Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-03

kindly handed over to this paper for
publication
FELIX GRUMPY was born on Back
Creek in the county of Berkeley, on
the 18th of September 1777. His
father was native of England who
settled in early life in the valley of
Virginia. In 1880 he removed to
Kentucky. The early childhood of
Mr.. Grundy was passed amid the
perils and sufferings of Indian war;
fare. A striking picture is given in
his own eloquent language in a
speech delivered by him in the SEN
ate of the United States in Febru-
airy 1920, from which, however, we
can only take very short extract
"Mr. President, | was too young
to participate in these dangers and
difficulties, but | can remember
when death was in almost every bush
and every thicket concealed an am
buscade. If am asked to trace my
memory back and name the first in
describable impression it received it
would be the sight of my eldest
brother, bleeding and dying under
the wounds inflicted by the toma-
hawk and scalping knife. Another
and another went in the same way.
| have seen widowed mother plum
dered of her whole property in one
single night; and from influence and
ease, reduced to poverty in mo-
ment, and thereby compelled to labor
with her own hands to educate her
last and favorite son, who now ad-
dresses YOU"
He was educated at Bardstown
Academy studied law, and soon be-
came distinguished at the bar. lie
commenced his public career at the
age of twenty two as member OF
the Convention for the revising of
the Constitution of Kentucky; was
afterwards, for six or seven years, a
member of the Legislature of that
State. In 1905 he was elected one OF
the Judges of the Supreme Court of
Kentucky, and was soon after made
Chief Justice In 1907 he removed
to Nashville, Tenn and became en-
inent as a lawyer. From 1911 10 1874
he was a represent ative in Congress,
from Tennessee and during that
period gave to the war measures OF
President Madison against Great
Britain such ardent support that he
was familiarly known as the war
hawk" of democracy. From 1879 to
1888 he was United States Senator,
and in the latter year was appointed
by President Van Buren,, Attorney
General of the United States IN
1910 he resigned this position aud
was again elected Senator. he dled
at Nashville, Tenn Dec. 10Th, 1910
Whilst a member of the Senate he
made "a visit to Berkeley county to
examine the spot where he had pass
ed his early boyhood But he found
nothing but delapidated stone
chimney to mark the place where
had stood the cabin with its clap
board roof, which had shielded his
childhood from the storms OF winter
MICHAEL ROONEY was born II
Ireland. His enemies COMMENDED
that he had been IL Corsair in early
life-but this was believed to be al
idle SANDER. Certain it is, that BIZ
spent some years amidst the peril:
of the sea, in the British service
and he there acquired the reputa-
ton of an expert sailor and skillfu
navigator. He was familiar will
the dead languages, and thoroughly
versed in some of the higher branches
of mathematics. He emigrated tt
the county of Berkeley about forty
years previous to his death, and pur
chased a large body of land on Cher
nv Run in that county: his dwelling
house having been built on the west
tern side of that small stream. liz
was one of the most jealous ana In
defatigable magistrates or the coun
ty, and took special and peculiar
pride i'm the discharge of all TIN
duties of that position, When thu
county of Morgan was formed II
1920, and Cherry Run made the di
viding line between it and Berkeley
! thus throwing him into the count.
of Morgan, he promptly abandoned
Mis- substantial residence in tina
bounty, and erected a new dwelling
ouse on the Berkeley side of tina
In, few yards distan from hi
Inner residence, that he might pre-
Ne his domicil in Berkeley ant