USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume II > Part 28
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After completing the public school course, Francis B. Burk attended the Fairmont Normal School, and taught his first term during the winter of his 2Ist year. After several years of winter teaching, he returned to the Normal School and was graduated in the class of 1887. During the follow- ing three years he taught school, and read law during the vacations under the tutelage of the late John A. Hutchinson, and was admitted to the bar in 1891. His time has been mainly devoted to his profession ever since. During a period spent in the county assessor's office, he became thoroughly acquainted with a large percentage of the citizens of Wood County, gaining their confidence to such an extent that he was elected county superintendent of free schools, and capably served in this position for four years, his term ending in July, 1899. In 1896 he was made chairman of the Republican County Committee. In 1902 he was chosen as city attorney of Parkers- burg, a just recognition of his
ability. His first office in the State Journal building has long since given way to handsome apartments at No .. 311 Juliana street.
The marriage of Francis B. Burk was to Julia M. Haislep, who was born near Wellston, Ohio, but has been a resident of Parkersburg ever since one. year of age. She is a daughter of the: late W. A. Haislep and his wife, Rachel C. Romine, who survives her husband and resides on a farm in Wood County. The Romine family came from Holland in the first part of the 17th century and were promi- nent on Manhattan Island. Mrs. Burk is a member of the Baptist Church, while Mr. Burk favors the. Presbyterian. He is a member of Phoenix Camp, No 6961, Modern Woodmen of America, and Parkers- burg Court, No. I, Tribe of Ben Hur, and has served through all the chairs.
G. W. ADAMS, M. D., a promi- nent physician and surgeon of Bar- boursville, Cabell County, West Vir- ginia, was born August 20, 1852, in Cabell County, and is a son of Charles and Nancy ( Buxton) Adams, both of whom were natives of Virginia. Charles Adams was a prominent agri- culturist and a highly respected citizen:
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The parents are survived by five of their seven children.
Dr. G. W. Adams received his education in the common and select schools of Cabell County and was also given private instruction. He read medicine with Dr. E. F. Buffing- ton, of Huntington, West Virginia, for about two years and then entered Louisville Medical College and later the College of Physicians and Sur- geons, Cincinnati, graduating there in 1889, with the degree of M. D. He practiced for two years in Wayne County, West Virginia, and then went to Kentucky for a year, returning then to Cabell County, West Virginia, and locating in Barboursville. Dr. Adams has become prominent in his profession, his superior skill and care- ful treatment having been shown on many occasions.
In 1878 Dr. Adams married Ada Huff, who was born in the Valley of Virginia, and a family of six children has been born to this union, viz : Frank, Fred, Harry, Blandon, Florence, de- ceased, and Dewey. Politically, Dr. Adams is affiliated with the Republi- can party. He is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Tri-State Medical Society of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, and of the American Medi- cal Association.
GEN. N. S. BURLEW.
GEN. N. S. BURLEW, one of the substantial and representative citizens of Charleston, West Virginia, a lead- ing hardware merchant and part owner of the Burlew Opera House, was born August 20, 1846, in Seneca County, New York, and is a son of James and Sophia (Wood) Burlew, both of whom are natives of New Jersey.
General Burlew was educated in the common schools of New York and New Jersey, and in young manhood learned dentistry, which profession he practiced about seven years, at Union Springs, New York. In 1873 he lo- cated in Charleston, Kanawha County, and engaged in the lumber business, conducting the same in that locality
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for three years. He was then ap- pointed assistant United States mar- shal, under Marshal De Vall, and re- mained in office two years, resigning the position then in order to embark in the hardware business in Charles- ton, a good opening presenting itself at that time. General Burlew has given Charleston a first-class store, carrying every line of hardware goods and specialties, and has made that city a center for that line of trade in the central section of the State. In ad- dition, he is part owner and the man- ager of the Burlew Opera House, is president of the Daily Mail Publishing Company, and vice-president of the South Side Improvement Company.
In 1863 General Burlew enlisted for service in the War of the Rebellion in Company C, 126th Reg., New York Vol. Inf., in which he served two years. At Harper's Ferry he was made a prisoner although he was soon paroled. During George W. Atkinson's ad- ministration, he served as colonel on his staff and later as general on the staff of Governor A. B. White.
