USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume II > Part 27
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success. He is a member of the Inter- national Hahnemann Association of which he was elected vice-president at Niagara Falls and served in 1898 at the meeting at Atlantic City, where he was elected for the next meeting, which will take place at Boston, Massachus- etts, in June, 1903. He was urged for the presidency, but declined the honor. Dr. Boger is most highly regarded in the profession, and is a valued member of the West Virginia Homeopathic Society and has served as its president ; and of the Ohio Valley Homeopathic Society.
Mrs. Dr. Boger was formerly a Miss Forrester, who was born in Wash- ington County, Pennsylvania, and five children have been added to the family. three of whom attend school. The family residence is near Dudleyville, while the Doctor is professionally lo- cated at No. 225 7th street, Parkers- burg.
HON. C. W. MAY.
HON. C. W. MAY, President of the State Senate, and a prominent member of the bar of Hamlin, Lincoln County, West Virginia, was born in Lincoln County, July 14, 1869. He is a son of Jacob and Annie (Huff) May, both of whom are natives of Virginia.
The education of our subject was begun in the common schools of Lin- coln County. After completing the course, he taught school for seven years, and then entered the University of West Virginia, from which he was graduated in 1894. In 1895 he began the practice of law and in the follow- ing year was elected prosecuting attor- ney of Lincoln County, a position which he most efficiently filled for a period of four years.
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Mr. May has always been an ar- dent supporter of the principles of the Republican party, and in 1900 that party elected him State Senator and re- turned him to the Senate in 1902. His executive ability, good judgment and impartial methods made him the successful candidate for President of the Senate in the session of 1903, a position he has filled with the dignity becoming to it.
Mr. May is a member of Hamlin Lodge, No. 4, A. F. & A. M. ; Hamlin Lodge, 1. O. O. F .; and Hamlin Lodge, No. 161. A. O. U. W.
HON. JOHN Y. YORK.
HON. JOHN Y. YORK, a mem- ber of the State Senate of West Vir- ginia, from Wayne County, is a promi-
nent citizen of Yorkville, where he has extensive business interests. He was born in Wayne County, Virginia, now West Virginia, September 24, 1846, and is a son of Joseph D. and Eliza- beth ( Ratcliffe) York, the former a native of Brown County, Ohio, and the latter of Wayne County, Virginia, now West Virginia.
John Y. York received his edu- cation in the common and subscription schools of this locality, and early in life engaged in the lumber business, which he has since followed with an abundance of success. He is also in- terested in various other enterprises, among them a mercantile business at Yorkville. He owns and operates a farm of 300 acres and in all owns about 1,500 acres of land. During President Harrison's administration, a post office was established at Yorkville and for some time our subject served as postmaster. They have two mails a day and the Norfolk & Western Railway Company contemplates the construction of an extension to the town, which will make Yorkville one of the best little towns of West Vir- ginia. Mr. York is a stanch Republi- can in politics, and has served as County Commissioner and in the State Senate, where he has most ably repre- sented his constituents.
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John Y. York was married in 1866 to Fanny Keysor, by whom he had II children. He formed a second matri- monial alliance, with Celeste Parsley, by whom he has three children. Fra- ternally, he is a member of Fort Gay Lodge, No. 58, A. F. & A. M .; Chapter No. 38, R. A. M. ; and is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
HON. T. C. DAVIS.
HON. T. C. DAVIS, member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from Pleasants County, and post- master at Wasp, was born December 25, 1843, in Noble County, Ohio, and is a son of Isaac and Eliza ( William- son) Davis, and a grandson of Jesse Davis, a Revolutionary soldier. Both grandfather and father were born in
Virginia, and the latter died in March, 1875, aged 98 years. The mother of our subject was born in 1830, in Washington County, Ohio, and died in 1852, when her son, our subject, was nine years old. The Davis family is of German extraction.
Mr. Davis is known as one of the leading farmers of Pleasants County. There he owns a fine stock and grain producing farm of 200 acres, which ranks with the best estates in the county. He has taken an active part in politics for a number of years and has held many responsible positions prior to his election to the House, in 1902. He has been secretary of the Board of Education, township clerk, school trustee and justice of the peace. For four years he was a member of the County Court, making levies and trying nearly all the cases which now go to the Circuit Court. He is an ardent Republican and in 1898 was. appointed postmaster at Wasp, by the. late President Mckinley.
