The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-08-29
HOW ChAS. G. DAWES
CAME TO THE FRONT
Fourteen Years Ago He Was a S25
a Month Bookkeeper in
Lincoln, Neb.
'PRACT'cED LAW ON THE SIDE
In 1890 Things Began to Come His Way
and Wind and Tide Have Been With
Him Ever Since-Entered Pol
itics in 1896 Campaign.

Omaha correspondence in Lincoln
Journal: Probably few people realize
just how potent has been the element
Of luck in the career of Charles G.
Dawes, who recently resigned his posi-
ton as controller of the national cur
rency to try for the seat in the United
State senate now occupied by Senator
Mason. His old neighbors in Lincoln
know that he has met with sensational
success both in business and political
life. While he lived in Lincoln few of
his acquaintance knew of the aspiring
dreams he was entertaining toward a
political future, and had they known of
them there is probably not one who
would have suspected for moment
that they would ever be realized.
Two things have made Dawes. both
financially and politically. One was his
remarkable ability to grasp the full
significance Of any situation that was
presented and intelligently turn 1t to
account. The other was a simple in
Quiry of big Chicago merchant for a
suitable and inexpensive legal repre-
sentative in Nebraska and suggestion
to the merchant of the name of Dawes.
The Nebraska man who recommended
Dawes for that position simply pulled
the string and Dawes did the rest. To
that recommendation he owes, prob
ably as much as to his latent ability,
his considerable wealth and his great
political prominence.
Lincoln people who knew c. G..
Dawes will recall that he came to the
Nebraska capital In 1887 poor young
lawyer with neither money nor appre-
ciable prospects. They possibly did not
know that he came to this state be-
cause his uncle, who had settled at
crete years before, had risen to be Ne
tbraska's governor in the early sos, but
that was exactly the reason why c. G..
Dawes came to Nebraska.
Lawyers were pretty numerous in
'Lincoln in 1887, and there were many
extremely good ones, so that the out
look for the young lawyer was not par
,ticularly promising. Clients We're not
running around hunting new and UNI
engaged counsel, and so young Dawes
got a job keeping books for the paper
mill under j. A. Buckstaff and John
e. UT, for which he received S25 a
month. That certainly was not much,
but the work only took an hour or two
of his time each day and the compen-
sation was sufficient to keep the wolf
from the door. Certainly no one at
that time was thinking anything about
this young man being the future owner
of large corporate interests and being
able to retire voluntarily from such a
position as controller Of the United
States currency.
His First Client.
1t was through his relations with
the paper mill that he secured his first
client in the person of an old negro
named McCutcheon. This antiuuated
and eccentric old fellow went about
the streets of Lincoln gathering up ole
paper, which he sold tt the paper mill
In this occupation he enjoyed a rev.
hos no,
way from so cents to 81 a day. One OF
McCutcheon's chief characteristics sc
pronounced as to be almost an &c.
centricity, was his fondness for the
women of his race, among whom hi
was so popular he used to worry hi:
acquaintance with recita1s of his trial:
in his endeavor to elude their clutches
AT last, however, one of them sued hin
for breach of promise or something O
the sort, and McCutcheon readily ac
cepted the advice of an acquaintanc,
who suggested c. G. Dawes as nj
counsel: 1t is said that the ejudicia
chronicles of Lancaster county will
show that Dawes won his case. 1t 4
not pretended, however that they will
show that he ever received a cent TO
his services.
Instead Of paying his counsel in coil
.McCutcheon managed to become EN-
broiled in a number of suits involyin,
his horse, his dog and hissvarious othe
insignificant possessions, and in eacl
case he sought the aid of his regula
attorney, which gave young Dawes
standing in the legal fraternity. It i
a matter of tradition that the old MAJ
spoke to all his friends advisedly afte
trying Dawes, declaring vehementl
that 'Massa Dawes is about de mos
ables' laWyah dat 1 mos eber com
across
At one time Dawes. probably follow
his secret political ambition, becam
associated with Attorney General viii
liam Lees in the prosecution of a mum
Der Of suits Of an anti-monopoly char
iacter against the railways. One wa
against the Burlington and Missouri
River railway in Nebraska to proven
1T from absorbing the old Atchison
Nebraska railway on the ground tina
1t was competing line. Another wa
q suit before the state board of trans
portation to enforce reduction Q
freight rates on the part Of Nebrask
railroads. In these suits Dawes an
his anti monopolistic colleague faile
utterly, and they constitute about tn
only failures chalked up against thi
unusually successful man.
Luck Begins to Turn.
Along about 1890 luck began comm
Dawes way. 1t was about that tim
that he married the daughter Of
wealthy Cincinnati manufacture
named Bleymeler, and the latter pre-
sented the young couple with a $500
residence in Lincoln. Soon afterward
Dawes interested Ex-Governor Cox {
Ohio in Lincoln business property an
with capital furnished by that gentle
man. who was an old friend Of Dave
father, he purchased the Billingsle
block. Dawes father, by the way, wa
a big tie contractor in Ohio, had bee
a colonel in the army with an honor
able record, had represented his dis
trict in congress ana was an old an
intimate friend CT William McKinle,
Young Dawes investment appears
have pleased his Ohio hacker, for in
short time he was able to organize til
Dawes Business Block association, an
acquire a number of other considerab
business properties in Lincoln. In ths
association he acquired a big block {
stock Soon afterwards he became il
terested in the West Lincoln Packin
company Long before that howeve
about the time of his marriage, tn
chiefest stroke of his remarkable luc