My Genealogy Hound

Arthur W. Shirey, a prominent merchant of Ashland Township, comes from an old South Carolinian family, but is of German descent. He was born in Lexington County, S. C., on the 13th of May, 1835, and is a son of Enoch and Martha (Sandford) Shirey, who, a few years after their marriage, moved to the State of Georgia, and from there to Alabama, where they settled on a farm, and proceeded to make their future home. The father died September 6, 1866, while visiting his son, A. W. Shirey, in Texas, giving the family a blow from which they did not recover for some years. A. W. Shirey remained with his father until he had attained his manhood, and then moved to Texas, where he located in Smith County, and afterward in Angelina County. In 1862 he enlisted in the Thirteenth Texas Cavalry, as a private, but his valiant services for the cause of the Confederacy soon won for him the rank of orderly sergeant, in which capacity he remained until the company disbanded at Hempstead, Texas. He fought at the battles of Mansfield (La.), Pleasant Hill (La.), and Jenkins’ Ferry (Ark.), besides a great number of others equally as noted. After the war he returned to his Texas home, where he was occupied in farming for one year, and in 1867 moved to Arkansas, and located at Jonesboro. In the latter place he was engaged in business for eighteen months, and in the fall of 1868 settled on Black River, in Lawrence County, where he transacted business for a period of four and one-half years. His next venture was at Minturn, but he sold out his interest at that place, and began farming nearby. This he continued four years, then returning to Minturn, and forming a partnership, under the name of Shirey & Henry, for the sale of general merchandise. After a period of one year and a half Mr. Henry withdrew from the business, which Mr. Shirey continued on his own account, and he now does a business of about $30,000 annually, besides handling cotton to a considerable extent. He carries a large and fine stock of dry goods, groceries, queensware and general supplies, and has built up a prosperous trade. He is deemed to be one of the shrewdest business men in that section, and no man in business in Lawrence County has a better reputation for fair dealing and honest goods. Mr. Shirey first commenced on almost nothing, but, by his own good management and legitimate methods of doing business, has accumulated a comfortable fortune. He owns some 4,000 acres of land in this county, on ten different tracts, of which 1,300 acres are cleared and under cultivation. Once before he had been on the road to prosperity, but lost all he possessed while coming from Jonesboro to Lawrence County, on the Black River, in 1868. The boat upon which all of his savings and goods had been freighted sunk at Bird’s Point, and he was again forced to start in life without a dollar. His wonderful energy and tact have once more placed him upon a solid basis, and now, besides his 4,000 acres of land and large business, he owns considerable other personal property, and is considered to be one of the bulwarks of commercial life in Lawrence County. Mr. Shirey has been a Spiritualist in religious faith for the past fifteen years, and for some three years he has been a magnetic healer. He delights in treating patients after medicine has failed to cure, and many have been restored to health and strength through his aid. People who are poor and destitute receive the benefits of his healing powers gratis.