Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-03-13

our futurs statesman logged along day
after day. While riding out not many
years ago with colleague, the old Senator
nassed drove of cattle, and when he
heard the boy with the lead steer call out
in the nasal twang peculiar to droyers,
"Come, bows, come, a-hO-a-o, a-ho-a !"
he laughed heartily, and said to the distin-
puished gentleman by his side, "that re.
minds me of when was boy, and used
to call the herd just So"
Wade walked six times from Ohio to
New York, and on one of these trips came
near losing his life. He was leading
steer as usual in front of the drove, when
he came to long covered bridge. The
gate keeper, according to the rules, would
only allow few OF the herd to pass over
at a time, lest their weight should iniure
the bridge. Wade started with the ad-
vance guard, but the cattle in the rear be-
coming frightened rushed into the bridge
and stampeded. Young Wade made haste
to run, but finding he could not reach the
other end before the frantic cattle would
be upon him and trample him to death, he
ran to one of the posts, and springing up
caught hold of the brace and drew him
self up as high as possible. He could
barely keep his legs out of the way of the
horns of the cattle, but he held on while
the bridge swayed to and fro, threatening
every moment to break under the great
weight that was upon 1T. At length the
last of the frightened animals passed by,
and our dangling hero dropped from his
perch, to the establishment of the drover,
who thought he had been crushed to death,
and was riding through the bridge expect
ing every moment to find his crushed and
mangled body. e.
In 1926, Mr.. Wade, having crossed the
mountains with drove of cattle in the
fall, stopped near Albany, New York, and
taught school that winter. In the spring
he hired as laborer on the Erie canal, and
worked with wheelbarrow and spade all
that summer. Senator Seward, in speech
in the Senate, thus alluded to this event in
Wade's life Speaking of the Erie canal,
Senator Seward says: ID vEw %
"How was that done? mean whence
came the labor that did it? know of but
one American citizen who worked with
the spade and wheelbarrow on those works.
Doubtless there are many others, but
know only one, and he, am glad to say,
is now member Of this floor (Mr. Wade,
of Ohio, and one of the most able and
talented members"
The editor of leading daily paper not
long since charged Mr.. Wade with not
taking sufficient interest in the welfare of
the working classes, when the Senator, ia
a public speech, at Cincinnati, took occa-
sion to say: 81 can tell that editor have
not forgotten the days when | dug with
spade on the Erie canal, nor have forgot
ten the men with whom labored, though
/ regret to say they have nearly always
voted against me. They were Irishmen,
and as lrishmen always spend their money
freely, sometimes, when the priest came
around for his tithes, they had no money,
and then I would loan them mine; but |
say it to their honor, that when pay. day
came, they always paid me back every
cent that was due me-"
In the fall of 1926, Mr.. Wade returned
to Ohio and taught school that winter.
Next spring, the Hon. Elisha Whittlesey,
who afterward lived so long in Washing
ton, and was known all over the country
for his ability and honesty, invited Mr..
Wade to come and stay with him at his
law Office at Jefferson, 0. Mr.. Thompson,
hotel keeper in the place, who had taken q
fancy to Wade, offered to board him, Wade
helping him sometimes about the hotel,
and at the age of 26 he began reading law.
Mr.. Whittlesey soon detected his students
talents, especially in calculating difficult
legal points, and not only assisted him with
advice, but insisted on losning him such
sums of money as were required for his
most pressing wants. When, in after years,
Mr.. Wade reached Washington as United
States Senator, one of the first men he met
was Mr.. Whittlesey, and the meeting be.
tween student and preceptor was not only
cordial, but such as might be expected to
take place between father and son. Mr..
Whittlesey kindly undertook to introduce
his protege into the ways of political life at
thee apital, and for time Mr.. Wade sub.
mitted quietly enough to the formulas Of
his good-hearted but somewhat fastidious
friend. One day, Wade, becoming weary
with the forms required Of him by his
chGperOaa, broke the whole thing up with
"Oh On your fUmme1y and fashions
Whittlesey; it's all well enough for them
that like it, but must be plain Ben. Wade
for couldn't be anything elseif were tc
try for hundred years." and ever after
ward Mr.. Wade refused to attempt to bt
fashionable. Mr.. Whlttlesey was not 6
little proud of "his boy" as he called
Wade, and until the day of his death Mr.
Wade continued devoted to his old friend
than whom better man never lived
General James S. BrisbSn. ~@