Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-03-06
GENERAL RUSSELL 4. ALGER, sEcRE-
 TARY OF WAR.

TAaY OF WAR.
 lIr. MeKiuley's s secretary of war, ex. Governor Russell A. Alger of Michigan, has been 8 public character for many yeara. Although native of the great northwest, he is of New England an- cestry His parents settled in Lafayette l township, Medina county, O., in 1885, where, on Feb. 27 i'll the following year, the future governor was born Hard ships came to him carly. At the age of 13 he was left alone in the world with out dollar and burdened with the care of a younger sister and brother. Young Alger was strong and outrageous, how ever, and showed his mettle at once. He found places for his brother and sister and went to work for his board and clothes and three months schooling per year. Afterward he exchanged his serv- ices as farmland for a small monthly wage But he stuck hard to his studies, and by the time he was 20 years of ago he was able to take charge of district school While engaged as @ teacher he applied himself diligently to the study of law, and in 1857 entered q law office at Akron A year later, having been ad- mitted to the bar, he wont to Cleveland to practice his profession.
 The strain of hard work and oyerstudy began to tell on his constitution, and he determined to adopt some other busi- ness in which he could take better care of his health. In order to accomplish what he desired he removed to Grand Rapids, Mich, where ho and a friend, whom he had taken as a partner, em- parked in the lumber business.
 For few months the business seemed to prosper, and young Alger, feeling himself warranted in such step, took to himself a wife-Miss Annette Il. Henry. Misfortune came to him soon after A Chicago house upon whose welfare the fate of the young lumber merchants depended went to pieces, and with it went the entire business which Alger and his partner had built up.
 In August 1861, the breaking out of the civil war opened another opportunity for Algor. He enlisted in tho Second Michigan cavalry and was soon after made captain of company c At this time Philip H. Sheridan was a captain in the same regiment, and on the promo tion of it's colonel, Gordon Granger, AIger was sent by tho latter to Pitts burg Landing to induco Governor Blair to appoint Sheridan to the vacant colo nelcy. This Alger succeeded in doing, and here began tho rapid advance of Sheridan in the army.
 Tn October, 1862, Alger became lieu tenant colonel of the Sixth Michigan cavalry and colonel of the Fifth ill Feb ruary, 1865. His promotion to tho office of breyet major general for gallant and meritorious service during tho war came at the close of the war, June II, 1865.
 When he had finished fighting, Gen. eral Alger laid down his sword and re- turned to the lumber business. His great success is a matter we'll known. It was he who first made extensive use of the railroad in getting logs and lumber out of the forests and into the markets He has interested himself in various other enterprises, all of which have thrived.
 One of his highest political aspira- fions was realized when, in 1884, he was elected governor of Michigan. The vote which made him chief executive in the state was the highest the Republican narfy ever cast il hiicciillii Michigan gan His ad- n,inistratio,l was characterized by strict integrity, and his business methods were vastly useful in the conduct of state affairs. Although he was pressed to become q candidate for re-electlon' ba nersistently refused to allow his name to be put forward.
 Though fhrcescore yesls of age Gen
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