History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 181

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SAMUEL EDWARD BRADLEY, president of the Madison National Bank, a former president of the Royal Block Coal Company, county road engineer of Boone County, is one of the most important men of his section, and one who has traveled far on the road which leads to prosperity and civic honors. He comes of a long line of honorable ances-

try, dating back in this country to four brothers by the name of Bradley who were passsengers in one of the little sailing vessels which almost immediately followed the historic "Mayflower."' One of these brothers remained in New England; another traveled further West; one eventually made his way into the wilderness which subsequently be- came Kentucky; and Joshua Bradley took up his residence in Virginia, and it is from the last named that Samuel Ed- ward Bradley is directly descended. All of these Bradley brothers and their descendants took a very active part in the history of the American Colonies, the Revolutionary war, and the subsequent events down to the present day, and they are to be found all over the country, in all the professions and honorable trades and business enterprises.

The birth of Samuel Edward Bradley occurred January 9, 1862, and he is a son of John D. and Martha J. (Pauley) Bradley, both of whom were born in West Virginia. John D. Bradley was a farmer and blacksmith during his earlier years, and during the war between the two sections of the country he espoused the Union cause and served it as a brave soldier. He lived to be nearly ninety years of age, dying at Charleston, West Virginia, May 13, 1922.

Growing up in his native county of Raleigh, Samuel Ed- ward Bradley attended its common schools, and pursued his studies by himself to prepare for a normal training, it heing his youthful ambition to become a teacher. After he had secured his certificate he taught in Raleigh, Boone and Kanawha counties from 1881 to 1892, and during this time studied surveying, for he is one of those men who can never rest content with what he has accomplished, but is always trying to further fit himself for other and more important duties. In 1884 he was elected county surveyor of Boone County, and in order to better discharge the obliga- tions of this office took up the study of railroad construc- tion and general engineering with the Scranton Corres- pondence School, from which be secured his diploma in both. A further recognition of his abilities was shown when he was appointed deputy sheriff of Boone County, and he served as such for four years, during which time he proved his utter fearlessness and resourcefulness.

In 1897 Mr. Bradley was elected clerk of the Circuit Court of his district, and served as such until 1903, since which time he has devoted considerable attention to his pro- fession and land surveying. In 1919 he was elected county road engineer, and still holds that office. He still gives a general supervision to the construction and right of way matters for the county in its road work. In 1915 Mr. Bradley branched out in his activities, going at that time into the coal business as an operator, and opened up the mine of the Royal Block Coal Company on the Altman Branch, of which concern he was president. He was one, of the original organizers of the Madison National Bank in 1902, has continued on its directorate since its inception, and became its president in 1916.

On April 13, 1885, Mr. Bradley married Nannie J. Hunter, a daughter of Robert and Janett (Thompson) Hunter, natives of West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley have two children, Hattie and Ernest. Ernest Bradley is a veteran of the World war, and after his return home be- came Assistant Division engineer on the State Road Com- mission of West Virginia. He enlisted in the aviation branch of the service, but was transferred to the engineer- ing corps, in which he held the rank of lieutenant. He married Ada Davis, of Huntington, West Virginia.

Mr. Bradley and his family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He is a Scottish-rite, Chapter, Knight-Templar and Shriner Mason, and he belongs to the Masonic Club of Wheeling, West Virginia. He also main- tains membership with the Independent Order of Odd. Fellows and is a Past Grand Patriarch of the West Vir- ginia Grand Encampment. He is a certified member of the American Association of Engineers. His rise bas not. been spectacular, but it bas been steady, and whatever he has undertaken to do he has accomplished with painstaking fidelity. Today if he voices his approval of an enterprise or movement his associates know that it is because he bas taken it under consideration and carefully studied it from

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HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA

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WILLIAM H. RUBY, vice president and general manager of he Trace Fork Coal Company, on the Virginian Railroad, ne mile west of Mullens, general manager of the Wilton mokeless Coal Company, and president of the Spencer Fork 'oal Company on Piney branch of the same road, is one of he well known figures in coal mining circles of Wyoming County. He has been identified with one branch or another f this industry since boyhood, and his advancement there- n has been gained through sheer merit and not because of ny fortuitous chance or lucky circumstance.

