The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-08-29
WHOLE NO. 1876.

southwest OF 1OIh, lying DclOW tus
Northern Central Railroad anG
|, sloping up to the crest of the hill
, His residence, about half way uI
J the hillside, is a stately modern
mansion, with tower, overlooking
!, the valley and the town of York
away to the blue hills beyond and
over a 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 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 reveled in ''Brockie" and
was a famous farmer. All about
the buildings are choice fruit trees
and grape vines in abundance, flow
ers, vegetable gardens and all the
charms of country lif@ Besides this
farm, he had another over in Mary
land and the Patchwork" place in
Franklin county, formerly owned by
President Buchanan. Agricultural
pursuits were a subject of never end
ing delight to him, and, like the an
cient wrestler, he would throw him.
self to Mother Earth for new
strength. Wearied with the strife
of the courts, he could so completely
give himself up to "Brockie's"
charms that for month he would
not even open letter, lest it might
call him away from his farm. The
visitor who shared his hospitality in
the twilight of those days could ap-
preciate Justice Miller's compliment.
One who caught him just after he
had first read Taine's English Liter
ature has said that it evoked an ex-
tempore discourse from Judge Black
from Milton and Dante which was
equal to the best efforts of the clas-
sical English essayists.
A MASTER OF ALL LITERATURE.
If any one personal characteristic
of Judge Black was more striking
than another it was his omnivorous
reading and his recollection OF every-
thing that he read. Early imbibing
taste for the English classics, the
Bible, Shakespeare and Milton were
at his fingers ends. He knew them
nearly all by memory and could at
will quote any passage from them
which might be famlliarly recalled.
His knowledge of the English poets
was universal, but while ne read the
masters nothing that fell in his way
was ignored. At the railway book
stalls and from the train newsboys
he purchased anything that was
put at hiEl and was as likely as not
to bring home yellow cover" or
the lightest fiction ofthe day. After
dinner he would stretch himself out
on the red leather covered sofa in his
library, take a spoonful of GrOte's
Greece and read one ofOuida's nov
els TO take the taste out ofhis mouth" "
But the Bible was to his spiritual
nature like Brockie spring to his
physical, and therce he slaked thirst
that he never allowed to parch him.
Orthodox, pure, simple Christianity
in all its holiness, had no more de-
vout worshiper in spirit and in truth
than he. There is felicitous remark
attributed to him that when some one
said in his presence that the lines
that formerly divided people in re-
gard to religion were falling out he
replied: Yes, and l notice that the
nice distinctions between right and
wrong are going with them" They
never went from his pure life and
stalwart mind. Truth, honor, up
rightness, faith in God and love to
man, these We're the guiding princi-
pies of a great intellect and noble
character through a long career of
private virtue and of public useful
ness crowned by a Christians death.
THE LAST RITES.
YORK, Pa, August 21.-The fu-
neral of Judge Black was by far the
the largest ever seen in York. All
business was suspended and the
streets thronged with people as the
funeral cortege passed. Many dis
tinguished people were present. The
pallbearers were General Hancock.
Judge Gibson, Judge Wickes, George
Small. Gen. S. W. Crawford, Chief
Justice Mercur, A. b. Farquhar,
George II. Sprigg, Judge Baer and
w. l.. Small Religious services were
held at Brockie, conducted by Rev.
DIR. Power, of Washington. The
remains were inferred in Prospect
Hill Cemetery.
Mr.. Power said: Dear Friends
We are assembled to pay the last
sad duties to this mortal body. The
great spirit which moved here and
whose touch was felt through all the
land has passed out from our pres
ence. The majestic form which
bore it, the noble head where the
grand intellect dwelt, the gentle
heart which throbbed with tender
ness and all lofty sentiment, are here
but the man who reigned within has
vacated this earthly tabernacle" "
At the foot oil the hill over which
+" Brockie's fine fields spread them
selves is Willow Bridges" the pic
turesque home of his son, Chauncy
Forward Black, L;eutenant-Goyern-
or of Pennsylvania, whose three boys
Sullivan, Chauncy For
ward and John L. Dawson-tell of
a distinguished ancestry on both
sides. His son Henry is practicing
law in Texas, his daughter, Rebecca,
formerly the wife of the brilliant and
lamented James +. Skunk, now,
Mrs. Hornsby, is one of the most
popular and fascinating members of
Washington society. His other
daughter is the wife of Captain Clay
ton, 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 and motherly virtues. In the
spring of 1880 Judge Black, accom-
panied by Mrs. Black, and his grand
daughter, Miss Jean Skunk. paid
his first and only visit to Europe,
and the readers of the Times will re-