Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-10-20
o IoHA's F 6.
some of the Incidents of w~entyorth,s
Stirring Career.

VIZ o
Stirring Career,
Chicago specIal:-"Long John" Went.
worth, who died here yesterday, was
perhaps the best known man IN Chicago,
He came TO Chicago in 1886 from New
Hampshire, where he was born twenty
one years before. Soon after his ar.
rival he bought the Chicago Democrat.
He did Job printing In connection with
the publication OF the paper. and when
stephen A. DouRias came to town John
Wentworth printed his hand bills.
(" We didn't have enough men to do
the WORK" SAID MIR. Wentworth, aand i
worked she hand press while Douglas
mixed the roliet.n
John Wentworth went to Harvard to
finish his lag schooling, and while he
was away q movement In favor of send
ing him to Washington was started. He
came back IN lS4l, and in lS43 vas
elected to sit 10 congress. He was rs-
elected in 1874 1916 and 1S4S. There
was some opposition to Mr.. Wentworth
in. 1850 and with his usual ssgacisy he
declined to run. In 1852 he was selected
from o new district and he went TO con-
gress again. Trouble had grown
between him and Stephen A.
Douglas, due to a feeling OF rivalry
and this term Mr.. Wentworth was IN
opposition to the "Little Grant," HIS
trouble With Douglas probably led him
TO join hands with Abraham Lincoln and
others IN h formation of the republic
can party, He fought the Kansas
Nebraska bill and others of fLouglAs'
measures, and be came out of conerees
to find that the Douglas people were
sharpening their knives for him. His
political craft told him this and he stay
ed ont Of the race, declining a nomination
offered him by his personal following,
and with the rise of the republican party
he changed his politics.
He was elected mayor OF the town in
1867 and again in 1860. His admiais-
stratIon OF the city was one of she most
notable and characteristic portions of his
career. He seemed to infuse some of the
bristling pioneer spirit into the veins OF
the town, which civilization now appears
to be making sluggish. He built the
first fire engine, named it the ssLong
5ohn," and appalled, the citizens with it.
He received the prince 0! Wales. then a
slender lad OF twenty, who wes making
a tour Of the country under the guidance
of the duke OF Newcastle. II was q
common sight in those days to see the
boy srotting around town beside the
tremendous form of the big mayor, who,
at every block waded through the muddy
streets, dragging the young prince after
him to introduce to some citizen and
constitnent from the tenth ward. Posi-.
bly, he learned his taste for rye whisky
from those excursions with Chicapo's
honest mayor.
mr.. Wentworth" he said in parting,
81 have enjoyed my visit to Chicago inn
mensely. andI would like to return the
favor"
Never mind" said Mr.. Wentworth,
we treat everybody that way out vest
The prince OF Wales sent TO Hon. John
Wentworth, q month or two later, two
fine Southdown bucks, whDge descend
ents are now on his farm.
/ His later years hsd been passed in q
quiet way, strongly unlike tine turbu-
lenoe that marked the first OF his career.
Most OF the time he Was in his room at
the Sherman house. seeing few persons,
but busy with his books and papers.
Mr.. Wentworth's wealth is hard to
estimate, because OF his proyerbial
c%loseness OF mouth regarding money
affairs. Old timers who know much Of
his property and had watched him build
ing it lays he leaves at least 81. 600, 900
or Sc, 000,0 600. and possibly twice that
much. His farm at Summit is n OF the
finest in the state and ita nearness to the
city makes it's value almost fabulous.
Besides this Mr.. Wentworth owns much
down town property. Until the middle
of the seventies he had sixty acres be-
tween Thirty. first and Thirty-ninth
streets and Wentworth and Michigsn
avenues. he subdiYidsd this and sold
much Of 1t, but much of il he also kept,
and 1t is now one OF the most populous
and valuable parts Of the town. The
great part Of the estate probably goes to
Roxanna Wentworth, his only child.