The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-08
NINETY YEARS OLD.
This is the Unusual Age of Mr.,
John X. Botstord,
WHO WAS BORN MARCH 5. 1907.
And Who Sun Lives ia the Quiet of Its
Home at Number ~, Thlrtesnth Street,
tn thtn Ctty-Am Interview with Mr.. A.
W. Campbell and Some Reductions, ''Ds
ssnss,uts," atthO ClO'o.


perhaps Mr., John IL. Rotsford who re-
resides at No. 50 Thirteenth street and
who was born March s. 1907, and Is
therefore ninety years old today, He
camc 10 wheeling in 1893, at sixteen
years OF age. and has resided here con-
tinuouSly ever since. a period OF sew
enty.S four years. Wheeling was then q
town OF 1000 inhabitants, who mostly
lived and carried on business on the
hill above Eleventh street. and the
place was Just beginning to assume
some Importance rs a transfer point
between the wagons Of the recently
completed national road and the boats
OF the Ohio river. He has lived to see
some notable chanues since he tlrst
landed, including 4 number OF Vicissl.
tudes for better and worse. The
Wheeling OE 1897 Is wholly changed
from the Wheeling of 1923.
Mr.. BotsfOrd was born In the east
In the a;nte OF Connecticut, but came
here from the wcst--trom tho then new
state OF Illinois. He went west In an
iicipRtIon of Horace Greeley's subse-
Quent advice. to grow up Win tho
country" but found too much OF his
time taken up wrestling with the chills
and fever, and so concluded to return
east as far as the Ohio Valley, and set
tie at Wheeling where he had rela-
lives among the Pollocks and Booths
OF this city and vicinity. About one
third OF the people who went to the
fertile and mainriui west In those days
retracpd their steps, IN whole or part
In 1916 lines We're hard In The west
as, indeed. they were in the east, IN
consequence az the depression follow
ing the war ~ ~ There was plenty
Of cheap land and also an equal
amount OF malaria, but money was
very scarce. After all. the average
man doas bette to remain WHERE ne
can be fairly sure OF his health. This
was Mr.. Bo!sgorI's CONCLUSION when
he came here and settled down. After
seVCnty-four retrs 81 residence III
Wheeling ne expresses no rcEtet at
having done So Although rather
delicate man he has always enjoyed
good health. due, no doubt. to the reg
uiar and weli-ordercd life he has led.
as we'll as 10 the salubrious climate OF
this valley in which he has lived OF
course. as ne saws, " he could have
foreseen the future OF Chicago and 81.
Louis. the CORNER being Il mere fort In
1925. he could have done a ureat deal
better pecuniarily by remaining west.
but, after al, as he further says,
what would It have availed him. see
ing that he has been able 10 enjoy
good health here and accumulate a
competence FOR hiF oil age. He had a
cousin. bearing the s1ns mare. who
became the head cf grea- house in
Chicago. but VINO died years ago,
while he, his les fortunate klnsmal,
is SIN IN the land nf tho living. Thus
It Is. ns ne wisely reflects. that We
have compensation In losing one thing
and in gaining another.
River Life la Other DHyS-A Trip TO the
Frontiers.
River life was great attraction to
the young men Of this region when
Air. Botsfori came to Wheeling, The
general idea was thar more money aud
easter money could he made on water
than an land It was quite the thlna
for adventurous youths to go on a
trip To the lower country as the
Mississippi below Cairo was called. II
was also quite the thing for country
merchants and farmers 20 now and
then load hatboats with flour. bacon.
whisky. potatoes apples, and other
''up country" products, and speculate
on a venture to the south. In this
way the foundation for n number OF
fortunes was laid. and also in this way
considerable money was sometimes
ISs,. The late Peter YArnell was one
Of those who essayed TO make money
on the water. He took a considerable
government contract, for those days,
10 supply certain amount OF commo-
dlt1es 10 an outpost away up on the
rild Missouri river, NJ Council Blu1s,
Lab ,t..g haN ~ rho aNtrnnn verge
OF western settlement, and Vis-a-v!s
with the sioux nation" and other hos
tiles. Re chartered n steamboat for
dhe purpose OF carrying out his con-
tract, whereof the latN Samuel Irwin
was mate. and whereoa Mr. John X.
BotsEor5 shipped as general utility
boy. They loaded the boat here with
the various products specified IN the
contract. and loaded her so deep that
she could not sc: up the Missouri on
reaching st Louis. That river always
had something the matter With 1t.
Either It was high and the current
very swift, or else II was low and the
channel Vcry treachcrous. Well, It was
low when the Yarnell expedition
reached st. Louis. and thcrc was
nought to do hut'-iighteT" part OF the
load from the steamer 10 two keel
boats, aud these keelrrs had TO be
'"cordelied'' $50 or more miles up the
Missouri. with ropes and poles and
sails, after the fashion Of the famous
exploring expedition OF Lewis and
Clark In 1905.
Uncle sam was then. as now. a stick
Ter for the fulllmcnt OF contracts
made with him, and he required Alr.
Yarnell Ia deliver the pound OF
flesh" to him in conformity with the
terms "dcnuminated In the bond" In
Tther words. he allowed no bonus for
the keel boats and their slow and tor
1uous and expensive progress Up the
muddy Missouri the result Of which
Was that Mr.. Yarnell instead Of add
ing to HIS wealth by the expedition
was obliged TO accept loss OF $4,000.
which was n snug fortune 10 win or
lose in those days. Indeed. as late as
1910. a ten thousand dollar man was
looked UP to in Wheeling. Major LOr-
ina relates that soon after he came to
Wheeling, about that time, Mr.. Henry
X List then starting on his active
business career. was pointed out to
him on the streets as n man who
was supposed TO be worth $4,000
Therefore 1t was heavy blow to Mr.
YarneII, Individually, As well as to The
general resources OF this community
10 be depleted OF that amount OF mo-
ncy, All that he and his iieutennuts
accumulated by the venture was con-
siderable amount OF experience. A
Jlnmper was put on the contracting
business hereabouts FOR some time to
come.
A Voyage 10 the West Indies and the Re
turn 10 Wheeling.
At 4 later day Mr.. Botsford expert
mcntcd In venture on his own Gc-
count, or rather on account of himself
and the late w. W. shriver. They
two loaded steamboat In partnership,
commanded by Captain Henry Mason,