Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-08
EX-SENATOR Villas
SUCCUMBs TO DISEASE
Wisconsin Man Who Held Two
Cabinet Posts Under CIeve-
land Is Dead.
IMPROVED THE MAIL SERVICE.
Statesman fingered for Five Weeks
After Second Stroke of
Paralysis.

Colonel William T. Villas died in
Madison, Wis, at 10 As o'clock Thurs
day morning following five weeks of
Illness.
When DR.. Philip Fox called upon the
colonel that morning he found him un-
Usually cheerful and bright, and be-
lieyed he showed signs of remarkable
Improvement. Shortly after 10 o'clock,
while the nurses were administering
bath to the patient, they noticed that
he weakened very quickly. An attempt
was made to reach the doctor, but Col
onel Villas died before he could be
called
Dr. Charles III. Villas, of New York.
who has been staying at the home, was
not present. DR.. Fox believes that the
Immediate cause of death was a secopd
stroke of paralysis.
Colonel Villas suffered cerebral
hemorrhage early ON the morning of
July 20 at his home in Madison.
Sketch of His Career.
William f. Villas was peculiarly the
foremost citizen of Madison. Wis. for
In that classic town he lived since his
eleventh year leaving it only to go to
war or to remove temporarily to Wash
ington while in the public service.
AT the time of his death he was the
working member of the commission of
i've which had in charge the erection
of Wisconsin's new S6,OOO,OOO capitol
building and he was also member of
! the Sta:e board appointed to supervise
the erection of Wisconsins memorial
| monument to the soldiers of the State
who fell at the siege of Vicksburg.
Colonel Villas came of good politicaI
stock, his father, Judge Levi Villas,
having been member of the Vermont
| legislature and later prominent in Wis
consin official life, a member of the
legislature and a number of important
commissions. Colonel Villas was horn in
1910.
Member of Cleveland Cabinet.
Gradually, however, after he had
achieved at the age of 80 the practical
leadership of the Wisconsin bar. he be-
came a member of the Democratic ma
t1onal committee and active in the par
ty councils, with the result that when
| Cleveland was elected president he was
offered and accepted the place of post
master general in his cabinet, resign
ing his seat in the legislature to do so.
There he made a record for unwinding
miles of red tape that numbered the
department and placing the administra-
ton OF the postoffice on business.like
and sound basis.
lie had scarcely finished that task
when Secretary Lamar resigned from
the department of the interior and
President Cleveland appointed Colonel
Villas to the vacancy.
When the campaign of 1890 opened
Colonel Villas took the leadership of his
party in the State and conducted a bril-
liant fight on local issues. A Demo-
cratic legislature was seated in conse-
quence and Colonel Villas was elected
United States Senator from Wisconsin.
In the Senate he made a record during
his six years of service for consum-
mate ability in affairs of state, partic-
ularly in those matters before Congress
| touching on constitutional law.
During the latter years of his life
| Colonel Villas devoted himself to his
law practice, which was ever a large
and successful one, and to his home.
| He was for years chief counsel for the
| Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.