USA > West Virginia > Ritchie County > History of Ritchie County, with biographical sketches of its pioneers and their ancestors, and with interesting reminiscences of revolutionary and Indian times > Part 50
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Emery I. Ireland makes a good representative for this de- partment from the Scientific world.
He is the son of G. M. and Mrs. Mary Law Ireland of Pullman, and at the old homestead on the Middle Fork river he was born, on June 10, 1874; and at the age of nineteen years, stepped upon the stage as a school-teacher with a first grade certificate. He continued in teaching in the rural dis- tricts for several years ; was graduated from the Buckhannon Seminary, in the Normal course, in the class of 1897, and while taking advanced work here, the following year, occu- pied the position of assistant-teacher of Mathematics, and was also the president of the "Chrestomathean Society" at this institution.
During the autumn of 1898, he entered the University at Morgantown, and came out in 1901 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Civil Engineering. While here he was the president of the "Columbian Literary society" and on two occasions, represented this organization in the inter-society contest, winning in debate on one occasion, and losing on
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oration, on the other, as he did when he personated the "Chrestomathean society" at Buckhannon, in public perforni- ances. He also represented the Y. M. C. A. of Morgantown at the Students Conference at Northfield, Massachusetts, during his collegiate course.
Being a member of the Engineering Society, while at the University, he spent his Saturdays and holidays in surveying and in engineering, so as to help defray his expenses; and after his graduation, entered the United States Geological Survey, and did work as a temporary employee both in the field and in the office at Washington city until the spring of 1902, when he passed the Civil service examination and re- ceived the appointment of assistant Topographer; and by promotion, in 1908, was made Topographer. His work is in the field in summer, and, in the office in Washington city in winter. Various counties of West Virginia, parts of Penn- sylvania, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado have been the scenes of his labors, and not a few of the interesting topograph- ical maps that are scattered about through the country are in part the result of his skill. He is a member of the Wash- ington Society of Engineers, and of the American Geographic Society, and takes an active interest in church work, espec- ially the Missionary department and the Epworth Leaguc. being a communicant of the Foundry Methodist Episcopal church at Washington city and the Superintendent of the Sunday-school.
He was married to Miss Elizabeth H. Funk, daughter of Mr. Lee W. Funk, of Washington city, on December 15, 1909, and in this city he is now permanently established.
J. Frank Marsh .- In casting about for a representative from the Educational field to fill a place in this calendar, we could not think of a better criterion of the pluck, and the per- severance with which the sons of this county are endowed. that J. Frank Marsh, who has by his own effort forged his way up until he now occupies a high rank among the young educators of the state.
Mr. Marsh is the son of the late Jefferson, and Mrs. Angelina Cunningham Marsh, of Harrisville. He was born on a farm near the little town of Tollgate, on January 29.
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1812, and, like nearly all of the other members of this de- partment, entered the ranks of the teacher, at an early age. For seven years, he taught in the rural districts of his native county ; was principal of the Cairo school for one year, and at Harrisville, for three years; was graduated from the Wes- leyan University at Buckhannon in the class of 1901, and from the State University, at Morgantown in the A. B. degree in 1907, and now has his A. M. degree almost completed. He served as Principal of the Fairmont High school in 1908-9, resigning to accept his present position at the head of the State Department of Examinations and Teachers' Institutes. at Charleston.
He has been identified among the Institute instructors for several years, and is now the President of the "School Men's Council" of West Virginia, and is a member of the cooperative committee of the National Educational Associa- tion from this state.
He is the youngest member of this department and the only one that still has his life partner to select.
Experience Randolph .- Though entirely foreign to the original idea and plan of this department, it only seems fit- ting and just that the name of one of the many worthy daughters of Ritchie should have a place in this corner ; and for this place we choose the name of "Experience Randolph."
Miss Randolph ("Perie," as she was familiarly known) was born near the little town of Berea, on July 10, 1852 ; and here (with the exception of two or three years) amidst the forest, surrounded by the many dis-advantages of a defective educational system, the days of her childhood and early youth were spent in a quiet, uneventful way. But she had the 'heritage of a noble heart," a brilliant mind, and a deeply re- ligious character, and despite the dis-advantages of her en- vironments, she diligently applied herself to her studies, and, at the early age of sixteen years, entered the profession of teaching.