In 1869 Mr. Davis married Jennie Gorrell, who, at death left two chil- dren. In 1880 Mr. Davies married again ; the three children of the second union died in infancy. He is a man of quiet manner and has not made himself conspicuous in the proceedings of the House, but has kept in close
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touch with all legislation and has been a faithful and consistent advocate of all the interests of his constituents and a careful and conservative adviser on party measures.
HON. RAY V. CHIDESTER.
HON. RAY V. CHIDESTER, member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from Lewis County, was born in Weston, Lewis County, De- cember 4, 1875, and is a son of Well- ington V. and Mary (Linger) Chides- ter. both natives of that part of West Virginia.
Phineas W. Chidester, a Scotch- man by birth, the grandfather of our subject, came to America about 1814,
settled in Upshur County, Virginia, and there became a prominent agricul- turist. To him and his estimable wife were born six children. They were Seceders in religious faith.
Wellington V. Chidester was a farmer in early life, but later became a merchant and conducted a prosper- ous business for a number of years, but is now living a retired life. The six surviving children of the family of 12 born to Wellington V. Chides- ter and his wife, Mary Linger, are: Mrs. Sarah J. Rittenhouse; Layne B .; Mrs. Fannie F. McCray; John C .; and Frank P.
Ray V. Chidester, the subject of this sketch, was primarily educated in the common schools of Lewis County and later attended the West Virginia Conference Seminary at Buckhannon. three years later leaving that institu- tion to enter the Fairmont State Nor- mal School, where he was graduated in the class of 1894. Later he at- tended the Mountain State Business College at Parkersburg, taking a full business course, and then began his reading of the law under Hon. An- drew Edmiston, of Weston. He was admitted to the bar of Lewis County in 1900, located at Weston and has been successfully engaged in the prac- tice of his profession ever since, mak-
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ing a specialty of criminal law. He is a popular young attorney and it is the opinion of his friends that his future has abundant promise of the fullest success. In politics he is a Democrat, and adheres strictly to the tenets of his party. In 1902 Mr. Chidester was honored by being the choice of his party to the House of Delegates from Lewis County, and up- on a number of occasions he has dem- onstrated to that honorable body, in a lucid and convincing manner, his ability and fidelity to the best interests of his State, as his party sees it. He is unmarried and is associated with no fraternal societies.
CAPT. THOMAS WEST PEY- TON, a prominent citizen of Hunting- ton, West Virginia, senior member of the law firm of Peyton & Perkinson and member of the insurance firm of Gordon, Peyton & Perkinson, was born in 1860 in Cabell County, West Vir- ginia, his family being one of the early ones of the State. He is the only son of Capt. Thomas West.
The Peytons are of English descent and the name is a very prominent one all through Virginia.
The grandfather of Captain Pey- ton, also named Capt. Thomas West Peyton, was born in Virginia and
served as captain in the Revolutionary Army, and also as consul at Matan- zas, Cuba, dying on the way home from that country, and being buried at sea.
Our subject's grandmother was a Miss Dundas, of an equally prominent family of Pennsylvania, coming origin- ally from Scotland. Members of this family were distinguished in their own country, one of them being Lord Chan- cellor of Scotland. James Dundas died at Philadelphia, a millionaire, and one of the grandmother's brothers was Assistant Postmaster General for some years prior to the Civil War.
Capt. Thomas West Peyton (2) was born at Mantanzas, Cuba, in 1820, and served in many public positions, at the outbreak of the Civil War being a customs official at New Orleans, Louisiana. He entered the Confed- erate Army, from Louisiana, gained his title there and was killed in 1863 at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In New Orleans he married a Miss O'Dowd, who was born in Ireland and came to this country in childhood. She died in 1893, leaving one son,-the subject of this sketch,-and four daughters, the latter being: Ann Virginia ( Mrs. Charles Ricketts.) of Huntington; Mrs. Lizzie Ora Benhring, of Fayette County, West Virginia; Alice who is married and lives in Fayette County ;
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and Sally, who is principal of the Buf- fington school at Huntington.
