The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-07-06
VOL. 1.
Sketch Of stephen A. Douglas.

Brandon, Rutland county, ermont, April
23d, 1913, and is consequently now forty
seven years Of age. His father, native
Of the State of y ew York, was physician
| cf considerable eminence, and died sudden
/ ly Of apopIexy when his son Stephen was
I bun little more than two months old
| The widow, with her infant, and daugh-
ter only eighteen months older, retired to
q farm which she had inherited coniointly
with an unmarried brother.
At the age of fifteen, her son Stephen,
who had received a good common school
education, desired to prepare for college !;
but bis family proving unable to bear the
requisite expense, he left the farm deter
mined to earn his own living, and engaged
4 himself As an apprentice to the trade of
cabinet making at which he wol ked ayear
aud half, partly at MiddIebury and part
Iy at Brandon, where his health became SO
impaired by the severity of the labor that
he abandoned the occupation altogether.
He has often said since that the happiest
days of his life were spent in the work
shop. He now entered the Academy at
/ Brandon as a student, and remained there
year. His mother about this time was
married to Mr.. Granger, of Ontario
county, N. u, to whose son her daughter
had been previously married. Young
Douglas removed with his mother to Can
andaigua, and entered as a student the
Academy at that place, in which he con-
tinued until 1888. He studied law in the
office of Messrs. Hubbell at the same time
that he pursued his accademical course,
having finally adopted that as his profes-
sion.
In the spring Of 1888, he went to the
west in search of au eligible place in which
toestablish himself as alawyer. At Cleve-
land he was detained the whole summer by
severe illness, after his recovery from
which he went to Cincinnati, Louisville,
St. Louis and Jacksonville, I'll. At Jack
sonville he found his funds reduced to
thirty seven and half cents, and accord
ingly walked to Winchester, little town
sixteen miles distant where he hoped to
get employment as a school teacher. He
found there a large crowd assembled to at
tend the auction sale Of the stock of de
ceased trader.
The aucticaeer was without clerk to
keep the account Of the sale, and perceiv-
ing that Mr.. Douglas, who stood among
the spectators, looked like a man who
could write and keep accounts, requested
him to serve in that capacity. Mr.. Doug
las consented and acted as clerk during
three days Of the sale, receiving for his
/ services six dollars. With this capital in
hand, he promptly opened school, and
obtained forty pupils, whom he taught for
! three months at s. quarter, devoting his
evenings to the study of some law books
which he had borrowed in jacksonville.
and on Saturday afternoons practising in
petty cases before the Justice Of Peace Of
the town.
In March, 1884, he opened an Office and
began practice in the higher courts, for
which, after examination he had obtained
license from the Judges Of the Supreme
Court. He was remarkably successful at
the bar, as may be inferred from the fact,
that within a year from his admission,
while not yet twenty-five years of age, he
was elected by the legislature, Attorney
/ General Of the State. This office he re.
i signed in December 1885, in consequence
Of having been elected to the legislature
/ by the Democracy Of Morgan county. lie
/ took his seat in the House Of Representa-
tiyes, the youngest member in that body.
In 1887 he was appointed by President
/ Van Burer, Register of the land Office at
/ Springfield, H., a post which he resigned
in 1889. In Nov. 1887, Mr.. Douglas re-
! coiyed the Democratic nomination for
/ Congress, although he was under twenty
five years of age, and consequently ineligi-
/ ble. lie, however, attained the requisite
age before the day of election, which was
i On the frs. Monday in August, 1885
HIS Congressional district was then the
most populous one in the United States,
and the canvass was conducted with extra
ordinary zeal and energy. Upward of &c.
900 votes were cast, and the Wing candi-
date was declared to be elected by ma
jority of five only. A number of ballots
sufficient to have changed the result, were
rejected by the canvassers because the
name of Mr.. Douglas was incorrectly
spelled
After this defeat, which under the cir
cumstances, was claimed by his friends a
victory, Mr.. Douglas devoted himself ex
/ clusivey to his profession until 1910, when
he entered into the famous presidential
campaign Of that year with SO much ardor
4 that he trayersed the STATE in all directions
for seven months, and addressed more
than :wo hundred and fifty political gath
erings.
To his exertions was ascribed the adhe-
renee of Illinois at that election to the
democratic party. In December 1910,
Mr.. Dougla. was appointed Secretary of
State for Illinois In February, 1S41, he
was elected by the legislature Judge of
the Supreme Court Of the State which Of
tice he resigned in lS43, to accept the
democratic nomination for Congress which
was urged upon him against his known
wishes, on the ground that he was the
only democrat who could be elected. At
ter a spirited canvass, Mr.. Douglas was
chosen by upward of 400 majority. He
was reelected, in 1s4i, By majority OF
1,9oO, aud aga:n in 1876 by nearly 5000
majority. He did not however, take his
seat under the last election. having in tn .
mean time been chosen IN tho sanata n.