USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 32
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James O. Thompson left his home in 1850, going on board a coasting ves- sel. He followed the sea for a year or two, and entered the office of the State Signal, a Whig paper published in Bel- fast, the shire town of his native coun- ty, in December, 1852. There he learned the printing business, which he followed for some years through sev- eral of the New England States. Pri- or to the outbreak of the Civil War he returned to Fairfield, Somerset County, Maine, and there engaged in business, continuing until his enlistment on Au- gust 18, 1862, in Company I, 17th Reg., Maine Vol. Inf. He received rapid promotion, being soon made Ist lieutenant of his company and later captain of Co. K, and served in the Army of the Potomac, but in 1864 was mustered out on account of disability. After his return, Mr. Thompson
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entered the Methodist General Biblical Institute, at Concord, New Hampshire, and by close application covered the three-years course in two years, was ordained deacon in 1865 and graduat- ed in June, 1866, joining the Maine An- nual Conference. In 1867 he was made an elder. In 1870, after accept- ably filling a number of appointments, he was transferred to the Providence Conference, and continued with that body until he was superannuated on account of ill health, in the spring of 1883. Mr. Thompson then purchased the Mountain Echo, a Republican pa- per, and then moved to Keyser, Min- eral County, West Virginia, where he continued its publication in the inter- ests of the Republican party until Feb- ruary 3, 1900. Upon his election as secretary of the State Board of Agri- culture, in October, 1901, he entered upon the duties of that position and has proved himself worthy of the high es- teem in which he is held.
In August, 1863, Mr. Thompson married Ellen C. Caldwell, of Oxford, Oxford County, Maine. Fraternally, he is prominently identified with the Masonic order, being a member of Mount Vernon Chapter, R. A. M., of Portland, Maine; and is also a mem- ber of Gen. George Crook Post, G. A. R., of Charleston, West Virginia.
F. P. BEAUMONT, M. D.
F. P. BEAUMONT, M. D., a practicing physician of New Cumber- land, Hancock County, West Virginia, ex-president of the West Virginia Ec- lectic Medical Association, and a pro- minent and esteemed citizen, was born in New Cumberland, August 5, 1865. He is a son of Dr. Godfrey L. and Nancy A. (Campbell) Beaumont, the former of whom was born August 2, 1837, in Steubenville, Ohio, and the latter in New Cumberland.
Dr. Godfrey L. Beaumont, the fath- er of our subject, graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincin- nati in 1869 and settled in practice at New Cumberland, West Virginia, where he continued through his busy life. He was well known for his med-
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ical ability. He died in 1891, aged 54 years, having been a consistent mem- ber of the Disciples' Church. He is survived by his wife, who was a daugh- ter of Alexander Campbell, an early settler in the Panhandle of West Vir- ginia and a large land-owner. The family of our subject has been profes- sional through several generations, his grandfather, William Beaumont, being both physician and clergyman. Dr. William Beaumont was born October 22, 1804, at Gothorpe, Yorkshire, Eng- land, and died in 1867. For 31 years he practiced medicine in Ohio, and then settled at New Cumberland. In 1834 he united with the Disciples' Church and for the following 32 years preached at Lisbon, Somerset and other places. He married Judith Egan and they reared a family of six children, the survivors being George W., of Fair- view. Hancock County; and Kittie (Mrs. R. E. Branelon), of New Cum- berland.
Dr. F. P. Beaumont was the third member of a family of 15 children born to his parents, namely: Emma V. (Mrs. Z. B. Swearingen), of Bea- ver Falls, Pennsylvania ; Jessie ( Mrs. George A. White), of Toronto, Ohio; F. P., our subject : Minnie (Mrs. P. Beebout ), of New Cumberland, West Virginia; G. L., Jr., of Beaver Falls,
Pennsylvania; Plummer C., of Ran- kin, Pennsylvania; Maud D. (Mrs. James F. Ballentine), of New Cumber- land, West Virginia; Charles B., of New Cumberland, West Virginia; Bes- sie (Mrs. S. S. Longood), of New Cumberland, West Virginia; and Alice, who lives at home,-the others are deceased. Dr. Beaumont was reared in New Cumberland; after com- pleting the common school course, he entered the Eclectic Medical Institute in 1885, the same his father attended, and was graduated June 7, 1887, with his degree of M. D. For the succeed- ing two years he practiced in associa- tion with his father, but since then has been alone. In 1890 he took a post- graduate course in the Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital of New York. Dr. Beaumont is a general practitioner of the eclectic school, and has been unusually successful in his work. He has occupied the highest positions in the associations of his school of medicine and is regarded very generally as one of its best expon- ents.
