latter  part 
of  his  school  life,  he  helped  pay  his  way  by  serving  as  an  errand 
boy  when  he  had  the  opportunity  to  do  so.  Mr.  Sands  began  the 
active  work  of  life  in  1884,  when  he  was  only  fourteen  years  of 
age,  as  a  clerk  in  the  Farmers  bank  of  Fairmont.  Four  years 
later,  he  became  paymaster  and  secretary  to  the  chief  engineer 
and  president  of  the  Monongahela  River  and  West  Virginia  and 
Pittsburgh  railroads.     In  1891,  he  became  assistant  cashier  of 


Mpn  af  M^-r.K  Fvh .Co. 

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OLIVER   JACKSOX    SANDS  347 

the  First  National  b^nk  of  Fairmont,  and  in  1896  he  was 
appointed  National  bank  examiner  for  the  District  of  Columbia 
and  the  state  of  Virginia.  In  1899,  he  located  in  Richmond, 
Virginia,  where  he  organized  the  American  National  bank,  of 
which  he  has  been  president  ever  since.  He  has  also  been  a 
director  in  various  business  corporations  in  West  Virginia  and 
Virginia.  He  was  president  of  the  Virginia  Bankers  association, 
1902-03,  and  is  now  (1906)  president  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce 
and  Trusts  of  Richmond,  and  treasurer  of  the  Jefferson  Realty 
corporation,  the  Virginia  State  Fair  association,  and  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  association,  of  Richmond. 

In  estimating  the  strength  of  various  specified  influences 
upon  his  success  in  life,  Mr.  Sands  places  that  of  home  first,  that 
of  contact  with  men  in  active  life  second,  and  that  of  private 
study  third  in  importance.  The  choice  of  his  life-work  was  prin- 
cipally determined  by  environment. 

Among  the  prominent  orders  to  which  he  belongs  are  the 
Masons,  Knights  Templar,  and  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Westmoreland,  Hermitage,  and  the  Deep  Run  Hunt  clubs,  all 
of  Richmond.  He  finds  his  principal  relaxation  in  horseback 
riding. 

In  politics  he  was  for  many  years  a  pronounced  Democrat, 
but  since  the  free  coinage  of  silver  became  an  issue,  he  has  been 
an  independent  voter.  His  religious  affiliation  is  with  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  has  for  years  held  the 
offices  of  vestryman  and  superintendent  of  Sunday  schools. 

In  reply  to  a  request  for  suggestions  regarding  the  principles, 
methods,  and  habits,  which,  in  his  opinion,  will  contribute  to  the 
strengthenmg  of  sound  ideals  and  be  most  helpful  to  young 
people  in  their  efforts  to  attain  success  in  life,  he  says :  "  A 
strict  adherence  to  Christian  principles,  inculcated  by  example 
and  precept  of  parents  from  earliest  age.  A  boy  should  be  told 
by  his  parents  early  all  the  mysteries  of  his  being,  and  taught  his 
duty  towards  God  and  his  duty  towards  his  neighbor." 

The  story  of  this  life  has  a  moral  for  all  of  its  readers. 
The  success  of  Mr.  Sands  is  conclusive  evidence  that  one  may,  by 
persistent  and  well-directed  effort,  and  an  unblemished  character, 
win  his  way  to  an  honorable  position  and  become  not  only  one 


348  OLIVER   JACKSON    SANDS 

of  the  leading  men  of  his  city,  but  also  a  man  who  is  known  and 
honored  throughout  his  state. 

To  every  one  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact,  the  manner  of 
Mr.  Sands  is  alike  pleasing  and  assuring;  and  his  sympathetic 
greeting  at  once  inspires  confidence  in  those  who  seek  his  aid  or 
advice. 

December  30,  1890,  Mr.  Sands  was  married  to  Lucile  Robin- 
son. They  have  had  three  children,  one  of  vv  horn,  Oliver  Jackson, 
born  in  li905,  survives. 

Mr.  Sands'  address  is  2004  West  Franklin  Street,  Richmond, 
Virginia. 


CAMPBELL  SLEMP 

LEMP,  CAMPBELL,  farmer,  stockman,  real  estate  opera- 
tor, member  of  congress  from  the  ninth  Virginia  district, 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Turkey  Cove,  Lee  county,  Virginia, 
on  December  2,  1839,  son  of  Sebastian  Slemp  and  Margaret 
(Reasor)  Siemp.  He  is  descended  from  German  ancestors  who 
several  generations  ago  settled  first  in  Accomac  county,  Virginia, 
and  later  took  up  their  abode  in  Wythe  county,  in  the  same 
state.  His  father  was  a  farmer  of  sterling  qualities,  great 
energy  and  fine  business  instincts,  who  served  his  county  as 
sheriff,  and  represented  his  district  for  several  terms  in  the 
Virginia  legislature. 

A  rugged,  country  lad,  Campbell  was  early  trained  to  habits 
of  industry  and  application.  He  attended  school  in  the  winter, 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  during  the  summer  months,  and 
finally  entered  Emory  and  Henry  college,'  Virginia,  where  he 
remained  until  within  a  few  months  of  graduation,  when  he  was 
compelled  to  retire  on  account  of  his  father's  death,  in  1859. 
After  a  short  career  as  a  teacher,  he  joined  the  Confederate  army, 
in  1861,  as  captain  of  company  A,  21st  Virginia  battalion,  and 
served  throughout  the  War  between  the  States.  During  his 
period  of  service,  he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel  of  his 
battalion,  and  later  w^as  promoted  to  colonel  of  the  64th  Vir- 
ginia regiment,  composed  of  infantry  and  cavalry,  and  was 
mustered  out  of  service  with  that  rank. 

After  the  war,  he  engaged  in  farming,  subsequently  became 
a  large  dealer  in  live  stock,  and  latterly  operated  extensively  in 
coal  and  timber  lands.  From  1880  to  1884,  he  served  in  the 
Virginia  house  of  delegates;  in  1890,  was  superintendent  of  the 
State  census;  and,  in  1902,  and  again,  in  1904,  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  house  of  representatives  on  the  Republican  ticket. 
He  was  a  presidential  elector  on  the  Harrison  ticket,  in  1888; 
was  a  candidate  for  lieutenant-governor  of  Virginia,  on  the 
ticket  with  General  William  Mahone,  in  1889;  and  presidential 
elector  on  the  McKinley  ticket,  in  1896.     In  the  present  congress 


350  CAMPBELL   SLEMP 

he  is  a  member  of  the  committees  on  the  District  of  Columbia, 
and  on  expenditures  in  the  War  department. 

Although  a  strong  partisan,  Colonel  Slemp  has  represented 
his  district  in  congress  with  both  ability  and  zeal,  alike  creditable 
to  his  party  and  to  his  state.  He  is  a  typical  example  of  the 
intelligent  business  man  in  politics.  His  pronounced  views  on 
the  benefits  of  a  protective  tariff  induced  him,  in  1884,  to 
renounce  his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party  and  to  affiliate 
with  the  Republican  party,  in  whose  services  he  has  evinced  many 
of  the  qualities  of  a  sagacious  and  capable  leader.  As  a 
progressive  business  man,  a  friend  of  education  and  religion,  a 
high-minded  citizen,  alert  to  the  best  interests  of  his  community. 
Colonel  Slemp  stands  deservedly  high.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  and  an  active  participant  in  the  work  of  the 
church. 

In  1864,  he  married  Miss  Nannie  B.  Cawood,  of  Owsley 
county,  Kentucky.  To  their  union  seven  children  have  been 
born,  four  of  whom  are  now  living. 

His  address  is  Big  Stone  Gap,  Virginia. 


I: 


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HENRY  MARSTON  SMITH 

MITH,  HENRY  MARSTON,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  July  19,  1859.  His  father  was  Hiram 
Moore  Smith,  a  successful  manufacturer  of  agricultural 
implements  and  tobacco  machinery  in  Richmond ;  and  his  mother 
was  Elizabeth  Ames. 

Both  his  father  and  mother  were  of  English  descent,  and 
were  natives  of  the  town  of  Springfield,  Vermont.  His  father's 
great-grandfather  was  Nathan  Smith,  who  was  living  in  Shirley, 
Massachusetts,  in  1730.  A  son  of  this  Nathan  was  Svlvanus 
Smith,  who  was  a  captain  in  the  American  army  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  later  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  society  of 
the  Cincinnati;  and  he  was  the  grandfather  of  Hiram  Moore 
Smith.  It  is  worthy  of  record  that  five  of  the  sons  of  Nathan 
Smith,  of  Shirley,  Massachusetts,  including  Captain  Sylvanus 
Smith,  volunteered  on  behalf  of  the  colonists  in  April,  1775,  at 
the  first  alarm  of  war,  and  served  until  the  struggle  closed  with 
the  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  Mr.  Smith's 
mother  belonged  to  the  prominent  Ames  family  of  Massachusetts. 
His  father,  Hiram  Moore  Smith,  came  to  Richmond,  Virginia, 
from  Springfield,  Vermont,  in  1829,  and  became  prominent  in  the 
agricultural  life  of  the  South,  not  only  on  account  of  his  success- 
ful manufacturing  enterprises,  by  which  he  supplied  the  farmers 
with  machinery  for  the  planting  and  harvesting  of  their  crops, 
but  also  by  his  ingenuity  and  skill  as  an  inventor.  During  the 
War  between  the  States,  Mr.  Hiram  M.  Smith's  invention  of 
machinery  for  the  production  of  spades  and  shovels,  which  were 
necessary  for  the  erection  of  earthworks  and  fortifications,  proved 
of  almost  inestimable  benefit  to  the  Southern  army. 

Mr.  Henry  Marston  Smith's  early  life  was  spent  in  Rich- 
mond, where  he  Avas  educated  in  the  University  school  conducted 
by  Mr.  Thomas  PI.  Norwood.  From  the  University  school,  he 
went  to  the  Virginia  Polytechnic  institute  at  Blacksburg,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1877.  After  studying  for  a  year  at 
Richmond  college,  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Univer- 


354  HENRY    MARSTON    SMITH 

sity  of  Virginia  in  the  fall  of  1879,  and  was  graduated  therefrom 
in  1880  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law. 

Following  his  graduation  in  law,  Mr.  Smith,  in  1883,  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Richmond,  where  he  has 
since  pursued  it  with  distinction  and  success.  He  filled  for  two 
terms  the  office  of  commonwealth's  attorney  of  the  city  of  Rich- 
mond, achieving  in  its  administration  a  wide  reputation  for 
ability  as  a  criminal  lawyer  and  advocate. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Democrat,  alike  consistent  in  the  principles 
and  i^ractice  of  democracy,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  State 
Democratic  executive  conunittee.  He  is  a  member  of  both  the 
Virginia  State  Bar  association  and  the  Richmond  Bar  association, 
and  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  his  old  college,  the  Virginia 
Polytechnic  institute.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  the  Elks,  and  when  at  the 
University  of  Virginia,  he  belonged  to  the  Kappa  Sigma  frater- 
nity. By  virtue  of  his  descent  from  his  Revolutionary  ancestor. 
Captain  Sylvanus  Smith,  Mr.  H.  M.  Smith  holds  membership  in 
the  Massachusetts  society  of  the  Cincinnati. 

November  7,  1883,  Mr.  Smith  married  Lucy  Conway  Gordon, 
daughter  of  the  late  James  Gordon,  of  Richmond,  who  was  a 
descendant  of  Colonel  James  Gordon,  of  Lancaster  county, 
Virginia,  emigrant  from  Newry,  County  Down,  Ireland,  about 
1738  to  the  colony  of  Virginia ;  and  whose  second  son,  Nathaniel 
Gordon,  grandfather  of  Mr.  James  Gordon,  of  Richmond,  was 
the  founder  of  the  town  of  Gordonsville,  in  Orange  county, 
Virginia.  Mr.  Smith  has  had  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter,  all  of  whom  are  living  (1906).  His  oldest  son,  Hiram 
Moore  Smith,  is  a  law  student  at  the  University  of  Virginia. 

A  sketch  of  Mr.  Smith's  life  has  appeared  in  the  "  History 
of  the  University  of  Virginia,"  edited  by  Messrs.  Barringer, 
Garnett  and  Page,  and  published  in  1904  from  the  press  of  the 
Lewis  Publishing  company.  New  York. 

On  account  of  the  identitv  of  his  initials  with  those  of  his 
father,  Mr.  Smith  has  always  signed  himself  "  H.  M.  Smith,  Jr." 
He  is  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Smith,  Moncure  and  Gordon, 
1105  Bank  Street,  Richmond. 

Mr.  Smith's  home  address  is  Number  10  South  Fifth  Street, 
Richmond,  Virginia. 


WILLIAM  BREERWOOD  SMOOT 

SMOOT,  WILLIAM  BREERWOOD,  banker  and  president 
of  the  C.  C.  Smoot  and  Sons  company,  an  extensive  tanning 
business,  which  occupies  an  entire  square  of  the  city,  was 
born  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  January  1, 1858.  His  grandfather, 
C.  G.  Smoot,  founded  this  business  in  1820;  and  under  him  and 
his  sons  it  prospered  greatly  and  was  extended  hj  branch  houses 
and  tanneries  in  Rappahannock  county,  and  at  North  Wilkesboro, 
North  Carolina.  The  younger  of  C.  C  Smoot's  sons,  the  father 
of  the  present  head  of  the  firm,  was  John  Bryan  Smoot,  a  man  of 
integrity,  virtue,  and  diligence  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  who 
was  held  in  high  respect  by  his  fellow  citizens  as  is  evinced  by  the 
fact  that  he  filled,  among  other  places,  the  offices  of  mayor  of 
Alexandria,  president  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Avenue  association, 
and  president  of  the  Citizens  National  bank  of  Alexandria.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Sarah  Anne  Breerwood.  She  died 
when  her  son,  William  Breerwood  Smoot,  was  but  five  years  old. 

His  earliest  known  ancestor  in  America  was  William  Smoot, 
of  England,  who  settled  first  in  ^'Hirginia  and  then  in  Maryland, 
where,  in  1650,  he  signed  the  famous  "  Protestant  Declaration.'^ 
Mr.  Smoot's  great-grandfather.  Rev.  Charles  Smoot,  a  graduate 
of  William  and  Mary  college,  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

The  childhood  of  Mr.  Smoot  was  spent  partly  in  the  city, 
partly  in  the  country.  His  special  tastes  and  interests  were  for 
hunting,  fishing,  and  horseback  riding,  and  he  led  a  healthy, 
outdoor  life.  At  sixteen,  having  attended  both  the  Bethel 
Military  academy,  of  Fauquier  county,  Virginia,  and  the  St. 
John's  academy  of  Alexandria,  he  left  school  and  went  to  work 
in  his  father's  tanyard,  where  he  filled  every  laborious  position, 
in  the  fixed  determination  to  master  the  business.  At  night,  and 
in  the  intervals  between  his  work,  he  read  history,  biography, 
and  the  standard  authors  of  prose  and  poetry,  in  the  earnest 
desire  to  improve  his  mind.  On  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
he  was  made  a  member  of  the  firm  of  C  C.  Smoot  and  Sons, 
having  earned  this  promotion,  most  unusual  for  one  so  young,  by 


358  AVILLIAM    BREERWOOD   SMOOT 

his  steadfast  devotion  to  his  work.  Mr.  Smoot  has  held,  at 
various  times,  the  offices  of  president  of  the  Washington  Monu- 
ment association  of  Alexandria,  vice-president  of  the  Mount 
Vernon  Avenue  association,  vice-president  of  the  Alexandria 
National  bank,  and  president  of  C.  C.  Smoot  and  Sons  company, 
Alexandria.  He  also  has  been  one  of  the  board  of  school  trustees 
of  Alexandria  city,  and  is  a  member  of  Lodge  number  758,  Benev- 
olent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  holds  the  tenets  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

On  October  13,  1886,  he  married  Margaret  LeCompte  Cator. 

