The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-04-18

day afternoon at 300 o'clock at the
Riverside sanitarium. Mr.. Peck, who
was rs years old, had been seriously
i'll for six months, due to a compica-
ton of diseases, was taken to the sana-
torium for treatment from his resi-
dence, 100 Farwell avenue, last Mon
day.
No Warning of Death.
Mr.. Peck had just eaten his dinner
and apparently was resting easily i'll
his bed when death came. He was
alone at the time, although relatives
had been constantly in attendance for
several days.
Mr.. Peck is survived by one son.
George w, Jr; one grandson, David
Peck, and one sister, Mrs. Anne E.
Woodruff Mrs. Woodruff left on Sat
urday for a visit with relatives at
Holland, Mich.
Mr. Peck was a thirty-second de-
gree Mason, a member of the Wiscon-
sin commandery, Loyal Legion, and
E. B. Wolcott post, G. A. R. He at one
time was president OF the state press
association.
George w. Peck, Jr., son of the for
mer governor of Wisconsin, came from
Chicago Sunday night with his wife
and Gerald w. Peck, grandson of the
famous Badger, to take charge OF the
arrangements for the funeral.
Native of New York.
George Wilbur Peck was born Sept.
%, 1910, in the town Of Henderson,
n Y. He came to Wisconsin with his
parents in 1843 who lived at different
times in Walworth and Jefferson coun-
ties, where the son attended public
school until he was Is years of age,
when he began to learn the printer
trade in the Office of the Register,
Whitewater. In 1860, when 20 years of
age, he bought half interest in the
Jefferson County Republican and was
one of it's editors and proprietors for
a year or more. In 1863, when it was
decided to add two companies Of cav
airy to the Fourth Wisconsin, whose
ten companies had been converted
from infantry to cavalry, young Peck
enlisted and served as private and
sergeant, and, because of his good sol
diership, was promoted to lieutenant
He was in many of the engagements
of the regiment and went with it tC
Texas, remaining unit 1866, when the
regiment was mustered out.
After looking the field over with q
view to returning to the newspaper
business, Mr.. Peck decided to locate al
Ripon and established the Ripon Rep
resentatiye, conducting it as a repub-
lican paper for some time and then
changed it to democratic publication
This caused great disappointment tC
his republican readers and they
withdrew their patronage; but the
democrats, made good the subscrip-
tons. While conducting the paper as
democratic advocate Mr. Peck began
a series of articles signed Torrance
McGrant"
Exhibited Natural Wit.
In that field he had an opportunity
to exhibit his natural wit and the
articles attracted wide attention
Among those who saw and enjoyed
them was Brick Pomeroy, of the La
Crosse Democrat. He induced Mr.
Peck to become a member of his stat
and a little later took him to New
York.
In time Mr.. Peck and James HI
Lambert, another Wisconsin news
paper man who was at one time editor
of the daily Fond du Lac Leader, be-
came editors and publishers of the
Democrat, but, early in the '70S, thai
paper, not proving success, Mr.. Peel
returned to Wisconsin. Mr. Peck fol
some time was a reporter on the Mil
waukee Evening Wisconsin, goinf
from that paper to La Crosse, where
he became the partner of E. B. Usher
in publishing and editing the La
Crosse Chronicle.
Establishes Peck's Sun.
He served a term as chief of police
of La Crosse and was chief clerk of til:
assembly during one term. In 1871
he went to Milwaukee and established
Pecks Sun, devoting it largely to hi:
humorous writings and making
striking feature of Peck's Bad Boy
which he conducted for several years
Peck's Sun grew rapidly and had
nation wide circulation, much greate
than any other funny publication il
the country. His bad Boy" article;
were printed in other countries.
In 1880 he was elected mayor o
Milwaukee.
In the fall of that year he was elect
ed governor. He was opposed in thu
state convention by Col. Gabriel Boucl
of Oshkosh, who had the backing o
Gen. E. S. Bragg and other leaders
but Mr. Peck was nominated Hi
opponent in the fight which followed
was w. d. Hoard, one of the mos
popular republicans in the state. Mr.
Peck was elected by over 5000,
majority. This was the third time tn,
democrats had elected a governor il
the state.
In 1892 Gov. Peck was renominated
This time he was opposed by John C
Spooner and won again, though thi
time the majority was reduced to
little over 1000. In 1895 he was nom
mated for third term, but was de
feated for election by Maj W. H. Up
ham, who had a majority of $4,000 H,
was the last democratic governor tn,