The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-09-23
A VOICE FROM SEWARD.
FRED BLOOMS FORMER HONE.

EDITOR ADVANCE:-Iho announce
ment of Fred Bloom that he is a can.
didate for senator was hailed with Joy
by his old friends aud neighbors in this
town. Mr.. Bloom was one OF the early
settlers of this town and was one of
the many sufferers by the grasshoppers
and one Of the few who had full faith
IN the ultimate success of this country.
He improved and still owns one of the
finest farms in the township. That he
was successful farmer all of the old
inhabitants of the county know. As /.
neighbor he was all that one could de-
sire, always reaching out helping
hsnd to the needy and always cheering
the discouraged by his unanswerable
arguments in favor of this county, and
during the erasshopper suffering was
one Of the most energetic expouudcrs
of the wants of the people. We know
it to be a positive fact that it was a
letter written by him to Gov. Pillsbury
in Nov., 1876, which brought him to
the realization of the destitute condi-
tion of the people of this grasshopper
ridden district and which letter in
duced him to come and see the situa-
tiOn himself, and tiereupon, on his re-
turn to the capitol, issued his call for
aid aud worked almost necessarily,
packing and forwarding the neces-
saries of life to the grasshopper suffer-
ers until the following spring. AS a
public officer Mr.. Bloom had no superb
0rs; competent, fearless, energetic,
honest and always at his post of duty.
Mr.. Editor, did we ever have more
efficient or competent, or valuable coun.
ty commissioner than Mr.. BlOOms
Don't you remember that when he as
sumed the duties of that Office in 1873,
that county orders were worth but sew.
enty-tive cents on the dollar? And
that when he retired at the end of his
term, county orders were at par. That
when the county bonds had to be nego.
tiated he advocated the selling of them
to the one who would take them at the
lowest rate of interest instead of al
lowing them to be issued to Winters as
had previously been the custom. That
while he was chairman of commission
ers. the board was able to sell a sixty
per cent bond at a premium, which the
county never was able to do before nor
since.
The letting of the medical practice
Of the county poor to the lowest bidder
was also advocated by him aud hun
dreds Of dollars saved every year. The
payment of bounty ON tree claims was
discontinued soon after he was on the
board, saving thousands of dollars,
which made him some enemies, but he
was sustained by the district court.
Mr.. Winters particularly was down on
him. First, on account of refusing to
issue bonds to him because he held the
orders which were to be redeemed by
the sale of the bonds; second, for re-
fusing to pay him any further bounty
on his tree claim and demanding the
repayment of that already paid.
1t will also be remembered that Tom
Parsons was bitter against him and for
the sole reason that while chairman of
county commissioners MIR. Bloom re-
fused to allow him interest for one
month on three thousand dollars to
which he knew Tom was not entitled.
In short, he always transacted public
business just the same that he does his
own, without fear or favor. We do not
claim that Mr. Bloom could have &C
complisl.ed all the above.named re-.
forms alone and are willing to accord
full aud equal credit to his efficient as.
sociates, viz: Robert Shore and A. NJ.
Crosby.
Is it any wonder then that his old
neighbors are delighted III having the
opportunity to elevate him into still
higher sphere of usefulness? We hope
every voter in Mobiles county will en-
dOrse him. OLD NEIGHBOR.
SEWARD. Sept. 20, 1886.