Mr.  Smoot's  address  is  804  Prince  Street,  Alexandria, 
Virginia. 


^^9^C^^-7^. 


ASHTON  STARKE 

STARKE,  ASHTOK,  merchant  and  manufacturer,  was 
born  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  October  19,  1849.  His 
father,  Patrick  Henry  Starke,  was  a  prominent  manu- 
facturer of  Richmond ;  his  mother  w^as  Arabella  Garland  Clarke. 
Patrick  Henry  Starke's  marked  characteristics  were  moral  cour- 
age, love  of  fair  play,  and  conservatism.  While  not  anxious  to 
hold  public  office,  he  sometimes  served  his  people  in  legislative 
capacities,  and  was  once  the  president  of  what  was  then  known 
as  the  city  council. 

Ashton  Starke's  first  paternal  American  ancestor  was  John, 
who  came  from  Scotland  to  Virginia  about  1G50 ;  a  land  grant  to 
him  is  of  record  under  the  year  1654.  Ashton's  grandfather, 
William  Starke,  was  a  colonel  in  the  Mexican  war,  serving  on 
the  staff  of  General  J.  Pegram.  William's  father,  John,  was  one 
of  the  committee  of  safety  for  Hanover  county,  appointed  Novem- 
ber 8,  1775.  The  Starkes  were  for  a  long  time  a  prominent 
Hanover  family,  and,  like  many  other  such  families,  moved  to 
Richmond,  in  the  thirties,  and  helped  to  make  that  city  one  of 
the  strongest  financial  centers  in  the  country. 

Ashton  Starke  was  sent  to  good  preparatory  schools  in 
Richmond,  and  later  entered  Richmond  college,  where  he  took 
both  the  academic  and  the  law  courses.  ^Vhile  there,  he  came 
under  the  special  influence  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  L.  M.  Currj^,  for 
many  years  one  of  the  most  prominent  lecturers  in  Virginia.  Mr. 
Starke  served  a  full  term  as  president  of  the  Alumni  association 
of  his  alma  m.ater. 

Mr.  Starke  belonged  to  the  generation  of  3^oung  Virginians 
that  grew  up  just  after  the  War  of  the  60's.  He  felt  that  it  was 
necessary  to  get  to  work  as  a  "bread-winner"  as  soon  as  possible. 
Hence  he  accepted  a  position  with  his  father  in  his  large  estab- 
lishment for  manufacturing  agricultural  implements.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  before  his  independent  spirit  prompted  him  to 
strike  out  for  himself  and  to  hew  out  his  fortune  alone.  Such 
men  generally  forge  to  the  front;  for  years  Ashton  Starke  has 


362  ASHTON    STARKE 

been  recognized  as  one  of  the  potential  business  men  of  his  city, 
and  few  persons  in  Kichmond  would  undertake  any  work  requir- 
ing active  and  public-spirited  men  without  asking  his  cooperation. 
He  is  regarded  as  one  of  "the  makers  of  Richmond,"  and  a  promi- 
nent newspaper  has  recently  given  him  that  title. 

Says  the  "  Times-Dispatch,"  of  July  8,  1904 :— "  His  signal 
strength  as  an  organizer  was  shown  as  the  president  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Exposition  in  1888,  the  largest  and  most  creditable  thing 
of  the  kind  ever  held  in  this  state.  In  1889,  Mr.  Starke,  under 
the  instructions  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  prepared  a  paper 
entitled  '  Richmond's  Needs,'  which  was  ordered  to  be  printed 
and  thousands  of  copies  distributed."  He  is  a  vigorous  writer, 
and  wields  his  pen  with  the  courge  of  his  convictions. 

Mr.  Starke  has  served  a  full  term  as  president  of  the  Com- 
monwealth club,  one  of  the  most  prominent  social  organizations 
in  the  state.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Deep  Run  Hunt  club, 
another  social  club  of  considerable  importance,  and  a  valued 
member  of  the  directoiy  of  the  Prison  association  of  Virginia, 
with  its  boys'  reformatory  at  Laurel,  Virginia.  Proud  of  his 
Revolutionary  sires,  he  belongs  to  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution, 
and  takes  no  little  interest  in  that  patriotic  society. 

Mr.  Starke  served  his  city  with  great  fidelity  in  the  general 
assembly.  '\^niile  a  member  of  that  body,  he  served  rery  effi- 
ciently on  the  committee  that  made  a  report  on  the  state  debt, 
and  gave  the  data  and  the  facts  upon  which  the  settlement  was 
afterwards  made.  In  this  way,  he  helped  to  relieve  Virginia 
from  the  odium  which  had  fallen  upon  her,  in  many  quarters,  on 
account  of  the  threatened  repudiation  of  a  large  part  of  her 
obligations. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Starke  is  a  Democrat,  but  refuses  to  bend  to 
any  party  lash.  He  does  not  promise  to  go  blindfold  to  the  polls 
and  vote  for  any  man  or  any  measure  that  his  party  may  dictate. 
He  belongs  to  that  large  class  of  independent,  thinking  men  who 
will  stand  by  the  Democratic  party  as  long  as  it  commands  their 
respect  and  their  confidence.  He  is  a  vigorous  speaker  before 
an  audience,  always  commanding  the  confidence  of  his  hearers, 
because  he  knows  no  such  thing  as  hypocrisy.  While  a  most 
intelligent  citizen  and  well-informed  on  public  matters,  and  still 


ASHTON    STARKE  363 

a  student,  Mr.  Starke  regrets  that  he  was  not,  in  boyhood  and 
youth,  more  definitely  guided  in  his  reading ;  he  now  appreciates 
"  the  vital  necessity  of  youth  being  directed  and  controled  in 
the  matter  of  reading  and  stud}^  Youth  is  not  competent  to  elect 
its  reading."  These  words  are  remarkable,  coming  from  a  man 
of  business.  They  show  a  pedagogical  grasp  and  acumen  that 
would  do  credit  to  any  distinguished  teacher,  and  might  well  be 
embodied  in  the  charter  of  an  educational  association. 

Mr.  Starke  married  Florine  Dunlap,  whose  father's  name 
is  distinguished  in  the  history  of  Georgia;  a  braver  officer  never 
led  men. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


ORMOND  STONE 

TONE,  ORMOND,  astronomer  and  professor,  was  bom  in 
Pekin,  Illinois,  January  11,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of  Elijah 
and  Sophia  Stone.  His  father  was  a  Methodist  minister 
of  the  Illinois  conference,  a  man  of  gentle  manners,  intellectual 
force,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  philanthropic  movements  of 
his  day. 

As  a  mere  child,  Ormond  Stone  showed  a  love  for  mathe- 
matics. At  seven  years  of  age  he  came  upon  a  copy  of  a  new^ 
arithmetic,  and  was  much  interested,  reading  it  twice  over,  and 
working  all  the  problems  over  twice  in  a  period  of  six  weeks.  His 
father  being  stationed  in  Chicago,  the  boy  attended  the  public 
schools  at  that  city,  graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1867. 
During  this  period,  he  read  mathematical  books  as  most  boys 
read  Marry att,  Mayne  Reid  and  Henty. 

Wliile  young  Stone  was  still  in  the  high  school,  the  Dearborn 
observatory  was  founded  in  connection  with  the  old  University  of 
Chicago.  When  Professor  Safford  was  put  in  charge  of  this 
observatory,  young  Stone  soon  made  his  acquaintance  and  shortly 
thereafter  became  his  pupil;  and  thus  began  his  career  as  an 
astronomer. 

After  graduating  at  the  high  school,  Mr.  Stone  taught  one 
year  as  tutor  in  Racine  college,  Wisconsin.  Returning  to 
Chicago,  he  entered  the  university,  and  subsequently  took  the 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  Meanwhile  he  had  been  made  assistant 
in  the  Washington  observatory.  In  1875,  he  was  elected  director 
of  the  Cincinnati  observatory,  over  which  he  presided  for  seven 
years. 

In  1882,  Professor  Stone  was  invited  to  the  University  of 
Virginia  to  take  charge  of  the  Leander  McCormick  observatory 
presented  by  the  philanthropist  McCormick.  Here  Professor 
Stone  has  lived  and  toiled  for  twenty-four  years.  Besides  his 
scientific  work  as  an  astronomer,  he  has  trained  a  large  number 
of  the  other  astronomers  of  the  country.  A  part  of  his  time, 
also,  he  devotes  to  the  general  educational  interests  of  Virginia, 


yi^^- 


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ORMOND    STONE  36T 

being  interested  in  every  movement  for  the  good  of  the  schools, 
the  colleges,  and  the  universities.  Nothing  that  tends  to  the 
uplift  of  his  fellow-man  is  too  humble  to  engage  the  sympathy 
and  cooperation  of  Professor  Stone.  He  is  both  scholar  and 
philanthropist.     He  has  a  warm  heart  and  broad  sympathies. 

Professor  Stone  is  highly  honored  among  his  fellow  astron- 
omers. As  chairman  of  a  committee  on  standard  time  of  the 
American  association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  he  aided 
in  establishing  the  system  of  standard  time  now  used  in  this 
country.  From  1901  to  1905,  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
visitors  of  the  Naval  observatorv.  He  has  acted  as  adviser  in 
mathematics  to  the  Carnegie  institution,  and  chairman  of  the 
section  of  astrometry  of  the  International  Congress  of  Arts  and 
Science.  He  has  been  a  councilor  of  the  Astronomical  and 
Astrophysical  society  of  America  since  its  organization.  He 
served  as  vice-president  for  1888  of  the  American  association  for 
the  Advancement  of  Science  and  chairman  of  the  section  of 
mathematics  and  astronomy.  He  is  also  vice-president  of  the 
State  Teachers'  association  of  Virginia. 

Professor  Stone  is  a  member  of  various  learned  societies, 
among  them  the  Astronomische  Gesellschaft ;  the  American 
Mathematical  society ;  the  Astronomical  and  Astrophysical  society 
of  America ;  the  Circolo  Mathematico  di  Pilermo ;  the  Washing- 
ton academy  of  Sciences ;  the  Wisconsin  academy  of  Sciences,  and 
the  American  association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science. 

With  his  pen,  also,  Professor  Stone  aids  the  cause  of  scholar- 
ship. In  1884,  he  founded  the  "  Annals  of  Mathematics,"  a 
journal  of  a  very  high  order.  He  has  edited  the  publications  of 
the  Cincinnati  observatory  and  of  the  Leander  McCormick 
observatory,  and  made  scientific  contributions  to  the  principal 
astronomical  journals. 

Wliat  time  has  so  busy  a  man  for  other  things  than  study 
and  research  ?  Professor  Stone  takes  time  to  be  kind,  to  be  chari- 
table, to  be  brotherly.  Northern  men  are  frequently  cold,  but 
Professor  Stone  is  warm-hearted  and  genial.  Specialists  are  often 
especially  for  "number  one,"  but  Professor  Stone's  sympathies 
extend  to  all  mankind.  Any  appeal  for  help  gains  his  ear  and 
meets  a  kind  response. 

Vol.  2— Va.— 15 


368  ORMOND   STONE 

"  He  hath  a  t«ar  for  pity,  and  a  hand 
Open  as  day  for  melting  charity." 

May  31,  1871,  Professor  Stone  married  Catherine  Flagler. 
They  live  at  the  Observatory,  about  a  mile  west  of  the  rotunda 
of  the  University  of  Virginia. 


f^mc  LiL 


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T 


GEORGE  ALBERT  TABER 

lABEE,  GEORGE  ALBERT,  M.  D.,  physician  and 
scientist,  was  born  January  3,  1853,  in  Springport, 
Cayuga  county.  New  York.  His  father,  Stephen  Taber, 
builder,  was  best  known  for  his  integrity  and  mechanical  skill. 
His  mother,  Mary  Maria  (Smith)  Taber,  now  (1906)  Harris, 
by  a  second  marriage,  proved  her  sterling  qualities  in  her  suc- 
cessful struggle,  after  her  husband's  death,  to  rear  and  educate 
three  children,  the  oldest  only  sixteen.  His  family  is  English  on 
both  sides.  Its  American  founders  settled  in  New  England, 
where  they  were  much  esteemed  for  integrity  and  mechanical 
skill  and  ingenuity.  One  of  them,  Loyal  Taber,  constructed  the 
first  practical  road  traction  steam  engine. 

His  earliest  remembered  serious  interests  were  in  scientific 
subjects,  and  as  a  small  boy  his  ambition  was  to  become  a  student 
and  graduate  of  Cornell  university,  but  that  ambition  was  never 
realized.     Before  he  got  out  of  the  graded  public  schools,  his 
father  died,  leaving  little  except  a  good  name — after  all  a  grand 
legacy — and  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  assume  part  of  the 
burden  of  supporting  the  other  two  children  and  his  mother.     At 
sixteen  he  went  to  work  on  a  farm,  remaining  there  several  years ; 
but  farm  work  did  not  suit  him,  and  in  1871  he  obtained  the 
position  of  assistant  postmaster  at  LTnion  Springs,  New  York, 
which  he  held  until  1873,  meanwhile  putting  in  his  spare  time 
reading   and   studying   on   scientific   subjects.     This   led   to  his 
choice  of  the  medical  profession,  in  which  he  has  been  so  con- 
spicuously successful.  In  1875  he  matriculated  in  the  Homeopathic 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan, 
which  graduated  him  M.  D.,  March  28,  1877.     He  made  such  a 
good  impression  on  the  faculty  of  the  institution  that  they  offered 
him  the  position  of  assistant  professor  of  materia  medica  in  the 
Homeopathic  department  of  the  university,  and,  knowing  that  a 
young   doctor  has  to  have  something  besides  his  diploma,  he 
gladly  accepted  the  place,  and  filled  it  during  1878-79  to  the 
satisfaction  of  faculty  and  students.     In  1880,  he  began  the  prac- 


372  GEORGE  ALBERT  TABER 

tice  of  medicine  m  Victory,  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  where 
he  continued  until  1885,  when  he  removed  to  Richmond,  Virginia. 
There  he  found  a  larger  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  exceptional 
talents,  and  he  now  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  in  that 
city  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all,  both  as  a  physician 
and  as  a  public-spirited  citizen.  Indeed,  he  is  as  proud  of  his 
adopted  state  and  as  jealous  of  her  welfare  as  the  most  loyal  of 
her  native  sons.  In  1886,  Governor  Fitzhugh  Lee  appointed  him 
a  member  of  the  state  board  of  medical  examiners,  and  he  served 
as  such  for  eight  years  with  credit  to  himself  and  benefit  to  the 
profession  and  the  state. 

His  name  is  widely  known  in  his  profession,  through  his 
scientific  investigations.  The  account  of  one  of  them,  concerning 
the  physiological  action  of  picric  acid,  published  in  1877,  was 
incorporated  in  Doctor  T.  F.  Allen's  "  Encyclopedia  of  Materia 
Medica,"  a  high  authority  in  the.  Homeopathic  world.  Though 
always  determined  that  he  would  get  an  education  no  matter 
how  hard  he  might  have  to  work  for  it,  nor  what  privations  he 
should  have  to  undergo.  Doctor  Taber  says  his  ambition  was 
spurred  to  a  marked  extent  by  reading  Holland's  "  Arthur 
Bonnicastle,"  which  was  first  published  during  his  struggling 
period.  In  his  profession  he  has  found  the  writings  of  Doctor 
Carroll  Dunham,  and  Samuel  A.  Jones,  the  most  useful  in  fitting 
him  for  his  work  in  life.  Mr.  Jones  was  dean  of  the  faculty 
under  whom  he  graduated  and  with  whom  he  was  for  two  years 
afterwards  associated.  He  says  the  strongest  influences  in  his 
life  have  been  home  and  school,  which  largely  accounts  for  his 
success.  From  his  experience  in  working  his  own  way  to  the  top, 
he  advises  youth,  seeking  the  same  goal :  "  First  to  get  an  educa- 
tion, and  never  cease  striving  for  it;  choose  for  a  life-work  that 
for  which  you  have  the  greatest  liking;  set  your  ideal  high  and 
strive  to  reach  the  top  and  to  see  that  no  one  side-tracks  you ; 
always  be  punctual,  and  try  to  do  a  little  more  and  better  than 
what  is  required." 

