Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-30
Judge Blacks FIRST appointment.

Hon, Alexander Thompson presided
IS Judge of the Sixteenth Judicial Dis
trict Of Pennsylvania composed of the
counties of Franklin. Bedford and Som
erset) from the 25th of June. 1927, to
March, 1912. He was q lust man and
q good Judge, but toward the close of
his public life he encountered some
position. A prominent lawyer of
ing candidate for the office, and soon
a warm contest arose, in which the lead
ing lawyers and citizens in the district
took part. David r. Porter was then in
the Executive chair. There was scarcely
a lawyer in the district who did not
visit the Governor to discuss the merits
OF the candidates. Early in the year
1912 a gentleman from Somerset called
to oppose OF to support me of the candi-
dates-l cannot remember whom--and
in his conversation produced q letter
and read FROM it a paragraph. The
Governor asked to have the whole letter
read, which was done. 1t discussed
the points Of difference between the two
candidates. The Governor asked to be
allowed to read the letter for himself,
which was done.
''Black," he said; 81. S. Black?
Whose son is he2:"
The visitor here mentioned the name
of Mr.. Blacks father.
GOVERNOR remember him. / sat
with him in the Internal Improvement
Convention of 1925, and he certainly
was a most intelligent gentleman. But
what a you tell me about the son?
Visitor-Well, he is young lawyer
with some practice. He sits in his
office, walks up and down town, sits on
the dry-goods boxes on the corner,
makes some political speeches, and
quotes Shakespeare.
Governor-Shakespeare! Shakespeare
on the top of the Allegheny Mountains,
What can he know about Shakespeare?
Visitor-Well, l believe he can repeat
any play Shakespeare ever wrote.
Governor-What else does he do?
Visitor-He breaches.
Governor-Preaches!. What does he
preach about?
Visitor-He breaches as all the rest
of the preachers do. and I can tell you
he can get up in the Court House on
Sunday morning and preach and pray
lbout as well as any Of them.
Governor-Well, so much for the
Gospel-what about the law? Does he
do much in that way?
Visitor-Yes; and there are some peo-
pie who think he Is a very good young
lawyer.
Governor-How does he figure in
court?
Visitor-He is rather awkward and
hesitates some. He often amuses us
very much, but 1 don't think he will
ever make much of q speaker.
The visitor left, and the Governor,
after a long pause, said to his
sis: II did not believe there was a man
in Somerset County who could write
such a letter as that. Here is a man
who has read Shakespeare and, no
doubt, the Bible, or he could not preach
much, and he pours out his thoughts in
such English as amazes me. He evil
IDENTIFY knows what a Judge ought to be.
I must inquire further about that young
man." As visitors called, inquiries
were occasionally made about Mr..
Black, and the answers were all salts
factory as to his character, moral and
professional. OF course, advocates of
his appointment soon sprang up. On
the 30th of March, 1912, to the astonish-
lnent of many of the friends of the
other candidates, a commission as Presi-
dent Judge was issued to MI. Black.
1t is said that Judge Black was as
founded when he saw it, asked whether
the Governor had taken leave of his
senses, protested his unwillingness to
accept the office, and generally helped
to set the town of Somerset in an up
roar. He did accept the Office, how
ever, and in q few months established
his entire competency to perform his
duties, and rose high in the estimation
of men Of all parties.-Judge Porter, in
Philadelphia Press.