The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-08-27
NOW OLDEST LIVING
REPRESENTATIVE
James g. McGrew, tthe Age Is
81, il the Real Veteran
Legislator.

A1l8M QOup w = v ass lgC8Qk4tNH u AHlG8s
C@McGrew, OF this place, is the old
est living former member OF congress,
and ON September IL next he Will be
95 years old. Onlyafew months ago
h veteran General 3. r. Eckley. OF
Carrolton, Ohio. passed away. leaving
Colonel McGrew The veteran member
Of the entire country.
James G.. McGrew IL wonderfully
vigorous for his q and keeps ac-s
lively In touch with matters political.
and business AFFAIRS. He wa born In
Brandonyille. In what is now Preston
county, w. va, and grew up the typi-
cal farmers boy. keeping to the coun-
try school and the farm until 10, when
q commercial life appealed t him d
he took up work in g generai store IN
Kingwood.
-Four years later Mr.. McGrew started
Ia store OF his own, and his long%4life
has passed In business p~ursuits with
politics mixedNin. 1t is the n proud
remark OF his declining q that.
although he a had many honors and
candidate for office,s solicited q
vote and was defeated In cleo
tion.
First Political Move.
Mr.. McGrew,s first political move
was as asdelegate to the famous se-
Icession convention OF Virginia, held at
Richmond In February, 1861. He took
part in the discussions OF this con-
%vention, u opposed secession. and.
with 81 other delegates, voted nay on
the proposition Of leaving the union.
and then held q secret session, vot-
Ing to go home and to arouse not
only opposition tosthe secession Ordi-
nance but to excite q demand for the
partition OF the state OF old Virginia.
This was another sort OF secession
and u of the movement planned and
aided by Mr.. McGrew there arose the
u 1-1 y 49, TxT-c& ~rrl - RE n AhA
152 members OF the Richmond seces-
sion convention Mr.. McGrew Is the
only survivor. In the new state OF West
! Virginia he has never been active and
conspicuous. He was chosen a menu
Der of the first and second legislatures
and Is proud at this time to relate
that he worked TAI to establish the
school system and the state college at
Morgantown.
Mr.. McGrew was elected to congress
in 1868 and reelected in 1870, and de-
clined to lake a third term. He served
men like Horace Maynard, Garfield,
Bingham. Banks. w. d. Kelley, Ben
Butler and the present Hale, OF Maine,
who with Mr.. McGrew is one Of the
few survivors of the famous congresses
that met after the civil war.
Since leaving congress Mr.. McGrew
has led a quiet life, but has not at any
time relaxed his vigilance for the
party. A Methodist since his early
manhood he has ever taken interest In
church affairs and in 1881 he was sent
ne delegate to the ecumencial council
held in London, n while abroad
made the grand tour OF Europe and the
Holy Land, going also to India.
Why He Lives Long.
Mr.. McGcew is fond Of relating that
he has bathed In the river Jordan and
the Dead sea, that he has stood on the
4 ~ IL ~ %In 80 C~Ii~r IT - ~oh ~
Pyramid Of Ghizeh. To those who ask
h secret Of his long life and pres
ent health, the reply OF the veteran IL
that he owes much to heredity, as his
ancestors lived many years and in good
health, but he adds that he owes much
to his own method OF spending much
time in the open air, and to temperate
habits. He thinks his abstemious meth
DDS hav contributed wonderfully te
the prolongation OF his life.
Mr.. McGrew is proud. too, Of his
~Scotch-Irish ancestry, and he has been
described by a friend as combining the
caution OF the Highlander with the i'm
petuosity and boldness Of the Irish
man. Mr.. McGrew married Persis
Hagans in 1841, Nand their married life
path together for "a years, and since
her death in 1895, he has lived with q
married daughter, Mrs. Martina Heer.
mans, OF Kingwood.
1t is the sweet sentiment OF Mr.. Nc.
Grew when he speaks of his dear wife
to credit her with whatever OF success
he has lar in life because OF her wise
%counsels and womanly intuttions. Hi.
son, Major William G. McGrew, is {
business man Of Morgantown, w. Va.
and George H. McGrew, D. D., served
10 years in India as a missionary. HI
is now rector OF a church near Wash.
ington.
Today this grand old mar Of Yves
Virginia lives in peaceful retirement
In the home which he built many year.
ago for his bride. He is serene as h,
waits for the summons, happy with hi.
books and with the memories Of a liz,
well spent, and when he talks Of hi.
.past and the events in which he tool
part he expresses but one regret
that he has done 10 more for the hap.
piness and comfort of his fellow men