He  is  a  member  of  the  American  institute  of  Homeopathy, 
and  president  of  the  Hahnemann  Medical  society  of  the  Old 
Dominion,  (since  1905  known  as  the  Virginia  Homeopathic 
Medical  society)  ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Disciples  church. 


GEORGE  ALBERT  TABER  373 

In  national  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  in  state  and  muni- 
cipal elections  he  reserves  the  right  to  vote  as  he  chooses.  He  is 
fond  of  baseball ;  and  loves  the  "  grand  opera,"  which  he  declares 
is  "  ahead  of  all  other  forms  of  amusement." 

He  was  married  June  1,  1880,  to  Caroline  Lake  Crowell; 
three  children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  two  are  now 
(1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Richmond,  Virginia. 


1 


THADDEUS  McGEE  TERRY 

lERRY,  THADDEUS  McGEE,  was  born  in  Halifax 
county,  Virginia,  April  29,  1856,  and  is  the  son  of 
Berryman  Green  Terry  and  Ehdra  E.  Terry.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  was  a  man  of  many  noble  qualities.  He 
was  at  one  time  presiding  justice  of  the  county  court  of  Halifax, 
commissioner  in  chancery  and  held  many  other  positions  of  trust. 

Thaddeus  M.  Terry  was  educated  in  country  schools,  very 
early  in  life  began  to  farm,  and  later  on  became  salesman  in  a 
country  store.  All  his  life  long  he  has  been  noted  for  indomi- 
table energy  and  perseverance.  In  his  school  days,  when  many 
boys  were  longing  for  the  shadows  of  evening  to  break  up  the 
school,  young  Terry  was  poring  over  the  motto,  "  If  at  first  you 
don't  succeed,  try,  try  again,"  which  he  found  in  his  readers.  He 
always  had  an  ambition  to  succeed,  and  it  never  occurred  to  him 
that  failure  was  possible.  Very  potent  in  kindling  his  ambition 
was  the  influence  of  his  parents,  and  his  mother's  influence  upon 
his  moral  development  was  one  of  the  greatest  factors  in  his 
success.  The  defects  in  his  education,  he  remedied  largely  by 
wide  reading,  and  he  found  special  pleasure  in  those  books  which 
taught  that  diligence  brings  sure  success. 

Mr.  Terry  began  his  business  career  with  the  firm  of  Stebbin 
and  Lawson,  at  South  Boston,  Virginia;  then  traveled  eight 
years  for  Guggenheimer  and  Company,  of  Lynchburg;  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  large  business  of  Craddock-Terry  Com- 
pany, being  a  member  of  the  firm  until  its  incorporation  and  at 
this  time  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  He  is  active 
in  philanthropic  and  benevolent  works;  is  president  of  the 
Lynchburg  Young  Men's  Christian  association;  is  a  Shriner,  a 
Knight  Templar,  and  a  Freemason.  He  is  also  a  prominent 
vestryman  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  church,  Lynchburg. 

Mr.  Terry  suggests  from  his  own  experience  and  observation, 
to  young  Americans :  "  Be  honest  for  the  sake  of  honesty.  Do 
right  for  the  love  of  right.  Remember  and  respect  the  rights 
of  others.     Practice  economv  and  it  will  become  a  habit.     Work 


s 


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%;> 


THADDEUS    m'gEE    TERRY  377 

hard ;  '  at  it,  always  at  it.'     This  will  certainly  bring  success  to 
any  young  man  of  average  intelligence." 

In  politics,  Mr.  Terry  is  a  Democrat,  one  of  the  long- 
misunderstood,  much-maligned  "  gold  Democrats."  He  twice 
voted  for  McKinley  for  president. 

April  24,  1888,  Mr.  Terry  married  Champe  Carter  Pryor. 
They  have  had  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  (1906) 
living. 

His  home  is  at  1301,  11th  Street,  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


ALSEN  FRANKLIN  THOMAS 

THOMAS,  ALSEN  FKANKLIX,  was  born  in  Appomat- 
tox county,  Virginia,  December  1,  1862,  and  his  parents 
were  Alsen  Thomas  and  Virginia  Caroline  Thomas. 
His  father,  who  was  a  Baptist  preacher,  was  characterized  by  a 
noble  devotion  to  right  and  religious  zeal,  and  was  descended 
from  a  Welshman,  who  settled  at  a  very  early  date  in  the  colony 
of  Virginia.  His  mother's  ancestry  comprises  among  other  old 
Virginia  names  those  of  AYhitehead  and  Taliaferro.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  passed  his  boyhood  in  Appomattox,  where  he  went 
to  school  and  began  at  a  very  early  age  the  active  struggle  of 
life.  The  results  of  the  war  left  his  father  very  poor  and  tha 
son  was  debarred  from  the  advantages  of  both  a  high  school  and 
collegiate  education.  A  security  debt  of  five  hundred  dollars 
came  against  his  father,  and  young  Thomas  at  the  early  age  of 
sixteen  assumed  the  responsibility  of  its  payment  and  went 
bravely  to  work.  He  bought  an  old  horse  on  credit  and 
commenced  farming  on  his  own  account.  He  was  of  delicate 
constitution,  but  of  iron  will  and  no  hardships  could  dismay  or 
depress  him.  His  constant  inspiration  was  found  in  the  career 
of  Benjamin  Franklin,  whose  life  he  often  read  and  whose  name 
he  adopted  as  a  middle  name  to  afford  him  a  constant  reminder 
of  true  heroism  in  life.  Indeed,  Franklin  himself,  had  not 
severer  hardships  to  undergo  than  poor  little  Alsen.  He  lived 
in  a  home  with  little  furniture,  slept  on  a  pile  of  straw  with 
nothing  over  him  but  an  old  overcoat  which  furnished  him 
insufficient  warmth  in  cold  weather,  and  his  diet  consisted  of 
coarse  corn  cake  and  fried  meat.  During  the  winter  season  when 
work  on  the  farm  was  not  so  engrossing,  young  Thomas  taught 
school  and  manas^ed  to  save  a  little  monev  in  that  wav.  Manv  a 
night  did  he  roll  about  upon  his  pallet  of  straw  revolving  in  his 
mind  plans  for  meeting  his  assumed  obligations,  but  those  plans 
were  not  schemes  to  outwit  his  creditors,  but  to  pay  them  prin- 
cipal and  interest.  His  rule  of  action  was  to  do  exactly  what  he 
promised  and  to  meet  every  engagement  at  every  cost. 


ALSEX    FRANKLIN    THOMAS  379 

Thus  five  or  six  years  passed  away  and  Mr.  Thomas  varied 
his  career  as  a  farmer  with  experiences  as  a  teacher,  and  clerk  in 
a  store  at  Oakville,  and  finally  tried  his  hand  at  saw  milling.  He 
had  few  idle  moments,  for  the  time  not  given  to  actual  business 
was  spent  in  studying  book-keeping,  shorthand,  French,  German, 
law,  and  pursuing  other  literary  exercises. 

In  1886  he  went  to  Lynchburg  and  launched  out  in  the 
tobacco  business,  meeting  with  great  success  from  the  first.  He 
soon  became  one  of  the  leading  tobacco  dealers  and  had  business 
relations  with  the  Imperial  Tobacco  compan3\  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland — one  of  the  largest  tobacco  -manufacturing  com- 
panies in  Great  Britain.  Seeing  that  the  American  trust  had  a 
decided  advantage  over  the  British  manufacturers  in  the  method 
of  purchase  of  raw  supplies,  Mr.  Thomas  devised  a  plan  of  con- 
solidation, which  led  to  the  establishment  of  direct  agencies  in 
America  for  this  purpose. 

This  move  was  quite  radical  and  resulted  in  overturning 
methods  that  had  been  in  voo^ue  for  manv  years.  The  results 
have  demonstrated  the  practicability  of  the  plan,  and  it  will  likely 
be  operated  on  lines  inaugurated  by  Mr.  Thomas.  He  was  one 
of  the  American  managers  of  the  institution,  but  after  getting 
the  constructive  work  accomplished  and  not  finding  the  routine 
labor  congenial  to  his  taste,  he  resigned  his  position  as  manager, 
and  in  1903,  embarked  upon  a  career  of  politics  and  announced 
himself  as  a  candidate  for  the  senate  of  Yirsfinia. 

Ever  since  Mr.  Thomas  was  a  small  boy,  public  affairs  had 
always  a  great  attraction  for  him.  He  always  believed  that  a 
man's  highest  aim  should  be  to  discharge  honestly  and  con- 
scientiously the  obligations  of  citizenship — which  is  to  say  that 
in  order  to  live  for  one's  self,  it  is  necessary  to  live  for  others. 
It  was  his  opinion  that  the  citizen  should  keep  in  touch  with 
public  matters  and  should  show  an  interest  because  a  people 
cannot  reasonably  expect  a  better  government  than  they  demand. 
With  these  impressions  he  did  much  to  influence  public  opinion 
on  correct  lines  before  he  became  an  active  politician  himself. 

In  1896,  when  William  J.  Bryan  was  the  Democratic  can- 
didate for  president  on  the  issue  of  the  free  and  unlimited 
coinage    of   silver,   Mr.    Thomas,    who    supported    Palmer    and 


380  ALSEN    FRANKLIN    THOMAS 

Buckner,  published  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  A  Business  View  of  the 
Financial  Situation,"  which  was  declared  a  very  strong  paper 
and  contributed  doubtless  its  part  to  the  defeat  of  the  regular 
Democratic  nominee. 

Several  years  ago,  finding  considerably  more  than  a  million 
dollars  Vv^as  being  illegally  exempted  from  taxation,  b}^  the  city 
council  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  he  entered  a  protest  to  which  no 
attention  was  paid.  Thereupon,  he  applied  to  the  judge  of  the 
circuit  court  for  a  mandamus  to  compel  the  commissioner  of  the 
revenue  to  assess  the  property  exempted.  The  application  was 
denied,  and  Mr.  Thomas  took  the  case  to  the  court  of  appeals, 
which  triumphantly  upheld  the  objections  of  Mr.  Thomas.  The 
decree  as  entered  denied  to  the  councils  of  municipalities  the 
power  of  any  exemptions  whatever.  Mr.  Thomas  was  asked 
why,  having  no  direct  personal  interest,  he  acted  as  he  had,  and 
his  answer  was:  *'  I  hate  injustice  and  discrimination  in  govern- 
ment, and  shall  do  what  I  can  to  make  them  impossible  in 
Virginia."  At  another  time,  just  before  the  meeting  of  the  late 
Constitutional  convention,  Mr.  Thomas  issued  a  booklet  entitled : 
"  The  Virginia  Constitutional  Convention  and  its  Possibilities, ' 
and  later  he  published  a  pamphlet  on  taxation.  During  the 
sessions  of  the  convention,  Mr.  Thomas  renewed  his  public  labors, 
and  in  a  series  of  letters  to  the  president  and  different  members, 
he  did  all  he  could  to  help  get  the  instrument  of  government 
drafted  along  lines  in  harmony  with  Democratic  principles. 
His  most  earnest  efforts  were  devoted  to  the  betterment  of  the 
school  system  and  especially  that  portion  Avhich  dealt  with 
primar}^  education;  and  some  of  the  principles  for  which  he 
contended  were  embodied  in  the  constitution.  Mr.  Thomas 
regards  as  his  greatest  public  service,  the  constant  effort  made  by 
him  to  arouse  the  people  of  Virginia  to  the  appreciation  of  the 
fact  that  primary  education  in  the  counties  has  been  woefully 
neglected  and  that  the  state's  policy  up  to  this  time  has  been 
unfriendty  to  a  state  system  that  would  tax  all  property  and  in 
turn  educate  all  children.  Indeed,  Mr.  Thomas  holds  that  the 
property  of  the  state  should  educate  all  the  children  of  the  state, 
for  the  education  of  the  masses  and  democrac}^  hold  the  relation 


ALSEN    FRANKLIN    THOMAS  381 

of  cause  and  effect — being  the  Siamese  Twins  of  Sociology — one 
and  inseparable. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  readily  elected,  in  1903,  and  took  his  seat 
in  the  state  senate,  and  he  is  yet  a  member  (1906).  During  the 
sessions  of  1905-1906,  he  was  very  active  in  promoting  all 
measures  in  the  legislature  tending  to  the  advancement  of  the 
state,  and  contributed  very  greatly  to  the  passage  of  a  bill 
increasing  two-fold  the  appropriations  to  the  common  schools. 
This  measure  will  make  a  reality  of  the  hope  entertained  by 
patriotic  Virginians  so  long,  of  better  pay  for  the  teachers  and 
longer  terms  for  the  primary  schools. 

As  a  further  evidence  of  his  interest  in  public  matters,  Mr. 
Thomas  has  in  contemplation  the  publication  of  a  work  on 
political  economy.  In  this  work  he  will  attempt  to  show  that 
the  principle  of  competition  in  producing  a  fair  level  of  prices 
has  ceased  to  be  applicable  under  modern  conditions  where  the 
private  individual  has  to  contend  with  great  corporations  vested 
by  the  state  with  practically  sovereign  powers.  To  prevent 
tyranny  on  the  part  of  vast  aggregations  of  capital,  the  power 
which  brought  them  to  life  must  be  invoked  to  control  them. 
Mr.  Thomas  will  attempt  to  show  that  public  monopoly  must  with 
us,  as  in  Australia,  supersede  private  monopoly,  and  that  this 
economic  truth  is  fully  in  accord  with  democratic  principles. 
As  rapid  transit  and  transmission  extend  the  common  interest. 
so  will  the  interference  of  government  in  business  affairs  become 
more  and  more  frequent. 

As  circumstances  have  had  so  large  a  share  in  Mr.  Thomas' 
life,  his  present  success  is  a  living  proof  of  what  can  be  accom- 
plished even  when  one  has  never  been  in  a  position  to  devote  one's 
self  to  that  which  was  mentally  uppermost.  The  great  stimulus 
which  has  kept  him  up  has  been  his  innate  desire  to  do  his  duty 
as  he  saw  it,  to  make  the  most  of  life  and  play  all  the  part  of 
which  he  was  capable.  Mr.  Thomas  wisely  says  of  "  failures  " 
and  "  successes  "  that  they  have  no  real  character  and  may  provp 
in  the  end  the  same  things.  The  only  real  thing  is  the  perform- 
ance of  present  duty,  leaving  results  to  take  care  of  themselves. 
To  the  j^oung  American  who  wishes  some  suggestions  as  to  the 
principles    and    methods    of    success    he    uses    this    language : 


382  ALSEN    FRANKLIN    THOMAS 

"  Cultivate  noble  thoughts,  encourage  in  your  heart  a  deep  faith 
in  the  people,  especially  in  their  ability  to  govern  themselves, 
and  strive  to  deserve  their  confidence.  Be  true,  be  noble,  and 
don't  forget  to  be  a  hard  worker." 

Mr.  Thomas  is  not  a  member  of  any  church,  but  his  reputa- 
tion for  charitable  and  Christian  action  is  well  established.  He 
is  a  good  man  and  a  thinker  of  a  high  order. 

