The state herald., 1900-04-20
FIRST LOG ROLLER.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Entertaining Story of the Wisconsin Lum-
ber Kings Method OF securing Whnt
He sought While In Congress

Entertaining Story of the Wisconsin Lum-
her Kings Method of securing What
He sought While In Congress.
The late Philetus Sawyer of Wiscon-
sin earned his first money by driving
Il team for Mcssrs. Penicd 4 Ham
mond, who had mines and timber
camps on the banks of Lake Cham
plain, and he managed to save $1,000
on salary of $12 month, With this
capital he went to Wisconsin in 1917
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 ana
marking the best tracts, and arranged
/ with lumbermen in Boston to furnish
the money to buy on shares. He used
to tell the story with great gusto. The
older he grew the oftener he told It,
and the more he enjoyed the rccollec-
ton of the way in which he outwittcd
party of spectators from New York
The latter, knowing that Mr.. Sawyer
was the only man who knew the actual
value of the lands, followed his b.a-
ding. and when he seemed anxious TO
obtain certain tract they would raise
him until they got II. Mr.. Sawyer soon
discovered how his rivals were avail
Ing 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
rustic with instructions 10 bid each up
to certain amount, he bid franticnlly
himself for other tracts, but the New
YORK spectators persistently outbid
MIN. He showed so much chagrn that
II afforded them amusement. When
the sale was over and the land was in
spected 1t was found that the New
York spectators had purchased near.
ly every worthless piece of timber In
the state and that the rustic l.mber-
man had secured nearly every choice
tract. The Boston people Were very
liberal to Mr.. Sawyer and gave him
generous proportion Of the lands he
bought with their money. Some of
them he still owned at the time of his
death
Mr.. Sawyer was the inventor of that
form of legislation known as log roll.
ing 1t was the practical result of his
ability TO accomplish things. He never
cared for show. He never made n
speech in his life. but no man enjoyed
the sensation of success more keenly.
What he undertook he carried out. and
II he couldn't do 1t one way he did /,
In another. He had large share of
that faculty the Yankees called con
trivance," which enabled him TO devise
means for accomplishing his purpose
that would not have suggested them
selves In nj hnr frhn ..lnav
Ing method of legislation was sug.
gested TO him by the familiar habits of
the lumbermen in his own country.
who help each other 10 roll the logs
from the winter camp TO the banks of
the nearest stream, where they can
be caught by the spring rise. II was
the application of this neighborly prac.
tice which enabled Mr. Sawyer TO So.
cure legislation that could not other.
wise have been passed. and he gave
the method It's name.
Wisconsin needed n good deal OF leg.
islation when he first came 10 Con.
gress, and Mr.. Sawyer secured more
than forty other men could have done.
lie let his bills accumulate until 10.
ward the end of the session. when he
would take up the calendar and make
HlcinoraEuiliS oI various measures In
which influential men In the House
and Senate Were Interested Then he
would call them together at his house
or nt his committee room and say:
Boys. we've got TO do little log.
rolling II we get our timber TO the mill
this sensOn." The result would be an
agreement 10 stand 10y each other aud
throw all their combined influence In
favor of n list of hills which he had
made out and handed 10 members of
the combine. The work was conduct
ed In secret and was almost always
successful. so that the habits of the
Wisconsin lumbcrinnn now prevail in
every legislative body In the world.
The river and hnrbor appropriation
bill originated In that way. Formerly
separate measure would BE- passed for
each river or hnrbor that required i'm.
provcment, but under Mr.. Sawycrs
rolling system the members Of
Congress Interested In such npproprIa.
tions organized u trust which finally
grew into II regular annual approprla-
tlon bill and special committee TO
frnm. ~