Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Drew, Hon Samuel J ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com October 3, 2007, 5:04 am Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County HON. SAMUEL J. DREW. Whoever labors for the development of his country, striving to bring out its latent resources; who is devoted to the general welfare of the people; who seeks to promote the cause of justice and to advance our civilization, becomes a public benefactor, and is worthy of mention on the pages of history. Such is the character and such the record of Mr. Drew, member of the forty-first general assembly of Illinois, and an honored citizen of Joliet. In the fall of 1898 he was elected to represent Will County in the lower house of the Illinois legislature, the nomination having been tendered him, unsolicited, by the Republicans, who regarded him as a representative of the working men of the county. His majority in Joliet was almost two thousand and in the county nearly three thousand. Since entering upon his duties he has served as chairman of the committee on labor and industrial affairs, and as a member of the committees on elections, mines and mining, judicial department and practice, judiciary, and canal, river improvement and commerce. Doubtless his most important work in the house has been in connection with the industrial interests of the state and his most important bill was one forbidding the importation of workmen under false pretenses, an act prohibiting the use of deceptive representation, false advertisements and unlawful force in the procuring of employes to work in any department of labor in the state, and fixing penalties for any violation of this law. To this bill he gave his attention during the entire session, endeavoring to win friends to the policy therein contained and fighting the underhanded policy of its enemies. During the last week of the session he was so engrossed with the bill that he did not get more than seven hours' sleep in the entire time. Among his other bills was one revising the mining laws of the state, which resulted in Illinois having the best mining laws of any commonwealth in the United States, one to protect men in case of accident, and another to enforce the placing of labels on cigars and other articles of manufacture. He was deeply interested in creating free employment bureaus, which was brought before his committee for action and so changed and modified that it will be a lasting benefit to the cause of labor. Constantly, throughout the session, he labored for the welfare of the working people, and it was said of him that he kept every promise he had made to the laboring classes. The revision of the arbitration law was another important step toward uniting labor and capital and its good results will be an inheritage to future generations who will hold in loving remembrance the men who so faithfully labored for their welfare. The praise bestowed upon him for his active, honorable and successful service in the legislature was richly deserved. While he never antagonized capital, yet his preference has always been given to the side of labor, for he realizes that of the two, the working people most need help and counsel. Believing that prison labor is injurious to working people, as it brings the two into an unjust competition, he introduced a bill to abandon the competition of prison with free labor; and, while the bill was held in abeyence by agreement during that session, yet it accomplished much good, for, as a result, a resolution was passed asking the governor to appoint a commission to investigate the matter and recommend to the next legislature a bill to do away with prison labor. A measure to repeal the butterine bill was introduced into the legislature, but through his own vigilance and that of his colleague, Hon. John Kohlstedt, and a few other members, and also that of Charles Y. Knight, secretary of the Illinois Dairy Union, the bill was defeated, to the entire satisfaction of the farmers of the state and the people in general. On retiring from the legislature he resumed the practice of law in Joliet, and is attorney for the board of highway commissioners. Born in Tipton, Staffordshire, England, April 22, 1863, our subject is a son of Joseph and Sarah (Allen) Drew, natives of the same shire. His grandfather, Joseph Drew, was a member of a very old family of the shire and was a miner by occupation, while the other grandfather, Edward Allen, was foreman of the Tipton iron works. For years Joseph Drew, Jr., was a coal operator in Staffordshire, and while thus engaged his mine was flooded with water and he was ruined financially. For this reason he sought a home in America, crossing the ocean in 1881 and settling at Braidwood, Ill., where his family joined him the next year. For two years he was mining inspector for this county. He is still interested in coal mining at Braidwood. His wife died there in 1897. They were the parents of five children, one of whom, Mrs. Mary Edwards, resides in Tipton, England. The others are Samuel J., Joseph, Mrs. Louisa Cox and Jennie, all but our subject living in Braidwood. When a boy our subject attended the national school at Tipton. At thirteen years of age he began to assist his father in the mine. In 1882 he began to work in a mine at Braidwood, his first work being the pushing of cars to the foot of the shaft. After three months he began to dig coal. In the spring of 1884 he and his father and brother were given a room and worked together. With the exception of six months in the Allegheny region of Pennsylvania he continued at Braidwood for some years. Meantime, he began to study the primary branches in the evenings, hoping to finally fit himself for the profession of law. Not feeling satisfied with the knowledge gained at night, he began to take books into the mine with him, and during lulls in the work he studied by the light of a miner's lamp. In 1886 he entered a school of shorthand and telegraphy at Janesville, Wis. Six months later his father was injured and he returned home to care for the family by taking his father's place in the shaft until his father was able to resume work. He then entered the Northern Indiana Normal College, graduating in August, 1887. Coming to Joliet he became a court reporter and stenographer, but soon entered the office of Haley & O'Donnell, attorneys, and under the preceptorship of Mr. Haley studied for the bar. In 1892 he was admitted to the bar. Meantime, he had accepted a position as stenographer for the Illinois Steel Company, and had applied himself to the position with such diligence, gaining so comprehensive a knowledge of the company's business, that he was given the position of chief clerk. He continued with the company until the spring of 1896, when he resigned in order to engage in professional work. About the same time he was elected township clerk, which office he held, by two re-elections, until the spring of 1899, when he refused further nomination. While filling this position he engaged in general law practice, establishing an office in the Barber building. Since his retirement from the legislature he has resumed his practice, much of which is with working men. Fraternally is connected with the Order of Foresters of America, Royal Arcanum and the Paul Revere Lodge, K. of P., also Mount Joliet Lodge, A. F. & A. M. He was married in Braidwood to Miss Lizzie C. Parsons, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Parsons, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Drew have one child, Alberta L. Drew. Additional Comments: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/drew1798nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb