The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-22


Il mally presenting Attorney
General E,lkin as Il candidate
for the Republican nomination for
governor Of Pennsylvania, coupled with
the generally recognized strong prob
ability that this candidacy will be sue.
cessful, invests with new interest the
facts in Mr. Elkn's career.
John p. Elkin was born on Jan. II,
1860, on Il farm in West Mahoning
township. Indiana county, Pa. He re-
ceived his rudimentary education in
the common schools of that county.
While he was Il lad of ~ years. his
father organized the first industry to
manufacture tin plate in this country.
The corporation organized by him was
known as the American Tin-Plate COM
pany and was located in Wellsville,
Ohio. The panic of 1873 having proved
disastrous to the enterprise, young
Elkin was compelled to get employ
ment in the iron mills which his father
had erected. For almost two years he
worked at manual labor as mill
hand. During all this time he spent
his nights in study, and supplemented
his studies by a course in the high
school of WellsYille. from which he
was graduated in his fifteenth year.
He then returned to his native county
in this state and began his career in
public life as a teacher in the common
schools. He taught his first school be-
fore he was 1f veorS of oon IIa onn
tinued teaching during the winter and
attending school in the summer for five
years. at which time he was graduated
from the Indiana State Normal school
of Pennsylvania. After his graduation
from the Normal school he was select
ed as professor of an academy and
spent one year and a half in giving
instruction in academic work.
AT the end of this time. with the
money he had saved as a school teach
cr. supplemented by that which he was
able to borrow from Il good friend, Civ
ing as security his life insurance pol
icy he entered the University of Mich
iSan. In his class at the university
were l29 young men gathered together
from II states and three territories,
and hence ii was no small honor to
have carried off the honors of his class
as he did. Graduating at the head of
his class he was selected commence
ment orator as II mark of college dis
tinction. While yet a student and
prior to his graduation at the univer-
sity, his friends announced his name
as candidate for the Legislature in
Indiana county. He conducted his
campaign while pursuing his studies at
the university, by writing letters to
his constituents. The primaries were
held few days after his return from
Michigan. He was nominated by pop
ulnr vote ut the primaries by the lar
gest majority ever given II candidate
in his county up TO that time.
He came into the legislature of 1885
as the baby member. He was returned
by his constituents to the session of
1887 by an increased majority. He
took an active and leading part in the
legislation of that session. In 1883 he
was elected as Il delegate to the state
convention. In 1890 he was again elect
ed as a delegate to the state conven-
tion in one of the most hotly contested
campaigns that has ever been waged
in his county. In 1891 he was the per-
manent chairman of the state conven-
tion that nominated Gregg and Nor
rison for auditor general and state
treasurer, In 1895 he was appointed
deputy attorney general, in which cap
acity he served for nearly three years
when he resigned. In 1896 he was
elected delegate to the national con-
vention in the Twenty-frst congress
slonal district. After the nomination
of. Mckinley and his return from st.
Louis, he was elected chairman of the
Republican state committee and or
gdnized what has been regarded as the
most successful campaign ever waged
in this state. Through his leadership
Mckinley received 100000 plurality in
Pennsylvania, This is the largest plu-
rality that was ever recorded for a
presidential candidate in this or any
other state, since the formation OF our
government. lie was unanimously re-
elected chairman in 1897 during which
year there was great deal of facton-
al feeling and party strife. Yet he
succeeded in marshalling the Republl-
can forces in such manner as TO
elect the state ticket by a pronounced
plurality. Ills work was so satisfac-
tory 10 the Republicans of the state
thai be was unanimously reelected