The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-08
STORY OF The MAYOR
or PHILADELPHIA
ne Remarkable History of an
Honest Executive of a
Corrupt Town.
TILL RECENTLY
Had Lived in the Sleepy City Most Of
His Life Without Being piscov-
ered-A Man Of Absolutely
lndomitabie Will.

ram away from London and turned
back again. to become Its lord mayor.
John Weaver ran away from England
and turned not back again, to become
mayor of what is known as the most
American of Americas big cities
Philadelphia. Ills is a remarkable
story OF success that is all the more
Quaker city executive to give satisfac-
ton to all classes within the last twen-
" years.
my boy said the elder Weaver to
John, when the latter was in his six
teenth year, nov that you're getting
to be q man, I wish you'd decide on
what you're going to do and then set
tie down here"
"But 7 don't want to stay in Eng
land was the reply. Chances are
better in American, and / want to start
life there"
The father, English through and
through, took q decidedly different
stand: You are to stay right here"
was his sultinatum.
But the boy was not to be deferred
by any parental command from his am
bition to go to America and carve out
his fortune. He set to work to earn his
w money SO that he would not have
to start out empty handed, and when
he had a small sum together he quietly
decamped one day, made his way to
Liverpool. found a ship that would car
~ him over for a song, and set sail
for the land Of his boyhood's dreams.
That was twenty-seven years ago.
Two years ago the republican organiza-
tion of Philadelphia was looking
around for a4suitable candidate for the
office of district attorney. The man
then the incumbent was persona non
grata; he had placed Senator Matthew
Ston1au Ohm IN thu rri cnroor ,, q hny or1
tried hard to convict him. The leaders
consulted long about this and thai
prominent lawyer, but without result.
Finally, when the solvers of the prob
lem were beginning to despair, Mayor
Samuel As%hbridges director of public
safety. Abraham l.. English, who was
also commodore of the Philadelphia
Yacht club. offered a suggestion
a Pretty Decent Fellow.
One Of the enthusiastic members OF
the yacht club is a lawyer of the name
Of John Weaver" he began.
who's John Weaver" asked the
mayor.
sWell,'' replied the director of public
safety. hes q pretty decent sort Of
fellow, and he has a law office down
town somewhere. But he hasn't taken
stand that's the kind of a man we're
looking for to nominate for district at
torney.n
Know anything else about him?'
asked the mayor.
why, yes, / believe he teaches a
bible class up in. Tioga."
The mayor thought a moment.
III guess TalI tell Durham about
Weaver" he said.
Several days later three men sat in
the cabin of the yacht that floated the
pennant OF the philadelphia Yacht
clubs commodore.
81 think we've found the man for
district attorney said Mr.. Ashbridge.
Who Is he r." asked Israel Durham,
leader Of the republican organization.
John Weaver" ss!l the mayor.
who's John Weaver?" asked Mr..
Durham, In unfeigned establishment.
Why" spoke up Mr.. English, hes
q member of the Young Mems Repub-
ncan club and Of the yacht club, and
oh, yes. by the way, he teaches a bible
class up in Tioga, and
Has a Record.
He was Interrupted by Mr.. Durham.
weaver Is our man." he declared em-
phatically. Hell he the next district
attorney. His Sunday school record
will satisfy a great part of the opposi-
ton by proving to it that we can do
what 1T says we can or won't-put up
q respectable a And, you know
unless we divide the opposition 1t will
be powerful"
The candidate was found; the next
thing was to learn whether he would
run. To that end a Reputation of po-
litical leaders looked in the city direc-
tory to get h business address of John
Weaver, lawyer, and later introduce
themselves to him in an unpretentious
office in the lower part of the city.
Then they utterly astounded him by
offering him the nomination. 1t was
some time before he could make reply;
when he did. 1t was to say:
/" will accept the nomination, and"
he added, II will do my duty as I see
It I'LL am elected
John Weaver's friends and ~acquaint-
ances a that it has been his un-
swerying allegiance to the principle to
do his duty as he sect 1t that has adj
yaflced him successfully from grocery
boy to dry goods clerk, to stenographer
In a law Office, to the bar and to the
m~ayoralty. BE that as 1t may, the
leaders Of the republican party, upon
his acceptance, let 1t be known that the
man the party would nominate for the
office of district attorney was named
John Weaver.
John Weaver?n said Philadelphians
searching their memories. John Wea-
yer? Who's John Weayer?"
Hard to Identity.
In a day the whole city was asking
the question, who's John Weaver?.
and newspaper men and other seekers
after political information were hunt.
Ing high and low for John Weaver
TITS a Joke said some; and 'tJohr
Weaver's a myth" said others who haS
been unable to locate the new star or
The political horizon. Meantime Johl
Weaver went about as usual. attending
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