USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume I > Part 8
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in business reputation than the subject of this biography. Mr. List is a native of Wheeling and one of the oldest druggists in the city. He is a son of John and Ann (Waite) List, natives of England.
John List at an early date located in Wheeling, where he was cashier for the old Northwestern Bank. He mar- ried Ann Waite, and they had a num- ber of children, of whom only three sons and one daughter now survive. Of these, D. C. is a resident of Wheel- ing, and has retired from active life; Mary, widow of Robert Morrison, lives in Cincinnati, Ohio; W. Eugene resides in Wheeling, and is retired from business. R. H. is the youngest of the children living. The parents of this family were members of the Fourth Street Methodist Episcopal Church. The father died in 1848, at the age of 60 years ; the mother passed away when about 76 years of age. John List was much interested in politics, but never held office of any kind.
R. H. List attended school in the old academy, first under Father Mc- Kay in the first ward, and later took instruction at Linsly Institute. After his school days were ended he entered the drug business and has continued in it ever since, in two localities. His first place of business was with I. H. Pat-
terson on 12th street. Secondly he was with T. H. Logan & Company, and afterward became a member of Logan, List & Company. He has always been successful in his business and his is among the oldest houses in the city.
Mr. List has been twice married, his first union being in 1860 with Jen- nie Irwin, a daughter of the late R. S. Irwin, but Mr. List was called upon to mourn her death in the August follow- ing their marriage. She was a devout member of the Presbyterian Church. Some years later he contracted a sec- ond matrimonial alliance, this time with Miss S. M. DeCamp, who was a native of what is now West Virginia, and a daughter of the late Jefferson DeCamp. They have five children, namely: Julia; J. Heber; Willie; Fannie; and Emma, who died in in- fancy. Julia married J. R. Handlan, a resident of Wheeling, and has three children,-John, Joe and Mary. J. Heber died at the early age of 19 years. Willie died at the age of 17 years. Fannie is still living at home. The family attend the Fourth Street Meth- odist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. List is a member.
Mr. List takes very small interest in politics. In fraternal circles he is a Mason, and has taken the intermediate
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degrees to that of Knight Templar ; he has held all of the offices in the blue lodge and commandery.
WILLIAM R. ALEXANDER.
WILLIAM R. ALEXANDER .- Among the early settlers at Clarks- burg, Harrison County, West Vir- ginia, was William R. Alexander, who drove over the mountains into West- ern Virginia, from his home in the Eastern part of the State,-he was a native of Loudoun County, and a son of Richard Alexander. His attention had been called to Clarksburg on ac- count of its probable location on a pro- jected line of railroad. He was a shoe manufacturer and he located his shop . for business on Water street, near the site of the old Stealy tanyard. This lat-
ter flourishing business has long since been discontinued, new inventions and perfected machinery having closed hun- dreds of tanyards throughout the coun- try. The old custom shoe shop has also been torn down, but Mr. Alexan- der's faith in the advancement of Clarksburg has long been demonstrated and the land has continued to advance in value.
After settling with his wife and two children in Clarksburg, in 1840, Mr. Alexander pursued a life of untiring industry. It is said of him that he was so diligent, while at the same time so careful in his religious observances, that on Saturday night he always worked until 12 o'clock and began again precisely at 12 on Monday. He held the office of United States deputy mar- shal for 10 years, being appointed in 1871, under President Grant's adminis- tration. At various times he was street superintendent and water commission- er of the city of Clarksburg. He served for twenty-five years as school commis- sioner, and was a member of the School Board at the time of his death. In this work he did valuable service, as in other offices of public trust. Of recent years he took pleasure in visiting the schools every day, when illness did not prevent, and he ever had an encourag- ing and kind word for both teacher and
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pupils. His ambition to die in this ser- vice was realized. Mr. Alexander was also county coroner up to the time of his death. He served the people faith- fully and well in other offices also. Pos- sibly no man in Harrison County ever devoted his time and energies more to the welfare of the people of his own county than did he. Early in life he was a Whig, but he was a zealous Re- publican from the time of the organiza- tion of the party. In 1851 he became a member of the I. O. O. F., and was ever loyal and active in the order. He was honored with the highest offices in the lodge. He was a member of the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment.
