Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-01-12
GEORGE n. HARRISON
ELEtTED TO THE COURT OF
APPEALS.

THE FIRST STATE POSITION AN AUGUsTA
DEMOCRAT HAS HELD FOR MANY YEARS
-RECEPTION OF THE NEWS IN sTAUN-
TON-sKETCH OF MR. HARRISON, &C.
little after supper time last Friday
night, very pleasant telegram reached our
city. 1t announced that MI Geo. M. Har-
rison had received the nomination of the
Democratic legislative caucus, for posi-
ton on the Court Of Appeals bench, and
was all the more pleasant because the NOM
ination was given him by 112, the largest
vote given any candidate. It came from
State Senator Echols, who, with Delegate
Geo. w. Koiner, 1.-THE other old member Of
the Augusta delegation) had earned the
warm plaudits OF the Augusta people by
their admirable management of the cam
paign Of an Augusta man. 1t would be un-
gracious to omit recognition of the ability
and skill with which Messrs. Echols and
Koiner directed and welded the surprising
strength that Mr.. Harrison developed III
the very opening Of the session. They had
to cope with the best trained campagners,
canvassing for men of State reputation
and conceded ability, and they proved them
selves fully equal to the task.
Hardly had the news arrived, beforenum-
lJers Of friends were on their way to MI.
Harrison s home on Frederick street to
extend their congratulations, and they were
not through their pleasant duty before tel
.l,r al
on similar GRAND. 1t WAS late at night
before the future judge was able to bid good
night to the last OF his callers.
SKETCH OF THE NEW JUDGE.
Geroge Moffett Harrison, whose career
has been that Of the typical American boy
struggling up through adversely, is of
old Scotch Irish stock, and on bis mother
side is direct descendent from Col. George
Moffett, a distinguished soldier of the Rev
oIution and one of Washington g most trus-
ted officers. He is the son Of Henry Har-
rison, Esq, Of Augusta county; his grand
father was Garter II. Harrison OF Clifton,
Cumberland county, Va, and he belongs to
the lower james River Harrisons and is
related to the Randolphs, Carys, Carriers
and others of the old Eastern Virginia fam
lilies. His mother was Jane St. Clair Coch-
ran, daughter of the late Geo. Moffett
Cochran, ST., and he is nephew of Geo.
M. Cochran and the late State Senator
Alex. B. Cochran.
He was born February 18th, 1917, in
Staunton, and while in his infancy his
father moved to his farm near Staunton
where he still lives and where he has raised
to manhood and womanhood twelve chill
dren. NIr. Harrison grew up under the
refined influences Of Christian home, the
head of which, his father, who is highly
educated man, devoted himself to the train
ing and education Of his children.
at the early age of sixteen, young Harri-
son went into the service of the Confedera-
cy and after few months in the Signal
corps became q member CT a military COM
pany of boys in Augusta under eighteen
years of age. After serving some months
in that company in the Valley, he got a
transfer to the fredericksburg Artillery,
Col. Garter BraXton S Old battery, of which
some of his East Virginia kin were mem
bers. He served with that battery until it
surrendered at Appomattox. and he came
home in rags with his parole in his pocket
For two years following, he worked on his
fathers farm, blowing, harvesting. hauling
wood and doing all the work incident to
farm life. But there We're too many chill
dren for the farm to give employment to OF
md 10
he went to school teaching and followed
that for two years in order to raise money
to take the law course at the University
of Virginia, and in the mean time he read
law. He earned nearly enough, but
it began to look as if his poverty would in
terfere with carrying out his plans, when
a generous uncle supplemented his earnings
by a loan. He entered the University in
1869 and graduated in some of the classes
but was unable to stay to the final exami-
nations, being called home by the death of
his mother in 1870. He then stood his ex-
animation for a license to practice law,
before Judge Shackeiford Of Culpeper. and
Judge VIM. Mclaughlin Of Rockbrdge,
who was then holding his first term as
circuit judge in Staunton. Having passed
he entered at once ON his professional career
as member of the Staunton bar
In 1874 Mr.. Harrison was married at
Belefeld, Wythe county, to Miss Bette
Montgomery Kent, the eldest daughter of
the late Col jos. F. Kent of that county,
a distinguished Conf derate soldier. He
hoe q f.,,iIv oons;ct i, hic ,vifo +,ro
daughters and q son.
In his profession MI. Harrison has been
very successful both in makinga widespread
reputation for ability and in rendering him
self comfortably independent in financial
affairs. In State affairs it may be truly
said of him that he has never s'gone
into politics." and never sought advance
ment through politics. From his first
Democratic speech in the Wells and Walker
campaign nearly quarter of century
ago, he has always been at the command of
his party and being a most effective speak
Ell has been called on in every camgaign,
but while always responding to the call of
the party authorities with both his means
and work, his connection with politics has
always ended with the close of each cam
paign, when he has returned to the busy
work of his law office. Here, at his home.
he enjoys the env.able reputation of being
one Of the purest aid most conscientious of
men, one of the most fearless and incorrun-
tibe OF advocates and one of the ablest mem
bers of the Gar. Away from home the first
test annlied to his standing has shown -
in so fattering a light that comment is
needless.
It will be agreeable information to his
friends in Staunton to know that while his
new duties, which begin on Jan. 1st of
next year, will call him away often, yet his