Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02

and never be heard from again. He was
set down as a has been, just as several
of Harisen's cabinet were; you know Win
dom was completely used up in 1882 when
Sabin beat him. l had talk with him in
the car as he left st. Paul the night after
the vote. He said: L am sick of it. l feel
like a spanked boy. l am out OF politics
from now on Blaine was regarded practi-
cally has been from 1854 on. Harrison
was after his defeat for the Senate laughed
at when mentioned as possible presiden-
tial candidate.
How He Came to Be Governor.
How did Rusk come to be GOVERNOR
sawyer did that. He found wherever he
turned that Rusk was working every wire
he could get hands on to retrieve the set
back in 1878, and in 1881, when Garfield
came in, Rusk came to Washington and was
milking the Wisconsin delegation for moral
support to get the mission to Sweden, then
held by Gen. Christopher Columbus An
drews of Minnesota, generally known as
old Beans in northwestern politics. Rusk
got after Old Beans place and Sawyer
called him into cloak room one day and
said, Jerry, you don't want that place.
YOU don't know enough for a diplomatic job
but you are a good runner. Go home and
run for governor
But said Rusk, 4 haven't money
enough. You know I'm busted
That's all right said Sawyer. III foot
your bills
And he did, and Rusk was elected. Not
long after the talk with Sawyer. Garfield
appointed huSk minister to Paraguay and
Uruguay and offered him the place OF super
intendent of the bureau of printing and en-
craving. His declination of the former
erybody knows Garfield then agreed to
give him the Swedish mission, and that
would have suited him as well as to run
for governor of Wisconsin, but Blaine
spoiled that expectation. Rusk assisted in
turning the Wisconsin delegation to Garfield
nomination and Blaines defeat certain.
Blaine really never forgave that. The
Swedish mission went to a Blaine man from
Maine, and Rusk took up Sawyer's offer"
At the Minneapolis Convention.
WAS there anything in Rusks chances
for the presidency"
Yes, more than was ever thought for.
He was talked of for the vice presidency a
good deal you remember, and We heard a
good deal about Blaine and Rusk ticket
Well. that Blaine never wanted. nor Rusk
either. Rusk was honestly for Harrison.
l remember one day, L told him we ought
to have ticket with a popular name, and
l thought Reed of Maine and Rusk of Wis
consin would make a good one. We could
call 1t Tom and Jerry and that everybody
would like
Uncle Jerry got up out Of his chin, thrust
his hands deep into his broadcloth trousers
pockets and shook his silvery locks.
No, sir. he said. 1t won't be Tom and
Jerry, Qaying stress on the word jerry.
That's an ingredient you will have to leave
out. I'm for Ben Harrison
1T is fact that Rusk might have been
nominated at Minneapolis but for himself.
Three times the anti-Harrison leaders ask
ed the Wisconsin men to bring forward
Rusks name and they would give him
Blaine's entire support. kilograms to Rusk
here in Washington failed to shake him in
his loyalty to Harrison. Sawyer / know
would have been glad to have had Rusk
nominated. and before the convention he
tried to get consent to use his name il
should n 10
ton demanding 1t. Gen. Clarkson also tried
the same thing, and both failed
by the way Rusk always delighted to
tell one story about Clarkson. The first
time the Secretary went home after he en-
tered the cabinet and just as he was getting
on the cars to return to Washington an
old farmer whom he had known for thirty
years came on the station platform and
grasped him by the hand Rusk stood with
one foot on the car steps and, for want of
something better to say. asked the old man
what he thought of the new administration.
Just then the train pulled out Uncle
Jerry said he never could forget the sight
of that grizzly old farmer as he bent over
with his hands on his knees and bawled
above the noise of the departing train, ''Oh,
We don't care cuss for the administration
but that fellow Clarkson's Jim Dandy"
Uncle Jerry told this story a good many
times.
His Body Guard.
One thing he did while governor of Wis
consn that won him a great deal of popu-
lariV, quite as much as his sending bread
to the riotous railway laborers, or shoot
ing the strikers at Bay View. Beginning
with the Grand Army encampment of 1884
at Minneapolis, Uncle Jerry. at his own
expense, took the seventeen crippled Wis
consn veterans employed about the capitol
building to each annual encampment as long
as he was governor. This was one of the
grand sights of the encampments in the
west for several years. Among Uncle Jer-
rvs body guard" they were called was
Secretary of State f. G. Timme, who lost
his left arm at Chickamauga, and State
Treasurer II. b. Harshaw, who lost his left
arm at Spottsylvania Court House. Every
one OF these seventeen men who marched
with Uncle Jerry was cripple some on
crutcheS, some on wooden stumps, several
with empty sleeves. They had been, most of
them, retained in various positions about
the capitol ever since the war. Among
them was one man. Henry Shelter, a crusty
old German, who has for nearly thirty Years
been librarian to the Wisconsin supreme
court. He has life tenure of his place by
virtue OF decision of the court that the
executive could have no authority over this
servant of the justices. Old Henry was as
Independent as a lord on his life tenure OF
$oOo year, but he was never quite so proud
as when marching with Uncle Jerry
Among these crippled veterans was Capt
W. w. Jones, now living here in Wash
in2ton. He lost his right arm at Antietam
and by the connivance of the hospital stew
ard was able to get an order restoring him
to his company, with whom he served till
the finish. and then remained In the service
until ISIS. Capt. Jones thus served seven
years as volunteer soldier. He became a
special favorite with Uncle Jerry, who
always loved good soldier, and he brought
him to Washington with him.
There was never a moment" says Can't
Jones' that the governor forgot our COM
fort when we accompanied him to the an
nual encampments. There were some of
our men that suffered agonies with their
amputated limbs. and they would march
with the old man.. as they called him.
All day and at night Uncle Jerry was con-
tnually inquiring after our comfort, and
doing all he could for US The boys looked
forward to the annual trips with him as
the choicest experiences of life. He was
a brave, true. kind friend to all Of u.s."