Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-06-28

THE LATE SENATOR STANFORD.
question of but short time. His symp-
toms were apoplectic and his weight
was increasing alarmingly. There was
stiffness about his limbs that made loco
motion an exceedingly difficult task.
His body was fast becoming too heavy
for his limbs to support. He could take
only the slightest exercise. Six months
ago the Senator sent for DR..
Curtis, of San Francisco The Doctor
prescribed heroic treatment but the
Senator was not ready to undergo dras-
tic methods for the reduction of flesh
and the restoration of his waning
strength. His apoplectic symptom in
creased and his situation became such
as to create serious alarm. About six
weeks ago it was found necessary
to impose a severely plain diet upon the
Senator, and since that time his sole
food has consisted of fried hashed meat
with hot water as the only liquid accom-
paniment. The Senator rigidly adj
hered to the severe requirements of the
physician and it seemed for a time that
it's results were most beneficial and
might possibly effect a permanent cure.
The Senator expressed himself as much
encouraged and looked forward
| hopefully to the time when he could
devote himself with renewed energy to
public affairs and to the completion of
certain educational and other benevo-
! lent enterprises that were very near to
his heart, but his strength was not
sufficiently great correspond to the de-
mands upon it. Its fundamental weak
ness suddenly manifested itself and he
passed quietly away.
Mr.. Stanford came to California from
| Wisconsin in 1852, having located at
Port Washington IL that state about
four years previous. He was born in
| Waterviet, Albany County, n Y, in
1924, and was educated in the public
schools. He began the study Of law
when 20 years of age and was admitted
to the bar in Wisconsin in 1S49. Mr..
Stanford had a hard struggle in his
youth, and when he landed in Milwau-
kee from steamer in Al a few dollars
and small but very good law library
I were his stock in trade. Port Washing
ton, then in the hands of boomers, was
said to be the coming metropolis of the
lakes, and Stanford was induced to locate
there. A year later he went East and was
married, borrowing 800 from Charles
Miller, of West Bend, Wis, to paw the
expenses of the trip. On returning to
Wisconsin Mr.. Stanford practiced law
and held the office of notary public
In 1852 his Office burned, DESTROYING his
law library, and he was left penniIess.
He accepted an offer made by his broth
ers, who had proceeded to California on
| the discovery of gold in lS49, and came
West.
On his arrival in California Mr. STAN
ford began mining for gold at Michigan
Bluff, Placer County, in 1856 removing
to San Francisco. In 1860 Mr.. Stanford
made his entrance into public life as a
lalo 70 hn
that nominated Abraham Lincoln to the
presidency. He was an earnest advo-
cate of Pacific railroad, and was elect
ed president of the Central Pacific Com
pany when 1t was organized in 1861.
| The same year he was elected governor
of California, and served from Deem
| Der, 1861, to December, 1863. AS presi-
/ dent of the Pacific road he superin-
| tended its construction over the
mountains, building $50 miles in 293
days, and on May 10, 1869, drove the lasl
spike at Promontory Point, Utah. He
! also became interested in other roads
on the Pacific slope, and in the devel-
! opment of the agriculture and manu-
features in California. In 1885 he was
| elected to the United States Senate for
the full term Of six years from March 4,
! 1886. In memory Of his only son, Mr..
| Stanford gave the state of California
| $40, 100000 to be used in founding at
Palo Alto the university whose curricu-
lum not only includes the usual collie
! giate studies but comprises instruction
| in biography, type-setting, type-Writ-
/ ing, journalism, bookkeeping, farming,
civil engineering, and other practical
| branches of education.
A blow that almost Frustrated Mr..
and Mrs Sanford was dealt by Provi-
dence while the family was in Rome in
! 1874, when their son, Leland Stanford,
! Jr, sickened and died. The death Of
Leland had nearly been fatal to them
both until the idea that cit was not all
Of life to live nor all of death to die" oc-
Cured to the father. He firmly be-
lieved that he heard his unburied sons
voice say, though in a dream: Father,
don't say you have nothing to
live for. You have great deal to
live for" In that dream the university
Of the sons name was born. 1t is per-
fectly unique among universities, sug-
costing that first one of all in Moorish
Spain, to which the Franks and Goths
went for the earliest cOmmon-sense and
secular knowledge. A great mission, as
it seems, with Moorish courts and
gates, and the burial chapel Of the son
central to all; the vide foundation
teaches that Caliphs and caliphates, the
architects, the very race may die, bit
the things of beauty they created are
joyous forever.
Mr. Stanford was the largest giver in
ones lifetime to philanthropy, not
emitting Girard. His buildings at
Menlo Park cost 81 100000 and the
property in the endowment is at the
present valuation, as marketable prop
erty, worth $6,O00,000 to $1,000, 600. He
constituted himself and loaded uDOn his
living shoulders the executorship of this
devise, with no quanncauon OF the pc
quest except unsalaried stewardship
u, O. E1.,.,,: