Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-14
Hon. A. W. Campbell Died at St. Louis, Yester-
day Morning.
The Venerable John X. Botsford Found Dead
In Bed
Sketches of the Lives of Two Men Long Prominent
in the Active Life of This City, Identified With Its
Growth and Progress, and Known and Revered by
the Entire Population.
JOHN z. BOTSFORD.

| The venerable John K. Botsford, a
resident of Wheeling for more than
/ three-quarters of a century, passed
! peacefully away at the residence of his
daughter, Mrs. Emily Boyd, No %
Thirteenth street. at an early hour
yesterday morning, lacking less than
month of being ninety-two years of
/ age. In failing for some time back,
! from the infrmities of many years, the
end was not unexpected, yet his count
/ less friends and acquaintance through
/ out the community in which he had
! lived for more than the three score and
ten years of allotted life, were none the
less shocked at the intelligence that
the venerable business man and old
( time citizen was no more. Of a truth,
he died full of years, and well-grounded
/ in the sincere esteem of his fellow citi-
/ zens.
/ John K Botsford was a native of
Connecticut, being born in the town of
Newton, March s, 1907 His life thus
/ linked the present with the far distant
{ past. He was boy well grown when
Napoleon, the first and great, was in
+ the height Of his power, and was eight
I years Of age when Waterloo wrecked
the fortunes of the Emperor. During
his lifetime the world has been revo-
lutiOnized in almost every conceivable
way or material aspect, and he lived
through and noted an advance in civil
lization ard in civihzing influences of
! scope and character unknown to any
other age in history. II is far cry
from ninety-two years ago until the
present day, and marvels have been
wrought within the life Of this one man
almost as remarkable as the miracles OF
nearly nineteen centuries ago.
Mr.. Botsford came to Wheeling in
1922, at the age of fifteen years, when
the town had population of about two
thousand, nearly all of it north OF the
present line Of Tenth street. His
father first removed from the old Con-
necucut home TO Illinois, then in the
extreme far West, but the conditions
there, climatic and otherwise, were not
satisfactory, and the removal TO Wheel
ing followed, the family, on their ar
rival here, being nearly all i'll with
malaria, contracted further West.
+ Mr.. Botsford's first active partici-
patton in the affairs Of life was as gem
eral utility boy on steamboat char
tered by the late Peter Yarnell, the late
Samuel Irwin being mate OF the craft,
and in this company he made the then
long trip by river TO ST. Louis and the
/ Missouri. Still later, on his return to
this city he set up : -odest comb
manufacturing business in North
Wheeling. but abandoned that 10 en-
gage in a business venture with ". W.
/ Shriver. The two chartered boat, and
/ loaded it with -four milled at Wells
/ burg. and set out for the New Orleans
market, Mr.. Botsford going along as
the active partner, while N. Shriver re-
NAMED behind 10 manage joint business
. interests here. The freight 10 New Or
leans was $3.50 per barrel, and on ar
I irving Mr.. Botsford found the market
overloaded with -four. and that to sell
would be at a great loss. He found a
ship ready TO clear for Kingston.
Jamaica. however. and transhipped his
/ -four on board and sailed thence. On
arriving he found that instead OF -four
selling al SIC per barrel. as he had
heard al New Orleans. Il was only s12.
but still that left him a handsome
profit, and he came home via Savannah
+ and New York. well repaid for MS
effort.
/ In 1884 Mr. B0tsford was married 10
Matilda Dunlap. OF West Liberty. and
IN 1885 he opened a tavern on Water
street. on the present site Of the How
/ ell House Later still he embarked in
| business with his son-in-law, Mr. Boyd
I and Robert Simpson, in the wholesale
( grocery line. and for many years the
/ firm conducted a successful business,
/ first on Water street and later on
Main The weight OF years on MI
( Botsford compelled the winding up Of
Z this business some fifteen years ago,
+ and since then Mr. Botsford has lived
a life OF retirement. For many years
ne was President OF the Bank OF the
/ Ohio Valley, and was a Director in
that institution al the time OF his
death. He was also interested in other
business affairs IN religion deceased
was an Unitarian. and at one time, in
company with the Messrs. Hornbrook,
ne established church OF that denom-
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