Logan County, West Virginia Biography of Edmund A. STARLING ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 77-78 EDMUND A. STARLING. The experience and viewpoint of the practical miner belong to Edmund A. Starling, though his apprenticeship in the humbler roles was remarkably short. For a number of years he has been one of the very efficient mine superintendents in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Mr. Starling is now general superintendent of the Guyan Mining Company at Wilburn in Logan County. He has charge of the operations in four seams, the two upper seams being mines No. one and two of the Island Creek, and the lower seams No. one and two of the Eagle mines. These mines are situated on the west bank of the Guyandotte River, and 500 feet of belting conveys the coal over the river to the tipple. The average output of the mines is 1000 tons daily, but the capacity is 3000 tons. Mr. Starling took charge of these mines in April, 1921. He was born at Louisville, Kentucky, September 11, 1887, son of Judge Edmond A., Sr., and Mariam (Gallagher) Starling. His father was a native of Hockinsville, Ken- tucky, and his mother of Louisville. E. A. Starling, Sr., who died in 1912, at the age of fifty-two, was a coal operator at Pineville in Bell County, Kentucky, and built the first coke oven there. He was a pioneer in the coal production of Eastern Kentucky, moving to Pineville from Louisville. He served as county judge of Bell County, and was active in politics both there and in Louisville, being a republican. He was vice president of the Mingo Coal and Coke Company at Middlesboro, Kentucky. He was a member of the Episco- pal Church and a Mason and Elk. Mrs. E. A. Starling is an unusually able business woman, and has given particular evidence of that ability since the death of her husband. She owns a chain of eighteen dairy lunch rooms in Pitts- burgh. Besides her son Edmund A. there is a daughter, Shirley, wife of Carl A. Simmon, who is chief engineer for the Westinghouse Company of Pittsburgh. Edmund A. Starling acquired a high school education at Louisville, and took special work in civil and mining engin- eering at Saint Mary's College at Saint Mary's, Kentucky. At the age of eighteen he left school to go to work in the mines of Eastern Kentucky, at Yellow Creek in Bell County. His first work was greasing cars at fifty cents a day, and he worked as trapper boy for seventy-five cents a day. He drove mules in the mines, worked on the tipple, loaded coal, operated machinery and motors, and in the course of a few years had graduated into the responsibilities of mine super- intendent and mine owner. During the World war he owned and operated mines in Bell County and subsequently became manager of the Elkhorn Coal Corporation's proper- ties at Fleming in Letcher County. From there he came to West Virginia. While in Kentucky he opened the mines of the Wisconsin Steel Company at Benham in Harlan County. Mr. Starling married Miss Lula Shisler, daughter of Judge Lenoard Shisler, of Pineville, Kentucky. They were married in 1912. Mrs. Starling is a Methodist, while Mr. Starling is a member of the Episcopal Church and is affili- ated with the Elks Lodge. He is an independent in politics.