File:History of Illinois Republicanism, embracing a history of the Republican party in the state to the present time with biographies of its founders and supporters also a chronological statement of (14787601483).jpg

Identifier: historyofillinoi00raum (find matches)
Title: History of Illinois Republicanism, embracing a history of the Republican party in the state to the present time ... with biographies of its founders and supporters ... also a chronological statement of important political events since 1774
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Raum, Green B. (Green Berry), 1829-1909
Subjects: Republican Party (U.S.)
Publisher: Chicago, Rollins Pub. Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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eadquarters ofwhat was known as the underground railroad system, where fugitive slaveswere guided by sympathetic friends to the land of freedom. Thus the veryatmosphere and environment surrounding his youth was one of liberty. Mr.Van Cleave was educated at Knox College, Galesburg, an institution which hasfor fifty years been foremost in the educational annals of this country. Afterleaving college, he engaged with the New York Herald and the Chicago Timesas traveling correspondent through the South during the Hayes-Tilden electoralcontest. This brought him in contact with the leading men in public life anddisclosed a field for his own activities and energies, which he has occupied eversince. He helped to organize and was secretary of the original Blaine Club ofChicago in 1880, and after the nomination of General Garfield the nomineeinvited Mr. Van Cleave to take charge of the records and act as his secretaryat Mentor until the permanent officers, Gen. Swaim and Col. Rockwell, could 268
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(miZZxa&Z 269 assume their duties. Mr. Van Cleave was an enrolling and engrossing clerk inthe Thirty-second General Assembly, and acted as private secretary to the lateSenator W. J. Campbell. Later he was private secretary and chief clerk of theCustom House of Chicago under Collectors Smith, Spalding and Seeberger.In 1887 he was appointed Deputy City Clerk of Chicago under D. W. Nickersonand was reappointed by City Clerk Amberg. In 1891 he was elected City Clerk,running 10,000 votes ahead of his ticket. In 1893, though defeated for re-election, he polled 13,000 more votes than any other candidate on the ticket.In 1895 he was again elected City Clerk by a majority of 45,000, a figure neverbefore reached by a candidate for this position. During his tenure as City Clerk Mr. Van Cleave introduced the most perfectsystem of caring for the records which the city had known, taking all documentsand ordinances from the time of the fire and properly indexing and filing thesame. For more than

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