The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22

| tell the story with great gusto. The Older
| he grew the oftener he told IL and the
more he enjoyed the recollection of the
way in which he outwitted a party or
Spectators from New York. The latter,
knowing that Mr.. Sawyer was the only
man who knew the actual value of the
lands, followed his bidding, and when he
seemed anxious to obtain a certain tract
they would raise him until they got H.
Mr.. Sawyer soon discovered how his RI
walls were availing themselves of the
knowledge which 1t took him two long
years of labor and hardship TO acquire,
and then turned their game.
Placing the list of lands he wished TO
purchase in the hands of an uncouth rus
tic with instructions to bid each up to
certain amount, he bid frantically him
self for other tracts, but the New York
spectators persistently outbid him. He
showed so much ehagrin that 1t afforded
them amusement. When the sale was
over and the land was inspected II was
found that the New York SPECTATORS had
purchased nearly every worthless piece Of
timber in the state and that the rustic
lumberman had secured nearly every
choice tract The Boston people were
very liberal to Mr.. Sawyer and gave him
a generous proportion of the lands he
bought with their money. Some OF them
he still owned at the time of his death.
One Of Mr.. Sawyer's colleagues in Con-
gress, Representative John H. Hammond
of Crown Point, N. Y, was son of the
man for whom he drove team when a
boy.
Mr. Sawyer was the inventor of that
form of legislat ion known as "log-rol-
ing" 1t was the practical result of his
ability to accomplish things. He never
cared for show. He never made a speech
In his life, but no man enjoyed the sensa-
ton Of success more keenly What he
undertook he carried out, and If he
couldn't 90 II one way he did II in an
other. He had large share of that
faculty the Yankees called ''contrivance,'
which enabled him to devise means for
accomplishing his purpose that would not
have suggested themselves to any other
man. The "log-rolling" method of legis-
lation was suggested to him by the ia
miliar habits of the lumbermen i'm his
own country, who help each other roll
the logs from the winter camp to the
banks of the nearest stream, where they
can be caught by the spring rise. 1t was
the application of this neighborly prac-
tlce which enabled Mr.. Sawyer to secure
legislation that could not otherwise have
been passed, and he gave the method It's
name.
Wisconsin needed q good deal Of legls-
ation when he first came to Congress,
and Mr.. Sawyer secured more than any
forty other men could have done. He let
his bills accumulate until toward the end
of the session, when he would take up
che calendar and make memorandums of
various measures In which influential men
In the House and Senate were interested.
Then he would cali them together at his
house or at his committee room and say:
Boys, we've got 10 do a little log roll
ing If we get our timber 90 the mill this
session." The result would be an agree
ment to stand by each other and throw
all their combined influence in favor OF
"a list OF bills which he had made out and
handed to members Of the combine. The
work was conducted I'm secret and was
almost always successful. 50 that the hab-
its Of the Wisconsin lumberman now
prevail I'm every legislative body in tho
world.
The river and harbor appropriation bill
originated In tbat way. Formerly sep
arate measure would be passed for each
river or harbOr that required improve
ment. but under Mr. Sawyer's log-rolllng
system the members OF Congress INTEREST
Cd In such appropria tons organized o
trust which finally grew into "A regular
annual appropriation bill aud a special
committee 90 franc Il.
Mr.. sawyer's peculiar ability appeared
IN politics AS well as IN legislation. ana
'''-l's~~ 80 isa'eTAsfinas iI.Idanl@ naisht