Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-08
VERY MUCH OF A MAN.


Gen. Jeremiah N. Rusk.
1
INTERESTING rxcDErTs OF Hm 1lAvs AID 20
rUREsQuR oAlxxn-m suPPRxssroN or tn
| GREAT AxAncnsr RIors-srArKsxAx, sofDrEa
AND PRACTICAL YARMxR
Gen. Jeremiah n. Rush, the Secretary Of thu
new Departments Of Agriculture, il one of thu
most picturesque figures now before the public
Commencing life a. 10 stage driver in the west
hs entered the army at the outbreak of the
war, commandeda regiment, Q brigade and q
division, and received commission as briga.
der general Returning 10 Wisconsin he WA
| elected state bank controller and served sir
years In Congress, where he acted - chairman
| OF the pension committee. In 1881, President
Garfield appointed him minister to Uruguay
and Paraguay, but he declined the appointment,
saying: "Tn 60 home and run for governor. "
he went home and y a. elected. So well did he
serve the people of Wisconsin that he was kept
| in office seven years, the longest term Of any
Wisconsin governor. During his second term
| the country, and especially the northwest, was
shocked by
THE OUTBREAK OF THE ANARCHISTS
| in Chicago and Milwaukee. The latter city has
Q foreign population comprising nearly one
half of its whole people, made up Of Germans,
Poles. Bohemians, Hungarians, and Russians,
and while the majority of its German citizens
are peaceful and law-abiding, 1t was the very
hot-bed Of anarchy and nihilism. As the dire
ful LIST Of May, 1886, drew near, the muttering
Of trouble was heard in Milwaukee, secret
meetings Of the international anarchist clubs
| were held, arms and bombs were distributed
and forebodings Of evil filled the air. Threats
were made that the large manufacturing e.
tablishmentof E. P. Allis Co., the shops Of the
Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad company, the
large buildings Of the Alexander Mitchell es-
tate and those Of John Plankinton were to be
fred by the mob. Wide-mouthed anarchistic
the mob, and business men in Milwaukee
rembled in fear. To make the situa-
ton more complicated the mayor, Mr.. Emil
Walber, assumed q half-hearted position, and
declared that he had no authority to protect
property except with q small force Of police
men. At this juncture and at the request of q
large number Of prominent citizens, the sher-
IN called on the governor for assistance. The
call to arms when Fort Sumter was fred upon
was not more quickly responded to than this
appeal for protection The governor immedi-
ately called out six companies Of the first regi-
ment of militia, and orderedth second under
arms in marching order, and notified the third
to be in readiness With his acknowledgement
and chief of staff he proceeded at once to Mil
waukee. 1t was found that the greatest danger
was at Bay View, suburb which contains the
rolling mills, steel-ran shops and other iron
working institutions employing several thou
sand men Here wild and vicious mob Of
Bohemians, Polacks and other nationalities
had collected and were preparing to sack the
shops. Gov. Rusk ordered the troops to pro-
tect the property at any event. "f you are
attacked" said the governor, "hold your
ground at all hazards. Injure no one il you
can possibly avoid it, but preserve the property
and keep order. II you are attacked fire into
executed to the letter. When the troops arrived
on the ground they were jeered at and in
suited by loud cries and sneers. Finding that
they were disregarded, some Of the ringleaders
Of the mob, which numbered several thousand,
began pelting the soldiers with biscuit and,
finally, small stones were hurled at them. The
officer in charge warned the crowd to desist, as
the soldiers stood at rest protecting the facto-
ries, but some OF the leaders called out that they
were kindergarten soldiers" and mo
good" and now and then q stone was
thrown into the ranks of the militia.
All this time the mob increased in numbers,
and surged as only an angry mob can. FL
nally all appearances indicated direct attack.
The mob concentrated its strength at one point,
and was preparing TO advance upon the ''kin-
dergarten soldiers" the men holding brick
bats. pieces OF paving stones, and other pro-
jectiles. Before they arrived within stoning
distance the commanding officer gave the COM
mand "Fire!" and q volley Of bullets was
poured into the advancing horde. Five or six
OF the miscreants were shot down in their
tracks, and one or two innocent people at
distance were accidentally killed.
THE RIOT WAS OVER.
There was hurrying to and fro, and shrieks
Of dismay from the women and friends of the
killed and wounded, and the mob dispersed in
short order. The troops were kept in line all
day and that night they slept on their arms.
In day or two they were all removed and the
insurrectionary element was seen no more.
Gov Rusk, by his timely act, had crushed the
serpent before it had time to sting, and thus
saved the lives probably Of hundreds of good
men, and undoubtedly avoided the destruction
Of an immense amount of property. Milwaukee
had been the scene Of destructive riots over the
suspension Of specie payments by the banks in
1851 and over the drafts in lS63 and every Mil
wankeean shoulders at what might have occurred
II Gov. Rpsk had not summarily put an end to
In the fall Of 1886, at the request of business
men Of all parties he was again Q candidate for
reelection and was
ELECTED ALMOST WITHOUT OPPOSITION.
The governor is q tall man with long blonde
beard, slightly tinged with gray. He has Q
son, Lycurgus J. Rusk, who is a prominent
lawyer at Chippewa Falls, Wis. A daughter,
Miss Mollie, and younger son, Blaine, with
Mrs. Rusk, constitutes his family at present
His appointment gives the warmest pleasure
to the people of the state Of Wisconsin. He Is
pratical farmer, having owned and operated
. farm during the greater part of his life, and
is great favorite with the farmers of his own
state.
The Indian River.