Dr. Beaumont was married on November 29, 1889, to Maggie B. Joseph, of New Cumberland, who is a daughter of John A. Joseph, a resident of Wellsville, Ohio. Dr. and Mrs. Beaumont have three children, namely :
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Helene Lane, Dudley Hauss and Frank Carnegie.
Dr. Beaumont is a Republican in politics and has taken an active part in local matters, serving as president of the Board of Education and as presi- dent of the Hancock County Board of Health. He is the county health offi- cer and for five years has been United States pension examiner. He is a member of the Eclectic Medical Asso- ciation of West Virginia and of the National Eclectic Medical Association. Fraternally he is a Mason. Both he and his wife are members of the Pres- byterian Church.
GEN. GEORGE W. CURTIN.
GEN. GEORGE W. CURTIN, a representative citizen of Sutton, West Virginia, extensively engaged in the
lumber business, was born in Pennsyl- vania, January 25. 1843, and was one of the first band of young patriots to answer the call for troops in 1861, en- listing in the 7th Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. From the organization of the Army of the Potomac to the close of the war, General Curtin gave faithful service, four years and two months of his life being dedicated to his country. He held the rank of lieutenant at the time of his discharge, a position won by gallantry on the field.
After the close of the war, General Curtin returned to his native State and entered the lumber business which he successfully carried on until 1873. when he first came to West Virginia. In this State he has been extensively engaged in the same business, as a member of the Pardee & Curtin Lum- ber Company, and is one of the best known lumber men in the State. He has probably done more to develop this industry here than any one man in the State. Thousands of residents depend upon the lumber business for their daily bread, and the product of the West Vir- ginia forests and sawmills is shipped to all points of the United States.
In politics General Curtin is a very ardent Republican and is one of the leaders of his party in this section. He was chairman of the West Virginia
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delegation to the Republican convention held in Philadelphia in 1900, and was a delegate to the national convention held at Chicago, Illinois, in 1888. During Governor Atkinson's adminis- tration, he was appointed brigadier- general of the West Virginia National Guards, and filled the position for two years, resigning then on account of the press of private business.
General Curtin is a man of fine presence, and is broad and liberal in his ideas. He is identified with many important enterprises and enjoys wide popularity.
HON. FRANCIS PEIRPOINT MOATS.
HON. FRANCIS PEIRPOINT MOATS. - A prominent citizen of Parkersburg, a leading member of the
West Virginia bar and a potent factor in political life, is Hon. Francis Peir- point Moats, speaker of the House of Delegates of the State Legislature.
The Moats family is of German ex- traction and was founded in West Vir- ginia by John Moats, the paternal great-grandfather, shortly after the close of the War of the Revolution. One of his numerous sons, Jacob Moats, inherited a portion of his father's es- tate and resided upon it until his death, at the age of 85 years. He also reared a numerous family, numbering 13 chil- dren, and one of these, Benjamin Moats, became the father of the subject of this biography, and still resides on a portion of the ancestral farm, in Ritchie County.
Mr. Moats comes of distinguished ancestry on the maternal side. The Peirpoints came originally from one of the New England States, lineal de- scendants of the noted family of the name, who in their day were locally prominent in law, legislation and liter- ature, and settled in Monongalia Coun- ty, near Morgantown. The mother of our subject was Mary, daughter of Zackwell Morgan Peirpoint, who was a brother of Francis H. Peirpoint, first Provisional Governor of West Virgin- ia, and a sister of Francis P. Peirpoint, Adjutant General of the State, during
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the Civil War. After the Peirpoint family became domesticated in West Virginia, a marriage into Morgan family, noted in border warfare, in- troduced that name which has been borne by many members since. Mrs. Moats died in 1875.
