Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-01-23
YIROOUA BOY A GOVERNOR
L. N. GILLETTE NOW CHEF EXECU.
TIVE OF CALIFORNIA.
Born and Reared in This City. Receiving
Early Education in Our Schools
Read Law in Sparta.

L. N. NGAAtGNlGr &oNSTDDI
Of California Monday of last week. was
born in Viroqua The Gillettes were
early settlers in Viroqua and active in
advancing the interests of the village.
Governor Gillette grew to youth in Vir-
oqua, attended the village school in a
building now a tenement house on the
corner of Center avenue and Decker
street: also in the old stone school house
still in use as primary.
In the 70's his parents moved to
Sparta. where he attended the gram
mar and high school; then entered the
law Office of the late Judge Morrow
and with Judge Graves of this city, read
law. passed an examination and was ad-
mitted TO the bar by the late Judge
Newman. Gillette listened to the call.
Westward Ho;" he saw the process
sion moving to the golden west, with
the star of empire before him, with
great expectations and hope for the fu-
ture, terminated his pilgrimage at Eur
eka, California, where he opened an Of
fee with a sign, Attorney at Law. I"
He occupied the leisure hours with
great diligence to acquire better
knowledge of law read California S
statutes early and late and in a short
period was elected district attorney and
successfully conducted many cases of
much Importance. He grew in popu-
larity and in 1904 was nominated on
the republican ticket for congress, re-
ceiving a large majority; Speaker Can
non placed him on the judiciary COM
mittee, composed of the most learned
members in law, a position seldom as
signed to a new member. Judge Jen-
kins appointed him chairman of sub
committee to investigate the charges
of impeachment against a federal
Judge His report placed him among
the distinguished lawyers of that COM
mittee. The republican state conven-
tion of California, last summer, unani-
mously nominated him for governor,
and election followed by large major
ity With the Viroqua primary and
Sparta high school education, he took
the oath of Office as governor of the
fifth state in rank as to wealth in the
states of the Union. 1t is one Of the
numberless instances of what the young
man, with a book in hand during leisure
hours, con do. It made Gillette con-
gresSman and governor; Frazier a pro-
fessor at West Point; Chapman profess
sor at Johns Hopkins and president of
the Oregon College: Roy Williams head
of mining law firm in Colorado; M. M.
Dawson, an insurance expert whose
opinion is regarded as authority, in Am
erica and Europe. Richards builder;
Lake an architect: Finkle the highest
authority on hydraulic engineering; P.
J Layne auditor Of San Diego, Califor-
MA; Theodore Running professor at
Ann Arbor Michigan. and Jane Butt
hard of ,I1u sahno1 IN ! nc Annal.
es. California, all of the Viroqua
schools. 1t illustrates what the young
| life can do with the opportunities now,
| even III the Viroqua schools.
That the people of Viroqua may well
be proud of their city schools, note the
following names the writer calls to
mind as having been attendants there
| Of and now prominently identified in
| the professions or business. Physicians:
Berthier and Chas. Trow bridge, Min
shall VIII and Frank Morley. Bouffieur,
Blake, Smith Fortney, Butt, Miller,
| Bold, Griffin, Nuzum, Surenson, Fox and
Corey. Dentists Chase, Baldwin, Taintor
and Peterson. Law: Butt, Graves, Sill
| baurh. Bennett, Proctor, Casson, Jr. d,
Richard and Multi Nuzum Craig, Moen,
| Mnshall and McLees. Banking: Henry
/
and Webb. Business: L1ndemann, Rog-
cas. Dawson. Otto and Ben Brown,
Westby, Strawn. Iollenback, Morte-
rud, Smith, Williams, Towner, Slack,
Nuzums and Steenberg. State Treas
urer Dahl and Bank Commissioner
Berzh laid the foundation for their sue
| cess in the village school. In the print
| ing Office Terhune, Brown, Haughton,
| Purdy. 0mundson and Clark NuZum,
| Sweger. Kendall and Peterson are
earnest ministers of the gospel. Cos
| ling, Williams, Minshall and Larson
prominent in railway service. Gardner
| superintendent of schools, DeLacy and
! Nelson instructors in colleges. Morton
| IN the railway mail service. George
and Chester Minshall and Ammi Biddi-
sen. veterinary surgeons. 0rrison and
| Wulfng. electricians. One hundred and
| eighty girls have passed the Threshold
OF the high school to become teachers,
| stenographers, bachelors. wives and
mothers The girls far exceed the
| boys and the list is a heroic group of
young girls, passing into. wonanho0d,
| and without exception, women of honor