Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-10-28
Isaac Stephenson
The Poor Boy of Forty Years Ago
And The Man of To-day.
People Who Condemn Men Be
cause they have Made a Sue
cess of Life-A Grand
Record.

|
pay their current expenses; and when
a demagogue editor sneers at men
because they are wealthy, I always
think he is out of place as public
educator, for every editor is public
educator to certain extent.
My attention was called to this SUBJ
iject by seeing a paragraph in north
ern democratic paper IN which Con-
gresham Isaac Stephenson was belit-
tied because he is a millionaire. The
paper is edited by young man who
has lived in the state but short time,
and knows nothing of the early history
of the state or Mr.. Stephenson's manly
struggle to lay foundation tor the
fortune which he is now enjoying
When Mr.. Stephenson first came to
Wisconsin forty years ago, he was a
poor young man, but he had rare
stock of good common sense, hardy
constitution and more than the ordi-
nary amount of energy parceled out to
one man. If the young snip of a
democratic editor had known the hard
ships through which Mr.. Stephenson
has passed, and of the thousands of
good deeds he has done, he would
scarcely sheer at him for being a
millionaire. He is one of the rich
men Of the country who has amassed
fortune in strictly legitimate way;
in such way as to give thousands of
other people a chance to make some
thing.
For more than thirty years he has
been very large employer. Hun
dreds of the men who have worked
for him the past twenty five years have
comfortable fortunes of their own
han dsome residence, large farms, fine
milling interests and plump bank &C
counts. Up to within a few years
there has not been a man in the
employ of Isaac Stephenson who
worked more hours day than he did,
and it may safely be said that there is
not man on the Menominee river who
has given so much in charity-who
has been reader to assist the distressed
whose sympathies have been better
rounded up.
Fifteen years ago, when the great
fire swept through that portion of the
country. a large portion of Mr..
Stephenson's fortune went up in the
flames. The money that he had spent
20 years in the hardest kind of work
to earn, passed away in one night.
Such blow would have crushed many
a man, bat Mr.. Stephenson, ter
spending two or three weeks in Gazing
for the wounded, and providing for
and cheering those who had lost every
thing, he commenced again to rebuild,
and for ten years he was obliged to
work harder than he had when he was
a much younger man and he has more
than recovered his losses. The man
! WHO knows these things and knows
! what benefits have been derived from
his great enterprises by the laboring
classes, would not sneer at Mr.. Steph-
enson unless he was demagogue, or a
man without heart.
Not long ago was conversing with
a Marinette gentleman who has known
Mr.. Stephenson for thirty years. He
said, 81 like to see men of Stephenson s
worth and character promoted to posi-
tions of honor. He has come up from
the ranks and walked over more
obstacles than any man Of my acquain-
lance. | knew him intimately in the
early days. He worked with the men
in the mill, took the same kind of fare
that they had, was on familiar and
good terms with his men, never acted
as though he was any better than they.
A good many people think that Mr..
Stephenson is only an ordinary man.
l know better, and [ venture the as
sersion that there is not better
informed man in Wisconsin than Isaac
Stephenson. You can bring up almost
any subject and he can discuss it with
the best and in very intelligent and
highly interesting manner"
1t is needless to speak of MIR. Steph-
enson as public servant He has
twice served in the assembly where he
took high rank at once as legislator.
He has already been in congress four
years and while he has not often been
heard on the floor, the record of his
good work for his constituents will
compare with that of any representa-
tive the state has ever had. He is
especially attentive to the interests of
the soldiers. not alone of his own dis
trlct, but to those of the whole state.
Mr.. Stephenson has strong hold upon
the affections Of the people whom he
SO ably represented and there is every
reason to believe that his majority this
year will be greater than it was two
years ago Sunday Telegraph.
BUcKLEN's ARNIcA SALvE. The
Best Salve in the world for Cuts. Bru-
ises, Sores, Salt Rheum, Fever Sores,
letter, Chapped Hands, ChilbIains,
Corns, and all Skin Eruptions, and
I Il