Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1916-07-21
THE BAR. $685..
Echoes and Memories.
(By Hon. John w. Arbuckle.)

(By Hon. John w. ,Arbuckle.)
O., for one hour of youthful Jay,
Give back my twentieth spring,
I'd rather laugz bright faced
boy,
Than reign a gray-beard king" :.
The memory or reading the first
issue of The GreeBbrier Independent,
a half century ago, and to reacil the
bar of that time places the writer,
farmers boy, in the "Old Home
stead" yet the happenings of fifty
years ago are as but yesterday. AL
though the Southland was coming out
oflthe great civil strife, and. her sons
returning from prison walls, happy
were the scenes of childhood. Look
ing to those days, we sing with the
bard. ' r..
Backward, turn backward, o,
time, in your flight,
And make me child again, just
for tonight" 49,.
In writing of the bar during this
period we will speak more of the
Judicial Circuit of which Greenbrier
county formed a r=Tt, and try to re-
ALL, At that date 'our~local
bar was noted for men of ability.
Hon. Ballard. Smith, ex-representa-
tive in the Congress of the United
States, Hon. Samuel Price, ex-
eutenart-Governor of Virginia, and
later u. S. Senator from West.Vir-
GINA; Col. Jane, w. Davis. Capt,
Robert F.. Dennis, Robert Alexandep,
Major Henry Mason Mathews, after
ward Acknowledgement and Governor
of West Virginia; Adam Snyder, af-
terward n1 able member of our SUI
preme Court of Appeals; Col. Beuh.
ring H. Jones, Benjamin. F. Harlow
Col. VIM. w. Gordon, Alexander F
Mathews, John w. Harris, Henry
Fry. Carlos A. Sperry, William P
Rucker, and Alex. Walker. Of these
Messrs. Smith, Price, Alexander
Dennis, Jones, Harlow, Mathews
Gordon, and Fry, on account of theil
allegiance to the South, were pro-
hibited from appearing as advocates
in open court proceedings by the "At,
torney's Test Oath"
About 1868 Edward Sehon, of PIT
Pleasant, located here and was made
prosecuting attorney. Nathaniel Har-
risen, of Monroe county, was Judge
of the Circuit till 1870, when Joseph
NJ. McWhorter was appointed Judge
on the resignation of Judge Harri-
son, and was Judge of the Circuit
until December 31st, 1872. Janu-
airy 1st, 1873, Homer A. Holt, o.
Braxton county, became Judge of the
Circuit and shortly afterward moved
to Lewisburg and mSde his homo
here. Major John w. Harris was
prosecuting attorney from Jan. tst
1873, for four years. Then came
to the bar F. 1. Snyder, John A. Pres
ton, Thos. H. Dennis, now editor OF
The Independent, and John w. Ar
buckle. Mr.. Preston was elected
prosecuting attorney in 1876 and
served for twenty years. Later Hen
ry Gilmer, James c. Mcpherson,
Samuel Gilmer, Luther Jud3on Viii
liams, now member and President Of
the Supreme Court of Appeals; Mark
Jarrett and Joel NJ. Harris were ad-
mitted to the bar. Then came Chas.
S. Dice, at present Judge Of the Cir
cult; William L. Kershner, Samuel
M. Austin, Samuel P. Preston, Samu-
ell Price, James NJ. Mason, George ].
Thompson, Elmer Nowlan, J. Scott
McWhorter, Harry l.. Van Sickler,
James E. Arbuckle, ]. H. Marshall,
]. C. Garfield, J. H. Crosier, S. M.
Wood, R L. Kead1e, Mark L. Jarrett.
Claude N. Feamster; A. H. Butts,
A. C. Hill, and S.. N. Pace. The ma
jority of these men have answered
deaths summons, and some Eave
moved away.
The bar of Greenbrier at this time
is John A. Preston, Thos. H. Dennis,
Henry Gilmer, John w. Arbuckle, ].
Scott McWhorter, H. L. Van Sickler,
Samuel P. Preston, Samuel Price, S.
NJ. Austin, Jas. E. Arbuckle, S. N.
Pace, and Claude N. Feamster, of
Lewisburg, John H. Crosier, A. C.
Hill, and R. L. Keadle, of Romeo
verte; w. L. Kershner, of Frank