The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-02
BIOGRAPHICAL.

Thos. P. Kerr, of Milaca, Minneso-
ia, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in
1871. He is of Scotch descent. His
father, a Methodist minister, emf
grated to Canada in 1857; moved
about from place to place in Canada
till 1862. Mr.. X. went to the worlds
fairin Londoni in thatyea Returning
he left Liverpool for Quebec in the
fall and, being "short" of funds,
shipped as an ''ordinary seaman" for
the voyage. For refusing to obey I'M
reasonable orders he forfeited his
wages. He jumped overheard to es-
cape, was captured by the "river po-
lice," but again jumped overheard
and made his escape, reaching home
in November. In 1863 Mr.. Kerr went
to New York. where he attended the
Cooper Institute and became ac-
quainted with the venerable Peter
Cooper, the philanthropist whose vast
wealth was devoted to the elevation
of the poor and whose deeds will ever
be held in grateful remembrance by
the lowly of all nations. Mr.. Kerr
cast his first reform vote for Peter
Cooper for president on the green
back ticket. his vote being the only
one cast for Cooper in that county.
He has voted for no presidential can
didate since but Weaver.
Not being endowed with the de-
gree of humility required of the en-
ploye in the eastern states he left in
disgust in 1865 and tried his fortune
in Missouri, but found the conditions
very unpleasant and left before he
had gathered his crop. He traded
his interests in that state for an Ind
ian pony, ladies saddle, a rifle and
two revolvers and started for Texas
across the country, ignoring roads,
camping out nights, and living on
game. Mr.. Kerr remained in Texas
during the spring of 1867, then went
through Louisiana to New Orleans;
thence via Cuba to New, York. In
the spring of 1868 he left New York
City for Minnesota and arrived at
Princeton, in Mile Laos county, in
April, took a homestead in the heavy
timber and proved up on it. He left
Mile Laos in 1875 and went to the
prairie in Stevens county and took a
tree claim near Hancock. In 1881
Mr.. Kerr went to the Yellowstone
Park in Montana in the employ of
Col. r. M. Newport, as land examiner
for the N. P. R. R. He remained
there till fall, and went again for the
season of 1882. Was married in 1883.
Left Stevens county on account of
the fuel famine caused by the desire
of the railroad company to stop the
supply of wood in winter, so as to
compel the prairie settlers to burn
Iowa coal, of which they had pur-
chased mines. In 1885 Mr.. Kerr went
out to Dakota and Montana again to
examine Northern Pacific railroad
lands under Mr.. G. B. Lamborn. In
1886 he went to Dakota for Graves &
Vinton, of St. Paul, since which time
he has devoted his attention to farm
ing.
At the organization of his local al
lance he was elected secretary; was
a delegate to the alliance state con-
vention in January, 1892; also to the
peoples party senatorial convention
at Little Falls in 1892 and to the peo-
pies party state convention in that
year. He was nominated for member
of the legislature by the reformers of
his district against Bob Dunn, but
went down before the republican ma
jority, although he ran ahead of his
ticket. Mr.. Kerr stands squarely on
the Omaha platform. He says: "For
my Lincoln republicanism 1 am de-
nounced by the republicans; for my
Jeffersonian democracy I am con-
demned by democrats; and for emu
lating the example of Christ in his
attitude toward the money-changers,
I am antagonized by the church,
Mr.. Kerr is now in attendance as
delegate at the national bimetallic
congress at Chicago.
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