mayor, being inaugurated governor on the first Monday of January, 1876. The strength of his popularity was shown by his being the only candidate upon his ticket who secured an election. At the close of his term he declined a re nomination, and retired from active politics, devoting himself to his business interests in Milwaukee. He acquired a large estate, and at his death was possessed of valuable and productive saw-mills at Menominee, Mich.; owned extensive pine forests in that state, in Louisiana and Texas, and several valuable blocks in the city of Milwaukee. Mr. Ludington was married March 25, 1833, in Louisville, Ky., to Frances White. He left surviving him two sons, Frederic and Harrison, and four daughters, Mrs. James E. Patton, Mrs. Edward Eliot, and Mrs. F. H. White, of Milwaukee, and Mrs. A. G. Van Schaick, of Chicago.

Charles S. Mason, born near Litchfield, Conn., May 17, 1812; died at Stevens Point, 1891. He came west in 1848 and settled on a farm in Rock county, this state. Afterward he removed to Briggsville, Marquette county, where he kept a hotel for several years. His hotel having been destroyed by fire, he rebuilt, but soon sold out and in 1867 removed to Kilbourn City. Here he owned and operated a brickyard until 1872. He then went to Stevens Point, where he aided in building the Central railroad bridge. He was a fine scholar and a great reader, being particularly devoted to historical works. He left surviving him his widow, two sons and two daughters.

James H, Mead, born in Montpelier, Vt., December 6, 1831; died very suddenly while on the way to his accustomed place of business, at Sheboygan, September 22, 1891. Mr. Mead resided in Ohio five years prior to coming to Wisconsin. He came to Sheboygan in June, 1856, and on the 1st of July following opened the German Bank in that city, his father-inlaw, Mr. John Ewing, of Tiffany, Ohio, owning a portion of the stock. Subsequently Mr. Mead became president of the bank and its principal stockholder. Under his judicious management the bank became the larg est moneyed institution in the state outside of Milwaukee. He was public-spirited and did much to build up the material interests of Sheboygan and promote its business prosperity. At the time of his death, besides his interest in the bank, he was president of the Crocker Chair Company, secretary of the Phoenix Chair Company, owned stock in the Sheboygan Chair Company, and was vice-president of the Brickner Woolen Mills Company, at Sheboygan Falls. He was a member of the board of regents of the state university.

Mrs. Elizabeth Mitchell, widow of Henry Mitchell, born in Somersetshire, England, died at her home in Mount Pleasant, December 30, 1890. She came to this country early in the forties and settled in Mount Pleasant, two and a half miles from Monticello, where she has ever since resided. She was nearly one hundred years of age at the time of her death, and was at that time the oldest inhabitant in Green county. Her descendants number over two hundred, many of them residing in Green county and in her immediate neighborhood.

Porter Parish, born in Lewiston, Niagara county, N. Y., February 18, 1818; died at Green Bay, January 9, 1891. He came to Green Bay in 1835. In 1810 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Rouse, daughter of Judge Rouse, of Bay Settlement. He engaged in farming upon land owned by his father-in-law, but in 1843 returned to Green Bay. He was one of that city's best known citizens. For several years he was a member of the city council, between the years 1855 and 1887. He was a prominent member of the Masonic order, having joined in 1849. He left surviv. ing him, four daughters: Mrs. R. R. Campbell, of Garden, Mich.; Mrs. Charles Chipman, of Green Bay; Mrs. James Markel, of Interior, Mich.; Mrs. John Markel, of Menominee, Mich., and one son now residing at Green Bay.

Mrs. Gertrude Phelps, born in Albany, N. Y., March 7, 1800; died at Depere, Wis., February 11, 1891. Her maiden name was Gertrude Davis. When quite young she went with her parents to Canada, where her mother dying she was adopted into the family of Capt. Norton, by whom she was carefully reared. September 11, 1825, she was married to Cornelius C. Phelps. After the marriage their places of residence were various, some of which were in New York, at Clinton and Independence, in Iowa, at Janesville, Appleton, Beloit and Depere in this state. Her husband was a soldier in the war of 1812, and four of her sons joined the Union army to put down the rebellion. She was the mother of seven children, only two of whom, Jeremiah, of Antigo, and Richard, of Depere, survive.

