- PECK, George W., ex-governor of Wisconsin and a resident
of Milwaukee, was born in
- Hudson, Jefferson county, New York, on the 28th of September,
1840, and came with his parents to Whitewater, Wisconsin, when
a child of less than three years. His education was received
at the common schools, and was completed, so far as the schools
were concerned, when he was fifteen years of age.
- His first essay in the more serious duties of life was as
an apprentice to the trade of printer in the
- office of The Whitewater Register. After he had learned
this trade, he worked as a journeyman on a number of Wisconsin
papers, and finally became foreman of The Watertown Republican,
for the duties of which position he received the ridiculously
small sum of $3.50 per week. This business did not present many
inducements for an ambitious young man, and he became clerk in
a hotel in Janesville, were he remained until the proprietor
failed. While in the hotel, ere he had attained his majority,
he married Miss Francena ROWLEY of Delavan, Wis., who bore him
three sons, the eldest of whom is Geo. W., Jr. Soon after his
marriage, he purchased an interest in The Jefferson County
Republican, and took charge of the mechanical department
of the paper. In 1863 he sold out his interest in the establishment
and for a short time was a compositor on The Madison Journal.
He next enlisted in the Fourth Wisconsin cavalry, in which he
served until 1866 - one year after the close of the war. Returning
home, he established The Ripon Representative, on which
he did the local and mechanical work. He retained his active
connection with this paper until 1888, meantime having attracted
some attention as a humorous writer, and "Brick" POMEROY
offered him a salary of forty dollars a week to go to New York
and write for the Democrat. This offer he accepted, and remained
in New York city two and a half years. POMEROY then sent him
to La Crosse to write for The La Crosse Democrat. After
two years the paper passed into the hands of John SYMES and Mr.
PECK, and was published by them until 1874, when Mr. PECK withdrew
from it and established The La Crosse Sun, a weekly paper.
The venture did not prove very successful, and, after four years,
he removed it to Milwaukee, where, by reason of Mr. PECK's peculiar
humor, it became at once very popular, reaching, at one time,
a weekly circulation of 80,000 copies, and proving very profitable.
This paper he published until elected governor.
- Mr. PECK has generally affiliated with the Democracy, although
he voted for Lincoln for president
- in 1864. He was city treasurer of Ripon in 1867, chief of
police of La Crosse in 1874 and chief clerk of the legislative
assembly in 1875. He served as assistant state treasury agent
under Gov. Taylor for one year, and was chairman of the La Crosse
Democratic city and county committee in 1880. He was the Democratic
nominee for mayor of Milwaukee in the spring of 1890, and was
elected by the almost unprecedented majority of 6,500. His surprising
popularity in this election won him the Democratic nomination
for governor in the fall of 1890, when he was elected by 28,330
plurality. In 1892 he was renominated and re-elected by a plurality
of 7,707. He was again renominated in 1894, but was overwhelmingly
defeated, as was his party throughout the north. Since retiring
from the gubernatorial office he has devoted himself to his private
business.
- In the literature of humor he has had few superiors. His
quaint conceits and forms of expression
- combined to render him one of the most original and asuming
writers of the generation. His genial manner and drollery have
won him many friends and given him a personal popularity such
as few attain.
-
- [Taken from "Men of Progress: Wisconsin" (c)1897
The Evening Wisconsin Company, Milwaulee, pp. 598-599]
Courtesy of Lori
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