USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 21
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ity for a number of insurance organiza- tions. He is past master of Wirt Coun- ty I.odge, No. 82, A. F. & A. M., and was formerly connected with the Knights of Pythias. Mrs. Thaw and one daughter belong to the Baptist Church, while another is an Episcopa- lian. The Doctor's mother belongs to the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Clermont E. Thaw, the father of Dr. Thaw, was born August 24, 1824, at Philadelphia, and died December 16, 1854, at Ripley, Virginia, now West Virginia. He received a liberal col- legiate education at Philadelphia and then entered the law office of Charles Gilpins, Esq., a prominent jurist. Mr. Thaw possessed every qualification for a brilliant legal career, and after com- pleting his studies went to Richmond, Virginia, where he gained much from the advice and association of such legal minds as those of John Robertson, ex- attorney general, and General Baxter, attorney general, of the State. In 1845 he settled by their advice in Jackson County, which was considered a fertile field for a young attorney. He soon fulfilled every expectation and made his way into surrounding counties and was accorded more than the usual amount of public patronage and popular favor. His last appearance in court was on the 14th of August, preceding his death,
when he made a memorable appeal, in- volving important legal principles. As an advocate Mr. Thaw was brilliant and effective, and was beloved by his clients and feared by his adversaries. His death was a matter of sincere re- gret all over the county, the bar feeling they had lost one of their most briliant and promising members, and his ac- quaintances, a firm and sincere friend.
HON. A. M. CUNNINGHAM.
HON. A. M. CUNNINGHAM, one of the acknowledged leaders of the West Virginia House of Delegates dur- ing the session of 1902-03, and one of the ablest and most efficient Republican workers in the State, was born at Buck- hannon, Upshur County, West Vir- ginia, February 23, 1864. His ances-
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try is a mixture of Scotch and German, his father, Solomon Cunningham, be- ing of Scotch descent, and his mother, Mary Jane ( Lantz) Cunningham, a na- tive of Virginia, being of German de- scent.
Mr. Cunningham had the advan -- tages supplied by the common schools at Pendleton, West Virginia, where his parents had located, and he gained sufficient proficiency to receive a teach- er's certificate. For 12 years he fol- lowed the profession of teaching, in the meantime applying himself to litera- ture and the law, laying the foundations upon which he has since built up un- usual success. In 1892 he was admitted to the bar in Tucker County and was soon after elected prosecuting attorney, and served four years. His residence is at Parsons, the county seat, and he has built up a very lucrative private prac- tice, representing a number of lumber, coal and other corporations. In 1902 he was chosen by his fellow citizens to a seat in the State Legislature, and im- mediately became a leader of the Re- publican forces in the House of Dele- gates.
On October 15. 1887, Mr. Cunning- ham was united in marriage with Maud Auvil, and a family of seven children was born to this union, namely : Eu- gene B .; Stanley Charles; Dan, de-
ceased; Neil; Constance, deceased; McKinley Hobart; and Marion, de- ceased.
Mr. Cunningham is commanding and dignified in appearance, has a fine voice and polished address, and is a powerful advocate of any measure of which he approves. He has been close to the Speaker of the house, and is one of the trusted and influential party men.
HON. JOHN A. A. VANDALE.
HON. JOHN A. A. VANDALE. -In developing the great resources of West Virginia and contributing to the wealth of the State, there are a few men who not only deserve honorable men- tion, but to whom the people owe a debt of gratitude. Among these men no one
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has played a more important part than Hon. John A. A. Vandale, of Spencer, Roane County, who was born Septem- ber 1, 1853, at Boggsville, now known as Millard, Roane County, Virginia, now West Virginia. His father, Will- iam B. Vandale, moved to Roane Coun- ty from Greenbrier County in 1832.
The boyhood of our subject was passed on the farm and he attended a school taught by Charles Preston, a pio- neer teacher of the period, his entire school days numbering just 339. At an early age he started to teach school through Roane, Wirt, Fayette and Cal- houn counties, and succeeded so well that he was eventually made principal of the Spencer schools, a position he held for three years. During this per- iod he departed from the ways of many of the pedagogues, in that he never used the rod nor resorted to any harsh meas- ures, relying entirely on moral suasion. Upon resigning his position as teacher, he began the study of the law under Hon. John G. Shilling, and at the ex- piration of one year was admitted to the bar. In 1880 he commenced the prac- tice of his profession at Spencer, and this he still continues, and is now a member of the State Bar Association.
