Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1906-01-17
SOME PERSONAL HISTORY

Col. John G.. Spooner, serving his third
term in the United States Senate, was
private secretary to the late Gov. Lucius
Fairchild during his first term.
The venerable Senator Starks of Sank
county called upon the governor to dis
cuss a bill which he had helped through
the Legislature. He was afraid Gov.
Fairchild contemplated vetoing it, and
was prepared to do some plain talking
in its behalf.
senator caught sight of the private sec
rotary. Col. Spooner was Il young man,
then, about 81, and had the appearance
of one much younger, and was also much
smaller than he is now.
Governor said Starks, Il wish you
would send that boy out of the ROOM"
CHANGING about Gov Fairchild said: Il
see no boy, senator"
In half petulant manner the senator
pointed to SpoOner and asked, Whats
that but a boy?"
"Step this way, john said the gov
ernor. Senator Starks, allow me to
introduce my new private secretary, Col.
John G. Spooner."
That boy" at that time, was a grad
uate of the Wisconsin university, and had
served as soldier in the civil war. win
ming two commissions, one as captain
and the other as major, and was even
then good lawyer, as he is today one of
the first in the nation.
Gov Fairchild, who was much given to
TO nd
said to Mr. Starks: 'Take a good look
send that boy to the United States Sen
ate one of these times"
Seventeen years later there was a
three cornered contest for the United
States senatorship in Wisconsin. Gen.
Fairchild, who had been secretary of
state, governor three terms, consul to
Liverpool, consul general to Paris and
minister to Spain, desired to round up
his career in the Senate Col. Spooner
gave three months or more of his time
to canyassing for Blaine in 1884, and had
done it so well that from all parts of the
state there came q demand for his cleo
ton to the Senate. The third candidate
was the late Judge William T. Price,
then in Congress. When Prices lieuten-
ants found that he could not win they
wired for a request to help Spooner with
his strength. He complied, and all but
one of his supporters cast their votes
with the Spooner forces, and he was nom
mated On the first ballot, and the first
man to congratulate him was Gov Fair
child, who had told old Sentaor Starks
that wisconsin is likely to send that
boy to the United States Senate one of
these times"
In 1881, the first time Jerry Rusk was
elected governor of Wisconsin, Col
Spooner was so busy man in his pro-
fession that the minutes counted, and it
happened twice during the campaign that
he missed train and was obliged to hire
an engine in order to keep his speaking
enga gements. He lived at Hudson then.
He was to make a speech at New Rich
mond. The last train had gone There
was need of a rousing Republican shake
up at New Richmond. 1t would not do
to disappoint the committee.
Il must be at New Richmond tonight.
It is too far to drive. Bring around an
engine" said the busy man. The engine
came and the young lawyer made one of
the best campaign speeches ever heard
at New Richmond. On the way back the
colonel sat at the side of the engineer.
After watching that skillful gentleman
for some minutes, he asked for the priv
ilege of running the engine. They ex-
changed seats. The future senator pro-
ceeded to double the speed. The engine
jumped along at a mile a minute until
a short turn in the track was reached.
when the new engineer was thrown to
the freman's side of the cab, and the
regular engineer resumed charge AS the
colonel regained his seat behind the en-
gineer he said: "Your COMPOUNDED old
horse does not stand the spur worth men
tioning'
That was the Wisconsin senator's first
and last experience as railroad en-
gineer.
Early in the first Grant campaign in
1868 an ambitious county Republican
chairman in the northwestern part of the
state sent to the state chairman for a
first-class speaker-the best he had The
speaker was to arrive at o'clock D. M.
-, +lo c4o oo fro,,,