The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-05-16

For some time it has been gene
rally known among my immediate
friends that | expected to be can
didate for the office of Prosecuting
Attorney for our county, to be voted
foFe at the November election, and
now more publicly announce thai
fact. | have been resident of your
comfy for the past sixteen years
and of the State since 1892, when
migrated from the beloved old Com
monwealths of Kentucky, the State
that gave me birth, and whose grand
old motto, United we Stand, Divid.
edawe FALL suggests to me world
rightly belongs. However, my pleas
ant and profitable associations and
business transactions with your
people, since my advent among you
has. made me feel myself one of you
in the fullest sense of that term, and
from henceforth shall speak OF
myself as one of you. The name OF
the State. of West Virginia, and es-
pecially Mingo County. has become
to my ears, to have all the tender
associations. linked with it that clus-
ter around the word HOME.
1 arrived among you, aboard 9
side door sleeper, ait the age of eigh-
teen. and ,gravitated to the mines
now owned by the ted Jacket Coal
& Coke Company, on Mate Greek
where / received an introduction to
the Black Diamond that has made
our county famous, and which was
my first Introduction of the kind in
Mingo county, but not elsewhere, as
my father was coal miner and
was born and reared in the coal
fields, and had, at that time, had all
the experience as a miner that a boy
Of that age could have had.
AT the age of twenty one | had
extracted a few dollars from the
aforesaid mines and started in bus
mess with the Singer Sewing Ma
chine Company, with whom ! re-
manned for over ten years, repre-
senting that company in the various
capacities in Mingo and adjoining
counties. from house to house can
vasser to district manager, until the
early part of the year of 1909, when
a passion that had haunted my
thoughts by day and my dreams by
night, for number of years, to
qualify myself for the practice OF the
law, and which had caused me t.
burn midnight oil for more than two
years steadily, prior to that time
took complete possession of me, and
e proceeded to wind up all my bus
mess, cut loose from all the tender
associations around the words Min
go County," and bury myself in the
law department of the University OF
our State for little more than one
year longer; when / passed the re-
qlirements of that institution and
was recommended to the Supreme
Court of our Stale, as qualified to
practice law in itsNC Courts, and that
be granted a license therefor. This
wass accordingly done, and in June
1870. j was duly admitted to the baI
ofsMingo county, and have continued
insthe practice of my chosen profess
sion since that date.
IA my work of soliciting business
and collecting on accounts in thf
coal fields, as required bv the cont
Dany | worked for after disposing O.
my. hicks, and shovel, bank cap
lamp and oil flask, powder jack
drilling and tamping tools, Dime.
buaket, and my old reliable bach
snake whip, which ! had often bees
reqnireds to~ call into services wheI
one. az the bows who punched tht
mrfes" happened to be sick, git 6
little too, much "quick-steu," or was
freed by hisssweet hearts father ani
kept out too late to De on duty at tho
regular hour. | became more fully
appreciative of the real condition q
the working class of this countr,
than ever before. even when ! wal
more closely associated with them
And then 1t was thatFthe~aH consum
ingspassion took possession of me K
leann the cause of these condition.
under which they were living, ant
to- satisfy myself as to whether o.
NOT they were living and enjoying al