USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 5
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pers at the time of his death, speak for themselves.
(Editorial from the Jackson Herald and the Mountaineer of Ripley.)
Mr. Armstrong had been one of the most prominent men of the county for a third of a century and made a large fortune, most of which he spent for his family and friends. He was one of the most liberal endorsers for persons who could offer him no security, in many cases thought by him most deserving not waiting to be asked. In numerous instances his kindness of heart was ta- ken advantage of and he was made to pay thousands of dollars for those who might have prevented it.
The adjournment of the Circuit Court, the closing of the public schools, and places of business in our town and at Ravenswood, the many sad and tear- ful faces that thronged our streets and filled the Epworth M. E. Church, South, on last Friday, the day of his funeral, the many and beautiful floral tributes, the large number of friends and citizens from his home town of Ravenswood and the surrounding country, all attest the fact that he was esteemed and loved, and had enshrined himself in the hearts of the people of his county.
Mr. Armstrong was a Christian gentleman of pure and stainless char-
acter, a model of kindness and gentle- ness. One of the strong features of his character was humbleness and mod- esty, never referring to his own good- ness or religious experience, but let his life speak for itself, and that it was a life whose influence was for good, there can be no doubt. He was kind and generous to the poor, true and faithful to his friends, and charitable to all, not merely in the bestowal of alms to the poor, but in the kindness of his heart and the tolerance of his spirit toward all, he lived in peace with all men. In his private or home life, he was at his best, for there he exem- plified the beautiful virtues of his re- ligion, by his devotion to God and his family. He loved his neighbors and was by them beloved, and we will all miss him and mourn his loss. He was probably the most prominent man in the county or in this section of the State, and likely knew and was known by a greater number of people than any other person.
He was beloved and reverenced by his children and was their constant and only advisor.
He sleeps the sleep of the just.
(Editorial from the Ravenswood News.)
It is impossible to enumerate the many traits of character that made this
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good man so beloved and respected. He was a man of untiring energy and his long life of industry was rewarded by the enjoyment of a comfortable for- tune. He was all his life actively en- gaged in business transactions of vari- ous kinds, involving large sums of money and the uniform honesty of the man can be shown by the fact that in all his transactions, very seldom was he ever accused of hard dealings, even by those most ignorant of business mat- ters, and where such accusation was made it could not be sustained. It is safe to say that he never in all his life in- tentionally wronged any man.
In matters of business probably no man in the county was more frequently sought for advice. It is a significant fact that nearly every one of his ac- quaintance sought his counsel and in enumerating their assets for a business venture the friendship of "Uncle Jake Armstrong" was sure to appear.
He was an intensely public-spirited man. In his broad minded way he could see the benefits every one derived from whatever helped the community and he never hesitated to make any sacrifice that would bring about such things. He was especially interested in educational matters and the great am- bition of his later years was to make it possible for every young man and ev-
ery young woman to have a liberal edu- cation; not only to make it possible but he never failed to impress upon the young, by precept and by practice, the great importance of honesty, energy, integrity and education. As a member of the board of education he took as great interest as any man could in the education of his own children. He was a warm friend of the Ohio Valley Col- lege enterprise and constantly hoped for its ultimate success.
Mr. Armstrong was a Christian man whose earnest life was marked by a multitude of good deeds rather than loud pretenses. He enjoyed life to its greatest extent. Few men got more out of life than he did and far fewer men got so much in life. As much as he enjoyed the lighter side of life, he found greater pleasure in becoming a part of the great, throbbing, work-a- day life that surrounded him.
RESOLUTIONS.
At a meeting of the board of direc- tors of the Bank of Ravenswood, held November 9, 1901, the following reso- lutions were adopted and ordered spread on the records of the Bank :
Whereas, Death has taken from us our most highly esteemed friend and co-director, Mr. J. L. Armstrong, since our last meeting, and left us without his companionship, always gentle and
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kind, and his counsel, always consider- ate, wise and conservative, and deeply regretting the loss of this our guide, counsellor and friend, we desire to ex- press briefly a sense of such loss, and to join with his multitude of friends of Jackson County in deploring the same, therefore,
Resolved, That in the life of our late lamented friend was lived that of a model citizen, characterized by the modest, patient, urbane spirit of a Christian gentleman. Always sweet tempered, obliging and charitable, the memory of the virtues of "Uncle Jake," as he was lovingly known and called by every one, will be a delight and an inspiration to all so long as we live.
