USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 24
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On August 29, 1878, Dr. Ice was married to Serena Hildreth, who was born in Mannington district, Marion County, West Virginia, in 1863, and is a daughter of Elias and Jane Hildreth. The four children born to this union
are: Lester Garfield, James Emmett, Nanie B. and Elias Clark. Mrs. Ice is a member of the Methodist Church. The Doctor is identified with the Re- publican party.
ARTHUR C. DAVIS.
ARTHUR C. DAVIS, general su- perintendent and office manager of the West Virginia Western Telephone Company, secretary and general man- ager of the Marietta Telephone Com- pany, secretary and treasurer of the West Virginia Telephone, Telegraph & Transportation Company, and sec- retary of the Oakland Pressed Brick Company, was born in Harrison Coun- ty, West Virginia, in 1866, and is a
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son of W. H. H. and Margaret J. ( Morris) Davis.
The Davis family is an old colonial one of New England, a branch of which settled in Ohio, where W. H. H. Davis, our subject's father, was born. In young manhood he came to West Virgina, where he was engaged for years in tanning and in mercantile pur- suits. He served six months in the State militia, and during four years of the Civil War was a commissioned officer in Company E. 3rd Virginia Vol. Cav., U. S. A. He now lives in Doddridge County, retired from act- ive life. He married Margaret J. Mor- ris, daughter of Benjamin Morris, who was one of the early citizens of Har- rison County. Benjamin Morris, who lived to the age of 98 years, was a descendant of the old English family of the name, and his parents settled in Harrison County ; another branch lo- cated in Philadelphia, where its mem- bers still take social precedence. Mrs. Davis was born in what is now West Virginia. The brothers and sisters of our subject are: Prof. W. G., a grad- uate of Nashville University, who is principal of the schools of Springfield, Tennessee: A. L., who is a student at Alfred University, New York; Mrs. Rose M. McWhorter, who is the wife of a merchant at Jackson Center, Ohio;
and Mrs. W. T. Ford, who is the wife of a merchant at Pursley, Tyler Coun- ty, West Virginia.
Arthur C. Davis was reared in Harrison County, and was educated at the Central University of Indiana, and at Alfred University, of New York State, receiving the degree of B. P. He was engaged for two years at office work in Rhode Island. The succeed- ing six years he spent in teaching in public and private schools in West Vir- ginia. He has been mainly interested in his present line, and has been em- ployed in the offices of the West Vir- ginia Western Telephone Company ever since its organization in 1898, and since the summer of 1901 has ably filled the position of general superintendent and office manager. He was first employed in the capacity of bookkeeper, but by mastering every detail of the business has been promoted from time to time until he now has entire charge of the company's vast interests. This suc- cessful company has 1,300 miles of toll lines, with its leading exchanges at Parkersburg, Harrisville, Cairo, Pennsboro, West Union, Sistersville, and Williamstown. It is connected with 31 independent companies in West Virginia, and has a practically complete service throughout the cen- tral and northern part of the State,
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and in addition, through Marietta, is connected with lines extending over a large portion of Ohio. The officers of this company are: H. C. Henderson, president ; J. E. Carle, vice-president ; J. H. Linninger, secretary; John F. Ford, treasurer; and Arthur C. Davis, general superintendent and office man- ager. At the time of organization, the headquarters of the company were at West Union, but since Mr. Davis has become identified with it, they have been at Parkersburg.
Mr. Davis was married, in West Virginia, to Anna B. Alexander, who was a daughter of the late T. B. Alex- ander, of Clarksburg, Harrison Coun- ty. Mr. Alexander was formerly as- sociated with M. B. Holmes in the boot and shoe trade. Four children have been born to this union. The family reside at No. 1333 Spring street, Par- kersburg. Mrs. Davis is a member of the Methodist Church.
In addition to his interests in the West Virginia Western Telephone Company, Mr. Davis is connected with other Parkersburg and Ohio enterprises, and is numbered among the city's busy and successful men. In politics he affiliates with the Repub- lican party. In fraternal life, he is associated with Parkersburg Lodge, No. 198, Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks: Liberty Lodge, No. 74, Knights of Pythias; Enterprise Lodge. No. 25, Ancient Order of United Workmen; Phoenix Camp, No. 6961, Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica ; Plymouth Council, No. 7, Modern Puritans ; and W. P. Green Camp, Sons of Veterans of the State of New York.
SAMUEL O. BILLINGS.
