Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1884 — A Story of Senator Sawyer. [ARTICLE]

A Story of Senator Sawyer.

He lived on a stony patch in New York until he was past 25 years old, and, according to report, spent his boyhood days filing the noses of his father’s sheep to a point so they could get at the blades of grass that struggled through the interstices between the rocks. When he went to Wisconsin he spent several months trudging through the pine forests locating the best timber and laying out the campaign which has made him second richest man in the State, Alexander Mitchell overtopping him $15,000,000 or $20,000,000. A story is told illustrative of the manner in which a party of New York capitalists, who attended a sale of Wisconsin pine lands “in the fall of *49 or spring of ’SO, played him for a sucker.” Philetus came to the sale with a little note-book full of descriptions of choice sections, and when a block of land was offered he would consult the book, and if he wanted it he would begin bidding. The capitalists knowing of his thourough knowledge of the lay of the land, availed themselves of his information, and outbid him every time. His capital was small, and theirs practically unlimited. Philetus didn’t know what to do, but finally a bright thought struck him, and he had the sale postponed until the next day. That night he posted an agent to buy in such sections as he (Sawyer) did not bid on. When the sale was resumed the verdant importation from the stone patch bid on every ►water lot, swamp, and piece of worthless timber land in Northeastern Wisconsin, making the most reokless and liberal propositions, but reluctantly permitting the other side to outbid him at the going, going, gone point. Philetus fumed, and tradition says that the atmosphere of profanity in those parts was stifling for a few hours. The capitalists enjoyed the joke immensely, laughing heartily at Philetus’ discomfiture. Meanwhile Sawyer’s agent was quietly taking in all that was worth having at next to nothing. The capitalists returned to their homes. Years passed. Philetus arose early, retired late, sawed logs galore, and waxed corpulent in purse and fat in pocket, builded him an elegant mansion in poetic Oshkosh, founded banks, bought newspapers and hired men to run them, was elected Mayor and then sent to the Legislature three or four years, and to Congress five terms.— Washi/ngton Republican.