The birth of Mr. Moats took place July 2, 1869, near Harrisville, Ritchie County, West Virginia, and his early life was spent on the farm and there he was useful in assisting in clearing land which was yet wild and uncultivated, and in the usual round of a farmer's life. His educational privileges were meager, dependent upon the condition of the farm work, his assistance being a necessity, the long illness of both par- ents throwing heavy burdens upon the five children, Francis being the elciest son. Although these depressing cir- cuinstances surrounded all his early life, Francis in some way struggled along, never losing hope of a brighter future, studying by himself in every spare moment and attending school every day possible, gaining at last enough general information to permit of his receiving a certificate of the high- est grade as a teacher. The winter he was 16 years of age, a slight lad weigh- ing but 85 pounds, he taught a country school, several miles from home, and in his 17th winter he taught an inter-
mediate department of the Harrisville graded schools. Schooled by neces- sity, he denied himself every luxury which would encroach upon his store of money and was thus enabled, in the fall of his 18th year, to attend college, at Adrian, Michigan, hoping to be able, with the economy he knew so well how to practice, to continue for a consider- able time. He entered the preparatory department but soon found that his $120, which he had accumulated with so much self denial, would soon be ex- hausted. In order to replenish his means, he obtained work in the college printing office where he frequently worked more than half the night. However, his efforts were unavailing and as his father could give him no as- sistance, his college education ended. During the winter of his 19th year he taught school at Petroleum, and short- ly after, determining to adopt the law as his profession, entered the office of the late R. S. Blair, at Harrisville, but he soon found that concentration of mind would be impossible after the ob- ligatory work on the farm by which he could support himself. Although for a time his ambition was thwarted, it was not killed, and it was while pondering on some way to increase his income, that by chance he met W. M. Cox, who later became chief clerk in
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the revenue office under Hon. A. B. White. Through Mr. Cox's interest in him, Mr. Moats went to Parkers- burg, on May 31, 1889, and entered the office of John F. Laird and until March, 1890, subsisted on a small amount advanced him by his patron, at this date becoming clerk for Hon. J. W. Vandervort. Learning that this employment would be temporary on account of necessary knowledge of stenography, Francis set himself the task of learning this and in less than a month was taking the dictation of his employer. In August, 1890, he was admitted to practice, the examining judges being Hons. A. I. Boreman, T. P. Jacobs and Virgil S. Armstrong, and about one year later formed a part- nership with Mr. Vandervort which continued until October, 1895. Soon after, he associated with him William G. Peterkin, a young practitioner and this partnership lasted three years when it was mutually dissolved and Mr Moats continued to practice alone until June, 1902, when he formed a partner- ship with Judge J. A. Dupuy, lately from Roanoke, Virginia.
For 10 years Mr. Moats was attor- ney for the Traders' Building Associa- tion, one of the strongest financial in- stitutions of the State, and he numbers among his clients the most substantial
individuals, firms and corporations of the city. He is identified with the in- dependent telephone interests, both of Parkersburg and of Marietta, and was one of the original promoters of the Kanawha & New River Fire Brick Company, a flourishing institution lo- cated at Charleston, West Virginia, in which he still retains large interests. His specialties are corporations, estates and investments, while he is also trustee for sinking funds and has occupied many positions of honor. Mr. Moats is an active Republican and in the fall of 1902 was honored by his party with election to the State Legislature. When the Legislature of the State convened at Charleston in January, 1903, Mr. Moats was honored by being chosen speaker of the House of Delegates, which position he filled with satisfac- tion to all the members. He has the distinction of being the youngest mem- ber of the house in the history of the State to fill this position.
In October, 1893, Mr. Moats was united in marriage with Fanny Shrews- bury Neal, daughter of Benjamin and Sallie Neal, a representative of one of the oldest families in the State. Of the four children born to this union, two survive, Francis P., Jr., aged five years, and Eleanor, aged but one: Mr. Moats was one of the very first to
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realize the natural advantages of resi- dence on Jackson Heights and his home there is one of the most modern and desirable.
WV. E. STONE, a prominent busi- ness man of Wheeling, is at the head of the finest equipped department store in Wheeling, that of Stone & Thomas. The store faces on Main street and is an iron-frame building with stone front, and is magnificently stocked through- out its six stories.
