Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-05-11

were also three brothers, and they
worked in the pinery, run the river
and entered into numbering generally
They were men of education; men Of
sterling qualities and men who fig.
ured largely in the social and business
life of our city and county in the days
when Wausau was purelya numbering
town and needed such men to assist
in moulding affairs for the future.
These brothers were John, George
and James Nutter. The latter, it
seems, was an older brother, being
some ten years the senior of Charles,
and he came here in 1850, a young
man of twenty-seyen He was force
in developing Wausau in those days
of pioneer hardships. Having spec
ial knowledge of numbering in all of
its various lines he entered into the
work with all the energy he possessed,
but later found it necessary to give
up the work on account of poor
health. and took up piece of land in
the town of w .usau on what was
known as Mechanics Ridge. The
only ones in that section then were
Harding, Gowen and Wilson. He
cleared up fine farm and had eighty
acres under the pillow. He built the
first roads in that section and his
home was the scene of many social
gatherings, which included so many
well known men and their wives who
lived here in those days when the
whole country was wilderness. So
the Nutter brothers, like the Singles,
McIndoes, Armstrong;, Pluners,
Thayers, Mansions, Stewards, Wink
legs, Silverthorns, Kellys, Flemings,
Parchers, Clarkes and others, are an
integral part of the history of this
pinery.
Wausau has much for which to
thank these splendid men and es-
pecially Charles Nutter. In the forty
years of active business life, much of
his time was spent in the interests of
the city. He was tireleSS worker
and whether in rain or in sunshine he
vas ever pursuing his line of duty.
We often think when we behold
Wausau's electric slogan, "Work for
Wausau," that we have had a glorious
lot of men who worked for Wausau
from early morning until late at
night in those days, and helped more
than can be told, to make our city
what it is today, and among those
whose efforts were most effective and
the most intelligently conducted
we're those of Charles Nutter. His
gentle nature, cheerful disposition
and readiness to lend helping hand,
made him beloved by all vino knew
him.
Charles Wesley Nutter was born in
Portsmouth, n. H., on the 4th day
of September, 1882. AT the age of
sixteen years he left the old home
stead and went to sea, shipping from
Boston as a common sailor on the
merchant sailing vessel, Midnight"
bound for San Francisco, China and
Calcutta, returning around the Cape
of Good Hope to Boston. He had
proved himself to be an excellent sea-
man and was at once engaged as third
mate on the Northern Light"
which made the same voyage; thus
he made two trips around the world
before he was twenty-one years Of age.
For several years following he sailed
as second officer on merchant vessels
between New Orleans and Liverpool.
He was stricken with yellow fever in
New Orleans in 1856 and in the
spring of 1856 found him in Chicago
checking freight on the docks of the
Western Transportation company.
In December, 1856, he came to Wausau
and engaged in the numbering bust
ness and rafting lumber down the
Wisconsin to Galena and St. Louis.
d. L. Plumer came to Wausau
about the same time and together
they made several trips to the Miss
issippi markets and formed friend
ship which has lasted all through the
years. Mr.. Plumer was a civil en-
gineer, but did not put his knowl-
edge into use in this pinery until
1861. In his trips down the river he
had become acquainted with William
Cuer, as had also Mr.. Nutter. Later
a commission was appointed by the
state to build wagon road along the
Wisconsin river from Wausau north
to Lake Veaux Desert, consisting of
William Cuer, DIR. l. E. Thayer and
William Drost. They entered into
an agreement with Mr.. Plumer to sur
vey the road, and one of the condi-
tions was that Mr.. Nutter was to 90
with him to assist in the surveying.
Mr. Nutter's experience as an officer
on sailing vessels, gave him his first
knowledge in the use of the compass
and sextant in determining longitude
and latitude, which later became very
useful TO him in surveying and en-
cheering. The road was laid out and
there are many pleasant memories
connected with those eight weeks
spent in the long ago among the
northern pines with Charles Nutter,
which those of his living companions
take pleasure in recalling Parts of
that old road laid out it 1861 are still
in existence. Mr.. Nutter from that
time devoted his life to surveying
and estimating timber. He and Mr..
Plumer estimated ali the timber on
Pine River and many tracts in other
parts of the sections OF the pinery.
He was the first man elected en-
gineer of the city of Wausau, which
position he held from 1872 until 1901,
when he was compelled to retire on
- fail