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BON. RUFUS A. AYRES, THE CANDIDATE FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Rufus A. Ayres, of Scott, was born in Bedford county, in this State, May 20, 1848. When five years of age his father removed to Goodson, Washington county, and three years thereafter died, leaving a widow and six children with very limited means. Though very young, the subject of this sketch contributed by his labor the support of the family until after th war commenced. He entered the military service at fifteen years or over. After the war he commenced farming and afterwards engaged in merchandising. He married Miss W. L. Morison, daughter of Colonel Henry A. Morison, of Scott county, in the year 1870. Mr. Ayres studied law in the office of Judge H. 8. K. Morison, with H. 8. Kane, one of the most distinguished lawyers in that section, as preceptor, and came to the bar in 1872, and has been in active prac tice ever since. He was elected attorney for the Commonwealth for Scott county in 1875, and prosecuted some of the most important criminal cases ever tried in Vir ginia—notably that of Dean, for murder, where he had to rely solely upon circum stantial evidence. In civil as well as criminal practice he has been engaged in many of the most im portant cases in his courts, and is now the attorney for the Virginia Coal and gon Company, Artemus, Benson Co., and the South Atlantic and Ohio Railroad Com pany, having in his charge interesting eating more than a million of dollars. Mr. Ayres has always been a Democrat, his first active participation in politics dating back to 1869, in the Walker-Wella canvass. He was appointed reading clerk of the House of Delegates in 1875, and was ap pointed by President Hayes supervisor of census for the Fifth District of Virginia, he and Dr. R. G. Cabell, Richmond, being the two Democratic appointees under the requirements of the act of Congress. Mr. Ayres was not prominent in politics during the period of re-adjustment, but always supported the regular Democratic ticket. In 1883 he was elected a member of the State Committee for the Ninth Con gressional district, and at once aided in the complete re-organization of the district, himself taking charge of the Second Sena torial district, reversing a majority of over ‘2,000 and electing C. F. Flanary to succeed Clint Wood, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant-Governor, and Flanary now holds over as ‘‘a long-term’’ Senator. Mr. Ayres was appointed a delegate to the National Convention at Chicago in 1884, and was by his delegation unani mously elected vice-President for Virginia. He was a prominent candidate before the Congressional Convention for the Ninth district last year and came very near re ceiving the nomination. He then took an active part in the canvass as chairman of the Ninth District Committee, and the re sult evidenced his splendid work. In personal appearance Mr. Ayres very strikingly resembles the Hon. John Goode, but is not so tall or so stout. He is one of the most popular public men in Southwest ern Virginia. He is a good, sound, practi cal lawyer, and, aided by his experience in the halls of legislation, will make one of the most able, upright, and effective attor neys the State has ever had. He enters the canvass in robust health; he knows the people of his section, and they know and love and trust him; he is a good talker be fore popular assemblages, is frank and courageous in the expression of his views, and is fully equipped with information con cerning the State debt and other issues of the canvals. He was put forward by the young Democracy; he was nominated as a young Democrat, and will be elected as a representative of that large body in our . In him the party will have a good Petiitate. In him the State will have a good Attorney:
Newspaper Details
Staunton Spectator
Staunton, Virginia, US
Wed, Aug 05, 1885
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Earl M.
AU 23 Jun 2026
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