Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-06-09

How he Repaid His Brother the One Dollar
& 1fo lent Him. gs
Il friend OF Senator Sawyer tells me
a an incident Of his generosity TO his
brother . year or two ago, and the neat
way in which he gave him a present,
making it appear . debt. Senator
Sawyer hardly knows what he is worth,
save that his pile runs pretty high up
in the millions. His father was a hard
working man, kept q blacksmith shop.
and ut the same time did q number of
other things, making acomfortable little
income. Philetus Sawyer was born in
Vermont, but when he was stin O baby
his father moved to Essex County, New
York. When he was II years old
Philetus bought his time Of his father
until he was 81, paying him 800 for it.
His elder brother loaned him the money
for this, and he struck out for himself.
He engaged in various kinds of work,
among which was numbering. and when
he was 81 years old he paid back his
hundred dollars, and had amassed a
little w 3 1000 nor He then con-
cluded to go West. In the meantime
he had been married, and had O child
or two. On his way to Wisconsin he
stopped at his brothers, and upon his
asking him how much money he had, he
answered that he had 4 1000 in a belt
around his waist and under his shirt,
and he had Eeen paying out q good deal,
but he thought he had still about $500
in his pockets. "Count. it," said his
brother. Sawyer counted it, and
figured up just $199. Hereupon his
brother handed him o dollar, telling
him that that would make up his ~, 200,
and that he would know how much he
started away with. Sawyer took it,
and the next day went on to Wisconsin.
He bought o farm there, and in time
got into the lumber business, became
wealthy, and now has been for years in
the United States Senate.
In the meantime his elder brother
Staid in New York and attended to his
farm. He still lives there, and has q
farm worth about so, 000. He is one
Of the respected citizens of his county,
and his note is as good as gold any day.
Sawyer comes out to visit him every
year or two, and thinks a great deal Of
him. Two years ago he asked him how
he was situated financially, and, after
much pressing, found that, though
there was no mortgage on his farm, he
owed two notes amounting, with in
~terest, to about 81, 100, and that he was
troubled by the fact that he could not
get enough ahead every year to pay
more than the interest on them. Sena-
tpr Sayvvor ca,J l. Iv,,% Az r,-l
morning, on the pretext of wanting to
see some old friends, he slipped away
from his brothers house and bought the
notes. That night he asked his
brother, in the course of their evening
chat, whether he had any other debts
whatever. His brother replied that he
was owing about 800 in debts here and
there. Senator Sawyer hereupon took
out the two notes, amounting to 81, 100,
and placing 800 on the top Of them, he
handed the pile to his brother, telling
him that would make him v with the
world, and he then continued: "You
need not feel backward about taking
this, because it is merely the payment
OF q debt. When I went West you gave
me a dollar, never expecting to get it
back. / considered that dollar as a
loan, rs an investment, as a part of my
capital. As far as / can estimate now,
each n of the 1890 which 1 carried
away with me has swelled into 81, 200,
and in giving you this 81, 200 / am only
giving You your share Of the profits"
Il asked Senator Sawyer" said this
gentleman, "what his brother said when
no did this, and he replied: He did
not know what to make Of it at first,
but he finally took the money and the
notes, saying he wished he had invested
81, 900 instead of ~$1.'-WashingtOn
letter IN Clepeldnd Leader.