Stephen Ritchie, born in Roxburghshire, Scotland, February 1, 1812; he died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Black, in the town of Westport, Clark county, January 8, 1891. He came to America when only seven years of age, and settled in the northern part of New York. In 1854 he came to Wisconsin and settled in Jefferson county, remaining there until 1869, when he removed to Clark county. He was regarded as one of the pioneers of that county. He was the father of twelve children, four of whom survived him, namely: William, Mrs. Margarette Black, Mrs. Betsy Black, and Mrs. Matilda Black.

mowoc.

Charles B. Sheldon, born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., in 1812; died at Oconomowoc, Wis., July 3, 1891. He was the first white settler in OconoIn 1834 he came west, tarrying a while in Iowa, but in the spring of 1835 went to Mineral Point, and worked a while at lead mining. In 1837, following an Indian trail from Prairieville (Waukesha), he found himself in Oconomowoc, where he erected the pioneer shanty upon a claim of 160 acres of land which became his homsetead, and where he spent the remainder of his life. He lived to realize and take part in the wonderful transformation of an uninhabited waste to a populous and thriving city. Two sons and a daughter survive him.

David Taylor, born in Carlisle, Schoharie county, N. Y., March 11, 1818; died April 3, 1891, at his home in Madison, Wis. He graduated from Union college, Schenectady, N. Y., in the class of 1841, studied law, and five years

after his graduation came to Wisconsin and settled in Sheboygan county' There he practiced his profession and filled various minor offices. He served for a time as district attorney of Sheboygan county. He was elected to the state assembly in 1853, and in 1855 to the senate. In 1858, Mr. Taylor was elected judge of the Fourth judicial circuit, and held that office until January 1, 1869. He was elected to the state senate before the expiration of his judicial term, and the constitutional question arose as to his title to his seat in the senate, but that body exercised its prerogative of determining the qualification of its members and confirmed the popular choice n twithstanding the constitutional prohibition, the ground being that his senatorial term did not begin until after his judicial term had expired. After serving his term of two years, he removed to Fond du Lac, where he entered into a law partnership with J. M. Gillett. In pursuance of the act of 1876, providing for a revision of the statutes, Mr. Taylor was appointed one of the revisers, and brought to that task a knowledge of the Wisconsin code possessed by few attorneys in the state, and a painstaking and industry rarely exercised in a work of that kind. When the number of justices of the supreme court was increased from three to five, in 1877, Mr. Taylor was elected one of the justices, taking his seat April 18, 1878. At the expiration of his first term he was re-elected, the time of his second term extending to January 1, 1896. Judge Taylor possessed judicial abilities of a high order, and his fitness for a place on the bench of our court of last resort was conceded by all. His death was sudden; he was stricken down in apparently. sound health and without any premonitory warnings. He left a widow and three sons and three daughters surviving him.

John H. Tweedy, born in Danbury, Conn., November 9, 1814; died at his residence in Milwaukee, Wis., November 11, 1891. He graduated from Yale college in 1834, took a law course and was admitted to the bar in New Haven in 1836. He began the practice of his profession, which he pursued with rare skill and effectiveness. He soon rose to a conspicuous place in his profession. He came to Milwaukee as one of the pioneers of that embryo city in October, 1836, and up to the time of his decease was closely identified with its interests and prosperity. He was among the foremost in the inauguration of city improvements, in which his counsels were invaluable. He early took an active part in politics, and was one of the leaders of the whig party under our territorial regime. He was an eloquent and persuasive public speaker, and in a political campaign exercised a powerful influence. In 1841, he was elected a member of the territorial council in which he was almost the sole representative of his party. He was elected a member of the first constitutional convention, which met in Madison, December 16, 1846, and took a prominent part in its deliberations, serving upon two of its most important committees. In 1847 he was elected territorial delegate to congress, at that important juncture when the territory was

about to apply for admission to the union of states, and he drew the act for its admission. After the territory became a state, he was the first whig candidate for governor, but was defeated by Nelson Dewey. He represented his district in the lower branch of the state legislature in 1853. This closed his political career. He was one of the first directors

of the Milwaukee & Mississippi railroad, in which position he served until 1853. He was one of the organizers and a director of the Milwaukee & Watertown railroad, now a part of the main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. He was one of the pioneers of the railroad system in this state, and for many years gave his personal attention towards its progress and perfection. After practicing his profession for eleven years the condition of his health compelled him to relinquish it, but he was always afterwards a wise and safe gratuitous counselor in all legal questions touching the material interests of Milwaukee. He left surviving him his widow, one daughter and three sons.

