Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-06-10

he emoved to illinois and began the
rractice of law. But Mr.. Jewett had the
benefit of no patronage or powerful
friends, and could neither go to the Law
School nor even study the law unirter-
ruptedly, but had to support himself in
Ohio by teaching school and perhaps
working for other lawyers, and in this
little upland town patiently bided his
time until it was apparent that he was
misplaced, and went little further
West to larger field of practice, where
there were more versatile interests.
II. B. Payne, also an emigrant lawyer
to Ohio, married one of the richest wo-
men of Cleveland, and never had Mr..
Jewett's struggle.
Mr.. Wilson Kennon, son of the Judge
aforesaid, and d lawyer at st. Clairsville.
said to me as we talked in front of the
Courthouse in the warm evening: "Mr.
Jewett came here a young man quite
alone, supported himself by teaching
school, entered our Bar and opened an
office almost opposite this Court. He
was respected from the day he came
here till he left us, and still has the
friendship of all the people. While yet
Young he married the daughter of our
Sheriff and County Clerk. EZer Ellis
was Virginian from LOudon County,
and had family of
BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS.
"They all married men of prominence.
One became the wife of Wilson Shan
non. who was twice Governor of Ohio,
and also Minister to Mexico, Cover
nor of Kansas and member of Congress.
Another maj ried my father, Judge Ken
non. Another married Isaac Eaton, who
was for some time Mr.. Jewett's law
partner, and is now prominent man in
Kansas. Another married Mr.. Many
penny, who is still living at Columbus,
Ohio, and was Superintendent of Indian
Affairs. He is the author of a recent
book ON the Indian policy of the United
States, and has been the editor of sew
eral newspapers in this State. Mr.. jew
ett's wife was an interesting lady, but
she was taken with consumption and
died after he moved to GAINESVILLE. His
eldest sons are her children. He was
noted here for his integrity, close atten-
ton to business, quiet courtesy and sin
cerity of character The business of this
Bar was pretty well engrossed by num-
ber of prominent lawyers. Mr.. Jewett's
manner, generally calm and gentle,
somewhat changed when he argued a
case before the Court. Then his Mary
land temperament was apt to come out,
and he spoke with great vOlubility and
force, almost excitedly. His life was
uneventful. He was not like his broth
er-in-law, Shannon, man of the multi
tude, but gave all the time when he was
not practicing to the study of the law
and to reading. Some people thought
he was austere, but it was the result Of
his Quaker bringing up, which led him
to waste no time on frivolous things, IA
miliarities or idle acquaintanceS. The
gentleman was born in him. l do not
think there is an anecdOte eXtant of him
here. He had kind smile, thoughtful
brow, was devoted to his family, and his
success, after he left US, was matter of
congratulation. He owed some debts
when he went away, but nobody pressed
him, believing that when he had the op-
portunity he would discharge them all.
And he did pay everybody. The sum
total was very small. He had nothing
of the element of adventure in him,
which Governor Shannon had. Shannon
was the son of an Irishman, who was
frozen to death near GAINESVILLE, in this
county. Shannon was a most effective
Stump-Speaker, with the cordial manner
of politician, and the success he had in
attaining so many offices made him the
leading man in all this region. He went
to California and was one of the Cover
nors in the unhappy times of Kansas.
He died about two years ago. Ezer Ellis,
the father-in-law of both Shannon and
Jewett, was not man who saved much
money, though he held offices of trust
for years here. He had the Virginia dis
position to raise his family well and let
them have social enjoyment. In his old
age he was made clerk in the Dead-let-
ter Office ut Washington, where he died,
and is buried in that city,"
JEwETT's NEIGHBoRs.
Such were the quiet outlines Of Mr.
Jewett's entrance into the West. Pa
tient, self-contained, studious, upright,
kind, he calmly awaited such fortune as
Providence would afford him; yet, at
the age of thirty-four, he found, in
many worldly respects, that he had
made but little headway. He generally
attended the Presbyterian Church, both
at st. Clairsville and GAINESVILLE. The
most successful neighbor of his time
was Thomas III. Genin, who died worth
100000, at st. Clairsville, and is buried
under statue of himself. This man
was born on Long Island, of French
family, and inherited money, which he
put out at interest and otherwise in
fn1 oil 10 of
Clairsville. He wrote some books and
had the vanity of literary fame. He
lived in small house in a woods on the
outskirts of the town, provided for by
one woman, who cooked his food, and it
is said that his expenditures were hard
ly $50 year. The path leading to his
house was almost oyergrown with BUSH
es. He left this woman but few thou
sand dollars when he died, and consign-
ed his fortune, which amounted to $780,
600, to his dashing nephew, the celebra-
ted Genin, the Halter, of New York. An
other prominent man of this vicinity
was United States Senator Ruggles, a
man of mild, obliging manners, but not
much force of character, who was sent
to the Senate for three terms. He lived
in brick house in sight of st. Clairs-
vile, on the summit Of a hill crowned
with All orchard, and is buried without
a stone in the new Cemetery of the
town.
Looking around the old Methodist
graveyard, l found the following in
scriptions of some of the parties named
in this letter:
Thomas II. Genin,
Died October 10, 1865,
Aged y years.
"We knew him as ripe scholar, a |
profound lawyer, a wise counselor, and
an able advocate"
Nancy Barnet, wife of George W. |
died at GAINESVILLE, Decem-