The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-04-04

asked him how much he had. He replied
that he had $4,000 secured in his belt
but the amount in his pocket he did not
know. Upon counting it he found it was
just S199. His brother handed him 81
with the remark: Now remember that
when you went to the West you had
/ just $1,000" Years afterward. when this
! brother was an old man and was visited
at his home by the younger man, then a
! United States senator, and pOSSessOr of
an ample fortune, the latter, thinking
that he saw some signs of depression
or uneasiness about his brother. asked
him if he was in debt. The brother con-
! Tossing that he was to the extent of about
$1,000, from the falling off in the profits
of the farm and because of his advanc
ing years, the senator quietly bought up
all the claims of the creditors and de
the remark: Il am not giving you this;
| am paying my debt to you" what
debt?' he inquired do you remember"
said Mr.. Sawyer, ''giving me 81 when
started for the West? This is that ST
with the accumulations. l have made
| about that amount with it,
'Ah!' said the brother, seeing the
twinkle in the senator's eyes. II wish 1
had given you $40 or SIS more
Settled in Fond du Lac County.
| Mr.. Sawyer returned to Wisconsin and
settled upon farm in Fond du Lac coun-
ty. but after two years of short crops
sold that and going, to the pineries of
the Wolf river, at Algoma;, now the, city
| Of Oshkosh, he began numbering and OPP
Grating a sawmill until 1850, upon CON
tract by the thousand feet Then he
rented the mill and operated it upon his
own account with reasonable success un-
| til 1858, when he formed a partnership
and purchased the mill. In 1862. he pur-
| chased the interest of his remaining part
ner at an advance Of $4,000 above his
original capital in the business. During
the year 1863, his son, %. p Sawyer
was taken into the business and since
that date the firm has been p. Sawyer
II Son, their mill at Menomonie turning
out 10000 feet of sawed lumber daily.
In 1868, Mr. Sawyer explored the head
waters Of the Wolf river, bought up
large tracts Of the finest timber land at
/ prices which few years later would
have been merely nominal. and by the
formation and work of the Keshena I'M
promevent company brought into market
millions of feet of the best timber in the
state. The earnings Of the enterprise in
creasing, needful improvements were
made as required and handsome divi-
dends were paid.
Went Into Politics.
In 1910, and subsequently, he was re-
peatedly chosen an alderman of the city
of Oshkosh, and in 1857 he was induced
to serve in the state Legislature as a
Republican representative. He declined
any further offices until 1861, when he
was again chosen to the Legislature. In
1862 he was solicited to be the Repub-
lican candidate for Congress from his
congressional district, but declined. In
1864 he served as mayor of Oshkosh,
and in the latter year was elected to the
Thirty-ninth Congress as Republican
by about 5000 majority in a district or
dinarily doubtful.
Mr. Sawyer took his seat on the first
Monday of December, 1865. The Con-
gress into which he entered was con-
fronted with the problems of the recon
struction of the federal Union, together
with those pertaining to the national
finances and currency, the great changes
in the industries of the country conse
quent upon the close of the war; and
the debt of gratitude to it's surviving
soldiers, to be at least recognized by pen
sion laws. There was work enough to
be done not only by statesmen but by
men of clear-headed business qualifica-
tions and financial skill and sagacity AS
to Mr.. Sawyer's discharge of his duty in
dealing with these problems, James G.
Blaine we'll said of him in his Twenty
Years in Congress-" "It is easy to sup
ply superlatiyes in eulogy of popular
favorites; but in modest phrases Mr..
| Sawyer deserves to DE ranged among the
| UCSL VI lutu--uOllCoI, IuQuSLIlUuS, SCucI-
| Gus, true to every tie and to every OBJ
| legation of life. He remained ten years
| in the House, with constantly increasing
influence, and was afterwards promoted
to the Senate" The reason of this in
| fuence, unnamed by Mr.. Blaine, was not
! his ability as debater-fOr he made no
speeches, although he worked on House
committees and elsewhere most faith
! fully--but in his personal character and
| in his possession in an unusual degree
of common sense, which amounted in
reality to profound sagacity, not alone
in matters of business and finance but
in political management; of genial
| manner which made personal friends
even of political enemies, and of re-
markable faculty of persuading and con-
vincing others of the correctness of his
conclusions.
Elected to the Senate.
Retiring from Congress on March 4,
1875, he found his private business still
prospecting under the management of his
son. He was member Of the executive
committee Of the Chicago, st. Paul, Min
neapolis & Omaha Railroad company un-
til 1880, when he severed his connection
with it and prepared to visit Europe
with his family. This plan was aban-
doned, however, and when the Wiscon-
sin Legislature of 1881 met, and the Re-
publican members assembled in caucus
to agree upon senatorial candidate,
Mr.. Sawyer was found to be the choice