Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-01-24

Speaker Ekern proved himself n
magnanimous victor in giving TO his
rival, Mr.. Leroy, the important chair
manship Of the committee on trans
portation. A higher honor he could
not have accorded him, for 1t is con
coded that this will be the most i'm
J portant committee Of the assembly
this winter. Not only will all bills
affecting railroads 20 before it, but
also all measures having to do with
street ears electric lighting, gas and
other public service utilities, whose
consideration will be the chief con-
Germ of the legislature this winter.
And Mr.. Leroy is showing n fine
| spirit. Our contest for the speaker
ship was only an incidental friendly
riyalry-and it is closed" he said. THE
great and important thing is to carry
out the pledges of the party and adj
vance the work of reform which Wis.,
consin mas so grandly begun. Mr.
Ekern and ] have struck hands In this;
we will work together for the good
of the state and party. There Is no
III feeling between us. / have no
doubt this years assembly VIII pass
every bill promised in the platform
Of the Republican party and we will
put the measures in strong shape. This
house will be found entirely right on
the question Of public utility corpora
ton control especially. | can promise
that the committee on transportation
will deal with public service questions
with firm hand"
IGstabrook Wins n Position.
Mr.. Estabrook won his coveted posi-
ton as chairman of the committee on
cities, having declined the judiciary
craftsmanship. He is ambitious to do
something to reform the syestem of
government IN Milwaukee and in
cidentally of other cities. He did not
come to the assembly for the glory
thereof; he won the honor twenty-five
years ago and besides is too good and
too busy lawyer. But he believed
he could strike blow for Milwaukee
and so was persuaded TO be elected
and he is expected 10 be hard hitter
too. when he gets going" says an
admirer, "You will see something do
ing" Mr. EstabrOOk Is one of the
old soldiers Of the assembly, but is
splendidly preserved, being straight as
an arrow, alert, vigorous, with a clas-
sic, intellectual face ana n frank,
brctherly manner that attracts.
The other day Captain A. Il. Bush
n Of I to-
man, walked into the assembly cham
Der to greet his old friend EstabrooS
and other comrades ana at little side
reunion the interesting fact was re-
vcalcd that when in 1858 Bushnell
came ont from Ohio he was engaged
TO teach n country school near Platte
vile and among his pupils was Mr..
Estabrook, then boy on farm
there
Soldiers Well Represented.
And by the way the old soldiers
are we'll represented in the legislature,
there being eight veterans in the as.
scmbly and one in the senate. The
lone senate member Is II. +. Bird of
Wausaul,ec, who had an honorable
hand in the Vicksburg campaign and
much of the other hard lighting done
by Grant. The veterans Of the house
are Captain Pllny Norcross, of James
Vile: w. T. Perry, of Oshkosh; G.. II.
Estnbrook OF Milwaukee; William
Disch, of Milwaukee; a. S. Baker, of
Evansville; Fred Ties, of Green coun.
ty; Duncan MCGrcgor, of Platteyille,
and Simon Smith Of Beloit NorCrOss
was a student IN the university when
the war broke out and enlisted as Il
corporal under Lucius Fairchild in the
First Wisconsin, seeing service at
Bull Run. Chickamauga, Fort Donei-
son and other trying places. Perry
was in the seventh Onto, and was
wounded and served time in Libby
prison. Est0brook went out with the
Forty-Thlrd Wisconsin and was one
of the youngest Of soldiers. Disch,
who was in the Twenty Fourth Wis
cousin, saw tremendous fighting, He
went through twenty-one battles not TO
mention skirmishcs, the Chickamauga
and Atlanta campaigns being part Of
this experience. Likewise Baker, who
was in the Second Wisconsin, had n
baptism of fire that was stern
reality,
At Both Bull Runs.
He fought on both the Bull Run
fields and all the bloody ground con
tested 10y the Army Of the Potomac,
, Antlct0m, Fredericksburg, Chancel-
louisville and Gettysburg and many
smaller trays. He was wounded at
Gainesville and again at Gettysburg,
carrying II bullet from the latter field
for twcnty-three years. 1t entered
the groin and lodged near the back
bone, After twenty-three years it
concluded to leave its resting place
and gradually worked toward the sur
face. One day while the veteran was
taking bath he heard something
scr0pe the side of the tub and found
ii was the point of his rebel bullet.
Reaching around he pulled it out with
his own hands and has the grim