Harrisburg telegraph. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, November 04, 1918, Image 11

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' Anuitioua as i am to !>- Lcvvrnor oi this great State, and anxious as i am to work out some of the plans
] have developed in a long study of the Commonwealth's affairs, I cannot and will not be a factional Governor,
nor would I be a candidate on such a platform. The Governorship of Pennsylvania is a great office; the op
portunities for real service it offers should be an inspiration to any citizen." declared Senator Sprout.
NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR
HAS VARIED CAREER
As Newspaper Editor, Foundryman, Ship
builder, Lawmaker, Good Roads Cham
pion, Financier and Clubman, Republi
can Standard Bearer in Pennslyuania Is
. an Ideal Candidate
"A man of dction and of achievement;
the man of the hour in the civic life of
Pennsylvania," as State Senator Wil
■yam Cameron Sproul has been aptly
described, will be chosen Governor of
Pennsylvania at the election on Tuesday
nest f
He is not only the nominee of the
Republican Party, named in a popular
vote at the uniform primaries and re
ceiving a total of 353,000 ballots to 149,-
t00 for his nearest rival, but his can
* didacy is receiving the support of many
thousands of Democrats who are not in
sympathy with the views o'f the nomi
nee of their party and who believe that
Senator Sproul is the logical man to fill
the role of chief executive of this Com
monwealth and to meet the many im
portant and unusual problems with
which the administration will be con
fronted following the termination of the
v ar.
In Senator Sproul Is found a man of
affairs, an experienced newspaper editor
and publisher, a foundryraan and build
o" of ships, a financier, a lawmaker, a
former, not a faddist, but a farmer who
makes his farm pay, an owner and pro
moter of three large and prosperous
Pennsylvania orchards, one in Cumber
m
land county, one in Cohimbia county and
the other in Wyoming county and to top
all this off he is a clubman and as the
president of the Union League of Phila
delphia is in touch with the big men of
the State, men who' do things arffi who
I can be reiied upon to support and sus
tain his administration in every big.
broad patriotic policy which he shall
foster.
Senator Sproul is a native Pennsyl
ciUiian. His grandfather, 'Squire Sam
uel Slokom, was chairman of the Re
publican County Executive Committee
for'twelve years, so that he has the
presentigc of stalwart Republican an
cestry. He was born- at Andrews
Bridge, Colernin township, Lancaster
county, on September lfl, 1870, the
sou of William Hall and . Deborah
(Slokom) Soroul.
His middle name was given him in
honor of General Simon Cameron for
years the potential leader of the Repub
lican organization and an important fig
ure in national politics of Pennsylvania.
He married when he was twenty-one
years old, wedding Miss Elenoa Wallace
Roach, a daughter,of John B. Roach, i
ship builder, and grand daughter of John
Roach, founder of ship building bus-
iness in Chester and who has been rev
erently referred to by many conspicuous
| officers in the service of Uncle Sam
as "the father" of the United States
: Navy.
For four generations the Spjouls
have been iron masters and it logically
followed that the present candidate for
the Governorship of Pennsylvania would
be identified with these and kindred
interests.
The Senator's father was an officer
of the Iron Cliffs Company and eight
| years of the future Governor's early
boyhood were spent in the busy little
city of Negaunee, where the furnsces
and the general offices of the corpora-
I tion were located. An uncle by mar
riage, Thomas J. Houston, also lived
i there and was a commanding figure in
| the community. His energy and ability
set a fine example for the lad, and Sen-
I ator Sproul has often said that the pa
tience of his father, of his grandfather
and his Uncle Thomas in aswering ques |
tions was beyond belief.
Mrs. Sproul's lineage, as is the case
with the Senator, is distinguished. Her
great-great-great-grandfather was John
Paulding, who was one of the captors
of the unfortunate Major Andre, of the
English Army, in the Revolutionary
War. On her mother's side she is
descended from a prominent Colqnial
family from Dutchess county, New
York. She is a member of the Co
lonial Dames, the Daughters of the
Revolution and other such organiza
tions. but sets more store by what she,
her husband and their children do than
in the achievements of her ancestors,
honorable as they were. „
Sproul, after receiving instruction at
private schools, part of which time was
I spent in the schools at Christiana, Lan- 1
cister opnnty. entered the High.
School at Chester in ISS3. He could
Jiave beeu graduated from that institu
ftion at sixteen, but preferred to stay !
with tlfe old class and be< qualified as a
in 1887.