Resolved, That these proceedings be entered of record in our journal and a copy be published in the county pa- pers and presented to his immediate rel- atives.
CHAS. L. BROWN, CHAS. P. MOORE, J. M. WEAS, H. DOUGLASS, Directors.
A special meeting of the board of directors of the Jackson County B. & L. Association was held Thursday morning, November 8, when the fol- lowing resolutions were adopted in memory of our deceased member, Mr. J. L. Armstrong :
J. L. Armstrong, for 15 years a loved and honored member of the board was also its president during that time. We who are permitted to remain de- sire to express our respect for his emi- nent character and ability, our apprecia- tion for his services, and our sympathy with his stricken family in their sud- den and terrible bereavement.
His character was such that those in whose sight he lived gladly com- mitted to his keeping their interests. With such ability, integrity and cau- tion did he discharge the duties im- posed upon him that he was counted one of our most conservative members. So we members of the board of direc- tors are today proud to read his illus- trious name on our roll.
Those of us who have enjoyed his personal friendship and confidence, and therefore loved him, are in his death truly bereaved; but we can only faintly realize the depth of the great affliction which has fallen upon his family. While it is a satisfaction for us to say to them that he whom they loved is enshrined in the hearts of all of us, we know that God's Angel bearing His promises, will bring them the only real consolation, therefore,
Be it Resolved, That our charter be draped in mourning for 30 days.
Be it further Resolved, That we as-
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sure to the afflicted family our pro- found sympathy in their bereavement.
Resolved, That these resolutions be entered on the records of the associa- tion. and a copy be transmitted to the family, and to the Jackson County pa- pers for publication.
C. H. STONE,
I. T. PRICKITT,
J. H. WETZEL, Committee.
At a meeting of the vestry of Grace Church, Ravenswood, West Virginia, held on November, 11, 1901, the fol- lowing minute was unanimously adopt- ed and ordered spread upon the record :
In the death of our beloved warden and secretary, Mr. J. L. Armstrong, we have lost a dear friend and brother, and a most valued associate.
Therefore, the former rector and surviving vestrymen of Grace Church, for themselves, individually, and for the congregation which they represent, would by this minute express the deep sorrow they feel at his loss which they doubt not is his gain, and extend to his family and friends this tribute of sin- cere affection and profound sympathy.
Resolved, That copies of these min- utes be forwarded to the members of the family and that they be published in the Ravenswood News.
JAMES MONROE JACKSON, JR., president of the Citizens' Trust & Guaranty Company of Parkersburg, West Virginia, was born in that city March 19, 1855. He is a son of the late Hon. James Monroe Jackson, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this book.
J. M. Jackson, Jr., received his pri- mary education in the schools of Park- ersburg, and later graduated from the Virginia Military Institute at Lexing- ton, Virginia. His business career be- gan immediately after graduation, as a clerk in the Second National Bank of Parkersburg. He remained in that ca- pacity three years.
In 1875 he became identified with the wholesale grocery business, and was associated with Mr. Jenkins until 1878. In 1881 G. H. Shattuck became the partner, and since that time the firm has been known as Shattuck & Jackson. In 1899, when the Citizens' Trust & Guaranty Company of Parkersburg was organized, Mr. Jackson was one of the original stockholders and has served ever since as president of the institu- tion, and he is also vice-president of the Citizens' National Bank, vice-president of the Chancellor Hardware Company, and treasurer of the Parkersburg, Mari- etta & Interurban Railway Company.
Mr. Jackson was married in 1883
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to Sophia Rathbone, daughter of J. V. Rathbone. Their family consists of two children, Anna R. and Helen S.
CHARLES L. MUHLEMAN, M. D.
CHARLES L. MUHLEMAN, M. D., a prominent physician of Park- ersburg, West Virginia, was born in 1864, in Monroe County, Ohio, and is a son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Zink) Muhleman. Frederick Muhleman was a farmer by occupation, and also took an active interest in county and State poli- tics. He died in 1884, and his widow passed away in 1898. Their family consisted of four sons and four daugh- ters, viz. : Edward, a well-known glass manufacturer of Wheeling and a prom- inent business man of the State ; Henry,
deceased; Robert W., a physician of Bellaire, Ohio; Charles L., our subject ; Mrs. W. B. O'Neill, of Marietta, Ohio; Mrs. A. W. Voegtly, of Gas City, In- diana; Mrs. Emma Paulus, of Chica- go; and Sarah, of Hannibal, Ohio.