Her first school was taught near what is now the little hamlet of Lawford, during the winter of 1868-9, shortly after the inauguration of the Free School system ; and being in-
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spired with a zeal for a college education, she soon began to lay her plans to this effect ; and in 1874, accompanied by her sister, who is now Mrs. Callie Meathrell, of Berea, she set out for Alfred University, New York, and five years later, came out of this institution with the A. B. degree. She paid her way through college, however, by teaching in the mean- time.
Immediately after her graduation, she accepted a posi- tion as teacher in the public school at Alfred, but being com- pelled to resign by the illness of her father, which called her liome, she again engaged in educational work in her native state ; and while thus engaged began to give serious consider- ation to what her chosen life-work should be. And for a time, she seemed inclined to the medical profession, but after en- tering upon a course of reading as a preliminary to matricula- tion at a medical college, she was not wholly satisfied, and finally decided to enter the ministry, (1882) ; and a little later, she entered the Alfred University as a Theological student, after first being assured that no discrimination should be made against her on the account of her sex. Here she found herself the one female member of the class, and the only dis- tinction that was made, was brought about by her own will ; and that was her refusal to accept a share in the funds from the Missionary Board and other sources that had been set apart for the support of young men, who were preparing themselves for the ministry. As women had not been in- cluded in the terms of this gift, she felt that she should not accept a share of it, preferring to defray her own expenses ; and her class-mates, in recognition of the honest motive which prompted this refusal, presented her with a valuable collec- tion of books for her library, on one occasion. She finished her course, however, and received the degree of B. D., hier grade of work being as efficient, at least, as the average-a fact which her class-mates were willing to admit. Though naturally her opportunities to preach or to engage in other ministerial work during her collegiate course, were very much limited as it was a "marked departure from the custonr of the period" for a woman to enter the ministry, and the predjudice and the antagonism must be confronted. And she
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had some mis-givings concerning her own home church at Berea, as to the attitude it might assume toward her chosen work, but this burden was soon removed by an action of the official members of this church, on July 7, 1883, which took the form of the following resolution :
"Whereas. It has come to our hearing that Sister Ex- perience Randolph has decided to prepare herself for the min- istry, therefore,
"Resolved, That we most heartily approve of her decis- ion, and that we promise her our sympathy, and our pray- ers."
During the vacation of the summer of 1884, she spent the greater part of her time between the Lincklaen and Ostelic churches near DeRuyter, New York: and the following win- ter, she became pastor of the church at Hornersville, that. stale : and before the close of her academic year, she had ac- cepted the pastorate of the two churches that she had first served. And at the expiration of her college course, she was ordained at Hornellsville, by a council called for that pur- pose, the Rev. Wardner C. Titworth, pastor of the first church at Alfred conducting the examination before the Council.
Owing to the general opposition to women ministers, some of her friends had suggested the Missions fields of China as a place for her labors, but, as her inclinations did not lead her in this direction, she gave the subject no farther consideration.
At the end of her first two years as pastor of the churches, Lincklaen and Ostelic, she was married to Leon D. Burdick, one of her parishoners, who was preparing himself for the ministerial work, and her whole energies were then concentrated in her husband's labors, and during his College and Theological training, at Alfred, as well as his subse- quent career, as teacher, and as pastor (at Georgetown, New York: Marlboro, New Jersey ; Verona, New York : and New Auburn, Minnesota), her every endeavor seemed to be to up- hold and to strengthen the cause that he espoused.
On Thanksgiving Day (November 29), 1906, after a brief illness at her home, at New Auburn, Minnesota, she passed to her reward leaving her husband and one daughter. Genevieve
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C. Burdick. Thus one of this county's most distinguished daughters passed away. But the incense of the life of love that she shed upon all that came within her influence can never lose its fragrance. It must ever live as a precious meni- ory.
Note-It being impossible in a work like this to say much concerning the achievements of the numerous younger people of the county, who hold positions of honor and trust in the outside world, we have chosen a few good specimen copies for this department. simply to show the sterling quali- ties of our fore-fathers that are to be found in the sons and daughters of this county to-day.
Should we attempt to enumerate those who are worthy of a place here their names alone would fill this space. But it is enough to know that an army of them are successfully filling their "niche" in the great Temple of Life.
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
"All are architects of Fate, Working in these walls of Time: Some with massive deeds and great, Some with ornaments of rhyme.
Nothing useless is, or low; Each thing in its place is best;
And what seems but idle show Strengthens and supports the rest
"For the structure that we raise, Time is with materials filled; Our to-days and yesterdays Are the blocks with which we build."
