Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-11-28
IFr.m t Daily Wing and Ceurier.l
BiographicalNotice of Col. John Black


ing been born in London, July 3. 1871. A,
an early age he was employed as clerk in
the banking house of HoPE Il Co, enc OF
whose members was interested as part owner
in the Bingham Lands, so called, in this
State. In lTqS, the late GIN. COBB OF
Gouldshorough, in Hancock County, and
JoHS RIouARDS, Esq, of Boston, were ap-
pointed hy this house the AGENTS and Attor-
mics in this country to supcrintend the sale
and settlement Of these lands. Such was
the confidence reposed i'll Young Black. that,
though scarcely seventeen years Old, he was
selected as Il clerk to accompany Mr.. Rich
ard (thcn in London) to Gouldsboro'. lie
! remained there until 1909, when he removed
to Ellsworth.
! Upon the death of Gen Cobb. Col. Black
was appointed in his place: and after Mr..
/ Richards deccase in 1894, he became, we
! believe. the sole agent and attorney OF the
Bingham Land Proprietary.
! Col. Black was twice married. His first
wife was daughter. and his second wife.
/ now living. ii granddaughter Of ten. Cobb.
/ By his first marriage his children We're six
sons and two daughters, all OF whom are
now living, and. excepting one daughter. re
I side in Ellsworth.
For nearly sixty years Col. Black was ilen-
/ tilted with the management. Of the Bingham
lands, in this State: and for more than half
of that time was sole agent and Attorney
/ for this purpose. In the leasing OF these
! lands for numbering operatinns,-in the sale
of portions to actual settlers upon thcm.-in
opening and building the great roads, known
50 long and 50 iavorahly by his name. through
naay of the townships in his eharge,-in
encouraging aud promoting by various ways
a settlement upon them. and in diSposing OF
j the millions ot acres under.his supervision.
at prices which. while remunerating to the
! Proprietary, wera not exorlitant to the adj
yentur5Es purchaser; in all This, the policy
of Col. g. was on1 Of marked li5arality with
out waywarlncsS: bat with judgement ever
eonsiaeruts. uniform, Just and delicate, he
met the multifari9us and conflicting interests
! Of communities and individuals: while high
or low, rich Or poor. were sure to tind IN him
Il patient and heedful listener to the story of
their misforsunes and disappointments.
/ And not lcss satisfactory. were his labors
and successes. u the honorable constituency
which Col. g. for 50 Tonga period represented.
Repeated and unnlistakeable have been the
testin onials in this behalf Within almost
the very last hour Of his life. as it Were. he
received the most delicate tokens from some
of the leading and distinguished heirs Of the
Old Estate. of their high appreciation of his
long and faithful services and OF their aosire
that he should be remunerdted BEYOND the
always modest expectations OF their long
/ tried and Trustworthy az MT
Bat nos alone in this scRi-pul,iie caarac-
! ter do we accord to Col Black a high degree
i of integrity and usefulness In all the pri-
yate business relations of his life, his charAc-
ter is unimpaached His accrmnlatious Of
wealth came through Legitimate and honora-
/ bic channels of honest enterprise and indus
+ try. The greed of ayarce never stained his
hands or polluted his heart NJ man could
saw to him vou have done me an intentional
wrong. NJ man could meet him more than
/ half way in the adjustment Of any difficulty
/ between then-nav he has forgiven and for
gotten. what by many manly many a
prjfassad christian eYeii-would have been
carried bayand the rrave.
About t,ven Years since Cd. Black met
with = sever. misfortune in the loss of his
sirht Accidentally discovering that one OF
i his cy..s had become 50 diseased hv a cataract
that its sirllt was COMPLETELY DESTROYED. lie
consulted eminent oealists, who d,aminn the
on,ratjoa safe. and success more than hope
fillv sure. undertook t. remove it. For Il
few DAYS after the operation there was every
aucary Of success: bat unfortunately IL syn.
pathetic inaamati,n attacked the other eve
and DESPITE the hest exerti5ns, tn sight Oh
botl, WIS lost, We have heard Col b. with
the most SINGULAR calmness and Christian for
tituae relata the incident by which he dis
covered his oriyinal loss of sirht. and describ,
The s,,f.ar,nnnt onar,tipn and its fatal result
To he thus suddenly cut of from the social
no,ycr and nriyile.;es which he had cniovcd
far nearly thr4, scor. years and ten, must
indcr,i have been an Overwhelming bow
II was truly a calamity which those who's.
vision is still brirht and unmarried cannot
measure. But he. with his reflective. iudici
ans mind cau,,l1t hold at once of the true
rI,p .,,slf;,,n fnr irrrmadiafle affection . s.,
rene. unlgsct d resignation to all its pain,
FIJI Ills and dpnriyations.
In thn NOR priyst, and social relations o
lifs. as W II as these Of a citizen, Col. Blacl
w,,s >, true and noble man. He ALWAYS tool
a aa.n interest in the welfare of the town in
which he lived. in the advancement of il
scip,.ls in the sunnort os theninistry. an,
the cnlr;yation at The b;ebost r,,,rd far law
and order
liz lnved ,bc country of his birth and tn,
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