Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-04-29
is HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM
Tribute to New Member of the
United States Court Of Claims.
ATKINSON is STUDENT-AUTHOR
Long and Eminently Successful Ca
reer of Former Governor, Who
Goes to the National Capital.

Announcement was made in WASH
ington Friday that President Roose-
welt had signed the commission OF
George W. Atkinson of West Virginia
to be judge of the court of claims.
George Wesley Atkinson was born
ia Kanawha county. Virginia (now
West Virginia), fifty.seven years ago.
He is an alumnus of the Ohio Wes-
leyan university. from which ne re-
ceived the degrees of B. A. and M.
A. He took post graduate course iu
philosophy and English literature at
Mount Union college, Ohio, receiving
the degree of. Phi. D.. pro merto.
While engaged in teaching school In
his native county he studied law under
Circuit Judge Daniel Polsley, subse.
quentlv attended lectures in Colum.
bian University, and was admitted to
the bar in 1875. and has since prac-
ticed his profession.
A SUCCESSFUL GOVERNOR.
He removed to Wheeling in 1877.
making that city his home until he
was elected governor 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 Wheeling
district in 1888, declining second
term to devote his time to his law
practice. He was nominated for gov.
ernor by acclamaticn in July, 1896.
No republican candidate In the state
| up to that date had ever received al
large majority as was given him.
McKinley's majority was little over
II 900. while Atkinson's was nearly
| $4,000.
His administration as governor was
emineptly successful. No chief ex.
ecutive of the state devoted so much
time and earnest work to the cause OF
education. In selecting the regents OF
the state university he chose the
best men in phe state. and the result
was that the university made great
progress. and the ablest educators in
the country sought positions there.
The governors injunction to the re.
gents was to drive politics and seota.
rianism out Of the institution, and
they did SO. He had the same high
standard in selecting the officers fol
the other state institutions. Nc
amount of pressure by his own party
friends could move him in his determ.
ination to keen the.various institutions
out of politics.
STUDENT AND AUTHOR.
The former governor has been q
student all his life. He is the author
of number of books, among them
1.-The West Virginia Pulpit" His.
tory of Kanawha' and "A. B. O. OF
the Tariff" the last reaching circu.
lation of over 200. 900 copies. He has
written many papers on leading topics
aud has delivered I'd esses in nearly
every state in the Union. AS speak
er he is eloquent, entertaining, force
full and witty, and while governor wa,
in constant demand by colleges and
universities all over the country fol
addresses and lectures.
He was appointed United States
attorney FIR the southern district Of
West Virginia almost Immediately
after retiring from the GOVERNOR
Office in the spriug of 1901.
ENDORSED BY BENCH AND BAR.
He was Endorsed fo~ judicial hoDors
by practically the entire bench and
bar of his state. Some of the strongest
letters recommending his selection
we're written by democrats.
| Judge Atkinson is man of striking
appearance, being six feet tall and
weighing 1876 pounds. His powers OF
endurance are remarkable. and. it il
said., he has never known what it ii
| to be physically tired. One who has
known him intimately for quarter Of
a century said: Governor Atkinson
is rare man. Every impulse of his
heart is kindly. He loves his fellow.
men; he is Christian gentleman; he
never violated trust. public or pri.
vase; he never broke promise, mol
went back on friend. He is fine
scholar and good lawyer. West Vir'
ginia never had better governor, MOI
one who did so much to uplift the
cause of education and clean-handed
government generally. He has deliv.
cred more public addresses on law,
literature, science, religion and tem.
perance than any man born in the
state. No man in all West Virgins
is letter known. and he himseIfknown
almost everybody in the state. And
no man In the state is more universally
respected by the people.