In 1884 Mr. Vandale was elected prosecuting attorney of Roane County and in 1896 was re-elected to the same
office, and yet again in 1900, an evi- dence of the esteem and respect in which he is held by his fellow citizens throughout the county. He was the only Democrat on the county ticket elected in the last contest. He has taken a very active interest in politics since 18So and by direction of the State committee has spoken in many coun- ties. During his long career as prose- cuting attorney, no man has labored more zealously to advance the interests of his county. When he entered on his fist term, there was not a steel bridge in all Roane County, cheap wooden struc- tures endangering the public at every stream. Mr. Vandale made it his busi- ness to immediately arrange for the erection of eight steel bridges, and this was effected without any cost to the public, its accomplishment being done through the rigid economy he practiced in the administration of the duties of his office. Mr. Vandale was largely in- strumental in securing for Spencer the Second Hospital for the Insane, which is one of the finest institutions in the State. He was appointed by Governor Wilson, superintendent of the farm which had been secured for the loca- tion of the buildings and was a member and secretary of the first board of direc- tors. Mr. Vandale remained a member of this board until Governor Fleming's
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administration when he resigned. In 1887 the court house at Spencer was de- stroyed by fire and he was appointed a member of a committee to erect a new court house and jail. He also prepared a bill to erect a school house and was elected a member of the Board of Edu- cation to erect it. The bill passed the State Legislature and in 1895 the school house was built at a cost of $8,700.
Mr. Vandale was married Septem- ber 3, 1877, to Olive A. Crislip, daugh- ter of Lemuel Crislip, and four children were born to this union, viz .: Laura F., born January 26, 1879, married John A. Heck ; Rudolph L., born April 24, 1880, died September 28, 1883; Earl C., born June 28, 1882; and Gi- nevra I., born March 14, 1889. Since the age of 14 years, Mr. Vandale has been a member of the Baptist Church. In every relation of life he has shown the attributes of a high-minded, gener- ous and sincere Christian gentleman.
J. E. WRIGHT .- The commer- cial supremacy fostered and maintained by J. E. Wright in his capacity of pres- ident of the La Belle Iron Works, places him through the wise discharge of an enormous responsibility, among the financial leaders of West Virginia. Born in Wheeling, he was reared in his
native city, and received his educational training at the public schools, supple- mented by a three-years course at Bea- ver College. More fortunate than many in locating a waiting opportunity, he became identified in 1882 with the en- terprise with which he is still connected, and of which his father, John Wright, was one of the organizers and most suc- cessful promoters. Aside from the mat- ter of selection, however, Mr. Wright is entitled to vast credit for the devel- opment of his business career, his in- valuable knowledge of the iron indus- try having been gained in a convincing and laborious manner while working his way through the grades intervening between the duties of a pay clerk and those of the president of one of the most important plants in the United States.
What was originally the Bailey, Woodward & Company concern, now the La Belle Iron Works, has greatly contributed, since its establishment in 1852, to the upbuilding of Wheeling. The location of the plant there has nev- er been changed, but, whereas it was then in the country, it is now in the midst of seething city activities. A joint stock company of 22 members was responsible for its being, and it was managed by a board of directors under the presidency of Solomon H. Woodward. Of the members of the old
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firm, but two survive,-John Wright, who withdrew from active participa- tion in its affairs in 1876, and W. R. E. Elliott, who still retains an interest in the business, and is living in Steuben- ville, Ohio. In 1875 the present title of the concern was adopted. The pud- dling mill at first furnished employment to about 250 men, and in connection therewith was operated a coal bank, that mineral then being the medium of generating power. The year 1886 wit- nessed an important change in the mat- ter of power, gas being substituted for the product of the coal bank. This was brought originally from the Hickory district, southwest of Washington, Pennsylvania. At present gas is ob- tained from the Cameron district, 30 miles from Wheeling, the well being the largest ever drilled in this country. The first enterprise was a nail factory, and nails are still manufactured in large quantities at the Wheeling plant. In fact, this particular department con- trolled the nail output of the country in the early "eighties." About 1887 there was established a skelp mill, for the purpose of welding bent strips of iron into tubing, and a still later depart- ure was the making of tin-plate, for which a mill was built in 1895. Two years later the tinplate branch was en- larged, and the following year it was
disposed of entirely. At one time there were 10 tin mills, two skelp mills, and 173 nail machines,-for the entire op- eration of which 750 men were re- quired. There are now about 300 men in the works at Wheeling.