® Sproul entered Swarthmore as a 1
w Freshman that fall and was assigned j
' to room with an old friend with whom I
he had gone to school at Christiana,
Maurice J. Briuton, now a leading bus
iness man of Lancaster county. Pretty
soon, however, Brinton left college and
two outstanding figures in Pennsylvania
politics of today found themselves shar
ing the same room—William Cameron ,
Sproul and Alexander Mitchell Palmer, j
Palmer, who is Democratic National l
Commmitteeman and Alien Property j
Custodian under the Wilson adrainistra- ;
tion,_ has repudiated the Democratic I
nominee for Governor and it is believed I
that many of his supporters throughout
the State will vote for Senator Sproul.
| The Sprouls have two children. John
Itoaoh Sproul was born Januarv
30, 1895. He followed his father to
Chester High School, finished his prep
aration at Mereersburg and then enter
ed Swarthmore College, where be was I
not only a good student but came to the
, front in all college activities. He was
a star in baseball and in basketball and
was about to start upon bis business
i career when the offl of liis country took
him to the first Fort Niagara Camp,
where he won a commission as second
lieutenant and was chosen for the iteg-
I ular Army. He was promoted to A first
lieutenancy in October, 1917, and went I
to France that winter. There he was j
very active in the early fighting done by
American forces, taking part in the sec- i
ond battle of the Marne, where he was 1
signal officer. He was gassed last
July and it must not be overlooked that i
he was cited for bravery. He got back 1
to the front and to bis command as soon '
as possible and he has been actively
fighting ever since. He is big, as is his
father. Six feet three inches is his
height and be weighs over two hundred
pounds.
The daughter, Dorothy, who borrows
' animation from her mother, now sad
dened by her sudden widowhood* was i
married to Henry J. Klaer on October 7,
1914. Klaer. tall, straight as a strip
ling, active in athletics, was a son of
Judge Jacob Klaer. of Milford, Pike
; county, where his family is prominent.
He prepared at Blairstown Academy
and was graduated from the University
of Pennsylvania, quickly winning dis
tinction as a chemical engineer. Filling
positions of a responsible kind in the J
steel industry he came to the front ran
i idly and at the time of bia death, early
in this month, was vice president of the
Penn Seaboard Steel Corporation, with
every promise of a brilliant future. He
was captain of Company 7, First Pedi
ment Pennsylvania Ueoorve Militia,
; wliifh paid him final honors in firing a
salute over his grave. He took an ac- ,
j tive part iu all public movements in Del
; aware county.
Jane, the first child of the young run- 1
pie, is now three years old, and is uu
commonly large for her age. l?y hoc |
winsortiness and the general fascination |
and charm of her baby personality she
has bewitched ail her relatives, as in
deed she does all who come into con- |
tact with her. The second child waß '
a boy, named for the Senator, William i
Sproul Klaer. His death, on November !
ti. 1917, aged 14 mouths, brought itw|
first real grief to the family.
Without any prompting, Jane defer- j
mined to call Senator Sproul "Big Pop," I
which she does invariably in ud'lrcssiug
him —probably her baby idea of <iistin- \
guishing between him and her other j
"Pop," now, alas! lost to ier.
The Senator doubtless thinks lie is!
"the boss" about his place in Nether 1
Providence, but a casual observer with
half an eye could not rail >o notice that j
the real" boss" is none other thanl
Janic.
Lapidea Manor, the home of the
Sprouts, is just outside Chester, in J
Nether Providence Township, Delaware j
County. It is one of the most interest- \
ing as well as one of the most bea®i- i
fill homesteads in the countr?.
Senator Sproul naturally drifted into i
a practical newspaper life following his j
boyhood experience in amateur jour- i
nalism and his activities as a corre- j
spondent for metropolitan journals dur
ing lpß later college days.
In" March of 1592 an opportunity I
came to acquire a half interest in the |
Chester Times and thus began his part- \
r.ership with his old preceptor, John A. j
Wallace, which lasted uiftil the lattar's
death five years ago. At that time a son i
of the elder Wallace. Frank C. Wal
lace, and Charles 11. Lone, who had j
gone to the Times in the same vear !
Sproul did and had become business
manager, became partners with Sproul.
the business being incorporated with
Senator Sproul as president, Mr. Wal- j
lace as secretary and Mr. Long as |
treasurer.
For several years Sproul gave his
undivided attention to the newsnaner.
becoming familiar with every phase of
the business, and devoting to it direct
editorial and business care. The Times
became very successful and is one of
the best-looking and most prosperous
dailies in the State. About ten venrs
ago the Morning Republican, an old
established journal which had become
a daily, was purchased, and is published
as a morning edition with the Times
appearing in the evening, Senator
Sprout stiH being at the helm as presi
dent of the publishing company.
About eight years ago Frederic \V.
Fleitz, of Scrauton, a Tioga county
farm lad, former Deputy Attorney Gen
eral, who lived at the Harrisburg Club
with Sproul, convinced the Senator
that the fruit industry in Pennsylvania
should be developed and that not only
would a good object be served for the
people of the State, but a good business
could be.built up in raising fruit. Fleitz
had given the matter much study and"
hud the plan thoroughly mapped out,
so three Splendid farms on the shale
hills back of Mechanicsburg, Cumber
land county, were acquired as* a starter.
The firm of Fleitz & Sproul, fruit grow
ers, was organized and operations be
gan.
Since that time a tract along the
north branch of tfic Susquehanna at
Vosburg, in Wyoming county, has been
acquired, and the John G. McHenry
place, a splendid tract, at Kenton, Col
umbia county, has 'boon added to the
enterprise. All in all the firm has
-<•00 acres of the best of Pennsylva
nia lands and over 100,000 fruit trees
have been planted, beside* other small
fruits and ordinary crops.
