Morris tribune., 1914-04-24
VIM. E. Lees Life a Remarkable Story
of Pluck, Optimistic Persever-
ance and Hard Work.
KNOTTED BY Toll IN WOODS
Insists Best Job Was Raise Three Sons and Teach Them
to Work-Gets Education in School of Hard
Knocks = Always Interested in
Good Government

the finished product; to get the most
possible from an acre; to sell his farm
not by the bushel but by the acre. I
would see Minnesota farmed scientif-
cally.
Il would enforce the law. would
bring the state government to the high
plane of the morality of her people.
would drive the brewer and the special
privilege seeker from the council cham
bers of the state. would be on hand,
looking after the peoples business as
l do my own"
William E. Lees life is a story Of
hard work, plus pluck, with tinge of
romance here and there, but more of
plodding and perseverance than Of ia
Vorlng fortune and good luck. Born
in the little river town of Alton, ILL.,,
in January, 1852, at the embryo can
didate came to Minnesota with his
father and mother, four brothers and
an equal number of sisters. The faith
er, millWright, settled near Little
Falls, and it was there the candidate
for Minnesota's highest honor-the
governors chair-attended the village
school, and received what book educa-
tion he has save that secured at night
between the long days of toll
Between 13 and IA years of age, the
Lee lad embarked his first ship of
financial venture, and the craft was
little old-fashioned f1at-bottomed ferry
boat, it's stream the swift-fowing Mis-
ciC h.
then the Swan river An older broth.
er, Sam, was ths partner in the enter
prise, and the boat, with capacity but
for two teams, was built by tha boys.
It's motive power was the current Of
the river, plan often employed in the
old pioneer days, when cable across
the stream did not interfere with nayi.
cation. twenty-five cents per team
and 10 cents for each foot passenger
was charged. The business netted an
average of $40 monthly.
A Bit of Romance.
Not content with one enterprise, the
Lee lad, a year later, took contract
from the government, and carried the
mail afoot to Long Prairie, distance
of thirty miles. Once a week the round
trip was made, and from eleven to
| twelve hours were used each way in
| the task. It is not unlikely the jour
! ney could have been completed in less
time, but midway on the road, tucked
away on the banks of a little stream,
stood a roughly hewed log schoolhouse
| Old-fashiOned hollyhocks grew in the
| co nC1T nJ-1 nj
climbed over its door. In the school,
attended by half a score of children.
who for the most part trudged a mile
or more through the woods to be
taught the three oId-fashioned RS,
there presided rosy-cheeked, bright.
eyed little schoolma am-Eva Gibson
by name.
Here it was the youthful mail car
rier usually happened" along
about noon time While the children
ate their lunches and romped away
the hours, he chatted with the little
teacher, tagging until school took up"
again. Often he passed, and as often
he paused Gust to see if there was
anything she wanted from the store"
anu IActL was q 4OII5 LlIu0 dSO, anu
might be as well at this time as any
other, to say Mrs. Eva Gibson Lee
lives now in Long Prairie, Mimi, and
her husband, also at this time, is
candidate for governor
In between other tasks, young Lee
now a man almost grown, worked
with his father and learned the mill
wright trade and something about car
pentering. The elder Lee built many
of the early-day sawmills of that sec
tion, assisted by his boys. The North
ern Pacific station now in Brainerd is
of Lee family construction, and son
''WilP' one of its builders.
Then came the desire to get out and
see something Of the world; so the
young man journeyed up to the Elk
river lumber country, and got a Job
as camp cook The foreman Of the
camp>was Lyman w. Aver, man Of
learning" Quick to take advantage
of this, when the supper's tin dishes
were washed and slowed away, the
youthful cook would get out a well
thumbed geometry, and under the tute-
lage Of the foreman learn something
of mathematics.
About forty-three years later, or a
week ago, to be exact, Lyman w. Aver,