Mr. Alexander's first marriage was with Margaret Ramey, who was a na- tive of Loudoun County, Virginia, and a daughter of William Ramey. She died at the age of 56 years, having been the mother of eight children, as follows : James Robert, a resident of Wichita, Kansas; Mary E. (Mrs. H. C. Isenhart) ; John I., engaged at Clarksburg in the real estate and in- surance business; W. C., who was drowned in the Ohio River, at the age of 25 years ; Richard, who died at the age of 21; Virginia, who resides at Wichita, Kansas ; George J., a resident of the Indian Territory; and Charles, who died at the age of 12 years. Mr.
Alexander's second wife was Rebecca Rector, of Clarksburg. The one son of this union, Roy, lives with his moth- er in Clarksburg.
Mr. Alexander was very prominent- ly identified with the growth and the later development of Clarksburg. The autumn of his life was passed amid the respect of his fellow men, after years of usefulness, and he is recalled as one of the representative citizens of the locality.
HON. PETER SILMAN.
HON. PETER SILMAN, of Charleston, Kanawha County, treas- urer of the State of West Virginia, and also president of the Charleston Milling & Produce Company, has been prominently identified with both busi- ness and political life in his native
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State for a number of years. He was born July 15, 1859, in Kanawha Coun- ty, Virginia, now West Virginia, of humble parentage, and his education was obtained mostly in the public schools, alternating with work on the farm. He prepared himself for the profession of teaching, which he fol- lowed for nine years and has always taken an active interest in educational matters.
Mr. Silman cast his lot with the Republican party and is prominent in his party's councils. In 1892 he was nominated and elected sheriff of Ka- nawha County. His administration of the office was characterized by busi- ness methods and was universally satis- factory to the people of his county. He was the candidate of his party for State Treasurer in 1900, to which position he was elected, leading his ticket, his majority being more than 20,000.
Mr. Silman has enjoyed the reputa- tion through his whole business life and public career of being a man of the highest standard of integrity, and in his present responsible position, as also upon the various boards of which he is an ex-officio member, he is only adding to his record for good judgment, sound business methods and a sincere desire to guard well the interests of the public.
Mr. Silman is president of one of
the leading industrial enterprises of this city, the Charleston Milling & Produce Company, and is also financially inter- ested in a number of other successful concerns.
It may be truly said that Mr. Sil- man is a representative self-made man and has been the architect of his own fortune, having won his place in the world through the stimulating friction of battling with difficulties, gaining his strength by overcoming them.
Mr. Silman is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and holds membership in a number of secret orders.
In 1883 Mr. Silman married Min- nie C. Jenkins and they have a family of five children. They reside at their commodious suburban home at "Swan's Hill," one mile from the capital.
S. L. S. SPRAGG, M. D .- The subject of our sketch was born at Spraggs, Greene County, Pennsyl- vania, August 29, 1852. He is a son of Caleb A. and Sarah (Johnson) Spragg, both natives of Pennsylvania.
His father, a prosperous farmer of Greene County, Pennsylvania, was born December 18, 1828. His mother was also a native of Greene County, Penn- sylvania. She was born in 1830, and
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died at the family home, December 24, 1882.
Dr. Spragg's great-grandfather, Caleb Spragg, was the original settler on what is now known as Robberts' Run, Greene County, Pennsylvania. This was in the year 1768. His grand- father, David Spragg, was the fifth of a family of 12 children, all save one of whom lived to extreme old age.
His grandmother on his mother's side, died June 14, 1901, aged 94 years ; she was a second cousin of the famous Indian fighter, Lewis Wetzel. The Doctor has one sister, Clara N., and two brothers, Francis M. and William Elzy, living ; and one brother, David G., deceased.
From early boyhood until he was 17 years of age the Doctor attended dis- trict schools, going to school in the winter season and working on the farm during the summer vacation. His leisure moments were always devoted to study.
In his 18th year he passed success- fully the teacher's examination, both in his own county and in Monongalia County, West Virginia. He taught school the ensuing winter, and also the three winters following.
In the spring of 1871 he entered Monongahela College, Jefferson, Penn- sylvania, where he acquitted himself
with great satisfaction, both to his friends and to his instructors.
He began the study of medicine in the fall of 1875, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in March, 1879.
In April of the same year he en- tered upon the practice of his chosen profession at Spraggs, Pennsylvania, the village in which he was born, and which was named for his great-grand- father, Caleb.
After practicing successfully at Spraggs four years, he removed to Alliance, Ohio, where he soon secured a large and profitable clientele.