Mr. Ruby was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, July 19, 1887, nd is a son of William Frederick and Minnie (Gilcher) tuby, natives of Germany. William Frederick Ruby was nly twelve years of age when he made the journey to imerica alone to join four brothers and a sister, who had receded him to Cincinnati. For a period of thirty-six years e was identified with the Fleischman Yeast Company, and uring a large part of this time was a foreman and one f the company's most trusted employes. He retired two ears prior to his death, which occurred in 1921, at Cin- innati, when he was sixty-three years of age. He was a aithful member of the Lutheran Church, to which also elongs his wife, who was three years of age when brought y her parents to the United States, and who is now a esident of Cincinnati, aged sixty years. Mr. and Mrs. tuby were the parents of two sons: Walter W., sales man- ger for the Chesapeake & Virginian Coal Company, at ynchburg, Virginia ; and William H.

William H. Ruby went to the public schools of Cincinnati nd as a boy displayed unusual industry and ambition. As oon as allowed he secured employment, but after working t unskilled labor for several years came to the conclusion hat he should be hetter prepared for his struggle with ompetition in the business world, and accordingly pursued , course in general mechanics at the Ohio Mechanical In- titute, which he finished at the age of eighteen years. In 907 he came to Prince, West Virginia, in the capacity of odman for the New River Collieries Company, and at the nd of two years had advanced to assistant in the engineer- ng department. He then hecame assistant engineer of the ulf Smokeless Coal Company at Tams, Raleigh County, a oncern with which he remained for seven years, at the end f which time he was superintendent of the Hotcoal Mine, Gulf Smokeless property. Subsequently for one and one- alf years Mr. Ruby was general superintendent of the Iro- quois Coal Mining Company, and in 1917, with others, pur- hased the Trace Fork Mine, of which he has since been ice president and general manager. During the five years hat he has been in charge there have been made numerous mprovements, including a new tipple, new houses, a new vater system and steel mine cars. Mr. Ruby's official asso- iates in this company are H. E. Tribou, president of Tams; und R. F. Wildey, secretary-treasurer, of Tracoal. In April, 920, Mr. Ruby became one of the organizers of the Wilton Smokeless Coal Company, of which he is general manager, is associates being: J. B. Clifton, of Beckley, president ; . H. Meador, Beckley, vice president; and H. R. Tribou, Fams, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Ruby is a thoroughly nformed coal man, having worked his way up through the various branches and learning the details of all during his upward climb. He has the full confidence of his associates ind the friendship and loyalty of his men. He is a republi- an in his political affiliation, and his religious connection is with the Lutheran Church, and as a fraternalist he belongs o the Blue Lodge of Masonry at Tams, of which he is a past master, and the Mystic Shrine at Charleston.

In June, 1913, Mr. Ruby married Miss Anna Mae Woldey, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and to this union there have been born two children: William H., Jr., and Jack W.

CHARLES STEPHEN MEREDITH, of Spencer, is a building contractor and has been associated with a firm that has handled many of the largest contracts both in general

building and in road construction in this section of West. Virginia.

Mr. Meredith was born in Tyler County, West Virginia, July 3, 1868. He is descended from one of three brothers that came from Wales in Colonial times, one locating in Pennsylvania, another in Maryland, and the third in West Virginia. His grandfather, Davis Meredith, was born in Ohio in 1815, spent his early life as a farmer in Noble County, that state, and in 1855 moved to Tyler County, West Virginia, where he continued farming and also his labors as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died at Centerville in Tyler County in 1895. His wife was Naomi Snodgrass, who was born in 1817, and died at Centerville in 1883. Absalom Meredith, their son, was born in Noble County, Ohio, in 1842, and was thirteen years of age when his parents settled in Tyler County, where he finished his education, where he married and devoted all his active years to the pursuits of agriculture. Late in life he removed to Wetzel County, where he lived on his farm until his death in 1904. He was a republican, a Methodist, a member of the Odd Fellows, and in 1863 joined Company C of the Seventh West Virginia Infantry and was in the serv- ice of the Union cause until the end of the war. Absalom Meredith married Catherine Riley, who was born in Tyler County in 1836 and died at Weston in Lewis County in 1912. They were the parents of a large family of children: Laura, wife of John Kelley, an oil field worker living near Ellen- boro in Ritchie County; Jennie, wife of John Horner, a farmer in Ritchie County; Gilbert B., district superintendent of the Hope Natural Gas Company and living at Smith- field, West Virginia; Rufus D., an oil and gas well drilling contractor at Claremore, Oklahoma; James A., twin of Rufus, an attorney at Fairmont, West Virginia, and ap- pointed by Governor Morgan, judge of the Supreme Court of West Virginia; Emma B., wife of Campbell Martin, a farmer near Ellenboro; Harry, a leaser for the Sun Oil Company at Sweetwater, Texas; Emery, an oil well driller in Ohio.

