The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-29
Some Men
of the Houf

High school. has recently been adj
mittad to the J.ackawanna bar. He
has also been appointed by State SUI
perntcndent of Public instruction
Scllacfer on the committee on per-
mancnt teachers certificates for this
part of the state. Mr.. Wagner began
the serious business uf lif" when he
was L. years OF age by learning To
set TYP" in Il printing Office. After an
apprcntireship at the case. he became
associated with his father as an "d-
tor on the Wuchenbiatt. the influential
German weekly. in which position he
continued until he entered Wesleyan
university. lie had not contempla ted
Il college education until after he had
reached his majority, and although he
had no academic preparation, his
newspaper WORK and active member
ship for years in the Nespcr Literary
associatio together with Il year at
the School of the l.ackawanna ANA Il
short High school special course. en-
ablcd him to take the Wesleyan exam
nations successfully.
owing to his fathers i'll health. he
was compelled to again take charge OF
the Wochenblatt at the end of his first
college year. In course of time. how
ever. he was enabled to enter Buck
nell university. from which he grad
uated. While at Bucllncl, he was
honored with the ciitorship of the
Burincll Mirror. Mr.. Wagner has
been employed as hookkeepcr at the
home office of an insurance company
in Philadelphia. and was also Il de-
putty clerk of the courts under John II.
fan, itnS hoe,
one of hard, studious effort. He con-
SidcrS his greatest honor to be his
election FOR the tenth consecutive time
to the superintcndency of the sunday
school of th" Hickory Street presby-
terian church.
'Jakc' Ritter. the superintendent
Of tinstaves at the court house, is q
man who could. if he desired contri-
butte an intensely interesting volume
on the history of tne I;ackaWanua
county courts. He began his career rs
Il tipstatr With the creation of the
courts here, and ever since has carried
the long stan that denotes his office.
Judges have come and Judges have
gone, but Uncle Jake" calmly walks
along the path he has chosen for him.
self, his seyenty-nino years resting
easily on his broad shoulders. as
strong ana square as those of Il man
of half his years.
Mr.. Ritter was born in Germany and
came to America in 1888 ana made his
holn" in Archibald, which ever since
has been his place OF residence. For
Years i, has been his prerugativc to
have charge of The grand jury, and
in that capacity has become az
uuainted with more people than pos
Sibly amy other one man in the cGuu-
~. II" has also been in charge OF
nearly all of the famous murder iuries
since the courts OF the county were
opened.
one of th" most active members of
the Central Labor union committee
haVin" in charge the arrangements for
III" coming convention of the Alneri-
can Federation Of Labor. is Hugh
Francy, who is the Fedepation'S on
Snnizrr Tor Northeastern Pennsylva-
mia. Mr.. NraneN has devoted almost
his "ntl" tim" to the detail work OF
preparing for the biz gathering. ana
Ia deserving of It deal of credit for
The thoroughnesS which has charauter-
lied his luhurS.
lie has pevn AN ardent labor union-
list ever since lie gave IN his thea
trIcal career, ior he had II long and
varied experience on the minstrel
stage, h"ing recognized as one Of the
best song and dance men in the m.n-
strel world H. is not hot-headcd
asitator who is "asiu" employers, hu,
Is rather n calm and conscientious
gentleman, who carefully weighs poti.
sides of II labor trouble before deciding
upon course of action ana who is
willing 10 admit that labor is often IN
III" wrong as well as capital. lie is a
member Of The committee which is co..
operating with the street car om-
ploy"s' executive board in the manage
Incnt of the present strike.
iinu. t.. T. Phillips. who twenty
Years ago was IA resident of Parsons.
Luzelne county, is visiting friends in
this part of the state, and yesterday
filed the pulpit of the Memorial Iiap-
t!st church, North Scranton. Mr.
Phillips il the present United States
consul 20 South Males, having been
appointed several years ago by The
is'. presidenet Mckinley. At the dine
of his appointment, Mr., Phillips WAS
resident of Chicago,
The consulate has a large eouimer-
cial jurisdiction and The head office ls
a. Cardiff, the third seaport of the
Unitsd Kingdom. Mr.. Phillips Is sta-