Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-18

q shelter until he was able to secure
foothold In his adopted country.
1t was struggle mt first. Mr.. Weaver
admitted that in an address to the
Young Mems Christian association in
Philadelphia last winter. He said that
one of the most difficult things he had
ever done was to abstain from the lux
Try of putting an N" before every
word beginning with a vowel and to re-
frain from decapltating every word
that ought to have it. He knew that he
could never lay absolute claim to Amer
lean citizenship, he. declared smilingly,
until he should accomplish the feat. and
he set about it with such energy that at
the end Of his first year in Philadelphia
he had Invested himself ef his Devon-
shire marks of identification.
Then he obtained a situation in q de-
partment store at 81 a week. AS mayor
OF Philadelphia he receives a salary of
$4,000 year, but he assured the young
men at his lecture that the latter sum
seemed paltry and sadly inadequate
when he remembered the spirit ct f1nan-
cial independence which animated him
when. he first realized that lle was
worth dollar day. In the intervals
he applied himself diligently to the
study of shorthand. that stepping stone
in the upward careers of so many sue
cessful men. He soon became SO ex-
pert at recording dictation that he was
able to find position In an attorneys
Office. This change enabled him to
crafty long cherished ambition-he
might now begin the study of law,
which he had always intended to do.
Before being admitted to the bar Mr..
Weaver was law stenographer and re-
corder of the Philadelphia Law acade-
my, of which he subsequently became
successfully treasurer, vice president
and president. When he was admitted
to the bar he became attached to the
Office Of the corporation counsel and at
once entered upon a life of yeoman
service. He soon secured reputation
as an untiring party worker, and his
diligence and devotion to party inter-
ests had its speedy reward. Once more
opportunity raped at his door when
the Republican leaders Of the Quaker
City, almost in despair over the diff
Guilty of securing candidate acceptable
to all wings of the party, were search
ing in the political market place for q
man whom they could trust Implicitly
in the office of district attorney. Al
ged and fearless young Englishman who
had toiled in the law Office every week.
day and taken volumes of dictation
without betraying sign of fatigue OF
demanding word of explanation came
into prominence. why not nominate
John Weaver" somebody ventured.
Why not, indeed? The voters of all
political creeds were demanding al
change. Affairs in the district attor-
ney's Office We're being conducted to
suit no man, but opposition to reform
was we'll intrenched, and it's henchmen
began to ask satirically, "Who is John
Weaver" The moment had arrived for
John Weaver to show them who he was.
and he did it. In one of the most fierce
ly contested campaigns ever fought in
the City of Brotherly Love John Wea-
yer triumphed. 1t is a fact, however,
that at the time of his nomination he
was practically unknown in the city of
his adoption His life had been so de-
voted to securing foothold that he had
not found time to cultivate political ac-
quaintances. When his nomination was
announced in the papers there were no
accompanying sketches throwing light
upon his personality. In a day all the
journalistic sleuths in the city We're in
search of John Weaver. When they
found him they We're not made much
the wiser; he was exceedingly agree
able in his manner, but he had little to
communicate beyond the fact that he |
had tolerably sxacting law practice
and on Sundays taught a Bible class in
the Tioga Baptist church.
The first definite personal charge
against Mr.. Weaver to be made public |
was the fact that he was naturalized |
Englishman. This had been overlooked
at the time of his nomination, and its
discovery threw his political supporters