Charles S. Meredith grew up in Tyler County, where he attended country schools and spent two years in the Middle- bourne Normal School, leaving that institution in 1892. At the age of twenty-one he began teaching in the country districts of Tyler County, and altogether taught for twelve years. In 1901 he removed to Calhoun County, and was a farmer in that section four years.

Since 1905 Mr. Meredith has been a resident of Spencer, for four years he was a merchant here, and since then has been in the general contracting business. In 1909 he became associated with C. H. Rhodes and A. C. Thomasson, under the firm name of the Spencer Brick & Concrete Com- pany, but since 1912 the business has been conducted as the Spencer Brick Company. A lengthy catalog might be com- piled of the important work this firm has done. This list includes the buildings of the First National Bank, the Whiting Hotel, the new High School, the Dye Garage, the C. H. Holswade garage, the new City Building, all in Spencer, besides a number of other business and residence structures, while they have also constructed bridges and many miles of road throughout Roane and surrounding counties.

Mr. Meredith owns a fine home at 214 Front Street. He was for two years town recorder of Spencer, is a re- publican, a trustee and steward of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is affiliated with Moriah Lodge No. 38, A. F. and A. M., Spencer Chapter No. 42, R. A. M., West Virginia Consistory of the Scottish Rite at Wheeling, Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg, is a past grand of Campbell Lodge No. 101, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Spencer, and a member of Spencer Lodge No. 55, Knights of Pythias, and Spencer Lodge No. 6576, Modern Woodmen of America. During the war he put the demands of patriotism first, and was active in pro- moting the success of all the drives for the various purposes in his home county.

In 1903, in Tyler County, he married Miss Callie F. Hassig, who was born in that county. Mrs. Meredith is a member of the Methodist Church and the Modern Brother- hood. Her father, Jacob Hassig, was born in Monroe

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County, Ohio, in 1830, spent his early life there as a farmer, and about 1870 moved to Tyler County, West Virginia, where he continued farming on an extensive scale. He was a democrat and a very active member of the Chris- tian Church. Jacob Hassig, who died at Spencer in 1912, married Rebecca Smith, who was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1839, and died in Tyler County in 1910. Their children were: William, a farmer who died in Tyler County at the age of fifty-one; Laura, who died in Tyler County aged twenty-seven, wife of James Feist, a farmer still living in that county; Delia, wife of John Fuchs, an employe of an oil company in Tyler County; Charles, of New Martinsville, West Virginia; Mrs. Meredith; Alice, wife of Gilbert B. Meredith, previously mentioned; Miss Charlottie, who was a Red Cross nurse in the hospitals of France fourteen months and is now night superintendent of the Ohio Valley General Hospital at Wheeling; Ross with an oil company living in Wetzel County.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Meredith are the parents of three children: Alice, who graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, is the wife of Dr. Prince W. Houchins, a dentist at Kimball, McDowell County ; Gilbert E., who was in a training camp at Morgantown during the war, is a truck driver at Charleston, West Vir- ginia; Paul R., born June 18, 1907, is a student in the Spencer grade school.

WILLIAM HAY KEIM. Under modern conditions one of the most important county offices to which individuals may be elected by their fellow-citizens is that of sheriff. The proper discharge of the duties of this post call for personal courage, executive capacity, faithfulness and ability for the handling of detail work, as well as integrity and an appre- ciation of the responsibilities involved. In none of these attributes has William Hay Keim, sheriff of Randolph County, failed. Since taking office in 1921 he has con- ducted its affairs in an energetic, efficient and conscientious way, fully vindicating the faith reposed in him by the voters of the county.

