The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15
The Autobiography of An Iron Man

Tron Hunter" and started prospecting,
having become the friend of Hiram Da-
mon Fisher, the discoverer Of the MenOmi-
nee range. He made his permanent home
in Sault Sainte Marie. In 1911 he be-
came Governor Of Michigan. But before
this we have casual mention of his having
been State Fish and Game Warden, Com
missioner of Railroads and a number of
things besides. After he became inter-
ested in iron he resolved to visit every
spot on the earth's surface where there
might be any. 1t took him thirty years of
almost continuous travel. After his term
as Governor, we read that there were por
tons of Africa and the whole of NADIA
gsscar that he and bis wife had not yet
explored. They started of.
Mr.. Osborn uses his mothers picture
for the frontispiece of his book, happy
idea that may be recommended to other
photographers. After seeing the mother
it is easier to understand The Iron HAN
ter. Both his father and mother were
doctors, which, by the way, probably
accounts for their sons early reading.
Gray's Anatomy, Dalton's physiology,
Thomas on Diseases Of Women and Chill
dren, pages Of Dunglison's medical die
tOnary, Gully's and also Shew's hydrop-
athy were no doubt Hobson's choice for
a boy in q pioneer Doctors household.
The Osborns trekked from Ohio to
Huntington county, Indiana, where Chase
Osborn was born in 1860, in two roomed
log cabin, with one real glass window
and two other windows of CREASED paper.
There were ten children in all, three girls
and seven boys. Feeling ran high in a
border State at the time Of the civil war
and Mr. Osborn describes numerous riots
in the schoolhouse and even in church. He
says: "More than once riot broke out on
Sunday at the services in the log meeting
house Men would generally 60 for the
open, but the women would pull each
other over the benches and scratch and
pummel and drag each other around by
the hair"
When the children began to grow up
the family trekked again to La Fayette
to be near schools. On the journey the
mules ran away into the Wabash River
when they saw an old wood burner loco
motive on what is now the Wabash Rail
road. In La Fayette the Osborn family
was prosperous and lived in a big house.
The father invented one of the first stoves
with an oven. He also invented wash
ing machine, which may account for the
sudden collapse in the family's fortunes
Mr.. Osborn starts his story in Florence,
owing no doubt TO a newspaper mans
passion for snappy opening paragraph.
His book begins with WolreS! Florence
was a lively mining town in the sos, where
a newspaper editors life especially was
in constant peril if he had a proctvity
for reform and cleaning up things.
Among the other attractions of Florence
Mr. Osborn describes the women's stock
AIDES and an evil white SLAYER called "Old
Man Nudge" who wore ministerial garb
and worked as preacher when out on his
raids for girls. 1t was in Florence that
Mr.. Osborn had his introduction to poll
tics. He seems TO think politics have
really been purified since Florence days.
A $50 bride was offered to him by one of
"Uncle Sawlog' Stephenson's men. He
describes Uncle Ike and his brother Sam,
who worked ths political game on both
sides of the Menominee River:
"They were wholesome men of their
type and period. Only one way was there
to get anything and that was to buy 1t.
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