The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-10-29

cordlng or preservin 81 Such a man in
pre-eminent sense, is Hon. James NJ.
Turner, of Lansing, Republican candi-
date for governor of Michigan. The
story of his life and marked business
successes read almost like romance,
but through it all the sturdy worth and
force of character which weaves valua-
bic history from the commonplace web
and wool of everyday life are the pre-
vailing characteristics. His successes
are only those which are possible to all
the young men of America who are true
TO themselves and the opportunities
which are from time TO time placed
within their grasp Though still in the
prime of life and vigorous manhood,
Mr.. Turner is what the world is pleased
To term "made" man. The same
qualities of intellectual force which
steadily brought him To the front rank
in business sense, will shine forth
with brilliancy which cannot be dim
med or overshadowed in his guberna-
torial and political career. He is Il
born leader among his fellows, and the
ship which is guided by his vigorous
arm can never be cast upon the rocks
of untoward fate or circumstance.
Following is a necessarily brief-yet
outline of the past life of the popular
Republican gubernatorial candidate
The public naturally en- Joys reading
about those who attain great promi-
nence, and the narrative which follows
may be relied upon as being true and
authentic in every detail 1t proves
conclusively that Mr.. Turner is neither
an "aristocrat" nor "monopolist," but
the true friend and employer of labor,
always ready and willing to aid and en-
courage those who are trying To follow
in his footsteps and get to the front"
The accompanying cut is an exact re-
production of the house in which Hon.
James Nj. Turner was born, April %,
1850. 1t was the first frame house built
in Lansing township, and still stands in
good preservation as a valuable histori-
cal landmark, in the northern suburbs
OF che capital city. 1t speaks most elo-
quently of that past of hardships and
privatiOns from which has sprung the
great present of one of the most pros
porous and influential states of the en-
tire union When that old house was
new, the site upon which the handsome
and bustling city of Lansing now stands
was IN unbroken wilderness, thickly
deniZened with wild beasts and savages.
When the state legislature, in the
spring of 1917 fixed the location of the
capital upon its present site, Mr.. Turn
er's father left Mason aud pitched his
family tent upon the north bank of the
Grand river. IL is still one of the most
romantic and picturesque spots To be
found in Michigan, the wooded bluffs
being lofty and abrupt, and the view of
the city magnificent. When the hum.
bic frame farmhouse of the elder Turn
er was built, his only nelghbors were
housed in three log cabins at varying
intervals of distance. The shingles,
siding, floors and frames We're all "snak-
ed" through the unbroken forest from
the town of Dexter with OK teams The
farm selected at that time for the Turn
er household was "A small one, and their
financial circumstances were of the
most humble possible description.
Clearing operations on small scale
were at once instituted, and tract of
three acres was finally "slashed." Such
"A thing as a wagon road was unknown,
and at no point in that vicinity was the
river provided with bridges.
In the midst of these crude surround
ings, the eyes of Hon. James Nj. Turn
err, the subject of this sketch, first open
ed upon the light of day. As he still
frequently remarks with one of his
characteristic smiles, he "came into the
world without cent in my pocket"
His father was at that time conducting
a small trading business with the In
dams and cultivating such land as he
could find time TO wrest from the dom
ination of the wilderness. No lad ever
started in life under less advantageous
circumstances. BY the time young
James was five years old, the settle
ment had attained sufficient magnitude
to warrant the erection of small coun-
try schoOlhouse. Here he gained the
rudiments of an education during the
winter months and did what little his
budding strength would allow to help
his father in the summer. He grubbed
and hoed, burned brush, guided the
pillow and directed the stubborn and
unsatisfactory drag. Did ever farmer
have better opportunities for becoming
''practicalg" the quality which is SO
much in demand just at present. As
young Turner grew older, he was en-
trusted with the care of wisely select
ed assortment of farm stock, thus ac-
curing the taste for stock breeding
which he has turned to such good adj
vantage during more recent years.
When but 10 years of age, he bought
few sheep with money earned by his
own small hands, selling the wool there
from at the encouraging wartime price
of one dollar per pound.
1--WE were all most wretchedly poor
in those days" Mr.. Turner said recent
ly, his fine eyes growing moist as mem
DRY went back to boyhood. 81 was one
of ten children, and our clothing was
strictly confined to the limits of what
our financial circumstances would war
rant. Such thing as shoes or stock
ings in summer were unknown to either
my sisters or myself, and we could not
afford to wear flannels of any kind in
winter. | never owned an overcoat
until | had grown up and earned with
my own hands the money to purchase