The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1905-02-17
Farmer Boy Is Now Secretary
to a Governor = By o. n. Potter =

In the appointment of Jahes Whit |
taker of Chicago as private secretary
to Governor Deneen, the boy from the
country has scored again. Mr.. Whit
taker the product of an Iowa firm, has,
by patient. persistent endeavor won for
himself a post of honor and monetary
recompense. He is another disciple of
Isaac Pitman, that statesman who dis
covered" such men as Congressman r.
r. Hit and George Bruce Cortelyou.
Mr.. Pitman had the faculty of dis
covering pliable timber young men,
who, with training and their own abil-
| fly, have been successful in politics,
| business, or the professions.
Mr.. Viii taker was born under the
British flag. his place of nativity being
| Manchester. Left an orphan at the
age of 10, he ran away from his rela-
tives at Manchester to Liverpool where
he expected to become a full fiedged
! seaman.
| Kept from Becoming Sailor
In this. however he was circumvent-
ed by an uncle, who sent the lad to New
York From there he was sent to Iowa
with several other orphans by a benev-
client society. The boy was deposited
in that part of Iowa where the Iowa
river joins the Mississippi. Here he
was given over to a farmer to raise"
The boy had had little schooling. but,
working faithfully and having a love
for books. he gained an education.
His farm life with his rst-employer
. continued untf he was twenty-one, at
which time an epoch marked his life.
, 1t was then he met o. P. Smith, fine
old style Emersonian Yankee.
Literary Farmer Aids Him
( The young man went to work on the
Smith farm. which was the rendezvous
3 He had an extensive library of which
the young man was allowed to take
e full advantage.
The scholar farmers wife was in
e clined to education as we'll as her hus.
= band. and under her guidance, with the
d aid of their daughter, the young mar
t took up the study of Latin. Four hun.
= dred lines per week was his regular
d lesson after he had been initiated int
t the mysteries of the language.
h Studies Shorthand at Night
S In addition. he took up the study o
d shorthand and with their help he, il
# one winters time. had perfected him
;. self Ter that craft.
i Mr.. Whitaker came to Chicago il
If 1885, prepared to follow the vocation
r. which he had taken up. with an ulti
al mate eye to becoming a lawyer.
% He was engaged by Attorney Arthu
1t Ryerson. Under Mr.. Ryerson's sympa
1t thetic interest and advice the stenog
l. rapher studied law. Two years later h
); was admitted to the bar.
at He was made court reporter 4
s6 1898. place for which he was sug
m gested by close friend and bushes
t: associate, James Todd, assistant state
Mt attorney under Jacob Kern. He hel
&c this position during the years whic
Id 5. Deneen when the present governo
OF succeeded Mr. Kern in 1895 In th
nd service Mr.. Whitaker won his spurs.
it Wins by Excellent Work
al He was faithful. quick. and enc,
getic. lie proved to be OF exception;
value in the states attorneys offic
and his work attracted the attention ,
an MIR. Deneen. When Air. Deneen looke
nd around for a man to be his private Sc,
e. rotary his choice naturally fell upe
r. MIR. Whitaker.
Mr.. Whitaker has the record of b.