The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-01-09

F! Mr.. w. S. Heddles. who last Tuesday
was reelected president of the Tobacco
Exchange bank, has by the qualities Of
his character, and by the achievements
of his business career, quietly, but per-
sistently risen in the love and esteem
of his fellow citizens, not only in Ed
gerton and Madison, but throughout
the state. AS one of the founders of
the Tobacco Exchange bank, as may
or Of the city Of Edgerton, as a sue
cessful businessman, Edgerton -recog-
nizes in him one Of her worthy sons.
By his services as chairman of the
Council Of Defense, and chairman of
| the special commission to conciliate the
differences arising between the inter-
| ests of employers and employees in the
state during the late war, he was
called by the administration of the
state to perform services which put
him in touch with public affairs in a
manner to test the intelligence. good
sense and fairness of the man. In
speaking of these services of Mr.. He'd
| dies as chairman of the Mayors COM
mittee to settle the strike of carmen
| at Madison, the Capital Times for May
6, 1919, says editorially: ''Mr. Heddles
| is an employer of LABOR and would nat
! urally be expected 10 Iavor the employ
er's side. He mas, however, put aside
, his own personal interests and viewed
| the situation from the facts alone and
from the standpoint Of sound public
policy and the welfare of this commun-
ity" This sober and just tribute to
Mr.. Heddies expresses the consensus
of opinion concerning mis- public and his
private services, not only during the
war, but before and after
William S. Heddles was raised on a
farm in the town of Fulton, Rock
county. He moved to Edgerton about
1886. The year after he was chosen
by his ward to represent it on the city
council. At this time the funds for the
first high school building were voted.
In 1895 MIR. Heddles was elected mayor
and served five terms. During this
period the city waterworks problem
came up for solution. The city had
been bonded almost to the limit to get
money to build the first high school. A
franchise was issued TO private con-
Germ in Madison to build the water
works, but the conditions of the fran
chise were so exacting that the party
let the matter lapse. The mayor and
council then worked out plan accord
ing to which the city might own it's
waterworks system, letting the con-
struction of it out by contract with
stipulation that when it was built, and
had been accepted by the city as salts
factory, it would be bonded for all that
it had cost, and the price paid accord
ing to the agreement stipulated in the
contract. This was brand new way
of getting city waterworks system.
The city Of Kenosha joined Edgerton in
asking the Legislature to pass a bill
permitting this method of procedure.
The bill was passed, and Edgerton
bought the plant. The liquidation of
the indebtedness was taken care of by
provisions IN taxes, water rentals, etc.
This matter SO important to the city
disposed of, Mr.. Heddles felt that some
one else should shoulder the burdens of
the city executive office The man who
had stood close to Mir Heddles in all
these matters, the late Andrew Jenson,
was then elected mayor
Meanwhile Mr.. Heddes gave his time
to his private affairs, and the Heddles
Lumber company grew steadily under
his management, and it still continues
as AZ independent organization, though
MIR Heddies for a long time has been
the general naCager Of the Britting-
ham & U,xon Lumber company, with
offices at Madison. He has also been
along in the organization of the Ameri-