Show SMITHS SUCCESSOR As secretary of the interior Is ex governor francis of missouri A short sketch of the career of the man who Is now secretary of the interior buzzards bay president cleveland announced tonight that david R francis governor ex of misson ri bad been appointed secretary of the interior vice fioke smith resigned and that he will assume the duties of his office september 1 sketch of ex governor francis lite st louis mo aug 24 david rowland francis the successor of Uon Hoke smith as secretary of the interior was bori of scotch irish parents in richmond kentucky october 1 sup tins his common school education in kentucky he graduated from washington university in this city in with the degree of bachelor of arts after three years in commercial life he organized abo D R francis bro co m mission co which is still one of the leding firms operating at the merchants exchange in 1833 jie vice president of the exchange an athen chosen president he has been a lifelong democrat and in 1881 waa a delegate to the convention that nominated mr cleveland for president the following year he was elected mayor of st louis by 1400 majority overcoming a former republican majority of long needed municipal reform floar dished under his administration In 1888 he was elected governor of missouri by one of the heaviest majorities ever achieved by his pany in missouri and his wise conduct of the is still a criterion prior to the chicago conven ion of this year he was very prominent n the ranks of the sound money democrats and took a leading part in the effort to beat back the rising tide of silver agitation in 1886 mr francis was wedded to miss jenny perry of st louis daughter of john D perry president of the laclede national bank is boys was born of this unica |