The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-12

The enjoys the distinction of being the first
coored to be elected to the Minnesota state less
is Representative j. Frank Wheaton, of Hennepm
county He the right of the speaker is
a close student evolution of legislation and
tice participant in the
The story MI Wheaton is the biography of many
prominent white who struggled from poverty to
eminence. The Civil and slavery dead when
Mr.. Wheaton born at HagerStown, Md. May :. lS66
But Il sharp line was drawn between races yet, IN
Maryland that time, and Young Wheaton received the
his education at the coored public school
Hagerstown. He wanted the privilege of a high school
for that purpose, Harpers Ferry, "
Va. where he graduated in 1882 from Storer College
sequenty he entered Howard University, Washington
D. c., graduating in 1888.
How did he live all this time? How have thousands
of American boys womed their way through colleges
university: He blacked boots. newspapers.
did chores for the professors cared for their horses
milked their All the land the incident is
ing duplicated every day illustrating and accentuating
American proverb that its mighty hard thing keep
good man down.
On leaving Howard university 1t occurred to Wheaton
that practical business education good thing
to add to his other aapments and for this purpose
went to Dixon Ill., and took the in the
Dixon business university Then he
in HageIstown and made his first plunge politics.
taking part in the Harrison Cleveland campaign 1888
speaking ward meetings Republican candidate
This Mr. Wheaton's first shake plum tree and
the plum dropped shortly afterwards Through the ill
huence OF Hon. Lewis e. McComas newly United
States senator to succeed Arthur Pue Gorman he
appointed to cerkship in the house representatives
at Washington. This he held years. then came
the deluge Cleveland elected occupa
tiOn was gone He decided become lawyer M.
Wheaton says, describing his life in Minnesota:
Having determined law profession I cast
about for in which and settled on Mime
sofa, coming Minneapolis in 1891 into the
Nlcoet hotel as waiter and subsequently as car
porter between St Paul and Boston money enough
to the law class Minnesota state university
did it, too In 1894 graduated class orator the first
colored man to graduate from department uni
Versity Then went into the law of Judge Kerr
then in the Minneapolis municipal court On his elevation
to the bench and through his good Offices l was made
clerk of the municipal position l held until
elected to the house representatives resnnc
a few days before the holidays"
Representative Wheaton PLAYED the game Of oitic for
several years before he became lawyer He was .,
member OF the national Republican convention of 1883 at
Chcgo being ah alternate for present United States SEN
ator George l.. Wellington, of Maryland. He was also
the alternate of Hon. Charles A. Plsbury in the ma
uOnal Republican convention 1896 at St Louis He
dd considerable work of political character among the
coored delegates from the South behalf of Mckinley
MI Wheaton regards his present position as something
unique in the fact that consider if class
race distinction He says that the district which he rem
resents has population of 4SO0O and that of the 1000
delegates in the convention nominated him not one