On  June  19,  1889,  Mr.  Thomas  married  Miss  Virgie  Dick- 
erson,  and  they  have  had  eight  children,  of  whom  six  are  now 
(1906)  living. 

His  present  address  is  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 


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RICHARD  BAYLOR  TUNSTALL 

TUNSTALL,  RICHARD  BAYLOR,  was  born  in  Norfolk, 
Virginia,  July  1,  1848,  and  his  parents  were  Robert 
Baylor  Tunstall  and  Elizabeth  Walke  Williamson. 
On  his  father's  side,  he  comes  from  a  family  long  resident  in  the 
county  of  King  and  Queen,  whose  first  representative,  Richard 
Tunstall,  settled  in  that  county  about  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth  century.  Richard  Tunstall,  probably  the  emigrant's 
grandson,  was  a  member  of  the  house  of  burgesses  in  1766,  1767, 
1768,  and  a  member  of  the  county  committee  of  safety  in  1774, 
and  both  he  and  his  son,  Richard  Tunstall,  Jr.,  were  clerks  of 
King  and  Queen  county.  Robert  Baylor  Tunstall,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  man  of  character  and  of  a  high 
sense  of  duty,  who  practiced  medicine  for  many  years  in  the 
city  of  Norfolk. 

On  his  mother's  side  Mr.  Tunstall  comes  of  a  family  long 
resident  in  the  county  of  Henrico.  She  exerted  a  tender,  loving 
influence  on  his  life,  especially  on  his  moral  and  spiritual  being, 
which  was  greatly  strengthened  by  her  teachings  and  example. 
In  his  boyhood  he  was  stout  and  sturdy  and  had  a  special  taste 
for  athletic  games,  in  which  he  excelled.  He  was  educated  at  the 
Norfolk  academy  and  the  schools  taught  by  Rev.  Robert  Gate- 
wood  and  William  R.  Gait,  then  attended  the  Virginia  Military 
institute  from  1864  until  April,  1865,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
cadet  battalion  shared  in  the  fight  at  New  Market  in  May,  1864. 
After  the  war  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in  1868. 
The  next  year  he  taught  at  Norwood  school,  Nelson  county.; 
Virginia,  and  the  following  year  he  took  law  in  the  University 
of  Virginia  under  John  B.  Minor  and  S.  O.  Southall,  and 
graduated  in  July,  1870,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law. 
Thus  well  equipped  for  success  in  life,  after  reaching  home  he 
began  the  active  work  of  a  lawyer,  but  remxoved  to  New  York 
city  in  November,  1871.  Here  he  resided  imtil  1883  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Kaufmann,  Tunstall  and  Wagner,  and 


386  RICHARD    BAYLOR    TUNSTALL, 

subsequently  of  the  firm  of  Grimball  and  Tunstall.  In  1883,  he 
returned  to  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  became  a  partner  of  Alfred 
P.  Thorn,  Esq.,  under  the  firm  name  of  Tunstall  and  Thorn. 
This  firm  continued  until  January  1,  1900,  when  he  entered  into 
a  law  partnership  also  with  William  H.  T\niite,  Esq.,  under  the 
firm  name  of  White,  Tunstall  and  Thorn.  Mr.  Tunstall  is 
esteemed  as  a  fine  lawyer  and  is  general  counsel  of  the  Norfolk 
Railway  company,  and  division  counsel  of  the  Southern  Railway 
company,  as  well  as  consulting  attorney  of  a  number  of  othet* 
corporations. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Tunstall  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  never 
swerved  from  his  party  fealty  except  when  William  J.  Bryan 
was  nominated  on  the  platform  of  free  silver.  In  that  famous 
contest  Mr.  Tunstall  would  not  vote  for  the  regular  nominee, 
but  was  an  elector  on  the  Palmer  and  Buckner  ticket  in  1896. 
He  is  a  member  of  various  fraternities,  societies  and  clubs — of 
the  Phi  Kappa  Psi  fraternity;  of  the  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth, 
and  the  Virginia  State  Bar  association,  and  of  the  Reform  club, 
of  New  York;  the  Norfolk  County  club;  the  Richmond  club,  at 
Willoughby  Beach,  and  the  Virginia  club,  of  Norfolk. 

In  religious  preference  he  is  an  Episcopalian  and  has  served 
for  a  number  of  years  as  junior  warden  of  St.  Paul's  church,  in 
Norfolk. 

On  December  18,  1878,  he  married  Miss  Isabel  Mercein 
Heiser,  of  New  York  city,  and  has  had  two  children;  Robert 
Bavlor  Tunstall,  who  is  Master  of  Arts  and  Bachelor  of  Law  of 
the  University  of  Virginia,  and  Cuthbert  Tunstall. 

His  address  is  Norfolk.  Virginia. 


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RUDOLPH  SAMUEL  TURK 

TUEK,  KUDOLPH  SAMUEL,  lawyer  and  editor,  was 
born  December  6,  1849,  in  the  village  of  Middlebrook, 
Augusta  county,  Virginia,  and  his  parents  were  Rudolph 
Turk  and  Annie  E.  Turk,  whose  maiden  name  was  Robertson. 
His  ancestors  on  both  his  father's  and  mother's  side  were  among 
the  first  settlers  of  the  Valley  of  Virginia.  His  great  great- 
grandfather, Robert  Turk,  settled  on  South  river,  about  seven 
miles  north  of  the  present  town  of  Waynesboro,  and  obtained 
from  the  Crown  large  grants  of  land,  extending  from  the  top  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  westward  beyond  South  river,  including  some 
of  the  most  fertile  land  in  the  valley.  "  Turk's  Mountain ''  and 
'•  Turk's  Gap,"  which  last  was  long  a  noted  crossing  of  the  Blue 
Ridge,  took  his  name  and  bears  it  now.  The  celebrated  Crimora 
Manganese  mine,  the  largest  of  its  kind  discovered  in  this 
countr}^,  is  on  a  part  of  this  property  and  was  described  as  the 
"  Ore  Bank."  The  public  road  through  ''  Turk's  Gap,"  which 
Robert  Turk  vs^as  mainly  instrumental  in  locating,  is  still  visible, 
though  almost  totally  abandoned  by  travelers. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the  country 
schools,  and  at  a  classical  school  established  bv  his  father  at 
Mossy  Creek,  in  Augusta  county,  and  which  was  conducted  by 
Professor  John  H.  Lecky,  who  becam.e  afterwards  a  celebrated 
teacher.  In  1864,  when  he  was  just  a  little  over  fifteen  years  of 
age,  Mr.  Turk  joined  the  Confederate  army,  and  was  in  the 
battle  of  Piedmont,  June  5,  1864,  the  only  battle  which  occurred 
in  Augusta  county.  He  afterwards  served  in  the  army  near 
Lynchburg,  when  General  Hunter  advanced  against  that  city. 
Though  very  youthful  at  this  time,  Mr.  Turk  was  physically 
taller  than  the  ordinarv  run  of  m.en.  He  comes  of  a  race  of 
stalwart  Virginians,  who  stand  nearer  seven  feet  than  six  feet  in 
height. 

After  the  war  he  studied  two  sessions  at  Roanoke  college, 
Virginia,  and  in  1874,  came  to  the  university,  where  he  studied 
law  under  the  celebrated  Doctor  John  B.  Minor,  by  whose  teach- 


390  RUDOLPH    SAMUEL    TURK 

ings,  and  elegant  example  of  finished  scholarship  and  culture,  he 
was  greatly  benefited.  In  the  fall  of  1875,  he  located  in  Poca- 
hontas county.  West  Virginia,  and  began  the  practice  of  the 
law.  Mr,  Turk  met  with  much  success,  and  acquired  so  much 
reputation  and  popularity  that  in  a  short  time  he  was  elected 
prosecuting  attorney  for  the  county.  He  contrived  to  confirm 
the  good  opinion  thus  favorably  formed  of  him  by  the  people, 
and  by  successive  reelections  held  the  office  for  a  period  of  eight 
years. 

In  1888,  he  sold  out  his  interests  in  West  Virginia  and  moved 
to  Wichita,  Kansas,  where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  William 
H.  Carlisle,  eldest  son  of  Hon.  John  G.  Carlisle,  the  speaker 
of  the  house  of  representatives,  afterwards  United  States  senator 
from  Kentucky,  and  later  secretary  of  the  treasury  in  President 
Cleveland's  cabinet.  This  partnershijD  continued  with  success 
till  April,  1890,  when  the  death  of  his  father  in  Augusta  county, 
Virginia,  occasioned  another  change  in  his  plans.  He  returned 
to  Virginia,  and  in  the  summer  of  1890  resumed  the  practice  of 
the  law  in  Staunton,  the  capital  of  the  county  of  his  birth. 
There  he  has  resided  ever  since,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  men 
in  that  region  of  the  country.  In  addition  to  his  law  practice, 
which  is  lucrative  and  extensive,  he  is  the  editor  of  the  "  Staunton 
Spectator,"  the  oldest  and  most  widely  known  newspaper  in  the 
Valley  of  Virginia.  Both  as  a  lawyer  and  a  journalist,  he  has 
achieved  success. 

In  politics  Mr.  Turk  is  a  Democrat,  who  has  been  loyal  to  his 
party,  and  in  his  religious  opinions  he  prefers  the  doctrines  of 
the  Episcopal  church.  He  is  warm-hearted,  genial,  and  cordial 
in  his  greetings,  and  is  greatly  beloved.  He  has  never  sought 
political  office,  but  he  has  served  on  state  boards  and  in  numerous 
other  public  positions,  and  is  at  this  time  (1906)  a  member  of 
the  board  of  the  Western  State  hospital  at  Staunton,  and  by 
virtue  of  this  position,  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  hospitals  for 
the  state  at  large.  On  December  17,  1879,  he  married  Miss 
Willie  Cary,  of  Lewisburg,  West  Virginia. 

Mr.  Turk  had  two  brothers  who  grew  to  manhood,  and  like 
himself  they  were  men  of  great  height  and  imposing  appearance. 
The  elder  was  J.   Alexander  Turk,   who   was   a   distinguished 


RUDOLPH    SAMUEL    TURK  391 

graduate  in  several  departments  of  AVashington  and  Lee  univer- 
sity, and  a  valiant  Confederate  soldier.  He  served  in  Wickham's 
brigade,  Company  E.,  1st  Virginia  cavalry,  and  was  twice 
wounded.  His  other  brother  was  the  late  William  A.  Turk,  than 
whom  there  were  few  men  in  the  South  more  able  or  brilliant. 
He  had  probably  the  largest  circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends 
of  any  railroad  man  south  of  the  Potomac  river.  At  the  time  of 
his  death,  April  9,  1904,  he  was  the  passenger  traffic  manager  of 
the  Southern  Railway  company. 

Mr.  Turk's  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


T«l.  2— Va.— 16 


SAMUEL   PEARMAN  WADDILL 

WADDILL,  SAMUEL  PEARMAN,  was  bom  in  Charles 
City  county,  Virginia,  December  15,  1852.  The  name 
of  his  father  was  Edmund  Waddill,  and  that  of  his 
mother  Mary  L.  Redwood.  As  to  his  ancestors,  they  were  early 
settlers  in  Virginia,  who  served  to  restore  the  waste  places  and 
perform  a  useful  part  in  building  up  the  state.  The  grand- 
father and  great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Waddill  were  like  his  father, 
both  named  Edmund  Waddill,  and  the  Maynards  and  Christians 
were  connected  with  them  by  marriage.  His  father  was  one  of 
the  most  respected  men  in  Charles  City  county,  who  for  many 
years  held  the  offices  of  clerk  of  the  county  court,  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  commissioner  of  chancery.  He  was  noted  for  his 
generosity  of  heart  and  was  remarkable  for  the  close  touch  he 
kept  with  the  people,  who  would  have  done  anything  to  serve 
him. 

His  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  enjoyed  as  a  boy  very  good 
health,  and  attended  first  "  an  old  field  school,"  kept  by 
Austin  H.  Ferguson,  a  scholar  thoroughly  versed  in  the  "  human- 
ities "  popular  in  that  day. 

The  war  came  on  with  all  its  besetting  difficulties,  and  when 
the  business  of  the  courts  was  resumed,  he  was  at  the  early  age 
of  thirteen  received  into  the  clerk's  office  as  assistant  to  his 
father.  While,  therefore,  he  never  attended  the  high  school  or 
college,  the  clerk's  office,  from  which  radiated  the  life  of  the 
county,  and  which  was  always  the  center  of  political  discussion 
and  social  gossip,  had  its  educational  training;  and  this  was 
eagerly  taken  advantage  of  by  young  Waddill.  Work  in  the 
clerk's  office  kept  him  also  in  contact  with  his  father,  who,  there- 
fore, naturally  exerted  great  influence  upon  his  character;  and 
it  was  fortunately  so,  as  his  mother  died  when  he  was  very 
young.  In  1871  he  removed  to  Richmond  and  entered  the  clerk's 
office  in  Henrico  county  as  deputy  clerk.  In  1874,  when  he  was 
only  twenty-two,  he  was  elected  clerk,  and  for  thirty-two  years 
he  has  continued  in  that  office,  to  the  general  satisfaction  of 


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SAMUEL   PEARMAN    WADDILL  395 

everybody.  In  this  position  he  has  proven  himself  a  conserva- 
tive and  painstaking  officer,  and  he  is  known  to  all  as  a  man  who 
is  always  ready  to  sacrifice  his  time  for  his  neighbor's  good. 
He  is  affable  and  polite,  and  has  done  so  many  little  acts  of 
kindness  to  the  people  of  Henrico  that  no  one  could  defeat  him 
for  the  position  he  holds.  In  no  better  way  could  the  people 
have  shown  their  appreciation  of  Mr.  Waddill,  both  as  a  man  and 
as  an  officer,  than  by  sending  him  as  they  did  a  delegate  to  the 
great  constitutional  convention  which  met  in  1901.  In  this  body 
Mr.  Waddill  performed  a  useful  part,  for  his  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  needs  of  society  gained  from  a  lifetime's  experience 
in  the  clerk's  office  was  very  useful  to  the  members  of  the  con- 
vention. His  information  in  the  law  since  has  been  much  ex- 
tended by  a  course  taken,  in  1902,  through  the  correspondence 
school  at  Detroit. 

Mr.  Waddill  has  done  a  great  deal  of  private  reading,  espec- 
ially along  the  lines  of  history,  law  and  general  literature.  As  a 
party  man  he  is  known  as  a  Democrat  of  unswerving  faith,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  open  defenders  of  the  time-honored  principles 
of  Jefferson.  In  his  church  connections  Mr.  Waddill  is  a  Baptist, 
who  performs  his  religious  obligations  very  faithfully.  He  is  a. 
regent  of  the  Eoyal  Arcanum,  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order.  He  finds  relaxation  from  work  in  horseback  riding  and 
fishing,  of  which  he  is  very  fond.  To  young  Americans,  who 
ask  for  suggestions  which  may  be  of  use  in  strengthening  sound 
ideals  in  future  life,  Mr.  Waddill  replies :  "  Shun  evil  com- 
panions, be  honest,  faithful  and  sober;  pay  strict  attention  to  the 
work  in  hand  and  persevere  in  every  task  assigned." 

On  May  23, 1883,  Mr.  Waddill  married  Fannie  Ellen  Henley, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Temple  Henley  and  Bettie  Walker,  of  King 
and  Queen  county,  Virginia.  He  has  had  five  children  born  to 
him,  of  whom  four,  Emily  Wright;  J.  Temple;  Samuel  P.,  Jr., 
and  John  Young,  survive  at  this  writing  (1906). 

Mr.  Waddill's  address  is  Twenty-second  and  Main  Streets, 
Richmond,  Virginia. 


