The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-09-14

! DIUTTdD0ICaI Sketcn OF our
uugushed and respected townsman, Y. L.
Johnston, Esq, the eighteenth on the list of
prominent democrats thus far presented by that
excellent Journal. We cannot of course give
the portrait, which consider very good
likeness of our toWnsman con n bust - as the
witty MacShane would say, but we here ap
pend the brief SIX etch OF his life published there
with knowing do that our patrons could
not read about better, mere genial or warm
er hearted gentleman than the subject of the
sketch in question, whom all know and re
spect for his gentle disposition, his generous
nature aud his irrepressible wit:
Robert Upton Johnston, who is at present a
member of the Denocratfe State Executive
Committee, is one of the hardy mountGineers
of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, and prom
1nent member OF the Ebensburg bar-a bar
long noted for legal acumen and brilliancy OF
wat. Ot TINS bar Mr. ohnston has been a lead
ing member for nearly quarter of century,
County He was born at old H1ntinsd0n
Furnace, huntingdon County, Pennsylvania,
scent, his father having been native of the
north of Ireland, and his motheri though
The difficulties encountered in acquiring an
education half a century ago, in the mountain
PRODUCTION OF either canals or railroads, can
/ scarcely be realized in this age of progress.
/ teacher whose knowledge did not extend be
yond the rule OF three" or ''tare and tret,"
/ al advantages accessible to Mr.. Johnston in
! his edIiu youth: but he had a grasping mind
! even when boy. He was naturally bright,
! endowed bv nature with fine Derccptiye or,
/ gans and retentive memory He devourcd
/ books eagerly expanding his mind by exten-
| siAe and diversified reading, more especially
! after having met with an accident which de-
prived him of the of his right leg from the
( knee down. Prior to this, from his twelfth
! year forward, he labored with his elder broth
/ ers and father in chopping cord wood" for
/ the Etna Iron Works; owned at that time by
| II. s. Spang, and situated in Canoe Valley;
] then Huntingdon county, now Blair. After
! he had recovered from his injury, as, far
might be, he for a time taught school in the
! a.. H.
! cnsburg, Cambria county, where he studied
| Esq, and was admitted to the bar in 1871. The
! following year he was married to Miss Eveline
! Rodrigue, daughter of the late Andrew Rod
| rigue, Esq, of Philadelphia, and settled in
| Ebensburg in the practice of his profession.
| In the memorable logcab1n and hard-cider
campaign OF 1910. he began to display his pow
ers on the stump in behalf of the old Whig
! party.
! In 1916 so popular had he become, that, not
| withstanding the county was largely Demo
Whig ticket, and in 1881 he was elected Pro
thonotary on the same ticket. Up to 1854 NIr
Johnston was q w Whig-what WIS called an
| ''old line Whig,n and was the warm r.cysonal
friend of Henry Clay, but when his party be-
! came submerged in KNOWN othin ii m he fell
| into line with the Democrats. and has ever
| since done yeoman service with both tongue
and pen for the advancement of Democratic
! principles. On several occasions he has been
| the choice of his County for positions of
GmOlumcnt and honor, and TWO of them
ran the gauntlet in his district for Congress
once against \; A. Barker: and once against
was at that t1u:e too great for him to over
I
/ He has also been more or less connected with
the press OF his county, both as proprietor and
ed!tor-ln-ch-ef and, during spirited cam
He is q decided flvorite with the people of
Cambria County, being respected for his nril-
zens by his goodness of heart. In his profes-
sion, he holds a high position. We believe we
might say; without being considered lnNldi-
Gus or dcsirous of derogating from the fame
of his cotemporaries of the Ebensburg bar,
that he stands at its head. This, the calibre of
the EbensburS bar considered, Is as high IA
compliment as we could pay him; but we be-
Heye the records OF the supreme and United
States Courts will bear Us out in the assump-
Joseph viii, in the Circuit Court of the Uni
ted States, Mr.. Johnston, counsel for de
States, Us. Hess in the same Court; and estab
lished the doctrine, afterwards followed by
the Court, that an indictment did not lie for
March 3d. 1868. The Circuit Judge, McCand-
| less, with whom Judge Grier of the Supreme
Court concurrcd paid a marked compliment
to Mr. Johnston, in his opinion. See Phila.
For many years he has figured conspicuous
, ly in the leading cases OF his own and the adj
although his County has been singularly free
from crime he has taken prominent rank
Marbourg murder case. and by his powerful
and eloquent exposition of the aggravating
ed n verdict in the second degree, and which,
! doubtless, led to prompt pardon OF the cul-
Mr. Johnston is a conscientious christian
gentleman fair in all his dealings upright
sym pathetic nature, with not sufficient of the
J money grip to counter-balance his benevo-
lent heart. An open heart and an open hand,
like rol ing stone, gather no moss; but the
ground over which they have passed will bear
them in grateful remembrance, and even the
t humblcst of earths flowers, brushed aside or
, gently crushed in contact with them. will rear
its modest head, and smile n ''God speed
> after them. The Latin motto, ''SduUtter ia
n0d0, fortuer in re- Gentle in the manner, but
vigorous in the deed,) expresses exactly the
idea we would convey of Mr.. Johnston's char
| and nUhl v 1 al a
ant duty, with the most delicate sense of dis
Qualities of heart and head the happy facui
ty of appreciating the good which falls to his
& Io.i "lto1I TN or t over tt n
what is, and is bouyant with the thought oi
6pe s or 1s in no true stvs h best OF
Z the present. and leaving the future to take
care of itself.
b THE success of the Central Insurance Com
: pany of Altoona, as shown by the Company
r Statement for July 1st, proves that skill and
, ability the prominent elements of success
in the insurance business. The Central, under
c the efficient management of Messrs. Kerr &
8 CO., is already regarded as one of the safest
fnR n bnsne in 1 PennTvana G o We e eo9
tidently recommend the Central to those of our
readers who may desire inSJtr0ffces theiI
t properties. Besides being as safe any other
I: company, the people of this county have the
A chance of knowing, at least learning the per-
sOna standing of the directors, which ought tC
have a great deal to do with deciding in what
:. Foreign Exchange and Shipping are also
among the SpeciaitieS OF this reliable firm, and
= passage tickets to and from all points in the
world can be obtained from them at regular
; rates.
: HICKEY's FURNITURE wARERoOMs.-
John Hickey, Undertaken, on Julian street
o Fourth Ward, Altoona. is prepared to supply
e Metallic Burial Cases of all sizes and patterns
and on reasonable terms.
Hair and Straw Mattresses manufactured tC
order at less than city prices.
q Cane seat chairs re-caned and fitted up as
: good new.
4 Mr.. Hickey keeps constantly on hand large
stock of new and fashionable furniture, and
those who require anything in his line should
Y give him a call. Every article sent from his
rooms viii be warranted as represented.
All orders from a distance promptly attended
| to. Gjul.
a WITH a bang and a clang the school bell j: