The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-26
JOHN NJ. FRANCIS.
Life Story of Man Who Has Achieved Sue
cess by Industry aud Perseverance,.
Hnecial IN tha fndiananolia IaurnaI

Life Story of Man Who Has Achieved Sue
cess by Industry aud Perseverance,.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec 25.-"One OF the most re-
markable men I ever knew" said an Eastern
Senator to-day, twas John NJ Francis, of Troy,
N. Y. Francis was until recently the United
States minister to the courts of Athens, Lisbon,
ard Vienna, and now proprietor of the Daily
Times, published at Troy. Mr.. Francis was
born in Steuben county, New York, in 1929 His
parents were not "poor but respectable" as has
been said of the progenitors of so many Of our
noted men, though they were by no means,
wealthy or aristocratic in their circumstances or
tendencies. His father was in comfortable cir
cumstances, owned good farm in Steuben
county and added to his income by doing occa-
sonai jobs of land surveying for his neighbor-
hoods, he being an expert with the chain and
compass.
John NJ. was one of family of nine children
-four boys and five girls He did not take kind
ly to farming or to country life. and went to
Canandagua, where he apprenticed himself to
John B. Hahn, proprietor of the Ontario Mes
senger, for the purpose of learning the printing
trade. He remained there till his time was out,
when his father induced him to return to the
farm by promising him that it should become
his if he took of the father and mother
while they lived.
THE young man tried the business for some
time, but he could not content himself with such
life, and finally told his father to give his in
terest in the farm to his brother Arnold, and let
him go out into the wide world to seek his own
| fortune. The old gentleman reluctantly con-
sented, and John NJ. returned to Canandaigua to
work at his trade
Somewhere about this period of his life he
IQoflxy hnytA
ing telegraph lines. After the failure of O'Reiy
| he joured it awhile, working at case IL the
| New York Herald and other Offices of more or
| less note. While in Canandagua ne saw an ad-
| vertisement stating that the proprietor OF the
| Wayne County Sentinel, published at Palmyra.
n. Y. was in want of an editor. Young Francis
| determined to apply for the place, and consulted
| with his former employer, Mr.. Hahn as to the
| propriety Of his doing so. He was even then so
| young that Mr.. Hahn told him that if ie should
| let his proposed employer know his real age he
would not give him the position he coveted
| Nevertheless, he made application and secured
the place. How long he remained at Palmyra
do not know but he afterwards filled journey
| mans place in the New York Herald Office and
other Offices. In these positions, as In all others
! in which he has since been placed in his busy
life, he won the respect of all with whom he
came in contact whether employers or fellow
employees
"While working away at his case he, by some
means, learned that the Office of the Troy Budg-
ct was for SALE He at once proposed to young
friend of his to buy the Budget lock and stock
bob and sinker, though neither one of them had
much means. His friend at assented.
and negotiatiations were opened with the
owner of the Budget, and, by means OF business
| cheek, fair promises and chattel mortgage,
they secured possession of the Office. They con-
| tinued in business for some time, when Francis
| became dissatisfied and sold his interest to his
partner. This was the turning-Do IN Fran
| ciss life. He looked the newspaper situation
| at bncama
new daily there would be success He applied
| to one of his brothers and borrowed 800 from
| him. With that small sum in his pocket he went
| to type founder in New York city and told him
that he wanted an outfit for a daily paper to be
| published as the thriving little city of Troy,
stating frankly that he could only pay 800 down
| on it. He described the situation at Troy to the
| founder enlarged upon the possibilities OF sue
! cess and made such a favorable showing that the
| founder agreed to let him have what he wanted
| In a short time thereafter the first number OF
| the Troy Daily Times made its appearance. Its
| young proprietor threw into his business all his
energy, industry and talents, and mis- journal
| proved success from the start
| I'm building up his fortunes he has been most
| ably seconded by his amiable wife. AS an in
stance of her cooperation, Mr.. Francis was at
one time elected city clerk. He attended all the
meetings of the City Council, kept accurate min
| utes of their proceedings. took them home, and
his wife engrossed them in a manner that would
have done credit to the best scribe In the coun-
try.
GAS an indication of the foresight of Mr..
| Francis as q business man, and of the high es-
teem IN which he hold his wife, who has proved
| herself to be helpmate all through their welded
| life as soon as he had cleared off all his debts
| he determined to set off to her one-third of all
| his income This resolution he religiously
| ried out until Mrs. Francis became worth, in
| her own name some two or three hundred thou
sand dollars, which she has invested and man.
aged just as she pleased, and without interfer-
| ence on his part.
Through the growth of his paper. and because
of the ability manifested in its editorial columns,
| Mr.. Francis became known all over the Empire
| State one of the brightest leaders of the Re-
| pubcans thereof; his counsel was eagerly sought
! in every emergency, and his advice carried great
weight in shaping the policy of the party, and
in the election of its candidates. bis appoint
| meHt by Grant to Athens was coupled with
| promise that Mr.. Francis should be promoted to
/ higher grade in the diplomatic service as
| as an opportunity offered. Subsequently he waa
| transferred to the court OF Lisbon by President
Arthur few months after he was promoted
by Mr.. Arthur and made our minister plenipo.
tentiary at the court of Vienna, where he rec
manned until his successor was appointed by
President Cleveland He filled all these high
positions with honor to himself and great credit
| to his country. Neither in his private career
| nor his public capacity has anything ever oc-
Cured that has caused smirch upon his honor,
or a stain upon his character. He is universally
| esteemed by those who know him; and those
| who know him best esteem him most.
''Mr Francis has never met with but one set
| back That occurred in 1863 about the time OF
| the draft riots. The Troy Times was for the
| thorough prosecution of the war. and it backed
up the war measures of President Lincoln with
all the vim and power it could command. The
consequence was that it incurred all the malice
and hatred of the copperheads of that part OF
the Empire State This hatred finally culmi-
pated in a draft riot, during the progress of
which the Times Office gutted-the type,
presses, etc, being pitched into the street. How.
ever Mr.. Francis brought suit against the city
and recovered damages
POLITICAL DISABILITIES.