Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-21

course in philosophy and English literature
at Mount Union College, Ohio. receiving the
degree of Phi. D., pro merito. While en-
gagged in teaching school In his native
county he studied law under Circuit Judge
Daniel Polsley. subsequently attended lee
lures in Columbian University, and was adj
mitted to the bar in 1915, and has since
practiced his profession.
A Successful Governor
He removed to Wheeling in 1877, making
that city his home until he was elected gov
ernor in 1896. From 1881 to 1885 he was
the United States marshal The entire
state was then one district. He was elected
to the fifty-first Congress from the Wheel
ing district in 1883, declining second term
to devote his time to his law practice. He
was nominated for governor by reclamation
in July, 1876. No republican candidate in
the state up to that date had ever received
as large a majority as was given him.
Mckinleys majority in the state was a lit
tie over 1lOOo while Atldnson's was nearly
14COO. 30
His administration as governor was emf
nently successful. No chief executive of
the state devoted so much time and earnest
work to the cause of education. In select
ing the regents of the state university he
chose the best men in the state. and the
result was that the university made great
progress. and the ablest educators in the
country sought positions there. The gov
ernors injunction to the regents was to
drive politics and sectarianism out of the
institution. and they did So He had the
same high standard In selecting the officers
for the other state institutions. No amount
of pressure by his own party friends could
move him in his determination to keep the
various institutions out of politics.
Student and Author.
The former governor has been a student
all his life. He is the author of a number
of books. among them "The West Virginia
Pulpit" History of Kanawha" and "A. B.
c. of the Tariff" the last reaching a cir
culation of over 200 900 copies. He has writ
ten many papers on leading topics and has
delivered addresses In nearly every state in
the Union. AS speaker he Is eloquent. en-
tertaining forceful and witty. and while
governor was in constant demand by col
legeS ard universities all over the cOun-
try for addresses and lectures
From his boyhood Judge Atkinson has
been an active member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and was twice a lay
delegate to the general conference of that
denomination. He is a Free Mason of high
rank; was grand master of West Virginia
when he was only twenty-nine. and has
been grand secretary of the West Virginia
Grand Lodge for eighteen years.
For many years he has been trustee of
his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan University.
He has received the degree OF LII. d. from
several leading universities and Is a D. c. L.
OF the West Virginia University, being the
only person on whom the institution ever
conferred that degree.
He was appointed United States attorney
for the southern district of West Virginia
almost Immediately after retiring from the
governors office in the spring of 1901.
Endorsed by Bench and Bar.
He was Endorsed for judicial honors by
practically the entire bench and bar of his
state. Some of the strongest letters recon-
mending his selection were written by DEM
ocratS.
Judge Atkinson is a man of striking ap-
pearance. being six feet tall and weighing
195 pounds. His powers of endurance are
remarkable. and, IL Is said he has never
known what It is to be physically tired.
One who has known him intimately for a
quarter of a century said: Gov. Atkinson
is man. Every impulse of his heart
is kindly. He loves his fellow man: he is n
Christian gentleman; he never violated
trust. public or private; he never broke
promise, went back on a friend He Is
fine scholar and good lawyer. West Vir-
ginia never had a better governor, nor one
who did so much to uplift the cause of edu-
cation and clean-handed government gener-
ally. He has delivered more public ad-
dresses on law, literature. science. religion
and temperance than any man born in the
state. No man in all West Virginia is bet
ter known. and he himself knows almost
everybody in the state. And no man In the
state is more universally respected by the
people"