The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-09-19
THE NEW GOVERNOR.

louisville Courier-Journal.1
DIR. Luke p. Blackburn, inaugurated
Governor of Kentucky Tuesday last,
was born June 16, 1916, In Woodford
county, Kentucky, his father being
Edward M. Blackburn, a lawyer by
education and a large farmer and stock
breeder in the State.
DIR. Blackburn graduated in medi-
cine at Transylvania University, and
began the practice of his profession at
Lexington, and married Miss Ella
Guest Boswell, daughter of DIR. Joseph
Boswell, of that place. In 1885 he
devoted himself assiduously to the
care of the sick during the cholera
epidemic at Lexington, and showed
the same self-sacrificing devotion to
suffering humanity which distinguish
ed him in after life, receiving no pe-
cuniary reward therefor. He then
moved to Versailles and engaged in u
lucrative practice. In 1S4S he was
elected to the Legislature, and in 1S4s
he removed to Natchez, Mississippi,
influence. In 1S4S yellow fever ap.
peared at New Orleans, and in his ca
pacity of Health Officer at Natchez he
established an effective quarantine.
During that period he established, at
his own expense, the first marine hos
pital for the benefit of the poor and
sick rivermen, and this enterprise led
to the passage of q bill by Congress
establishing marine hospital at
Natchez, thus inaugurating the great
and beneHcient marine hospital sys-
tenn of the country. DIR. Blackburn
was appointed surgeon of the new hos
pital, and held the position with dis
tinguished honor for some years. In
| 1Qkl a SoSyn1 Nofnhno
low fever, by establishing rigid quar-
antine, and subsequently, through his
personal efforts, succeeded in having
the present quarantine established be-
low New Orleans. In 1866 DIR. Black
burns wife died, and in 1867, while
travelling in Europe, he met Miss Julia
M. Churchill, of Kentucky, to whom
he was married in that year. Upon
his return to the United States he To-
Gated at New Orleans and built up n
large practice.
Upon the breaking out of the civil
war he was attached, as Surgeon, to
the personal staff of General Sterling
Price, and the Legislature of Missis-
sippi put 1000 into his hands to be
used for the benefit of the suffering
soldiers of the State. Governor Pettis
then commissioned him to go to the
borders to superintend the furnishing
of supplies by blockade runners, and
he went to Canada to perform the
duties of his office. In 1864, at the re-
quest of the Governor General of Cam
ada, he went to the Bermuda Islands
to look after the suffering citizens and
sailors. His services there were re-
cognized in the most fattcring manner
by the Canadian authorities and by
the British Admiralty Court.
! In 1867 DIR. Blackburn returned to
the United States and engaged in the
business of planting in Arkansas, and
in 1873 he returned to Kentucky,
where he has since resided. In 1875,
when Memphis was severely afflicted
with yellow fever he promptly re-
paired thithcr and remained actively
engaged with the sick during the
whole epidemic. In 1877 he performed
the same humane mission at Fernan-
dina, Florida. Last year, when the
yellow fever was raging at Hickman,
DIR. Black burn again went to the front
there and elsewhere, devoting himself,
as usual, to the cause of humanity.
His valuable and unselfish services
were heartily appreciated by his fellow
citizens, and at the Democratic conven-
ton at Louisville in May, 1879, he
received the nomination for Governor
by acclamation, and was elected at the
August election by majority of 43,917.
Most of us, when we were good little
boys and girls, used to pray in this
fashion: