Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-09-03
Noted cheIse. Native Dead.

Col. William F. Villas was born in
chelsea, VT, July Q, 1910. He was
about II years of age when his father
went West to Madison, Wis, where he
mad lived ever since. He entered the
wisconsin State university in 1864 at the
age OF Ia. At the age of Is he graduated
ana went to the Albany Law school, where
ne graduated two years later with the
highest honors. He returned home to
Madison after his graduation, where he
practised law for awhile, but as the Civil
war had then broken ont he received Q
commission as captain of Company A, Esd
wisconsin infantry. He was afterw ard
promoted to lieutenant-colonel, partici-
pating in the battles OF Port Gibson and
Black River Bridge. He was also present
during the sieges OF vicksburg and Jack
son.
After the war, Col Villas returned home
to continue his law practice, where in
1866 he married Miss Annie M. Fox. Al
ter few years he was given . place on
the commission appointed by the SUI
preme court to complete q revision of the
statutes of Wisconsin. He was a delegate
to the national Democratic conventions of
1876, 1850 and 1884. He was chosen per-
manent chairman of the convention of
appointed to wait upon Mr.. Cleveland
and inform him Of the action of the con-
vention in nominating him for president.
In 1885 he became postnaster-general
under President Cleveland, position
which he filed until advanced to the
head of the interior department. In
1890, after a hard struggle, he was elected
United States senator, and his work was
such that it was thought at the time he
might be a candidate in 1892 for the
Democratic presidential nomination.
Col. Villas had hardly taken up his du-
ties as postmaster-general before he had
the fight with the subsidists which Great
ed such Juror in the Republican press.
The Congress which died ON inauguration
day had passed 100000 subsidy to
ocean steamers. Armed with this, the
steamboat men came to him for their pa
pers for the cash, but he explained to
them that the law was so faulty that he
would not undertake its execution. They
became enraged and carried the matter to
Congress, but were defeated.
When President Cleveland advised Col.
Villas that Secretary Lamar was about to
resign and that the interior department
needed Just the sort of work he had given
to the postal department, he accepted the
position. After receiving the Office, he
at once gave it the most complete over
hauling it had had in years.
He had the pension bureau to look aft
er, with its immense amount OF expendi-
ture and vast amount of detail' work; the
patent Office, with its administrative
work, which required attention from one
" no had technical knowledge OF the
patent laws and their application in spe'
cific cases; the national bureau OF educa-
ton, the United States geological and
geodetic surveys and score of other bu-
reaus not so important, together with the
/ Indian bureau with its hundreds OF trea-
ties and several hundred bands and tribes
of Indians, all of which demanded time
from the head of the department.
| As an orator, Col. Villas is best known
| by his tribute to "The American Sol
dier," delivered before the Army OF the
Tennessee at reunion in indianapolis in
1878, and which is now found in school
readers as a classic. His greatest ehort
was the toast to sour First Commander,
Gen. Grant," which he delivered at
banduet of the Society Of the Tennessee
in Chicago in 1879.