ASA    DICKINSON  WATKINS 

W ATKINS,  ASA  DICKINSON,  state  senator,  was  born 
in  Prince  Edward  county,  Virginia,  June  6,  1856,  of  a 
family  long  and  honorably  identified  with  that  old 
county.  Before  his  election  to  the  senate,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  held  various  offices  in  his  county;  among  them,  deputy 
clerk  of  the  courts,  deputy  treasurer,  deputy  sheriff,  justice. of 
the  peace,  commonwealth's  attorney,  and  county  judge.  As 
"  Judge  Watkins,"  he  is  well  known  to  many  people  in  the  state. 
Not  the  least  of  his  public  services  is  his  activity  as  a  member  of 
the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Farmville  Normal  school,  in  which 
position  he  has  helped  no  little  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  that 
training  school  for  teachers.  As  a  member  of  the  legislature. 
Judge  Watkins  was  always  faithful  to  his  obligations,  attentive 
to  duty,  conservative  and  cautious.  He  is  always  on  the  side  of 
public  education,  of  public  enlightenment.  Besides  his  service  to 
the  Farmville  school,  he  serves  on  the  board  of  the  Normal  and 
Industrial  school  (for  negroes)  at  Petersburg,  and  of  Hampden- 
Sydney  college.  At  a  glance  it  can  be  seen  that  he  stands  for 
education. 

After  receiving  his  elementary  training  at  the  Farmville 
(Virginia)  high  school,  Mr.  Watkins  entered  Hampden-Sidney 
college.  Circumstances  beyond  his  control  compelled  him  to 
leave  before  graduation.  After  attending  the  summer  law 
school  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  he  began  the  practice  of  law 
in  Farmville,  Virginia,  where  he  still  resides.  Judge  Watkins' 
father  was  Francis  Nathaniel  Watkins,  a  lawyer  and  banker, 
characterized  by  intense  interest  in  public  affairs  and  by  great  love 
for  his  fellow-man.  Francis  N.  married  Martha  Ann  Scott,  a 
lady  of  many  excellent  virtues  which  had  no  little  to  do  with  the 
making  of  her  son's  character,  and  the  formation  of  his  ideas. 
Henry  E.,  the  father  of  Francis  N.,  was  a  member  of  the  Vir- 
ginia senate,  and  a  captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  Henry  E.'s 
father,  Francis,  came  from  Chesterfield  county,  and  was  county 


ASA    DICKINSON    WATKINS  397 

clerk  for  forty  years.  The  first  Watkins  ancestor  in  America 
was  Edward,  who  came  from  Wales  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  settled  in  Henrico  county,  near  Kichmond.  There,  the 
family  branched  out,  first  to  Powhatan  county,  then  Chesterfield, 
then  Prince  Edward. 

Judge  Asa  D.  Watkins'  success  in  life  is  due  to  a  combination 
of  manly  self-reliance,  industry,  home  influence,  and  high  ideas. 
Next  to  his  father  and  mother,  his  grandfather  greatly  influenced 
him.  Then  came  the  influence  and  the  example  of  the  late  Philip 
W.  McKinney,  governor  of  Virginia,  a  man  of  great  force  of 
character  and  of  lofty  ideals. 

In  politics.  Judge  Watkins  is  a  life  long  Democrat;  in 
religious  preference,  a  Presbyterian. 

Judge  Watkins  finds  the  true  philosophy  of  life  iii  the 
Golden  Rule,  plus  habits  of  industry,  economy  and  purity.  He 
is  a  typical  representative  of  the  noble  civilization  based  upon 
the  Bible  and  the  Westminster  Confession,  a  civilization  which 
has  made  the  county  of  Prince  Edward  the  mother  of  many 
noble  sons,  and  has,  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  produced  a  sturdy 
stock  second  to  none  in  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia. 

Judge  Watkins  has  sometimes  been  spoken  of  as  a  suitable 
man  to  represent  his  district  in  congress.  In  one  of  the  leading 
papers  of  the  state,  he  was  referred  to  a  few  years  ago  as  the 
only  Democrat  that  Republicans  would  not  oppose.  This  meant 
that  his  public  career  was  so  invulnerable  that  his  opponents 
could  not  collect  enough  material  on  which  to  base  a  canvass, 
and  that  they  would  not  put  up  a  candidate  in  the  event  of  his 
being  in  the  field. 

As  already  said,  Judge  Watkins'  family  have  long  been 
prominent  in  "  Southside  Virginia."  His  grandfather  was  one 
of  the  most  courtly,  courteous  and  impressive  men  in  Virginia,  a 
scholar,  a  gifted  speaker,  and  a  charming  conversationalist. 
After  him,  came  a  son.  Judge  F.  N.  Watkins,  who  worthily  wore 
the  mantle  of  the  father  already  described.  As  judge,  lawyer, 
banker,  writer,  host,  old  Virginia  gentleman,  Judge  F.  N. 
Watkins  was  widely  known  and  honored.  Springing  from  such 
ancestry,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  may  well  feel  a  lofty  family 


398  ASA   DICKINSON    WATKINS 

pride,  and  find  inspiration  in  the  name  and  fame  of  his 
progenitors. 

September  2,  1886,  Judge  Watkins  was  married  to  Nannie 
Elizabeth  Forbes.  They  have  had  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  now  (1906)  living. 

His  address  is  Farmville,  Virginia. 


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NEWTON  CLARK  WATTS 

WATTS,  NEWTON  CLARKE,  was  born  near  Waynes- 
boro, Augusta  county,  Virginia,  September  7,  1852. 
His  father,  Wellington  H.  Watts,  was  a  substantial 
farmer  of  Augusta  county,  and  a  man  of  great  energy  and  great 
sociability.  He  neither  held  nor  sought  public  office,  but  lived 
the  unobtrusive  life  of  a  private  citizen,  "  remote  from  public 
haunts,"  except  the  good  old  county  courts,  which  few  sturdy 
farmers  of  Virginia  could  ever  be  paid  to  miss  up  to  the  time  of 
their  abolishment  by  the  constitution  of  1902. 

Newton  C.'s  mother  was  Mary  Ann  Fauver,  one  of  the  typi- 
cal mothers  of  the  great  Valley  of  Virginia.  Her  influence  upon 
her  son  was  very  great.  Upon  both  the  intellectual  and  moral 
sides  of  his  life,  she  impressed  her  personality ;  and  it  is  largely 
to  her  that  Mr.  Watts  attributes  his  success  in  life  and  his  use- 
fulness as  a  citizen. 

The  subject  of  this  article  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Augusta  county.  With  this  preparation,  he  entered 
life  as  a  farmer  in  his  native  county.  We  soon  find  him  occupy- 
ing the  position  of  deputy  sheriff;  then  deputy  treasurer;  then 
sheriff  (1891-1904).  These  political  positions  conferred  upon 
him  by  his  fellow-citizens,  he  has  filled  creditably  and  satis- 
factorily. His  principal  work,  however,  has  been  in  the  tele- 
phone service.  He  has  been  general  manager  of  the  Staunton 
Mutual  Telephone  company;  of  the  Citizens  Telegraph  and 
Telephone  company,  of  Newport  News;  of  the  Clifton  Forge 
Mutual  Telephone  company,  and  the  Lexington  Mutual  Tele- 
phone company.  He  is  president  of  the  Long  Distance  Telephone 
company  of  Virginia,  and  manager  of  the  Southern  Bell  Tele- 
phone company  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia. 

All  this  indicates  a  very  "strenuous"  life.  It  can  clearly  be 
seen  that  Mr.  Watts  has  made  himself  an  adept  in  the  telephone 
service,  and  that  he  is,  in  that  line,  a  great  success.  Probably  no 
man  in  Virginia  has  done  more  to  bring  the  various  parts  of  the 


402  NEWTON    CLARKE   WATTS 

state  into  close  touch,  and  to  facilitate  rapid  intercommunication 
between  the  great  centres  of  population  and  activity. 

May  19,  1875,  Mr.  Watts  was  married  to  Bettie  B.  Bamhart. 
They  have  had  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  (1906) 
living. 

Mr.  Watts's  address  is  Staunton,  Virginia. 


TITE  NEW 

FUMIC   V        iiY 


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LYMAN  BROWN  WHARTON 

WHAETON,  LYMAN  BROWN,  D.  D.,  scholar  and  col- 
lege professor,  was  bom  in  Liberty  (now  Bedford 
City),  Bedford  county,  Virginia,  February  23,  1831. 
His  father  was  John  Austin  Wharton;  his  mother,  Isabella 
Brown.  John  A.  was  originally  a  lawyer,  and  served  on  the 
county  bench ;  later  in  life,  he  entered  the  ministry,  combining  the 
duties  of  that  office  with  his  work  as  a  lawyer.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  energy,  moral  courage,  and  a  high  sense  of  duty.  Mrs. 
Isabella  Wharton  was  well  qualified  to  be  the  wife  of  such  a  man. 
Coming  from  good  old  Puritan  New  England  stock,  she  was  a 
woman  of  great  force  of  character  and  unusual  intelligence,  and 
wielded  immeasurable  influence  over  her  children.  Reared  in  a 
home  presided  over  by  such  parents,  Lyman  Wharton  knew  a 
boyhood  happy  and  morally  healthful. 

The  Whartons  are  a  fine  old  English  family.  The  Virginia 
branch  has  a  tradition  that  their  emigrant  ancestor  fled  from 
England  to  escape  the  persecution  of  the  Roundheads,  who  hated 
him  because  he  was  a  zealous  royalist.  On  his  mother's  side. 
Dr.  AVharton  is  descended  from  the  Browns,  of  old  Puritan  stock. 
He  represents  the  blended  ideals  of  Cavalier  and  Puritan, 
embodying  in  his  character  the  best  qualities  of  these  two  types 
of  civilization. 

From  early  boyhood,  Dr.  Wharton  was  fond  of  books.  His 
early  education  was  received  at  home  from  his  mother,  who 
taught  all  the  older  children.  In  1850,  he  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Virginia,  where  he  remained  two  sessions,  devoting  him- 
self assiduously  to  the  study  of  ancient  and  modern  languages, 
his  Greek  professor  being  the  famous  Gessner  Harrison.  After 
teaching  a  while,  Dr.  Wharton  decided  to  enter  the  ministry. 
He  studied  one  session  at  the  Virginia  Theological  seminary, 
then  privately,  and  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Johns  in  1859.  His 
first  parish  was  in  Charlotte  county,  Virginia,  where  he  served 
for  five  years.     In  1864,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army  as 


406  LYMAN    BROWN    WHARTON 

chaplain   of   the   59th   Virginia   regiment.     After   the   war,   he 
accepted  a  call  to  the  Episcopal  church  in  Abingdon,  Virginia. 

Dr  Wharton  had  always  had  scholarly  instincts  and  an 
ambition  to  be  a  man  of  letters.  Accordingly  in  1870  he  accepted 
a  chair  in  the  College  of  William  and  Mary,  and  taught  zealously 
until  1881,  when  the  financial  condition  of  the  old  college  com- 
pelled the  professors  to  look  elsewhere  for  a  competent  support. 
From  1881  to  1888,  Dr.  Wharton  taught  in  various  places  and 
sometimes  accepted  charge  of  a  parish.  In  1888,  when  the 
college  was  reopened  with  the  assistance  of  the  state,  he  was 
elected  professor  of  Latin,  Greek,  French,  and  German.  In 
1893,  he  was  relieved  of  the  three  last  named  languages,  and 
made  professor  of  Latin,  enough  for  any  one  man.  This  posi- 
tion he  still  occupies;  and  he  is  a  most  highly  honored  member 
of  the  faculty  of  that  noble  institution,  and  one  of  its  ripest 
scholars. 

Dr.  Wharton  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  chap- 
lain of  his  lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  famous  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  society,  which  has  a  distinguished  chapter  at  William  and 
Mary  college. 

Dr.  Wharton's  advice  to  young  Americans  is :  "  Fix  in  the 
mind  high  ideals,  spiritual  and  intellectual  rather  than  material 
and  ephemeral."  This  creed  he  follows  faithfully  in  his  own 
life. 

December  27,  1877,  Dr.  Wharton  married  Paulina  S.  Taylor, 
of  Richmond,  Virginia.  His  home  is  in  Williamsburg,  opposite 
the  college  campus. 


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E.  B.  WHITE 

WHITE,  E.  B.,  grain  exporter,  banker  and  farmer,  was 
born  near  Luray,  Virginia,  April  6, 1864.  His  parents 
were  Elijah  Veirs  and  Sarah  E.  (Gott)  TYhite.  His 
father  has  long  been  one  of  the  leading  men  in  Leesburg,  and  is 
now  president  of  the  Peoples  National  bank,  of  that  city.  The 
earliest  known  ancestor  to  locate  in  America  was  John  White,  who 
emigrated  from  England  in  1650,  and  was  a  direct  descendant 
of  Thomas  White,  D.  D.,  of  St.  Paul's,  London. 

E.  B.  White  attended  public  schools  until  he  was  fifteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  entered  St.  John's  Military  academy,  Alex- 
andria, Virginia,  from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  three 
years  later  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  Immediately  after 
completing  this  course,  he  entered  Bryant  and  Stratton's  Busi- 
ness college,  Baltimore,  Maryland,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
the  following  year.  He  then  went  to  Leesburg,  (to  which  place 
his  father  had  removed  and  engaged  in  farming  after  the  War 
between  the  States),  and  found  employment  with  Messrs.  White 
and  Wootten,  extensive  grain  dealers  in  that  place.  He  made 
rapid  progress,  and  in  a  few  years  was  given  control  of  all  the 
business  of  the  comjoany  on  the  line  of  the  Southern  railroad. 
In  a  short  time  thereafter,  he  purchased  this  business  of  the  firm. 
This  he  conducted  successfully  for  several  years,  but  finding  the 
field  too  limited  for  his  ambition,  he  removed  to  Baltimore,  Marv- 
land,  in  1890,  became  a  member  of  the  chamber  of  commerce  and 
engaged  in  the  exportation  of  grain.  In  1892,  he  was  elected 
director  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  but  two  years  later  he  went 
to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  organized  the  E.  B.  White  Grain  company, 
and  continued  the  line  of  business  in  which  he  had  previously 
been  engaged.  His  business  increased  with  remarkable  rapadity, 
and  in  the  year  1896,  only  six  years  after  leaving  his  county,  he 
enjoyed  the  distinction  of  exporting  twenty-six  million  bushels 
of  grain — a  larger  quantity  than  was  sent  abroad  by  any  other 
firm  or  corporation  in  the  United  States.  In  the  same  year,  in 
connection  with  Ex-Governor  David  R.  Francis,  he  made  a  sue- 


410  E.    B.    WHITE 

cessful  corner  in  July  wheat  in  St.  Louis,  which  brought  him  an 
immense  profit.  In  his  brief  business  career,  he  had  amassed  an 
independent  fortune,  but  the  strain  of  his  immense  business 
proved  too  strong,  and  in  1897,  failing  health  convinced  him  that 
he  must,  in  a  short  time,  retire.  By  April  1898,  he  had  given  up 
the  grain  business,  purchased  and  removed  to  the  Virginia  estate 
of  the  late  Thomas  Swann,  of  Maryland.  Here  he  engaged  in 
farming  on  a  large  scale  and  has  continued  that  occupation  to  the 
present  time  (1906).  He  is  largely  engaged  in  raising  Hackney 
and  Percheron  horses,  Shorthorn  cattle,  Shropshire  sheep,  and  in 
fruit  growing.  Since  coming  to  the  country,  his  health  has 
improved,  but  he  says  that  he  is  about  as  busy  on  the  farm  as  he 
was  in  St.  Louis. 