In 1888 he located permanently in Wheeling, West Virginia, his office and residence being at No. 832 Main street.
Dr. Spragg's career in Wheeling has been remarkably successful, both as a physician and as a surgeon.
From 1890 to 1892 he was city health officer, filling the position with great credit to himself and with entire satisfaction to his constituency.
He is at present examiner for a number of insurance companies and beneficent orders.
He is a member of many fraternal organizations, among which are: Wel- come Lodge, No. 6, A. O. U. W. ; Royal Tribe of Joseph ; Black Prince Lodge, No. 19, K. of P .; and Uniform Rank,
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Cœur de Leon Company, No. I, K. of P. Of the former two he is the local examiner. He is also surgeon on the colonel's staff, Ist Regiment, West Vir- ginia Uniform Rank, K. of P.
The Doctor was united in marriage to Martha E. White, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Sanders) White, March 24, 1883. His wife was born at St. Cloud, Virginia, now West Virginia, May II, 1857.
Leon W., their only child, was born September 24, 1885. He is, at present, a student at Linsly Institute, Wheeling, West Virginia.
The Doctor is a consistent Christian, both he and his family being communi- cants of Fourth Street Methodist Epis- copal Church, of Wheeling.
In politics he is a Democrat of the old school, and a believer in the prin- ciples of the party as expounded by such statesmen as Tilden, Bayard and Hendricks.
He has been, and is to-day, inter- ested largely in coal and oil speculations. His transactions are pre-eminently hon- est and straightforward, almost invari- ably remunerative, and always satisfac- tory to those with whom he is associ- ated in his dealings.
As a christian gentleman, as a safe and conscientious business man, and as a skillful and scientific physi-
cian and surgeon, Dr. Spragg holds an enviable rank in the city and State of his adoption.
V. B. ARCHER.
V. B. ARCHER, a prominent at- torney of Parkersburg, West Virginia, is a descendant of one of the oldest American families, and was born in 1851, in Noble County, Ohio.
The Archers were among the early settlers of Old Virginia. The grand- father emigrated to Ohio in 1806 and settled near Carlisle in what is now Noble County. Elisha Archer, the father of our subject, was a native of the State of Ohio, but moved from Athens County, Ohio, to Wirt County, West Virginia, in 1873.
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V. B. Archer received his primary education in the public schools of Ath- ens County, and took an academic course at Miller's Seminary of Marsh- field, Ohio. He followed school teach- ing for several years, and during the spare moments of his time studied law. In the fall of 1875 he was admitted to the bar, and immediately began practice in Wirt County, West Virginia. He remained in Wirt County until 1886, when he moved to Parkersburg, and there located for the practice of law, where he has continuously resided since that time.
While Mr. Archer has always fol- lowed the general practice of his pro- fession, he is considered an expert on corporation law, and for many years was chief counsel for the Ohio River Railroad Company.
Mr. Archer married, in 1876, El- vira Beard, of Wood County, a daugh- ter of William and Sarah Beard. Mrs. Archer's mother was Sarah Perry be- fore her marriage, and was a descend- ant of the famous Perry family. Will- iam Beard was one of the early iron masters of Pennsylvania, but after his marriage with Miss Perry moved to Wood County, Virginia, now West Virginia, where for many years he was an active surveyor and civil engineer. The ancestors of both Mr. and Mrs.
Archer were active in the American Revolution, and in the War of 1812.
Mr. and Mrs. Archer have one child, a daughter, who was educated at the National Park Seminary at For- est Glenn, Maryland, and who married John T. Chesley of Washington, D. C., where Mr. and Mrs. Chesley reside.
In 1897 Mr. Archer, with several business associates of Parkersburg, in- corporated the Little Kanawha Rail- road Company, and during the years 1897 and 1898 they constructed 30 miles of the railroad of this company from Parkersburg, Wood County, to Palestine, Wirt County, for which rail- road company Mr. Archer was not only general counsel, but also an active director. Mr. Archer and his associ- ates disposed of a controlling interest in this railroad in the fall of 1901 to a syndicate representing the Wabash Railroad interests, and Mr. Archer con- tinued to act as general counsel for the syndicate. While representing the Lit- tle Kanawha Railroad Company, Mr. Archer is also general counsel for the Parkersburg, Marietta & Inter-Urban Railway Company, one of the best elec- tric railroads in the country, which operates an electric system in Parkers- burg, West Virginia, and Marietta, Ohio, with a line 12 miles long con- necting these two systems.
