Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-10-12
PASSED AWAY.
Dc ath of Colonel z. n. Norton Last
Evening.
THE TNn FioNsER OF OHIO VALLEY
Passes Away After a Complete Life-A
Sketch Of His Career-His Life
St,u as il was Told
by His 0xn Lips.

news Will De received Win sadness, but
not without expectation. For some time
past it has been evident the springs Of life
were failing and hi, friends snly hoped
against what they felt must be inevitable.
The life history OF Col. Norton Is the his
tory of the iron and nail industry OF the
Ohio Valley, and no other name stood 50
prominent in this connection.
The story Of ists Life
was told by him to q REGlsrsR reporter at
his golden wedding at Vine Cliff, On the
18th Of July, Of last year.
Col. Norton was born in the year 1879,
and the year 1882 found him JUS, emerging
from an apprenticeship TO his trade Is .
mailer, at PhTniXvilie, Pennsylvania,
where he had become acquainted with and
learned to love Miss Diana p. Kneeland.
He was in his Goth year and she In her 18th
on the 4th Of July OF that year, just tiity
years >Ago that day, accompanied by .
friend and his sweetheart" as the Colonel
expressed it, me youthful pair celebrated
the nations anniSersary by trip TO Ches-
ter, Pa, and becom,pg joined in holy we'd
celebrated Universali& clergyman, Dr.
kneeland. who stirred the religious elc-
ments OF New EnglandNto their depths
sOout those days. She was a beautiful and
attractive young lady. "ant.' said the Col.
oneI, "she Is as beautiful and
attractive 10 me this day as she was itIy
years ago. In all these ifty years, con-
tiuued the Colonel, Il say absolutely ]
have never seen soul on this earth that 1
would exchange for her. yet ] have seen
dear little creatures, bone OF my Done and
flesh Of my flesh, wither by tha wayside.'
dear little Josephine" the Colonel went
on in quiet way, was the sweetest thing
that ever came TO this earth iaXcept her
mother She came TO us within twelve
onths after our marriage and tx months
thereafter ! left the two TO seek employ
msnt in Pittsburgh. found work a. .
mailer at the lLppincott mil. wlrre ms.
cline or two had been started. Mr.. Spsnld-
ing, you know him, who afterwards help
ed TO
Mnke wheeling Nails fassous.
was at work At this mill and he and being
practical nailers, gave the mill it, reputa.
lion. Spsulding, the late \. IL. Woodward,
Calvin Doty and Mr.. Savery lived with me.
after brought my wife and child 10 tho
Smoky City. After rem aiming in Pittsburgh
| went 10 Brownsville, Pa, with Edward
Hughes, who started iron works at that
place. This" unused the Colonel, was
about one year before the big Ore In Pitts
hurgh. About twelve montts later, Mr..
I'd. W. Stevens came to Wheeling with
800, ,UOo-whCh was bag fortune In those
days-and took what is knOSn ~ the Top
mill. lie wrote asking ne TO como and
take charge Of n nail department in the
f,,r hfv, 4. lav 81 nP nj m
chimes. Ny brother George W. and ! came
on. Mr.. Stevens was n roller, and he and l
had worked together years before. lie had
msde n tine fortune, while had saved up
some 900 to 5000. lie was visionary
man too clever for this snrth; sort of an
angel in brecChes, utterly unable 10 say
no to any one who had designs on his
poCketbook. Poor man, love his mem
ory::
savings 10 help hIm along while others
were pIackiDg him, but he secured me
well. lie trusted everybody, aud, Of
course, iail,d-'oJ TisionATy-but warm
hearted. generous and COmpanionable.
How hate these cold blooded people
these lizards, bold and slimv-thcse iron
wedges that would drive through your
soul for pelf ! have ONE Of that kind In
my mind now you know him well he 10
your n,ighbor-but-I am wandering.
YES poor Stevens was In a failing con-
diiion, and | said Let us build mp q nail
factory one disconnected from q general
rolling mill. Everybody said IL would
fail. ] said know how 70 build nail
mill, and vii! out up every dollar ] can
raise on tue hazard. Stevens and ! pro-
cured John Hunter and Robert Morrison
as partners, and went 10 work and built
VIII my OWL hands
Th. old virginia Mil.
right wherc The .. & .. depot now stands.
Missouri iron ore had Just been discovered,
ard that; with my practical skill, ennble,,,
line to brlng out a strictly first class nail.
cater a time | saw ] could very greatly
improve oB that mill. so ! sold my interest
10 IaCh. NAruell, with Q determination to
buiid mill with which We could eIrell all
DEVIOUS attempts In the man ufacture OF
nails. ! went TO Pittsburgh, and. like
Peter the Hermit. fell upon my knees TO
my friends and co-laborers-men who then
were and are At the head OF the nail busi-
nsss-to put money into the new enterprise.
S. II. Wood ward, William Bailey, Calvin
Doty, Henry Wallace, Holstein Harden,
John Wright, well, twenty In all, Joined
in building an establishment 10 b owned
aud operated by practical mechanics alone.
| succeeded In raising about 5000 from
these men, and then admitted Henry
Moore, whom you remember well-a capi-
tilist-asa partner with an 800 invest.
msnt. built q mill, and had 5000 lsfp,
b better mill tnsn Is now usually built
with 10000. This was the Belmont
mill. and IL proved grand success. We
who operated IL were practical men, ambi-
tious 10 make q reputation and TO make
money-and we made both. We mads the
beet malls IN the United States, ~ every.
body who knew anything about IL con-
ceded.
After some time was approached by
some u the partners, who believed ths
swarm had grown too large for the hlve,
proposing 20 build still another Elll. This
was freely assented TO- and
The In Belle wss the RsssiL
President Lincoln appointed me United
States Marshal, which oftics ] hsld 10
eight years: and during that time rod
NV interest In the Belmont mill, and In
connection with Major A1oo1o Loring.
Henry X. List and Others, purchased the
Belmont iron and nail works, which we're
known n the tSortoa Iron Works. Alter
wear, of labor there l sold again, and with
NV brotbers George w., nov dead, sod
Fred, built the hig mill st Ironton. ohio.
ths bivgest concern OF the kind In America.
/ had been President Of the mills With
which I v.s coonscted In whsslins.
bat OF this Iyontoo mill, Cspt. George
w. Norton vn made Prssidsat and
remainsd 20 until his unfortunate desth
from q steamboat srplosioa. i was thea
called TO the Presidency and pfactioAl man
sgsnsnt. Altar three yssfs of residencs
at ifonton and Management Of this oHo.
oerp, Mss approached By capitalists Of
Ashland. KY, to build . similar establish
nent, which oher I embra,sd. This
very valusbis property. There Is oeL0ss.
ing 10 Is 1850 acres Of land, enbsasns
coal, wood, iron, houses, stores, sTefythin
for the profitable Innning Of such en
innsnse concern. was made Pfssiosns
/ ifi. company also. After four yeafs ~
| b, ,nynsr.fnent Of this great concern; !
r,igp.d ard settled iP this b''a''fai
Goa Norton was Rspubllosc before 1890.
| and :. delegate from West Virgipis %
| he Cnic,go Convention which Domihst-1
| Mr.. Lincoln. He vks % original Lncoin
| m,n, spd sftsr the new President vas ~
| sueurstsd. he vss offered any once he
m,ybt eel Ct. He selected tbst of hsrsssl
Of Wes, yireiDis-being best suited, W hi'
o,n estimation. TO his taste and sdlespon:
| He ,sys he Vas . red ho. Republic %; az