In 1887 General Burlew was mar- ried to Elizabeth Rand, who is a daughter of William Rand and a de- scendant of an old Virginia family. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In political
conviction, our subject is a stanch Re- publican. Fraternally he is prominent in the different branches of Masonry, belonging to blue lodge, chapter, com- mandery, and Beni-Kedem Temple, of the Mystic Shrine.
GARVEY LEONARD COPELAND, M .. D.
GARVEY LEONARD COPE- LAND, M. D., a successful medical practitioner at Parsons, Tucker Coun- ty, West Virginia, was born in 1874, in Forrest County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Daniel F. and Rachel (Connely) Copeland, both of whom were also born in Forrest County.
Daniel F. Copeland, the father of our subject, was born in 1845, and follows the trade of millwright. In
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politics he is a Republican. Our sub- ject's mother was born in 1847. In the parental family are five children,- three sons and two daughters.
Dr. Copeland was given an excel- lent common school education and com- pleted his medical course at the Uni- versity College of Medicine, at Rich- mond, Virginia, in 1901, after a stay of three years. He located at Parsons and his medical and surgical ability have brought him into prominence not only with the public, but also with the profession.
On January 1, 1903, Dr. Cope- land was united in marriage with Cora Graham, who was born in Denver, Colorado. Mrs. Copeland is a mem- ber of the Methodist Church.
GEORGE SILAS WEST, M. D., a practicing physician at Parsons, Tucker County, West Virginia, was born in Turkey, in 1867, and is a son of Dr. Henry S. and Lottie (Tontz) West.
Dr. Henry S. West, who was born in New York, near Bringhamton, was an eminent physician of that city, and was selected by the American Board of Foreign Missions, connected with the Presbyterian Church, as one of its rep- resentative physicians in the Turkish field. In 1859 he assumed the duties
of that position and faithfully per- formed them until his death, in 1876, at the age of 49 years. During his residence in the United States, he was politically identified with the Republi- can party. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian. The mother of our sub- ject was born in 1838 near Bingham- ton, New York, and still survives, mak- ing her home with her son George S. She is a consistent and active member of the Presbyterian Church at Parsons.
Dr. George Silas West was one of a family of seven children, consisting of five sons and two daughters. He came to the United States at the age of nine years, after his father's death in 1876. His higher education was sec- ured at Princeton College, where he was graduated in 1890, and his medical education at the University of Pennsyl- vania at Philadephia, which institution he entered in 1893 and was graduated in 1897. From the latter date to 1899 he was assistant to Dr. O. H. Huff- man. In 1899 he began individual practice at Springfield. West Virginia, where he remained until 1903, when he opened an office at Parsons, where he is building up a large and lucrative practice. Dr. West keeps in touch with medical movements and discover- ies all over the world, and belongs to the Tri-State Medical Society of West
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Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, and is also a member of the Tucker County Medical Society. He is the examiner for a number of life insurance com- panies.
Although Dr. West was nine years of age before he ever saw the Ameri- can home of his parents, he is a good American in every fiber, and, like his father, is identified with the Republi- can party. His religious connection is with the Presbyterian Church.
HENRY DRURV HATFIELD, M. D.
HENRY DRURY HATFIELD, M. D. Eckman, McDowell County, has in Dr. Hatfield a physician and surgeon of marked ability and thor- ough professional education. He has
been a resident of that place since 1900. Dr. Hatfield was born in 1872 at Lo- gan Court House, Logan County, West Virginia, and is a son of Elias and Elizabeth (Chaffins) Hatfield, both natives of Logan County.
Elias Hatfield was born in 1841 at Logan Court House and still resides there. He served through the Civil War under Col. A. G. Greenway, and had an excellent record. In politics he is a Democrat and fraternally he is an Odd Fellow. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist Church. The mother of Dr. Hatfield was born in 1845. Four sons and one daugh- ter were born to our subject's parents, namely : Greenway W., sheriff of Min- go County, West Virginia; Wayne W., a prominent physician at Chicago, Illinois ; an infant deceased; Edna, and Henry Drury, our subject.
