Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/288

 Charles Emory Smith followed suit with the statement that I was “the ablest, truest and bravest candidate for governor that has been nominated in Pennsylvania in a quarter of a century.” The day before election Quay, who had himself been state chairman and conducted the contest, gave out to the public his calculation that I would have a majority in the state of 163,435 votes. The official returns, later tabulated, showed that my majority over Pattison was 142,350 and that I had polled 593,328 votes, the largest number ever given to a candidate for governor in this state down to the present time (1914). There was much jubilation and some serious thought over the result within the state and it may be added, incidentally, that it gratified Com Paul Kruger, who spoke warmly upon the subject, and many people in Ireland and Holland, in which countries there was considerable comment.

At my house for the next two months I held an almost continuous reception of persons, who wanted to fill the places under the control of the administration, and their friends. Among the very first was Charles Emory Smith, who came to urge that I appoint his friend, Captain John C. Delaney, factory inspector. James M. Shumaker came with a delegation from Johnstown asking to be appointed superintendent of grounds and buildings, and the result of a long and sifting cross-examination was that he pleased me very much, and I never saw any reason later to change the impression he then gave. A young man named H. A. Surface came to see me every few days. He had no political support whatever, but he made up for it in zeal.

There was an office on “the Hill” which had the imposing designation of “Economic Zoologist.” It was filled by George Hutchinson, a hale, stout, agreeable fellow from the western part of the state who could hardly tell a cricket from a grasshopper, but who knew right well every voter in his township and how to bring him along. Surface wanted 272