The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-09
JUDGE PRYOR'S
GOLDEN WEDDING
He and Mrs. Pryor Married Fifty
Years Yesterday.
IT WAS A NOTABLE EVENT..
Interesting Sketch OF the Judges Lifc
and How He Became a Prominent
Lawyer in New York--A Fam
lily Reunion Held Last Night
IT WAS A NOTABLE EVENT

| Many Virginans Will be Interested TO
| know that Judge Roger y. Pryor, OF Ne"
| York. but a native OF this State and long
| "a resident OF the old Dominion celebrated
| his golden wedding anniversary at ms
residence No. west Sixty-ninth street,
| New York. last night. The New York
! Times I'm an article on the subject says:
The celebration OF the fftieth anniver-
| sary of the wedding of Judge Roger a.
| and Mrs. Pryor. is one which not
| only interests New York society and
| its Southern contingent, but the en-
| tire country. through which the dis
| tingulshed jurist ana his charming wife
| have many friends.
MARRIED IN HALIFAX.
Judge and Mrs. Proyor were mar
ried in Halifax rounty, Va, on No
vember s. 1S4S. The ceremony took
place at the home of the
| brides father. the Rev. Samuel Blair
| Rice. a Virginia clergyman, who was the
| great grandson Of the Rev. David Rice,
who was known as the father Of Ken
lucky and who established the first school
and college in that State Another an
costor was the Rev. DR.. Blair. of Penn
sylvania Mrs. Pryor's mother was
Miss Leftwich. Of very ancient family,
which runs back 10 WARM Nernoun. Ba-
England with William the CcnQueror.
AT the time Of the wedding Judge Pryor
was just twenty and his bride a mere girl
In her teens She was a great beauty
then, and to-day fifty years have left
but slight traces Of their flight. She
still has the hazel eyes and the soft
brown hair. just tinged with gray, and
the clear-cut profile. which gre charac-
teristics Of miniature painted Of her at
that time
Roger Atkinson Pryor. the bridegroom
Of that day, was born at the home Of his
father, the Rev Theodore Pryor. in Din
widdle county. Va lie was graduated
from the Hampden- Sidney College in 1916
and had entered upon the practice Of law
in Charlottesville. but he was forced TO
abandon his profession on account Of an
affection Of the throat and entered into
journalism.
on ELECTION DAY.
The wedding fell upon election day. and
the Rev. DR.. Frederick Pryor, who per-
formed the ceremony, and Or. Rice did
not let that interfere with their voting
the Democratic ticket. which was defeat
ed and Gen. Zachary Taylor elected 20
the Presidency of the United States. The
wedding was a small one, owing to the
illness Of the brides mother. Mrs. Pry-
er's wedding dress was an India muslin,
with nOunces OF handsome thread lace
In her hair the bride wore a silver comb.
which had been purchased az a present
for her at Timanys. and n wreath Of
white roses held in place the long white
veil
There were two bridesmaids. one the
daughter Of Judge William c. Rives and n
cousin OF the present Princess Trebetzkoi
who was Amelie Rives. and the other
Miss Gilmer. whose father was afterward
Secretary Of the Navy OF the COnfeder-
acy. Judge George Randolph. who was
Secretary OF War I'm the same cause. was
also present The young couple began life
under the brightest auspices. Judge
Pryors subsequent career was crowned
with success. and when stiI q very young
man he found himself in Washington.
one of the editors Of The Washington
Union. and subsequently. in 1857. in the
Senate, with the reputation OF being
splendid orator and a writer Of no small
ability 1t was at Washington where the
young Southern matron made her first
brilliant social success. Her house was
the meeting place OF society. and she won
the reputation of being one OF the most
clever and beautiful women IN Washing
ton.
HER WORK IN THE WAR.
1t was the war, however. which brought
out the sterling traits Of Mrs. Pryors
character. Taking her boys with her,
she followed her husbands regiment from
place to place. His appointment and ca
rcer as u Brigadier General Of the Con
fedeFate Army are well known. Ills
bravery at the battles Of Seven Pines and
Williamsburg are facts in history. Ills
capture and imprisonment are also mat
tiers which relate TO the struggle Between
the North and the South. During this
time his wife devoted herself TO hospital
work. taking care OF the wounded and
nursed the sick on both sides. The war
ended. II saw Gen. Pryor a man Of thir-
ty-seven years, with a wife who had been
brought up in the greatest luxury, and
seven children. Her fortune had been
swept away, and he had nothing but the
reputation which he had gained during
the war and before it, an adamantine will
and perseverance. At that age he began
again the study of law. His wife and his
children lived during that time on the old
ruined homestead in Virginia Then,
without friends. or even acquaintance,
they came to New York. as Mrs. Pryor
once expressed 1t. fright into the heart Of
our enemies They received us with open
arms and took us right into their hearts
LIFE IN NEW YORK.
In this strange city IL was at first
bitter struggle. Mrs. Pryor and the chill
dren lived in a remote part OF Brooklyn,
and Judge Pryor had a small office on
Liberty street. He could not afford a
clerk or an Office boy, but served his own
papers. OF his success in New York. his
present position IS one Of the GROWING
triumphs lie has been associated In the
conducting OF many important cases. lie
was one of the counsel for Theodore I'll
ton: I'm the Morey letter case; he was
associated with the late General Benjamin
+. Butler before the Supreme Court OF the
United States in the celebrated Governor
Ames Impeachment. He was the counsel
In the famous Holland murder case, ana
he was the first lawyer 10 oppose the Su-
gar Trust. lie was also counsel IN the
famous Sprague case in Rhode Island.
He was appointed Judge by Governor
Ill., and at the expiration of the term
for which ne was appointed was elected
by a handsome majority over a popular
opponent. Judge Pryor's tall erect figure
and his long black hair belle the fact
that he has reached the age OF seventy.
His capacity FOR work and the visor OF
his brain are not dimmed by passing
years.
PROMINENT IN SOCIETY.
Mro Drvor hss haan worry prOninent in