The Monte Vista journal., 1900-04-21
FIRST LOG ROLLER.
AowsAwyeREARnEDrHEr,rLE
Entertaining Story of tho Wisconsta Lum.
ber king's Method of Securing Wha;
He Sought While 10 Congress.

Entertaining Story of the Wisconsia Lum.
ber Kings Method of Securing Wha,
He sought While In Congress.
The late Philetus Sawyer of Wiscon
sin earned his first money by driving
u team for Messrs. Penheld & Ham.
mond, who had mines and timber
camps on the banks of Lake Cham
plain. and he managed to save $1,000
on u salary Of $l2 month. With this
capital he went to Wisconsin in 1S47
and laid the foundation of his enor-
nous fortune at an auction sale of gov
ernment land. Mr.. Sawyer spent two
years trampinG through the timber anG
marking the best tracts. and arranged
with lumbcrmen In Boston to furnish
the money to buy on shares. He use
10 tell the story with great gusto. Tn,
older he grew the oftener he told it,.
nnd the more he enjoyed the recoiloc
ton of the way in which he outwitteu
party of Spectators from New York.
The latter. knowing that Mr., Sawyc
was the only man who knew the actual
value of the lands. followed his n.,.
ding. and when he seemed anxious 10
obtain certain tract they would raise
him until they got 1t. Mr.. Sawyer soon
discovered how his rivals were avail
Ing themselves of the knowledge whicn
1t took him two long years of labor auC
hardship to acquire, and then turned
their game.
Placing the list of lands he wished tt
purchase in the hands of an uncuutl.
rustic with instructions to bid each up
to II certain amount. he bid franticaliy
himself for other tracts. but the New
York spectators pcrsistently outbid
him. He showed so much chagrin tha,
1t afforded them amusement. When
the sale was over and the land was in
spcctcd it was found that the New
York Spectators had purchased near.
ly every worthless piece Of timber ii
the state and that the rustic lumber,
man had secured nearly every choic,
tract. The Boston people We're very
liberal to Mr.. Sawyer and gave him u
generous proportion of the lands h.
bought with their money. Some OF
them he still owned at the time of hi,
death.
Mr.. Sawyer was the Inventor of thai
form of legislation known rs ''log-rol.
ing. II was the practical result of his
ability to accomplish things. He never
cared for show lie never made {.
]
the sensation of success moro kecnly
What he undertook he carried out. anf
II he couldn't do II one way he did |,
in another. lie had II large share o;
that faculty the Yankees called "cou
| trivancc." which enabled him 10 devils,
means for accomplishing his purpos,
that would not have suggested them
selves to any other man. Tile log roll
ing method Of legislation was sug
g"sted 10 him by the familiar habits Of
the lumbcrmcn in his own country
who help each other To roll the log,
! from the winter camp 10 the banks ~
the nearest stream. where they ear
De caught by the spring rise. 1t wa,
the application of this ncighborly prac
tee which enabled Mr.. Sawyer to Sc
cure legislation that could not other
| wise have been passed, and he CAV,
the method Its name.
! Wisconsin needed n good deal Of leg
islation when h" first came to Cor
rrcss. and Mr. sawyer secured NOR,
than forty other men could have dom,
He let his bills accumulate until TO
ward the end OF the session, when Ii,
would take up the calendar and max,
uemorandums Of various measures IL
which influential men In the Houst
ana Senate Were Interested. Then h,
would call them together nj his hous,
or nt his committee room and say:
Boys. we've got to do little log
rolling II we get of.r timber To the mil
this season" I'll. result would be N
agreement To stand by each other nm,
throw all their combined influence II
favor of Il list Of bills which he hn,
made out and handed To members o
the combine. The work was conduct
al In secret and WIS almost alwnyi
successful. so that the habits of III,
| Wisconsin lumbcrmau now prevail II
every legislative body In the world.
The river and harbor approprlatioi
bill originated In that way. Formerly
separate measure would he passed fo
each river or harbor that required i'm
proyemcnt. but under Mr.. Sawyer
log-rolling system the members NJ
Congress Interested In such approprln
tions organized n trust which hnnll,
grew into a regular annual approprla
ton bill and n special committee t,
frame II.