Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-02-24
JOHN S. GALLAHER was born in

JOHN s. GALLAHER was born in
Martinsburg, Berkeley county, Va,
December 1st, 1876. His only school
education was obtained between the
ages of five and twelve, in the old
stone school house in the northeast,
ern portion of the town. under the
tuition of ''an excellent Irish gentle
man of the olden time" Capt. Jas.
Maxwell, long the County Surveyor.
On the fourth day of April 1909, he
entered the printing office of Mr..
John Alburtis, editor of the Berke-
ley and Jefferson Intelhgencer, after
wards the Martinsburg Gazette.
After an apprenticeship of five years
Mr.. G.. worked few weeks in Balti-
more, principally upon Niles Reqis-
ter. In August 1914, being in
Charlestown,i in charge of the Farm
er's Repository, while its editor,
Capt. Richard Williams, was in the
military service at Norfolk, Mr.. G.
Joined the volunteer rifle company of
Capt. George w. Humphreys, and
served month. In the course of
this service the company had part in
the sharp conflict at the White
House bluff. on the Potomac, in
which Com. Porter undertook, with
a few small field pieces and some
rihemen, to stop the British vessels
then descending the river, ladened
with flour and other stores captured
at Alexander. On the conclusion of
his military service, Mr.. G.. worked
about year in the office of the M
tional Mtelligencer, the model news
paper conducted by those well,kEown
gentlemen, Messrs. Gales and Sea-
ton.
In May 1921, Mr.. Galaher, with
his younger brother, Robert, (who
died in August following, after only
four days. sickness, of "a malignant
fever then prevaiiing) commenced
the publication of the Harper's Ferry
Free Press, now the Virginia Free
Press-a paper which acquired great
popularity. Mr.. G.. also published
for four years, a literary paper call
ed The Ladies' Garland.
In 1927 he purchased the Farm.
er's Repository, at Charlestown, and
merged it with the Free Press, now
published by his brother, III. N. Gal
laher, and his nephew, w. w. B.
Gallaher.
In the spring of 1880, Mr.. Gala
ner was elected a member of the Vir-
ginia House of Delegates, with the
veteran Daniel Morgan as his COL
league. The amended Constitution
of 1929 being adopted, this election
of delegates was set aside, and in
October, 1880, John s. Gallaher and
Edward Lucas were chosen. In this
first session under the new Constitu'
ton, much of the legal talent of the
! Old Commonwealth, was in requisi-
ton, and it was deemed no light
| honor to be colleague of such men
as Benjamin Watkins Leigh, Rich.
ard Morris, Thomas Marshall, Jas.
NJ. Mason, James Mcdowell, etc.
Mr.. Gallaher was reelected for
four successive terms, with slight
opposition, except in 1888, when,
having given a estates Rights
Vote" lin the notification era),
which displeased some of his ultra
Wing supporters, a spirited canvass
ensued, but he was re- elected by an
increased majority. In the spring
of 1885 he declined further legisla-
tive service, and removed to Rich
mond to take chief management of
the Richmond Compiler, which he
held for nineteen months.
At the close of his term, the elder
Governor Floyd. in 1882, appointed
Charles James Faulkner, of Berke.
lev, John 5. Gallaher, of Jefferson,
and John b. d. Smith, of Frederick,
Commissioners to settle, in conjunc'
tion with like number from Mary
land, the boundary line between the
two States, but Maryland did not
appoint commissioners, and nothing
was done. Mr.. Faulkner has since
had the matter in charge under a
new appointment, and has made
much progress in the collection of
interesting data.
In January 1887 Mr.. Gallaher pur.
chased a third interest in the Rich
mond Wing, and for three years was
associated with those eminent jour-
nalists, John Hampden Peasants
and Alexander Moseley. In 1910 he
partners, and published for nine
months popular campaign paper
the Yoenlan, in support of Harrison
and Tyler. In the contest of that