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Mr. Archer is also general counsel and an active director of the Citizens' Trust & Guaranty Company of West Virginia, with its general office at Par- kersburg, which company is one of the strongest financial institutions of the State.
Mr. Archer has long enjoyed one of the most extensive and lucrative law practices in the State, and has one of the largest and best selected private law libraries in the Ohio Valley.
While never seeking political pre- ferment, Mr. Archer has always been an active party man, giving his sup- port to the Republican party, and has worked always for the success of his party without any expectation of per- sonal reward.
GUSTAVUS A. ASCHMAN, M. D., a gentleman who has attained wide prominence in the practice of the medical profession, is located at Wheel- ing, Ohio County, West Virginia, and makes a specialty of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, in which branches he received special training. He was born in New York City, April 3. 1860, and is a son of Frederick Theodore Aschman.
Frederick Theodore Aschman was born in Switzerland and died in 1868, at the age of 33 years. He came to the
United States when a boy and entered a silk importing house, of which he eventually became the head. He mar- ried Martha Davis, a daughter of Gen- eral Davis. The latter was born in Michigan in 1789, served in the War of 1812, and also gained distinction in the Mexican War; he died in 1874 at White Plains, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Aschman had four children, as follows: Frederick Theodore, born September 25. 1858, is a professor of chemistry in the University of Penn- sylvania ; Gustavus A .; Maud S., born December 21, 1864, married Emil Schmidt, a designer living in Andover, New Jersey; and Theodore, born in July, 1869, who is living in Paris, France.
Gustavus A. Aschman attended the public schools of New York City, and private school at White Plains, New York, and at the age of 18 years went abroad and entered a school at Trogen, Switzerland, a celebrated institution at a high altitude in the mountains. There he remained two years, and then at- tended public and high schools at St. Gall, Switzerland. a place whose his- tory dates back to the fourth century and renowned for its historic cathed- rals. In 1879 he went to Geneva, where he entered the university and finished his preliminary course in medi-
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cine, and received the degrees of B. A. and B. Sc. In the spring of 1882 he went to the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where he studied medi- cine until 1884, and there received a diploma for the practice of medicine and surgery. He subsequently spent two years and a half in attending lec- tures at the celebrated institutions of Vienna, Berlin and London, his spe- cialty being diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. In 1886 he returned to the United States and became assist- ant clinical surgeon under Dr. Knapp at the New York Aural and Ophthal- mic College, continuing there for two years. In April, 1890, he located in Wheeling, where he has since been en- gaged in the continuous and successful practice of his profession. His office is in the National Exchange Bank Building, and his residence is at No. 100 12th street. He is a member of the American Medical Association and of the board of regents of the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb of West Vir- ginia.
Dr. Aschman on April 23, 1889, married Ida E. Harden, who was born June 21, 1860, and is a daughter of Percival Harden, a native of Wheel- ing. They are members of St. Mat- thew's Protestant Episcopal Church, and Dr. Aschman is superintendent of
the Sunday-school and vestryman. He organized and is a member of St. Mat- thew's Church choir, which is com- posed of 50 male voices. He is a member of the Order of St. Andrew, A. O. U. W., and is grand medical examiner for the Grand Lodge, A. O. U. W., of West Virginia. He has been secretary and president of the State Medical Society of West Virginia. He is a member of the Twilight Club and the Arion Association of Wheeling.
MAJ. CHARLES D. ELLIOTT.
MAJ. CHARLES D. ELLIOTT .- In noting the prominent men and lead- ing politicians of West Virginia, the name of Maj. C. D. Elliott, of Parkers-
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burg, comes immediately to mind, re- presenting as it does one of the faithful "Old Guard" in party ranks, a trusted and valued official of the United States .. government and also the able president of a company which owns and publish- es The Parkersburg News, the leading Republican organ in the State.
