Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-08-28
NOW OLDEST LIVING
Representative
James G. McGrew, at the Age OF
So, is the Real Veteran
Legislator.

klngWOod, w. va, James
c. McGrew, OF this place, is the old
est living former of congress.
and on September Ia next he will be
95 years old Only a few months &
the veteran General +. X. Eckley, OF
Carrolton, Ohio, passed away, leaving
Colonel McGrew the veteran member
of the entire country.
James c. McGrew is wonderfully
vigorous for his years and keeps &C
lively in touch with matters political
and business affairs. He was born in
B~randonville, in what is now Preston
county, w, Va, n grew up the typi-
cal farmers boy, keeping TO the
try school n the farm until 10, when
a commercial life appealed to him and
he took up work IN a general store In
Kingwood.
-Four years later Mr.. McGrew started
q store Of his own, and his long life
has passed in business pursuits with
politics mixed in. Ii is the one proud
remark of his declining years that,
although he has had many honors and
offices, he never offered himself as q
candidate for office, never solicited a
vote and was never defeated In cleo
ton.
First Political Move.
Mr.. McGrew's first political move
was as q delegate to the famous Sc
cession convention OF Virginia, held at
Richmond in February, 1861. He took
part in the discussions of this con-
v%ention, but opposed secession. and.
with 81 other delegates, voted a on
the proposition of leaving the union.
and then held a secret session, vot-
ing TO go home and TO arouse not
only opposition to the secession ordi-
nance, but to excite a demand for the
partition of the state of old Virginia.
This was another sort Of secession
and out of the movement planned and
aided by Mr.. McGrew there arose the
present state of West Virginia. or the
1852 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 n
conspicuous. He vas chosen a mem
Der of the first and second legislatures.
and is proud at this time to relate
that he worked ard 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 take a third term. He served
In the House during the days OF giants
men like Horace Maynard, Garfield,
Bingham. Banks, w. l.. Kelley, Ben
Butler and the present Hale, OF Maine,
who with MIR. McGrew Is one of the
few survivors OF the famou congresses
that met after the civil war.
Since leaving congress Mr.. McGrew
mas led q quiet life, but has not at any
time relaxed his vigilance for the
party. A Methodist since his early
manhood he has eve taken interest in
| church affairs and in 1881 he was sent
hs delegate to the ecumencial council
held in London, and while abroad
made the grand tour OF Europe and the
Holy Land, going also 70 India.
Whv He Lives Iona.
Mr.. McGrew Is fond of relating that
he has bathed in the river Jordan and
the Dead sea, that he has stood on the
back OF the Sphinx and climbed the
Pyramid of GhiZeh. To those who ask
| the secret of his long life and pres
ent health, the reply of the veteran is
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 nave contributed wonderfully to
the p~rolongation 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 1S41, and their married life
WAS one long romance. They trod thu
path together for 54 years. and since
her death in 1895, he has ived with a
married daughter, Mrs. Martina Heer-
mans, of Kingwood.
II is the sweet sentiment Of Mr.. Me-
Grew when he speaks of his dear wife
TO credit her with whatever OF success
he has a in life because of her wise
counsels and womanly intuitions. His
son.. Major William c.. McGrew. Is q
| business man of Morgantown, w. Va.
and George III. McGrew, ID. d.. served
10 years in India as a missionary. He
is now rector of a church near Wash
ington.
Today this grand old man of West
Virginia lives in peaceful retirement
in the home which he built many years
ago for his bride. He is serene as he
waits for the summons, happy With his
books and with the memories of a life
well spent. n when he ak OF his
past and tile events in which he took
| part he expresses but one regret
that he has lone no more for the hap