Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-04-22
sen. SPOONER
OF WISCONSIN
A Short Sketch of a Man Who is a
Leader In the Nations Great
est Law-Maklne Body.
STEADILY ROSE TO DISTINCTION
Served Through the Civil War and
Came Out With a Majors Com.
mission at Twenty-Five.


John c. Spooner, recently given his
third election to the United States SEN
ate by the Republicans of Wisconsin,
was, in the SOS, private secretary to
the late Governor Lucius Fairchild.
The venerable Senator Starks of
Sauk county called upon the governor
to discuss bill which he had helped
through the legislature. He was afraid
that Governor Fairchild contemplated
vetoing it, and was prepared to do
some plain talking in its behalf.
The discussion had begun when the
old senator caught sight of the pri-
vate secretary. Colonel Spooner was
a young man then, about %, and had
the appearance of one much younger.
Governor" said Starks. 81 wish you
would send that boy out of the ROOM"
Governor Fairchild glanced around.
81 see no boy, senator" he replied.
In half petulent manner the sena-
tor pointed to Spooner.
What's that but boy" he demand
ed.
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 one Of
these times"
THAT boy" at that time was a grad
uate Of the Wisconsin university, and
had served as a soldier in the civil
war, winning two commissions-onea as
captain and the other as major-and
was even then good lawyer. as he Is
today one of the first in the nation.
Seventeen years later there was a
three-cornered contest for the United
States senatorship in Wisconsin. Gen.
eral Fairchild, who had been secre-
tary of state, governor for three terms,
consul to Liverpool, consul-general to
Paris and minister to Spain. desired
to round up his career in the senate.
Colonel Spooner had given three
months of his time to canvassing for
Blaine in 1884, and had done it so
well that from all parts of the state
came demand for his election to the
senate. The third candidate was the
late Judge William T. Price, then in
congress. When Prices lieutenants
found that he could not win they wired
for a request to help Spooner. The
Judge complied; all but one of his
supporters cast their votes for Spoon
er and he was nominated on the first
ballot.
The first man to offer congratula-
tions to the new senator was Governor
Fairchild.
In 1882 the first time that Jerry
Rusk was elected governor of Wiscon-
sin. Colonel Spooner was so busy a
man in his profession that the min
utes counted, and 1t happened twice
during the campaign that he missed
O. 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 Rich
mond. The last train had gone. There
was need of rousing Republican
shake-up in that town, and it would
not do to disappoint the committee.
81 must be in New Richmond to-
night. 1t is too far to drive. Bring
around an engine" he ordered.
The locomotive came, and the young
lawyer made one Of the best cam.
paign speeches ever heard in New
Richmond.
On the way back the colonel sat at
the side of the engineer, and, after
watching the latter for some min.
utes, asked for the privilege of run
ming the locomotive. The men ex
changed seats, and the future sena
tor Immediately proceeded to double
the speed. The locomotive jumped
along at a mile-a-minute gait until
a short turn in the track was reached
when the new engineer was thrown tc
the fireman's side of the cab, and the
regular engineer resumed charge
Then, as the colonel regained his seat
behind his laughing companion, he
confded:
"Your confounded old horse dom
stand the spur worth a cent"
That was the Wisconsin senators
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 TO
a frst-class speaker, naming the bes
he had. The noted speaker was Il
arrive at o'clock In the Afternoon
by stage from Sparta. A fife an,
drum corps had drawn large com
pany to the village hotel to welcom,
the spellbinder, but the stage brough
only one passenger-a boy. Grea
was the glee among the Democrats
and deep the gloom In the Republican
ranks-the meeting would have to b
given up. The one passenger finall.
made himself known as the speake
that Chairman Rublee had sent to tn
Falls to address the meeting. Whel
the Democrats heard that they wer
hilarious The idea OF that boy mal
ing a speech. But they would go :
see him fail. and to laugh at their oil
ponents' discontinue.
But in the mail was letter fror
Chairman Rublee, afterward ministe