Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-19
NOTABLE EVENT.

The Golden Wedding of Col. B. w.
Byrne, and Wife, Celebrated at
Charleston Yesterday---A Family
Reunion Sketch of Two Long,
Useful Lives.
Special to the Register.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, September
1S.-A social event occurred here to-
day which was of more than ordinary
interest. 1t was the celebration OF the
fftieth anniversary of the marriage of
Col. B. w. Byrne and wife, or their
golden wedding, though there was no
formal ceremony or reception, it being
! more in the nature of a family reun-
ion. All of the immediate family, in
Guiding two sons and four daughters,
were present, and ten grandchildren.
only two being absent. Col. and Mrs.
Byrne's children are Ella T., now Mrs.
j. c. Givin, of Canton, Ohio; Ida W.,
now Mrs. j. NJ. Boggs, of Big Otter, w.
Va; Annie H., now Mrs. M. w. Ven
able, of Charleston; George Byrne, OF
| Waco, Texas; W. E. R. Byrne and Miss
| Gertrude Byrne, the two latter of this
city.
An elaborate feast was spread and
the family all gathered around the
table of the paternal home for the first
time for long time. Mrs Thomas B..
Camden, of Parkersburg, Mrs. Byrne's
sister, was the only person present be-
sides the immediate family.
Col. and Mrs. Byrne were the recip-
tents of many messages of congratula-
ton from their relatives and friends,
and many people of the city called dur
ing the day to offer their congratula-
tons and good wishes in person.
On the 18th of September, 1849, Col.
B. w. Byrne, then a young lawyer,
married Mary Louisa Hall, daughter of
Jonathan Hall. His wife was born in
Beaver, Pa, December 3, 1928, and
moved with the family to this State
| (then Virginia), in infancy.
B. w. Byrne was born May Is, 1920,
on the Little Kanawha river, near
huntsville, in Lewis, now Braxton
county, and was reared on his fathers
farm at that place. He attended the
winter schools, and when he was twen>
ty years old attended Rector college
two years and a half. Later he read
law with Hon. VIM G. Brown, of King
wood; Mathew Edmiston, Of Weston,
and attended Judge Lucas 2. Thomp-
sons law school at Staunton. On re-
turning home from the law school he
was elected to the Legislature of Vir-
ginia from the district composed of the
counties of BraXton, Lewis and Gill
mer, the same territory which covers
the counties of Calhoun, Upshur, half OF
Clay and half of Webster He served
in the winter of 1889, and in the ex-
ira summer session of 1S49, which was
called for the purpose of revising the
Virginia Code.
Mr.. Byrne continued the practice of
law till the fall Of 1860 In 1857, how
ever he was again elected to the Leg
| islature of Virginia, and at that SEES
sion procured the passage of the act
creating the county of Clay. He also
| served another short extra session in
the spring of 1858 called by Governor
Wise. In 1859 Mr.. Byrne and John
| son n. Camden succeeded in having
Webster county formed. In 1860 he
went into the oil business with John
son N. Camden, Gideon d. Camden and
John ]. Jackson, Jr., now judge of the
United States District Court. In 1861
he was elected a member of the Vir-
ginia convention which passed the Or
| dinaIce of secession. He was one of
the fifty-five who voted against the
ordinance of secession, but afterwards
changed his vote to record it with the
maqjority. He organized and COM
manded as colonel the militia of his
county, but after a few weeks disband-
ed them when Governor Wise retreated
from the valley. He was engaged dur
ing most Of the war in the ordnance
bureau, and was enrolling officer when
the war ended. At the end of the war
he again went into the oil business. In
1871 he was elected in Clay and Nicha
las counties to the convention to amend
the State constitution. At the August
election in 1872 he was elected State
superintendent of schools, which office
he filled acceptably for four years. In
1882 he was elected a member of the
State Senate, and served in that ca
pacity for four years. In 1892 Colonel
Byrne was appointed by Governor
Fleming to procure from the State of
Virginia the passage of an act to trans
fer from Virginia to West Virginia such
Of the title papers as still remained in
Virginia relating exclusively to land
titles in West Virginia, and to copy
such others as could not be transferred.
His mission to Richmond was entirely
successful. Col. Byrne held numerous
other positions of Importance in the
State, and always acquitted himself
with credit. He still takes great in
terest in public affairs and is consid-
cred authority on all questions of his
tory of matters relating to West Vir-
ginia.