The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-10-01
The Story of Sawyer.
(Times-Herald, Sept. 16.)

Eighty years ago yesterday Philetus
Sawyer of Wisconsin, first looked upon
the world and into the faces of a father
and mother so pinched with poverty
that they were puzzled to know how
they should care for the additional re-
sponsibility. When he should have
been taking a course in the little red
district college on the hill, a mile from
the Sawyer homestead, he was working
from sunrise to sunset, beginning at the
early age of nine to help that father
and mother.
In spite of poverty's obstacles, lack
of early educational advantages and
numerous youthful discouragements,
Philetus Sawyer has made pretty good
Roadway. When 80 he located on an
untitled prairie farm dozen miles
| from Fond du Lac. The first winter
he split rails enough to fence 200 acres
of that farm. The next winter he
shouldered an ak and went to the pine
woods. Then he moved to Oshkosh
and became lumberman, which he
| has been to greater or less extent
from that day to this. There came a
time in his life when few thousands
of ready dollars enabled him to pur-
chase pine land that could start him on
the road to great wealth. By the
closest of management and the strict
est economy he had laid away the
needed few thousands of dollars and
bought the land.
That is the way Mr.. Sawyer piled up
his first stack of gold. He has been a
millionaire for more than twenty years.
He entered politics in the fifties as a
member of the legislature, serving two
terms; was mayor of his city several
years; was elected to congress in 1866,
and served ten years. In 1881 he was
elected to the United States senate and
was reelected without opposition in
1887. The pages of history tell of his
valuable public service as national
legislator. Though he never made a
speech that would take up ten lines in
the Times Herald, it can be said with
truth that there were few, if any, more
popular or useful members of the lower
house during the ten years he was
there, or in the senate during the
twelve years he was there, than Wis
consin's " Grand Old Man" who has
just celebrated his eightieth birthday
at his pleasant home in Oshkosh.
Probably no man in Wisconsin has
drawn so many warm friends to his
side, who have remained there, as
Philetus Sawyer. They are not in
clusters, here and there, but in every
nook and corner Of the state. While
he has possessed great wealth ever
since he entered politics, he has not
boarded all of it. he has used much OF
it for the benefit of his friends and in
behalf of his party. The story goes,
and no one has denied it, that Mr..
Sawyer has contributed million dol
lars to the republican party during the
past twenty years. There are scores OF
men who have served in the legislature
who owe their election to the help eX-
tended to them by Mr.. Sawyer. In his
old congressional district there is
scarcely a church or schoolhouse
erected since he entered congress that
he has not helped to build. Large
numbers of men who have been in the
employ of Mr.. Sawyer have comfortable
homes today because Mr.. Sawyer
quietly, unoste ntatiously lifted mort
cages.
In view of what Mr.. Sawyer is as a
man, what he has accomplished in
business. what he has done as a public
servant, what he has been as repub-
lican leader, there should be little
wonder that yesterday was gala day
in Oshkosh, and that from every county
in the state there were men present
to take him by the hand and thank
him for his services, and contribute tc
! the pleasures of The anniversary.