Clay County Alabama Newspaper Articles   Washington, February 21 —(Special.)— H. B. Harrison was today appointed postmaster at Bluffton, Clay county. Alabama postmasters appointed today : J. M. Leroy, Sidney, Marshall county; J. B. Spence, Toney, Madison county. Source: Atlanta Constitution February 22, 1902; Submitted by Janice Rice Hugo Lafayette Black, U. S. senator from Alabama named to the U. S. supreme court, was born in the rural community of Ashland, Clay county, Alabama, on Feb. 27,1886. He was the son of William Lafayette Black a store keeper. His full name is Hugo Lafayette Black. His story, until the storm broke over his appointment to the supreme court, follows the traditional patterns of the American success story. He picked cotton, worked behind the counter in his father's general stove, attended the local grade schools. When other boys were playing ball or starting out on fishing trips, he stayed behind to sit in the courthouse at Ashland. Talk of lawyers fascinated him, and it was at this period that he decided to study law. Left and orphan he worked his way through Alabama University to a law degree in 1906. Five feet nine with a keen look to his face, he returned to Ashland and hung out his shingle. The young barrister set up practice in Ashland. One morning: he found the frame building, in which his office was situated, burned to the ground. It was a "fortunate" fire. He turned away from Ashland with $10 as his sole wealth. Packing his belongings, young Black set out for Birmingham, Alabama's metropolis. Four years after he arrived in the city he was chosen city recorder or police judge. That was in 1910. He cleaned the overcrowded docket in a short time Next important post for the rising young attorney was the office of county solicitor. He assumed that office In 1915 at 29. He was re-elected to a third term in 1917 but the World war broke out. He resigned in October, 1917, to train as an officer. Black went to second officers' training camp at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and was commissioned a captain in the 81st artillery. He missed service overseas by appointment as adjutant at brigade headquarters of the 19th artillery brigade The war ended, Black began law practice again. He was appointed a federal prosecutor in Mobile and became widely known. He married Josephine Foster of Birmingham in February. 1921. They have three children aged 12, 10 and 1 l/2. Although he had little experience with legislative matters and his opponents were veterans of Alabama political campaigns, Black won the Democratic nomination to the U. S. senate in 1926— tantamount to election. He was re-elected in 1932. Black as a senator, became famed as an investigator. He headed the committees investigating air and ocean mail contracts and lobbies. The latter investigation helped to victory the bill regulating utilities holding companies. Black fought vigorously for all New Deal measures and for the president's court program And ignored-opposition back home in his fight for the wage-hour bill. Labor found in him a. vigorous champion as chairman of the senate labor committee and welcomes him as a supreme court justice. [Source: Wisconsin State Journal Aug 17, 1937; Submitted by Janice Rice] © Copyright 2009  Genealogy Trails