The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-08-17
WILLIAM A. WHEELER.
His Valuable and Disinterested Service to
Poor Farmers.
Washington Chronicle.

l am native of Franklin County, In
the State of New York, the home of the
Hon. w. A. Wheeler, who is the nominee
of the Republican party for the Vice
Presidency. Ever since my earliest recol-
lection the name of w. A. Wheeler has
been familiar to me, and in fact, our fam
lily have had just cause to venerate! his
name aud remember it with gratitude In
the year 1850 Mr.. Wheeler held the. of
fee of District Attorney for the Counties
of Franklin, Essex, and Clinton, and
about the same time became an agent for
a land company, the name of which. / do
not at present reeollect. The lands con-
trolled by the said company were purchas-
ed from the Government at nominal
price, and were subsequently let out in
small farms to tenantry, who in addition
to the original purchase money agreed dup-
on from S. to 81 per acre. had 10 pay in
terest at the rate Of 7 per cent. per an-
mum. A vast amount Of labor had betn
expended by the poor people in clearing
up the primeval forests, and many of
them found it an upgrade affair, and
hard enough to exc out scanty subsis-
tance and the bare necesSaries Of life
while doing SO. Such was the state of
affairs in Franklin county in the month Of.
August, 1852, when o most DISASTROUS
fire swept over that county, carrying de-.
vastation and dismay wherever il, went.
Thousands of acres were embraced by the
fiery fend and utter desolation and ruin
appeared on every hand. The hard earn
ed Improvements of years were, swept
away in day, and whole families, were
at once left destitute, houseless and home
less, barely escaping with their lives.
In this unhappy state of affairs Mr..
Wheeler came to the rescue. He; encour-
aged the people to commence anew, prom
ising to use his influence with the compa-
ny he represented for the abatement Of
the interest already due, which was snor-
NOUS, and that if they would take heart
and strive to overcome their recent misfor-
tunes, he would endeayor to cancel their
pastindebtedness in toto. Such words of
kindness and encouragement could not
fail to have salutary effect. Mr.. Wheel
kept good his, faith with the people.
His appeals in their behalf were success,
full, and he was permitted to mitigate
their sufferings in any manner he thought
proper. He visited farms in person, and
with every encouragement in his power to
give, inspired the people D with renewed
exertion. In many instances, where the
roads were impossible for carriages, he
trayersed the country on foot. The ten
antry, seeing that their troubles and trials
were understood by Mr.. Wheeler and
sought 10 be alleyiated by him, went 10
work with will, and in the course of
time became happy and prosperous peo-
Nple.
/ Mr.. Wheeler could have done other
wise than he did, by literally carrying ost
the Instructions of those whom he, repre-
sented, but his kindness of heart and ex-
act sense of justice induced him to es-
pouse the cause of the poor and oppress-
ed people, in the face Of resentment, and
disapprobation of his employers, and
without any other hope of reward than
that which the consciousness of having
done a good action invariably brings, to
him who performs it. Such is the nature
of the man for the high office of Vice
President of the United States; and that
the approaching election in November win
ratify his nomination by an Overwhelming
majority over all opposition TOR the posi-
tion to which he aspires and So justly
merits there cannot be the shadow Of a
doubt. ,.3s-.,,,..