The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-10-06

sergeant major the frst year he was in
the service. He was subsequently COM
missioned Regiment Adjutant. He took
part in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth,
Nashville, Vicksburg, in the Red River
campaign and in the movements around
Mobile. He was wounded twice, once
at Vicksburg and again at Spanish Fort.
and was captured by the confederates at
Corinth. He suffered all the vicissitudes
| of war,-the weary march, exposure, the
| prison pen, wounds and the shock of
| battle. Here were sowns the seeds of
disease which chung to him persistently
until death brought relief. ga Drawer
soldier and more patriotic young man
| never faced the roar and thunder of bat
tie" are the words of one who knew him
| well.
At the close of the war he returned to
Manitowoc and soon after became asso-
ciated with Captain j. N. Stone in the
publication of The Island City Times. A
dissolution of partnership soon followed
and he accompanied his old employer
Captain Smith, the founder of The Tri-
bune, to Warsaw, Missouri, where they
published The Warsaw Times, in CON-
pany. He severed his connection with
this paper after a short time and turned
his steps toward Chicago where he work
ed in desultory way on The Tribune
doing special reporting and proof read
ing. He was also employed on The
Madison State Journal before that paper
was under its present management
Again he came to Manitowoc to take
editorial charge of The Pilot, then owned
by Jere Crowley, whom failing health
incapacitated for the active discharge of
such duties. Here Read was among the
the friends of his youth, where apprecia-
| ton and encouragement awaited him and
| where he was accorded hearty welcome.
These facts stimulated him to exertion
| and the paper under his control grew in
popularity and influence and ranked
among the best in the state. He had the
| ambition common to all enterprlslng
young men which makes them restless
| in subordinate position and anxious to
attain one which gives independence of
action. He purchased the Kewaunee
Enterprise of Edward Decker, Esq, and
remained its editor and proprietor until
death closed his labors.
| Kewaunee county was not good field
| for the display of journalistic talent and
the question is pertinent, what county
| in the state is2 Hercules in tub is
an aphorism peculiarly descriptive of
| talent in country newspaper. The
grave itself, scarcely inierposes a veil
more impenetrable to the light of hope.
My soul is stirred with compassion for
| the young man, with aspirations beyond
the mere pleasure of being, who deliber-
ately weds himself to obscurity by be-
coming editor of local paper. My sym
pathy goes out to him as mothers does
| for her child who takes path beset by
dangers. In nine cases out of ten it is
| struggle for existence, and unfortunately
the doctrine of the Survival of the fit
test" does not always obtain. The en-
| tire business is a melancholy waste of
| hnrind hnnas ara---~.4e1 l;--~- Its
| course is marked with wreckage, barren
| and bleak and famed by the winds of
| adversely. / feel indignant that circum-
stances tied John Read down to bust
ness in which full appreciation of his
excellent qualities was impossible and I
feel kindly toward Kewaunee people,
those who knew him through personal
contact, for estimating him at his full
worth. Many of you here had personal
acquaintance with Read and valued him
accordingly, and you could not value him
lightly. Who of you that knew him as
an editor only, knew that in his death
the fraternity lost one of its ablest mem
bers, the state one of its best citizens
And yet his paper, when he was not
weighed down by consciousness of this
condition which l have attempted to por-
tray, was revelation of the man. I can
not in this connection do better than
quote the words 1 used last spring when
the sense of loss YES strong: ''Ihe En-
| terprise was fair reflection of John s
mind, able, respectable and high toned.
1t was by no means such paper as he
was capable of editing, but was far SUI
perior to many of its contemporaries with
more pretentions, better facilities and
stronger inducements to effort"
Mr.. Read held the Office of county
superintendent of schools for nine years.
He was not school teacher. He was
not learned in books. But he had what
books cannot give,-excellent common
sense, was good Judge of human nature
and eminently practical. Under his ad-
ministration the schools of Kewaunee
made rapid progress and their excellence
to-day is monument to the wisdom of
i his course. He was elected state senator
in 1874 and although possessed of de-
gree of modesty approaching diffidence,
he took a prominent part in legislation.
He was so practical in his views, SO in
telligent in their presentation that he ex-
ercised a large influence and made his
mark during the Two years he served.
In the fall of 1880 he was elected to the
assembly without opposition. But sick
ness had well nigh done its work. He
resigned the position and sought relief
in the sunny south where the sternness
of winter does not aggravate the pangs
of disease. The hopes of Improvement
were Elusive. The balmy winds and soft
sun could not recall the health that had
flown or restore the Pickering fame of