Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-11-15
HARRISON LUDDINGTON
Who Succeeded Pioneer Juneau
in Business.
BEAT TAYLOR BY ONLY 100 VOTES.

The $5,0O0.O0O Batfleship wisconsin
Six nndred Men at Work Finishing
Her Christian Socialists in. Barron
County--Noxious Weeds That Might
Have Been Vegetables.
Madison, Wis. Nov. 14.-lt appears
that the litigation over the estate of
the late Governor Luddington has
abatcd. This big lumberman (the
Michigan city was named for the fam
lily and he was born in Luddington-
vile, Putnam county, n. " was a
typical Milwaukee product. He died
In 1891, at the age of "A, after ten
days of paralysis.
A cousin of his, James Luddington,
also a notable man of affairs. curious.
~ escaped the Newhall hotel horror.
His friend, Elisha Starr, had faithful
ly cared for him for years. James
LuddingtOn vas an invalid and lived in
the hotel fef years. his disease Undue
Ing at times the enormous weight of
$50 pounds. Starr had arranged for a
possible fire for his sick friend for a
long time. He had a perfect system.
He practiced strapping Luddington i n
a wheel chair-for he was paralyzed-
and throwing his possessions into a
trunk for rapid escape. Sure enough,
the expected fire alarm came. In ten
minutes Starr had his friend on the
sidewalk with all mis- valuable p,4pers
and belongings, while scores of those
u~nprepared met their death.
Carried First wheft on His Back.
But to revert to Governor Ludding-
ton. He reached Milwaukee early Id
1888, with an uncle, and succeeded to
the mercantile business of Solomon
Juneau.
Luddington brought the first seed
wheat from the east and bought the
first load of wheat in Milwaukee. His
business friends used to call him s.the
nrst elevator in the state" for the
Joung merchant carried IL upstairs on
his back. In 1851 he went into lum-
bei1ng with his relatives. and for fifty.
three years the big, burly OLD fellow
was proud of his unimpaired credit.
When he died his money was found in
vested in Menominee sawmills. pine
lands in Michigan, and southern states.
and business blocks in Milwaukee. The
~ AZ IlliilpH M.
Like other governors, the NAV oral
ty of Milwaukee led to the position.
He was three times mayor aud left
b a position to succeed Governor Tay-
Tor, who was what now would be called
of the populist order. Luddington at
tracted attention by his ability to be
elected alderman and mayor in a city
where everything was supposed to be
Democratic. He could get close to the
boys" and they knew no politics
when he wanted hoIors. Taylor wa
nominated for a second term lin 1879,
but LuddingtoE beat him by a narrow
margin. Luddington had S5,164 votes
and Taylor S4,374. All of Luddington's
associates on the ticket, however, were
defeated.
The I;attIeshtp Wisconsin.
We have heard much about the bat
tleship Wisconsin, which the Steven
son party went 20 San Francisco to
Christen. From all accounts it will he
a powerful craft. indeed. The formal
trial of speed was to have been this
month, but delay in making armor
plate at Bethlehem, Pa, made this inn
possible. Six hundred men are at work
in completing the naval giant which
Will cost Uncle Sam about So, 000. 600.
There have been several dock trials.
that Is, her great engines have beer
set in motion and the steel propellers
nave swiftly churned up the muddy
water of the slip, just 10 see that ev
erything was in running order. The
trials have been highly satisfactory.
1000 Tons Heavier Than the Oregon.
The Oregon and Olympia were built
in this yard. The Wisconsin will be
greater than the admiral's boat In
many ways, and will be 1000 tons
larger than the Oregon, the pride of
the navy. Only the Ohio of all the
ships built here will surpass her in
size. The latter will be twenty feet
longer, and larger by 1000 tons.
One who has inspected the Wiscon-
sin says the striking thing about a
modern war vessel is the economical
use of space. A rod is bent here, a
pipe there, or a whole piece of ma
chinery is of a peculiar pattern to fit
its environment and permit of the OPP
Grafton of other intricate parts. Not
an inch of space is ~wasted-not a
pound of extra weight Is carried; from
keel to coming tower the ship is a
marvel of harmonious utilization of
matter and energy manifested In steel
II steam-11,525 tons must be driven
sixteen knots an hour and 1t takes
1850 horse power to do it-no more
or less-and the shock and rebound of
h 13-inch guns above the heavy
frame of steel to be reckoned with
tool
Partners at Thirty Miles an Hour.
OF course there are faster boats. In
the yard afe three torpedo boat de.
stroyers, the Paul Jones, the Preble,
and the Perry, long, graceful beauties
fragile as eggshells and swift and
cruel ss panthers. They weigh 400
tons each and will make thirty knots
an hour with their relentless rapid
fire guns and torpedoes. But the
Wisconsin is massive and substantial,
like the state she is naE>ad for. Around
the sides of the engine rooms and ex-
tending forward over the vitals of the
ship is the heaviest rmor-sixteen
inches of steel extending four feet un-
der water. All this is lined with eel
lulose packing simply compressed
cornstalk %pith-that is to close over
any aperture forced in their plates by
solid shot or rock, and by its swell
ing, keep the water out.
Apart from the four big fellows
QS-inch rifles that will sweep the
decks fore and aft from their tur-
rets, there are fourteen 6-inch rapid
fire guns, sixteen 6-pounders, four /.
Founders, one Calling, one field gun
and four %torpedoes. and more, she will
have 600 blue jacEeted sailors on
board.
A Sorry Triumph After All.
All this is interesting. If it safe
guards ours or some ones liberties, il
is well. But fighting is inhuman,
cruel business, and with arbitra ion as
Rn alternative. it ought not to be nee
essary. Trade, commerce, education,
the betterment of the world are much
more inspiring themes.
One is surprised to know how many
experiments of n socialistic nature are
going ON in this country, al a rule
agricultural and one need not go out.
side the state TO find one.
About nine miles south of Spoone1
on the Omaha railroad is located a
German colony, 'cali::tg themselves the
Christian Social association. They
have bought about 1000 acres of LAND
and there are now eight families on the
land. with twelve more to join them
in the spring. They are building dwell.
ing houses and barns. The colony al
ready has cows. ard horses ON the
premises, with 100 head more to fol
low in the spring. The new depot is
called Conora. These people are from
northern Germany, andtney are a hard