The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-03-04
from the Chimney Corner.]
The Sef-Made Men of Our Times.
EDWARD MCMAHON, srAuNroa. y,

The Sel-Made Men Of Our Times.
EDWARD MCMAHON, srAuNroN, VA.
Edward Mcmahon was born tn the County 6
o Kildare, Ireland, on the Goth of March. 1921
ana IL, therefore, in the fifty-feurth year Of hi
age. His early education was limited BIZ
{ since the day he lett school he has made goo
: use OF the facilities within his reach. and the
: were not confined to any s.pent-up Utica A
; time-but fourteen years old-when othe
Doys mad Just commenced to wrestle good wit
the three IRIS" in the 1royal road to learning.
ne went to learn how to carve his fortune on
OF blocks OF granite and marble at masonry am
stone-cuttlng, the hardest and healthiest of al
trades. He was apprenticed in Dublin. an,
finished his trade at London
4 After he had served out his apprenticeship h,
went over the border into the Land o. Cakes
ana from there he made move upon Wales
where, Dy MS superior workmanship and dill
gence to his employees interest, he attained
the position OF superintendent of works.
from the barren and rocky cliffs Of Wales he
contemplated the smiling and inviting fields Of
America, where many of his countrymen had
1ound refuge and home, and where there was
plenty to 90 for willing hands. The blightine
lamlne then prevailing in the Green Isle, and
lhe glowing accounts sent back by friends whs
mad sought the hospitable shores OF America,
caused him to bid farewell to Erin and to set
YORK In lS47, and went to work for Govern
| ment IN the brooklyn Dry Docks. Here he re-
NAMED in Government employ for about one
year, and then he went to the Old Dominion in
| 1913; Mr.. AcMahon secured employment for
MS Skilled hands in Richmond, and along the
| me OF the James River and KanaWha Canal,
and rose to be superintendent of masonry
A1Cerward nc commenced business as con-
| tractor on his own account, his skill in the
work readily securing him contracts, in which
he was quite successful.
Af,er completing his contracts on the James
River and Kanawha Canal, Mr.. Mcmahon ccm-
| menced work for the State of Virginia, on the
then Covington and Ohio Railroad, but now
known as the great thoroughfare OF travel from
the East to the West, the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad. He worked on this extensive i'm
proyement in 1858, $50 and 80, when the slate
unpleasantnesS" between the States assumed
beiligerent attitude, putting an end, for the
time-being, to internal Improvements Of rural
nature.
Inc famous John Randolph Of Roanoke,
while buried deep in thought one day in Con-
gress, suddenly arose in his seat, and, in his !
thrilling and impassioned manner, shouted at |
the top of his shrill voice: Mr.. Speaker, have |
Deen IN many strange places, and have seen |
many strange things in my life, sir; have seen |
that rdfa aOis IN ferris, a black Saoan; but
have yet to see the I1sshmGn who was traitor
to his country?" Like many of his country
men, Mr.. Mcmahon took sides with his adopted
State IN the internecine conflict, not daring to
give the lie to Randolph's panegyric by an OPP
posite course. At the outset of the war, he was
commissioned quatermaster by the Secretary
OF war (Judah T. Benjamin,) unsolicited on the
part of Mr.. Mcmahon, and served with ten
generals In one department, that of Southwes-
tern Virginia and East Tennessee; and while
General John G. Breckenridge was in command,
was chief quartermaster of the department.
When the aO1aH Maiop Mani obo |
resumed contracts on his old work, the James
River and kanawha Canal, and continued to
successfully prosecute this work until 1868,
when he commenced constructing the Red
Hin Tunnell,' on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad, between Covinoton and the White
Sulpur Springs. The tunneling of this hill was
pronunced "a difficult and dangerous under
taxing by such eminent engineers as General
Robert e. Lee and General z. II. Beauregard.
Who visited the major at his scene Of operations.
But in due course OF time he completed the diff !
fcult and dangerous undertaking to the entire
satisfaction Of the company. {
The stone piers and abutments along the {
Greenbrler River, over which the iron bridges t
are laid OF the Chesapeake 6 Ohio Railroad,
are masterpieces of masonry. and standing :
OF the handiwork OF Major McMa-
hon. He completed his contracts on this road
in the Fall of 1872, after having made and
saUed-which is the hardest work and most i'm +
, oooI rouod en-, hu a. ,,,,... - -; |
md yar,auar;,,o a,,anc ~ ''o Sweat VI MS ore"
M Ma i NJ Waiss,a, ~ 10 80 y.o,+,.,
yraatest vol Of h;s I;fa ~ '; .le
o;nt "a ,,;o, -, $500 80 - ~. ~ D"sincss
rsntiamsn no ,,as taLa, ~, "n solie o'ner t
Va1l.r Pa;,roai 81 tha e,.a Va S.
fron, Sta"',to,, - S,1an, az ailS'soh oy
,las Co... tho s,s, ~ 81 400 ona o'9 9I. " 90
yss tha " 10 ,;m pas INC
nil, sniillaJ ~ tl'o s.,s wa pe iAl.h
W. ~ Observation-Disclosures aI e.ae Gpmse; .nheo "a,o
,.+;st ot;ou - al ,,,.l;"s W the
NJ one could y, va .,roo ta, d; &C., MI,
+;cs tbon Mo- a,slns.e .oi Po-
f1s,, no.. ~, - ~ i,G "'s ~ ~
ho 40 r,,ast aa "a, ""9 VI otni' al
na o1ln,sa a.; 49, sos..a.ioi.s u llieiis,
pa,,,,,;a., 'I,a ~ ~ nlougn' p.oIe .ilc
Nv o-, iof Husrin'aiolal non,
:. ~ ~ II. o11 ne was oliy oioisnt
~ a. 49,, o.l.i.'Ie t'fee weeks !'eioie t,'e meet
~ " .liG coLse1'oil. anu seeing
Mne.i II ulu niees, lhaI 10 "oulu Proauce uis-
Iup.iol " l'le party, ne naa MS i'aliS perenlP
o'lly M W., .ne wlepulieis iooAllS l.
apol tue lnoye'iieht as spiilss q nill!e
Wa;or MeNahon +, los 5s.aat i,tarost u, +bo
.urtherancc of every enterprise looking towards :
The Development of the immense resources of the u
otaee OF virginia WIN elmer muscle OF money
.iu ~ o..t' III, Ill -, III :. ,,;.,1o
he State. t. rouse the sleeping energies into