The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-22

war made soldier of him before he was III
years old He ran away from home anu en-
listed in battery of volunteer artiuery' ne
served rs n cannoneer in the Army of the
Potomac through all the fighting from the
Wilderness to the front Of Petersburg; was
mustered out at the end of his term OF en-
listment: re-enlisted In the regular army,
and on the same day was promoted from the
ranks to lieutenantcy in the Fourth united
States artillery.
/ A brevet captain in the regular army ~
the age of a little over 49, he resigheu
his commission to enter school OF mathe-
mates, preparatory to his chosen hle-Worh
of mining engineer. In 1871 he wehO hiCo
the service of the Cambria Iron company, III
PENNSYLVANIA to qualify himself for the
management of their underground property
He worked as a miner of coal and iron ore
for two wears. Them on q disagreement
with the Cambria owners he accepted EN-
ployment from the Northern Pacific Railroad
company as a civil engineer, and for two
wears took pert in locating surveys Tor
that corporations main line through the
Rocky mountains in Montana, across the
Mains of the Columbia, down the north bahK
of the Columbia river, down the eastern sioe
of PUGET sound, and across tho CASCADE
mountains by many routes. He also explored
for the Northern Pacific company the eastern
; slope of the Rocky range, from the Deer
LODGE PASS to the north of the Assinabome
river, for coal iron and copper, anu
+ hunted the east bank of the missouri
p river above Bismarck, for bitummous
q coal During all this adventurous, and then
n most dangerous, service, he had ], 4oo acre
J. farm in Kansas and on it wife and BABY.
: These finally pulled him out OF engineering
and he settled down in Kansas to raise cattle
1, and grow wheat Being mighty hunter, ne
g enliyened the terribly tame business oil catoie
l. raising with bird shooting on the pralrles anu
: elk hunting on the Rocky mountains, as
is well as a little prospecting for gold ana sii,
le YER and much consorting with hnnters anu
Il nrosnectors in the Medicine Bow range. lie
q frequently wrote his experiences Tor Inc
" SIM. of this city, sketches that will be long
Ia and pleasantly remembered by all who read
- them Finally he freed himself from the
IS Kansas ranch by leasing it, and bought
n gold placer in the Douglas min
f. inc district in Wyoming territory,
h. in siqht of the high Rabbit Ear
lie peak, and purchased deserted log palace
II ON the bank of a roaring mountain stream
ct furnished and stocked it, and settled down
o. with his wife and two boys to enjoy HE
* nationally, and wash out gold in the inter
IN walls when he was not deep in the forest VIII
pm his blankets and rifle. Altogether, he hveI
mt ON the plains and in the Rocky mountain
an fourteen years Eastern by birth and nlir
tx ture, he is western in every fiber OF his pody
In 1884 to get near to his father, whom h
in tenderly loves, and who lives in New Yor
M CITY. he built house in Bridge Hampton, a
.lv the east end of Long Island. There he nov
le- resides But he yet owns the gold placer an
81 the log palace in the Medicine Bow moui
hi toins. and elk and deer and beaver come int
he his Sleep and nightly he hears the voices
Ter the forest calling to him to come home.
Mr.. Wilkeson is man of tremendous ply
nd ical force as well as strong and fine mentalty
IN He has a large physique, handsome nea
mo set on q neck like a massive column Oh brow
no. stone, big clear eyes full of kindness, ana
ell voice rich and deep and full OF SWEEP ZONES
tic such q voice as no man not honest anu kihul
be could he oifted with. He could be what is Gale
me great if he chose to figure where the "orio
ac- nrizes are offered He has the force al
, canacitv TO achieve extraordinary thing
,gb He has however, chosen to live out OF u
70 contest as much as possible With l
has family. his dogs, guns and love OF natu
orc and natures witnesses he finds deeper 10
tier than the strife of life affords
His He writes only when the mood seizes hi
,te and never to order, as many urlucky SOL
1m- are compelled to do. He makes recreatl
IAN. rather than profession OF it For I'd
ver reason what he does write has force o.
aid freshness that make themselves felt
a Of He is a pleasing talker, with fund OF II
y If experiences of kind not common; but
conversation he is modest and deferentia
lth never egotistical With the exception
the Prentice Milford l know no writer "
iobt loves the wilderness so well, or who has h
ense so much experience in wild life, in the MOI
In,'. famous mining districts Yet both tn'
pouS men have more warm sympathy Win tn
KIND fellow-men than one often finds in those
axes call themselves philanthroplsts; Both
good thinkers on the problems that affect the "
hair, fare of humanity. and are always oh
,ndi. humanitarian side. Both, too, were be
Iboir and brought up in the east, and both
nj western by nature in every particular
unds Nj. aa ren can make IL, His man user
the E n ioy TO editors and his private letters
jE. models of courtesy and kindness. dc
meets 10 20 to the Rocky mountains OF
tbe long trip during the coming summer,
ovrs will treat the public to some more charihl
en' pictures Of wild western life.
very noD-