Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1920-03-18
CHUMS OF
BOyHOOD RALLY
TO LOWDEN
Sunrise, Mimi. Birthplace OF
Illinois Governor, Backs
Him for President.
TIE lOWDEN Swimming HOLE
Early Friends of Governor See Village
Famous as Cradle Of Presidsnt
-"6orn in Sunrise and Been
Awake Ever Since"

Sunrise, Mimi, a sleepy little village
( with population of 200, has found a
place in the political sun. Politics has
put the village on the map and 1t ex-
poets to stay there. For Gov. Frank
O. Lowden of Illinois, one of the lead
ing candidates for the Republican
presidential nomination, was born In
Sunrise ifty-nine years ago. His boy
hood chums and neighbors are con-
scious of the fame thrust upon them.
Perhaps the most enthusiastic Lowden-
for.presldent club in the country is
the one that meets in Sunrise, now in
the village hall, now in Andrew Lind's
general store.
1t is many years since the Lowdens
made their home in Sunrise-more
than half a century in fact-but the
village has never forgotten the family,
least of all little Frank" The old
shed where Lorenzo Lowden, the gov
errors father had his blacksmith
shop, still stands 1t is the property
of the Lowden children, used only for
storage purposes-and for the ghost
games which, the folk say, were start
ed by Frank Lowden. The Lowden
home still stands, too. 1t is an old
fashioned dwelling that occupies a rise
of ground two miles from the village.
There is third building in Sunrise
that figured in the governors boyhood.
That is the schOolhOuse. Lorenzo
Lowden helped to build it so his boy
could have Il schooling. The one-room
structure is but a stones throw from
the blacksmith shop. 1t is no longer
a school, having been succeeded by
more modern building, but is now the
village hall. A picture of the Illinois
governor hangs on the wall and I'M
der its roof the Lowden club holds
meetings.
The Sunrise folk are full Of stories
about Frank Lowden.
HE was studious child" said
Henry Voss, one Of the governors
schoolmates. after he had learned
to read he used to walk back and forth
between the school and home dis
lance of two miles, carrying a book
before his face The boys would speak
to him and he wouldn't answer. If
we annoyed him when he was interest
ed he would stop and trounce us Or"
Voss added, with a twinkle, "at least
he'd try to-"
In bend of the river near town is
the swimming hole where Franks
career was almost cut short The boy
was passionately fond of the water
and in the spring could scarcely wait
for the ice to go out.
''See right over there in the ceDterT'
asked VosS. That's where Frank
nearly drowned. Trying to do what
the older and stronger boys did he
got up on the springboard and plunged
Off in ten feet of water. Theo. Voss
saw his head bob up, go down, come
up second time and again disappear.
Theo dlyed in, a few feet down the
current, caught him by the hair and
dragged him ashore. We poured the
water out Of him and in a few minutes
he was as right as ever"
'Lowden's swimming hole" is still
popular with the boys of the neighbor-
hood.
Many of the governors old friends
are now at North Branch, ten miles
from Sunrise Among them is S. w.
Runyan who had something TO do
with Franks education.
81 taught Frank to hunt SQUIRRELS"
said Runyan. 1--WE covered many a
mile of this country with our gun and
dogs"
The Lowdens left Sunrise in tho
late sixties. The last picture of
Franks boyhood that remains with
the old residents is that Of a sturdy
little chap, dressed for travel. march
ing OF down the road behind the
prairie schooner that bore all the
LoWden effects to their new homo in
Iowa. There was nothing forlorp
about the picture The boy was cb err
ful' wideawake and on the lookout for
so;nethlng to do Alertness was char
acteristic OF him.
said Henry Noss the village philos-
opher speaking of his old friend
Frank was horn here In Sunrise
and 1t kind Of appears that he has
teen awake ever since"