Dr. Hatfield obtained his education in the common schools at Logan Court House and at Franklin College; the latter institution he entered at the age of 16 years and graduated from it four years later, having completed the sci- entific course. In 1890 he entered the University of Kentucky at Louis- ville, and in 1893 graduated in med- icine and surgery. He located for practice at Matewan, Mingo County, West Virginia, and remained there
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four years. as division surgeon for the Norfolk & Western Railway. He then located at Eckman, McDowell County, where he has become inter- ested in various business enterprises and has become well known and appre- ciated as an able practitioner. He has taken four post-graduate courses at the New York Polyclinic; one at the New York Post-Graduate; one at the Philadelphia Polyclinic and belongs to the various medical associations of the State of West Virginia. He occupies many very responsible positions ; is president of the West Virginia Min- er's Hospital, No. I, at Welch, being at present surgeon in chief; a member of the International Association of Railway Surgeons; local surgeon for the Norfolk & Western Railway; physician and surgeon for the Pulaski Iron Company ; physician and surgeon for the Empire Coal & Coke Com- pany; physician and surgeon for the . Bottom Creek Coal & Coke Company ; and occupies a similar relation to the Tide Water and the Big Four Coal & Coke companies.
On March 27. 1895, Dr. Hatfield was united in marriage to South Car- olina Bronson, who was born in Ken- tucky. They have a little daughter, Hazel. Mrs. Hatfield is a member of the Methodist Church. Fraternally
the Doctor is connected with the ad- vanced Masonic bodies, the Elks and the Odd Fellows.
CHARLES A. SMITH.
CHARLES A. SMITH, an at- torney-at-law of Parkersburg, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, has been a member of the Wood County bar since 1895. His untiring efforts have built up a large and lucrative practice which has every promise of future permanency. He was born February 14, 1869, St. Valentine's Day, in Wood County, West Virginia, and is a son of Benjamin Smith and grandson of Hilander Smith.
Hilander Smith removed with a
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brother from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to the Augusta district early in the 19th century, and together they secured large tracts of land.
Benjamin Smith was born in Wood County when it was known as a part of the West Augusta district, and died in November, 1889, at the age of 57 years. The mother of Charles A. Smith, whose name before marriage was Rebecca Watkins, was born in the Susquehanna Valley, Penn- sylvania; her parents, with two chil- dren, removed to Wood County, Vir- ginia, now West Virginia, about 1850. She died in 1899, at the age of 61 years. Her brother Francis resides in Jackson County, West Virginia.
Charles A. Smith who is one of several children born to his parents, remained at home until the age of 19 years when he began teaching school. During the six terms in this profes- sion, he utilized all his spare moments in the study of the law, deciding to make that his life work. About 1890 he acquired proficiency as a telegraph operator and for some months was in the employ of the Ohio River Rail- road Company. In 1893 he devoted his attention entirely to his legal studies, in the office of Daniel E. John- son, and on December 30, 1895, he was admitted to the bar and practiced with
Mr. Johnson until April 28, 1897, when he opened an office for himself. Mr. Smith has abstained from poli- tics, even refusing a proffered nomi- nation as a member of the House of Delegates which would have been equivalent to his election in 1902. In his profession he turns his attention entirely to civil business, making some- thing of a specialty of chancery work. His first speech before a jury occupied two hours and he won his case, his success bringing him many hearty congratulations from older members of the bar. He is most comfortably and conveniently located in com- modious quarters on Court Square, Parkersburg. Religiously Mr. Smith belongs to the First Presbyterian Church. Fraternally he is associated with the Modern Woodmen of America.
ROBERT W. HAZLETT, M. D .. deceased, was a distinguished physi- cian and surgeon of Wheeling, West Virginia, for more than 45 years. He was one of the most prominent resi- dents of the city, and at different times held many offices of public trust. He was born at Washington, Pennsylva- nia, April 26, 1828, and was a son of Samuel and Sarah Hazlett. His father moved from Connecticut to Washing-
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ton, Pennsylvania, early in the 19th century, and there conducted a bank- ing business.