The firm of Stone & Thomas was established in October, 1847, by E. J. Stone and J. C. Thomas, both of whom are now deceased. It was originally a dry goods store, but within the past IO years the management has made many important changes by adopting the best points of the leading stores of the East, converting it into a depart- ment store. The growth of business during the past few years has been phe- nomenal. The first location of the business was on the west side of Main street, but in the early "fifties" it was removed to No. 1030 Main street. The present members of the firm, W. E. Stone, E. L. Stone and W. E. Rownd, are a younger generation of the families which founded it, Mr. Stone being the active manager.
From 130 to 150 people are em- ployed throughout the year, but during the busy season this number is increased to about 200. The general arrange- ment of the store, its furnishings and stock, present a very attractive appear- ance. There is a balcony overlooking the first floor, and it is here Mr. Stone's office is located, but the major portion of this balcony is fitted up as a reception room for customers and visitors, being supplied with magazines and other lit- erature, and also stationery. It is a very pleasant feature of this establish- ment, and has met with the hearty ap- proval of the public. A splendid view is here obtained of the first floor. The south aisle of this floor shows a stock of dress goods, silks, dress trimmings and patterns; the south center aisle, jewelry, linings, ribbons, handkerchiefs and ladies' neckwear ; the center aisle, hosiery and ladies' underwear; and the aisles tributary to these show a fine stock in gentlemen's furnishing goods, wash goods, linens, sheetings, laces, pocketbooks, stationery, toilet articles, small notions, blankets and flannels. The second floor, containing the ladies' ready-made suit department, is finely furnished, the floor being covered with Wilton rugs. On this floor are car- ried a line of ladies' suits, wraps, muslin underwear, wrappers and ready-to-
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wear garments, also furnishings for misses and children. The millinery de- partment is 24 feet wide, running the entire length of the building, and no ex- pense has been spared to make it the finest in the city. The third floor is the clothing department for boys and men, also the wall paper, drapery and fancy furniture departments. The fourth floor is used for the sale of carpets, win- dow-shades, linoleums, mattings and oil-cloths. The fifth floor is a duplicate storage room, in which a surplus is carried for each of the other depart- ments. The basement is also an inter- esting part of this store, it being the house-furnishing department. They carry a complete and beautiful line of china, both foreign and domestic; also the newly-copyrighted books, which they receive as soon as placed upon the market, and countless other articles. In the basement is located an electric plant, puit in at a cost of over $10,000, which is in charge of an engineer and his as- sistant. The power is supplied by two So-horse-power engines, lighting and heating the building and supplying power to operate the two elevators. It also co-operates with the Lampson cash carrier system, with which the store is equipped. The outside of the build- ing is supplied with beautifully ar- ranged incandescent globes, making a
pretty effect at night. Each depart- ment of this store is independent, and nothing which will add to the conven- ience of the patrons has been over- looked.
HON. LEWIS J. MURPHY.
HON. LEWIS J. MURPHY, a resident of St. Marys, Pleasants County, West Virginia, has many qual- ities which win respect and esteem, and has been an important factor in opening up one of the richest oil-producing sec- tions in the world. He was born in Ashford, Cattaraugus County, New York, November 29, 1850, and is a son of John L. and Calphurnia (Buck) Murphy.
The Murphy family is of Irish ex- traction. John Murphy, the great-
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grandfather, was born near Dublin, crossed the sea to Canada, later moved to Vermont and married Mary Kim- ball, of Scotch descent, whose father took part in the Revolutionary war, and after its close settled in New York, engaged in surveying and engineering and died in that State at the age of 93 years, his tomb still being seen on the old family farm there. Grandfather Ormel Murphy was born at Royalton, near Brattleboro, Vermont. He married Minerva Weaver, who was born and reared at Mystic Bridge, Connecticut, coming from Dutch ancestors. John L. Murphy, father of our subject, was born at Alexander, Genesee County, New York, October 6, 1829, and now resides on his farm at West Valley, New York.
The mother of Lewis J. Murphy was a daughter of Jeremiah Buck, whose father came from England and settled in Massachusetts, prior to the Revolutionary War, and later removed to Orleans County, New York. Jere- miah Buck married Weighty Lewis, a daughter of Capt. James Lewis, who served more than seven years in the Revolutionary Army and was with General Washington at Valley Forge. Capt. James Lewis was a Welshman and some of his descendants still live in Orleans County, New York.