Capt. Thomas West Peyton, the third of the name in succession, gradu- ated at Marshall College, Huntington. in 1877, prior to completing his 17th year. He then entertd the law office of Gibson & Lane, where he studied until he reached his majority and suc- cessfully passed the examination of the judges and was admitted to the bar in 1881. Captain Peyton commenced practice at once, and during his first partnership with Captain Gibson in 1884 was elected by the Democrats to a six-years term as Circuit clerk of Cabell County. In 1891, he formed a partnership with James Marcum, which continued until 1894 and in 1899 he entered into his present partnershij with A. V. Perkinson. The insurance partnership, which includes Mayor H. C. Gordon, was formed later and is one of the leading business enterprises in that line in the city. In 1889 Capt- ain Peyton entered the West Virginia National Guards, was captain of Com- pany I, 2nd Regiment, West Virginia National Guards, but resigned in 1894.
Captain Peyton married a daughter of M. Hovey and a granddaughter of Thomas Thornburg, the latter of whom was a pioneer and prominent resident of Cabell County, served in the Vir-
ginia Legislature and was a member of the Secession Convention of 1861. Mrs. Peyton died in 1902, and the four children of this union, three sons and one daughter, reside with their grand- parents at Barboursville, the eldest son bearing the name of Thomas West. Captain Peyton is a Mason of high de- gree and is past master, past high priest, and past eminent commander in the order.
JOHN MASON PRICE.
JOHN MASON PRICE, ex- deputy sheriff of Greenbrier County, ex-mayor and a prominent citizen of Ronceverte, West Virginia, was born in Greenbrier County, Virginia, now West Virginia, October 7, 1834. His parents were Jacob and Mary Brown
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(Cox) Price, both of whom were Vir- ginians by birth.
Jacob Price, his grandfather, served through the Revolutionary War with distinction and drew a pen- sion for his services to the close of his life at an advanced age. He set- tled in Greenbrier County, Virginia, now West Virginia, at the end of the war and founded a family which has flourished in the locality to the present day. The grandmother of our subject was Winnifred Tillery, who was born in Virginia of Welsh ancestry, her family having established in that State prior to the Revolution.
Jacob Price (2,) son of Jacob and Winnifred (Tillery) Price, and father of our subject, was born in Greenbrier County in 1790, and died in his native place in 1887. He was prominent in military life, was a captain of militia and served under General Harrison in the early wars, and during the War of 1812 he com- manded a company in so valorous a maner as to receive a large grant of Virginia land and a pension through life. The mother of our subject was born in Bath County, Virginia, her family being an old and honored one of that section. She died in 1862, aged 72 years. Eight children were born to the parents of our subject, as
follows : Charles, Abraham, Addison H., Sarah J., Margaret Elizabeth, Mary Susan, all of these deceased; Rebecca, who is Mrs. B. F. Hagsett, of Monroe County ; and John Mason, of this sketch.
John Mason Price was reared in Greenbrier County and obtained his education in the common schools of Greenbrier and Monroe counties and at Second Creek Academy. At the age of 21 he went to Missouri and dur- ing his residence there engaged in teaching school, returning home just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Soon after his return he entered the army, leaving a wife behind, having married in 1858, and during a long service participated in many serious battles and endured a long period of captivity as a prisoner of war. He enlisted as sergeant in Company B, 26th Virginia Battalion, C. S. A., but was later placed on the staff of Colonel Adger, where he continued until his capture, at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. Mr. Price was first under fire at Fay- etteville and later at Charleston, White Sulphur Springs, New Market, North Anna River, all through the Wilder- ness campaign and until his capture as above mentioned, when he was suffer- ing from a bayonet wound. At Fay- etteville he was struck and injured by
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a piece of spent shell, and suffered for six months with typhoid fever. After his capture, he was taken to Point Lookout prison and kept there until July, and was then transferred to Elmira, New York, where he was one of the sergeants in charge of the mess room in the prison for some 6,000 prisoners. He was exchanged in March, 1865, and reached home just before the surrender of General Lee.
After recuperation, Mr. Price en- gaged in a mercantile business at Organ Cave, Greenbrier County, and in 1880 was elected deputy sheriff, and acceptably filled the office for four years, at the close of his term remov- ing to Ronceverte. There he associ- ated himself with A. E. White, in an agricultural implement and fertilizer business, which he sold in 1886, and engaged for two years until a fire de- stroyed his plant in a foundry busi- ness. In 1888 he was again elected deputy sheriff and remained in office until 1892, when he embarked in a furniture business in Ronceverte, West Virginia, and later at Covington, Vir- ginia, which he continued until 1901, when he disposed of it and has been actively interested in real estate and collections since that time.