Dr. C. L. Muhleman was reared in Monroe County and there secured his primary education, in 1882 graduating from the Cleveland Homeopathic Col- lege. During four years of teaching he had prepared himself for college, and after graduation he practiced with and for his brother, Dr. R. W., at Bel- laire, for 18 months. On December I, 1883, he located at Parkersburg, West Virginia, where he has continu- ally grown in the confidence and es- teem of the public, his reputation as both physician and surgeon being en- viable. Dr. Muhleman is conveniently located at Nos. 611-12 Market street.
Dr. Muhleman is also actively in- terested in real estate in Parkersburg and elsewhere. In 1899 he erected, as a pioneer in that locality, the Muhle- man Block, at Nos. 209 and 211 Fourth street, which includes stores, offices and apartments and has been leased and oc- cupied ever since completion. It is a splendid paying investment, in addition to being an improvement to its part of the city. Formerly the Doctor was largely interested in Kansas lands.
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Politically Dr. Muhleman is identi- fied with the Republican party, having formerly been a Gold Democrat. In his profession he has been honored by his brother practitioners, and is ex- president of the West Virginia Homeo- pathic Medical Society, and he is also a valued member of the American In- stitute of Homeopathy. He is a close student and has enjoyed a wide ex- perience both at home and abroad. In the latter "eighties" he took a post- graduate course in New York City and then spent one year in study at Berlin, Germany, and at Vienna, Austria.
AUGUSTUS J. LYONS, M. D.
AUGUSTUS J. LYONS, M. D., superintendent of the Second Hospital for the Insane at Spencer, West Vir-
ginia, was born at Coolville, Athens County, Ohio, in 1873. His father, W. H. Lyons, came from Ireland to America when a young man, after hav- ing served in the Crimean War. He located in West Virginia, but later re- moved to Ohio, and served in the army during the Civil War.
Augustus J. Lyons is a self-made man. In his youth he was poor and obscure and worked at farm labor for $4 per month until he was 16 years old, when he went West, stopping in Illi- nois, where he found employment for a time in a brick-yard, and secured the needed money to return to his old home in Ohio, where he attended a normal school for one and a half years. He made the best use of his limited op- portunities to acquire an education and then put his acquirements to practical use by teaching through one year. Again going West, he located at St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked on a truck farm. Later he passed a suc- cessful examination and engaged in the railway mail service for a time. He then returned to his home in Ohio and studied medicine with Dr. A. E. Law- rence, of Coolville, and one year later went to Dalton, Ohio, and engaged in practice, between terms, in order to provide means for future study. The first year in medical school was spent
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at Starling Medical College, at Colum- bus, Ohio, where he was awarded the first prize of his class. Two years were then spent at the Baltimore Medical College, and then he made a six-months visit to Mexico. Returning from the South, he became active in politics, and spoke through the State of Ohio in the interest of President Mckinley. The young physician then located at Rav- enswood, West Virginia, where he en- gaged in practice for 18 months. De- siring a larger field, he then went to Parkersburg. During his three years of residence in that city he took a very active interest in local politics and soon became prominent in the medical profession and was elected chairman of the Committee of Health. He was elected to the City Council, carrying a Democratic ward by nine votes. He took an active part in State and national politics during the cam- paign of 1900. He was appointed su- perintendent of the Second Hospital for the Insane, at Spencer, one of the finest institutions in the State. He is able, intelligent and practical in the dis- charge of his duties as a State official and his administration of the affairs of this institution has been most satis- factory in every way. In politics he is bold and aggressive, frank but not blunt, a speaker of prominence, and has
achieved success both in his profession and in public life by sheer force of will and untiring energy. Socially Dr. Lyons is a delightful companion and has a host of friends throughout the State. He is the owner of a fine library and a great portion of his time is de- voted to study.
Dr. Lyons married Menetta Cole, a native of Coolville, Ohio, and a son has been born to this union.
HON. JOHN S. BURDETT.