The Hort's Corner
Deniraten
to the
Menerable John S. Tall Ritchie Ominty's First Part and tn
Tierbert H. Ar Ginnis The Boy-Hurt
Poet of Nature thou hast wept to know That things depart which never may return : Childhood and youth, friendship and love's first glow. Have fled like sweet dreams, leaving thee to mourn. -- Shelley.
How beautiful is youth, how bright it gleams With its illusions, aspirations, dreams! -Longfellow.
CHAPTER LII
The Poet's Corner
OHN S. HALL, Ritchie county's venerable blind-poet, is a member of a prominent pio- neer family of Bond's creek, he being the son of Samuel G. and Mrs. Rachel Hudkins Hall, who emigrated to the West shortly before he was born. There, in Laporte county, Indiana, on September 15, 1845, he first opened his eyes on this world: and when he was but a child of four summers his widowed mother returned to Bond's creek, and here he grew to manhood as a farmer-boy.
When the Civil war broke out, and his four brothers en- listed-two, for the North, and two, for the South-he, too, earnestly desired to show his patriotism by entering the con- flict ; but his mother turned a deaf ear to all his pleadings, and, in 1863, he slipped away from home, and enlisted as a teamster in the Fourth Brig- ade of Tennessee. He was assigned to duty in Tennes- see, and started from Mur- freesboro with Sherman's army John S. Hall. to the sea ; but a few miles out of this city, while on his way back after some teams, he was taken violently ill, and was found lying by the roadside in an almost unconscious condition, and was removed to Murfrees- boro, and in spite of his protest, was sent to the hospital at
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Nashville. This institution was looked upon, by most of the boys, as the "gateway to the grave," hence his protest.
Here, from the thirty-first of October until the seventh of May, he lay in the ward, in a state of unconsciousness, cov- ered with bed-sores, with his hands tied behind him, for three months of that time. His case awakened great interest, as it was looked upon as a most extraordinary one by the medi- cal fraternity. The six other soldiers who had been admitted to the hospital at the same time, all died within two weeks.
On one occasion, while in a state of semi-consciousness, he heard the ward doctor describing his case to a visiting phy- sician, and felt the touch of a gentle hand upon his brow, and distinctly heard the tones of a woman's voice. After the speakers had passed on, he murmured, "That was a soft hand," "Yes!" said the nurse, "that was the famous Dr. Mary Walker."
The fever, having centered in his head. totally destroyed his sight, and while he was recovering from his long illness. Lelia, the sweet little daughter of Dr. Francis, the hospital surgeon. helped to while away many weary hours of dark- ness by reading to him ; and in his pretty little romance en- titled, "Lelia or the Silver Charm," which was published in serial form in the "Wetzel Messenger" in 1877, he has ten- derly enshrined the memory of this sunny little maiden.
During the greater part of his hospital life, his name was unknown, and his relatives knew nothing of his whereabouts, until by some accident, the address of one of his sisters was discovered, and the family were then communicated with.
After his return home, in 1864, he entered the College for the Blind at Columbus, Ohio, and was graduated from this institution in 1868, in the class with the Rev. HI. M. Cowden, who filled the position of Chaplain of the House of Repre- sentatives at Washington city, for a number of years; and with John S. Cleve, who was at one time musical critic at the Cincinnati May Festival.
At the close of his college course, he passed a successful examination before the State Board of Examiners, and was granted a lifetime certificate to teach school; and for the next seven years, he was identified in this profession in Ritchie
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county, he having taught at Highland for five years, and at Cairo, for the remainder of the time. He being the first school- master to hold sway in the new school-building at Cairo-the one that took the place of the "old block house."
He studied law, while engaged in teaching, and was ad- mitted to the bar, in the early seventies, but never engaged in the practice of this profession.
In 1878, he entered the Pleasants county field of journal- ism, when he and Minus P. Prettyman founded the "St. Mary's Observor :" and in 1881, he purchased the entire plant. and launched the "Oracle," which he continued to edit until 1885, when he severed his connection and retired to private life.
Since that period he has spent much of his time with his pen, and the result of some of his quiet meditations, is a de- lightful little volume of verse, which was issued in 1907 under the title of "Musings of A Quiet Hour," and which he has lovingly dedicated to his niece, Mrs. Sue Newman. "Bond's creek," "The Old Homestead," "The Brook in The Wild- wood." and not a few others had their inspiration in familiar local scenes which are ever dear to the heart of the venerable poet.
