Telegram-herald., 1890-03-08
ASHLAND COUNTY OHIO.
IT 1As sent OUT MANY suc-
cESSFvL MEN.
ss~dse@AsE. 81 South Bsld, Ias-. CaE-s
fro2 fhsrs, @ad - Dta ssa4tSr AIltsoa.
Ex-GossxnOx kirk~ssd .nd Cssgre.sa...a

WAsHSaPCN. March "a group 0f
members Of congress ard goyernment
oeHcials were string tn ths easy chairs Of
hotel perior few nights ago, taking
about tie Astors and their wealth, the
growth q The money power, the rise Of
trusts, and the probabilities of the future
- - tle eentraazstlOn u capital. A ma-
lOFIty Of the gentlemen present took a
slOony view sf the situation. They con
tended that In the Rsw order of things a
poor man, even In the United States. has
not fair start IN the race Of life, and
that tbs tendency Of the times rs 10 make
the rich richer and the poor poorer. FL
nally enc gentleman. prominent figure
In congress and IN national politics, with
q good deal Of seriousness stood agaiast
what seemed TO be the prevailing opinion,
and argued that as wealth IS 80 much
more conspicuous than poverty. It's dis
play always exaggerates its relation 70
the average condition Of things.
Let me tell you = story from actual
life 20 illustrate my POSITION said he.
al think can show you from remark
q
eidents, Of coincidents, that in the United
States man needs neither the prestige
Of wealth nor family TO enable him 10
win conspicuous success in business or
professional life.
Fifty years ago ! was a barefooted
boy living with my parents on farm III
Ashland county, o. The country was
comparatively new, the markets were
net good, and the agricultural people
were hard pressed 10 get living out OF
the soil. Money was scarce. nearly every
one was in debt, and no one was pros
porous or content. At the cross roads
in Green township, near which we lived.
there used to be an old blacksmith Of the
name OF Studebaker lie was a good
old man, who worked pretty hard at his
anvil, but for all that had constitu-
tional tendency 10 financial prostration.
He had some boys who were active
young fellows and VII tried to help their
father out, but in spite of all they could
do, and all the old man could do, the
blacksmith found himself more than
once every year sued for debt before
justice of the peace known in the neigh
borhood as Squire Allison. 1t was I'M
derstOod In the neighborhood that the
Old gentleman Studebaker owed nearly
every one. in that part of the country,
and every merchant in the county seat
whom he could induce to trust him. In
the same way about half the farmers in
the township owed him bills for sharp
ening plow shares, for repairing wagons
and implements and shoeing their horses
The farmers were too poor to pay, and
Studebaker was therefore unable TO pay
the merchants who had sold him supplies
Zone day, to the surprise of every one,
old man Studebaker loaded his family
and few household goods sintoa covered
wagon and started west. All the neigh
bors had confidence in his honesty, and
were sorry to see him go. The next we
heard of him was that he had located at
South Bend. Ind, where he and his lusty
boys had made first one wagon and then
another and sold them at fair prices 10
the prosperous farmers OF the St. Joseph
valley. 1t wasn't long before he had
made wagons enough to enable him to
start an extensive wagon shop, and in a
year or two he came back TO Green town
ship, Ashland county, o.. and paid every
debt which he had left behind him.
remember how proud the old man was Of
his ability to do this. and how glad his
former neighbOrs were to see him pros
pering. Well, you all know the rest
You know how that wagon shop grew
and grew till it became the largest insti-
tuition OF its kind in the world. You
know that his sons are immensely
wealthy and highly respected men.
'sThe Squire Allison whom | have
mentioned was poor man, too. He
had a son, Bill, who was fond of chew
ing tobacco and playing ball and Of
shirking his work on the farm. Bill and
were chums, barefoot boys together.
and remember that he often said he
was going to leave the farm at the first
opportunity. Finally he got n chance to
60 to Ashland, the county seat, and
study law with firm there who knew
his father. and in time he was admitted
% the bar and hung out his shingle Ue
didn't have many ciient., and Tor a time
had to 20 through the process OF starva-
ton and insolvency which Is the fate Of
ali young lawyers in a country town.
lie naturally turned toward politics.
and when the Republican party was
born enrolled himself as one Of its mem
bers ard stood for county attorney on
tile Republican ticket. Ashland Was
then and still is a stanch Democratic
county. and young Allison was showed
under. IIe took this az a mint that that
neiEhbOrhood was not concenial for him,
sud started west. lie went 70 Dubuque.
Ia. and within five years his abilities
and his popularity as man had won
for him a nomination and election 20
congress. You ali know the remainder
Of the story-hOw he served a number
Of years in the house. and then stepped
up 20 the senate. where he has been for
seventeen years. Senator Allison has
never been . success financially. though
you will often see his name in the papers
rs one of the miliiOnaircs Of the senate
Tie truth u he il not worth S3o coo and
the entire devotion Of his time to public
affairs has eft him without the inclina-
tion OF the ability % take hand Ia the
money Ers bling enterprises If the times
But bis life has been a great success,
nevertheless
Bv some strange disr ensa-io1 Of fate
thar neighborhood Of Ashland oounty.
o.. has given large number Of fsmo-s
men - the s-ste - iowa Old Samuel
J ErkwoCd. the var governor ~ Iowa
uss a poor boy IN Ashland county. who