Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-11-21
MIR. r. a. Alexander.

his home IN Charles Town on Neu-
nesday last, at 1890 o'clock in the
morning. His funeral, at 3 O'Clock
on Friday, was largely attended by
sorrowing friends and acquaintance.
The floral offerings were handsome
and abundant. The funeral services
we're held in Zion Episcopal Church,
in which he had attended divine ser
vice throughout his life. He was in
TERED in the beautiful grounds that
surround that sanctuary, where many
of his kins-people had been gathered
before him. Thus, as briefly told,
our community laid to rest in tears
and sadness a citizen. In that
church-yard, on that autumnal even
ing, they babe adieu to all that was
mortal of familiar face and figure,
with tears for his family and friends,
with flowers for him and his memo
ries, and with intense sorrow at his
departure.
The true story of his life cannot so
briefly be told. No greater loss has
befallen this community in genera
ton. He was to it, in the intensity
of his energy and in his severe in
dividuality, tower of strength. As
father, as husband, as officer, as
neighbor, as friend and as citizen,
he filled with wonderful versatility
the full measure of requirement, and
won in every attitude of life the plau-
dit of well done.
With an intelligence singularly
acute, and a judgment of men and
things rarely excelled, he addressed
himselfto business affairs with pecu-
liar success. These talents were not
self-absorbed. He labored not alone
for self, but others. He hid no light of
his under q bushel, but placed it
where its divergent rays might help
all within its influence. Self-reliant,
energetic, sanguine, and courageous,
He often plucked success from doubt
and disaster, and victory out of por-
tending defeat. These manly quail
ties, too attractive for isolation, won
him friends and followers. They
converted the poor boy of 1868, sur
rounded by the poverty and desola-
ton of war, into the successful bust
ness man of q later epoch.
The public knew little of the diff
culties that beset his young man.
hood. He carried his own burdens
with manly independence. But in
the three decades through which Fa-
ther Time conducted him from youth
to mature manhood and sudden
death, in spite of a weakly constitu-
ton, with opportunities abridged for
him and his associates by the rough
ravages of war, he climbed with slow
but unfaltering steps the hills of diff
ficulty toward the goal of compe-
tence. On that unsulied journey he
trampled not on others, but with I'M
abating zeal in the attainment of a
high and lofty purpose, he loitered
frequently with tenderest charity to
aid his brother man.
From the time in early life when
rich in hope and love, but poor in all
things else, he led his hearts idol
to the altar and united with noble re-
solve his life with hers, through all
the intervening years-years of la
Dor, home building, happiness and
duty, until the moment when the
great Destroyer severed those hal
lowed ties-he faltered not, nor rest
ed. He touched no field of enter
prise wherein lay any germ, that
many blades of grass sprang not
He hewed success from each attempt.
His life was action. His law was
labor.
There was little in his nature of
the egotist. There was much within
him of the humanitarian. He loved
others, not himself. In the conf
dence of close friendship, his favor
lite expression was II love the peo-
pie of my county, love to be among
them, TO ste them, to shake their
hands, and know what they feel and
want and wish"
For sixteen years, as the revolving
seasons brought the spring, he went
among them officially from door to
door and house to house, and for
him the latch-string was always out.
To him and to those he visited the
labor of the Office was lost in the
welcome to the man. He loved the
spring-tide, for it was his time to 90;
and the people loved it, for it was
his time to come. There was the
music of pleasure in the voices that
greeted him at home after home, and
double of assurance of friendship in
every grasp of the hand.
1t was his habit to help others. 1t
was in him a passion. He could not
refuse if be would; he would not re-
fuse if he could. He was the poor
mans friend, the champion of the
weak against the strong. Like Lo-
gan, the chief of people, none came
to him hungry and he gave them not
meat, nor cold and naked and he
clothed them not. Strong as 4 man,
he was as tender as q woman. Brave.
generous, big-hearted and sYmpa-
thetic; he forgot his own care in the
contemplation of others. Did any
need assistance, he denied them not.
Were any footsore and weary, he
shoaldered their burdens. Around