In his verse, "The Old Homestead," he has so beautifully enshrined the home of his boyhood, on Bond's creek, that we here (by his permission) reproduce the poem, which was written especially for a family re-union, at Highland, a few years since, and was read on that occasion :
"THE OLD HOMESTEAD."
"We gather 'round the old homestead, Amid the scenes we used to know; The years, as moments, quickly sped, Are numbered with the long ago.
"So far, and yet how near it seems Across the span of years that lie
Twixt childhood's hopes and old folk's dreams- Just over there, the sweet gone by.
( This interesting sketch is gleaned principally from an account of the Hall family written by Robert Pemberton and published in the "St. Mary's Oracle" in November, 1905. For ancestral history of the Poet see Bond's creek chapter. )
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"We're all, all here; 'tis hallowed ground; Here blends the present with the past; And recollections, clustering round Like twining tendrils, hold us fast.
"And memories, like the cottage vine, That thatched the porch in living green, Around our lives do still entwine, And sweet enchantment guards the scene.
"The house, the yard, the deep round well With quaking windlass, quaint and queer, To us the same old stories tell, Stories that bring the past so near.
"Here, too, the sweet old fashioned flowers Are still as fresh as summer's morn, Their petals bathed in dewy showers, As if to beauty newly born.
"The song of bird, the hum of bee, The croak of frog in yonder stream, The soft wind sighing o'er the lea, Are like some well remembered dream,
"From which we wake, but all too soon, To busy life that seems less real, There comes to age no sweeter boon, Than feel the joys we used to feel.
"The softly fading twilight hours Bring once familier things to view, And memory wakes the withered flowers To beauty and to life anew;
"And friends departed gather 'round To worship here at memory's shrine, Till all are here on hallowed ground; Their presence makes life seem divine.
" 'Tis sweet to sit at eventide, And pensive watch the fading light
In golden silence softly glide, From weary day to restful night.
"And in the quiet evening hour, When silence soothes the world to sleep, To yield to some mysterious power, And gently in with chil lhood creep."
"Marbles forget their messages to mankind, In his own verse the poet lives enshrined."
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Herbert P. McGinnis, the boy-poet, was born at Silver run. on June 4, 1891, and was graduated from Marshall Col- lege, at Huntington in the class of nineteen hundred ten. He is the son of P. M. and Mrs. Rebecca V. McGinnis, and the younger brother of Circuit clerk, H. E. McGinnis.
He early manifested an interest in newspaper work and in printing. and at the age of thirteen years, launched a tiny sheet which he issued monthly from his own print-shop, at Silver run, under the stormy title of the "Tornado." But even before this time he had been a contributor to the local papers, and had been at work with his poetic pencil: and since that Herbert P. McGinnis. time he has contributed poetry to the "Youth's Companion" and various other publications. During his course at Marshall College, he was Editor-in-chief of the College Annual. and contribu- ted to different . state papers : and during his senior year he conducted a print-shop for the benefit of the institution.
He was the author of the "History of Cairo and Vicinity" which appeared in serial form in the "Cairo Enterprise." in. 1905 : and during the summer of 1909. he and his cousin, H. F. Maddox, of Jackson county, issued a joint-poem book en- titled "Lyrics From The Hills"-a neat little volume that would reflect due credit upon one of maturer years. He is now preparing a work on the oil developments of the State. which he expects soon to publish, and which promises to be a valuable contribution along this line of history. He holds a teacher's certificate, and has ambitions for a higher col- Jegiate course, and for a place in the field of journalism. He (with his cousin Mr. Maddox) is now editor of the "St. Al- bans Sentinel" and managing editor of the "Oil Man's Maga- zine." One of his latest achievements is the incorporation of his printing company under the laws of West Virginia. Few sons of the county have displayed more talent at his youthful age, and few have had a more promising out-look.
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By his permission we here reproduce some verses from his little volume of poetry :
"A LYRIC OF THE HILLS."
"On the banks of the still Hughes, Where old Ritchie's waters flow, 'Tis there I love to linger yet, There wandering would I go.
"On the banks of the fair Hughes, There's my home I love so dear;
Fond mem'ry brings me those old scenes, That are changing year by year.
"On the banks of the fair Hughes, Where I spent my boyhood days,
There I watched the sun descending In the evening's purple haze.
"On the banks of the still Hughes Where the fairest flowers grow;
There by the shine of silvered sands Let me idly drift and row.
"On the fair old Hughes river Let me siowly glide along;
In thy breezes, O fair river, Let me sing my evening song.
