The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-30
EX-SENATOR SAWYER DEAD.
IN oF A LONG LIFE OF INDUSTRY
AND GOOD WORK.
a. Octogennrian Statesman and
Business Man Made His Impress
rpon His Adopted state wiscon-
sin and In the National senate.

/ esHKOsTf Wis, March 2a.-Former
r.t,ed states Senator Philetus Sawyer
1 ses this morning at the residence Of his
- in this city. lie was 81 years Of age
1 senator Sawyer had been confined to his
/ III only a day, and as he was subject 10
| SIMILAR attacks. no particular alarm was
4 islt.
4 Members Of the family were all absent
1 ,rrept Mrs. Phil Sawyer, jr., wife Of his
1 srandson. Asking her 10 remove his shoes
nd stockings, although he had none on,
4 = settled back with a long sigh and was
Sud before she realized it,
The funeral services will be held next
sunday.
Mr.. Sawyer was a member Of the Ma
sgnlc and odd Fellows frateruities As
,oon as his death was announced flags
vere placed at halfinust all over the city
and expressions Of sorrow were general.
phiietus Sawyer was essentially n self
rade man. lie was born OF poor parents
Il Rutland county, VT. September p. 1916
his boyhood days were spent in hard
york on the farm Of his father a Crown
Point. n. T., where he located when the
,gcsent ex-senator was but one year old
All the schooling which he received was
/ 4 few terms during the winter months
b the little district school When Il
rsars OF age he decided TO strike out for
HIMSELF In that time the belief that
iather was entitled 10 the services Of his
son until the latter had obtained his ma
jorty was fellgiously adhered 10 among
ihe descendants OF the good old Yankee
schoo Young Sawyer was true to this
doctrine. He struck a bargain with his
father that in consideration OF 500 he
vas TO release him from the -four years
n service which was yet due him. He
borrowed the money from an elder
brother and went 10 work In the pineries
d the Adirondacks; lie was employed
As Il woOdsman and sawmill hand He
was Industrious saving. studlous and am
Milous.
Ii 1871 he was married to Miss Melvina
Hadley. and IN 1871, having saved
raN. he removed with his family to Fond
81 Lac, Wis. HIS ambition was to be-
come prosperous farmer. Two Years in
ne wiids OF that day with bad crops ana
ether adyersities convinced him that he
ssd not located In the right place and
yAlng his farm he removed TO Aigoma
village which stood on the present site
n the town Of Oshkosh
His start as q Lumberman.
he began 10 operate IN the pinerles OF
M Wolf river, and the following year
rented a sawmlll, which previously had
been a financial failure, and successfully
i'm OF Brand, Olcott n Sawyer. they
purchased the mill II was the corner
doae OF his fortune. The knowledge Of
w. ou s,a,a which ne had obtained In
4 an unparalleled success He gradu-
aly purchased the interests OF his part
ners and came into the fun possession of
ne business In 1852, Hts keen foresight
into the future of Wisconsin enabled him
y those early DAYS to grasp many oppor-
iuniles and Ia secure ~ small cost large
TIMBER interests which have and SIN pro-
luce good profits lie was one OF the
principal promoters I'm ell of the river i'm
|pfvYsmsnts witch have been made In
Northern Wisconsin and he was also
heavily Interested In many other business
Enterprises
NJ. sawyer was originally a free soil
tmorrat, hut Joined the Republican party
|spon its organization The first political
|rnsition he ever held was that OF alderman
~ the city OF Oshkosh, He was elected to