Lewis J. Murphy was reared on a
farm and attended schools of his native county, being a part of the time under his father's instruction, but in the fall of 1867 he entered Griffith Institute, at Springville, New York, for a two-years course, filling in the vacations with teaching and farm work. At the age of 19 he began the study of law in the office of Judge Charles C. Sever- ance, of Springville, and for three years read law and taught school intermit- tently, after which he devoted two years to its study exclusively, and then en- tered the law department of Union Col- lege, at Albany, where he graduated with his degree of B. L., on February 6, 1873. In the following March he was admitted to practice in all the courts of the State of New York, and was subsequently admitted to practice in the Federal courts. Mr. Murphy practiced at Salamanca, New York, un- til 1877, when he removed to York- shire, practicing there for two years, and then going to Bolivar, New York, situated in the oil regions. Here a partnership was formed with James M. Curtis, and together they enjoyed a lucrative practice until 1883, when, on account of failing health, Mr. Murphy visited Idaho and spent two seasons in out-door life, in the mining regions of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. With health greatly improved, he returned to
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Bolivar and resumed practice, although not following the law exclusively, en- gaging in the various oil and gas enter- prises of the locality, with varying sticcess.
In 1889 Mr. Murphy became inter- ested in the oil business in West Vir- ginia. He has never opened an office in this State, but he has acted as counsel in a number of important oil suits. From Bolivar, New York, Mr. Murphy with his family moved to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where they resided for three years ; then to Tyler County, West Virginia, and thence to St. Marys, Pleasants County, in 1896, where they have since lived. Since locating in St. Marys, Mr. Murphy has been ex- tensively engaged in the oil and gas business. In politics he has always been a Republican, and in 1883 was elected mayor of Bolivar, a town of 5,000 population and in 1885 was a member of the Board of Supervisors of Allegany County, New York. In 1900 he was elected a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates by a handsome majority, being the second Republican Representative elected in his county since the organization of the State. He served on the judiciary, education and railroads committees. and won the approbation of the town
of St. Marys by his bill, which passed, making the city of St. Marys. He also secured the passage of a bill author- izing school buildings to display the American Flag during the school hours. In 1901 he was his party's candidate for the office of State Senator in the district composed of Wood, Pleasants, Ritchie and Wirt counties. After an exciting contest, he was nominated by the regular convention as one of the two Republican candidates. Later, factional strife ensued and in order to insure the election of two Republican Senators in the Third Senatorial Dis- trict, he magnanimously withdrew. He is now actively engaged in oil producing in Pleasants and Ritchie counties.
In 1873 he was married to Ver- nelia M. Prindle, daughter of John Prindle of Brockwayville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, and the three children born to this union are: John Lewis: Lella C., the wife of L. P. Kepley, of Birmingham, Alabama; and Royden Odgen. His sons have shared in their father's prosperity and have taken an active part in carrying on his oil developments.
Mr. Murphy has taken a deep in- terest in the oil developments in West Virginia, and has brought capital here, opening up field after field and has paid
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out a princely fortune in rents. He possesses the respect and confidence of all who know him.
THOMAS A. EDWARDS.
THOMAS A. EDWARDS, who for many years was a distinguished citizen of West Virginia, passed out of this life January 4, 1900. He was born at Blooming Rose farm, Alle- gany County, Maryland, in 1843. At an early age he moved to Wheeling, Virginia, now West Virginia, and engaged in business there. He served two terms as a member of the Virginia Legislature. In 1866 he removed to Weston, Lewis County, West Vir- ginia, and in 1872 was elected judge of the County Court, and discharged
the duties of the office with singular ability. Later on, Mr. Edwards was made chairman of the County Demo- cratic Executive Committee, which position he held for years. He was recognized as a leader of his party and was one of the most prominent figures in politics throughout the State. Not- withstanding his political prominence, Mr. Edwards was of a modest and generous nature, never seeking office and disdaining all political preferment.
In 1876 Mr. Edwards became pro- prietor and editor of the Weston Democrat and under his management this paper soon became recognized as a power in State politics. He was a strong and forcible writer and in a short time the Weston Democrat was conceded to be one of the most ably edited papers in West Virginia. He remained editor of this paper up to the time of his death. Mr. Edwards was a broad-minded and public-spirited man, and was one of the first advocates of, and participants in, the building of the railroad from Clarksburg to Wes- ton, and was one of its directors up to the time of his death.
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