SAMUEL O. BILLINGS, secre- tary and treasurer of the Parsons Flouring Mill Company, vice-president and a director of the Parsons Electric Light & Power Company, and county clerk of Tucker County, was born in 1870 in Bradford County, Pennsyl-
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vania, and came to West Virginia in 1892, locating at Parsons. He is a son of Samuel and Adelia ( Bramhall) Bil- lings, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania.
Samuel Billings, the father, was born January 2, 1816, and is still a resident of Towanda, Pennsylvania, having reached a ripe old age. During the Civil War he was a commissionei in Bradford County. He assisted in the election of the first President Will- iam Henry Harrison. His life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. The mother of our subject was born in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, and died in March, 1892, at the age of 62 years. She had been a worthy mem- ber of the Methodist Church, to which her husband also belongs. They had a family of six children, viz .: Elmer J., a hay and grain dealer of New Al- bany, Pennsylvania; Minnie, wife of Frank J. Clark, freight accountant for the Michigan Central Railroad Com- pany, at Grand Rapids, Michigan ; Lu- cetta, wife of Judd Overfield of Ath- ens, Pennsylvania ; Jennie, wife of Ed- ward E. Sherman, a hay healer at New Albany, Pennsylvania; Samuel O., of this sketch : and Charles E., a traveling salesman at Boise, Idaho. A previous marriage of the father resulted in the birth of four children.
Samuel O. Billings was educated in the common schools of his native locality and at the University of Ohio, at Washington Court House. After completing his education, he became traveling representative for a grocery house and continued in that capacity until 1899. In that year he purchased the Parsons Flouring Mill, and in 1902 the business was incorporated witli Harry K. Grubb as president, and Mr. Billings as secretary and treasurer. He has taken an active interest in public improvements in Parsons and is iden- tified, as noted, with the Electric Light & Power Company. In politics Mr. Billings is a Republican, and his elec- tion in the fall of 1902 as county clerk gave Tucker County its first Republi- can in that office.
In 1894 Mr. Billings was united in marriage with Anna L. Pearson, who was born in 1871 in Canada, and is a daughter of Richard P. and Phœbe Pearson, of Parsons, West Virginia. One daughter, Lucille, has been born to this union. Mrs. Billings is a mem- ber of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and Mr. Billings of the Meth- odist. Fraternally he is an Odd Fel- low of high standing, having passed through all the chairs. Mr. Billings is a young man of more than the usual amount of business ability, is alive to
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the possibilities of his section of the State and promises to become one of its leading citizens at no distant date.
IRA J. HARSHBARGER.
IRA J. HARSHBARGER, sher- iff of Cabell County, West Virginia, was born in Cabell County, and is a son of David Harshbarger, who was born in 1811 and removed with his parents to Cabell County in 1820. David Harshbarger was an extensive farmer, a miller and a large real es- tate dealer. He was a son of William Harshbarger, a native of Germany, who at one time owned large estates in Cabell County, and whose death oc- curred from accidental drowning, in 1825. David Harshbarger died in 1898. He was once a candidate for
sheriff of Cabell County and was an active member of the Republican party. David Harshbarger was the father of these children, in addition to the subject of this sketch: John, dep- uty sheriff of Grant district, Cabell County, who served four years during the Civil War, under Gen. John S. Witcher with the rank of captain, and served as sheriff of the county for some years immediately after the war; G. W., who is associated with his brother, Ira J., in the milling busines's at Mil- ton ; J. H., who is interested in a mill at Jackson, Ohio, and also in real es- tate there; Mrs. E. T. Jones, wife of a coal operator at Jackson, Ohio; Mrs. Addie Hawley, who lives near Jack- son, Ohio; Mrs. Blackwood, who lives on a farm near Milton, West Virginia ; Mrs. Dr. C. H. Morris, who resides at Milton: Mrs. Ellen Smallidge, of Tenys, West Virginia ; and Mrs. A. J. Thomas, who is deceased.