Mr. Price has been twice married. On December 1, 1859, he was married
to Elizabeth Mary Erwin, who was born in Greenbrier County and was a daughter of Col. John Erwin, of a family of importance in the county, that came from Irish stock. Mrs. Price died in 1881. The names of the children of this marriage are as fol- lows: Adger, deceased; Mary Bell, who married R. S. Loveless, present postmaster of Ronceverte; Henrietta, who married Kirby McVey of Mc- Donald, Fayette County, West Vir- ginia, is salesman in the wholesale house of the Carleton Dry Goods Com- pany, of St. Louis, Missouri; Jane E. and John E., twins, the latter deceased, the former a teacher of music in Pow- hatan College, Charleston, Jefferson County, West Virginia; Matthew N., a resident of New Cumberland, West Virginia ; Oscar A., engaged in a mill- ing business in Virginia; and Charles A., of East Liverpool, Ohio. Mr. Price was married in 1882 to Isabel Williams, nce Campbell, a daughter of R. Campbell. She was born in Mon- roe County, West Virginia. The one daughter of this marriage is named Vera Lee, is now in her 19th year and is a graduate of Powhatan College.
Formerly Mr. Price was active in the Democratic party and served as chairman of the local Democratic com- mittee. At present he is neutral in
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politics. He has been one of Ron- ceverte's prominent and popular citi- zens and served the city for nine years as mayor. For 42 years he has been a Mason, entering the order in Green- brier Lodge at Lewisburg, in 1862, and is a charter member of both the blue lodge and Chapter No. 47, R. A. M., at Ronceverte. He was one of the promoters of the Ronceverte National Bank, and has been one of the directors ever since its organization. In re- ligious belief Mr. Price is a Presby- terian.
HON. WILLIAM GUY BROWN.
HON. WILLIAM GUY BROWN .- The branch of the Brown family from which descended the late William Guy Brown, lawyer
and legislator, and a most venerated resident of Kingswood, Preston Coun- ty, West Virginia, originated in the vicinity of Edinburg, Scotland, and was founded in northwestern Virginia by James Brown, in 1790.
William Guy Brown, the fourth son of James Brown, and subject of this narrative, was born September 25, 1800. At the age of 22 years he began the study of law, with Oliver Phelps and Joseph H. Samuels, of Parkers- burg, and was admitted to the bar of Preston County, in 1823. Mr. Brown almost immediately entered politics, finding in public life a congenial field. He was elected prosecuting attorney of the county and served a number of years as such, until 1832. He was a stanch adherent of Andrew Jackson and ardently supported him three times for the Presidency. Mr. Brown became the candidate of his party and was elected to the General Assembly of Virginia, and served with dis- tinction in 1832 and in 1840-41-42-43; and in 1845 was elected to Congress. He was one of the first to raise his voice in favor of the war with Mexico and contributed time and means to as- sist in its successful and honorable consummation. In 1847 he was re- elected to Congress and in 1850 was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional
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Convention. In 1861 he was a dele- gate to the convention at Richmond and was fearless in his opposition to secession. Upon the organization of the Restored Government of Vir- ginia. Mr. Brown was chosen a rep- resentative in the 37th Congress, and was the first member of Congress from the Second Congressional District of West Virginia, in 1863. After a long, active and useful life, he passed away at his home in Kingwood. His last public services were during 1872-73. when he served in the State Legisla- ture and was a member of the con- vention to revise the Constitution, in 1872.
Mr. Brown is survived by one son, William Guy, and his widow. The former is one of the well known at- torneys of Kingwood and has efficient- ly held important public trusts.
HON. JAMES PAULL is remem- bered by the older residents of Wheel- ing and of the State of West Virginia as a prominent attorney, a member of the Legislature, and at the time of his death, May II, 1875, in his 57th year, as a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. In this last capacity he had served since 1872. At his death, about six years remained to complete his term of office.
