USA > West Virginia > Men of West Virginia Volume II > Part 5
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The five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Payne are : Alice H. ; Truman H., a resident of Harrison County ; Susan, wife of E. T. Young, of Salem; Thomas G., of Paola, Miami County, Kansas; and Emma J. Mr. Payne is
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a member of the Baptist Church, and Mrs. Payne a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
WILLIAM COLUMBUS QUITMEN WILSON, M. D.
WILLIAM COLUMBUS QUIT- MEN WILSON, M. D., a successful practitioner of medicine and surgery at Mannington, Marion County, West Virginia, was born in 1849, at Ca- tawba, Marion County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and is a son of Will- iam and Ann Eliza (Devault) Wilson.
William Wilson was born in Ma- rion County and died at the age of 28 years, the same year our subject was born. He was both a teacher and a farmer. In politics he was a Whig. The mother of Dr. Wilson was also
born in Marion County and her death occurred three months after that of her husband. She was a devout member of the Methodist Church.
Our subject was his parents' only child and was left an orphan in infancy. Ile was educated in the common schools and later attended Morgantown University and subsequently taught school. He read medicine with Dr. J. M. Lazell, of Fairmount, and in 1869 entered Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, where he was grad- uated in 1872. From 1872 to July, 1887, he practiced his profession at New Freeport, Pennsylvania, and then settled at Mannington, Marion County, West Virginia, where he has been suc- cessfully engaged ever since. During his residence in Pennsylvania he was president of the medical society of his county and he has been identified with both county and State societies as well as the American Medical Association since he has been located in West Vir- ginia. For 10 years he has been a member of the board of pension ex- aminers, under the administrations of Presidents Harrison, Mckinley and Roosevelt. Dr. Wilson was a charter member of the Exchange Bank of Man- nington, one of the sound financial in- stitutions of the county, has been one of the directors since the bank's organ-
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ization and is held in high esteem, both personally and professionally.
In 1874 Dr. Wilson was married to Lucy E. Owen, who was born in New Freeport, Pennsylvania, and died in 1896 at the age of 40 years. She was a daughter of I. N. Owen, then a resident of Pennsylvania. The five children born to this union were : Charles J .; Mabel H., deceased; Arla D., deceased ; Grace M. and Annie E. In 1898 Dr. Wilson was married to Arla Owen, a sister of his first wife. The family belong to the Baptist Church. Fraternally the Doctor is a Mason.
T. E. A. KEINEK.
T. E. A. RENNER, a retired mer- chant of Buffalo, Putnam County, West Virginia, was born April 27, 1826. in the Grand Duchy, Saxe-Wie-
mar, near Jena, in the historic locality where the Emperor Napoleon defeated the Prussian Army. His parents were T. and Magdalene ( Miller) Renner, the former of whom was a professor in the University of Jena, continuing his lectures there, making a specialty of comparative anatomy and veterinary surgery, until his death at the age of 82 years. The mother died aged 74 years.
Mr. Renner, of this sketch, is one of a family of nine children, five of whom still survive, namely: Edward, who lives near Parkersburg; August, who lives in New York; Ernest, who resides in Germany near the old home; Eliza, who is married and lives at Jena ; and T. E. A., the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Renner was well educated in his native country and secured an ex- cellent position as clerk in a court, which he held until 1854, when at the age of 28 years, he came to America. His coming was in the nature of a visit to relatives and friends near Park- ersburg. He engaged in farm work with his friends and there met a Mr. Stark, who was an extensive piano man- ufacturer at Pittsburg. Through the latter's introduction, he formed a part- nership in 1855, with Dr. C. M. Pitrat, of Buffalo, in a general store (after working in the Merchant mill for a
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time). They started their business just south of where the mill now stands and the business was conducted under the firm name of C. M. Pitrat. Mr. Renner withdrew from this partner- ship in 1879 and engaged in a similar line of business at Red House as man- ager for I. F. Paston, remaining there five years. He then engaged in busi- ness for himself at Pliny, West Vir- ginia, and remained there five years, during which time he became afflicted with rheumatism. This caused him to sell his business and retire from ac- tivity. He has not engaged in any par- ticular business since 1895.
