Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-10-28
SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF HARRI
SON LUDINGTON.
Republican Candidate for Governor.
From the State journal.


Honorable Harrison Ludington, the
present Republican candidate for
Governor of Wisconsin was born in
the township of Kent, Putnam coun-
ty, New York, on the 3lst day OF
July, 1912, and is consequently So
years of age. His ancestors emf
grated to this country from England
several generations before, and his
father was an enterprising and honest,
though not very wealthy, farmer and
miller, with whom the subject of this
sketch labored until he was nineteen
years of age, when he set out for the
then new territory of Wisconsin,
landing in Milwaukee on the Sd day
of November, 1888. His little start
in life consisted of common school
education, a clear and logical mind,
in sound and vigorous body, habits
of self denial, industry and economy,
acquired under the teachings of good
parents, and $500 which his father
had borrowed from a kindly disposed
neighbor. Young Ludington expec-
ted to purchase a farm and make that
the business of his life, having been
trained to it at home; but on his ar
rival in Milwaukee, his uncle Lewis
Ludington persuaded him to 90 into
company with him in small store,
which he did, giving his note for his
share in the concern, and continuing in
the bushes until 1851. In the
spring of 1898 Mr. Ludn- ton rode
an Indian pony to Louisville, Ken
lucky, where he married his wife, and
returned Immediately to Milwaukee
to commence housekeeping in little
tenement house on the corner of Mar
tin and Bidde streets. An inventory
at that time slowed that he had
household goods to the amount of
one hundred dollars, and good wife,
whose value could not be too highly
estimated. His house rent was
seventy five dollars a year, which he
was required to pay in advance. His
example from the first time he set
foot on Wisconsin soil, up to the
present time, has been worthy Of the
imitation of young men, rich and
poor. He opened and swept his own
store every morning; he sawed his
own wood he established himself in
his home, humble though it was, paid
his debts; he worked hard and lived
prudently, and it is not surprising he
has prospered in all his undertakings,
or that in the maturity of his powers,
his fellow citizens should call upon
him to perform public duties of the
highest and most responsible charac-
ter. When the future historian writes
the biographies of the self made men
of Wisconsin,, the name of Harrison
Ludington will stand ont conspicuous
ly among them all, help and en-
enlargement to the young men of
the land. But to return to dates and
figures.
In the year 1912, the Ludingtons
established a little lumber yard in
connection with their little store, and
this was done more to accommodate
their country customers who came in
with produce to sell, than any hope
of making money out of it. The
| first load Of wheat ever sold in Will
waukee, that has now become the
largest primary wheat department. in
the world, was bought by Harrison
Ludington of farmer living on Cald-
wells prairie, at so cents a bushel.
The farmers and the "storekeeper
carried it up stairs on their backs, and
thus it is true that our candidate fol-
Governor was not only the first wheat
buyer in Milwaukee, but he owned
the first elevdt0r also ! and this he de-
clares is the only monopoly that he
ever had any interest in. In 1851
Mr.. Ludington bought an interest in
some saw mills in Green Bay, and
from that day to this he has been en-
gagged in the business of selling lun
Der, without the aid of middlemen
| but in a perfectly safe and Legitimate
manner. He has never been a spec
ulator of any kind in all his life
neither in grain, gold, stocks, bonds
or lands, and has never purchased al
acre of pine land except for the use
of his company, and which was pait
| for with their own money. It's true
that the business of this COMPANY
has expanded into gigantic proper
tons, involving enormous OUTLAWS fol
labor, supplies of grain, meat, cloth
ing, cattle and horses, but all Of which
being purchased within the limits o
the State, must benefit some section
or some body in one way or another
1t is true also that his business ha
prospered, just as hard work, rigi,
economy, and close attention addet
to great sagacity viii make mos
any undertaking successful in tn
end.
His love for agricultural pursuit