To secure better facilities for a con- templated increase of business, the firm purchased, in 1899, the property for- merly utilized by the old Jefferson Iron Works at Steubenville, Ohio, which comprises 75 acres. The same year the first buildings for the enlarged en- terprise were erected, and the office and management were removed to the new quarters May 1, 1901. At Steubenville will be manufactured the skelp or tubu- lar goods, for which a mill was com- pleted in December, 1901, and a blast furnace is also in process of construc- tion for the manufacture of pig metal. The raw material for that product will be brought from the company's mines in St. Louis County, Minnesota ; these mines were acquired in 1900, and re- quire for their operation 40 miners. The works in the Ohio town already furnish work for 1,400 men, and in the near future it is expected there will be employment for about 2,500 hands.
January 1, 1899, Mr. Wright be- came president and general manager of the entire La Belle Iron Works, and re- moved his family to Steubenville, May
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I, 1901. W. E. Beswick is secretary of the concern; W. B. Higgins, as- sistant secretary ; and W. H. Travis is general manager of the Wheeling plant.
WAYNE K. PRITT.
WAYNE K. PRITT, clerk of the Circuit Court of Tucker County, was born in 1872 in Randolph County, West Virginia, and is a son of George WV. and Lucinda (Ingram) Pritt, the former of whom was a native of this State, and the latter, of Washington County, Pennsylvania.
George W. Pritt was born in Ran- dolph County in 1845 and died in 1892, at the age of 47 years. He followed agricultural pursuits through life and was a highly esteemed citizen. In poli-
tics he was identified with the Repub- lican party. His wife died in 1902, aged 54 years, and was a woman of noble Christian character. They reared a family of seven children, five of whom still survive.
Wayne K. Pritt received his edu- cation in the common schools of Tucker County and Normal School at Philip- pi, and was but 16 years of age when he began teaching, a profession he fol- lowed for four years in the district schools of Tucker county. In 1892 he accepted a position as bookkeeper for The Hendricks Company, Limited, at Hendricks, West Virginia, and re- mained there until 1896. He has al- ways taken an active interest in poli- tics, is an active worker in the Re- publican party, and in 1896 was elected clerk of the Circuit Court of Tucker County. In 1902 he was re-nominated without opposition, and was re-elected by the largest majority of any candidate on the ticket. His services have given most excellent satisfaction to those concerned. He is a member of the Republican County Committee, and during the past two campaigns has been its chairman.
Mr. Pritt is a man of substance, owning valuable real estate, both at Parsons and Hambleton. He is in- terested in The Tucker County Bank
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and is secretary and treasurer of the Parsons Electric Light & Power Com- pany, of Parsons. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow. Religiously, like his par- ents, he belongs to the Methodist Pro- testant Church. He is unmarried, and since his father's death has been the head and supporter of the family.
HON. ANTHONY SMITH.
HON. ANTHONY SMITH, of Harrisville, West Virginia, president of the Ritchie County Bank, and a prominent member of the bar, has long been a distinguished citizen of the Mountain State. He was born Jan- uary 9, 1844, in Beaver County, Penn- sylvania. When young Anthony was but four years of age, his father moved
to what is now West Virginia, where the youth was afforded only fair edu- cational opportunities. He remained at work on his father's farm until the opening of the Civil war, on August 14, 1862, enlisting in Company F, 14th Reg., West Virginia Vol. Inf. On May 9. 1864, at the battle of Cloyd Mountain, Virginia, he was captured by the enemy and was held a prisoner of war in Danville, Lynchburg, Ander- sonville and various other points. Dur- ing the entire war, he never applied for a furlough, nor visited his home, and was not released until April 28, 1865, from prison near Jacksonville, Florida. After he returned to the home farm, near Wick, Tylor County, West Vir- ginia, he resumed farming and at the same time began the study of the law. In his chosen profession, Mr. Smith soon came to the front, and as early as 1871 was regarded as a political leader. He was elected to the House of Delegates of 1871, 1872 and 1873, and served in the State Senate during the sessions of 1883 and 1885. He was a candidate for the pending Sen- ate, and filed papers of contest for the seat held by John D. Sweeny, Democrat. In 1888, Mr. Smith was a Republican candidate as presidential elector, but was defeated, sharing the fate of the rest of the nominees. Dur-
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ing 1891 he was again a member of the House of Delegates and served with distinction. In 1892, he was elected prosecuting attorney of Tyler County, the duties of which office he ably dis- charged for four years. In the sessions of 1899 and 1901 of the State Senate, he was a conspicuous member and dur- ing the latter was chosen president of that body by an almost unanimous vote. In the Senate he was recognized as a parliamentarian of great ability, standing without a peer in that body. He is the author of the law contained in Chapter 100 of the Acts of the Leg- islature of West Virginia, 1901, to suppress prize fighting.