Judge Paull was born in Belmont County, Ohio, and was a son of Joseph and Elizabeth Paull. During the Judge's boyhood his father moved to Wheeling with his family. His three sons, John, Alfred and James, spent the greater part of their lives in that city. John studied medicine, but died in young manhood. Alfred studied theology and was for many years pas- tor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Wheeling. About 1863 he removed to Philadelphia, where he died in 1873. James, the subject of this sketch, chose the legal profession. His academical education was obtained at an institution located at Crosscreek Village, Pennsyl- vania. In 1835 he graduated from Washington College in Pennsylvania and subsequently studied law in the office of Zachariah Jacob, of Wheeling. He completed his professional studies by attending the law department of the West Virginia University. During the remainder of his life. with the excep- tion of a short time during which he had charge of Linsly Institute, he de- voted himself to his profession. He represented Ohio County in the Legis- lature with signal ability, and in every relation, whether in public or in private life, he bore himself with honor. Up- on the adoption of the new Constitu- tion of West Virginia, in August,
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1872, he was elected one of the four judges of the Supreme Court of Ap- peals of West Virginia, and was serv- ing the third year of his eight-year term at the time of his death. His nomination was entirely unsolicited by him, and he was elected by a great ma- jority. At his death resolutions of respect were framed and adopted by the members of the Ohio County bar, who attended his funeral in a body.
Judge Paull first married Jane A. Fry, a daughter of Judge Fry, former- ly of Wheeling. She died, leaving three sons. In March, 1861, he mar- ried Eliza J. Ott, a daughter of Sam- uel Ott, of Wheeling. Three sons and two daughters blessed this union. Judge Paull was extremely opposed to ostentation in anything, and his life was characteristic of his nature,-one of simplicity and kindness. He was a devoted father and husband. As a young man, he united with the First Presbyterian Church, to the support of which he was ever a liberal contributor. He was a ruling elder in this church for 18 years.
Alfred Paull, a son of Judge Paull, was born October 15, 1854, in Wheel- ing, and was educated mainly at Wash- ington and Jefferson College, of Penn- sylvania. At the close of his sopho- more year, in 1873, he entered the man-
ufacturing business in Wheeling. In this and in other kinds of business he continued until he engaged in his pres- ent line, that of general insurance. Mr. Paull is manager for a number of com- panies for the State of West Virginia, and has from 75 to 100 agents who report to him. All adjustments are made and all losses are paid from his office. Mr. Paull devotes his entire time to this business. His office has been, for the past five years, at No. II20 Market street, where a force of clerks is kept busy.
Alfred Paull married Lee Single- ton, of Wheeling, a daughter of Capt. Thomas Singleton. Her mother was a descendant of Samuel Irwin, the Ir- wins being an early family of Ohio County. Mr. and Mrs. Paull have two sons and two daughters, as follows : Mary Irwin, who married Arthur Greer Hubbard, secretary of the Wheeling Mold & Foundry Company ; Lyde; Alfred Singleton, who is at- tending Princeton College; and Lee, who is 13 years old. Mr. Paull owns a beautiful home at No. 729 Main street. He served for four years in the first branch of the City Council, and was a member of the Board of Education. He is past grand com- mander of the Knights Templar of West Virginia. On July 20, 1901 he
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received the commission of aide-de- camp with the rank of colonel, on the staff of Governor A. B. White.
Mr. Paull is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder. He has been one of the di- rectors of the Young Men's Christian Association since its organization. He is director and chairman of the execu- tive committee of the City Hospital, with which he has been associated since its organization. He is also a member of the Board of Trade.
FRANCIS B. BURK.
FRANCIS B. BURK, city at- torney of Parkersburg, West Vir- ginia, was born February II, 1862, in Wood County, West Virginia, and
he is a son of R. H. and Eliza J. (Davis) Burk. His grandfather, David B. Burke, was born July 10, 1786, and died April 13, 1883 ; he was a stanch Whig.
R. H. Burk was born near Steu- benville, Ohio, December 16, 1828. In October, 1839, he accompanied his uncle, William Hunter, to Wood County, and the latter located near Waverly, living there many years, but dying in Parkersburg. At the age of 23, R. H. Burk married Eliza J. Davis, who was also reared near Steuben- ville, Ohio. She died in 1862, leaving four children, namely: William N., a general merchant at Ravenswood, West Virginia, who died at the age of 40 years ; James H., a jeweler by trade, who is now filling the office of assist- ant to the chief deputy collector of in- ternal revenue, at Parkersburg; Mary J., who is the wife of J. D. Mckibben, a farmer of Wood County; and Fran- cis B., who was an infant at the time of his mother's death. The second marriage of R. H. Burk was to Anna B. Eppelein, who was born in this State. Mr. Burk is engaged in farm- ing and stock raising near Parkers- burg. He was very actively interested in politics, about the time of the pro- posed statehood of West Virginia and attended several conventions at Wheel-
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ing. Like his father, he endorsed the Whig party, and later affiliated with the Republicans. He has served many years as a member or president of the Board of Education. For more than 40 years he has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church.
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