Sheriff Keim was born at Elk Lick, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, December 27, 1869, and is a son of Silas Clark and Annie (Arnold) Keim. His father was born on a farm in the same community, being a son of Jonas and Sarah (Livengood) Keim, and a member of a family of Swiss origin, Silas Clark Keim was a farmer in early life, but later turned his attention to banking and merchandising, and also acted as a minister in the Dunkard Church. He died in 1881, at the age of forty-six years. His wife, Annie (Arnold) Keim, was born in Mineral County, West Virginia, the daughter of Rev. Joseph Arnold, a Dunkard preacher, who was born in West Virginia, of English descent. Mrs. Keim died in 1912, at the age of seventy-five years. They were the parents of seven sons and two daughters.

One of the sons of Silas C. and Annie Keim was the late Hon. Noah G. Keim, of Elkins, who was born at Elk Lick, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and was primarily educated there in the public schools. Later he attended Ashland College, at Ashland, Ohio, and Juanita College in Pennsylvania, and after leaving the latter took up the work of a teacher in the public schools. He came to Elkins, West Virginia, as a tutor for the sons of the late United States Senator Stephen B. Elkins, and later engaged in mercantile business with his brother, William H., with whom he subse- quently embarked in the insurance business. He became a leader in the republican party, served with credit as state senator, and was known as a man of high principles and marked ability. In his death his community lost one of its able and public-spirited men.

William Hay Keim attended the public schools of his native place and a Dunkard school at Bridgewater, Vir- ginia, and for two years in young manhood was employed by the Pittsburgh Street Car Company. Later he was identified with steel industrial companies at Elwood, Indiana, and Joliet, Illinois, and in 1897 located at Elkins, West Virginia, where he and his brother, Noah G., above noted, embarked in a mercantile business. This they con- tinued for three years, following which they turned their attention to general insurance, under the firm name of Keim

& Keim, and the business is still being conducted by William H. Keim and his brother's son, Howard H. Keim. This enterprise has grown to important proportions and is one of the leading concerns of its kind in Randolph County. In Tho 1920 Mr. Keim became the republican nominee for sheriff, a position to which he was elected by a majority of 415 votes, being the first republican sheriff elected in Randolph County since the Civil war. In the same election James M. Cox, the democratic candidate for President, carried Ran- dolph County by 618 votes. He has an excellent record in office and has proved his capability as. a public official. Sheriff Keim is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and his religious faith is that of the Baptist Church.

In 1894 Sheriff Keim was united in marriage with Miss Eva Rees, of Elk Lick, Pennsylvania, and to them there have been born three sons and six daughters.

HARLEY C. KESLING. One of the young and energetic officials of Randolph County, Harley C. Kesling, clerk of the County Court of Randolph County, is one of the popular and efficient men handling the county's business. He is likewise a veteran of the World war, in which he saw much active service overseas, and has the added distinction of belonging to one of the old and honored families of what is now West Virginia, and which originated in the Old Domin- ion many years ago.

Mr. Kesling was born in Upshur County, West Virginia, April 12, 1895, and is a son of Adam and Etta May (Lan- ham) Kesling, and a grandson of Mineor and Lucinda (Radabaugh) Kesling, the former of whom was born in what is now West Virginia. Adam Kesling was born July 15, 1863, in Upshur County, where he was reared and edu- cated, and established a residence at Elkins, Randolph County, in 1905. In his youth he had learned the trade of carpenter, and this he has followed as a contractor, many of the large buildings and residences of Elkins being ex- amples of his good workmanship and reliability. He is a republican in politics and in fraternal relations is an Odd Fellow, being a past grand master of his lodge. Years ago he and his wife joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he still belongs. Mrs. Kesling was born in Upshur County, a daughter of Granville Lanham, who was a native of Virginia and a farmer and public official of Upshur County. Mrs. Kesling died May 9, 1921, aged forty-nine years.