Ileal farmers of the couatiy round
about know that Sproul is one of them.
He is Cyj proud if rot prouder, of hie.
. teuioeisUip in tbu iirookbaven Grange,
Patrons of Husbandry, as he v is of his
many connections with some of the
. i ost important clubs and organizations
jiu the countrj - . Recently the grange
j gave him n reception at Media, and it \
■I so pleased him that he did not hesi
i j tnte to say that he considers it one
, of the _ greatest honors which it has'
been bis lot to enjoy.
I Throughout his Legislative career
Senator Sproul has shown a consist-
I cut sympathy with a!! movements tend
! i'tft to improve conditions for farmers.
I With him the idea that the farmer is
► too heavily taxed amounts almost to an
obsession. He has worked long and,
earnestly to effect what he considers!
just and proper changes in the way the
! farmer shall be taxed. He lias 'been 1
: entirely sound on all farm legislation 1
and lie was largely instrumental iu!
having established the Bureau of Mar
foots in this Stftte, which docs such ex
| cellent practical work in making easier
and more profitable the marketing of
farm products.
| Senator Sproul was twenty-six
years old when ho was first elected to
| the State Senate. lie followed in the
j steps of his forbear Nicholas Newlin,
of \Viiham I'enii. who was a'
| member of the Pennsylvania Provincial
Assembly, and in those of the great
! grandsons of this Newlin, who reprc-
I sented tn the State Senate the same
district that Sproul does today.
| In 1593 Sproul was elected resi
| dent pro tern of the Senate, and he
j presided over that body in the session
ot IJOo. He has ever since been a
leader anil has helped to shape all of
the important legislation that has been
| enacted during that period.
! H . e i . s ..t lle author of t}ie Sproul good
I roads bill, and sponsored the proposed
constitutional amendment enllmg for
fifty millions of dollars for the iniprove
| nicnt . °' ll) e State highways, but the
I people then did not realize the neces
sity for these expenditures and defeat
| ed the amendment. He introduced the
proposition in 1915 and again in 1917
11,I 1 ,' 1 . „ ♦ v £ ters , wUI have opportun
j it) next Tuesday to again pass upon
Main- indorsements of Senator
Sproul s legislative career have come
from various organizations, not the
least enthusiastic of which was that
from the Railroad Men s Political Al
liance, which has strongly commended
ins candidacy.
I , ,? hc Iftfslative Committee of the
Indianapolis Convention of the United
i .Mine Workers of America in Janu
ary last adopted resolutions commend
•ng Senator Sproul for his support of
bills providing protection to labor and
other humanitarian measures.
Senator Sproul has for years taken
a keen interest in polities. He baa upon
more than one occasion evinced a dis
position to act independently of the
wishes of recognized lenders and the
impress of his personality upon the
P.uty organization is found not only in
Jus home district but in the State at
large.
WHium I. Schaffer, president of the
l enlisylvania Bar Association, and one
|or the most intimate friends of the
r Senator, has said of Sproul: "His
. mynatiiips iiro of the kind which never
fal '— hc * s fidelity plus."
Former Postmaster General John
uDomaker, in a personal letter to the
candidate, strongly Indorsing him for
the Governorship, among other things
wrote, 'The host thing that I know
about you is that yon know how to keep
the fuith."
As a member of the Legislature ho
,sa!d he "had kept the faith." Th<
distinguished Pennsylvanian then add
ed:
"It will be a pleasure to place you
in the Governor's chair at this partic
ular time,- when ivv expect the errly
reiurn of ur soldier and sailor boys,
who have done so Urge a part in their
brave heroic service in winning the
war.
"I'aansyivitu.-. i <1 ;.c,„ ■
.rusts you to ae thst her wounded
MISS JANE SPROUL KLAER
The granddaughter, who rules the Sproul household.
and crippled aona of the battlefield
ahall not only be honored, but cared
for."
Mr. Wanamaker'a letter recalls a
declaration from Senator Sproul's plat
form in which he said:
"In this connection much remains to
be done to lighten the load of respon
sibility and worry upon the brave hearts
of those of our sons who have gone to
the front, thnt those who are left be
hind and arc dependent upon them are
decently cared for while our defenders
arc absent. The State and its commu
nities should sec to it that not a de
pendent wife or child, parent or sia
i<M. or other one deir to the heart of
and soldier or aaitor from Fonnaylva
nin lacks comfortable sustenance while
the war ia on."
Senator Sproul'a activities in the Sun '
Shipbuilding Company at Chester, the
Penn Seaboard Steel Corporation, his
coal and lumber interests In West Vir
ginia, the Lebanon Valley Iron and
Steel Company, the Laurel Line, the
high speed transit system connecting
Wilkes-Barrc and Scranton, of which he
is president, and his many other con
nections of a similar character, stamp
him as one who is exceptionally quali
fied to take hold of the affairs of the
State and to solve the big problem*
which will Inevitably confront the Ctfbs
monwealth within the next four yeMn>