Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-05-24

John Cramer of Waterford, Saratoga
county, n. Y, who was a presidential
elector in 18O4-casting his vote for JEFF
ferson and Clinton-and who was a rep
resentative in Congress from 1888 to
1887.
William E. Cramer was born in Wa
terford, October % 1917. There he re-
sided until his twenty-siXth year, study
ing under the noted Prof. Tayler Lewis
and graduating at Union college in 1888.
He read law and was admitted TO the
bar, but his tastes led him to prefer
journalism as vocation, and from 1913
to 1916 he was one of the editorial writ
ers of the Albany Argus, which was then
managed by Edwin Croswell, and which
was the chief organ Of the Democracy
IL the state. Among the daily asso-
ciates of the young journalist were John
Van Buren,, Silas Wright, John A. Dix,
Gov. Marcy, Horatio Seymour, Samuel
J. Tilden, ex-President Van Buren, and
other men who made the Democratic
party at that time the exponent of great
principles which have become embodied
in the fiber of the great republic.
Founding of the Wisconsin.
Mr. Cramer came to Milwaukee in
May, 1S47, at the request of a number
of prominent Democrats who thought
their party needed able journalistic sup
port. In partnership with Joseph Curtis
a Rochester newspaper man, Mr.. Cramer
purchased for $4,000, the Milwaukee
Courier, a weekly; and, changing its
name to The Daily Wisconsin, soon made
it one Of the leading newspapers of the
northwest-a position it has now held for
nearly ffty-eight years, during the
whole of which time he has been it's act
i've head. Very few issues have gone to
press without one or more articles from
his pen. No one who read his graphic
descriptions of places, people and things,
and who was unacQualnted with the
author, would suppose that they were
the work of one bereft of the senses of
sight and hearing; yet from 1860 Mr..
Cramer had been nearly blind, and able
to hear only with the aid of a speaking
tube But his intense energy and indus
try, quick perception, and marvellous
powers of memory and judgment, prac-
tically enabled him to overcome his phys
zeal disadvantage.
Marriage and Travels.
In 1869 Mr. Cramer married Miss
Harriet L. Barker, and after his mar
riage made an extensive tour of Europe
in company with his wife. They were
in Paris during the Franco-German war,
and were locked up in the besieged city
for several months, until liberated, with
other American residents, through the
good offices of United States Minister
Washburn and Chancellor Bismarck
They were also in Paris during the whole
reign of the Commune, from March until
July, and there witnessed the demolition
of the Column Vendome, the burning of
the palace of the Tuilleries and the exc
cution of the incendiares who had fired
the public buildings and who were shot
on the barbados which they themselves
had erected across the Rue de Rivoli.
Mr.. Cramer's recollection of these and
other events caused him to feel that he
witnessed in Paris, in 1871, a re-enact-
ment of the bloody scenes Of the first
revolution, when Robespierre and Dan
ton welded the vengeance of the gov
eminent against the peace and good or
der Of society.
Mr.. Cramer also travelled extensively
in the United States and Mexico, usually
in company with his wife, who was eyes
and ears for him whenever he required