Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-12-12

ana assisted in organizing the first O.
A. X. post in this part of the state,
which later suspended, but was reor-
ganize0 some years after and is still
In existence.
Concerning Mr.. Ryan's life we take
the following from "Wausau in 1900"
Thomas c. Ryan was born in Utica,
n. Y, July 4, 1S41. His parents died
during his childhood and his boyhood
was spent upon farm in the town of
Hemingfo ID, Lower Canada. The
country vas new, very much of
wilderness, and schools not the best.
AS child he had natural craving
Tor education and was encouraged
and aided in this by his grandfather,
who was fairly good scholar, and an
uncle, James Ryan, farmer who
lived near by, and who was well
educated and well read man. From
these boyhood days Mr.. Ryan has pre-
served and still has in his possession
a souvenir now of priceless value to
MN. 1t is manuscript book con-
tanning all the examples in Walk
ingame's Arithmetic, from the Single
Rule of Three to Bi-quadrate Root,
all fully worked out and copied with
pen and ink. The date on the first
page is Nov. IL, 1852, and on the last
page March 3, 1853, showing that this
work was done during his twelfth
year. He came to Wisconsin in the
fall of 1853 with his brother, John,
two years his senior. At first the
boys hired out as farm hands, but
they soon became apprentices to the
shoemaker's trade, and thereafter
until 1861 young Ryan worked at his
trade in the winter time, but pre-
ferred farming during the remainder
of the year. From the spring of 1861
to the spring of 1863 he and his
brother served as privates in Com
pany G, Fifth Wisconsin Infantry.
The period of his army life gave him
much time for study, which was de-
voted to the languages, Latin, Greek,
German and French. He received
three wounds while in the army, the
last two in the same battle, one Of
which was so serious as to result in
his honorable discharge from the SER
vice. He then returned to his former
place of residence, Berlin, Wis. While
in the army he saved from his bounty,
pay and clothing allowance ABOUT
three hundred and fifty dollars, which
supported him during his preparation
for the bar. He studied law in the
office of Truesdell & Warning, at Ber-
lin. In the fall of 1866 he was adj
mitted to the bar at hartford, Green
Lake county. He then taught school
one term, and in 1866 began the
practice of law at Berlin. Suisse
quently he was elected district at
torney for three successive terms, and
then county Judge. His business in
creased and he became an equal
partner with Hon. Geo. d. Waring,
his legal tutor, and one of the best
lawyers in the state. In 1881 he
made up his mind that the Wiscon-
sin valley was the most promising
section of the state, moved to WauSau
and became the law partner OF Neal
Brown. In 1882 he moved to Merrill,
and soon thereafter formed law
partnership with George Curtis, Jr.,
the two LAYING the foundation of
prosperous law business that still is
carried on by the firm of Curtis, Reid,
Smith & Curtis. In December, 1883,
he returned to Wausau and became a
partner with Silverthorn & Hurley,
under the firm name of Silverthorn,
Hurley & Ryan.
"Mr. Ryan has always been close
and careful student devoted to his
profession, and deServediy has a COM
n5anding place therein. He has also
fine literary ability, and has done a
good deal of literary work. His briefs
are models # good English, and of
clear, con- Sc legal reasoning, and
have justly made him famous with
the bench and bar of Wisconsin. In
the early days of his practice he was
an effective jury lawyer, but later he
turned his attention to equity prac-
tice and real estate law, in which he
has won both fame and success.
He was united in marriage to EN-
ma E.Thurston and she survives him
as do the following children, Miss
Margaret, Thomas H., Miss Marion,
James r., and Winifred Ryan all of
whom reside in Wausau excepting
Thomas Ryan, who lives at Merrill.
| The funeral services were held from
the Universalist church this Tuesday
afternoon at 2 O'Clock and were con-
Quoted by Mr.. Karl Mathie, assisted
by7Rev. b. B. Gibbs, pastor of the
Universalist church of ST. Paul, former
pastor of the Universalist church of
this city. There were many beauti-
full floral offerings testimonials OF love
for this most worthy and respected
man. Intermeht was made In Pine
Grove cemetery. The pail bearers
were: @. d. Jones, L. A. Pradt, 4. A.
Gooding, w. B. Scholfield, Judge A.
H. Reid and K. B. Thayer.
The entire Marathon county bar
met and attended the funeral in
body.