Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-09-26


Justice w. P. Potter, of Allegheny, on
account of his occupying seat on the
supreme bench, to which he aspires to
election by the people, will mako no
speeches, and will not otherwise take
any part in the campaign.
Mr. Harris was born at Karthaus,
Clearfield county, Pa, November 5,
1S45 He is the second son Of John
Harris, native of the city of Glasgow,
Scotland who came to America in 1910,
and settled in Clearfeld county and
worked as a miner and furnaceman.
His mother was Eleanor Graham, who
was born in Centre county The
mother died when Frank was but
years old. and was buried at Polk Fur
mace, Clarion county, Pa.
At the death of his mother the home
was broken up and the boys found
a home among friends. Frank q. Har-
ris, the subject of this sketch was taken
into the home of Samuel c. Patchin,
who married his aunt, Hetty Graham,
where he lived and grew to manhood.
John Harris, the father of Frank G.
Harris, was married second time. his
second wife being Eliza Scott, of
Brookville, Pa, where the father died
in 1855. Frank G. Harris and his
younger brother, Bruce, are all that
remain of the family. From the time
he was II years of age, when his early
school life ended, Frank worked on the
farm in the summer and in the winter
worked in the lumber woods and on
saw mill and became a practical
farmer and lumberman. AT the age OF
Is he made his first trip down the Sus-
Quehanna as raftsman, and at 20 he
was one of the best pilots on the river.
Frank G. Harris early inherited his
Republicanism from the Patchins and
from George Atcheson, a stalwart Irish
Abolitionist who lived a neighbor to
the Patchins, and who kept a station
on the underground railway for runa-
way slaves and often employed young
Harris to drive his team, at night, to
Sammy Ranks in Indiana county,
where the escaping slaves were turned
over to Rank to be hurried on to the
next station.
AS SCHOOLMASTER AND LAWYER.
At the age of "a, Frank G.. Harris
entered Dickinson Seminary at Will
Transport, Pa, from which he was
graduated in Juno, 1873. In Septem-
ber, 1873, he entered Lafayette College
at Easton, and graduated from that in
stitution in the famous class of 1876
In the fall of 1876 he was elected prin-
cipal of the Clearfield grammar schools,
which position he filed until 1881. On
January II, 1879. he was admitted to
the Cleartield county bar as student
of Murray & Gordon and on April is,
1879, he married Elizabeth F. Baird
daughter of Benjamin Baird, OF Clinton
county, Pa, his wife having been a
teacher in the seminary where he met
her when a student. For 23 years Mr.
Harris has been successful practi-
toner at the Clearfield bar, and during
all his life he has been a stalwart
Republican, serving his party as chair
man, as delegate TO state conventions
and upon the stump faithfully and we'll.
Much Of the credit of turning DEM
ocratic majority of $500 into a Repub-
lican majority of 1900, and making
Clearfield county stalwart Republi-
can county, is due to the able leader
ship of Frank G. Harris. In 1896, Mr..
Harris was III sod to become candi-
date for the legislature, to which he
was elected by 400 majority. He was
reelected in 1898 and again in 1900.
In 1889 he served on the judiciary gen
eral committee, and other important
committees, and as chairman of the
committee on fish and game, and was
the author of the game law of 1897.
During the session of 1899 Air Har-
ris served as chairman of the judi
ciary general committee, the most i'm
portant legislative committee in the
house, and because of his fairness and
ability he was reappointed chairman
of the same committee for the session
of 1901. In 1901 he was a candidate
for the speakership, but withdrew in