Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02
How He Rose to Fame Out in Wis.
consin.
His POPULARITY WITH THE VOTERS
The Time When His Political Life
Seemed at an End.
HIS LOYALTY TO HARRISON.


was newspaper mans comment on Uncle
Jerry Rusk when he appeared in Washing
ton in 1850 to enter President Harrison's ad-
ministration. And they did put good
many good ones on him-and he wore
them. smiling at their richness and fat
ness, but forever making better stories for
himself than anybody else could invent and
clap on him.
You see, stories are pretty apt to
make a man in political life. In the first
place, the newspaper boys are always
on the lookout for the best ones, and as the
demand invariably exceeds the supply, it
Is said, they even go SO far as to make some
chhand. Then they put them out as the
mental progeny of some Senator, Con-
gresham or cabinet official who gets the
peneht or injury accruing therefrom, as the
case may be. The American people like
stories, and they like the man who has the
name of telling a good story. They like
him especially on the stump, and they will
vote for him every time as against the
man who. although he may be more learned
and polished, couldn't tell u yarn from the
side of the house.
1t was thus with Uncle Jerry Rusk He
always told homely. horse-sense, Abe Lin
coin anecdotes, and his folks liked him.
Ills folks, you know, were mostly silver
haired Scandinavian farmers and red
shlrted lumbermen, in northwestern Wis
consin-Just the chaps 10 like stories, and
they never failed TO vote for him, and he
never was beaten at the polls Sheriff
coroner, assemolyman, Congressman, bank
controller, governor ne got there every
thile-thlrteen campaigns all told. and in
pupllc lie tWenty-Six years altogether.
His Enthusiasm for blaine.
one or the best stories about Uncle Jerry
The Star now publishes for the first time
and 1t Is true, as the old gentleman himself
admitted not long before he left Washing
ton last spring. He had occasion in 1896
when he was in the House, to entertain
here in Washington Horace A. Taylor, then
prominent constituent of his, and well
known as United States railroad commits
sioner in the Harrison administration. one
afternoon Uncle Jerry took MIR. and Mrs.
Taylor riding after the House adjourned,
and the talk started upon MIR. Blaine and
his political misfortunes that summer.
ftush was ever most ardent Blaine man.
de was everywhere ready to champion his
cause, and his youngest son, Blame Rusk,
born not long after the Little Rock and
Fort Scott affair, was named after the
Maine statesman, as Uncle Jerry said once.
to show that L don't believe a id word of
the charges against Mr.. Blaine"
AS they were riding down PENNSYLVANIA
avenue Rusk entered on a description of
Mr. Blaine's fearless assault on his enemies
in the House the day he read the Muligan
letters. Telling the story Rusk got thor
oushly excited, and shook his fist and
slapped mis- knees from time to time to en-
phasize his narrative.
As the carriage, an open barouche, was
rolling slowly along the avenue he rea ched
his climax, and in his excitement stood up
In the carriage and fairly shouted, Had
swear to God. when Blaine went down
that aisle. shaking his fist at those fellows
his arms were six feet longr'
The terrible earnestness of a six-foot man
standing up In carriage and bringing his
fist down with resounding whack in the
palm of his other hand as he uttered his
remark naturally attracted the attention
OF people on the sidewalk. and the Wiscon-
sin Congressman and his friends were
watched by hundreds of pedestrians until
they were out Of sight down the avenue.
GarGeld's Story.
President Garfield used to tell good
story that illustrated Uncle Jerry's big
hearted loyalty to a friend He and Rusk
had been boys together in Ohio, Garfield
on the towpath driving a mule and Rusk
at fifteen driving four horses on one of
NELL, Moore & Co.'S stages between Zanes-
Vile and Newark. During the debates in
the Forty-fourth Congress Garfield at one
time got into an alteration with a south
ern member. who challenged a statement
n. ade by Garfield and dared him to saw 1T
again, his manner implying that there was
"scrimmage" likely to ensue in one or
two blessed moments If the Ohio member
should repeat his remark Garfield for a
moment suffered a mental halt Just then
Rusk rushed down behind him, pulling up
MS coat sleeves as he came. and called out
Say 1t again. Jim, Say IT again"
The "scrmmage" did not take place and
In the general shout of laughter that fol-
lowed Garfield went on with his remarks
When He Was Defeated.
1t is told of Gen. Rusk that he decided to
run for governor of Wisconsin because Gar
field appointed him minister to Uruguay
when he wanted to go to Sweden, where
his wife. who was of Scandinavian parent
age. would have enjoyed diplomatic life.
The real cause of ambition in that direc-
ton dates further back and to a personal
slight within the boundaries of his own
state. In 1873, after he had retired from
Congress, Gov. Smith nominated him for
state railway commissioner, the best sala-
ried place in the state administration at
that time. Rusk needed it, for he had never
been rich man, and he had very little
ahead then except a moderately good ia I'm
In not remarkably good farming section
of the state. Everybody thought Jerry
would be confirmed as soon as the state
senate could meet and vote on the nomina-
ton. He came down to Madison wearing
the battered old silk hat and capacious but
well-worn cloak that had lasted him all
tn-Cugn congress. He was COngra tula ted
on all sides, and looked as happy as a boy
with big red apple. The night after the
nomination was made the republican men,
bers of the senate held a secret caucus
There were twenty-one of them. Among
them was Bill Price, afterward member
of Cong esS for two terms from the eighth
Wisconsin district. Price was an open
enemy of Rusk and had the reputation Of
being the most vituperative and profane
man in the state besides being the liveliest
offhand talker in the legislature. He had
got the caucus together, and in two hours
time, with the chances seemingly all against
him. he got a vote against confirming Rusk
on the ground that the ex-Cong -essman
hadn't sufficient education for the duties Of
the place. One Of the remarks Price made
in his speech to the caucus which was said
to be the most remarkable speech ever
made anywhere, was that the state could
not afford to appoint a man whose educa-
ton was limited to the bare accomplish
ment of writing his own name. and who
could not tell the difference between a
railway truss and instrument for the
relief of hernia"
ranked in Uncle Jerrv's breast and it an
gered his friends. To be repudiated by his
party in the upper branch of the legislature
was an ignominy he would not endure. His
activity in politics was redoubled from that
time forward.
Supposed to BE n Used Up Man.
A gentleman who talked the matter over
til 1,,N N,r-l,