Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-10-10

farm, and early in life he participated
in the labor incidental to agricultural
pursuits. He attended district school
in Jefferson county, and prepared for
college in Albion academy, then en-
tered the Wisconsin State university.
Among his classmates in that insti-
tuition were ex-senator John G.
SpOOner, James L. High Judge Girls
void and Judge Wallace of Missouri.
He taught school in several different
places in 1861 -'62-'63, and thus earned
money to partially pay his expenses
at the university.
Deciding to make the practice of
law his life work, he was admitted to
the bar in Jefferson county, in 1863.
Then he went to ST. Louis, Missouri,
where he obtained a position as con-
veyancer and general clerk for the st.
Louis Land Transfer association. In
the spring of 1864 he located in Wau
sau, and entered upon the active prac-
tlCe or MS profession.
He was induced to locate in Wausau
by his brother, George Silverthorn,
who came here in 1861, and who had
much faith in the future of this great
region of pine forests. Mr.. Silverthorn
was at that time young man, fresh
from college, a student and scholar,
full of energy and determination. He
entered actively into the practice of
his profession and was eminently sue
cessful from the very outset. Wau-
sau was then only village and being
a vigorous writer he devoted some
of his time in editorial work on the
Central Wisconsin. A year later, be-
ing an ardent democrat, he saw the
necessity of that party having a paper
to espouse its principles and he in
duced Valentine Ringle to start what
is now the "Wausau Pilot" Mr.. Sill
verthOrn was its editorial writer for
several years until his law practice
grew to such proportions that it alb
sorbed his entire time. He named the
paper, which was started in the fall
of 1865, the wisconsin River Pilot"
and it carried that name until changed
in 1896. In 1868 he admitted E. L.
Bump into partnership, which relation
continued under the name of Silver
thorn & Bump, until 1872, when Mr..
Bump was elected district attorney.
Mr.. SiIverthorn then became associ-
ated with N. A. Hurley, and the firm
of Silverthorn & Hurley was formed.
In 1886 Judge T. c. Ryan, and later,
G. D. Jones, were admitted to partner
ship. After that the firm was known
as Silverthorn, Hurley. Ryan & Jones.
An extended account of the import
ant cases with which Mr.. Silverthorn's
name has become associated would
alone fill large volume. He had par
ticipated in much of the most import
ant litigation of the Northwest, both
in the State and the United States.
He had fourteen volumes of printed
briefs of cases with which he had
been identified. These briefs cover
all classes of litigation.
In addition to being successful in his
| profession. Mr.. Silverthorn exhibited
high order of business ability, and
has been rewarded with remunerative
returns from the enterprises in which
he has become interested. In 1868,
associated with George Silverthorn
and D. L. Plumer. he participated in
the organization of the banking firm
of Silverthorn & Plumer, which did
an extensive and profitable business
until the organization of the First
National bank of Wausau, which sue
ceeded it. Associated with d. l.
Plumer. Gordon H. Gile, S. S. Vaughn
Thomas Bardon and Captain d. Moore
Mr.. Silverthorn became extensively
interested in large tracts of land in
the Gogebic country before iron was
discovered there. Upon the discovery
of ore in that section it was ascer-
tanned that the vein extended on tC
these lands and fhe Northern Chief