Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-09-10
Judging by Appearances.

ing of the visit of Hon Harrison Lud-
ington to the fair at that place, last
week, says she has very inferior
look. This is not true, to begin with,
but if it were, we should have supp0s-
ed that the editor of the Democrat
would by this time have learned that
it does not do to Judge people by ap
pearances, he having, on one or two
occasions since his exaltation to his
present high estate, found himself in
very awkward position through ac
tions based on opinions Of people
formed in this manner.
Itmay not be out of place in this coll-
nection, to give little sketch Of Mr.
Ludington's career in this State, as
showing the kind Of man whom the
Democrat criticizes as appearing in
ferior.
Mr. Ludington came to Milwaukee
thirty-seven years ago, a poor young
man, his worldly possessions consisting
of some household furniture worth not
more than 500. He commenced bust
ness with Lewis Ludington and Har-
vcy Burchard, giving his note for
third of the capital stock. The firm
kept small store on the corner of East
Water and Wisconsin streets, and sub
sequently added a undergrad to their
business.
In 1851, Mr.. Ludington retired
from this firm and purchased a fourth
interest in some saw mills in the vicin-
ity of Green Bay, and from that time
to this he has been manufacturer and
dealer in lumber. In 1857 he and his
partners had just completed the first
large sawmill built On Green Bay, and
were largely in debt for it, when the
panic struck them. Instead of doing
as many others did, they mortgaged all
their property, in Guiding their home
steads, and paid their laborers and all
their creditors every cent that was due
them, Subsequently the investment
proved to be profitable one, and by
discreet management the firm has pros
percd in business, though it has suf-
fered, in common with all lumbermen,
during the past three years. During
all these years, Mr.. Ludington has
been Woodworking business man
emphatically man of the people.
We do not know thathe ever held any
public Office until the spring Of 1872,
whena number ofthe people of Milwau-
kee were casting about them fora sulta-
Bile candidate for Mayor, and some one
hit upon him as the man. lie
was asked and consented to run, and
Notwithstanding the facts that he had
been Republican from the organiza-
ton of the party and that he was a
native born citizen, while Milwaukee
was Democratic city and his oppo-
nent was a German, the people OF
Milwaukee, among whom he had lived
for thirty-four years, and who had OBJ
served his career and knew the man,
elected him to the Office by a majority
of over 800, he carrying every German
ward in the city.
In 1878, Mr.. Ludington felt that his
private business was suffering for his
attention, and he refused to run for a
second term as Mayor, but in 1874 the
people came to him with petition con-
tanning the names of about 5000 vo-
ters, asking him to serve them again
in that capacity, and he consenting, the
people once more expressed their conf
dence in him as man, and their sat
isfaction with his previous admiDistra-
ton, by giving him an aggregate ma
jority of over 1900, and a majority
not only in every German ward, but In
the Irish ward as well.
And again this year, the people of
Milwaukee, as in the other cases, ire
spective of party, have approved of Mr..
Ludington's course by electipg him
Mayor, by some 800 majority.
In the face Of such facts as these, the
attempt of the Democrat to make capt.
tai against Mr.. Ludington by saying
che has an inferior look," certainly
places that paper in very ridiculous
position, from which it may extricate
itself as best it can.
Were Mr.. Ludington vain man,such
a career Of uniform prosperity, both in
private and public life, would certain
ly be sufficient to cause him to become
puffed up with conceit and to make a
display; but, even the remark of the
Democrat, while it is not true, serves
to bear witness to the fact that Mr..
Ludington is a man who feels himself
to be as another, land who is honestly and