Dr. Hazlett attended Washington College during his youth but because of illness did not graduate with his class. He was a cotemporary student with the illustrious James G. Blaine. Subsequently he was given the degree of A. M. by the trustees of the college. In early life he was quite an artist, and prepared many illustrations and speci- mens for the medical lectures of Dr. King. He determined upon medicine as his profession, and in the early "for- ties" went to Wheeling and read medi- cine under Drs. Clemens and Cum- mins. He then attended Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, from which he graduated in the spring of 1851, returning to that institution the following winter for a post-graduate course. He later located in Wheeling and practiced until the winter of 1857- 58, when his health required the relin- quishment of his practice. He wan- dered over the hills of West Virginia, at the same time making a rough geo- logical examination of the coal fields of counties east of the Appalachian Range. During this time he located, and had the supervision of drilling. the first oil well in what is now West Vir- ginia, the oi! strike causing much ex-
citement throughout the United States. He also found a peculiar and apparent- ly inexhaustible stratum of coal at Ritchie. His health having improved greatly, he returned to Wheeling and practiced his profession for a short time. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the service as surgeon of the 2nd Reg., Virginia Vol. Inf., be- ing commissioned in June, 1861. In the fall of 1862 he was appointed sur- geon of Latham's independent brigade, and in 1863 he resigned and was ap- pointed one of the surgeons of the United States general hospital at Graf- ton, West Virginia. He was later commissioned by the Secretary of War as surgeon of the board of enrollment of the first district of West Virginia. He saw much fighting during the war, and participated in many engagements, among them being the battles of Mon- terey, McDowell, Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Waterloo, White Sulphur Springs, Warrenton, Freeman's Ford, Second Bull Run, Centerville, and Chantilly.
At the close of the war, Dr. Hazlett resumed practice at Wheeling and was most successful. He served as presi- dlent of the city and county medical societies, and twice declined the nomi- nation for the presidency of the State Medical Society. In 1893, however,
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he was unanimously elected to that office, and presided that year at the meeting at Berkeley Springs. He served in the City Council and as mem- ber of the Board of Education, and for more than 20 years was examining sur- geon for pensions for the United States government. At the time of his death he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and was largely interested in many manufacturing and business enterprises. He was a director of the National Bank of West Virginia at Wheeling, and also of the Wheeling & Belmont Bridge Company. He retired from active practice about 1880, and died in 1899. Many fitting tributes were paid and resolutions passed by the various medical societies and other organizations of Wheeling, and a fine biographical sketch of his life was pre- pared by Dr. Jepson of Wheeling. His family residence was at No. 921 Main street, where his widow and chil- dren now reside. He and his wife had four sons and one daughter, namely : Howard, president of the Mutual Sav- ings Bank, and a stock broker, with his office on 12th street; Samuel, as- sistant cashier of the People's Bank, Wheeling: Edward, a member of the firm of Lewis & Hazlett, iron brokers, with off.ces in the City Bank Building :
Robert, a record of whose life follows this sketch; and Catherine, who is liv- ing at home.
Robert Hazlett, who is now serv- ing his third term in the capacity of county engineer of Ohio County, has attained high rank in civil engineering. He was born in Wheeling in 1863, was graduated from the public schools of this city in 1880, and then prepared for college at Linsly Institute. In 1883 he entered the Ohio State University, from which he was graduated in 1887, with the degree of C. E. He returned to Wheeling, where his first work was as assistant engineer on the Southern Pennsylvania & Ohio Railway, from Wheeling to Bowerston, Ohio. He was thus employed for one year, after which he was draughtsman, and later first assistant engineer, for the Wheel- ing Bridge & Terminal Railway Com- pany. He had charge of the construc- tion of the steel viaduct of the north terminal at Martin's Ferry, and aiso of the Chapline Hill Tunnel. After their completion he went to Washing- ton, D. C., and assumed charge of the construction of the bridge across the Potomac River, and the building of the electric railway to Arlington Cemetery. He then went to New York City and was associated with Job Abbott, a
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prominent civil engineer, who had pre- viously been consulting engineer at Wheeling. While with him, Mr. Haz- lett made plans for the construction of 200 miles of railroad, and also of sta- tion buildings for the Bangor & Aroos- took Railroad, in Maine. He returned to Wheeling in 1895, and entered a copartnership with Gilhner Brown, C. E., which continued until 1899, when Mr. Brown returned to Boston. Dur- ing the existence of this firm they built the water works system, including the plant and mains, and the masonry res- ervoir for the Suburban Light & Wa- ter Company. They then built the Wheeling & Suburban Railway from Elm Grove to Triadelphia, and later, the Wheeling & Elm Grove Railroad, with double tracks. They built the Parkersburg Electric Railway at Park- ersburg. West Virginia (including the erection of the power-house), one of the finest lines in the State. Since the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Hazlett has been chief engineer of the Fairmont & Clarksburg Electric Rail- way, which has 30 miles of track, and built a part of the track in Fairmont and Clarksburg. He resigned this po- sition January 1, 19OI, and since then has been chief engineer of the Wheel- ing & Wellsburg electric line, which
has 16 miles of track. He succeeded A. S. Bell as county engineer of Ohio County, and is now serving his third term in that capacity. He has had charge of 200 miles of road in the county, and also of the construction of 38 steel bridges, which are rapidly re- placing the old wooden ones. Three years ago, at the suggestion of Mr. Hazlett, the Board of County Com- missioners began grading and paving the National Pike. His duties as county engineer require a considerable portion of his time, but he occupies himself mostly with designing and con- struction work. In 1896 he became a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In politics, he is a Republican, and is a member of the City Council from the Second Ward, and a member of the committee on or- dinances. He is an officer of the West Virginia Humane Society, an organi- zation which exerts a great power for good, the originator and president be- ing Mrs. John K. List. His father, Dr. Robert W. Hazlett, in his will left a goodly sum of money to different charities, including the Wheeling and City hospitals and the Y. M. C. A. Mr. Hazlett resides at the old home at No. 921 Main street, with his mother and sister.
MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
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D. LAYDEN.
D. LAYDEN, one of the ol.lest residents and a prominent and sub- stantial citizen of Marmet, Kanawha County, West Virginia, largely inter- ested in coal developing and other en- terprises, was born in 1844 in Ireland. He is a son of Dominic Lyme and Bridget (Hagerty) Layden, both of whom spent their lives in Ireland.
In his own home our subject was thoroughly educated by his mother. who was a woman of superior qualifi- cations, and by her was taught the languages, which for some years brought him large means and ample chance to visit almost all parts of the world. Through her instruction he was able to fill the position of inter-
preter for a firm that dealt in cattle and in his line of work he visited 17 differ- ent countries, including Australia, the West Indies, America, South Africa and Asia. Mr. Layden speaks seven different languages.
On April 13, 1863, Mr. Layden landed in the city of New York and for some time was located at Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1865 he settled at Malden, on the Kanawha River, in West Virginia, and in 1870 he moved to Brownstown, a town that is now known as Marmet. In 1867 he moved to Charleston where he en- gaged in merchandising. Later when he located at Marmet there were but nine houses in the village and the one store was kept by Henry P. Chrke. In 1870 he embarked there in a general irercantile business and has been inter- ested in almost all of the lending bus- iness enterprises of the place. He is a very large land owner and has dealt largely in the same and for the past 20 years has operated his own coal mines. Mr. Layden is the largest tax payer in the town which he has so materially helped to develop. When he went there. almost as a pioneer, the Chesa- peake & Ohio Railway had not been commenced.
In 1870 Mr. Layden was united in marriage with Mary Higgins, who was
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born in Alleghany County, Virginia, and 10 children have been born to them, nine of whom still survive. Mr. Layden is widely known and most highly esteemed. In politics he has al- ways been a Democrat.
IRA CLAY HICKS, M. D.
IRA CLAY HICKS, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon of Hurricane, Putnam County, West Vir- ginia, was born in that county in June, 1868, and is a son of B. D. and Selina ( Hanshaw) Hicks.
B. D. Hicks is a substantial farmer now residing near Winfield, in Put- nam County. In political belief he is a Republican. He has been a member from early youth of the Methodist
Church, of which his wife was also a member. Mrs. Hicks passed away January 9, 1895, aged 46 years. There were 10 children born to the parents of our subject, the nine survivors be- ing : Dr. I. Clay; W. K .; Dr. W. D .; Irene; Dr. Charles F .; James O., a medical student; Oliver E .; Marietta ; and I. R. L.
Dr. Ira Clay Hicks was educated in the common and select schools of Putnam County and in Marshall Col- lege, and then was engaged in teach- ing school for about six years. The last teacher's certificate that he se .. cured was the best given in the county, being based on the general average of 100 per cent. that he secured in the teachers' examinations. He also acted for a short time as bookkeeper and postmaster at Lorraine, West Vir- ginia. He had, however, decided upon a medical career and had prepared for medical college by a year's reading un- der the able instruction of Dr. A. M. Spangler, of Winifrede, West Vir- ginia. In 1893 he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Balti- more, Maryland, and after taking two courses of lectures, passed the exami- nation of the State Board in 1895, and located at Hurricane, Putnam County, which has been his field of practice ever since. After practicing
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