The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-18
A ROMANTIC CAREER.
How Waif of New York Became
Governor of Alaska.
From The Philadelphla Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger
New York, Jan. 1S-The State Charities
Aid Society, in its annual report to-day,
referred to the good work done in provid-
ing country homes for fr.ondless city chill
dren. This is a work also performed by the
Childrens Aid Society and the Mission Of
the Immaculate Virgin. Among the thou
Sands of city waits who have been cared
for by these different charities not a few
! have risen TO influential positions, but 1t
is not genrally known that one of them is
the Governor Of Alaska by appointment of
! President Mckinley. The story of his life
Is romantic enough to be told About thir-
ty-five or forty years ago John c. Brady
was a child Of the streets of New York
| Cast adrift by his parents. he wandered
! about the docks, near Catherine street
ferry, hungry and forlorn. Here he was
| found by an agent Of the Chldren's Aid
Society which took him in its keeping.
! After awhile il found him a good home
with farmers family in Iowa Here he
! grew up under kindly influences, and decid-
! ed TO become clergyman. The fate viii
! liam E. Dodge, who was actively interest
! ed in the Children's Aid Society, and a
! talk with him. and seeing that he pos
sessed merit. agreed to put him through
| college at his expense. After he had OBJ
| tained an education he decided to become
| a missionary, and was sent TO Alaska.
! This was twenty years or more ago. when
| conditions an that territory were much
/ worse than they are now He soon ascer-
/ tanned that In teaching the natives he must
| begin at the very beginning. and show
! them how to live in this world, before he
/ could leach them TO prepare for the next
| So he started a saw min as a sort of man
ual training school, and taught the people
! how TO work with their hands and build
! themselves better homes
In few years he became one Of tho
! most influential and useful men In Alaska
| He returned 70 the states 10 marry buf
! went back to Alaska with his wife 10 CON
tnue his work. When Mckinley was
elected President, Mr.. Brady was dued
with an ambition to become Governor of
Alaska. He went to Washington. but
found that the pace had been promised
! to a Texas politician. He then came 10
New York and laid his case before A "a
Hepburn, treasurer of the Chldren's Aid
Society. Mr.. Hepburn brought him INFO
| contact with a personal friend of the
! President, and by this means he secured
| an interview with Mckinley He told his
romantic story, and the President was So
much interested that he kept the Alaskan
at the White House all the evening re-
lating his experiences in the frozen terri
tory, and describing the conditions mar
prevailed there. When he left he had he
appointment in his pocket. He has made a
! good Governor, and is fun of plans for i'm
| proving the moral and material condition
| of his people. Says the gentleman. who
| was instrumental in bringing him into ner-
sonal contact with the President: This ia
the class of men who should be appointed
| to govern on" new possessions. Natives
of our own land, but long residents of the
territories they are to govern; upright
men. understanding the conditions of the
people and enjoying their confidence; men
who will labor not for their own selfish
ACKNOWLEDGMENT, but for the good of ALL"