>From Cumberland Alleganian, Thursday, August 13, 1903 PRINTER FOR 65 YEARS - Interesting History of a West Virginian The visit of Mr. T.F. COMBS, of Hamilton, Tucker County, WVa, to Morgantown recalls a little interesting history in regard to one of the most interesting, remarkable compositors that ever set type on a newspaper in this state, says the Morgantown New Dominion. This interesting character was Mr. John J. COMBS, the father of T.F. COMBS. He was a compositor on the old South Branch Intelligencer from the time it was founded in 1830, till it was sold by the widow of the original proprietor, Mrs. Sallie HARPER, about 1895, except during the four years of the war between the states, during which he conducted a paper of his own, the Argus, at Romney, WVa. Mr. COMBS resumed his place on the Intelligencer after the war, and set type at the same window in the building where he had worked before. He worked at the case by this window for 60 years, and is said to have run the primitive Washington hand press on which the Intelligencer was printed till his shoes had worn a hole in the floor where he stood in operating it. He set type without wearing glasses when he was 83 years old. At the age of 14 years he was apprenticed to the trade. He made it his life work. This remarkable printer had the honor of working on the second oldest paper in the state, the South Branch Intelligencer. The Virginia Free Press, the "Old Family Journal" being its only senior. He was the father of J.A. COMBS, editor of the Piedmont Independent, who so marvelously recovered from terrible injuries received in a railroad accident. The last named Mr. COMBS edits and manages his paper with both limbs more than half gone and one arm cut off. His father died at Romney about two years ago. Mr. T.F. COMBS, now visiting here at the home of Mr. Ways, has worked at the case and also as a reporter. He was for a time conected with one of the dailies at Cumberland, Maryland. For a few years past he has not been engaged in newspaper work. Matt Matt_Combs@juno.com http://members.xoom.com/GenHosting/index.html