Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-23
HOW MARTIN MADE
GOOD IN HIS YOUTH
Judge Orlady Speaks About the
Struggles Of the Republican
Candidate to Get Along
PAID OFF FATHERS DEBTS
Intimate Story of the Early Years
From Man Who Knows DR..
Brumbaugh's Life
PAID OFF FATHERS DEBTS


perior Court who was district attor- |
ney of Huntingdon county when he |
was only thirty, and who is known all |
over the State, has a profound ad-
miration for Martin G. Brumbaugh, |
the Republican candidate for Cover |
nor of PENNSYLVANIA. Judge Orlady |
in talking about the candidates
i younger days said: "One day a long
legged country boy came into my Of
flee and said that he would like to be
the huntington county superinten-
/ dent OF schools. He asked me if |
were in favor of his election and what |
thought his chances would be.
Il Il wished him good luck but said |
that l did not think he had much |
chance because he was so young, had |
no political influence and nothing but
| his sturdy young self to depend upon. |
That young man was Martin G. Brum-
baugh. the Republican candidate for |
| Governor. After he left me he walked |
all over that county visiting every di- |
rector and soliciting support.
And strangely enough that brings |
me to another story that illustrates an
other point in DR.. Brumbaugh's char |
acter. When he was a youngster, his !
/ father bought 1000 acres of timber |
land from ]. Simpson Africa, for the |
purpose of giving the men who owed |
him for the supplies that they had |
bought in his store chance to work |
camps, and, of course, like those |
things usually work out instead of |
paying their debts, these men bought |
more than they were earning.
Went to Fathers Aid
when DR.. Brumbaugh was s years
of age an bleaching in Juniata College
and just graduating there, his uncle |
Henry, farmer, went to him one day
and said: Your fathers property has
been attached. 1t will have to be sold
at sheriffs sale, and it is due to the
fact that he would not collect his ac-
counts, and the people owe him more
than he owes, but his accounts cannot
be collected and so his property will
have to be sold. The church had a
conference at James Creek over this
matter, and they decided that, if you
would take charge of your fathers
business as soon as you become of age,
and pay back the money, the congre-
cation would get together, each one
put in what he could, and give the
money to me. and I am to buy your
fathers property at sheriff's sale. 1
will give him notes, and the members
of the congregation and 1 will hold
the property as my protection until,
you pay off these notes, and when you
pay off these notes, l will deed the
property back to you and your father.
You are under age; you cannot do
more than give me your word Will
you do it?'
THAT was a staggering load to put
on young mans shoulders, but
Brumbaugh never wavered and saidsI
he would assume his fathers debts.
The members of the church gave such
sums as they had and took his Uncle
Henry's notes, and he went to the
sheriff's sale and got the sehriffs deed
for the property. When DIR. Brum-
baugh became of age the first business
he undertook was to pay that debt.
Chopped Trees
This business was a contract to fur
nish telegraph poles to the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad. After school and on
Saturdays and on holidays and all
through the summer young Brum-
baugh worked to get out the poles.
Finally, after the poles were all out
they were worked down the river to
a boom at Ardenheim, where they
were to be delivered f. o. b. 1t was
in July, and young Brumbaugh worked
all day and by the light of the moon
at night to get these logs over the
shoals, because the river was low.
Suddenly there came a heavy rain
which resulted in freshet that car
ried the poles down into the boom,
smashed the boom and sent those
poles all the way down the Juniata
to Harrisburg. There was nothing for
young BTumDduSn 10 40 put TO take q
cant hook and, with his father they
worked down the river, rolled the logs
in and floated them to the nearest
railroad station. where they were load
ed. The two slept in barns, lived on
milk and what they bought from farm
ers. and followed those poles all the
way to Newport. In spite of the mis-
hap, DIR. Brumbaugh has since told
me that he cleared s2,1OO on that con-
tract.