The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-03-08

General Hastings, the man for
whom we vote for Governor on Sat
urdly,is essentially self.mude man,
for his early life was Il continued
battle, and rs the strongest metals
with the finest fibre are made SO by
fire and hammer, so the character of
Hastings was strengthened by ad-
yersity. He was born February
26th, lsi0, in little log house built
by his fathers hands near Salona,
Pennsylvania. His father was day
laborer on the Pennsylvania Canal
at the muniiicent wage of 30 cents
day when the subject of our sketch
was born. The boys inheritance
consisted of his fathers poverty and
his magnificent physical manhood.
At the early age of twelve we find
him ut the plow-studying English
grammar as he turned the furrows.
When the rebellion broke out two
OF his brothers enlisted and started
for the front. Young Hastings, re-
alizing that the path of duty is the
way to glory" for the first time re-
belled against thu wishes of his faith
er and ran off. We d NJ
tried get.
ting as far as Carlisle and enlisting,
his stern father found him enjoying
the glory of tho uniform of full
private and promptly returned him
to the plow. When fourteen years
old he heard of a school teachers
position which had become vacant
twenty miles away, and he trudged
off through the snow to try his
chances for the position. He secur-
ed the position, but. finding that he
had to stand m examination, he
pluckily walked back-stood it and
returned with the proper papers and
taught the school.
In 1867 he was elected PRINCIPAL
Of the Bellefonte High School. where
he connected himself with the Belle
fonte RepU6licdn as associate ed
itor, and his pungent editorials still
ring III the ears of the writer who
was then, though still boy, con-
stant reader of the Repu5licdn.
Although principal of high school
and voluminous writer he still
found time to study law, and in 1877
was admitted to the bar where he soon
distinguished himself and stood first
among the noted lawyers then prac-
tlcing Mt the Centre county bar. He
also soon became a leader in politics
and stepped from one place of dis.
tinction to another until his oratory
and level headedness had won for
him a national reputation, and in 1877
he accepted the position Of Adjutant-
General of Pennsylvania.
In 1890 he was defeated for the
nomination for Governor of this
State by Senator Delamater. but in
augurated the campaign by making
aspeech for his successful rival with
in half an hour after his defeat and
remained on the stump continually
for nearly three month in behalf of
the nominee.
In 1888 he was allowed the honor to
place the name of John Sherman
before the National Convention for
President, and his half hour speech
so electrified the convention that
such competent critics as Geo. Alfred
Townsend and AIurat Halstead de-
clared it the greatest speech of the
Convention, and the Chicago 7riJ.
"ne prophesied that he would one
day be Governor of this State.
When tidings of the dreadful dis
aster at Johnstown in the spring of
1889 reached him, he dropped all
business, hired team and drove
with all speed for Johnstown, where
he laid off his coat and pitched into |
work relieving the suffering, clear
ing away the wreckage, and burying |