Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1912 — Nominee for Governor [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Nominee for Governor

Sarnutl AioTfcLt Ralston was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, December 1, 1857. He is of Scottish-Irish descent. His father, John Ralston, was a native of “Old Virginia,” and his mother, Sarah Ralston, nee Scott, was a native of Pennsylvania. In 1865 they moved to Owen County, Indiana, where the father owned and operated a large farm and dealt in live stock. While residing here Samuel did the usual work that falls to the lot of a boy on a farm. He always enjoyed working with the stock on the farm. He is a lover of animals. He felled trees, sawed logs and marketed lumber with ox teams. Afterward he worked at sinking a coal shaft and mining coal. With the assistance of one helper, he sunk with his owfi hands the first coal shafe that was put down at Fontanet, in Vigo County, and secured a horse, the first piece of property he ever owned, by his work at this mine. For several years he taught school. He attended the Northern Indiana Normal College at Valparaiso and the Central Normal College at Danville, Indiana, being graduated from the scientific course of the latter Institution August 1, 1884. He then took up the study of law at Spencer, Ind., and in June, 1886, he began the practice of his profession at Lebanon, where he has since lived. As a lawyer he has achieved a distinction equalled by but few men in the State.

SAMUEL M. RALSTON.