"On the banks of the old Hughes, Where I spent those happy days,
Let me offer up a blessing And lift up my heart in praise."
"SONG."
"When I am gone, my loved one, Weep not that I am dead; Sing no sad songs, my dearest, Let love's words be unsaid; Be there blue skies above me And brightest sunlight shine:
Shed no sad tears for one, then, Whose dying thoughts are thine.
"I shall not see the darkness, I shall not see the night;
The light of love that thrilled me Shall yet be shining bright; For dreaming through the distance, That I have come alone,
My soul shall know the blessing Of love that has not flown."
Doubtless a number of the poems in this little volume are superior to "A Lyric of the Hills," from a poetic point of
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
view, but no other one has so strongly appealed to our fancy as this simple, boyish lay dedicated to the dear old river that we have known and loved from our earliest recollection, and upon whose banks we still linger in the home of our child- hood. Were we a poet, we should dedicate a beautiful little sonnet of our own to its "gentle murmuring waters." For-
"Thou hast taught us, Silent River. Many a lesson deep and long; Thou hast been a generous giver;" But we cannot give to thee-even a song.
"Oft in sadness and in illness, I have watched thy current glide,
Till the beauty of its stillness Overflowed me like a tide."
"The Blue and The Gray."
"These, in the robings of Glory, Those in the gloom of defeat, All, with the battle blond gory, In the mask of eternity mert; Under the sou and the dem, Waiting the Judgment day; Under the laurel, the Blue; Under the willmm, the Gray."
Dedicated to My Father,
I. B. Anluther,
Whn More "The Bhte."
CHAPTER LIII
Ritchie County Soldiers in the Civil War
INDING it impossible at this late day to ob- tain a correct list of the names of the sol- diers of the Civil war who enlisted from Ritchie, as no record by counties has been kept, we here give the names of those who made up the companies that were recruited from this county, as taken from the Adju- tant General's Report. But, doubtless, not a few of them be- longed to other parts of the state.
Company "D," of the Sixth Regiment West Virginia In- fantry Volunteers :- John Clarke, Captain; Christian Hick- man, 1st. Lieutenant; B. S. Cunningham, 2nd. Lieutenant. : Zachariah P. Rexroad, 1st Sergeant : and A. J. Johnson, David Cain, Seth T. Saterfield and Cornelius H. Cain, Sergeants ; John Deem, George W. Sinnett, Jacob Fouse, Wm. G. Gar- rison, Robert Swadley, Wilbur F. Wigner, Lewis Rogers, and John Everett, Corporals ; John C. N. Wigner, Teamster ; Benjamin A. Arbogast, James F. Beatty, John C. Brubaker, John G. Bumgardner, Albert W. Cain, Thomas Carder, Mor- timer J. Cayton, John Clayton, James Congrove, Jasper M. Congrove, Robert J. Cross, Wm. J. Cunningham, J. W. Cun- ningham, Moses Cunningham, John M. Debrular, Isaialı Deem, John G. Dotson, M. H. Dotson, Jeremiah R. Douglass, Thomas H. Dougherty, John A. Farr, John M. Furr, Elias Gains, Francis Glancey, Joseph A. Grason, Ezekiel M. Grib- ble, Cornelius S. Gribble, Uriah Harris, George W. Hagans, Samuel Hamilton, A. R. Hulderman, Sampson P. Hull, Luther E. Hudgill, William A. Lamb, Dennis Lanham, Daniel C. Louchery, Wm. A. Lyons, Christopher, N. Lyons, Isaac Mc- Cartney, Phillip N. Miller, Jacob Mullinax, Ephraim More-
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THE BLUE AND THE GRAY
head, Wm. Nicholas, W'm. H. Parks, John S. Patton, Joseph Pittman, Wm. Postleweight, U. P. Postleweight, John R. Powell, Adam Rahrla, Benjamin F. Riffle, Stephen Rogers, H. C. Ross, Uriah Shrader, Charles E. Sheppard, Anthony Sharpnack, Josephus Six, Lewis Six, George S. W. Smith, James D. Smith, James L. Smith, Samuel Smith, Thomas B. Steed, George W. Stuart, William G. Stuart, Frederick L. Swiger, Alexander Tennant, Truman D. Vancourt, Thomas Williams, Mark Williams, Thomas Wilson, Isaac N. Wil- cox, John Wilburn, James S. Wigner, Martin White, Abel C. Whiteman, David C. Whiteman, Robert R. Whiteman, and Harrison Wright were the private soldiers of this company.
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