The evening times., 1901-08-20
THE MAYOR OF M'KBEOPORT
An Interesting Character Sketch
of Robert J. Black.
lie Declares Himself on the side of
the strikers Despite the steel
Trust. and Warns Outsiders 10
stay Away From His Town.

the strikers Despite the steel
Trust and Warns Outsiders 10
stay Away From His Town.
NcKEESPoRT. Pa. Aug 2a-Mayor
Robert j. Black. of Mcke,sport is the
most unique figure that has been dovel-
opad hy the great steel strike. lie has
suddenly sprung int, sufficient pr0Ini-
uoGce o. he treated oGitori1lIy 10y uewspa-
uars AN over the United states some
commend and some condemn his recent
proclamation. issued for ih- benefit of
tho United States Steel Corporation. the
strikers. and tho public generally Those
who condemn him attribute it to a desire
for uutoriaty. ON the contrary. Mayor
Black had really no thought that the mat
ter was going beyond the confines of his
own town and never dreamed that Do
would result i'm the EeeuraI discussion that
il has.
Tho mayor is a physician lie has been
practiciuc his profession in NcKocsport
ever since he graduated at the College
Of Physicians and Surgeons, in Baltimore.
about twenty-five years ago. He has not
accumulated any wealth either out of HE
profession or his politics. as his sole
earthly possessions would hardly list over
$500 He had n large practice and was
regarded as one Of the best surgeons and
most able physicians iu this end of the
State but ne had no wealthy clients. His
practice was mostly among the poor. No
man was too poor TO get "Dr." Black out
of bed at any hour Of the night. 10 made
no difference what the size Of previous
bills might be. If the applicant for medi-
cal assistance was honest and simply the
victim of circumstances which rendered
frgrrtn1ef1TR ID doctor hills
all that was necessary Medical atten-
tion and medicine were furnished without
much hope of ever EettiuE any return.
| This man did not practice mp on Capitol
| Hill. and out in the Riverview Park dis
/ triCt His buggy was TO be found at an
hours of the day and night down I'm "the
BOwoTy." and along Fourth Avenue. or
mp i'm Haiti" where the C0I0rod people
live ANY physician of any experience
| knows there is "A heap more gratitude
than cold cash to be gotten out of such a
practice as this. The mayor is a fighter
II he SAYS anything must be he Will tight
TO the end and usually win ON thaC as
sertion, but with the sick DE is a minis
torinS angel. His hand is gentle. his voice
! cheerful. and his personality such that
visit from him does his patients as much
good as his medicine.
At least one Eastern paper has sought
! to make the mayor appear an iuiJgrarC
I by misguCting him and putting language
/ in his mouth which the interviewer never
| heard in NCEeespOrt nor anywhere else.
| A graduate Of college where he paid his
( own way By hard work. the mayor may
not De a polished speaker, but his Ian
EuaEe is as pure as that of any other
/ McKeesporter and the people Of McEees-
port are not the rough, uncultured lot the
Eastern reporter cndeavored 10 paint
them by any means. There are certain
little phrases that may seem strange TO
the Eastern ear. turned as Il is to the
dialect of the great metropolis. but they
/ seem no more strange than this New York
/ dialect does 10 the McKeesporter. Neither
OF them uses the best English on every
/ occasion. Vet neither is illterate. OF
/ course. when the New Yorker gets so far
West as PittsbUrg he finds the people Of
these Western provinces entirely different
1 from those he is accustomed 10.
But Mayor Black has made an an
! nOuncement for the benefit OF the United
! States Steel Corporation. Mayor Black
I Is not a favorite with that corporation.
| The corporation has selected George J.
/ +. Falkenstein, paymaster at the Ameri-
/ can Sheet Steel mills in this city, for
mayor. Black defeated him at the Re
!
pitted against Black a. an independent
candidate. Every influence that could be
/ brought 20 bear against Black was
/ brought into play. Every mill sUpcrin-
tendent. from the highest 10 the lowest.
was opposed 10 this man. Every politician
in the city but two were against him. The
churches were dragged into the fight and
under notion that the city needed re-
form which could only be secured by the
election OF Blacks opponent the minis
ters took a hand. Sermons were preached
advocating the election Of O'NeiI. The
Ministerial Association Of the city passed
/ a resolution calling on all Christian pe0-
pie 70 pray for O'NeiL
Black calmly said O'Neu was welcome
20 the prayers If he (Black) got enough
votes. The count Of the ballots showed a
total poll Of over 5000. Black. almost sim
gle-handed. won by one vote The poor
people down in the Bowery, the negroes
up in HAITI the Jews down along Fourth
Avenue, remembered the night visits fba
physician had been making IOr years. re-
membered the fact that his office door
was never locked at any hour OF the
night. and that he was always ready 70
respond 10 the call for help regardless Of
the applicants s financial condition and
they elected him. That one vote which
resulted In his election was cast by q re-
/ turned soldier lie was challenged at the
10 vote His tax receipts were at the
home OF his parents nearly sixty miles
away He had left them there when no
marched out at the call Of President Nc
kInley for men. That man Travelled q.
hundred and twenty miles that day and
got back five minutes before the polls
closed with his precious papers and cast
his vote He is generally credited with
saving the day for the Black forces
Black s term has been "a stormy one
The corporations which own the mills OF
MckcCSpOTt opposed his election and
largely control the city councils lie has
had tight on with councils on almost
every measure that has come up since he
was iDauguratcd. and he has invariably
won he has been rigorous I'm the en-
fOrCement OF laws Railroad corporations
have been taught that the eight-unue-an-
hour speed ordinance and other laws en-
acted for their control and the benefit OF
the public are still in existence. Street
railway companies have had 10 toe the
line and live up TO their franchise require
meuts. The tube company and sheet steel
company ana other corporations have
I learned that they need expect no friend
ship from this man Black. He is perfect-