Telegram-herald., 1890-04-05
SYBRANT WESSELIUS
Whom Monday VII Constitute
Mayor OF Grand RspidA
SEETCH OF Al HONEST aly'S LIFE
Tbrswa ga tks worid as Is Years 81 Age
he, the csiia Of tn People. Pa1s his
shoulder % ths Whssi and 1ss
Gss tE IheEs let

operation, and the whisper = current
that syorant Wesselias, the Republican
candidate for the mayOralty, s a
foreigner. Vas there ever anything
more ridlculously untrues
1yoFant Wesselius = one OF the best
exponeEts OF the possibilities OF our
glorious American Constitution and
methods. lie = an American horn
citizen. every inch Of him. tie mas,
unalded, fought his way from the bot
tom round Of the ladder, amidst dif-
rcultles that would have proved IN
surmOuntahie obstacles % men or
meeker mold.
Ia order 20 refute such absurd
rum0rs and o. show that Mr. Wesselius
j. what be claims % be "a peoples
candidate, a short sketch Of as career
Il here appended
Syoraut WesseiIus was born June 3,
1850, on Sheldon-st., Grand Rapids,
Mica. HIS parents belonged 20 that
me old Holland stock that mas gwen 70
this country 20 many OF is best and
foremost citizens. He attended the
public schools OF Grand Rapids until
the age OF l3. when a severe accident,
sustained by hs father, then an eu-
Ply a. h4iE - W0Ahrs EOlADfAlfA MN
10 quit school for the time beng. His
fathers arm was hurt 50 badly that for
nine months il was rendered useless
and Young >ybrant was called upon TO
put his shoulder 20 the wheel. This
call he answered right manfullv and
ever since be has kept his shoulder TO
the wheel with such good effect that
the city's schlef Office is about 10 become
his.
The first hard work Of his life tackled
by the future senator. was two years
service IN the employ Of Brown &
smith. the Monroe-st. trunk and har-
ness makers, whose shop then stood
where Chase Brothers store IS now.
One OF his shopmates. who will vouch
for the authenticity OF the fact, was
Deputy Sheriff Cook who worked as a
lOurneyman harnessmaker for the same
firm. Even thus early, however, young
Sybrant Wessellus had conceived the
desire Of one day becoming a lawyer.
He knew that difficulties and hardships
had 20 be faced with their obstinate ac-
COMPARTMENT poverty. Nothing
dauuted, the youth Piled his vocation
ali day and in the evening, when most
boys would have sought recreation, he
was TO be found at ms desk in the night
school of Prof. Charles Chandler.
From there we next find him an at
tcndant ~ Prof. &. G.. Swensberg' 5
business college. How did he get the
money 10 do this2 Was he not sprung
from the people? As did his good. honest
Holland forefathers, who lad never
been ashamed TO deny themselves,
never ashamed TO strip of their coats
and work for what they got. So did the
boy. lie was offered job 10 do chores
morning and evening, with time al
lowed 10 90 20 school, and be took It.
The salary was 81 per week, but tie
lived on 10 and clothed himself. and
kept on studying. We next find him
working rs clerk for the law firm of
Champlin & Fitzgerald. the senior part
ner of which u now Judge of the Su-
preme Court Of this state. This was in
the cavs before tvpewriters, and the
elegant penmauship acquired at the
business college now stood him IN good
stead. Here he remained about year
and a half and then accepted an offer
% teach a district school in Caledonia,
and passed his examination for this
position before a board. one of whom
was our present county treasurer. ;. I.
COlson. No teacher at that school had
hHfAEtth NtAA Aiif lttl ttI III AWt AttAi Ffil~-
The young giant. Wesselius, dld, and
could have kept on doing 1t.
Now he commenced scrapingand saw
ing 20 got a collegiate course. With
hm 20 "will was to do" and accord ng-
1--WE find him duly Installed rs student
at Kalamazoo college. Here he man
aged % earn enough during vacations
tn keep him through terms. II was q
&1rd struggle, and during the last SIX
Ness Of his course he lived on exactly
$50. Rut he did it, and was grad
uatcd with honor in 1888. when Ken
dali BROOKS was president. and was
thereafter authorized TO tack a. r.
alter n's name. He studied practical
law under Hughes & smiley and Smiley
4 Earle. snd was admitted 20 the bar
in 1884. Judge Montgomery being the
Judge of the circuit court. and Judge
Grove ono Of the examining committee
before whom he passed a highly credi-
table examination.
Nr Wcsseiius. now thoroughly broken
q harness. set earnestly about aC1uir-
ing clentagc. bat his fellow citizens
had learned his value and ablt 20
lead and without solicitation on his
Part and almost without his knowledge
b. vas nominated at the last county
convention % represent this Consttu-
eucv in the state legislature lie was
rot only nominated but elected by n
plurality 0f 1918. and came within - Of
carving The CITY The rest is known
o. h.s honor And now 10 is asked Is
not Svbrant Wesselius justified n claim
ing 20 he the peoples Cand date He =
one Of them re knows and has horne
their sorrows and had his lot IN
their too scantv iovs. re sprung
from them. ard e Is hs proudest boast
that he 20 ~ them. In him u found
IN hank president. the representative
Of no corporate interest. but PLAIN
honest mar who has worked hs wav
from Che bottom - tne top by the force
Of h-s own talent ard VII. and hv the
practice IF surn virtues rs honesty
s0brictv. perseverance. seif-denial and
industry. 4 man IN touch with the
people. a man on whose record n0
stain can be- found. a nan who has
hred hs simple life here among Won.
Creu as the tsv. vho knows YOUR need
ard your struggles. and Is in fuN
sympathy With them. who has no
prr3te interests 20 restrain him from
working fer tne hest interests ~ Il
native citv ard fellow tovnsraen. a mar
Wrnse ansrtcn is 20 see Grarf
Rapids ENJOY every progressive herefi
81 nodnru times. ard Who Iooss for
ward crn 6dertiv 20 f6e trle Vhen thr
rrraf axes marine vii moor az Grand
rar.ds docks ard tae people reap che
hrreft 0f fhe ccr1ret ton between
ther1 and the n lrnars Such s tho
ranfuafe the Republicans ~ tfis eitv