Paul A. Weil, born in Besançon, France, July 22, 1829; died at his home in West Bend, Wis., April 1, 1891. He was a student of the college of St. Louis, in Paris, where he remained two years after his parents emigrated to this country, in order to perfect his studies. In 1844, he came to America, tarrying for the two succeeding years in the cities of New York, New Orleans and Cincinnati. In company with his parents, he came in 1846 to Washington county, in this state, locating in the then pioneer hamlet of West Bend. He and his father, for the next twelve years, carried on the mercantile business together, in connection with other business. In 1858, he entered the law office of Frisby & Mann, of West Bend, as a law student, and was admitted to the bar in 1850. Mr. Mann having been elected judge of the Third judicial circuit, Mr. Weil succeeded to his place in the law firm with Judge Frisby as the senior partner. Prior to his admission to the bar, he had been twice elected to the assembly (1857-58); had been chairman of county board of Washington county, and was six years clerk of the school district in which he resided. He was married at Rochester, N. Y., September 22, 1852, to Miss Eliza McHenry, daughter of Daniel and Sarah McHenry. When the late Judge L. F. Frisby was elected attorney general of the state, and while he held that office, Mr. Weil succeeded to the the business of the firm, carrying on an extensive practice. For the past twelve years, however, his business interests were transferred to Chicago. It is painful to add that Mr. Weil came to his death by his own hand, while suffering from serious mental depression.

Osman John Wilson. Sr., born in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England, July 24, 1816; died at his home near Green Bay, Wis., October 5, 1891. In 1817, his parents, Thomas and Caroline S. Wilson, came to America with him and settled in Morristown, St. Lawrence county, N. Y. There they resided for about thirty-five years, Mrs. Wilson dying in 1851. Osman J. Wilson left the parental home in 1835 and journeyed westward, traveling partly by water, and partly on foot by land. He visited portions of Illi

nois and Indiana, and tarried awhile in the latter state, working in a sawmill on Coffee creek, near La Porte. In 1836 he came to La Salle county, Ill., and resided on a farm near Earlsville. Here he was united in mar. riage with Miss Sarah Thornton, a native of St. Lawrence county, N. Y., April 14, 1840, they took up their residence upon the farm where they built up the home in which he spent the remainder of his life. They had a family of fifteen children, eight of whom with their mother survive their father. Mr. Wilson was a good farmer and an excellent manager, and though generous to all in need, he accumulated a fine property, and in all its best phases was a typical western pioneer.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

THE GENERAL FUND.

The receipts into the general fund have been the annual state appropriation of $5,000; from this was taken the overpayment of the previous year, amounting to $206.75, leaving the net general fund receipts of the present year, $4,793.25. The expenditures aggregated $1,743.10, thus leaving an unexpended balance of $50.15 in the hands of the corresponding secretary. The report of the auditing committee, on file with the corresponding secretary, gives the details of these expenditures-chiefly for books-and the vouchers have been filed with the governor according to law.

THE BINDING FUND.

It was reported by the treasurer a year ago that the cash and securities in the binding fund amounted to $20,471.78. The net increase during the eleven months ending Nov. 30, 1891 — after deducting binding bills, binding clerk's salary, and fees for recording mortgages - was $21.82. The details are given in the full and explicit report of the treasurer. The present condition of the fund is as follows:

Cash and securities in charge of treasurer

640 acres of land in Coleman county, Texas, valued at. Taylor bequest, not yet available..

Notes given for the fund, as yet unpaid'

Total.....

$20,493 60

1,920 00

1,000 00

500 00

$23,913 60

'The notes are as follows, one-third payable annually, with interest at 7 per cent. after due: Dr. Lymin C. Draper (deceased), $300; Hon. Breese J. Stevens, $100; Hon. John A. Rice, $100: total, $500. They are, with the exception of Dr. Rice's, in the hands of the corresponding secretary.