Biography of William H. Ruby - Raleigh Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 549 WILLIAM H. RUBY, vice president and general manager of the Trace Fork Coal Company, on the Virginian Railroad, one mile west of Mullens, general manager of the Wilton Smokeless Coal Company, and president of the Spencer Fork Coal Company on Piney branch of the same road, is one of the well known figures in coal mining circles of Wyoming County. He has been identified with one branch or another of this industry since boyhood, and his advancement there- in has been gained through sheer merit and not because of any fortuitous chance or lucky circumstance. Mr. Ruby was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, July 19, 1887, and is a son of William Frederick and Minnie (Gilcher) Ruby, natives of Germany. William Frederick Ruby was only twelve years of age when he made the journey to America alone to join four brothers and a sister, who had preceded him to Cincinnati. For a period of thirty-six years he was identified with the Fleischman Yeast Company, and during a large part of this time was a foreman and one of the company's most trusted employes. He retired two years prior to his death, which occurred in 1921, at Cin- cinnati, when he was sixty-three years of age. He was a faithful member of the Lutheran Church, to which also belongs his wife, who was three years of age when brought by her parents to the United States, and who is now a resident of Cincinnati, aged sixty years. Mr. and Mrs. Ruby were the parents of two sons: Walter W., sales man- ager for the Chesapeake & Virginian Coal Company, at Lynchburg, Virginia; and William H. William H. Ruby went to the public schools of Cincinnati and as a boy displayed unusual industry and ambition. As soon as allowed he secured employment, but after working at unskilled labor for several years came to the conclusion that he should be better prepared for his struggle with competition in the business world, and accordingly pursued a course in general mechanics at the Ohio Mechanical In- stitute, which he finished at the age of eighteen years. In 1907 he came to Prince, West Virginia, in the capacity of rodman for the New River Collieries Company, and at the end of two years had advanced to assistant in the engineer- ing department. He then became assistant engineer of the Gulf Smokeless Coal Company at Tams, Raleigh County, a concern with which he remained for seven years, at the end of which time he was superintendent of the Hotcoal Mine, a Gulf Smokeless property. Subsequently for one and one- half years Mr. Ruby was general superintendent of the Iro- quois Coal Mining Company, and in 1917, with others, pur- chased the Trace Fork Mine, of which he has since been vice president and general manager. During the five years that he has been in charge there have been made numerous improvements, including a new tipple, new houses, a new water system and steel mine cars. Mr. Ruby's official asso- ciates in this company are H. E. Tribou, president of Tams; and R. F. Wildey, secretary-treasurer, of Tracoal. In April, 1920, Mr. Ruby became one of the organizers of the Wilton Smokeless Coal Company, of which he is general manager, his associates being: J. B. Clifton, of Beckley, president; C. H. Meador, Beckley, vice president; and H. R. Tribou, Tams, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Ruby is a thoroughly informed coal man, having worked his way up through the various branches and learning the details of all during his upward climb. He has the full confidence of his associates and the friendship and loyalty of his men. He is a republi- can in his political affiliation, and his religious connection is with the Lutheran Church, and as a fraternalist he belongs to the Blue Lodge of Masonry at Tams, of which he is a past master, and the Mystic Shrine at Charleston. In June, 1913, Mr. Ruby married Miss Anna Mae Woldey, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and to this union there have been born two children: William H., Jr., and Jack W. Submitted by Valerie F. Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************