In 1859 Mr. Renner was united in marriage to Caroline Stark, who was born in Hanau, Germany, and was edu- cated at Pittsburg, but who then re- sided at Buffalo, where she was a popu- lar school teacher. To them were born five children, of whom the three surviv- ors are: F. J. C., a merchant at Buf- falo; Lida S., wife of J. E. Frazier at Buffalo ; and Emil F., of Buffalo. Mrs. Renner died March 11, 1886. Mr. Renner has been a prominent man in his locality and has served both as town recorder and as councilman. He had been for 12 years postmaster at Buf- falo when he resigned1 in 1879. In the following year he became postmaster at Red House and so continued until
1885. He also served as postmaster at Pliny and Frazier's Bottom, West Virginia,-three years at the former place and one year at the latter. In politics he is a Republican. In relig- ions belief, he was reared1 in the Luth- eran faith.
OKEY JOHNSON CHAMBERS.
OKEY JOHNSON CHAMBERS, an able member of the Roane County bar, residing at Spencer, was born July 10, 1870, at Walnut Grove, Roane County, West Virginia, and is a son of L. D. Chambers, one of the pioneers of that county.
Mr. Chambers worked on the home farm and received only the educational advantages offered by the local com- mon schools. He was a very faithful
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and ambitious student and seldom lost a day, although the long trudge to and from school was often made through rain and snow. At the age of 18 years, he began to teach school and followed this vocation for three years. He then entered the State University at Morgan- town, West Virginia, and took up stud- ies in the classical department. How- ever, on account of the serious illness of his father, he was unable to finish the course, but in his last year he had taken up the study of the law, and was admitted to practice in 1893. The same year he located at Spencer and there he has built up a lucrative and constantly increasing practice. As an evidence of his legal standing, comment may not be out of order concerning the most celebrated case that ever oc- cupied the courts of Roane County. This was the Simmons will case, and was bitterly fought for three years, with the best legal talent of the State. At this time Mr. Chambers was the youngest attorney at the bar, but his conduct of this case established his rep- 11tation as a profound lawyer and ad- vocate. His speech was one of the best ever heard in the courts of the State and wou for him legal approval.
He is a man of pleasing address and charming personality. He has been the architect of his own fortunes and is
a self-made man. One of his posses- sions, of which he is justly proud, is his library and much of his time is spent as a student.
In 1895 Mr. Chambers was married to Alice Crislip, a daughter of Asbury Crislip, of Reedyville, Roane County, and two sons have been born to this union, Merville and Wendell. He has always taken an active part in politics and is held in high esteem by both par- ties. In 1900 he was a candidate for nomination for the office of prosecut- ing attorney, but, on account of the severe illness of his wife at that time, abandoned active effort in that direc- tion that she might have his care and attention. Ilis star, however, has not set, for he possesses every qualification for efficient public service, and the time has come when such men of honor, in- tegrity and principle, together with virtue and that watchful tenderness for loved ones, should fill the highest offices of trust.
GEORGE R. JACOBS, one of the enterprising business citizens of Charleston, West Virginia, who is en- gaged in the manufacture of monu- mental work, was born at Wellsburg, Brooke County, Virginia, now West Virginia June 26, 1843. He is a son of Benjamin F. and Jane Elizabeth
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(St. Leger) Jacobs, and a grandson of Benjamin Jacobs.
Benjamin Jacobs, grandfather of our subject, was born at Ellicott's Mills, nine miles from the city of Balti- more, Maryland. He removed to Brooke County, Virginia, now West Virginia, in 1811 and purchased a large tract of land and became a man of importance. He married Polly Host- ler and they reared a large family of children, all of whom have passed away except Benjamin F. Jacobs, the father of our subject. They were Presbyte- rians in their religious conviction.
Benjamin F. Jacobs for many years engaged extensively in contracting and building and many of the substantial farm buildings which he built are still standing in Brooke County, attesting the quality of his work. Mr. Jacobs also engaged in farming in Brooke County, and still resides there, aged 87 years. Mrs. Jacobs died in 1883, aged 67 years. They reared a family of 13 children to maturity.
George R. Jacobs was educated in the common schools of Brooke County and assisted his father in the operation of the home farm and also worked with him in his building operations. Dur- ing the Civil War, he was engaged as quartermaster's clerk for nearly four years. After its close he decided to
learn the marble cutting trade, and on July 7, 1865, entered upon his appren- ticeship. Three years later he went to Augusta, Kentucky, and worked one vear, then to Louisville and to Seymour, Indiana. Upon his return to Wells- burg, he was engaged to build the Bishop Campbell monument and after its completion went to Nashville, Ten- nessee, and again to Augusta, Ken- tucky.
