The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-07-23

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Alton Brooks Parker. was born at
Cortland. N y, NAY IL. 1852, and is
the son Of John Brooks Parker and
Hsrriet +. Stratton. His ancestors
for several generations were residents
Of Massachusetts, his great grandfath-
er, John Parker having served for
three years in the war Of the Revolu-
tion. His early education was OBJ
tained in the academy and normal
schools Of Cortland, where his par
ents resided At the age Of 1e he
commenced teaching in order to en-
able him TO continue at school, after
which he adopted the law as profes-
sion. But it was by no means all
plain sailing. His family was not in
affluent circumstances, and It became
necessary for him, besides working
on the farm during the summer, u
obtain other employment in order 70
enable him to attend the academy and
normal school as well as the law
school This he did not hesitate to
do; any honorable employment was
eagerly sought
The first wintcr after he was 16 he
started out to secure his first employ
ment as teacher After a thirteen.
mile drive and numerous disappoint-
inonts, he was engaged by the trustees
Of Virgil township school in his home
county. Later he entered the normal
school and the following winter taught
school ia the neighborhood OF Bing-
halnton. The next winter Pref. ]. a.
Hoose, the principai of the Cortland
normal school, received an application
from school in Accord, Ulster county
for a principal Of a school, with wages
at SO a day and he asked young Par
ker TO take 1t. He was only too glad
of the opportunity and after teach
ing about seven, months, he entered
thp office Of Schoonmaker & Harden.
burk as a law student Soon after en-.
tering Mr. schoonmakers Office. the
latter, who was then serving his sec
ond term as county judge. was defeat
ed for reelection after a hard cam
paign and was so disheartened that he
decided 20 withdraw altogether from
politics.
Goes into Politics.
Believing that his patron was un-
duly discouraged and that he was stil
very strong with the people, young
Parker arranged for Mr.. schoonmak-
ers nomination for state senator in
1875 and prevailed upon him to accept
The Young lawyer so well managed the
campaign that Mr.. schoonmaker was
elected by a large majority and his
prestige in politics fully restored, for
he was. in 1877, elected attorney gen
eral, renominated in 1879. nominated
for Judge of the court Of appeals In
1880, and subsequently appointed in
terstate commerce commissioner by
President Cleveland.
In the year 1877 young Parkers
prominence and popularity in his party
brought him forward as the party's
candidate for the Office Of surrogate.
then held by a most able and popular
Republican lawyer of the county. Ho
was nominated in a hotly contested
convention and notwithstanding his on.
ponent for the candidacy bolted his
nomination. he was elected, being the
only candidate elected on the ticket.
y His popularity with the voters was
stiil more strikingly shown in 1883,
when, after having served six years
as surrogate he was reelected to the
ofice by a majority Of l,400 in total
number Of $4,000 against a competitor
Judge William Lawton-whose pop
ularity as county Judge had carried
the county twice successfully by large
maiorities, and again he was the only