JUDGE SAMUEL WOODS. BY HIS ASSOCIATE AND FRIEND, HON. OKEY JOHNSON. The true object of any one who attempts to write a sketch of the life of another should be to put on record the prominent traits of character of the subject of the sketch so all may know what manner of man he was, and gather from his life something which may inspire others in the journey. Our greatest poet has said, "Lives of great men all remind us "Footprints that perhaps another, The life of Judge Woods was well-balanced and wellrounded, and from it may be gathered much by our young men to inspire them to greater effort and better living. Samuel Woods was born in Beauce County, Canada, East, on the 19th day or September, 1822. His birthplace, I have heard him say, was in the territory in dispute between England and the United States, and when the Maine boundary question was settled, his birthplace became a part of the territory of the United States, and so he became a citizen of this country. His parents were Irish. He was not born with a "silver spoon in his mouth," but was born poor, and by experience knew what poverty meant. He knew, when a boy, if he were ever educated, he must do the greater part in furnishing his own opportunities. When a boy his father moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania, the seat of Allegheny College, where the boy with his father worked at the plasterer's trade. Fortunately for the boy the father took him to a college town. Seeing the college and the students did, no doubt, much to fire his young heart with the greatest desire for a college education. He did not give up this great desire of his heart, but toiled and studied, and entered the college, and graduated in the classical course in 1842, when he was twenty years old. He studied law with Fox Alden, a noted lawyer in Pittsburg. He also taught school. He was one of the teachers in the famous old Academy at Morgantown where so many men who afterwards gained distinction commenced their education. In 1844 he married, at Meadville, Miss Isabella Neeson, sister of James Neeson, a prominent lawyer afterwards at Fairmont in this State, and afterwards in Richmond, Virginia. In 1849 young Woods moved to and located for the practice of the law at Philippi, Barbour County, Virginia. To this place the year after he brought his bride, and they then founded a home, which has as many pleasant memories surrounding it as any home in West Virginia; a home, the sweet influence of which has blessed the children reared therein, and from which benedictions have gone to bless the country all around it. Here in this town and at this home Mr. Woods commenced his professional career. Of splendid physique, of fine address, of great natural endowments, a classical education, a fine legal education, under one of the leading lawyers in Pittsburg, in a comparatively new country, he commenced his career as a lawyer under most favorable circumstances. A man who despised falsehood, with no bad habits, strictly abstaining from all intoxicating liquor, and not even using tobacco, and being an enthusiast in religion, his fidelity to every trust reposed in him, his indomitable perseverance and great industry, his ability to take care of his client's interests in court, soon gave him a standing in the counties in which he practiced, that no other lawyer possessed. His zeal, honesty and ability gave him a clientage that placed him in the very front ranks of his profession, and until he retired from the practice in 1883, he was deservedly regarded as the Nestor of the bar in the counties of Barbour, Randolph, Taylor and Webster, where he practiced. He had so won the confidence of the people, that with his learning and great legal ability, fine address, and persuasive eloquence, he was well-nigh irresistible before a jury. In more than one instance he successfully defended clients on indictment for murder on the ground of self-defense, when most people outside of the jury thought his client was the aggressor. By his earnestness and tenacity to the interests of his clients, his influence was great, not only with juries but with the courts also. His great success in his profession did not come to him by extemporaneous efforts, but by a life of integrity, by his general education, by his legal learning, and by that without which his splendid talents would not have availed him, his mastery of the facts and laws of his cases, and never going into an important case without thorough preparation, unless forced in by the other side, then frequently the other side was sorry it brought on the battle, for few men were more ready for a sudden legal contest than he. He was a man of splendid physique, about six feet tall, with broad shoulders, with a grand personal presence; from his boyhood to old age he was what the world calls a handsome man. He was abstemious, using neither spirituous liquors nor tobacco, and in consequence through his long life enjoyed perfect health. He was erect, he was agile as a boy, and was fond of boyish sports; he fenced and boxed, and like a boy even in his manhood rollicked with the children. He was pure and earnest in speech and never used slang, was self-reliant and with. men bore himself with great dignity. Was skillful with mechanical tools, and understood surveying and could practice it. He was a man of great industry and indomitable will. He never worked without a purpose; and having formed the purpose he pursued it without change or flagging to its consummation. He did not wait for opportunities, but, by his great will power, made the opportunity. He was blessed with an interesting family, three sons and three daughters. He educated his three sons at the University, nice young men, moral, Christian and upright like himself; endowed with bright minds, and all chose their father's profession. The eldest, Frank, has a good law practice in Baltimore. J. Hop. and Samuel V. are lawyers in good practice in Philippi, their native place. I had the privilege of examining all of them for admission to the bar, and the license of each bears my signature. The three daughters were all sent to good female seminaries and all were finely educated. It was indeed a happy home, just such as might be expected with such a father and mother. The judge had a fine law office in Philippi in which was a good law library. On the wall of that office was placed the mortar-board and trowel, the tools with which he worked at the trade that enabled him to educate himself. He was not ashamed of them, but to his friends who called on him he exhibited them with pardonable pride. He also had in his pleasant home a fine private library, in which could be found many valuable books, classical, scientific, philosophical, theological, poetical and many others. His books were not in his library for show, but for use, and no one used them so much as he. He found much of his recreation in reading and in solving difficult mathematical problems. He was a great mathematician. He was passionately fond of poetry. He could read poetry without his book for hours at a time. I have heard him repeat nearly all of Tam O'Shanter. He also kept up his French so that he could read it with facility. He was very successful in business, accumulated quite a fortune, between 1848, when he located in Philippi, and the breaking out of the Civil War in 1861, thirteen years. He sympathized with the South. He was a candidate for a seat in the convention of 1861. He was elected. He went |