The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-05

THE SEMI-WEI
Judge Blaok's Youth.
Jerry Black, - he Wa familiarity
known even ct an early age, did not
have the best educational opportunities
0btainabls even in those primitive times.
He received bis first mind training in
the schools ybout his own home, but he
completed bis studies at private acad-
envy in Fayette county. He laid, how
ever, In school houses, only . lneagre
foundation for the great store Of know
ledge he has accumulated. He studied
the classics and read great authors by
in the grey Of the morning, aud then
spent the hours Of toll recalling and re-
peating what he lad read. During the
eighteen months which he spent upon
the farm attrr leaving school, and prior
to the beginning Of study Of law, he
translated into English verse nearly all
the classics. His marvellous power for
retaining what he had read was thus
early gained. FIOm the day he left
school he applied himself more assidu-
Ously to the accumulation Of practical
knowledge than while under teachers
direction, ami even when hOnOrs were
highest and great duties thickest he al
ways gave q few hours each day to read
ing current literature. He Is, therefore,
q great master of Information he can use
and make useful to others than almost
any other man in America.
His early life at school and on the farm
was full of hartlshlps. His aggressive
nature and the difference between his
tastes and ambitions aud those Of the
boys with whom he was surrounded
often brought him conflicts, and the &C.
we're hattie Of life began early and has
never ceased. His form and features
seem to have been moulded to express
only the great force of his nature, and
therefore 10th his mind and body were
almost constant menace to his ass0ct-
ates. a good story Is told Of him. which
nicely illustrates this fact.
When about fourteen years old he
was attending school ut Somerset dur
ing the winter. He boarded at the
country hotel kept by Captain Webster,
Revolutionary officer, and then. con-
sez,uently, man of great Importance.
His wife took great fancy to and con-
sequently solid lnotherly interest In
the boy. Sitting together one winters
evening, she was knitting industriollsly
and Black was studying his lessons up
on the opposite side Of the spacious fire
place. He finally looked up from his
look to find that she had stopped knit
ting and was gazing at him intently,
with an earnest look of inquiry upon
her countenance. Both looked each
other su,larely in the face for moment
when she drew the nce:ile from her
work. and t.,rusting 1t hack again with
. sort of dissatisfied air, said rather n
gretfully:
GERRY, you may some day be very
good and smart man. hope you will.
But bless my soul, boy, you will never
be handsome" ..
The good. honest housewives prcdic-
lions were verified, for good looks have
| never been counted as one Of Judge
Blacks attractions. The ungainly hoy
| in whose face the ]andlady tried to find
one handsome line, grew to lie man of
powerful frame, lOut neither form nor
| feature gave a relentfng sign of attrac-
tiveness. His personal appearance ad.
vel tised his intellectual and physical
force only.
The good people among whom he was
reared, who looked upon btN'ks and
learning ~ luxury, and patient, con-
tented industry as the greatest OF v'r-
tues, did not regard young Black 3
thirst for knowledge with favor. They
thought he spent time over ms BOOKS
that had better been spent ut toll. His
l,oyhtnxi companions echoed the talk q!
the elder folks about his q plr'tlOns. ana
one incident which he often tells serve.
tn show the drift Of thought about Jerry
I \ AZ. R.,k,> s,,f tin, 1NlsAlsn here
he was reared. A..
He was one day riding along the
country road toward u neighiMrs house
With a ls,mDmniOn a yesr or more Older
than himself. He had just returned
frnu the winters school ut Somerset
and was in the coming fall tD realize ll''
hearts .lesire-tO be sent away to an III
stitutiOn wher.. there. were greater OPP
mrtunitics for learning the hl:.htl
h,auches of an English education i!.'n
about home.
81 an, gUin:. away to school tor tW'
wears. - said young Black to- his com
;mnion ~ they rode. along. The boy
cooked ut him IN establishment, for III
had always held the speaker 10 II" {;
prodigy. and was wont to say when t''t
country lads asked information abo'i'
anything:
TASK Jerry Black; he knows every
thing >,
"Why, amt you learnt through yet.
lie inquired when he recovered from ~
nstonisl, ncnt thai Black was going u
waste more time over ms books.
"Why, no, l'vc hardly begun VIA
the reply.
The hoy cast sort Of hal!-pityin:
glance at Black and said: Jerry, /! y"'
don't stop this bOOi. nonsense soo'
, You'll I've u lawyer yet. ~. Il. bur- d"
iH;il. II'cs*.
Eciipses Of 1882
In tine year ISIS: there will be tw
ECLIPSE, Of the sun, no eclipse vt tn
moon. and II transit Of Venus over I'll