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Rh teaching in the public schools as early as 1861. In September of that year, however, imbued with that noble patriotism so prevalent at that time among the bone and sinew of the North, he enlisted as a private soldier in the ranks of Company E, First Regiment West Virginia Volunteers, serving gallantly under Generals Shields, McDowell and McClellan. He was discharged in 1863, and at once re-enlisted in Company A, One Hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, serving in the Army of the Potomac until the close of the war in 1865. From then until 1878 he followed the several occupations of farmer, student and teacher at his old home and in West Virginia. In 1878 he caught the Western fever and immigrated to Oregon and again resumed his vocation as a teacher, and from 1874 to 1875 taught in the public schools of Corvallis, and in 1875 was elected to a Chair in the State Agricultural College, where he remained until elected to his present responsible position. While occupying a Chair in the Agricultural College he was three times elected Superintendent of Schools in Benton county, in the discharge of the duties of which office he gave universal satisfaction. He was married in 1869 to Miss Agnes C. McFadden, and their family at present consists of four children. He is an honored member of the A. O. U. W. and the I. O. O. F., and has been for a number of years a member of the Christian Church. Prof. McElroy lays no claims to good looks, although he is not homely by any means. He is very tall and slim and has prominent features, his face being smooth-shaved, with the exception of a short mustache, which, with his hair, is already liberally silvered with gray. His forehead is expansive. As a man and neighbor he is very highly spoken of by those who have known him longest. He, with his family, has recently moved to Salem, where he will hereafter make his home, and where he has already made a host of friends by his courteous and affable treatment of those with whom he has come in contact, and we bespeak for him a successful career as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He is a true-blue Republican and takes a great interest in the success of that party.

United States Senator elect, was born at what was then called Dolphsburg, in Tompkins county, in the State of New York, on the 19th day of October, 1835. After arriving at the age of eighteen years, he taught school a portion of each year while acquiring an education and his profession. He studied law with Hon. Jeremiah McGuire, at Havana, New York, and was admitted to the bar at the general term of the Supreme Court of that State, held at Binghampton in November, 1861. He practiced his profession in Schuyler county. New York, during the winter of 1861-2, and in May, 1862, enlisted in Captain M. Crawford's company, known as the Oregon escort, raised under an act of Congress for the purpose of protecting the immigration of that year to this coast against hostile Indians, crossing the plains as orderly sergeant of the company,— on the way losing all his clothing except the suit worn by him, together with every dollar of money with which be set out,—he arrived in Portland on the 318t day of October, 1862, with