Mr. Smith is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and served for one year as department com- mander of the Department of West Virginia, G. A. R., to which office he was elected April 28, 1893.
On December 20, 1870, Mr. Smith was married to Martha F. Holland, who was a daughter of Rev. Isaac Hol- land of Hebron, Pleasants County, West Virginia, and a son and daughter were born to this union, the former, C. F. P. Smith, is now a resident of California, and the latter, Mrs. Fay Stephens, is a resident of Harrisville. Since 1899, the subject of the sketch has resided at Harrisville, engaged in
the practice of his profession, and since 1901 has been president of the Ritchie County Bank. Senator Smith's life has been filled with stirring events, and he has held many positions of trust and responsibility bestowed upon him by his appreciative fellow citizens.
ALEXANDER CLOHAN.
ALEXANDER CLOHAN, post- master at Martinsburg, West Virginia, and one of the prominent horticultur- ists of the State, was born at Holy Town, Scotland, April 8, 1846, and ac- companied his parents to Preston County, when three years old, while that section was still a part of the Old Dominion. He is a son of William and Agnes (Anderson) Clohan, both of Scotch ancestry. Our subject's par- ents were married in Scotland.
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William Clohan was born in Coun- ty Antrim, in the north of Ireland, January 11, 1807. He was early left an orphan and went to Scotland, where when a boy he worked in the coal mines. Early in life, he became identi- fied with the movement to prevent wo- men and children from working in the mines. After this was accomplished, he became secretary of the miners' un- ion. He came to the United States in 1849 and settled in Preston County, Virginia, now West Virginia; after living there five years, he moved to Harrison County, and from there to Wheeling, where he engaged in the mining of coal. When the Civil War broke out, he became an ardent es- pouser of the Union cause. His son William enlisted in the Ist Virginia Regiment for three months and re-en- listed in the Ist Virginia Regiment for three years and was killed at Win- chester, Virginia, March 23, 1862, be- ing the first Union soldier from Wheel- ing to fall. He was brought home from the battle-field and buried with military honors. About this time, Mr. Clohan was elected magistrate and was familiarly known in Wheeling as "Squire Clohan." He was appointed and served as president of the Board of Registration until the law was re- pealed. He was an ardent Mason, be-
longing to the higher bodies. He was also a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias. He died in Wheel- ing in 1873.
Alexander Clohan's mother was Agnes Anderson, a daughter of Will- iam Anderson, and a sister of the fa- mous missionary to old Calabar, Afri- ca, who devoted over 50 years of his life to the mission work and died in the service,-he was sent out by the United Presbyterian Church of Scot- land and refused to be retired at the end of his 50 years of service.
Alexander Clohan is a man of more than the average amount of general knowledge on almost all subjects, but he was reared under circumstances that afforded little chance for educa- tion. He attended a public school at Wheeling for a short time, but at the age of 10 years entered the mines. Through industry and faithfulness he was advanced from one position to an- other, became a member of the United Sons of Vulcan, and before he had reached his majority was filling im- portant posts. From the rolling mills at Wheeling he went to the mills at Bellaire, Ohio, and in 1878 moved to Berkeley County. His thrift and in- dustry had given him the means to buy a farm of 144 acres in Gerrardstown district, on which he resided as his
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homestead until 1897, when he moved to Martinsburg. He lived on his farm and gave his attention at first to the raising of small fruit and truck gar- dening, and then set out a fine orchard of peach and apple trees, which have prospered to such an extent that his methods of culture are commended, and, as will be noted, have given him prominent positions. Mr. Clohan also owns other fine properties and has risen to a position as one of the most sub- stantial men of his locality.
