Show SERVED EARS AGO HON J C MQREW OF W VA1 IS OLDEST EXCONGRESSMAN At Age of 95 He Is Living In Peaceful Retirement In His Native State Elected to House In Year 18C8 Washington James C McGrow ot Klngwood W Va Is tho oldest living oxmember of congress and on September Sep-tember 14 next he vlll bo 95 years old Only a few months ago the veteran Gen E R Eckley of Carrollton 0 passed away leaving Col McGrew tho veteran exmember of tho entire country coun-try Tho James C McGrow of today is wonderfully vigorous for his years and keeps actively in touch with matters mat-ters political and business affairs Ho was born In Brandonvllle in what Is now Preston county W Va and grew up the typical farmers boy keeping to tho country school and the farm until 19 when a commercial life appealed ap-pealed to him and he took up work In a general store at Klngwood His first political move was as a delegate to the famous secession convention con-vention of Virginia held at Richmond In February 18C1 lie took part in the discussions of this convention but opposed op-posed secession and with 54 other delegates voted nay on tho proposition proposi-tion of leaving the union and then hold a secret session voting to go home and to arouse not only opposition to the secession ordinance but to excite ex-cite a demand for the partition of tho state of old Virginia This was another sort of secession and out of the movement planned and aided by McGrew there arose tho present wonderful stato of West Virginia Vir-ginia Of the 152 members of tho famous Richmond secession convention conven-tion Col McGrew Is the only survivor surviv-or In tho new state of West Virginia Vir-ginia he has over been active and conspicuous He was chosen a member mem-ber of the first ahd second legislatures legisla-tures and Is proud at this time to relate re-late that he worked hard to establish the school system and tho state college col-lege at Morgantown He was elected to congress in 18C8 and reelected In 1870 and declined to take a third term Ho served in the f 1 11f I t b 14 + t4 O Ot t 7 rf h I LION 9 1 G 71 RtJ House during tho days of giantsmen I like Horace Maynard Garfield Ding I ham Banks W D Kelley Ben Butler But-ler and tho present Senator Halo of I Maine who with Congressman Mc Grew is one of the few survivors of I tho famous congresses that met after the civil war Since leaving congress Col McGrew has led a quiet life but has not at any time relaxed his vigilance I vigi-lance for tho party A Methodist since his early manhood he has ever taken Interest In church affairs and In 1881 ho was sent a delegate to tho ecumenical ecu-menical council held in London and while abroad made tho grand tour of Europe and tho Holy Land going also to India He Is fond of relating that ho has bathed in the river Jordan and the Dead sea that ho has stood on tho back of the sphinx and climbed tho Pyramid of Ghlzeh Ho Is proud too of his Scotch Irish ancestry and ho has been described by a friend as combining tho caution of tho Highlander with the Impetuos ity and boldness of tho Irishman Mr McGraw married Persls Hagans In 1841 and their married life was ono long romance They trod tho path together to-gether for 51 years and since her death in 1893 he has lived with a married daughter Mrs Martha Heor mans of Klngwood It Is tho sweet sentiment of Mr McGrew when he peaks ° f his dear wife to credit her with whatever of success ho has had In life because of her wise counsels and womanly intuitions His son Maj William C McGrow Is a business man of Morgantown W Va and Georgo II McGrew DD served ten years Tu India as a missionary lIe Is I nov rec tor I of a church near Washington Today this grand old man of West Virginia lives In peaceful retirement In I the home which ho built many ears ago for his bride eafs Ho Is serene IS he waits for the summons happy y with his books slInd it with tho memories l a mo I well and and when he talks nr hits past and tho events In which ho took part ho expresses but tbaraft t ono regret lint lie has done no moro < ° rand the mtPIlieBB r-and comfort of his fellow loon |