Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-02-28

give you this Office" said Governor Pal
mer to the ex-tailor," because you are .
brave man. know you are brave be-
cause you trusted poor boy to suit OF
clothes"
Young Palmer still dreamed Of an ed
ucation. Shurtleff college. Alton, vas
then q new school in which students
were permitted to maintain themselves
BY manual labor. John Palmer and his
elder brother Elisha, afterward noted
Baptist preacher and an antislavery
man OF southern Illinois. supported
themselves for several terms by assist
ing in brlcklaying, carpenter work ana
doing chores nights, mornings ana sun
days while pursuing their studies. Al
ter leaving college Palmer taught
school, peddled clocks and worked for .
cooper, but at tventy-one years OF age
found himself a law student at Carlin-
vile. he was soon admitted TO the oar
at Springfield, his license being signed
by John Young Scammon, one OF Chi
cago's early and most noted 1urists, who
was also the founder OF the Chicago IN
ter Ocean.
When twenty-five years old-that was
half century ago--Paimer was mar
ried TO Malinda Medley, who, like him.
self. was 3 native Of Kentucky. Mrs.
Palmer's mother was member OF the
Beauchamp family, a noted family OF
French extraction, famous throughout
southern kentucky for their beauty.
Mrs. Palmer's personal appearance
strongly indicated this French descent,
for even vet among the old people OF
Carlinville one may hear Of that lady's
brilliant black eyes, her tiny foot and
her raven locks. When she married the
future senator she was not quite hfteen,
and she was 10 him child wife ike
David Copperfeld's Dora. but with
happier result, for she lived with her
husband forty years and became the
mother OF ten children. Senator Palmer
has now In his household In this city one
of his daughters, Mrs. Weber, who has
all the characteristics OF her mother, the
belle OF southern Illinois half century
ago.
shortly after his marriage young Pal
mer tried and won lawsuit. "how
much do you charge me, john asked
the client. "Five dollars" well, as
you are q family man, | suppose you
would Just as soon take pay In corn
meal" In a few days Mrs. Palmer was
astonished TO see two barrels OF corn
meal dumped at the door, and, though
Senator Palmer doesn't say so, IL Is
tradition In Carlinville that as his prac-
tice was at first not very extensive and
times hard the young attorney and his
wife lived for winter on corn mush
and fried hominy.
An evening with this "grand old
man" OF Illinois is rare treat. lie Is
plain, simple, approachable, intensely
human. Like that other Kentuckian
who went 10 Illinois TO win renown-
Abraham Lincoln-he Is essentially
man Of the people. His memory Is
prodigious. He remembers the names
OF the slaves who were owned by his
father In Kentucky, inherited by his
mother and soon afterward disposed Of.
He remembers the names OF his fathers
neighbors and OF all his schoolmates.
General Palmer's father kept a few
slaves for a time, but the young man
never liked the institution OF slavery.
All his life he had loved the downtrod-
den race. IL was through his efforts
that the colored children were admitted
to the public schools I'm Illinois, carry
ing test case to the supreme court and
winning It.
This life Of seventy-fiye years, which
is still so full OF promise, had been full
OF public service. Having briefly sketch
ed the ancestry and boyhood OF this re-
markable man-with reference TO two or
three of thousand incidents which help
TO characterize him-let me summarize
his public career:
Born, 1917; admitted to the bar, 1899;
probate judge, lsi3; member constitu-
tional convention, 1s47; county Judge,
!s4s; member state senate, 1889; re-
elected as an independent and anti
Nebraska Democrat; left the Democratic