Soon after this Mr. Jacobs married Lucy Figgins, who belonged to a highly respected Kentucky family. They re- sided in that State until 1872 when Mr. Jacobs removed to Charleston, West Virginia, and the selection of that place of residence has resulted in the city gaining a valuable business industry and Mr. Jacobs, a large and lucrative trade. He is now the leading monu- ment manufacturer, not only locally, but over a wide extent of country, his fine work being shipped all over this State and to Virginia and Kentucky. Mr. Jacobs deals extensively in Scotch, Italian and American granite and marble, and his work is not only noted for its fine finish, but also for the beauty and appropriateness of design. Among well known works of his may be men- tioned the monuments of Colonel Fife, Dr. Comstock, W. A. Quarrier, H. D. Ruffner, Quincy Dickinson and others.
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Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have an attractive home and a pleasant social circle in Charleston. The five children born to them are: Frances St. Leger, who married Fred Babcock, a prominent lumber merchant of Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, is a talented singer and as a teacher of vocal music has a wide repu- tation ; Charles L. is a graduate of the West Virginia University at Morgan- town; Leslie is deceased; and Edith and Francis are at home. Fraternally, Mr. Jacobs is a Mason. In politics he is an active Republican but is no office sceker. He is a liberal, public spirited man and a representative citizen of Charleston.
GEORGE FIRTH.
GEORGE FIRTH, cashier of the Crozier Coal & Coke Company, at Elk- horn, McDowell County, West Vir-
ginia, was born in 1862, at Upland, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He is a son of Charles and Mary (Gibson) Firth.
Charles Firth is a native of York- shire, England. He came to America in 1854 and settled at Upland, Dela- ware County, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in his trade of weaver. He belongs to the Protestant Episcopal Church. The mother of our subject was born in Queenstown, Ireland, and died in 1893, at the age of 56 years. She was a consistent member of the Baptist Church. These parents reared a family of four sons and one daughter.
George Firth was educated in the common schools at Chester and at Gil- bert's Academy. After finishing his education, he was employed for four months as clerk of the Republican State Central Committee of Pennsylvania and then was engaged as bookkeeper with the Crozier Iron Company. Mr. Firth remained with that company for 15 years. In 1898 he went to Bristol, Tennessee, with the Virginia Iron & Coal Company, remaining a period of six months, for the purpose of selling pig iron. He then returned to the Cro- zier company and came to Elkhorn as cashier for the Crozier Coal & Coke Company, a position he fills with the greatest efficiency.
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In 1899 Mr. Firth was united in marriage with Erika Bjerkander, who was born in Stockholm, Sweden. They have one child, Eric. Mrs. Firth is a member of the Lutheran Church. In politics, Mr. Firth is an independent. Fraternally he belongs to the Masons and the Elks.
HON. E. H. MORTON.
HON. E. H. MORTON, member of the West Virginia House of Dele- gates from Webster Springs, Webster County, West Virginia, was born in 1866 on a farm in Webster County, and is a son of George and Hannah C. Morton, the former of whom is en- gaged in agricultural pursuits in Web- ster County.
Mr. Morton was educated in the common schools of Webster County and the University of West Virginia at Morgantown, where he was gradu- ated in law in 1891.
In 1889 he was elected county superintendent of schools for Webster County and in 1892 was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney for said county, serving a term of four years. He was appointed assistant prosecut- ing attorney for Nicholas County in 1897, which position he held for a term of four years.
His connection with politics has been since young manhood. He was elected by the Democratic party to his present honorable position in 1902 ; his services during the past session have been of benefit to his party and the country at large. He has risen from the ranks in his profession, being an entirely self-made man, and has a large and lucrative practice. He is attorney for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and various other corpora- tions in his section of the State. Prior to his election to the Legislature, he was commissioner of school lands for Webster County.
In 1891 Mr. Morton was married to Mary McCray and has a family of five children. His beautiful home at Webster Springs is a large estate where
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a herd of fine deer is one of the attrac- tions. Fraternally Mr. Morton is a member of the Masonic bodies.