HON. JOHN S. BURDETT, for many years a State official of West Vir- ginia, and a distinguished citizen of Charleston, Kanawha County, was born December 20, 1818, in Prunty- town, then in Harrison County, Vir-
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ginia, now in Taylor County, West Vir- ginia. He is a son of Frederick and Susan (Sinsel ) Burdett, both natives of Fauquier County, Virginia, the former being of English descent and the lat- ter of German.
John S. Burdett obtained the best education provided in the primitive schools of the section and period. He was a lad of quick understanding and was able to materially assist his father in his mercantile business at Prunty- town. Believing that his section of Harrison County was entitled to rep- resentation as a separate county, he surveyed the lines and formulated the petition, which resulted in the organiza- tion of Taylor County. In 1844, when but 26 years of age he was elected a member of the State Legislature where he showed such marked ability that he was returned for six consecutive ses- sions. In 1850 he was appointed cen- sus taker of Taylor County and also public administrator and special com- missioner. In 1860 and 1861 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention, the same body that passed the ordinance separating the State of Virginia from the Union. Mr. Burdett was one of the 56 members who voted steadily against every phase of seces- sion. After he returned home, he took an active part in restoring the govern-
ment of Virginia to the Federal Union and also in the formation of the new State of West Virginia. His bold and defiant opposition to secession elicited bitter criticisms from the Richmond Press and the advice to sympathizers of the South to lose no time guarding him when captured. He was never cap- tured, however, and through the kind- ness of a merciful God was permitted to be one of the triumphant, to glorify over a nation's victory at Appomattox, the final salvation of a union and the severing of West Virginia from the Old Dominion,-a proud result of the wisdom of Grant and Sherman, the brains of the most gallant army of sol- diery in the world.
Mr. Burdett served for four years in the Union Army, having been com- missioned by President Lincoln and confirmed by the United States Senate a captain and commissary of subsistence. After his return home, Mr. Burdett was elected to the State Senate from the district composed of the counties of Monongalia, Preston and Taylor and was a delegate to the National Repub- lican Convention held at Philadelphia in 1868, which nominated General Grant for the presidency. That same year he moved to Charleston, Kana- wha County, served as State treasurer of West Virginia from March 4, 1871,
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to 1875, and was re-elected for a second term.
In July, 1845, Mr. Burdett married Abby Ann Johnson, of Bridgeport, Harrison County, a sister of ex-United States Senator W. P. Johnson, of Mis- souri.
HON. GEORGE POFFENBARGER.
HON. GEORGE POFFENBAR- GER, jurist, was born November 24, 1861, in Mason County, West Vir- ginia, about six miles from Point Pleas- ant, on the south side of the Great Kanawha River, in a small log house which still stands on a Kanawha bot- 5
tom farm, lying opposite the village of Brighton. Until he attained the age of 19 his time was divided between work on the farm and in the woods and attendance at the public schools. In 1872 his father purchased a large tract of land on the Kanawha Upper Nine Mile Creek, in Mason County, and leaving the birthplace of our sub- ject, removed to the land purchased, all of which was virgin forest. In the cutting and marketing of timber, and clearing and fencing of the land, the young man did his full part. Having acquired a good education, he began teaching in the common schools in No- vember, 1880, and continued in that calling for seven years, teaching half of the time and spending the remainder partly in attending school and partly in labor on his father's farm. During the last four years of his service as teacher, he had charge of important schools- West Columbia, from 1883 to 1885, and Clifton from 1885 to 1887, hav- ing two assistants in the former, and five in the latter. He attended Rio Grande (Ohio) College for a while, but never graduated. While engaged in teaching, he read law under the di- rection of the Hon. John W. English, and in the spring of 1887 his license to practice was signed by Circuit Court Judges F. A. Guthrie. R. F. Fleming
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and J. M. Jackson. In May of the same year, he was admitted to prac- tice law in the Circuit Court of his county.
