John Edward Matthews (always called "Ed") had a wealth of entertaining and unusual expression, many of which he no doubt invented. He didn’t like to say anything in an ordinary way, if he could express it more colorfully. *

He was born in 1876 on either the Ohio side or the West Virginia side of the Ohio River just a few miles below Wheeling. His mother and father were married in Gallipolis, Ohio and since he was the second child, it seems he would have been born in Ohio. He was born with the name Mathews, with one "t" and remained Mathews until his older brother, Romulus Lee, added the extra "t". He always said that his older relatives and acquaintances of the family called them "Mathis" and it seems that Mathis or Mathes is the correct family name.

John Edward dropped out of school after what he always estimated as the 5^th grade. His memories of school seemed to center around the way that discipline was enforced. He was always a law-abiding citizen but he did not like to be reminded of any inadvertent slip-ups by the forces of law and order. His stated reason for dropping out of school was to help his mother and to help put his brothers through school and no doubt that was largely the truth of it. It could be though that an unjustified, in his mind, whack with a hickory stick played some part in the decision. He quit his job as superintendent for E. C. Humphrey because he was criticized for allowing his employees a day off to attend the Gallia County Fair.

He was a hard worker in his way. He could unload 100 bushels of coal and shovel it through a head high window without pausing for breath.

During his bachelor days he worked as a teamster in logging and railroad construction camps and had absorbed some of the songs, stories, and attitudes from that rough and colorful background. He has admiration for the poker players that hung around the camps. He said they always had a 38 in their hip pocket and spent all their winnings on fine clothes before they could lose it back. He also mentioned the false frontiers that ate at the boarding house and went down to the hotel, stood in front and picked their teeth with the drummers (traveling salesmen to you).

He apparently liked to travel in his younger days. He went with one brother from Charleston to Norfolk and went on a boat trip on Chesapeake Bay "out of sight o land". Someone in Richmond train station offered them a job at a "stave mill" but they decided to go back home. In later years he went to Denver with Erie Denny and some other men and bought a load of horses or mules. They traveled in a truck and slept in a tent.

He was very proud of his children and later his grandchildren. He could, and would, recite their accomplishments to anyone that showed and interest. I believe that this tended to make his children feel worthy and maybe a little self-satisfied. In this same vein, he was inclined to forgive small transgressions, such as a dent in the car, a lost corn knife, or the use of a good wrench for a hammer. He was inclined to value mental accomplishments more highly that manual labor. In general, the children were never asked to give up any scholarly or literary pursuit to help with the chores. This was one area where he and his wife were in almost full agreement.

He was admittedly soft hearted. It disturbed him to see any living thing hurt or in pain, and he was inclined to tears at sad stories, funerals and such. His children remember his crying on the day their Mother was operated on at Delaware Hospital, and they saw him turn white when he accidentally slammed a car door on a child’s finger. This true sensitivity was unusual and resulted in some inconveniences. A neighbor had to be enlisted to kill the hogs when we butchered, to do away with an old and sick dog, to castrate or ring the pigs. All in all, though, they were proud of his being that way.

Aside from his family, his primary interest in life was Horse-Trading. He said that he had owned 1200 horses between his first trade and the time of him marriage at age 35. He further said that he could recognize by sight and years later any horse that he had ever owned, and mostly he could tell you who he bought it from and how much he paid for it. Also, who he sold it to and the amount of the sale.

Aside from the horse trading, he had a genuine love for horses. He understood them, cared for them with concern and skill. He respected them as individuals, and groomed them to perfection with currycomb and brush. They were fed solid yellow corn in a clean feed box. They had bright straw for bedding and he cleaned the stables himself.

His highest compliment to a man was "His word is his bond." Woe to anyone who doubted his word and integrity.

When he was in his 70’s he suffered a light stroke in his right arm. He was taken to the doctor who recommended that he cut out smoking and cut down on his coffee drinking. When he was informed this information he said "NO" and went home and dug some postholes that afternoon, although he admitted his right warm was a little weak.

Late in life he developed a hearing problem and wore hearing aid. He never seemed to adjust to this very well, but he did get to be a pretty accomplished lip reader. He developed a quivering voice, and ended up needing reading glasses.