Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, ed. 8-B,
Boyd County

James Hiram Poage, commonly called "Dick," was born in the "backwoods" of
Boyd County, in the pleasant rural village of Cannonsburg, May 6, 1862.  His
grandparents on his father's side were Virginians and also is his mother a
Virginian.  It was in this isolated village that he received his first
instructions in the "Old Blue Back," and throwing paper wads, etc., and as
his mind reverts to the past, his thoughts linger long on his first lessons
in swimming, fishing and skating on the limpid stream known as Mash Rum,
which traverses the little village, and it only serves to endear to him more
tenderly the home of his childhood.  At an early age his parents returned to
Ashland, where they had formerly lived.  Here "Dick" for a few years
received the advantage of winter schooling, and worked during the summer
months at such employment as he could obtain.  In 1875 he went to work at he
"Norton Iron Works" feeding nails, at which work he soon became very
proficient and made fair wages for one of his age; this he continued for
about two years, during which time he applied himself assiduously to his
books during his leisure hours, and as a childish recreation practiced
picking the banjo.  He now having accumulated a few dollars concluded to
embark in business on his own hook, which he did by purchasing a horse and
dray, on which he acted in the capacity of both conductor and brakeman for
about a year.  With a few dollars thus made and by selling his dray outfit
he amassed sufficient means to enable him to attend Duff's College, at
Pittsburgh.  At the expiration of his stay there he graduated at the head of
his class, and received his diploma with a most excellent reputation from
the faculty.  Returning to Ashland the mystic charms of the dray and the
scarcity of currency soon caused him to find employment with the wholesale
grocery house of A.B. Clark & Co., as draymen and packer.  With this
situation he faithfully lingered until the fall of 1881, when he secured a
clerkship on the Ashland Wharfboat, in which position he remained until the
spring of 1886, when the boat was sold and changed hands.  He at once
applied for an appointment as Postmaster at Ashland, for which position he
received much the strongest endorsement of any of the applicants.  On the
5th day of July following he was made the unanimous nominee of the
Democratic party for clerk of Boyd County, to which position he was elected
in the following August.  The short speech he made in accepting the
nomination for county clerk is said to have aroused more enthusiasm and
inspired his hearers with more confidence than any speech of the kind ever
made in the mountains of Kentucky.  As soon as elected he withdrew his
application for Postmaster, and an appointment of another of the applicants
was at once made.  His term as county clerk will expire in 1890.  He was so
favorable considered when a candidate for county clerk that his candidacy
was hardly made a party issue, although his opponent, the Republican
nominee, had filled the office the four years previous.  The head of the
Republican ticket carried Boyd County by about 500 of a majority, while
"Dick" succeeded in pulling through by a sufficient majority to entitle him
to the clerkship of Boyd County for four years.  Every day he is alike, let
it be a day of prosperity or adversity, he is always the same "Dick," and he
is discharging the duties of his office to the entire satisfaction of all
with whom he has business relations.  No one appreciates an act of kindness
more than the subject of this sketch, and he has never shown a disposition
to resent a wrong in a harsh manner.  He now devotes his spare time to the
study of the law, and judging from his disposition and energy we predict,
without fear of contradiction, that he will make a success of life and be a
useful man. 

Poage 
=
VA PA 

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/boyd/poage.jh.txt