The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-06-29

Vol. %, No. IL,
QUIZ CANDIDATE ron aovERV0I
/ The Republican candidate for 60
ernor, Col. Cyrus q. Carpenter, ma,
truly be termed Western man, il
character and in record-or perhap
We should say, . true, representativ
Iowa man. We have not his Who'll,
personal history at hand, but ",
know that, after having been left Ial
orphan at an early age, with his owl
education to gain, and his own for
tune to make, he came to low
twenty years ago o mere boy, ant
cast in his lot with the people Of thi
then wild State. He was, we hav,
seen it stated, tho first settler il
what is now the bustling city Of For
Dodge. and the first school teacher
in the place. A young man Of in
dustry and public spirit, and possess
cd OF moro than common ability, III
early became prominent among ths
frontier people Of North. western
Iowa; and nothing better can Ibs
said Of the man than the quotation
Of the well known fact that the
esteem in which he was held by The
people Of his own section nearly
twenty years ago has grown greater
with every year Of his life, and never
been tarnished by single disreputa-
ble action. Pioneer people are the
best judges, a. they have the best
opportunities to Judge, of q mans
real character and true worth; and
the enthusiastic interest all the old
settlers of the upper Des Moines VAL
ley took in "our Cy Carpenters /"
success, was attestation strong that
he had been weighed in the balance
Of years and found true.
When the history of Northwestern
Iowa shall come to be written up,
few names will figure in it more
prominently than that Of Col. Car
pointer. The earliest and most en-
thusiAstic years OF his life were given
to it's development, and the testimo-
ny Of all in that section is that bis
work was an unselfish one for the
common good moro than in the
direction Of his own personal gain.
We do not know the class Of the
business which be first entered upon
in Iowa. We have heard him, in free
and easy conversation with intimate
friends, tell that, when he was boy,
bis greatest ambition was to be q
printer and become an editor. The
favor with which he looked upon the
profession of Journalism was not, rs
it happened, shared by those who
were his guardians. They thought
they would get him better trade,
and so apprenticed him, If we re-
member rightly, to . woolen manu-
facturer. Though disappointed, the
boy bravely accepted the situation,
and, going to work like q good fel-
low, learnt the business thoroughly,
served his fnll t;uo, and followed it
rs an occupation, we believe, up TO
the time Of his coming to Iowa.
While he was learning this trade, he
was using his odd hours in, gaining
an education and after laying the
foundation with his own hands was
80 fortunate as to get
money enough ahead to meet the
Of short polishing course
ut an academy.
Thus prepared, he left his native
to seek his fortue in
the West, choosing Iowa, and from
tier location, for his home-settling
ut Fort Dodge 1852, where ho has
since and still resides. We believe
that soon after his arrival he entered
upon the business of surveying,
which, in connection with other
matters, he followed for several years.
His merits wore early recognized,
and Office offered to him. The first
position Of o State character which
he accepted was that OF Representa-
two in the Legislature. He was q
member of that body, We think, in
1859, and, though young and from
what was then called /" the wild wolf
at once gained general re-
spect, and, as q member Of the Com
mittoe on Railroads, became one Of
the most influential members. In
this position he accomplished much
good for his favorite Northwestern
Iowa, In securing legislation 20 fe-
vorable as 10 turn the valley Rail
road in that direction. 1t Was during
this time, and on this Committee
that be became cordial co-worker
and an intimate friend with Gen.
Belknap, now Secretary of War,
then q member Of the Legislature
from Lee county.
Upon the formation Of the Repnb.
lican party, Col. Carpenter was one
OF its earliest and most radical Nom
bers; and ever since be has always
been one Of tho most advanced and
active. He has the good record ol
having bcen on the picket line iu
every great forward step which the
party has taken, giving in his adhe
sion to new measures and bold ven
tures whom it cost the greatest reso.
luton to do it. When the discussion
was appealed from ballot to bayonet,
ho was found ready to still stand at
his post and by his principles, and
among the earliest of the troops from
Iowa he went along, volunteering .,
a private. shortly after he enlisted
he was made q Captain, and assigned
to work as q Commissary on the stat
| Of Gen. g. N. Dodge. In this diff
cult place, where 80 many had theil
honor tried and destroyed, he KEEP
his reputation untarnished, entirely
above suspicion, and performed vel
his every work. All the chances, .
abundantly afforded him, for wha
many considered honorable speculs
ton, he rigidly refused to accept
| apd came out Of the Office poore
| man than no wenointo it. As b
was ascending the platform to ae
dress the Convention on "Wednesday
! i q delegate, who had never seon hii
but had heard Of this test and pro.
of his honesty, expressed himself on
L .Lo faal;,,r, of tho xvhn1o h0du var