Sheriff Harshbarger was reared on his father's farm, where he remained until the age of 21, assisting in the necessary work and attending the pub- lic schools. He then became inter- ested in stock and has dealt in it largely for some years. He owns two fine farms in the rich valley adjoining Mil- ton, and as it is probable that the town will speedily flourish on account of fine
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oil development, his 250 acres will im- mediately come into the market for building purposes. In 1888 he engaged in the milling business and erected a mill at Milton, which he operates as a member of the firm of Harshbarger Brothers. In 1890 he organized the Milton Oil & Gas Company and was its president for a time. Two wells were drilled, and a fine flow of gas was se- cured from one of them. The com- pany was re-organized and is now known as the Cabell Oil & Gas Com- pany. This promises to be one of the leading organizations of the vicinity. It has drilled two wells and has se- cured a gas flow of 4,000,000 feet from one and 2,000,000 from the other. The company is now putting down other wells and contemplates supplying Huntington, as they now do Milton. A large interest is owned by Isaac Sea- mons, John Abraham and L. H. Cox, who are known as thoroughly practi- cal oil men. The board of directors include : S. J. Kain, G. W. Harshbar- ger, W. L. White, Ira J. Harshbarger, and Dr. Irving, the latter of Missouri. The president is S. J. Kain and the vice-president, G. W. Harshbarger. The company has a large acreage leased which is underlaid with a six- foot vein of Pittsburg coal.
Sheriff Harshbarger married Miss
Crooks, of Parke County, Indiana, and their three children are: Hattie O., Maud L. and Harrison Morton. He has filled many offices in the gift of the Republican party, including that of Mayor of Milton. Fraternally he be- longs to the Knights of Pythias. His religious connection is with the Meth- odist Church. Mr. Harshbarger is a prominent and representative man of Cabell County, a valued public official and a progressive, wide-awake citizen.
JOHN COX HUPP, A. M., M. D.
JOHN COX HUPP, A. M., M. D., a distinguished physician of Wheel- ing. West Virginia, whose portrait ap- pears herewith, comes of a family noted for heroism and sacrifice in the
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days of Indian warfare. Philip, John, Frank, Palsar and another brother, whose name is not now known, came in 1770 to the frontier from the Shen- andoah Valley, and settled on the Dutch Fork of the Buffalo, in what is now Washington County, Pennsyl- vania, then claimed as a part of Vir- ginia. Frank Hupp was shot by an Indian at Jonathan Link's cabin, 12 miles west of Wheeling, on Middle Wheeling Creek, in September, 1771. John, grandfather of John Cox Hupp, was killed while defending Miller's blockhouse on Buffalo Creek from the Indians on Easter Sunday, 1772. Pal- sar Hupp settled on the banks of the Monongahela, near Millsboro, and Philip settled in Dutch Creek Valley.
John Hupp, one of the brothers above mentioned, left a son of the same name (the father of the subject of this sketch), who was two years old at the time of the siege of the blockhouse, in which he was when his father was killed. He was born July 27, 1780, and on January 19, 1813, was married to Ann Cox, by whom he had four children : Isaac; Joseph ; Louisa; and John Cox, of whom only the last named survives. The father died March 12, 1864, and the mother, who was born June 7, 1791, passed away November 26, 1875.
John Cox Hupp was born in Don- egal township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1819. He was educated at West Alexander Academy and Washington College, Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1844, taking the degree of A. M. in 1848. He was a fellow student in this institution of the illustri- ous James G. Blaine. He studied medicine under Dr. F. Julius LeMoyne and at Jefferson Medical College, Phil- adelphia, Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1847. He located in Wheeling. December 16, 1847, and commenced practice in an humble way. A hard, close student, with fixed pur- pose to excel in his calling, success was his reward. He built up a wide and lucrative practice, and reached the pinnacle of his profession. He was the founder of the State Medical So- ciety, and on February 20, 1870, brought chloral hydrate to the notice of the profession in a case of puerperal mania. In 1873 he inaugurated the policy in the Wheeling schools that when a female teacher does the work of a male instructor she shall have the same remuneration and rank as he would. In 1873 he made a successful effort before the Board of Education to obtain free school education for col- ored children, and to establish free
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night schools. In 1875, through his influence, the German language became a branch of study in the public schools, and in 1877 he was equally successful in making industrial drawing a regu- lar branch of study in the schools. For these liberal efforts he was serenaded by his German friends, and the col- ored citizens presented him with a gold- headed cane. In 1875 he was ap- pointed a delegate of the American Medical Association to the European Medical Association, which met at Brussels, and was a member of the executive committee of the Centennial Medical Commission to the Interna- tional Medical Congress at Philadel- phia in 1876. Dr. Hupp witnessed the first cremation in the United States in 1876, that of Baron de Palm at Washington, Pennsylvania, in the crematory built under the direction of his former preceptor, Dr. LeMoyne, in which Dr. Gross was subsequently cremated. Dr. Hupp has numerous notable surgical cases to his credit, and has contributed many valuable papers to the leading medical journals of the country. In 1850 he was physician to the Ohio County almshouse and jail, to the United States District Court, to the City Board of Health, and to the Children's Home; and in 1863 he was commissioned by Governor Pierpont as
State vaccine agent, and was reap- pointed by Governors Boreman, Stevenson and Jacobs, serving in all 15 years. He was president of the Ohio County Board of Supervisors, and in 1862 became United States pension examining surgeon,-the first in the State of West Virginia. He was pres- ident of the board until he resigned, in 1888, and was visiting physician to the West Virginia Home for Aged and Friendless Women. He is a con- sulting physician of the new City Hos- pital.