Largely  because  of  his  father's  opposition  to  such  a  course, 
he  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  although  he  has 
been  repeatedly  requested  to  do  so  by  the  party  leaders  of  his 
county.  He  is  vice-president  of  the  Peoples  National  bank,  of 
Leesburg,  and  a  member  of  the  Maryland  club,  of  Baltimore, 
and  the  Metropolitan  club,  of  Washington,  District  of  Columbia. 

The  address  of  Mr.  ^Tiite  is  Selma  Farm,  Leesburg, 
Virginia. 


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brou^ 

this  he  was  . 

Christian  chara. .      ...  jf  gr 

found  influencf"       t  her  son. 

The  Whitey  eaine  from  \\  a 
caine  from  England, 
have  tr  ad  U 

k( 
df;  in  C 

An  uncle  of  Colonel  \  .  ntlv  in  thp,  ^ 

and  fought  in  the  battle  of  Bladensburg. 

Elijah  V.  White  was  sent  to  school  in  Limii,  i>t 
in  Grandviile,  Ohio.     His  first 
when  the  slavery  and  anti-slavery 
bloody  conflicts.     "  was   a  co 

Wliite,  whose  special  tastes  in  d 
danger  and  fi<>"htiTT''     H«^  took  pnrt  * 
raid,  and  ».tv.    ,,.,.  '^^^^ 

private.     In  a  shoi 
lieutenant-colonel,  ; 
mand  of  a  brigadfv 
one  of  the  best  c; 
of  this  battle  he  says : 
file.     During  the  day. 
defeated  each  one  in  t 
regiments  must  ha^-^ 
ninety  men." 

Though  loving  d  '  is  very 

successful   in  criff  of 

Loudoun  countv,  V 


ELIJAH  VEIRS  WHITE 

WHITE,  ELIJAH  VEIRS,  bank  president,  was  born  in 
Montgomery  county,  Maryland,  August  29,  1832,  and 
is  the  son  of  Stephen  Newton  and  Mary  Veirs  White. 
Stephen  N.  was  a  farmer,  industrious,  frugal,  high-toned,  and  he 
brought  his  son  up  with  the  noblest  ideals  of  integrity.  In  all 
this  he  was  zealously  supported  by  his  wife,  a  woman  of  exalted 
Christian  character  and  of  great  intelligence,  who  exerted  a  pro- 
found influence  over  her  son. 

The  Whites  came  from  Wales  to  America ;  the  Veirs  family 
came  from  England.  Both  sprang  from  vigorous  stock,  and 
have  transmitted  to  their  descendants  a  love  of  adventure  and  a 
keen  sense  of  manly  independence,  qualities  which  are  well 
developed  in  Colonel  Elijah  V.  White,  the  subject  of  this  article. 
An  uncle  of  Colonel  'White  served  gallantly  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  fought  in  the  battle  of  Bladensburg. 

Elijah  V.  White  was  sent  to  school  in  Lima,  New  York,  and 
in  Grandville,  Ohio.  His  first  taste  of  real  life  was  in  Kansas, 
when  the  slavery  and  anti-slavery  parties  were  there  engaged  in 
bloody  conflicts.  This  was  a  congenial  condition  to  Colonel 
White,  whose  special  tastes  in  childhood  and  youth  were  for 
danger  and  fighting.  He  took  part  in  checking  the  John  Brown 
raid,  and  two  years  later  entered  the  Confederate  army  as  a 
private.  In  a  short  time  he  rose  to  the  grades  of  captain  and 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  in  com- 
mand of  a  brigade.  At  Brandy  Station,  June  9,  1863,  he  made 
one  of  the  best  cavalry  fights  of  the  war.  In  a  brief  description 
of  this  battle  he  says :  "  My  command  numbered  259  rank  and 
file.  During  the  day,  we  fought  four  different  regiments  and 
defeated  each  one  in  turn,  besides  capturing  the  battery.  These 
regiments  must  have  numbered  2,500  or  3,000  men  and  we  lost 
ninety  men." 

Though  loving  danger  and  adventure,  Colonel  White  is  very 
successful  in  the  pursuits  of  peace.  He  has  been  sheriff  of 
Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  and  has  more  than  once  been  urged  to 


414  ELIJAH   VEIRS    WHITE 

"  run  "  for  congress.  At  this  time  (1906),  he  is  president  of  the 
Peoples  National  bank,  of  Leesburg,  Virginia. 

In  politics,  Colonel  White  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  never 
swerved  from  the  principles  of  his  party.  In  religious  matters, 
he  is  an  old  school  Baptist,  and  preaches  regularly  to  brethren 
of  the  same  faith. 

On  being  asked  the  philosophy  of  life  and  the  best  road  to 
success,  he  replied,  "  Honest  devotion  to  an  honest  purpose." 
This  he  recommends  to  young  Americans  anxious  to  succeed. 

Colonel  White  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Sarah  E.  Gott,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary  Gott,  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  Maryland;  his  second,  Margaret  B.  Banes, 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  H.  Banes,  of  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  and  sister  of  Colonel  Charles  H.  Banes,  who  served 
with  great  credit  in  the  Northern  army  and  wrote  a  "  History  of 
the  Philadelphia  Brigade." 

Colonel  Wliite  has  had  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  now 
living. 

His  address  is  Leesburg,  Loudoun  County,  Virginia. 


.  V 


ROBERT  ENOCH  WITHERS 

WITHERS,  ROBERT  ENOCH,  formerly  lieutenant- 
governor  and  United  States  senator,  was  born  in 
Campbell  county,  Virginia,  September  18,  1821,  and 
is  the  son  of  Robert  Walter  and  Susan  Dabney  (Alexander) 
Withers.  His  father  was  by  profession  a  physician,  and  prac- 
ticed in  Campbell  county,  Virginia.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual 
intelligence  and  great  piety.  He  sat  on  the  old  magistrate's 
bench,  and  stood  high  among  the  justices  of  his  county.  Though 
not  a  politician,  he  served  for  a  while  in  the  general  assembly. 
Dr.  Withers'  wife,  Susan  D.,  was  a  woman  of  great  force  of 
character  and  earnest  piety,  and  exerted  a  profound  influence 
upon  her  son. 

The  earliest  American  kinsman  of  Colonel  R.  E.  Withers 
was  John  Withers,  who  came  from  Lancashire,  England,  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  and  settled  in  Stafford 
county,  Virginia,  his  will  being  recorded  in  that  county  in  the 
year  1698.  Enoch  Keane  Withers  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  as  adjutant  of  a  Virginia  regiment.  The  Witherses  are  a 
fine,  sturdy  west  of  England  family,  and  Lancashire  is  famous 
for  producing  men  of  the  John  Bright  and  Gladstone  type. 
Since  coming  to  America,  the  family  has  continued  to  produce 
men  of  virile  and  able  type,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  being 
the  subject  of  this  article. 

Robert  E.  Withers  was  born  with  a  love  for  good  books.  In 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  he  was  an  omniverous  reader,  and  found 
delight  in  poetry,  fiction,  drama,  and  history.  Along  with  this, 
he  took  great  pleasure  in  field  sports,  and  thus  built  up  a  fine 
physique,  which  has  brought  him  to  a  vigorous  old  age.  While 
reading  widely  and  somewhat  desultorily,  the  boy  was  sent*  to 
private  schools  for  classical  instruction.  With  a  good  store  of 
general  knowledge,  supplemented  by  a  plentiful  supply  of 
cormnon  sense,  which  is  not  altogether  common,  young  Mr. 
Withers  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Virginia,    to    prepare    himself    to    succeed    his    father    in    the 


418  EGBERT   ENOCH    WITHERS 

practice  of  medicine,  a  choice  not  of  his  own  but  rather 
made  to  please  his  father,  then  failing  in  health.  In  1841, 
K.  E.  Withers  was  declared  a  doctor  of  medicine  (M.  D.)  by  the 
University  of  Virginia.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
medicine  as  resident  physician  in  the  Baltimore  almshouse  in 
the  years  1842  and  1843.  Thence  he  moved  to  his  native  county, 
where  he  practiced  for  about  fifteen  years.  When  the  war  came 
on.  Doctor  Withers  offered  his  services  to  Virginia,  was  com- 
missioned as  major  in  the  Virginia  forces  on  April  24,  1861,  and 
soon  was  made  colonel  of  the  18th  Virginia  regiment  of  infantry. 
He  served  with  his  command  in  all  the  battles  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  until  he  was  disabled  by  wounds.  Being 
incapacitated  for  field  duty,  he  was  put  in  charge  of  prisons  and 
hospitals  in  Danville,  Virginia,  where  both  his  knowledge  of 
medicine  and  his  experience  as  a  soldier  made  his  services  very 
valuable  to  the  Confederacy.  In  this  position  of  trust  and 
honor,  the  "  surrender  "  found  him. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Colonel  Withers  gave  up  the 
practice  of  medicine.  Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
founded  the  "  Lynchburg  News,"  which  he  edited  with  vigor 
and  ability  for  two  3^ears.  Then  he  removed  to  Richmond  and 
edited  the  "  Enquirer."  In  his  editorial  conduct  of  these  papers, 
Colonel  Withers  wielded  a  trenchant  and  vigorous  pen,  and  did 
no  little  towards  crystallizing  public  opinion  in  regard  to  many 
vital  questions  of  that  tempestuous  era. 

This  was  the  period  of  reconstruction,  which  is  considered 
by  the  Southern  people  and  by  fair-minded  historians,  as  darker 
than  the  era  of  the  war.  The  Underwood  constitution,  drawn  up 
by  the  "  black  and  tan  convention,"  was  completed,  and  it  was 
proposed  to  submit  it  to  the  people  for  their  ratification.  If 
this  constitution  had  been  accepted,  Colonel  Withers  would  have 
been  elected  governor  of  Virginia.  In  spite  of  this  fact,  he  took 
the  stump  and  went  from  the  Atlantic  ocean  to  the  remote  south- 
west urging  the  people  not  to  ratify  the  Underwood  constitution. 
This  was  one  of  the  most  famous  canvasses  ever  made  in  Vir- 
ginia. 

Though  Colonel  Withers  was  the  choice  of  the  people  for 


ROBERT  ENOCH   WITHERS  419 

governor,  he  withdrew  in  favor  of  Gilbert  C.  Walker,  a  Northern 
man  living  in  the  state,  as  many  thought  that  no  native  born 
Virginian  could  be  elected. 

In  1873,  Colonel  Withers  was  a  presidential  elector.  Jan- 
nary  1,  1874,  he  became  lieutenant-governor.  In  1875,  he  entered 
the  United  States  senate,  to  represent  the  state  of  Virginia,  now 
fully  restored  to  the  Union.  No  more  faithful  senator  ever 
represented  a  state  at  the  national  capital.  In  1885,  Colonel 
Withers  was  appointed  United  States  consul  at  Hong  Kong, 
China,  where  he  served  faithfully  until  the  change  of  adminis- 
tration threw  him  out  of  office.  Since  1889,  Colonel  Y/ithers  has 
taken  little  part  in  political  affairs.  He  has  never  been  what  is 
usually  styled  a  politician,  but  rather  a  public  man  of  a  high 
order,  both  as  to  character  and  as  to  ability.  Before  the  war, 
he  was  a  Whig;  the  reconstruction  measures  of  congress  made 
him  a  Democrat. 

Colonel  Withers  has  a  statesmanlike  mind  and,  under 
favorable  conditions,  might  have  reflected  honor  upon  a  cabinet 
position.  In  Virginia,  he  is  regarded  by  many  in  the  light  of  an 
old  Roman  senator ;  and  his  fame  as  a  canvasser  and  a  campaign 
speaker  will  long  endure. 

In  the  midst  of  his  busy  activity.  Colonel  Withers  has  found 
time  for  social  relaxation  and  for  mingling  with  his  brethren. 
Since  early  manhood,  he  has  held  membership  in  lodges,  chapters, 
commanderies,  and  encampments  of  Masonic  bodies  of  both  the 
York  and  the  Scottish  rites.  He  has  held  all  the  subordinate 
and  all  the  supreme  offices  in  these  organizations,  and  also  of  the 
grand  encampment  of  the  Knights  Templar,  having  served 
as  grand  master  in  this  from  1883  to  1886. 

In  church  matters.  Colonel  Withers  has  been  no  less  promi- 
nent and  influential.  For  many  years  he  has  represented  the 
Wytheville  Episcopalians  in  the  diocesan  councils,  first  of 
Virginia,  and,  since  1892,  of  southern  Virginia.  One  of  the 
first  delegates  to  enter  the  building  and  one  of  the  last  to  leave 
the  council,  is  Colonel  Withers,  of  Wythe  parish.  His  venerable 
form  and  snow-white  beard  are  familiar  to  all  that  attend  the 
meetings  of  the  council  of  Southern  Virginia.  His  voice  is  often 
heard  in  debate;  his  opinion  is  often  called  for  by  the  bishop. 

Vol.  2— Va.— 17 


420  ROBERT   ENOCH   WITHERS 

In  matters  of  canon  law.  Colonel  Withers  has  hardly  an  equal 
in  southern  Virginia.  His  earnestness  in  discharging  his  duties 
to  the  church  and  her  interests  is  one  of  the  commanding 
features  of  his  character.  For  nearly  forty  years  he  has  repre- 
sented the  Virginia  Episcopalians  in  the  general  convention  of 
their  church.  In  that  gathering  of  distinguished  churchmen, 
Colonel  Withers  always  commands  attention  and  respect,  his 
opinions  carrying  great  weight  with  men  from  many  sections 
of  the  country. 

For  some  years,  Colonel  Withers  was  a  member  of  the  board 
of  regents  of  the  Smithsonian  institution,  Washington,  District 
of  Columbia,  and,  on  the  death  of  the  famous  Professor  Joseph 
Henry,  whose  funeral  was  made  a  national  event.  Colonel 
Withers  was  one  of  the  speakers  selected  by  the  Smithsonian 
board  to  represent  them  at  the  funeral. 

In  conclusion,  we  may  say  that  Colonel  Withers  is  a  typical 
representative  of  the  old  Virginia  gentleman.  He  belongs  to 
that  class  whose  word  was  as  good  as  their  bond ;  who  paid  their 
debts  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar ;  who  taught 
their  daughters  to  be  modest  and  their  sons  to  be  truthful  and 
brave. 

On  February  3,  1846,  Robert  E.  Withers  married  Mary 
Virginia  Eoyal,  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia.  They  have  had  twelve 
children,  of  whom  nine  are  now  (1906)  living. 

Colonel  Withers'  address  is  Wytheville,  Virginia. 


MICAJAH  WOODS 

WOODS,  MICAJAH,  was  born  May  17,  1844,  at 
"  Holkham,"  in  Albemarle  county,  Virginia.  His 
parents  were  Doctor  John  Rodes  Woods  and  Sabina 
Lewis  Stuart.  On  both  sides  of  his  family  he  is  descended  from 
Scotch-Irish  ancestors.  Plis  first  American  progenitor  on  his 
paternal  side  was  Michael  Woods,  who,  in  1737,  received  a  patent 
for  a  large  tract  of  land  in  what  was  then  Goochland  county, 
from  which  Albemarle  county  was  formed  in  1744.  The  wife 
of  Michael  Woods  was  Mary  Campbell,  who  belonged  to  the  clan 
of  which  the  Duke  of  Argyle  Avas  the  head.  Michael  Woods'  son, 
William  Woods,  the  great-grandfather  of  Mica j ah  Woods,  was  a 
member  of  the  legislature  of  Virginia  from  Albemarle  county, 
in  1798  and  1799,  and  his  son  Micajah  was  a  member  of  the 
Albemarle  county  court  from  1815  to  1837,  and  high  sheriff  of 
the  county  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Doctor  John  Rodes  Woods, 
the  latter's  son  and  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a 
wealthy  planter  of  Albemarle  county  and  was  for  many  years 
considered  the  leading  authority  upon  scientific  agriculture  and 
stock-raising  in  Virginia.  He  was  a  man  of  general  culture  and 
a  thorough  tj^pe  of  the  old  Virginia  gentleman,  truthful,  resolute 
and  outspoken  upon  all  subjects — social,  political  and  moral. 
He  was  greatly  interested  in  the  success  of  the  University  of 
Virginia  and  served  upon  its  board  of  visitors  from  1865  to  1872. 