Owing to slight impairment of health, caused by excessive work, he left for the great Western tableland for recuperation, immediately after his ad- mission to the bar, and spent about IO months in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. While there, he was engaged for the most part in bookkeep- ing for a contractor, engaged in grading for the Denver, Texas & Fort Worth Railroad, at Emory's Pass, about 40 miles from Trinidad, Colorado, and af- terward at a point near the Texas line. His work being light, he had consider- able time for recreation, which was largely spent in hunting. He returned in March, 1888, and on the 19th day of May following received the Repub- lican nomination for sheriff of Mason County, and at the end of a vigorous and exciting campaign was elected by a majority of 334, which exceeded by IO the majority given Benjamin Har- rison for president, in the county. The office was an important one, the sher- iff being e.v-officio treasurer of the county and all the districts. The re- quired bond of $130,000 was given without difficulty, and he held the office for the full term of four years, begin-
ning January 1, 1889. His incumbency of that office disqualified him from practicing law while it continued, but his elevation to such an important pub- lic position gave him prominence and led to active and forceful participation in politics. Believing his services worth more to his party at home than else- where, he seldom went out of his coun- ty to engage in campaigning. On re- tiring from the office, he then devoted himself to the work of his profession with much success, but found time for efficient political work, consisting of committee work, political contributions to the local newspapers, etc. His hard- est work was done in the memorable campaign of 1896. Foreseeing the trend of events, he forced the issue on the financial question in his county as early as February of that year, and long before the national conventions were held the fight was on, and continued until the balloting was over and his party victorious in the county by a plu- rality of 600. The intricacies of the question made his task a difficult one, but he turned the tide in his favor in the month of July, when he met in joint discussion, at a large picnic at a place called White Church in a Populist com- munity, two leading members of the bar of the county. After the meeting he gave the entire voting population of
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the county the substance of the dis- cussion through the newspaper. Be- sides a prodigious amount of writing and organization work, he spoke in the most of the school houses of the coun- ty, and spent two or three weeks in work in Putnam, Ritchie, Tyler and Wayne counties.
After the election of President Mc- Kinley, he applied for appointment to the office of United States attorney, and almost succeeded in obtaining it. In 1898 he was engaged in another desperate and victorious contest in his county, the issue being of a local char- acter, the county having become large- ly indebted under Republican rule. He again found time, however, for work outside, and spoke in Cabell, Pleasants, Ritchie, Wayne and Wood counties. At Huntington he had another joint dis- cussion, with Hon. H. F. Bartine, an advocate of the free coinage of silver of national repute. At the legislative session of 1889, he received six votes in the Republican caucus for the nomi- nation for United States Senator. In June, 1900, at Charleston, he was nomi- nated, after a most exciting contest with four competitors, for the office of Judge of the Supreme Court of Ap- peals, to which he was elected over his fellow-townsman and old instructor in the law, Judge English. An unusual
feature of that campaign was that there were two judges to elect, and Judges Henry Brannon and George W. Ben- nett, Republican and Democratic nom- inees, respectively, resided at Weston, and Mr. Poffenbarger and Judge Eng- lish, at Point Pleasant. The balloting resulted as follows: English, 100, 118; Bennett, 100,324; Brannon, 118,682; and Poffenbarger, 119,014. The last was next to the highest vote given any man on the State ticket, Peter Silman, for State treasurer, having received 119,100. Our subject qualified and en- tered upon the duties of his office Jan- uary 1, 1901, for the term of 12 years, and continues to reside at Point Pleas- ant, in his native county.
As the name indicates, Judge Pof- fenbarger is of German lineage, but the date of the arrival of his ancestors in this country is not known. He is a son of Clinton and Sarah (Lewis) Poffenbarger, the father being a son of Henry and Lydia (Gillilan) Poffen- barger. Henry Poffenbarger, who was a native of Maryland, removed to Jack- son, Ohio, at an early day, and after- ward to Kanawha County, Virginia, now West Virginia, where he worked about the salt furnaces. From there he went to Mason County where he en- gaged in farming, for some years re- siding on a farm at Mercer's Bottom,
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where his son Clinton was born. Later he removed to the Kanawha farm where the subject of this sketch was born, and where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1857. He was married three times, the second time to Lydia Gillilan, of Irish descent, at Jackson, Ohio, in 1829, who bore him seven children : Virginia, Clinton, Franklin, William H., Rachel, John R. and Fran- cis A. Clinton Poffenbarger was born September, 15, 1832, and married Sarah Lewis, and unto this union were born eight children: Timothy, Van, Henry, Lydia, George, Monroe, Lewis and Mary. The father of our subject is still living, but his mother died March 17, 1897.
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