Dr. John Cox Hupp possesses liter- ary ability to a high degree, and has a vast fund of interesting reminicences of the early days of the border line of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and has contributed largely to the press, and also to Creigh's "History of Washington County, Pennsylvania." An additional testimonial to his quali- fications in this respect is found in the fact that by the voice of his college classmates at the reunion held at Wash- ington, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1869, he was chosen to prepare the quarter century historical sketch of his class- mates ; other duties, however, pre- vented his performance of this work. He is well equipped with diaries and voluminous scrap-books, denoting much mental occupation and energetic
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investigation through all departments of human interest. Dr. Hupp has an extensive circle of friends. He was a strong Unionist during the Civil War.
Dr. Hupp was married March I, 1853, and of his family of three sons and three daughters one son is de- ceased. Two sons and two daughters live in Wheeling.
C. D. BREWSTER.
C. D. BREWSTER, the active head of the firm of C. D. Brewster & Company, the largest mercantile estab- lishment at Welch, McDowell County, West Virginia, was born in 1874, in McDowell County. He is a son of A. C. and Mary J. (Daniels) Brewster, both natives of Virginia, whose family
consists of four sons, namely : J. D., who is in a mercantile business at Brewster, West Virginia; R. G., who is engaged in the stores of C. D. Brew- ster & Company ; C. D., who is the sub- ject of this sketch, and Dr. G. W., who graduated at the Louisville Medical College on March 24, 1903, and is pre- paring to locate at Sand Lick, West Virginia, in partnership with Drs. Daniel and Hall.
A. C. Brewster is associated with his son in his various enterprises. He was born about 1841 and has been en- gaged in farming until within the past eight years. In 1896 he moved from his farm into Welch, and now carries on a very successful real estate business and is also one of the members of the City Council. He is a stanch Republi- can and formerly was a member of the County Court.
C. D. Brewster was reared on his father's farm of 295 acres in McDowell County. He received excellent educa- tional advantages, taught one term of school and then entered Concord Nor- mal College, from which he was grad- uated in 1895. His first business ex- perience was with the firm of L. Morse & Company, general merchants, at Key- stone, McDowell County, with whom he remained 14 months. In 1896 he embarked in business for himself, and
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since that time has taken no vacations, having given his personal attention to all the features of his constantly in- creasing business. This is an example of what shrewd business ability, coupled with strict attention and per- sonal supervision, can accomplish. From a comparatively small beginning, the firm now owns four store buildings, handling general merchandise, furni- ture, stoves, coffins, feed and flour, car- rying a stock worth $9,000. In addi- tion the firm owns the Tug River Hotel, which, conservatively estimated, is valued at between $15,000 and $20,- 000. This property is leased to Will- iams & Barnett, who conduct it most successfully, also making it a profita- ble investment to the owners. Aside from the home farm, the stores and hotel, and residence property at Welch, the firm owns 76 acres of fine land at Jacob's Ford, West Virginia, which is valued at about $300 per acre, and also 45 lots in the new town of Brewster, which at a low estimate are worth $300 each.
In 1892 Mr. Brewster married a daughter of C. H. Hufford, of Welch, the family being an old established one of Tazewell County, Virginia. Politi- cally Mr. Brewster is a Republican, and fraternally he belongs to the Im- proved Order of Red Men. He owns
one of the beautiful homes in Welch. His business success has indicated un- usual ability in that line, and he bids fair to be one of the large capitalists of the southern section of the State. Mr. Brewster is a man of pleasing per- sonality and his business friends be- come personal ones also.
CHARLES EDGAR KAHLE, M. D.
CHARLES EDGAR KAHLE, M. D., coroner of Tyler County, West Virginia, and a prominent physician and substantial citizen of Sistersville, was born in 1867. in Kahletown, Jef- ferson County, Pennsylvania. He is a son of Frederick P. and Isabel ( Mc- Cutcheon ) Kahle.
