The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-14
NEXT GOVERNOR OF
THE EMPIRE STATE
Character and Record Of the Man Who
viii Succeed Mr.. Morton.
HE IS TRULY A SELF.MADE MAN
School and College Life Of Frank s.
Biack..IIis standing rs News.
paper Man and a Lawycr..1iis In.
depcndcnce in Politics and His
Public Services.
rroy Letter, New York Tribune.

Troy Letter, New York Tribune.
In a quiet, very quiet business street
of this city one can see tackled ON the
wall of brick building near a WIN
dow of the second story Smali TN
sign, upon which are printed the Worus
Frank 5. Black, Attorney-at-La
Investigation discloses that a similar
sign ornaments II staircase leading 10
the Office on the second fioor.
Mr.. Black occupies three rooms IN
this buildng-an ante-room, which
looks out on Il back court and two
rooms whose windows open ON First
street, in which the building is SIT
uated. ordinarily the ante-room Is Mt
tie occupied except by Mr.. BLACK
clients for Il few moments Whlie ne
Is busy with other callers, but now
adays it is thronged all day by politi-
clans of Troy and elsewhere in the
state, anxious to obtain moment S
chat with the Republican governor
elect Mr.. Black is thoroughly good
natured, and he receives all visitors
affably, but it is plain that he is be-
coming perpleXed what to do with the
crowds of people who insist upon see
ing him, and is conscious that vast
amount of time which he would like
to use otherwise is being taken up
with them.
Mr.. Blacks law Office proper. the
first room one enters from the ante
room, has n big table in its center,
and It's walls are hidden from sight
by shelves filled with the calfsliin COW
cred volumes used by the legal pro-
fcsSion. The interior room. where Mr..
Black has private consultations with
his clients and now with prominent
men of the Republican party, is adorn-
ed with portraits of James q. Blaine,
I,, Nt,lSt.r and Rufls ('hDntp.
three men whom Mr.. Black especial
ly admires.
AT WORK EARLY EVERY DAY.
Nowadays Mr.. Black comes down to
his law office from his house on the
heights which overlook Troy at an early
hour for the purpose of getting rid OF
a tremendous correspondence which mas
suddenly overtaken him. But for a
good natured. tolerant way of looking
upon this great interruption to his
former steady application to his briefs
ana law books. Mr.. Black would have
reason for considerable harrassment of
spirit A farmer after listening to one
of Mr.. Blacks speeches at Ogdensbtr%,
said to the writer: THAT man isn't Il
politician-he's a humorist." And, in
deed, Mr. Blacks grave face conceals a
merry spirit.and his appreciation of the
humorous in life is so keen that it must
relieve the tension upon him to a great
extent. lie Is also said to be ShreWd
III his Judgment of men, and is not to
be humbugsed by Il display of interest
cd friendship.
Mr.. Blacks rise I'm public life has
been 50 rapid and for SO many years
was he q hard working lawyer, with 4
practice that kept him in his ofiice-he
did great amount of work as a con-
sulting lawyer-that even in Troy his
face is not familiar one, and the facts
of his interesting life are not well
known. Here. as elsewhere i'm the State,
there undoubtedly is a desire to know
more about the man who for two years
to come will be the executive of the
great State of New York with its 1000
600 of inhabitants. His friends in this
vicinity within the last week have gath
cred together interesting particulars Of
his career which have not hitherto APP
peared i'm any biographical sketch of
him. and these afford considerable ma
tcrial for foreCasting his record as gov
ernOr. They indicate u man of great in
dustry, indomitable courage and high
public spirit.
SON OF THE PINE TREE STATE.
Mr.. Black was born at Limington, in
York county, Me, on March s, 1858. and
thus he attained the age of 43 years
York county Is in the southwestern
part of Maine, forming one of the coun-
ties of Thomas B. Reeds district. Mr.
Blacks father had rocky farm with
Il fractions soil. 1t was hard work for
him, with his eleven children. to sustain
his family upon the product of such a
farm. Great economy had to be eXer-
CiSed, and every member of the family
went to work at an early age. yet Mr..
Black. Notwithstanding the privation Of
this life. loves the old place and is anX-
ious to buy it and keep 1t in the family.
When Mr.. Black was II years old his
parents removed to Alfred Me-, and
there he attended what is now Linn
erick academy. 1t is an interesting cir
cumstance that in September last Mr..
Black addressed his old neighbors on
the political issues of this year from a
platform erected near the Limerick
academy, Thomas Il. Reed being an
other speaker on that occasion. From
Limerick academy he went to Lebanon
academy, but he was poor boy. and
his school days We're Interrupted fire.
quently by the need of earning his lv-
ing. lie taught school and thus earned
money to continue his course of study
at Lebanon academy. Some of the time
he was attending this academy he
walked three miles to it, and then three
miles back home in the afternoon. At
the academy he organized debating
society and was one of the leading de-
baters.
At eighteen years of age he was
six feet three inches in height and
of slender build. With some money gain
ed i'm teaching and some loans from his
father. which he afterward repaid with
his first earnings. he entered Dart
mouth college in 1875. He was not well
prepared for college. but by hard work
he made good the studies in which he
was deficient. AS before, he taught
school to pay his expenses. One year
he taught school on Cape Cod in a
village which rested on big sand
dune called the Hogs Back. In his
Junior year he could only attend his
classes eleven weeks of the session.
The remainder of the year he was
teaching school. While he was a senior
he taught school at Provincetown,
Cape Cod. and there became acquaint-
ed with Miss Lois X. Hamlin, who, on
Thanksgiving Day. 1879, became his
wife.
Despite the fact that in the first two
years of his college life he was i'm
peded by his insufficient preparation,
Mr.. Black was one of the honor men
on commencement day, had been the
editor of two college periodicals. and
had twice been chosen a prize speaker
DETERMINED TO BE A LAWYER.
While in college Mr.. Black taught
a class in Alstead academy, in New
Hampshire. Upon his graduation he
was invited to become principal of
three different academies. each at a
salary above 81 900 a year. These were
large salaries to offer to a man only
twenty-five years old, but he had an
ambition to be a lawyer, and he chose
the hl r1pr road N rinu for. h.,
profession. But he had to earn some
money Immediately. Henry w. Smith,
of this citv, fellow student at Dart
mouth, offered him partnership at
selling chromos. They made Rome,
in this state, their headquarters. Mr..
Black, while selling pictures. became
acquainted with w. NJ. Ireland. editor