JOHN B. CLIFTON

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 366
Raleigh

JOHN B. CLIFTON. One of the youngest coal operators
in Raleigh County, John B. Clifton as a boy took up rail-
roading, spent several years in growing responsibilities in
the railroad service, and had the expert qualifications as a
traffic man when he turned to the coal industry. It has
been his fortune to associate with prominent men, and
among them he is regarded as one of the coming leaders in
the coal industry of West Virginia.

Mr. Clifton was born at Ridgeway, Montgomery County,
Virginia, July 27, 1891, son of James W. and Mary K.
(Kelley) Clifton, both natives of Virginia, and his father
a farmer. He is of English ancestry. John B. Clifton
attended the common schools of Montgomery County until
he was sixteen years of age, then learned telegraphy, and
his first assignment of duty was as an operator on the Nor-
folk & Western. He served with that road from 1907
until 1910, and then became general operator for the Vir-
ginia Railway, his duties taking him all over the line.
Beginning in 1912, he acted as car distributor for the
road, but resigned in 1915 to go into the coal business on
the Stone Coal Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio. At that
time he became part owner of the Beckley Smokeless Coal
Company. He sold his interest in that organization in
1919, and since then has helped organize and has been
active as a business representative and as a member of pro-
ducing and sales companies operating in the Raleigh
County field. These include the Raleigh Smokeless Coal
Company, Guyan Collieries Company, Wilton Smokeless Coal
Company, Wood-Peck Fuel Company, Red Ash Coal Com-
pany. Mr. Clifton also has interests in South America, the
Raleigh Smokeless Fuel Company maintaining an office at
Rio Janeiro, Brazil.

In 1914, at Catlettsburg, Kentucky, he married Miss
Nellie King, daughter of Robert and Naomi King, of Beck-
ley. Their two children are John B., Jr., and Ruth. Mr.
Clifton is a Presbyterian, a member of the Masonic Lodge,
the Kiwanis Club and in politics is a democrat.