In 1872 Mr. Clohan married Celia Crouch, a daughter of Enos R. Crouch, and a family of eight children was born to them, six of whom survive, namely: Robert Anderson, Lewis Garfield, Lucie May, Agnes Elizabeth, Archie Earl, and Elsie Cora. The eld- est, William Enos, died in 1898 and the second son, Herbert Eugene, in 1902. Mr. Clohan is a member of the Presbyterian Church and in other ways recalls his Scotch training.
In politics he has always been a Republican and served in the City Council of Bellaire. Since coming to Martinsburg, he has served as school trustee, as deputy sheriff of the county from 1893 to 1897, and in 1898 was appointed postmaster by President Mc- Kinley, being re-appointed in 1902 by President Roosevelt. He had no op-
position whatever for appointment either time and has given perfect sat- isfaction to the patrons of the office. He is a valued member of his party and was elected chairman of the Re- publican County Committee when there was a Democratic majority in the County. During the first campaign he had much to do with wiping out the Democratic majority of 300, and giv- ing victory to the Republicans. For six years, while acting as chairman, his party never met with defeat in the County. In 1895 he was appointed by the Democratic Governor, Mc- Corkle, a member of the State Board of Agriculture and Horticulture, and contribuated valuable papers on the work of the board. In 1901 he was honored by being elected presi- dent of the West Virginia Horti- cultural Society, and was re-elected in 1903. Mr. Clohan is called "Uncle Alex" by his farmer friends through- out the State, and he is as well known as any one in the Mountain State. Mr. Clohan is sincere in the performance of his duties, attends every meeting of the organizations of which he is a member, and keeps in touch with the Farmers' Institutes and furthers the work in every way. In fraternal life he belonged to the Good Templars, and was a member of the Improved Order
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of Red Men, Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Mason of high standing, being a member of Robert White Lodge, No. 57, A. F. & A. M .; Lebanon Chapter, No. 2, R. A. M. ; Palestine Command- ery, No. 2, K. T. ; and Osiris Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He has held offi- cial relations in all these orders and faithfully lives up to their intended ob- jects.
WV. B. IRVINE, a most successful young business man of Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, is a self-made man, who began at the foot of the lad- der and has risen rapidly to the top. At the present time he is cashier of the Bank of Wheeling.
The Bank of Wheeling, which was established in 1853, has conducted a general banking business, and is con- sidered one of the strongest financial institutions in the city. In 1880 D. C. List was president, with Gibson Lamb, cashier, and Joseph Seybold, assistant cashier. In 1890 the bank was incor- porated, Mr. List continuing as presi- dent, and Mr. Lamb as cashier. A short time later the present large and com- modious bank building at No. 1229 Main street was erected. Mr. List soon retired and Mr. Forbes became presi- dent; he also retired, and Mr. Lamb
succeeded him, filling that position until his death about three years ago. Jo- seph Seybold was the next president, and served until his death, in 1900. At that time the office of active president was discontinued, and Mr. Forbes was elected honorary president, with J. A. Jefferson as cashier and active man- ager, and Charles Lamb as assistant cashier.
Some time later Mr. Jefferson re- tired on account of ill health and was succeeded, June 10, 1901, by W. B. Irvine, the subject of this sketch. Sub- sequently Mr. Forbes tendered his res- ignation as honorary president and as a director, and A. J. Clarke was elected. The present directors are, -- A. J. Clarke, J. F. Paull, Henry Bieberson, Allen Brock, Charles Schmidt, C. H. Simpson and James Cummins, with Dr. A. F. Hustead, assistant cashier, and W. W. Gilchrist, bookkeeper.
WV. B. Irvine went to Wheeling as a boy, and was reared there. He has been in the banking business since he was 15 years of age, his first position being that of messenger boy for the Bank of the Ohio Valley, which position he filled for two years. Following this, he served as corresponding clerk for five years in the National Exchange Bank of Wheel- ing, next as discount clerk and later as individual bookkeeper. Subsequently
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he was promoted to be general book- keeper, and finally to be assistant cash- ier, which position he retained until he became cashier of the Bank of Wheel- ing. Socially, he is a Knight Templar, affiliating with Cyrene Commandery, No. 7. Mr. Irvine is highly esteemed by all, and enjoys the confidence of the public.
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