Hearne History - Page 599

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one milk cow and one hog. He went to work and put up a log cabin with his own labor, calling on the neighbors to help raise the building when ready, which they willingly did, and he had a hewed log house 16x18, with a hewed puncheon floor in it. He and his wife worked hard, living in primitive style, 1871 he was elected secretary of Board of Education and township clerk, which offices paid him one hundred dollars per year. He soon began raising tobacco, and also bought and sold leaf tobacco from the farmers and made money. This he continued till 1881, when in conjunction with his brother John, he went into a general merchandise business, with John Shumate & Co., at Frenchville, and at the end of the year they had $11,000 net profits to divide. 1883 the same parties opened up the same business at Oakvale, W. Va., under the firm name of L. L. Hearn & Co. After a time the firm dissolved by mutual agreement, L. L. Hearn continuing the business in his own name to this date, Nov., 1906. 1878 he was appointed Justice of the Peace, and 1880-84 and 88-92 was elected by a large majority as a Democrat, though a Republican district. He did not care for this office and only served to gratify his friends. Twice he refused the nomination for sheriff and three times for the legislature by his party, prefering, he said, to be at the head of mice to the tail of rats. 1884 he built a large hotel at Oakvale, that he run in connection with his store, conducted his little farm of over one hundred acres, attended to the postoffice, and had also a large Apiary raising queen bees, selling them in almost all the States and Canada. He ran all this business for thirteen years, part of which time he also ran a large lumber business, in connection with these other enterprises. At the end of the thirteen years his health and that of his wife failed and he built him a a good home and rented out the hotel, and gave up business as much as possible, till he could regain his health. As he made money it was his rule to invest it. He bought fifteen lots in the town, and has now built good houses on all of them, besides preparing good houses for all of his married children. Aug., 1890, he united with the Methodist Church South and has lived since an active and devoted member and has always been generous in dispensing charity to the worthy needy. He is a steward in the church and superintendent of the Sundy School. In 1897 his brother, A. Hearn, P. W. Massie, John D. Sweeney and himself (L. L. Hearn)

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Copyright (c) 1999, 2007 Brian Cragun.