Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1889-05-07
Thomas a. Moore.


Mr. Thomas A. Moore, the venerable Clerk
0faOur County Court, whose sudden and serious
Illness we noticed IN our last issue, died on
Tuesday, and his remains were inferred in
Hdge-Hill Cemetery on Thursday. The pail
sonic fraternity, and the attendance of reIa-
tives and friends was very large.
10 man. perhaps, who has ever lived in this
county, had more intimate acquaintance
with its people than Mr.. Moore For more
than half q century he had by the choice of the
Board'of Magistrates or by tho direct vote of
the people, been elected to fill the important
Office of Clerk of the County Court, the same
position he held at the date of his death. 1t
has fallen to the lot of few men to hold one
Office as long and as consecutively as he did,
and to give such general satisfaction.
He came to this county in 1894, and prac-
hced his profession, that of law, until 1880,
and for long period before his death was the
only resident surviving member of the Jeffer-
son Bar Of that year.
In the last named year he was appointed to
Hdeputyship in the office of the Clerk of the
County Court, and after that he discontinued
to great extent the practice of his profess
sion. His connection with this Office contin-
ned from that time until the present, with the
interval of seven or eight years just succeed
ing the war, during the existence of the su-
Pervisor system. During his official life he
was three times appointed to his Office BY the
Magistrates of the county, and five times
elected by the vote of the people.
To. hSm the county is indebted for saving
from destruction the bulk of it's records. at
the breaking out of the civil war, foreseeing
their probable fate If permitted to remain at the
Court-House where John Brown was tried, he
conveyed them in wagons under his personal
supervision to Lexington. Virginia. where they
were kept until the invading enemy had COM
pleted their work of devastation.
He was an obliging officer, honest in pur-
pose, attentive TO business, faithful in the per-
formance Of duty, commanding the respect of
all who approached him In his official capaci-
y. No better testimony of the truth of this
can be produced than the records of the many
elections through which he passed, and in
which the people of his adopted county again
and again expressed their conviction of his
honesty and integrity by their almost unani-
nous suffrage.
Twice married, he survived both of his
wives, and lived TO see all of his contcmpora-
ries "Cross over the River to Rest under the
Shade Of the Trees" before the summons came
10 him. The period of his official life covers
almost the entire history of this county,
and in his death we can but feel that another
living landmark has been displaced, and
that the current of time, tending to the flu
ture always and inevitably, is carrying us
swiftly from that pastto which we so fondly
cling and to which memory holds SO tena-
ciously.
Mr.. Moore had reached, however, much be-
y0nd the allotted space of human life, being
IN his s7thyeaT. His power of win, his force
and determination Of character, were so pro-
nouneed Us to bafRe the weight of his four
score years, and to the day of his death he pre-
served his habits of work and attention to his
oflcial duties.