The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-05-16
WHO'S WHO
In South Dakota
By O. ". cours<y
George A. Silshy.

Cling with Ben Harrison to wrestle
from him the presidential crown. The
night before election he'd arrived. A
political meeting was called to be held
in the old low-roofed, Uncovered
skating rink in the city of Mitchell,
that formerly stood where today
stands the beautiful home Of Mrs. o.
II. Perry, on west Second street. The
students of Dakota Wesleyan had
been EXTENDED a special invitation TO
attend. They were present on masse.
The rink was :::aied to its utmost ca
pacity.
Presently. a short, square-shoulder-
ed gentleman, clad in a Prince Albert
accompanied by a few associates,
came in and took his place on the
| platform. Re was roundiy cheered. In
a moment he was introduced by an
admiring champion. Then for three
hours and fifteen minutes he held
his enthusiastic audience spellbound.
THE issue was the tariff. The speakers
fund of information was %incxhaust-
fible. R3iI
Toward the close he grew superb
ly eloquent, and pictured in classic
yerbiage the grand old ship of state
steaining into the republican harbor,
with her undaunted chief, President
Harrison, standing triumphantlY at
her helm.
And the orator - who was he?
General George A. Silsby, We reply,
the states most gifted eXtemporane-
Gus speaker. Here is a born orator,
a man with an original style of ora
tory, peculiarly his own. Well read,
scholorly, and with a superfluous
abundance of words always at his
command, he is constantly in readi-
ness for a speech, long or short and
he always makes good. General Sils-
by has a way of starting his audiences
to thinking at the inception of his
opening remarke; then he gradually
draws them into the current of his
own thought until thev are submerged
and engulfed in a baptism of spontan-
eous eloquence that is soul entranc-
ing. His personal appearance, his
gestures. his peculiar manner of using
the rising infection at the end of his
sentences, his clear, ~outreaching, pen
etrating voice, his unbroken current
of words, his vital combine to
make him a platform orator of I'M
! usual charm and power.
Born in Rockford, Illinois, March
rs, 1S47, General Silsby was a lad ten
years of age when the Lincoln-Doug-
las debate took place at FYeeport,, III,
inois, the exact spot is today marked
by a granite slab, and he is one of
the few persons, living today. who
one OF these debates.
On the morning of the day that
this particular debate took place, his
father said: Come, George, help to
hitch UP the team and We'll drive to
Freeport to hear the speeches today
by Lincoln and Douglass" Here was
the opportunity of n life time. The
boy vas at that plastic age in life
when impressions are easily mad and
sink deep. He carried away with him
part of tho addresses, and, above all,
the spirit of the occasion. He recalls
to this day and relates with some
mirth, how Lincoln, when Judge
FDougless was introduced, arose, as
a matter of courtesy; and how Doug
las, much to amusement of the audi
ence, strutted over to Lincoln, and
looking up at him CLincoln was a
head and shoulderJ taller than Doug
lass) said, rHow long. 0 Lord, how
long" and how Lincoln, when he was
introduced, and Judge Douglass stood
up, looked down at him and said,
The days of the wicked are Short
ct soon proved true.)
While a boy he attended the public
schools in Rockford. In 1880, he got
the western fever and migrated to
Dakota, settling on a homestead in
Dawson county, just west of Mitchell,
in Beulah township, where for two
years he patched it in a sod shanty
One year, while on the farm, he rails.
ed two acres Of onions that Noted
him $S35.45. They were all bought
and eaten, by the citizens of Mitchell,
except 100 bushels.
In 1883. Mr.. Silsby wa given a po-
sition in the United States land office
at Mitchell, end later he was made
chief clerk. The next year he was
appointed postmaster at Mitchell, hui
he was remov : two years later by
Grover Cleveland, for "pernicious &C
Etivity" in political affairs. Knowing
that if a democratic president were