Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-11-27
SCHOOL BOARD OFFICERS.
NEWTON LIGBTSsB, AsQ, PRssIDsST
OF rHE BODY TWO YEARS.
Beginning His Service rs q Director In 1913,
aud Faith fully Guarding the school Inter
ests Nearly Eighteen Years--Gradnate
OF Princeton, Lawyer, Churchman,
Member OF Councils, Etc.

We have now reached a period in our
school board sketches which Is rather difi-
cult TO bridge over. A volume Of the min.
utes OF the school board from May, 1868, to
June g. 1868, has been lost or destroyed.
DilIgent effort has been made to find tho
missing volume, but without avail. The
only means OF gathering information ~ to
what was done In the board during the five
years from 1863 to 1868 IL to be found In the
newspapers. These have been carefully
scrutinizsd, but the published reports are
very short and unsatisfactory, containing
not tenth par OF the space that is given TO
the proceedings nowadays. our sketches,
therefore, OF the two years presidency of
Newton Lightner, the one years presidency
of Judge Livingston and the first two years
OF the presidency OF VIM. p. Brinton must
necessarily be meagre.
MR.. LIGHTNER AS SCHOOL DIRECTOR.
Newton Lightner was elected a member OF
the board oil directors on the 2jth of May,
1913 to fill a vacancy caused by the rosigna-
ton of Rev. Samuel Bowman, d. ID. Mr..
Lightner served until April, 1850, when his
term expired. In May, 1850, tho special law
tor Lancaster school district went into opera.
ton, and for the first time thirty six drec-
tors were elected. Mr.. Lightner was not
one OF them, but on the 22i of August fol-
lOWlUR nb was 6leslth W Hll VACANCY
caused by the resignation of Mr.. @. Iahm
and served until March 5, 1858, when he was
elected president of select council.
By virtue Of a law then In force the mayor
OF the city and the presidents of councils
were eX-onicio members Of the school board
When the board met on the Sd of March,
1858, Mr. Lightner resigned his eiectiUc
membership but remained member eX-
otlicio until February, lSJj, when, DIR. Car
penter having been elected president Of Sc
L. .z-k.t. s4sa.t.
bership in the board expired. O1 the 81 OF
May following, however, he was for the third
time elected by the board to fill vacancy
caused by the resignation OF Rev. Henry A.
Shuttle. At the next ensuing election ot di.
rsctors on the 9th of May, 1856, Mr.. Lightner
was elected by the people for three years,
and was reelected in 1859 and 1852
During his almost continuous service in
the board from 1913 to 1862, Mr.. lightner,
who was regarded ~ an excellent parliament
tartan, was very often called upon On the
absence of Presidents Steinman, Burrowes
and Hayes to act "a president pro TEN. At
the election OF directors in May, 1863 Judge
Hayes having failed to secure an election at
the polls, 1t was necessary to- elect some one
else president The board met on the Ith of
May and Mr.. Lightner was elected president,
receiving twenty votes to sixteen cast for
Or. J. l., Atlee. A year later, on motion OF
Or. Atlee, Mr. Lightuer was reelected prest-
dent, and served efficiently until May 2,
1865, VIXEN he declined reelection as presi-
dent.
SKETCH OF MR.. LIGHTNER's LIFE.
MIR. Lightner was born in Willlamstown,
Lancaster county, November 9, 1873. Judge
Lightner, his father, was man of promi-
nence in his day and gave his son good ed
ucation. He graduated at Princeton college
In 1885, after which he entered the law office
OF John K. Montgomery, leading member
OF the Lancaster bar, and read law with him
nnti lSRh when bp admitted to the bar.
and has been in practice ever since. he has
had good practice, but being in easy cir
cumstances, he has not attempted to push
himself into the front rank of attorneys, or
to squabbe for fame before quarter sessions
jury. He takes things easy, and would
rather enjoy a good concert, opera, drama, or
even game Of billiards more than engage
In hair. splitting controversy over points of
law albeit, he is a sale counsellor and his
clients rarely get left
He was q member OF both common and
select councils for several years, being presi-
dent OF select council for three years. AS
we have seen above, he was a member OF the
Lancaster school board almost continuously
from lSiS to 1855 and was president OF the
board for two years. During his long SER
vice he held positions on the most important
committees, and took a leading part in the
deliberations of the board.
Mr.. Lightner in his earlier life was for
many years an active member of the vOlun-
teer fire department. From the lst of Janu-
ary, ISIS, to the 18th OF January, lSJJ, he was
president of the Union Fire company, de-
clining reelection at the latter date
Mr.. Lightner has been a lifelong member
of the Protestant Episcopal church, and for
the past forty years has been a vestryman of
st. James, of this city.
Mr.. Lightner's wife was daughter of
James Hopkins, esq, one OF the most emf
nent lawyers that ever prscticed at the Lam
caster bar, who was a most estimable woman.
She died about year ago. Their only son,
James Hopkins Lightner, is we'll and favor
ably known in this city. Mr.. Lightner has
a brother (Hervey) living in Peoria, Illinois.
Another brother (Hopkins) was for many
years an officer in the fourth auditors office
at Washington. He died in 1869
Mr.. Lightner Is a Jeifersonian Democrat
without tho shadow of turning, and Is ever
ready to give reason for the faith that is in
him in language both iorcible and convinc-
ing. lie was the Democratic candidate for
judge OF this judicial district in 1854, and
polled 1900 votes, to 5,S02 cast for Judge
Hayes and b, l22 Tor Judge Comfy. J. NJ. }.