| Show STAGE COACH TALES y yBy By E. E C. C TAYLOR From Stage Driver to Cabinet M M. M RUSE HUSK who later Inter J became governor of ot Wisconsin and still later was first secretary of agriculture of or the United States was a picturesque stage coach driver er of the early days clays In Wisconsin Almost a giant in stature and heavily bearded he was a leading lending personality In the state even when he be was handling the reins behind two or three span of ot horses over o the bumpy bump marshy roads of that new commonwealth Tales of ot his muscular prowess in those early days made him famous but his chief f claim to fame otherwise otherwise other other- wise was that he probably was the only stage coach driver who did not drink Drivers as a lot were Wele moral men noted for their Integrity Integrity Integ Integ- rIt rity and famous for their seeming aversion for swearing s and cursing But with the exception of Rusk all of whom there are any records drank A mans man's size sl glass of whisky or brandy was the first thing tiling they asked for when the coach conch stopped nt at the taverns along the route and in winter when they descended descended descended de de- half baIt frozen from their high seats where they had been fighting gales and Icy temperatures for hours It probably was needed to get their blood circulating again But Rusk never ne took a drop even eyen after a n long stretch of ot driving through the bitterest cold He was one of the early ardent aident prohibition As Rusk's flasks stage coach neared Viroqua VIroqua VIr- VIr oqua one day a horse f fell ll ill Rusk saw that It could not pull pull its Us Its share of the coach any longer so he tied It to the coach seized the neck- neck yoke himself and with his great strength helped to pull the coach Into the nest next town t r Rusk was reticent about his physical physical phys phys- ical prowess and was almost bashful bash bashful bashful bash bash- ful when anyone mentioned It It but buthe buthe he be often told a 8 stor story on himself about how he a 8 teetotaler had to buy drinks for a of ot people One cold day he be stopped his bis stage stagecoach stagecoach stagecoach coach at a ta tavern yern near Prairie du duChien duChien Chien Wis so the passengers might warm themselves When they all trooped Into the public room Rusk noticed an Innocent innocent Inno inno- cent looking horn on the counter The young driver was Invited to blow It lie He did But Instead of musical notes there issued from the horn a quantity of flour that covered covered covered cov cov- ered his face Everybody laughed and Rusk had to Set them up for er e every one In the place Rusk began driving a 8 stage coach when he was only sixteen years yea s old oM He drove for McNeill Moore and company famous stage coach operators of Columbus Ohio He migrated to Wisconsin In 1853 1833 and drove coaches there until th the Civil war broke out Rusk raised a regiment of ot volunteers volunteers volunteers volun volun- and was commissioned a n major major ma ma- jor In the Union army He Dc took part In the battle of Vicksburg andIn and andin andin in August 1863 was promoted to lieutenant colonel He was with Sherman In the Meridian campaign and displayed su such h great gallantry In the battles around Atlanta Ga that he was breveted a brigadier general After the Civil War he went back to Wisconsin where he entered poll poll- tics He was elected a member of ot congress in 18 1871 1 and served In the national house of representatives es until 1877 In 1882 1852 Rusk was elected governor governor goyer- goyer gover gover- nor of Wisconsin and was was continued continued con con- In that office until 1889 In the latter year President Harrison liar Hal rison appointed Rusk Husk to his cabinet cabinet cabi cabi- net and the tall former stage conch coach driver became becam the nations nation's first secretary secretary secretary sec sec- sec sec- of agriculture a R branch of ot the executive department of f the federal fed fed- federal eral government which b congress had just creat created d. d He served in Harrisons Harrison's cabinet until G Grover rover Cleveland succeeded Harrison In Inthe inthe the Presidency In 1803 1893 gc C c 1931 Western Newspaper Union |
