Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-24
THE HOME OF A STATESMAN.
Judge Blacks Beautiful Country Seat
Personal and Family Mention.
IilrIlIu.I;.


Judge Blacks home was the beautiflI
farm of "Brockie,'' on the ridge south.
west of York, lying below the Northern
Central Railroad and sloping up to the
crest of the hill. His residence. abont
half way up the hillside, is a stately mod.
ern mansion, with a tower oyerI00kinO
the valley and the town of York. away ia
the blue hills beyond and over beautiful
landscape. Here are his books and
his law library and his office-the
only one he had, except in his hat. for
years; he had no law partnership. In
front OF the house is a handsome grove of
the native forest trees and a fine large
spring, with whose waters and the pure
ambient air Judge Black ever and anon
renewed his youth and vigor. He reyeled
in ''Brockie" and was a famous farmer.
All about the buildings are choice fruit
trees ana grape vines in abundance flow
ers, vegetable gardens and all the charms
OF country life. Besides this farm he had
another over IN Maryland and the patch
work" place in Franklin county. for
merly owned by President Bu-
chanan. Agricultural pursuits were a
SUBJECT OF never-ending delight to him.
and, like the ancient wrestler, he would
throw himself to Mother Earth for new
strength. Wearied with the strife of the
courts he could so completely give him
self up to ''Brockie'sv charms that for a
month he would not even open a letter,
lest it might call him away from his farm,
The visitor who shared his hospitality of
those days could appreciate Justice Mil
lers compliment. One who caught him
just after he had read "Taine's English
Literature" has said that 1t evoked an
eNtemp0re discourse from Judge Black
on Milton and Dante which was equal to
the best efforts of the classical English
essavistS.
At the foot OF the hill over which
''Brocle's" fine fields spread themselves
is "Willow Bridges" the picturesque
home of his son. Chauncey Forward
Black, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsvl-
wanna, whose three boys-Jeremiah Sulli-
van, Chauncey Forward and John L.
DaWson-tell of distinguished ancestry
on both sides. His son Henry is practic-
ing law in Texas, his daughter Rebecca.
formerly the wife of the brilliant and
lamented James f. Skunk, now Mrs.
HOrnsby, is one of the most popular and
fascinating members of Washington
wife of Captain Clayton, of the United
States army. Mrs. Black is we'll known
In the social circles where her husband is
so courted as the embodiment of all WifelY
ana m0therly virtues. In the spring Of
1850 Judge Black, accompanied by Mrs
Black and his granddaughter. Miss Jean
Skunk paid his first and only visit to Eu-
rope, and readers of the Times will recall
the two or three charming letters to this
paper, IN which his keen and sympathetic
observation were embodied.
If any one personal characteristic of
Judge Black was more striking than
another it was his omnivOrous reading
and recollection of everything that he read
Early imbibing a taste for the English
classics, the Bible, Shakespeare and Mil
ton were at his fingers ends. He knew
them nearly all by memory, and could at
VIII quote any passage from them which
might be familiarly recalled. His knowI-
edge OF the English poets was universal,
but While he read the masters nothing
that fell in his way was ignored. At the
railway book stalls and Sfrom the train
neWsboy he purchased anything that was
put at him, and was as likely as not to
bring home yellow cOyer'' or the light
est fiction of the day. After dinner he
would stretch himself out on the red
leather-cOVered sofa in his librav.
Greece and read one of Ouida's
novels to take the taste out of his
mouth" But the Bible was to his spirit
ual nature like Brockie spring to his physi-
cal, and thence he slaked thirst that he
never allowed to parch him. Orthodox,
pure, simple Christianity, in all its holi-
ness, had no more devout worshiper in
spirit and in truth than he. There is a ie-
licitous remark attributed to him, that
when some one said in his presence that
the lines that formerly divided people in
regard to religion were falling out, he re-
pied: "1es, ana / notice that the nice
distinctions between right and wrong are
going with them" They never went from
his pure LIE and stalwart mind. Truth.
honor, uprightness, faith in God and love
of man, these were the guiding principles
OF a great intellect and noble character
through long career of private virtue
and OF public usefulness crowned by a
Christians death.