HON. MORTIMER W. FRAME.
HON. MORTIMER W. FRAME, Nestor of the Clay County bar, served as prosecuting attorney of the county for a period of 16 years, and is classed among the foremost lawyers of the State of West Virginia. He was born on a farm along the Kanawha River, near Bulltown, Braxton County, Vir- ginia, now West Virginia, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Wilson) Frame.
The first of our subject's paternal ancestors to locate in this country was David Frame, who came from Ire- land and located in Virginia prior to
the Revolutionary War. He served throughout the struggle for independ- ence, and lived near Huntersville, Po- cahontas County, where he died. His sons moved to Braxton County, among them James Frame, the grandfather of our subject. The latter was a farmer and also followed the trade of a mill- wright throughout life.
James Frame, the father of our subject, lived at Frametown, Braxton County, from 1809 to the spring of 1844. when he removed to what is now Clay County, West Virginia, but which was then a part of Braxton County. This removal took place when the sub- ject of this sketch was 18 months old. Under the law of Virginia, he was nominated for the position of justice of the peace by the County Court and received his appointment from the gov- ernor. He served in this office for 18 years in his new home. He practiced law in Clay County from the erection of the county in 1859 up to 1861, when the war between the States put an end, for the time being, to peaceful occu- pations. He and his three sons took the side of the South in that great con- flict, and all were disfranchised by the "test oath," until that impediment was removed in 1872. As he was prevented from practicing his profession on ac- count of this, he abandoned his law
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practice and took up farming as his sole occupation. His wife, the mother of our subject, was Elizabeth Wilson. She was born in Lewis County, Vir- ginia, now West Virginia, and was a daughter of Andrew Wilson, who was of Irish birth and ances- try, having been born in County Meath, Ireland. Andrew Wilson mar- ried a woman of English descent of the same name, and many of the Wil- sons of Virginia and West Virginia are their descendants. Andrew Wil- son came to this country from Ireland at a very early date. He lived in Lewis County, Virginia, for a great many years and was noted for his activity and intelligence. He died at the age of 122 years, and is said to have been the oldest person that ever lived in the States of Virginia or West Virginia. With increasing years, his activity and vigor did not diminish to an appre- ciable extent, for only two years be- fore his death he walked eight miles in order to cast his vote for James K. Polk as president.
Mortimer W. Frame has a distinct recollection of some of the incidents of the journey of the family to Clay County in 1844, although he was only 18 months old at the time. He re- members seeing his father tie the flat- boat in which the journey was made to
a tree on the Elk River. His remark- able memory has characterized his en- tire life. He is able to accurately de- tail every day's march during the Civil War, in which he participated for four years. This faculty has also been shown in his law work and has proved of invaluable help to him in the trial of cases, for no matter how compli- cated the case, he depends solely upon his memory. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Frame enlisted in the 22nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry, C. S. A., and served throughout the war, except during such periods when he was physically disabled. He served un- der General Floyd and others, and par- ticipated, in all, in over a hundred bat- tles of the war. On August 26, 1863, he was seriously wounded in the leg, at Dry Creek, near White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, but would not permit Dr. Patrick, the surgeon, to amputate it. After obtaining a fur- lough of 60 days, he went to Rich- mond, joined his infantry command. fought out the 60-day furlough, and then joined the cavalry, in which he served until the war closed, partici- pating in a dozen of the largest battles in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864. At the end of his furlough, when he went to Richmond, he paid $25 for a break- fast, the large price being due to the
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depreciated Confederate currency. He was a gallant soldier and was content to serve the cause as a private without sceking promotion.
Mr. Frame's education was very limited, and up to the time of his ad- mission to the bar he had been to school not to exceed three months. He had learned to read, write and count, but had no education to speak of until shortly before he was made prosecuting attorney. He then attended public school at Clay Court House, along with his three oldest sons, learning English grammar. He studied law by himself, and after a rigid examination before Judge Henry Gillespie and Judge Rob- ert Irvin, was admitted to the bar. He was at once elected prosecuting attor- ney, and served continuously for a period of 12 years, later being elected for a subsequent term of four years. He was the nominee of the Democratic party for the office of prosecuting at- torney for 28 years. Lately, he de- clined to accept another nomination of his party for this office on account of his intention of removing to Okla- homa, where two of his sons are prac- ticing attorneys. Mr. Frame is a stal- wart Democrat, as was his father be- fore him. He is a man of excellent qualities, places a high standard on
manhood and lives up to his ideals. He is a good judge of human nature and has many intimate friends who esteem him highly for his excellent traits of character.
