The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-14

Sha Aefttlss Lawyer oA0 EeOwhSo
Mayer. Marked fer white noase.
When an Oshkosh man registers in .
New York hotel he 10 sure to attract
outside Of his own town And the Osh-
kosh man usually has something 10 say.
Something tn always happening In Osh-
kosh,'' is q common saving out IN Wis
consin. On arrival In New York q citisen
from Oshkosh. the other day. said. in r.
ply to the usual question. 10 Sun re-
porter:
town who is liable to be pfesident Of the
United States some day. reckon some
of you folks In the East would think /,
mighty funny TO see an Oshkosh man In
the White House. But YOU look cut TOR
Jim Merrill. Him looks more like Uncle
Sam than anybody else l know. II he
should put on the striped and starry
suit and white hat of the cartoons. and
walk down Broadway. you people would
swear that he was the real uncA Samuel.
Jim has that tuft Of hair on his chin
which makes the billy goat SO picturesque
and II regarded In Indians az an essential
In political success, commonly called
goatee., Jim is six feet In his socks. He
II very much like Lincoln In his talk
and gait. He Ia a lawyer and Democrat.
He Is regarded by some as the first apos-
tie Of equal rights. and his hobby II home
rule and the welfare of the masses. what
ever these things may mean The people
Of Oshkosh elected him a Justice. and the
first day he was called Judge he resented
the title. This was no aHectation. He
said everybody in town had always called
him. Jim, and he didn't want to be called
anything else.
He was a soldier In the civil war be-
fore he was q voter. Jim says. when
asked about his war record: I was a
soldier and a sailor both. enlisted In
the infantry. 1 was blown up on a gun
boat had rather listen to Jim tell
his experience about the bicw-ur than 80
to n crcuA
when JIm's friends asked him 70 run
for mayor he said he had two objections.
One was that ne didn't want to 90 out
electionesring at night. ana he wouldn't
the other objection was that. II elected. he
would have to come down town at night,
and this he had never done since he was
married and had home. In spite Of this
the people elected him. not a. q party
man nor a. . nominee. for he was not
nominated. The opposition united upon n
popular man. . mixer. and one OF the
boys. When we say one Of the boys
In Oshkosh II means q whole lot. Jim
Merrill never came out OF his houee az
night during the campaign. he never
shook an extra hand: he never spent a
ucHaf. Hc never Wsue spceNn VI the facs
He just attended 20 his law business ~
he had always done. and the people did
the rest Jim Merriirs election was the
biggest thing in the political history OF
Oshkosh. We were very much surprised
when the New york newspapers didn't
print something about II. with . picture
OF Jim. for II was al the talk al over
wisconsin.
when Jim was on the bench a man
charged with drunkenness was arraigned
before him. Jim asked the man what ex-
case he had The man said II was %.
Pairick's day. Are ycu an Irishmanr
asked Jim. The man said yes. You are
Discharged said Jim. there IL no Law to
punish an Irishman for getting drunk
and then Jim stopped for . minute. and
looking solemn. added. on ST. Patriek's
day Look out for Jim Merrill a. .
presidential possibility. New York sun.