Through  his  mother,  who  was  a  woman  of  rare  character  and 
culture  and  exerted  great  influence  upon  his  character,  Micajah 
Woods,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  descended  from  David 
Stuart,  county  lieutenant  of  Augusta  county  from  1755  on  for 
several  years,  and  is  connected  with  the  Lewises,  Stuarts, 
Prestons,  Creighs,  Eodeses,  and  other  well  known  Virginia 
families. 

After  the  usual  round  in  the  elementary  branches,  he  was,  in 
1855,  sent  to  the  Lewisburg  academy,  where  he  remained  one  year. 
He  then  attended  the  Military  academy  in  Charlottesville  con- 


422  MICAJAK    WOODS 

ducted  by  Colonel  Joliii  B.  Strange,  where  he  remained  two 
years,  after  which  he  studied  two  j^-ears  at  the  Bloonifield  acadeni}^ 
taught  by  Messrs.  Brown  and  Tebbs.  In  1861,  he  entered  the 
University  of  Virginia,  but  soon  quit  the  academy  shades  for  the 
field  of  war.  He  first  served,  when  barely  seventeen  years  of  age, 
as  a  volunteer  on  the  staff  of  General  John  B.  Floyd  in  the  West 
Virginia  campaign  of  1861,  and  in  1862,  as  a  private  in  the 
"  Albemarle  Light  Horse,"  in  the  Virginia  cavalry,  and  after- 
wards first-lieutenant  in  the  Virginia  State  line;  and  in  May, 
1863,  he  was  elected  and  commissioned  first-lieutenant  in  Jackson's 
battery  of  horse  artillery.  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

Among  the  battles  in  which  he  participated  were  Carnifax 
Ferry,  Port  Sepublic,  Second  Cold  Harbor,  New  Market,  Second 
Manassas,  Sharpsburg,  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Gettysburg. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  the  university,  where  he 
first  studied  in  the  academic  department  for  one  year,  and  then 
studied  law,  graduating  in  1868,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Law.  He  immediately  opened  an  office  for  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Charlottesville,  Virginia,  and  in  1870  was  elected 
commonwealth's  attorney  for  the  county,  which  position  he  has 
filled  for  thirty-five  years  without  having  had  opposition  for  the 
nomination  since  1873,  and  at  the  November,  1903,  election  he  was 
chosen  for  another  term  of  four  years,  commencing  January  1, 
1904.  During  this  long  legal  career  as  prosecuting  attorney,  he 
has  probably  conducted  more  important  prosecutions  than  any 
lawyer  in  Virginia,  the  latest  being  the  case  of  Commonwealth 
vs.  J.  Samuel  McCue,  recently  convicted  of  wife  murder.  In 
1872  he  was  made  a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  the 
University  of  Virginia,  a  position  which  he  held  for  four  years, 
having  been  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  the  youngest  member 
of  that  board  ever  selected.  Mr.  Woods  is  a  Democrat,  and,  in 
1880,  he  declined  a  unanimous  nomination  for  congress  tendered 
him  by  the  Democratic  convention  in  the  seventh  congressional 
district  of  Virginia.  He  was  a  m^ember  of  the  presidential 
electoral  board  which  cast  the  vote  of  Virginia  for  Cleveland  for 
president.  He  has  been  chairman  of  the  Democratic  party  in 
Albemarle  county,  and  was  permanent  chairman  of  the  Virginia 
Democratic  convention  which  met  in  Staunton,  in  1896,  to  elect 


MICAJAH   WOODS  423 

delegates  to  tlie  national  convention.  Man}^  of  the  leading 
newspapers  of  the  state  have  prominently  mentioned  him  as  a 
suitable  candidate  for  governor  of  the  commonwealth,  but  he  has 
never  allowed  his  name  to  be  urged  for  that  place. 

In  1881,  he  was  elected  captain  of  the  Monticello  guards  at 
Charlottesville  and  commanded  that  famous  old  company  at  the 
Yorktown  celebration  in  October,  1881.  In  1893,  he  was  made 
brigadier-general  of  the  2nd  brigade  of  Virginia  Confederate 
veterans,  which  position  he  held  until  1901,  when  he  declined 
reelection.  He  has  also  served  a  term  as  member  of  the  Executive 
committee  of  the  Virginia  State  Bar  association,  and  for  two 
\'ears  he  has  been  the  president  of  the  University  of  Virginia 
Alumni  association  of  Albemarle  county.  Mr.  Woods  is  a  man 
of  studious  habits,  but,  is  nevertheless  sociable  in  disposition  and 
a  delightful  companion.  Wliile  at  the  university  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Delta  Psi  fraternity.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight 
Templar,  a  member  of  the  Mj^stic  Shrine  and  a  member  of  "The 
History  Committee  of  the  Grand  Camp  of  Confederate  Veterans 
of  Virginia." 

In  religious  preferences  Mr.  Woods  is  an  Episcopalian,  and 
since  1895,  he  has  served  as  a  vestryman  of  Christ  church  in 
Charlottesville. 

On  the  organization  of  the  "  The  Eed-Land  club  *'  in  Char- 
lottesville— composed  of  the  leading  gentlemen  of  that  section — 
he  was  chosen  as  its  first  president  in  February,  1905,  and  was 
unanimously  reelected  in  February,  1906. 

He  has  been  a  great  reader  of  books,  and  among  his  favorite 
authors  are  Shakespeare,  Bulwer,  Addison,  and  Macaulay.  He 
is  also  a  good  classical  scholar,  and  is  familiar  with  Virgil, 
Tacitus,  Sallust,  Juvenal,  Cornelius  Nepos,  Horace  and  Cicero. 

When  asked  to  review  the  experiences  of  his  career  for 
the  benefit  of  the  young  and  to  make  some  suggestions  regard- 
ing the  best  wa}^  to  attain  success,  Mr.  Woods  replied : 
"  Be  thorough."  And,  indeed,  such  has  been  this  exemplary 
man's  principle  of  action  through  life.  He  has  been  a  thorough 
lawyer,  a  thorough  student  of  books,  and  a  thorough  Virginian 
in  heart,  soul  and  action.  On  the  9th  of  June,  1874,  he  married 
Miss  Matilda  Minor  Morris,  daughter  of  the  late  Edward  Watts 


424  MICAJAH   WOODS 

Morris,  Esq.,  of  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  and  had  five  children: 
Edward  Morris,  Sallie  Stuart;  Maud  Coleman,  who  died  in  1901; 
Mary  Watts,  and  Lettie  Page  Woods. 

His  present  address  is  Charlottesville,  Virginia. 


THE  NEW  YORK 

PUBIIC   LIBKARY 


> 


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AUGUSTUS  WRIGHT 

WRIGHT,  AUGUSTUS,  merchant,  banker,  of  Peters- 
burg, Virginia,  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, on  August  21,  1841,  son  of  Jacob  and  Annie 
Elizabeth  Wright.  Left  fatherless  in  infancy,  and,  together  with 
an  older  sister,  dependent  upon  a  widowed  mother  during  his 
childhood,  he  was  early  confronted  with  the  necessity  of  taking 
up  some  sort  of  an  occupation  to  assist  in  the  support  of  the 
family.  After  such  education,  therefore,  as  was  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  village,  he  was,  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  shoemaking. 

In  1857,  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  mother  and  settled 
in  New  Jersey,  where  he  at  once  took  up  his  trade  and  applied 
himself  to  it  with  characteristic  energy  and  industry.  It  was  not 
long  before  he  made  himself  felt  in  the  community,  and  even  in 
the  early  stages  of  his  career  he  gave  promise  of  larger  successes 
in  the  sphere  of  business  organization  and  management.  In  1868, 
he  removed  to  Petersburg,  Virginia,  and  opened  a  retail  shoe 
store.  His  practical  knowledge  of  the  manufacture  of  footwear, 
together  with  good  judgment  and  skillful  management,  soon 
increased  the  modest  proportions  of  his  first  venture,  and  within 
a  half  decade  he  added  a  jobbing  department.  As  the  business 
grew  in  volume,  his  trade  was  extended  into  the  neighboring 
states,  and  latterly  was  confined  exclusively  to  wholesaling 
throughout  the  South.  It  is  to-day  one  of  the  largest  boot,  shoe 
and  leather  houses  in  this  section  of  the  country,  and  its  sales 
mount  up  to  more  than  $1,000,000  annually. 

In  addition  to  his  interests  as  a  wholesale  shoe  and  leather 
merchant,  Mr.  Wright  is  president  of  the  Virginia  National  bank, 
of  Petersburg;  was  formerly  vice-president  of  the  Petersburg 
Banking  and  Trust  company;  is  president  of  the  Virginia 
Consolidated  Milling  company;  is  second  vice-president  of  the 
Virginia  Passenger  and  Power  company;  and  has  business  or 
directoral  connections  with  a  number  of  other  enterprises. 

Without  the  advantages  of  inherited  means,  or  influential 


428  AUGUSTUS   WRIGHT 

friends,  or  even  a  liberal  education,  he  has  achieved  success  in  a 
number  of  directions,  and  in  no  small  degree,  through  singleness 
of  purpose,  a  determination  to  do  the  best  that  was  in  him,  and 
in  the  exercise  of  those  rugged  virtues  of  integrity  and  industry 
which  far  excel  in  effectiveness  many  others  of  greater  ostenta- 
tion. Above  all  he  is  regarded  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth, 
progressive  spirit  and  high  ideals,  who  earnestly  desires  the 
intellectual  and  social  betterment  of  his  community.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  city  chamber  of  com-merce,  an  active  member  of 
the  Methodist  church,  and  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows. 

On  December  28,  1861,  he  married  Mary  E.,  daughter  of 
Gottlieb  Srheerer.  They  have  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
living  in  19j6. 

The  address  of  Mr.  Wright  is  Petersburg,  Virginia. 


'i^^^C^C-'-^; 


JOHN  CHANDLER  WYSOR 

WYSOK,  JOHN  CHANDLEE,  M.  D.,  surgeon-in-cliarge 
of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  hospital  at  Clifton  Forge, 
Virginia,  was  born  near  Dublin,  Pulaski  county, 
Virginia,  May  12,  1854.  His  family  name,  as  brought  by  ances- 
tors of  his  father  from  Germany,  was  Weiser;  and  the  Weiser 
stock  has  numerous  descendants  in  Pennsylvania,  where  the  first 
laiown  immigrant  to  America  of  this  name,  coming  from  Grosse 
Aspeh,  settled  about  ITIO.  One  member  of  the  family,  Conrad 
AVeiser,  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  Pennsylvania  before  the 
Revolution ;  and  during  the  troubled  years  from  1775  to  1790,  by 
reason  of  his  influence  over  the  Indians,  he  rendered  most 
valuable  assistance  to  his  fellow  patriots  in  that  struggle  and 
enjoyed  the  confidence  and  friendship  of  General  Washington. 
Henry  Weiser,  who  upon  coming  to  years  of  manhood  determined 
to  spell  his  family  name  thereafter  "  Wysor,"  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Virginia  about  1750.  He  was  enrolled  among 
Morgan's  riflemen,  and  was  among  the  six  '•  crack  shots  "  of  that 
corps  who  were  selected  to  do  special  picket  duty  which  required 
fine  marksmanship.  He  was  the  great-grandfather  of  John 
Chandler  Wysor.  His  son,  Captain  Henry  Wysor,  commanded 
a  company  in  the  War  of  1812. 

George  Washington  Wysor,  son  of  Captain  Henry  Wysor, 
and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  farmer  of  sterling 
integrity,  who  loved  his  home  and  his  own  kindred  intensely,  and 
in  whom  this  love  of  his  own  people  led  to  a  deep  and  passionate 
feeling  of  patriotism  toward  the  people  of  his  state  and  his  native 
land.  To  an  elder  son,  who  in  the  fall  of  18G3,  advised  him  to 
invest  his  Confederate  money  in  "  cotton,  tobacco,  coal,  real  estate, 
and  anything  else  which  had  intrinsic  and  continuous  value,"  he 
said :  "  That  is  good  business,  but  it  is  not  patriotic,"  and  he 
declined  to  take  action  which  would  reflect  upon  the  credit  of  the 
state  and  the  Confederacv.  After  the  surrender  of  both  Lee  and 
Johnston,  although  an  old  man,  he  volunteered  to  go  to  the 
Trans-Mississippi  Region,  to  "  fight  it  out  to  the  last  ditch." 


432  JOHN    CHANDLER   WYSOR 

He  never  held  public  office,  and  never  sought  it.  Trusted  by  his 
neighbors,  he  was  made  administrator  of  several  estates,  perform- 
ing his  duties  admirably  and  to  the  profit  of  those  in  whose 
interest  he  had  been  entrusted  with  the  administratorship.  His 
maternal  ancestors  were  of  mingled  Irish,  Scotch,  and  French 
blood;  and  his  mother's  family  name,  Charlton,  is  that  of  many 
well-known  citizens  of  Virginia  and  other  states.  He  married 
Margaret  Ann  Miller,  who  was  also  descended  from  German, 
English,  and  French  Huguenot  stock. 

In  his  boyhood,  John  Chandler  Wysor  lived  on  the  farm, 
and  in  out-of-door  country  life  knew  the  tastes  and  interests  of 
the  country  boy  of  Virginia.  He  was  particularly  fond  of  hunt- 
ing; and  during  his  later  life  he  has  found  relaxation  and  health 
in  that  amusement.  His  father,  "  himself  a  worker,  hated  lazi- 
ness and  made  workers  of  all  his  household."  The  share  of 
family  work  which  fell  to  the  younger  son,  John,  had  to  do 
especially  with  the  care  of  the  cows  which  furnished  milk  for 
the  home;  and  in  field  and  forest  he  worked  beside  his  father, 
and  with  the  negro  slaves,  before  and  during  the  war;  and  he 
learned  to  manage  the  colored  labor  of  the  freedmen  after  1865, 
and  was  busied  in  such  employments  when  he  was  not  engaged  in 
school. 

Offered  an  opportunity  to  read  and  study  medicine  in  the 
office  and  under  the  instruction  of  his  father's  family  physician, 
Dr.  J.  L.  Stearnes,  he  was  by  this  offer  confirmed  in  the  choice 
of  a  life-work  to  which  before  he  felt  strongly  inclined. 

During  the  years  which  immediately  followed  the  Civil  war, 
"lack  of  cash  was  prevalent  in  Virginia;"  and,  in  common  with 
almost  all  the  young  people  whose  education  was  obtained  during 
the  years  while  so  much  of  sacrifice  and  labor  were  required  to 
restore  social  institutions  and  repair  the  waste  and  loss  of  war, 
resort  was  had  to  many  makeshifts  which  would  seem  hardships 
to  the  young  people  of  to-day.  Amid  such  conditions  he  fitted 
himself  to  enter  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  where  he  completed  a  two-years'  course  of  study 
extending  from  1876  to  1878.  In  the  year  last  named,  he  was 
graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Later 
in  his  professional  life,  in  1887-88-89  and  1895-96,  he  took  full  or 


JOHN    CHANDLER   WYSOR  433 

partial  courses  of  lectures  and  clinics  in  New  York  city,  at  the 
New  York  Polyclinic. 

