The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-04-04
A MILLI0NAIRE'S START.
SENATOR STANFORD SENT WEST BY
A CHICAGO MAN.

A CHICAGO MAN.
From Briehess Lawyer in Wisconsin
Village to California Nabob.
PoRT WASHINGTON, Wis, March o.
Forty years ago Senator Leland STAN
ford, the California millionaire, here
laid the foundation of his fortune of
S7O,OO0,OO0; here it was that Mr.. and
Mrs. Stanford spent their honeymoon
and the first three years of their married
life, and here they suffered more and
greater hardships than they experienced
before or since. It was here, too, that
Leland Stanford received the blow
which sent him away in chagrin and
disgust to build for himself and his young
wife new home in the West-the blow
that was the direct means OF changing
his position in Life from that of strug-
Cling country lawyer to the one he now
holds.
Mr.. Stanford came to Port Washing
ton intending to make it his permanent
home. In the forties the village was 8
lusty rival of Chicago and. Milwaukee
and was enjoying a healthy boom foster
ed by Chicago men whose confidence IN
the village at the head of the lake had
been shaken. Stanford was at this time
studying law in Albany. N. Y, where 3
missionary sent out H. 0. Stone, Of
Chicago, found him and induced him to
cast his lot in Wisconsin. His mind
once made up, it did not take the young
lawyer long to get his valuables together,
his baggage consisting OF small hide
bound valise containing half dozen
pairs of home knit woolen socks, lew
linen collars of the kind that fastened at
the back and four or five cotton hand
kerchiefs as large as small table cloths,
which, with his law books-the latter
forming small but excellent library,
the gift of brother-were packed in q
single trunk.
It has been said that when Leland
Stanford came to Port Washington he
walked into the village, his wardrobe on
his back and his valuables tied in red
cotton handkerchief. There appears to
be no foundation for this story. Gray
haired men who well remember Stan
ford's arrival here, say there is no doubt
that the journey from Albany was made
by rail to the terminus of the Lake
Shore road, which was then in course of
construction, thence by stage to Chicago
and by boat to this place. There are q
number of early settlers who recall the
young lawyers arrival He was stout
built, dark complexiored young man,
% or % years old, with thick lips and an
impediment in his speech that made him
appear at bad advantage in social gath
erings and tended to make him basbful
and retiring.
Stamford secured board at the Pow
ers' House-a two story frame hotel
owned by H. o. Stone, Of Chicago, and
managed by the late Judge O'Conner.
He looked the town over, liked the loca-
ton and its prospects, and decided to
settle here. A room was rented on the
second floor of a frame store building
and furnished as law Office. The apart
ment was small-Sxl2-and plainly fur
nished, the furniture consisting of a
rough, unpainted table, three chairs and
a book case. a shingle was hung out
and Leland waited for client. Whether
or not the.cient ever came history does
not relate, but true it is the court records
of Wash county bear no evidence that
Leland Stanford had case on the calen-
dar during the three years he was a
member of this bar. In fact, business
was so poor that Stanford secured an
appointment as notary public in order to
increase his income by the fees accruing
from the Office. To-day there is many
a deed and mortgage on file bearing the
signature: Iceland Stanford, Notary
Public"
In the fall Of 1S4S Stanford returned
to Albany to be married. Charles Miller,
q prominent citizen of West Bend, in
the adjoining county, declares with con-
siderable pride that he furnished the
money to pay the expenses Of that we'd
ding and bridal tour. The fact was,
Leland Stanford had found his hands
full in keeping the wolf from the door,
and had been unable to save much from
his small income; but he would not dis
appoint his betrothed by asking her to
postpone the wedding, and pluckily took
a friend into his confidence and borrowed
the money to carry him through.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stanford did not come
to Port Washington prepared to begin
housekeeping. All their worldly goods
were contained in one trunk of very
moderate size and they found no Difficult
ty in getting everything into the one
small room in the Powers House, occu-
pied by them. Their apartment was on
the second floor, directly over the bar
room and was warmed by stoyepipe
that passed through the chamber from
the Office. The young couple were very
happy here for several months; they
were welcomed in society-sucn as there
was, and it is said the lines were drawn
very closely-attended the dancing par
ties given in 'sthe section,'' as the long,
low hall in the garret of the hotel was
termed and became part OF the life OF