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

of large majority. In January he was
elected senator for six years from March
4, 1881. In January, 1887, he was re-
elected without opposition in his own
party for the term ending in 1893. His
career in the Senate showed the same
useful and conscientious discharge of his
duties which characterized his terms in
the House of Representatives.
Senator Sawyer was married near
Crown Point. n. Y. in 1871, to Miss
NJ. M. Hadley, who died May q, 1888.
1t may be added that the lberality Of
Mr.. Sawyer as a citizen has long been
conspicuous in his community in many
ways. As mayor of the city of Oshkosh
during two years of the Civil war his
expenditures of both time and money in
the effort to fill the quota of the c;ty
and so avoid the CONSUMPTION was large,
and no claim was made for reimburse
ment. Churches and educational institu
tons in the state have often been the
recipients of liberal contributions toward
their necessities or their improvements.
The Y. NJ. &. A. of Oshkosh is indebted
to his bounty for its ability to secure Il
large and cOmmodious business block in
the heart of the city. Generosity to de-
serving objects marked his career from
the beginning.
The Treasury Cases.
An incident of Mr.. Sawyers later
years which gave great pain to himself
and his friends was the prosecution of
the sureties on the official bonds of GER
tain state treasurers who had been APP
propriating the interest paid by banks
on deposits of state funds. This was in
pursuance of a practice which had con-
tinued for years, yet the opportunity was
presented to make a partisan attack en-
Mr.. Sawyer. one of the sureties. 1t was
not shown. that Mr.. Sawyer profted by
t tne practice fcr yet he was made It., to
prosecution of the case that the
La Toilette incident occurred Mr.,
Sawyer desired to secure La Follette's
services as counsel and asked him to
come to Milwaukee. They met at the
PlankintOn house and when Mr.. Sawyer
made the offer it was construed by Mr..
La Toilette as an attempt to reach
Judge Siebecker, who is La Follette's
Drother-in-law and who was to try the
treasury cases. There was much sensa-
tional talk about bribery, ETC., but with
the exception of few Democrats and
few personal enemies of Mr.. Sawyer's
nobody took any stock in the charge.
Money Made in LAUNDERING.
In an interview published several years
ago, when asked how he acquired his
great fortune with so little to start with.
Mr.. Sawyer replied:
buying and selling lumber. While |
lived in New York state | could see that
lumber was worth a great deal The for
ests there had been rapidly cut, and the
prices Of timber had risen When |
came to Wisconsin it was a new state
1t had vast tracts of pine lands, and I
believed the day would come when these
lands would be very valuable. I invested
what l had in pine, and bought more as
| could. Later on | borrowed great
deal Of money and bought pine.
made number of good deals,
turned my money over rapidly and
bought more and more. One time | got
hold of tract for $4,000. | had a
partner with me in that purchase and
we each made more than 100000 out of
the deal At another time I bought for
$500 some pine lands which | after
ward sold for $4,000 l made other in
vestments which paid me 100000 and
upward apiece, and in this way a for
tune was gradually accumulated. After
a time | became interested in railroads,
and made some money in them, especial
ly in the pine lands along the roads.
You see, all Of my. life has been spent in
dealing in lumber"