The father of Dr. Kahle was born in Jefferson County of German an- cestry 78 years ago and still lives, be-
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ing an esteemed resident of Franklin, Pennsylvania. His father was one of the pioneers of Jefferson County. Fred- erick P. Kahle was largely engaged in the oil and lumber business for a number of years, and also followed the profession of veterinary surgeon, in which connection he bought horses for the United States government during the Civil War. In religious belief he is a Methodist and he has long been ac- tive in both church and Sunday-school work. He is also a leader in the tem- perance movement. The mother of Dr. Kahle was born in Jefferson Coun- ty, Pennsylvania. Her parents were early settlers from Ireland and Scot- land. She still lives, at the age of 71 vears. The children born to Dr. Kahle's parents were: Benton T., Emanuel, Clarence, Dr. Albert W., Dr. Raymond, Frederick L., Dr. William A., Dr. Charles E., Francis U., Philip A., Harry V. and Alice A., wife of Dorn Henderson.
Dr. Charles E. Kahle was given ex- cellent educational advantages. After completing the common school course at Plumer, Pennsylvania, he entered the Normal School at Rouseville, took a business course at Duff's Commercial College at Pittsburg in 1888 and then entered the drug business at Lima, Ohio. Later he entered the Normal
School, at Ada, Ohio, and was grad- uated in pharmacy. He then re-entered the drug business and was so connected for eight years, at Lima, Ohio, and at Warren, Pennsylvania. He then trav- eled for one year in the interest of a dring house through Minnesota and Da- kota. In 1894 he entered the medical department of the University of Indiana at Indianapolis, where he was graduated in 1897 in medicine and surgery. In April of the latter year he located in Sistersville, and entered into partner- ship-making the firm of Drs. Kahle & Kahle-with his brother, the late Dr. William A. Kahle, who was killed in the spring of 1899, in the Spanish- American War, at the age of 35 years, at the time being surgeon in the 22d Regiment, New York Infantry, U. S. Volunteers.
In the spring of 1898 Dr. Kahle took a trip to Europe in order to take advantage of special study in surgery under the distinguished English spe- cialist, Sir Frederick Treves, who later added to his fame by his successful treatment of King Edward VII. He was also under instruction from the almost equally noted surgeons, Sir Warren Tay and Tomas Openshaw. The spring of 1899 was spent in travel from one European center to another and he also engaged in special work
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under Drs. Neiscer and Skoder, at Vienna, Austria; before his return to Sistersville, he visited various other places of interest and attended clinics in Rome and Naples, Italy, and also visited North Africa. With all this added experience, Dr. Kahle resumed practice at his former home and con- tinted until his enthusiasm for special study again induced him to go abroad. In April, 1901, he went to England and took up the study of the eye under Drs. Collins and Lang at Morfield's Hospital, and the nose and throat un- der Drs. Lack and Tilley at Golden Square, returning in the succeeding winter. Since that time he has diligently and most successfully en- gaged in practice, winning daily more laurels in his profession. In 1898 he was appointed coroner of Tyler Coun- ty, which office he still retains. He is a member of the American Medical Association and in 1901 was elected a member of the International British Congress on Tuberculosis which met in London that year, having in the previous year taken special work at the Chicago Polyclinic Hospital. Po- litically he is like his father, identified with the Republican party. Fraternal- ly he is connected with the Knights of the Maccabees, and is surgeon of the First Battalion, Uniform Rank of the
Knights of Pythias, of West Virginia. Dr. Kahle is one of the directors of the Farmers' & Producers' National Bank of Sistersville, one of the most promi- nent financial institutions of the State, and is also extensively interested in the oil business.
In 1899 Dr. Kahle was married to Elizabeth B. Hayes, who was born in :875, in Armstrong County, Pennsyl- vania, being a daughter of William G. and Anna (Hart) Hayes, and they have one child, Charles Edgar, Jr. Dr. Kahle and his wife belong to the Pres- byterian Church.
JOHN WATERHOUSE, who has been one of Wheeling's prominent business men for many years, is one of the members of the firm of Waterhouse Brothers, which commands an exten- sive wholesale trade. He was born in Wheeling, February 5, 1842, and is a son of Stephen and Charlotte (Simp- son) Waterhouse.
Stephen Waterhouse was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1812, and lo- cated in Wheeling in 1839. He mar- ried Charlotte Simpson, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1816, and six sons and four daughters blessed their union, of whom two sons and three daughters are now living.
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