Year: 1868

while his administration of the affairs
Of the Executive Department, as Lieu
tenant Governor, has been conceded to
be eminently satisfactory.


FOR LIEUTENANT GovERNoR-HoN. WILL


CUMBACK. ste..- ..
81 Hon. Will Cumback is a native Of In
diana He was born in Franklin county,
March "a, 1929. His father was a
farmer, and young Cumback worked on
the farm until seventeen years of age
going to the common school about three
months in the year. Having acquired
what instruction he could in the common
school, he determined to go to college,
and having no money, and his father
being unable to keep him, he rented
two fields of ground and raised crop
of oats, hauled the oats to Cincinnati
in wagon, and sold them for fifteen
cents a bushel. After all expenses and
purchasing his outfit for college, he had
but S14 IS, and upon that sum he went
three months to college. ringing the
college bell to pay for his tuition, fire.
wood and room rent, and cooking his
own victuals in his room. He stood at
the head Of his class, and had more
friends than any boy in college. When
his means were exhausted he taught
school awhile, got little money, and
returned to college again, but finding
this process too slow for his impulsive
nature, he commenced the study of law
while teaching school, and WAS soon ad-
mitted to the bar, and after attending a
course of law lectures in Cincinnati, he
commenced the practice of law in
Greensburg, Indiana. Az lawyer he
has never been known to advise any.
body to go to law except in self defense,
and has always refused to be employed
in any case where it was the purpose to
practice wrong on the other party.
Add to this his well known character
for truth and honesty, and his ability as
an advocate, as might be expected, he
is very successful in his business, and
has rapidly increasing practice.


In 1854 Mr.. Cumback was unanimous
ly nominated for Congress by his party
friends in his large district, and although
but twenty-five years of age, he met on
the stump an experienced and able pol
itician of the opposition, and astonished
both his enemies and friends with his
ability as u stump orator. He was a
member Of the Thirty fourth Congress,
and although the youngest member in
the House, he soon took high rank as
an able debater. His first effort was on
The resolution to investigate the frauds
in the elections in Kansas, and Horace
Greeley, who was then reporter for the
New York Tribune, spoke more highly
of his effort than any other speech m ade
on the question His speech was widely
circulated through the leading journals
Of the country. :a sls .,aae54z zir4
Fl In 1860 he accepted the position of
Elector for the State at large. and spent
the summer in that memorable canvass
in Indiana, and by the force of his elo-
quence contributed full share to the
success of his party. He had the honor,
being the first on the Electoral ticket,
to cast the first Electoral vote of his
State against that ''sum of all villainies,"
the institution of slavery, of which he
was always a most earnest and sincere
opponent. q


"a 1r L.
he enlisted as a private soldier, and
soon after was appointed a Paymaster
iu the army, and was appointed to the
charge Of large district, and had a
large number Of officers to report to
him for duty. He had the confidence of
all the officers and men in his depart
ment. And the troops in his depart.
ment were more promptly paid than in
any other district in the country, and
when the Government did not send
funds fast enough to meet the demands
Of the soldiers, he would borrow money
On his own responsibility, and his word
was often taken for quarter of a mill
ion of dollars at the bank, with no
security whatever. He received and
while in the service sixty mill.
ions of dollars, and so honestly and
had he kept his accounts that
when he asked to be mustered out he
was enabled to settle his accounts and
balance his books in three days, which
vas matter of astonishme ent to the
levotees Of red tape at Washington


Two years ago he was, without his
nominated by large con-
sention of his neighbors to represent
lis county in the State Senate. He was
elected, and took his seat in the Legis-
ature for the first time in his life
Soon after the commencement of the