The only child of his parents, Harley C. Kesling was ten years of age when brought to Elkins, and here he grew to manhood and attended the public schools. After graduating from high school he took a course at the Mountain State Business College, Parkersburg, West Virginia, and his first position was as labor accountant for the firm of Babcock & Wilcox Company at Barberton, Ohio. He remained witlı that concern for one year and then became bookkeeper for the Elkins Provision and Storage Company of Elkins, a position which he was holding at the time tho United States became embroiled in the World war. Mr. Kesling volunteered in the regular United States army and enlisted September 25, 1917. After five weeks of infantry drill at Columbus, Ohio, he was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with Company C, Fifth Field Battalion, and given signal corps training. Sent overseas in February, 1918, he served first in France with the Forty-seventh French Infantry, in reserve, and later was attached to Company K, Thirtieth Infantry, Third Division, as signalman, with the rank of corporal. At the second battle of the Marne Corporal Kes- ling was automatically transferred to the infantry, with which he served from the Marne to the Vesle River, follow- ing the enemy. At the latter point, August 9, 1918, his detachment was relieved by French troops, and he went back to Grandrecourt, where he entered the gas and infantry training school. Later he participated in the St. Mihiel drive until September 12, 1918, when relief came from an American division to hold the lineg. His infantry was drawn back and transferred to a point near Verdun, being held in reserve to support the Seventy-seventh Division. He entered upon the engagement of the Argonne Forest Sep- tember 26, 1918, passing through Montfaucon, September

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h, and he continued with the advance until October 5th, which date Corporal Kesling was severely wounded by a shot which tore away his left hand and injured his left w and armpit. The seriousness of the wound made it essary to amputate his arm at the shoulder joint. He in the hospital thereafter until sent back to the United tes in March, 1919, and received his honorable discharge y 9th, of that year. He is a member of the American ;ion and served as the first commander of H. W. Daniels t at Elkins.

Upon his return from military service Mr. Kesling became raveling salesman for the Elkins Provision and Storage apany, a position which he held until 1921. As the linee of the republican party he was elected clerk of Randolph County Court in 1920, and January 1, 1921, ered upon the duties of that office for a term of six years. official record thus far is an excellent one, and he is ving one of the best incumbents of this office that Ran- oh County has ever known. Mr. Kesling is a member of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, and his gious connection is with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 1920 he was united in marriage with Miss Flossie Clee Irick, of Elkins.

EORGE LEEDOM PEIRCE, M. D. Enthusiastic students of lical science have been the mediums through which have e the medical knowledge that has made the present era 'e notable than any other in the history of medicine. se quiet, serious students seek experience in many fields,

. their accumulated knowledge benefits the world. A ned member of the medical profession at Elkins, West ginia, is Dr. George Leedom Peirce, a physician and geon in active practice here, a veteran officer of two s, a member of the representative medical organizations the country, and president of the Tri-County Medical iety.

octor Peirce was born at Reading, Pennsylvania, Janu- 14, 1872, and is a son of George H. and Adalaide (Lee- 1) Peirce. George H. Peirce was also born in Penn- ania, a son of George Scarelet Peirce and a grandson William Peirce. The earliest record of the family con- is one George Peirce, a native of England and a Quaker religious belief, who accompanied William Penn and his ker colony when the great peacemaker settled in the ile country they found in Pennsylvania. George H. ree was an architect and building contractor at Reading many years, and died in that city in his sixty-eighth r. He was married first to Adalaide Leedom, who died 1875. She was a daughter of John and Helen Leedom, were of German extraction. When the war between states was precipitated they were residents of Richmond, ginia. Mr. Leedom was a sympathizer with the Union se and therefore removed with his family from the thern city and established a home at Reading, Pennsyl- ia, and it was there that his daughter was married to rge H. Peirce. At the time of her death her son George dom was three years old. The second marriage of rge H. Peirce was with Emma Solt, and five of their dren grew to maturity.

George Leedom Peirce was reared in his native city. He ended the public schools and after graduating from the h school entered the Bordentown (New Jersey) Military titute, from which he was graduated in 1887. Although fifteen years old at that time, he had already made ice of a future career, and after some preliminary paratiou entered the medical department of the Uni- sity of Louisville, Kentucky, and was graduated from t institution in 1894. He entered upon the practice of profession at Elk Garden, Mineral County, West Vir- ia, which place continued to be his home until 1901.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 181

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