Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-11-03

ana uctt,l his author fortune as well
As fame in the presence of winch the
coveru"r~inp Of even 50 great state AZ
" f544t l. ncs
a great ENGLISH general who SAID he
woull rather h" the author Of Gray's
"ki-y" than take Quebec. Sunlay it lie
sad HAT the author If peck Bad Boy
Vii liVc,n and IN after Governor Peck
has been forgotten.
As tho carly life of Mr.. Peek was a
stru.tl.. such ~ few are called upon to
Iass ,hro,;-i. 80 also Is HI, present
aci.l.v,ln,I4t the more crc'!ltahlc to the
HAN. B,rn in Jefferson county. y
y. III 1910. lac came with his parents.
when =; yta:~ IF age. Ia the territory of
Wisconsin. tiau little more than
wi..:,r..~ Tie t,l::l.E settled near
Whitewater, and III a little log school
huu>.. TIE future governor ami tIumorl,t
STRUGGLED laborluu>ly with those three
terrible antagonists 10 youthful liberty
and comfort -rraIin. 'rltin and rIth-
metic. Glad enough was he to give up
the conflict at the aye Of IL and enter
the Office of the village PAPER as aprlnt-
er> devil. a position for which his every
instinct ,In:icut!y fitted hmm
Having acquired the tr;.'!caai reached
his majority. he embarked III business
on his own account as editor and pub
Usher of tie !, ifcrsun County Republic
an. II" was not overwhelmed with
wealth a. the suit of this venture. and
low diet and hard work having reduced
his ambition he disposed of his office
and returned to the case as Il compositor
on The State journal ut Madison
While thus engaged the war broke out,
and yielding to the demand for soldiers
/ he entered the army as private in the
Fourth Wisconsin cavalry. For valiant
service he mounted the ladder of fame
a a TROOPER sufficient to reach the bars
ol a second lieutenant, when his ambl-
ton was again nipped in the bud by the
close of the war.
He returned to the state and estab-
lished paper at Ripon. where h.
achieved considerable local faue by pub
fishing a series of humorous sketches I'M
/ der the it'll. of The Terrence McGrant
Papers" There was political vein run
ming through these sketches that modi-
| fed and i'll many cases nentralized the
humor, and while giving promise of the
! genius behind them they were as dross
compared to the later achievements of
their author. However. they attracted
the attention of NJ. NJ. Brick Pomeroy,
then at the zenith of his fortune and
fame. and Mr.. Peck was invited to take
position on Poneroy's New York Dem
ocrat. Here. as an employee. with his
bubbling humor held in check or called
on to express itself to order and in con-
formity with line Of policy totally at
variance with the fountains of inspira-
ton. Mr.. Peck could not work to advan-
tage.
He cut his career in the metropolis as
short as possible and hailed with delight
al order from Mr.. Pomeroy to return to
Wisconsin and take charge of the La
Crosse Democrat. He continued to edit
this branch Of the Pomeroy outfit until
Pomeroy became badly involved
/ Like others who have attained fame as
funny men," Mr.. Peck has tried the
lecture field. How Samantha and |
Put Down the Rebellion" was his prin-
cip;il theme.
AS citizen Mr.. Peck is a Democrat
III the broadest sense of the term in all
his impulses and inspirations. Whether
as George W. Peck. the irapecunious pub
Usher of an obscure country weekly, or
Governor Peck. the chief executive Of
the state, he is the same approachable.
whole souled. jolly gentleman. Political
honors nor fortune nor fame can raise
him above George PECK, tho journalist.
nor could failure or poverty Or want
cast him down. lie joked the tickle
goddess of fortune whether she found
him in rags or in broadcloth. He is the
same man today i'll heart and disposition
as he sits in the governors chair with a
modest fortune ut his command and the
highest honOrs in the gift Of the people
upon him as he was when in La Crosse
as editor and publisher he lived on liver
because it was homeless and cheap and
met his creditors at every street corner
with joke that turned away wrath and
left him unmolested awaiting the day Of
redemption that came in the shape of an
exaggerated sketch Of the adventures OF
self and family with coal stove.