GEORGE TAYLOR ARGABRITE
George Taylor Argabrite, son of Phares G. Argabrite, was born in Greenbrier county, February 28, 1850. His youth was spent on the ancestral farm, which lies near Cline's Bridge, in Bhie Sulphur district, where he lived with his widowed mother and his brothers, John Riley and Jacob L. He came of sturdy, virile and brainy stock. In his veins courses the blood of Argabrites, Jarretts, Hockmans and Gwinns. In 1869 he went to Missouri and was brought in contact with the spirit of the West. When he returned from the West he attended Roanoke College and the West Virginia University. In 1871 he went into the newspaper business as a partner with B. F. Harlow, and they published the Greenbrier Independent for many years until in 1880, B. F. Harlow sold his interest to Thomas H. Deimis and the newspaper and publishing business was conducted by Dennis and Argabrite until 1910, when Mr. Argabrite sold his interest to his partner and went to live on his farm, about our mile west of the court house.
During the time Mr. Argabrite was engaged as joint editor and publisher of the Independent, his community, together with the entire State and country, went through great changes. Railroads, telephones, phonographs and automobiles, aeroplanes, wireless telegraphy, new methods of reducing metals, the replacing of wood by iron and steel and concrete, the introduction of machinery on the farm and many other new things came on the stage, and into common use. The patriotic situation in his State and the country changed and varied. New ideas, new philosophies, new legislation came on the scene and were adopted or rejected as the growth of the people required. His natural sense and strong mentality served to steer him safe through all these trying times. He was never carried away with "Issues," yet at the same time his mind stayed young and was always open to listen to new ideas and he had a fine factulty of distinguishing the truth from error. His newspaper established a reputation for sound morality and political stability that made it a power for good. He understood his business thoroughly, could set type, write leaders, manage the financial end and do anything needed to make a good, readable sheet, and made the business prosperous. His affiliation was with the Democratic party and he was ever staunch in his allegiance to the principles of that party as he saw them, but was never an unreasoning partisan and often by word and pen pointed out rocks ahead.
In 1880 he married Mollie M. Miller, a daughter of William G. Miller. To this union three children were born, William Graeme, George Phares and Rose Miller. Since 1910 he has lived on his farm, which is of great fertility, near the town of Lewisburg. Wherever a public question arose, he has been heard from, and, in my humble opinion, he has seen a light many of his neighbors did mot see. He believes in making this world a better place for men and women to live in. He realizes we must live for our children and has backed by earnest effort every step to advance with the growth of the world. He has a vast fund of useful knowledge, well digested.
History of Greenbrier County
J. R. Cole
Lewisburg, WV 1917
p. 291-293
https://www.wvgenweb.org/greenbrier/bios/bios-a.htm