He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Christiansburg  Depot, 
Virginia,  in  May,  1878.  In  August  of  the  same  year,  he  went  to 
southern  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  then 
located  at  Radford,  Virginia,  and  in  February,  1882,  removed  to 
the  coal  fields  in  the  Kanawha  valley,  West  Virginia,  where  he 
practiced  until  the  fall  of  1897,  when  he  removed  to  his  present 
location  at  Clifton  Forge,  Virginia. 

From  the  beginning  he  devoted  himself  particularly  to 
surgery;  and  his  most  successful  work  has  been  in  abdominal 
surgery.  From  1890  to  1897,  he  was  the  local  surgeon  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railroad  at  Montgomery,  West  Virginia, 
and  on  December  1,  1897,  he  was  made  surgeon-in-charge  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  hospital  at  Clifton  Forge,  Virginia — a  posi- 
tion which  he  still  retains. 

As  a  physician  in  general  practice,  as  a  surgeon  known 
through  a  wide  section  of  the  state,  and  as  medical  adviser  and 
surgeon  for  a  considerable  body  of  railroad  men,  as  well  as  in  his 
duties  in  charge  of  the  hospital,  he  has  endeared  himself  to  many 
who  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  his  professional  services; 
and  he  has  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  citizens  of  his 
community  and  his  state. 

Dr.  Wysor  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight  Templar,  a  Noble  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine,  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  In  his  political  con- 
victions he  has  always  been  identified  with  the  Democratic  party. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  for  some  twenty 
years  he  has  been  a  ruling  elder  in  that  church. 

On  August  27, 1884,  Dr.  Wysor  married  Alice  Eugenia  Pugh. 
They  have  had  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living  in  1906. 

Dr.  Wysor  has  contributed  numerous  articles  to  medical 
journals.  His  favorite  relaxation  he  has  found  in  hunting. 
Asked  to  offer  some  advice  which  would  contribute  to  the 
strengthening  of  sound  ideals  in  American  life  and  help  young 
men  to  attain  true  success,  Dr.  Wysor  replies  in  a  sentence  from 
the  well-known  evangelistic  preacher,  the  Rev.  Sam  Jones :  "  Let 
them  stop  their  meanness,  and  be  good." 

His  address  is  Clifton  Forge,  Virginia. 


ROBERT  DAVID  YANCEY 

YANCEY,  EGBERT  DAVIS,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Lynchburg,  Virginia,  September  15,  1855.  His  father 
was  William  T.  Yancey,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Lynch- 
burg, who  filled  with  distinction  and  ability  the  positions  of 
commonwealth's  attorney  and  many  times  a  delegate  in  the 
general  assembly  of  Virginia.  Mr.  Yancey's  mother  was  Lucy 
E.  Davis,  daughter  of  Henry  Davis,  who  was  a  first  cousin  of 
that  brilliant  young  Major-General  Robert  Emmet  Rodes,  of  the 
Confederacy,  who  under  Stonewall  Jackson,  led  the  flank  move- 
ment against  General  Hooker  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  and 
was  afterwards  killed  in  battle  at  Winchester,  Virginia,  September 
19,  1864.  On  his  father's  side  he  is  of  English  stock.  His  great 
grandfather.  Captain  Robert  Yancey,  for  whom  he  was  partly 
named,  was  a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  a  member  of 
Washington's  military  famil}^,  and  his  son,  Joel  Yancey,  was  a 
major  in  the  War  of  1812,  an  intimate  friend  of  Thomas  Jefferson, 
and  owned  and  lived  on  an  adjoining  farm.  The  grandfather  of 
Robert  Davis  Yancey,  on  the  maternal  side,  was  Henry  Davis, 
who  married  a  Miss  Anthony,  a  member  of  a  very  gifted  family, 
through  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  kin  to  many  distin- 
guished people  in  Virginia,  and  the  West  and  the  North.  On  his 
mother's  side,  Mr.  Yance5^'s  ancestr}^  is  Welsh. 

He  grew  up  in  the  city  of  his  nativltj^,  with  a  vigorous 
physique,  and  with  the  liking  of  the  average  boy  for  such  out- 
door sports  as  hunting  and  riding.  He  had  no  set  tasks  to 
perform  in  his  youth,  beyond  his  school  work,  but  was  full  of 
energy  and  fond  of  work,  and  at  that  time  was  particularly 
interested  m  the  work  of  a  mechanic.  He  attended  the  local 
schools  of  Lj^nchburg,  until  he  became  old  enough  to  enter  the 
Virginia  Military  institute  at  Lexington,  where  he  remained  for 
four  years,  and  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1875. 
For  a  while  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  a  civil  engineer ;  and  in  the 
fall  of  1875,  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 


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ROBERT   DAVIS    YANCEY  437 

Virginia  under  Professors  John  B.  Minor  and  Steplien  O. 
Southall,  and  graduated  in  1877.  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Law. 

Upon  the  completion  of  his  law  course,  Mr.  Yancey  began 
the  practice  of  law  in  Lynchburg,  where  he  has  continued  to  the 
present  time  (1906)  in  the  pursuit  of  his  profession,  with  distinc- 
tion and  success.  In  the  meantime,  he  has  been  honored  by  his 
fellow  citizens  with  prominent  positions  of  dignity,  and  respon- 
sibility. He  was  m^ayor  of  Lynchburg  for  two  terms,  from  1890 
to  1892  and  from  1892  to  1894.  At  the  close  of  his  second  term 
as  maj^or,  he  was  elected  in  1894  commonwealth's  attorney  for  the 
city  of  Lynchburg,  a  position  which  he  has  since  continuously 
filled  for  six  successive  terms  of  two  years  each;  and  under  the 
new  provision  of  law  extending  the  term,  he  has  again,  in  190v^>, 
been  reelected  commonwealth's  attorney  for  a  further  term  of 
four  years. 

In  June,  1888,  Mr.  Yancey  delivered  a  notable  address  at  the 
commencement  exercises  of  the  Virginia  Military  institute.  His 
subject  was  "  The  Possibilities  of  the  ^ew  South,  and  Virginia 
Especially,  under  an  Improved  Technical  Education  directed  to 
the  Arts  of  Manufacture."  This  address  contained  a  description 
of  the  different  sections  of  the  state,  with  an  account  of  their 
natural  resources  and  showed  a  clear  comprehension  of  the  con- 
dition and  needs  of  the  commonwealth.  Mr.  Yancey  advanced 
cogent  reasons  for  the  diversification  of  industries  and  strongly 
favored  a  technical  education  for  young  men.  He  recounted 
many  of  "  The  achievements  of  science  as  applied  to  the  indus 
tries  of  to-day,"  and  impressed  upon  his  hearers  the  value  of 
practical  application  of  scientific  knowledge  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil  and  the  great  field  of  manufactures.  He  gave  ample 
praise  to  the  eminent  Virginians  of  the  past  but  warned  his 
hearers  that  "  the  past  is  behind  us  "  and  that  if  the  glory  of  the 
state  is  to  be  maintained,  the  men  of  the  present  must  be  faithful 
and  strong.  And  as  a  note  of  encouragement  he  said :  "  We  have 
the  same  people,  of  the  same  stock,  with  the  same  abilities  as  in 
the  past." 

Mr.  Yancey  has  served  for  many  years  in  the  state  volunteer 
military  organization,  in  which  he  has  taken  a  great  interest. 


438  ROBERT   DAVIS    YANCEY 

During  a  period  of  ten  years,  he  filled  various  commissioned  and 
non-commissioned  offices,  and  was  for  seven  years  a  captain.  In 
1887  and  in  1889,  under  the  respective  state  administrations  of 
Governors  Charles  T.  O'Ferrall  and  Fitzhugh  Lee,  he  was  colonel 
in  full  command  of  all  the  state  troops,  infantry,  artillery,  and 
cavalry  that  were  sent  to  the  coal  fields  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  state,  to  preserve  order  during  the  strikes  in  those  years — 
a  position  the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  with  great  firmness, 
tact,  and  ability. 

Mr.  Yancey  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  of  the 
Order  of  Elks,  and  has  filled  several  times  the  various  chairs  in 
the  Pythians,  Odd  Fellows,  and  Elks.  His  principal  relaxation 
is  found  in  outdoor  sports,  especially  hunting  and  fishing,  and 
he  is  generally  regarded  as  one  of  the  very  best  field  shots  in  the 
section  in  which  he  lives. 

Mr.  Yancey  is  a  member  of  the  EjDiscopal  church.  In  his 
political  beliefs  he  is  an  old  line  Democrat,  but  he  strongly 
opposes  the  extreme  views  of  Mr.  Hearst  and  his  followers. 

His  address  is  Number  1502  Grace  Street,  Lynchburg, 
Virginia. 


List  of  Full  Page  Portraits 


VOLUME  11. 


FACING  PAGE 

Alexander,  John  H 3 

Allen,  AVilliam  E 6 

Anderson,  Charles  J 13 

Anderson,  William  E 17 

Ayers,  Rufus  a 23 

Barker,  Oscar  B 28 

Barker,  William  C 32 

Barron,  Robert  P 36 

Bramblitt,  William  H.  . .  40 

Branch,  John  P 44 

Caldwell,  Charles  R 54 

Carter,  George  L 62 

Christian,  Langdon  T.  . . .  68 

Churchman,  John  W.  ...  72 

CoLONNA,  Charles  J 76 

Craddock,  John  W 83 

Curry,   Charles 89 

Dew,  John  G 92 

Downing,  Henry  H 96 

DuNLOP,  John  T 105 

DuNSMORE,  James  G 109 

Eberly,  Jacob  W 113 

FiSHBURNE,  James  A 114 

Gardner,  William  H 123 

Gilliam,  James  R 127 

Godwin,  Isaac  R 130 

GoocH,  Garrett  G 134 

Graham,  Samuel  C 138 

Gru^ter,  Jacob  S 144 

Halsey,  Don  P 151 

Hamilton,  Alexander.  . . .  154 

Harman,  Asher  W.,  Jr.  . .  165 

Harman,  Frank  P 169 

Henkel,  Haller  H 179 


FACING  PAGE 

Heth,  Stockton 183 

Hunt,  Gilbert  J 187 

Hutcpiison,  Westwood...  191 

James,  Robert  G 194 

Jeffress,  Thomas  F 198 

Johnston,  James  D.,  Jr..  .  202 

Jones,  Hampton  S 206 

Jordan,  William  1 215 

Kable,  William  H 219 

Keister,  Bitti^e  C 222 

Kelley,  Samuel  L 231 

Krise,  Albert  E 234 

Krise,  Philip  A 238 

Lawless,  Joseph  T 242 

Lewis,  William  H 253 

McAllister,  William  M.  .  256 

Machen,  Lewis  H 264 

Martin,  Alvah  H 268 

Mathews,  William  G.  . . .  272 

MiCHiE,  Henry  C 276 

Nash,  Herbert  M 280 

Newman,  Edgar  D 287 

Noel,  John  C 291 

OuLD,  Eugene 295 

Page,  Rosewell 300 

Plaster,  George  E 307 

Pole,  Henry  S 310 

Post,  Walter  A 314 

Preston,  David  A 321 

Quarles,  Julian  M 325 

RiNEHART,  William  A. . . .  328 

Sale,  William  W 341 

Sands,  Oliver  J 344 

Smith,  Henry  M. 353 


440 


LIST   OF   FULL   PAGE   PORTKAITS 


FACING  PAGE 

Smoot,  William  B 357 

Starke,  Ashton 361 

Stone,  Ormond 364 

Taber,  George  A 371 

Terry,  Thaddeus  McG 374 

Tunstall,  Richard  B 385 

Turk,  Rudolph  S 389 

Waddill,  Samuel  P 392 


FACING  PAGE 

Watts,  Newton  C 401 

Wharton,  Lyman  B 405 

W^HiTE,  E.  B 409 

White,  Elijah  V 413 

Withers,  Robert  E 417 

Yf right,   Augustus 427 

Wysor,  John  C 431 

Yancey,  Robert  D 434 


Index  of  Biographies 


VOLUME  n. 


PAGE 

Alexander,  John  H 3 

Allen,  William  E 6 

Anderson,  Charles  J 13 

Anderson,  William  E IT 

AxTELL,  Decatur 19 

Ayers,  Kurus  A 23 

Barker,  Oscar  B 28 

Barker,  William  C 32 

Barron,  Kobert  P 36 

Bramblitt,  William  H.  . .  40 

Branch,  John  P 44 

Burks,  IVIartin  P 61 

Caldwell,  Charles  R 54 

Card  WELL,  Richard  H 59 

Carter,  George  L 62 

Christian,  Langdon  T 68 

Churchman,  John  W 72 

CoLONNA,  Charles  J 76 

Craddock,  John  W 83 

Curry,  Charles 89 

Deav,  John  G 92 

Downing,  Henry  H 96 

Duke,  Richard  T.  W.,  Jr.  .  100 

DuNLOP,  John  T 105 

Dunsmore,  James  G 109 

Eberly,  Jacob  W 113 

Fishburne,  James  A 114 

Flood,  Henry  D 118 

Gardner,  William  H 123 

Gilliam,  James  R 127 

Godwin,  Isaac  R 130 

GoocH,  Garrett  G 134 

Graham,  Samuel  C 138 

Gruver,  Jacob  S 144 


FAGB 

E[alsey,  Don  P 151 

Hamilton,  Alexander 154 

Hardy,  Caldwell 160 

Harman,  Asher  W.,  Jr.  . .   165 

Harman,  Frank  P 169 

Harrison,  George  M 172 

Harrison,  Thomas  W 174 

Henkel,  Haller  H 179 

HJETH,  Stockton 183 

Hunt,  Gilbert  J 187 

Hutchison,  Westwood.  . ..  191 

James,  Robert  G 194 

Jeffress,  Thomas  F 198 

Johnston,  James  D.,  Jr..  .  202 

Jones,  Hampton  S 206 

Jordan,  William  1 215 

Kable,  William  H 219 

Keister,  Bittle  C 222 

Keith,  James 227 

Kelley,  Samuel  L 231 

Krise,  Albert  E 234 

Krise,  Philip  A 238 

Lawless,  Joseph  T 242 

Lewis,  Lunsford  L 247 

Lewis,  William  H 253 

McAllister,  William  M.  . .  256 

McCarthy,  Carlton 261 

Machen,  Lewis  H 264 

Martin,  Alvah  H 268 

Mathews,  William  G 272 

MicHiE,  Henry  C 276 

Nash,  Herbert  M 280 

Newman,  Edgar  D 287 

Noel,  John  C 291 


442 


INDEX   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE 

OuLD,  Eugene 295 

Page,  James  M 297 

Page,  Eosewell 300 

Plaster,  George  E 307 

Pole,  Henry  S 310 

Post,  Walter  A 314 

Preston,  David  A 321 

Quarles,  Julian  M 325 

EiNEHART,  William  A 328 

EixEY,  John  F 332 

EoBERTSON,  William  G..  . .  334 

Eyan,  John  F 337 

Sale,  William  W 341 

Sands,  Olr^er  J 344 

Slemp,  Campbell 349 

Smith,  Henry  M 353 

Smoot,  William  B 357 

Starke,  Ashton 361 


PAGE 

Stone,  Ormond 364 

Taber,  George  A 371 

Terry,  Thaddeus  McG 374 

Thomas,  Alsen  F 378 

TUNSTALL,  ElCHARD  B 385 

Turk,  Eudolph  S 389 

Waddill,  Samuel  P 392 

Watkins,  Asa  D 396 

Watts,  Newton  C 401 

Wharton,  Lyman  B 405 

White,  E.  B 409 

White,  Elijah  V 413 

Withers,  Egbert  E 417 

Woods,  Micajah 421 

Wright,  Augustus 427 

Wysor,  John  C 431 

Yancey,  Eobert  D 434 


c^. 


^h. 


Z 


JUL  1  0  1989