The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-10-09
About old Philetus Sawyer

About old Philetus Sawyer.
Correspondence Of PhiId. Sunday Record
WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Sept 80. Cd
Philetus Sawyer has gone back to Osh-
kosh. He was the last of the Senators
to leave. Being millionaire he did not
have to consider the greater economy of
spending the summer at home rather
than in Washington Senators rich OF
poor do not affect watering places, and
being the head of a miniature pension
office maintained at his own expense as IA
member of the Senate Committee on
pensions for the purpose of preparing,
reports on pension cases before the Sen
ate he could not close up his business as
quickly as his colleagues. But he got
through the other day and toddled of to
Wisconsin like the jolly, fat old Beer
Tarrypin that he is. Sawyer is just the
man to prepare reports on pension cases
for he has shrewd mind as Well as
big heart. Sawyer's term expires next
March. | fancy that he would like to
retire from public life and wond will
lipgly step down and out then if he could
gracefully do so. But a profuSe little
Prohibitionist in the House eff Represent
tatives, Price by name, whose tongue
moves faster than his brain, has an
nounced his intention to take Slwyer's
L., 81, I
next winter, and, although it is the chal-
lerge of a crank, Sawyer feels as thou h
he would have to take it up and make
the fight again. Or course he will be
elected. He has been as successful in
getting offices as he has been in getting
dollars-probably because of his bust
ness methods in each case. When he
left his old home in New York in 1871,
at the age of 80, he had $1,000 In gold,
which he had saved Ill fifteen years of the
hardest kind of toll. He sewed $1l9l in
belt, which he buckled around h,s
waist, reserving. as he supposed. 500 for
the long and expensive j nrney to the
Northwest. But on counting over the
money he had kept out for travelling ex-
penses he discovered that he had only
500 So he borrowed 81 from his brother,
then much better Oft than Phll-tus'
When Philetus got out in the lumber re-
gion he quietly and .iudici"usly began to
buy timber land, setting up at the same
time il saw mill. He ran the SAW mill
for many year after that, and KEEL
altering in more timber Land all The
time. That is how lie got rich. He was
noted from the first not more for his iu-
cessant industry than for his sensitive
honesty. AS he grew more and more
| prominent he was asked from time to
time to engage in large enterprises with
other capitalists. He always investigated
| them with great care, and if he thought
he detected anything crooked in them he
would say, quite frankly ''GentleTen,
| cannot join you in this scheme;l 1T would
not be right He worked with his Own
| hands in the saw mill after he had been
| in Congress several years. a Chicago
millionaire who sought him at his null
during the vacation of his first Congress
| was directed to the saw pit. There stood
| a stort man in blue overalls and shirt
sleeves diligently filing a saw. I'm
looking for Mr.. Sawyer said the Chi
cago man. That's my name, responded
the man in the pit wiping the sweat of
his brow. Il mean Mr.. Philetus Saw
yer said the Chicago man. That's my
name," said Sawyer; what can do for
you - well" said the Chicago man.
II didn't expect to find you i'll the
pit" No" said Sawyer pleasantly ::
"why nol?' TO which the Chicago man
b I'd no response. When Sawyer first
made up his MUD to go to the North invest
| he made up his mind also that he would
be as Industrious there as he had alwa, S
been at home: He stuck to his purp Sc
until he " as rich as he cared to be,
| for he Was one of those none, -makeI 5
who never raise the limit Every dol
lar that he took out with him brnu. lit
him III 1900. When he had got the m all
he stopped. l know exactly how many
dollars every dollar OF his capital brought
him, because he always tells the amount
in telling the story of how he returned
| that dollar that he borrowed from his
brother the day he lett tor the W.st. Il
met my brother III New York year or
two ago he says lie had not prosper
ed as had, and was then looking around
some~ hat anxiously for $1,000 in orier
to meet an ooligul"n. lie spoke of it
to me and gave him the $1,000. We had
| both forgot about the dollar he had
loaned ME So maDy wears before But
afterwa:d remembered it. rechoned ny
my fortune; found that every one OF my
original dollars had brought mt in $500
more. and sept him "a check for $500 with
as the gains of ln.t borrowed do la"
! When Sawyer was nrSt asked 10 run tor
| Cor Sress he declined; but the party lead
| ers in his district insisted So st.enuouSl,
GudI ut SHpuHu luu bndI IHdily ue yield
ed. Having determined to run he went
about it in his busuesslIke way. He
went at or e to see Matt Carpenter then
in his prime, and said To him want
| you to make ten speeches i'll my district,
and I'll give you $1,000 tor it Carpen
| ter said he was too busy. B 1T Sawyer
insisted, and finally Carpenter said he
would. But" he said, Il won { take
your $1,000" well see,' satl Sawyer
smiling. Carpenter made his ten speeches
and Sawyer was elected. The day after
| the election he walked into Carpenters
office and laid $1,000 on his desk. No"
said CARPENTER, Il won't take a cent"
''Oh, but you must said Sawyer; this
is not a matter of favor, it is IA matter of
business" and be walked out leaving the
money on Carpenter table. 1t was
never returned to him. Sawyer is very
popular III Wisconsin. This is not
strange. But he is also popular here. In
the SouIte AMI among puDllc men of all
classes and parties he has general respect
and regard. HIS wealth does not account
for this, Tor ol her men of greater wealth
have fewer friends. II is his good honest