Major Elliott was born January I, 1861, in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, being a son of Dr. Thomas I. Elliott, also a native of Clarion County, who had located in West Virginia prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Before the birth of his son, Dr. Elliott returned to Clarion County, but after peace was restored to this beautiful and attractive section, he returned to the Mountain State and settled in Taylor County. It was in that county that young Elliott was given the rudiments of a common school education; later he was given advantages at the West Virginia State College at Flemington. From college halls the young man sought adventure and occupation in the far West, spend- ing six years on the Great Plains, and in Colorado and Wyoming. In 1887 he came back to West Virginia, located at Sutton, in Braxton County, and en- gaged in lumbering, following the same for a number of years. In 1896 he was admitted to the bar, but has never been actively engaged in the active prac-
tice of the law. It is Major Elliott's own secret how he happened to be se- lected by the government as a secret service agent, a line of work he suc- cessfully and most efficiently pursued until his appointment on June 18, 1901, as United States marshal. Owing to the death of the lamented President Mc- Kinley, before this appointment was confirmed by the Senate, his present term of office did not begin until Dec- ember 17, 1901, when his appointment was made by President Roosevelt.
For sixteen years Major Elliott has been a conspicuous figure in political work in West Virginia and he has given much of his time and energy to the or- ganizing of Republican clubs, in ad- justing necessary parts and in harmon- izing various elements in the great or- ganization to which he belongs. He is well known in all parts of the State and his genial manner and his sincere meth- ods have won him friends and votes and influence for his party. For several terms he was president of the Republic- an League Clubs and has for several years been a member of the Republican State Executive Committee. During the Spanish-American War he served with the 2nd Regiment, West Virginia In- fantry, U. S. Volunteers, as major, and with such credit that he was commis- sioned by the President major of the
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47th U. S. Infantry during the war with the Philippines, and was appointed inspector general on the staff of Gov- ernor White in March, 1901.
On December 1, 1901, The Parkers- burg News was purchased by Mr. Ell- iott and he formed a company, becom- ing its president. This journal is the largest and the leading political one of the Republican party in the State, and under the Major's able management has more than tripled its circulation. In many ways Major Elliott is a valued citizen, for while he is always alert in the service of his party, he is also public- spirited and liberal, proud of his city and anxious to increase her prom- inence.
In 1888 Major Elliott was united in marriage with Mary Thompson, daughter of Joseph Thompson, of Staunton, Virginia, the two children of this union bearing the names of Viola N. and Catherine E.
HON. BLACKBURN BARRETT DOVENER, West Virginia's dis- tinguished representative in Congress from the First Congressional Dis- trict, was born April 20, 1842, at Hurricane Bridge, Teays Valley, in what was then part of Cabell Coun- ty, Virginia, now Putnam County,
West Virginia. He is a son of Dr. R. G. Dovener, a native of Cherry Valley, New York. The mother of the subject of this sketch was the daughter of Andrew Barrett, of Cabell County, Virginia. During the infancy of their son the parents moved to Eliza- beth, Wirt County, and when he was 12 years of age they changed their residence to Parkersburg, and there the childhood of young Dovener was spent. He attended the district schools, and was a pupil for several terms in the well known Parkersburg Academy, conducted by Prof. John C. Nash. His educational course was abruptly terminated by his enlistment in the volunteer service of the Civil War, in 1861, at the age of 19 years. He raised a company known as Company A, of the Fifteenth Virginia Regiment (af- terward designated as the Fifteenth Regiment, WV. Va. Vol. Inf., on the admission of West Virginia as a State). but on account of his youth he declined its leadership. He served as Ist lieutenant until after the battle of Cedar Creek, when he was promoted to be captain of the company. His ser- vices throughout the war were dis- tinguished and valuable to the national cause and won him an enviable record. At the close of the war Captain Dove- ner moved to Wheeling, where he mar-
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ried Margaret Lynch, daughter of the late William Lynch, of Wheeling.
In 1867 he was appointed chief clerk in the office of the Secretary of State, after which he decided to pursue the profession of law. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1873, and began practice in Wheeling the same year. By patience, perseverance and industry he won for himself a position at the bar and in the courts of his native State and adjoining States an enviable and worthy distinction as an able and successful practitioner. As a counselor he is safe and wise, and ready in the compre- hension of the salient features of a case. As an advocate he is earnest, making his client's cause his own. He is ready in debate and fluent in expression. As a man he is affable, courteous and polite. He was for a time the junior member of the law firm of Davenport & Dovener. Upon the death of the senior member, which occurred in 1880, he succeeded to the firm's practice, which under his auspices has been greatly in- creased until now his clientage is one of the largest and most lucrative in Wheeling. As a criminal lawyer he has had much experience, and in this line of his profession has no peer.
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