The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-02-09
SENATOR sABIN.

NOW tiIot Iiic hiibtcooeo LOSto".
ture has selected as the successor Of
Senator Window, Hon. ID. M. Sahin,
of saltwater, 10 represent the inter.
ests of this growing commonwealth
in the National Congress for term
of six years, 1t seems proper that
brief review Of his history should be
given ut this time, and we give u few
extracts from u very lengthy biogra.
ply published in Fridays Pioneer
Press:
About three miles outside Of the
little town of Marseiles, La Sale
county, ILL.,, environed by the hills
and slopes. the ravines and meadows,
for which that section Of SuckerdOm
Is noted. stands--or did short time
agO-a farm house in which, i'm April,
1874, lived Horace &. Sabin and his
wife. The former was of Scotch
descent, and used to tell how his an.
cestors shared In the famous Roxb bury
grant. in the State Of ingenious nut.
megs and ingenious mechanisms.
The wife was u Webster, born.
raised, and married in the pretty
little hamlet in Chautauqua county,
N. Y, called FredOnia, where her
mother is still respected resident.
This worthy couple were well off-in
those days were called rich since
the farm stretched over Il thousand
broad acres. and within its fences
graZed a herd Of imported Durhams
second, in size and breed, In those
days, only to the famous herd OF
Long John Wentworth. On the 25th
of April, 1874, Dwight May Sabin
was born, and the advent of the son
and heir was hailed with unmixed
JOY by the fond parents. The early
years were spent rs is the wont Of
country lads, and the pleasures and
pains of those early days are now of.
ten recalled ty the successful bust.
ness man and politician, whose me.
mory fails him not AS to minute par
ticulars.
The senator-elect is a politician to
the backbone. The turmoil of mems
passions and the attritiOn of their
wits afford him heartiest pleasure,
and he is rs fully ut home in confer.
ence lobby or assembly room IA in his
counting room. Gifted with unusual.
ly keen perceptive faculties and with
a due amount Of aggressiveness i'm his
composition, he is fully alive to the
needs IF every exigency and as fully
prepared to meet the witness Of
others with diplomatic craft on his
own part. With such qualities it is
not surprising that he embarked on
the political sea and when he was
scarce twenty had been elected a
member Of the town school board-a
position much more highly regarded
in staid old Connecticut than it is apt
to be in newer States. He also served
several terms on the town board when
extremely young, and recalls. with 4
smile, his earlier experiences at town
meetings and the viclnage polls. In
1870 the Republican party of Wash.
ington county WAS divided in twain
by Interest fractional fights. and a
cementing of interests seemed i'm.
possible. But before Mr.. Sabin had
been two years in their midst his fel.
low townsmen regarded him with
great and growing favor. and in the
year mentioned prominent Republi.
cans of both factions rendered him a
nomination as candidate for State
Senator. After some consideration he
accepted, and throwing his whole
soul into the 6ght-as is his won't
was victorious, after one of the
toughest local campaigns TN record
His opponent was w. G. Bronson, q
son.in.law of Isaac Staples, who
backed him for all that was possible;
but Mr.. Sabin's star. as now, was in
the ascendant. In 1871 the State was
redistricted, and in the ensuing cleo
ton he was again returned as State
Senator, this time beating ex-senator
Norris, of Cottage Grove, who hai
! filled the position for several previous
terms. Mr.. Sabln has served almost
continuously, since, in the lower
house. and will be much missed there
He is not debater, hut when he ha!
the floor he has something to say
while his influence i'm the cOmmitte,
and with members individually is &C
knowledgedly great. In campaign
in which candidates for the large
honors are to the fore. Mr.. Sabin'.
advocacy is regarded as Invaluable
He was not in the legislature durinI
the Ramsey Davis fight of 1875. re
) sulting in the election Of Mr.. McMil
Ian, but when Mr.. Window was re
elected to fill the unexpired portion
of his own term in 1881, Mr.. Sabil
did him yeOman service, while in tn,
, fall of the same year, in the guberna
torial campaign, he was recognized a
the most potent factor in securin,
Gen. Hubbard's nomination. Per
suasive of tongue, phenomenalll
, cheerful under threatened defeat-h,
, seems to know little of actual disas
ter his political career has beer
marked by series of successes giver
, to few men to attain.
The greatest monument to Mr.
Sabin's business ability Is at Stillwa
ter, and Is known as the Northwest
ern Car and Manufacturing company
organized in 1882, with a capita
Of IS ,OOO, 900, and of which ID. NJ. Sa
bin is president, and Frank B. Clarke
of st. Paul, vice.president. The grow
ing up of the firm of Seymour. Sabir
& Co. is detailed in the resume of his
life. In 1875 that firm commenced
the manufacture Of the Minnesots
Chief, a threshing machine, thou
sands of which are in use all over the
Northwest every season. Soon the
need of new buildings was felt and
they were erected rapidly, but moi
fast enough to meet the growing de-
mands of trade. In 1882 the new
company had become u necessity, and
it was formed with 50 much celebrity
as if Aladdin's lamp were the promo
tiers instead of the energy Of Mr.. Sa.
bin. The stock was taken instantly
i'm st. Paul and Stillwater,--with a
smaller portion in the East-and fur.
ther improvements kept pace with
the mammoth preparations. A city
has grown up within and without the
prison walls at Saltwater and 1900
men, of whom less than 300 are con.
victs, find daily employment there,
while $50, 900 per month 10 paid In
wages. The huge manufactures,
paint and car shops cover ground by
the acre and have track run by the
mile. Sixteen freight cars, seven
completed threshers, four portable
farm and traction engines are turned
out daily, and six passenger coaches
per month. Every department has
its trained head, F. B. Clarke special.
ly experimenting the divisions relat.
ing to cars and freights. The demand
for material Is. of course, enormous.
The business of last year was more
than 81, 0O0. 000-exceeding the total
amount Of capital stock-and this
year will see notable increase.