Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-26

old senator caught sight of the private
secretary. Colonel Spooner was young
man then, about %, and had the APP
peaiance of one much younger.
Governor" said Starks, Il wish you
would send that boy out of the
room"
Governor Fairchild glanced around.
q see no boy, senator he replied.
In u half petulant manner the sem
ator pointed TO Spooner.
Whats that but boy?" he de-
handed
step this way, John" said the gov
ernor. Senator Starks, allow me to
introduce my new private secretary,
Colonel John C. Spooner."
Then, as the senator endeavored to
recover from his embarrassment the
governor who was much given to say
ing nice things to and about people,
added:
Take a good look at him, senator:
Wisconsin is likely to send that boy
to the United States senate on the
these times.
That boy. at that time. was a grad
uate of the Wisconsin university, and
had served as soldier in the civil
war, winning two commissions-one
as captain and the other as major
and was even then a good lawyer. as ne
is today one of the first in the ma
ton.
Seventeen years later there was
three cornered contest for the United
States senatorship in Wisconsin. Gem
eral Fairchiid, who had been secretary
of state, governor for three terms. con-
sui to Liverpool, consul general TO Par
is and minister to Spain, desired to
round up his career in the senate. COL
onel Spooner had given three months
OF his time to canvassing for Blaine
in 1884, and had done it so we'll that
from all parts of the state came de-
mand for his election TO the senate.
The third candidate was the late Judge
William r. Price. then in congress.
When Prices lieutenants found that he
could not win they wired for re-
quest to help Spooner. The judge
compiled. all but one of his support
ers cast their votes for Spooner and
he was nominated on the first ballot.
The first man to offer congratulations
to the new senator was Governor Fair
child.
In 1882 the first time that Jerry
Rusk was elected governor of Wiscon-
sin, Colonel Spooner was so busy
man in his profession that the min
utes counted, and it happened twice
during the campaign that he missed
a train and each time was obliged to
hire a locomotive in order to keep his
speaking engagements. He lived IN
Hudson then. The first time that this
occurred, he was to make a speech IN
New Richmond. The last train had
gone. There was need of a rousing
republican shakeup in that town. and
it would not do 10 disappoint the COM
mittee.
Il must be In New Richmond tonight.
1t Is too far to drive. Bring around an
engine, he ordered.
The locomotive came and the young
lawyer made one of the best campaign
speeches ever heard in New Richmond.
On the way back the Colonel sat ut
the side of the engineer. and. after
watching the latter for some minutes,
asked for the privilege of running the
The men exchanged seats.
and the future senator Immediately
proceeded to double the speed. The
locomotive jumped along at mile-a-
minute gait until a short turn In the
track was reached, when the new en-
gineer was thrown to the fireman's side
of the cab and the regular engineer
resumed charge. Then. as the colonel
regaaned his seat behind his Laughing
companion. he coniided:
Your COMPOUNDED old horse doesn't
o,YI n1f
That was the Wisconsin senator's
first and last experience as railroad
engineer.
Early in the first Grant campaign
an ambitious republican county chair
man in the northwestern part of Wis
consin sent to the state chairman for
a first class speaker, naming the best
he had. The noted speaker was to ar
rive at o'clock In the afternoon by
stage from Sparta. A fife and drum
corps had drawn a large company to
the village hotel to welcome the spell
binder, but the stage brought only one
passenger-a boy. Great was the glee
among the democrats, and deep the
gloom in the republican ranks-the
meeting would have to be given up.
The only passenger finally made him.
self known as the speaker that Chair
man Rublee had sent to the Falls to
address the meeting. When the demo-
Gratis heard that, they We're hilarious.
The idea Of that boy making a speech.
But they would go to see him fail, and
to laugh at their opponents discomtit-
ure.
But in the mail was letter from
Chairman Rublee, afterward minister
to Switzerland explaining why Judge
Blank could not go to the Falls, and
assuring the county leader that Colo
mel John Spooner was fine speaker
and would surely please the audience.
On the strength of that letter the re-
publicans went to work to get up q
large meeting, and they succeeded.
The speech was a rouser. When the
colonel had spoken an hour and half
the crowd demanded that he go on.
He went on for another half hour, and
when he sat down. cheer after cheer
was given the young speaker-cheers
that were as loud and enthusiastic as
those given the presidential candidate.
A great many democrats kept their
promise to go to the meeting, but a
good snare OF lHeHl JoIHeu III cHSeT-
ing General Grant and Colonel Spooner
and ceased from that time to be demo-
Gratis.
From that day to this that boy pas
senger of 1865 has been one of the
greatest men in Wisconsin in the eyes
of the people of Black River Falls
In physical courage Senator Spooner
has never had and superior among
Wisconsin's public men. There has not,
been session of congress during his