The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-04-11

I died, Friday April Bird, 1908. ST. He|
was therefore As years and "a days
| OF age. He 10 survived by his wife,
mother and one: sister. ~. -:
Sam 6tarkB. as a boy attended the
public schoolsSof Charleston, and OBJ
| tanned common school education
During his school years he was COO
per apprentice, working in tho shops
Beyond Elk. After leaving school he
followed the coppcr's trade for a
short time,@but 'becomlng dissatisfied
! obtained place In the office of the
K. & M. railway. ......... 49,.
I AS he%HSnk,in and out about his
work, the coRatant clicking OF the tell
egraph appafatIls filled him with a
nameless l9pging to know its Ian
guage, to interpret for himself, the
stories Of danger, daring and adven-
ture 1t daily told. In company with
a fellow-workman he bought the nee
essary apparatus, set up miniature
telegraph wire, hired the operator
during idle hours TO give him little
help, and by d1nt Of constants: effort
became q successful operator. Know
Ing how, he was ever ready to OBJ
lige the operator to take his
place when absent, to indulge
him when he was inclined to. be in
active, but all the time glad of the
opportunity to familarize himself
with the real work of the office. Col.
Sharp soon took note Of this young
Janltor, who had also become an op-
orator, and gave him employment
with him in columbus. at a salary
scarcely sufficient to pay his board
and washing, and 80 hard put FOR
{ money. was he, that in going to and
from the -eoluneis house, on an er-
rand he would, run every step of the
way there and back in order to save
! the street Car fare given him. " He
stuck It out In prayer and penury,
hoping for q abettcr day. At last 1t
I CAME. .',H',A f;;>l&'
[ Operator In Charge of Charleston
! - 49, Office.
! y First as 'both janitor and operator
and then In charge of the Charleston
| office: he won hy patience and sacri-
fc5' Gin spite ;t 81 his color) the conf
dence of his employers.
, From Charleston he was transfer
red to Corning, ohio, (then, as now,
an importants point on. the X. & NJ:
system u. ilRecahfing dissatisfied that
he was not GpFomoted as fast as he
thought he deserved. and believing
that he was, dIEcrlmlnatei against on
account of, his color, he resigned. He
entered the school of Bryant & STRAIT
ton In Chicago,Gcompleting the cour-
SEES OF bookkeeping and stenography.
This led him to Denver. Colorado.
: where, after a Shirt stay, he return
ed home. Hefenhe organized. q com.
= pany and went into the grocery, bust
1 ness which he successfully conduct-
3 ed until appointed state librarian ,by
Governor A. B. White, March 18th
1901. j. He was reappointed by Gov
Z. efnoF Dawson four years ago, and
, continued In that position until the
day OF his death.
T. =. - ) His Highest Work.
1t was not 'asltelegFapher, stenog-
rapher, bnokkeeper Or librarian that
the name OF Samuel w. Starks will
= be best, remembered, but as leader
IN the order of Knights Of Pythias
he was one Of the charter members
i of Capitol City lodge, No. 1, and
from that day until he passed to the
Egreat beyond, he has been virtually
the main spring Of $Pythianism In
this state. He was the states first
4 GRAND ChancellOr,f and has served in
that ONCE 16 consecutive years He
> saw the order in the state grow from
one castle to more than 100. In q
state sparsely populated with men OF
his own race, he has made Pythian.
l ism the most virulent and helpful in.
nuenco' among us. He put into ever,
thing he touched brains and ener.
ICY, compelling by the force of his in
teiiigence and genius success where
/ TO less masterful men success seem
\. ed Impossible. His management OF
= our state fraternal insurance depart
,. ment has made it one of the safest
and most reliable in the entire juris
: diction J., .'A.+
et His Work in West Virginia.
XII The Pythian Mutual Investment
Company Is child Of his fertile
e brain. He conceived the idea tina
: the dimes thoughtlessly thrown AVA
= by our people, if wisely invested
q """i" "lu III DulluiHB q mOnumen
e or beauty and usefulness. This idet
n In the concerto stands on the corner
Il OF Dickerson and Washington streets
@ facing the state capitol, a monumen
= to Negro thrift when wisely directed
a. The first success accomplished, Mr.
d starks turned to Huntington ant
purchased the Herald building. al
q investment equally wise and profita
= bic. 1t was his fixed purpose to do
Ethe state with beautiful castles, ant
!. ftfz the sands Of time had run on a few
II Eyaars more he would have coined hi
Z I Wshes into realities. His accumu