Mortimer W. Frame was married November 21, 1867, to Nancy Trip- lett, who was born July 27, 1842, and is a daughter of Sinnett and Elizabeth Triplett. The father of Mrs. Frame was a soldier in the war of 1812, un- der General Harrison, and received a pension, which is now paid to Mrs. Triplett, who is past 90 years of age. Sinnett Triplett was a physician dur- ing the latter years of his life, practic- ing in Clay County until his death, in 1855. To Mr and Mrs. Frame have been born seven children, namely : James M., a lawyer of El Reno, Okla- homa ; Baines, a lawyer of Taloga, Ok- lahoma ; Marshall T .; Minnie Alberta ; Homer, who died April 17, 1898, at the age of 24 years; Charles C., who died at the age of 12 years ; and Ella, who died at the age of 10 years. Mr. Frame owns a very pretty little home at Clay Court House, with most beauti- ful surroundings of trees, vines, shrub- bery, flowers, etc. He has a farm of 50 acres adjoining the town, which property is underlaid with valuable coal deposits.
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HON. JOHN R. DONEHOO.
HON. JOHN R. DONEHOO, whose prestige as an attorney-at-law is well known to the citizens of West Vir- ginia, is a prominent resident of New Cumberland, Hancock County. He was born at Cross Creek, Washington County, Pennsylvania. September I, 1834, and is a son of James and Eliza (Ramsey) Donehoo.
James Donehoo was born in Ar- magh, Ireland, in 1800, and was brought to this country by his parents, Daniel and Nancy ( McCune) Done- hoo, when he was an infant. His par- ents settled in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, and the father followed farming until his death at the home of his son, James, about the year 1850. James Donehoo became a tailor by
trade and, being an intelligent and in- fluential man, was made a justice of the peace, an office he efficiently filled for more than 40 years, being at the time of his death, in- 1873, one of the oldest justices in Pennsylvania. He had also served as county commissioner and was at one time a member of the State Legislature of Pennsylvania. He married Eliza Ramsey, who was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1809, and was a daughter of John and Martha (Shields) Ramsey, na- tives of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
John R. Donehoo, after completing his preliminary education at Cross Creek Academy, read law with C. W. Russell at Wheeling, and was admitted to the bar in 1857. After practicing in Hancock County for a time he went to Wheeling, and successfully followed his profession there for a number of years. Going thence to Washington, Pennsylvania, he practiced for four years and in the meantime edited the Washington Examiner. He published a campaign paper in Steubenville, Ohio, for three months, and subse- quently removed to Fairview, Hancock County, where he practiced law for a period of 18 months. He then went to Fulton County, Pennsylvania, where he edited the Fulton Democrat for four years, during which time he also served
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one term as district attorney but re- signed during his second term. While there he was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention held at New York City that nominated Sey- mour and Blair. Mr. Donehoo next purchased the Indiana ( Pennsylvania) Democrat, which he edited about 18 months. then edited the Constitution of Morgantown, West Virginia, for two years. In March, 1874, he again located at Fairview and has since lived in Hancock County and devoted his attention solely to the practice of the law except when he has been called upon to serve in official positions. Since 1890 he has been located at New Cum- berland and is recognized by the bar of West Virginia as one of its strong rep- resentative members. He commands a good general practice in both State and Federal courts, and is held high in public esteem. In 1874 he was ap- pointed prosecuting attorney for Han- cock County, serving two years, and in ISSo was elected to represent Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties in the State Senate. serving four years with credit to himself and his constituency. He served for eight years as a member of the board of regents for the State Deaf and Blind Schools at Romney, West Virginia.
In 1860, Mr. Donehoo was united
in marriage with Eleanor Mccown, who was born in Fairview, Virginia, now West Virginia, and is a daughter of John C. and Eliza (Sproule) Mc- Cown. Her father was a native of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and died in 1877. Her mother was born in Ireland and died in 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Donehoo have the following named children : Rev. James D., rector of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Monroe, Louisiana; Eleanor; Jessie, who married C. S. Bradley, of New Cumberland ; and Christine.
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