New Ulm review., 1901-10-23
JOHN 8. PILLSBURY.

,or carrying on trade in hardware. The
arm continued business until it was
burned out In 1857, at the time when many
hundreds of business firms in the East
and West were forced to close their doors
in the great financial panic which swept
the country n1iy at that time;
Mr.. PlllSbury assumed the debts of the
firm and resumed business. He continued
his mercantile pursuits for IS years with
great g success. . until he finally disposed
to the great milling industry which he
had been building up His nephew,
Ghares 4 Pilsbupy and the latters
ciated with the late governor under the
firm name of c. A. Pillsbury & Co.
Another An nephew. Fred e. Pillsbury. was
mills have been since maintained on theiy
own merit and worked independently, and
have grown to be among the largest in
the world.
For 10 years Mr.. Pillsbury served as a
member of the city council, and with a
single brief interval he was senator in
the state legislature from 1863 to 1876.
About the same time he was appointed
one Of the regents Of the university and
after careful investigation of the details
of that institution. the situation and the
amount of its debts, he introduced to the
legislature plan whereby the whole at
fairs of the university were placed in the
hands of a new board of regents.
In 1875 he was unanimously nominated
at the Republican convention for gov
ernor Of the state of Minnesota. and his
election followed.
His knowledge of men was wonderful,
and his keen perception and unerring
Judgment Of their capabilities and weak
nesseS had been developed in the great
@ istration. ~ Therefore. wagon Was one R Witch % Was
peculiarly popular with the people at
large. He took an immediate interest in
the affairs Of those under his jurisdiction.
Soon after his inauguration to office a
peculiar condition confronted the farmers
of the. state which demanded immediate
attention.
The grasshopper plague had laid waste
large agricultural sections and left thou
sands of prosperous farmers of the state
in destitute condition. Gov. Pillsbury.
of affairs in the rural districts, made
trip, incognito, through the ruined dis
tricts Of the state, acquaainting himself
ing the measures of the relief which
would be most effective. The governor,
unknown to those among whom he was
private purse. and on his return to the
capitol made a public appeal for funds to
the prosperous people Of the state. and
Of the large donation OF food, clothing.
fuel and money. When the legislature
assembled. he recommended. an appropria-
ieve tHe want an IN this manner he
leviated the distress Of families too proud
to ask for aid, yet now reduced to con-
dition, where assistance was necessary
also called upon to deal forcibly with
gang Of Missouri bandits. which at that
time invaded Minnesota; and the prison
rules Of the state soon held the names
of the most prominent Of the famous
Younger brothers band. The career of
lawlessness which the freebooters en-
deavored to inaugurate was thus quickly
stopped by the prompt action of Gov.
Pillsbury.
In 1871 and again in 1879 he was re-
elected to the governship. thus serving
three consecutive terms, a distinction ac-
corded no other man in the history of the
state.
Mr.. Pillsbury was married at Warner,
N H.. Nov. 8. 1856, to Miss Mahala Fisk
who draws her heredity from a double
line of New England settlers She was
born at Springfield, N. H, May, 1892
her parents being Capt. John and Sarah
Fisk.
Gov. Pillsbury is survived by his wife
and two children. Alfred Fisk Pillsbury
and Mrs. Edward Gale. Gov. and Mrs
Pillsbury have had four children, two of
whom are dead.
What Gov. Pillsbury has done for the
never more forcibly brought to the minds
Of the citizens of the state than at the
time of the unvei1ing of the PiIlsbury
monument on the campus grounds, Sept
L, 1900.
Upon the day of Gov Pillsbury's S
funeral the university will be closed in
all its departments. The faculty and
students will attend the services in a
body, and will also be present at the in
ternlent. If 1t is to be public.