History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its cities, towns, resources, people

              906 HISTORY OF AVINNEBAGO COUNTY.
home February 16, 1871, aged sixty-seven years. She was born in Jefferson county, New York, and resided at Theresa until she moved to Neenah in 1854. When he was sixteen years of age he went to work for Robert Hold at $2 per week in the furniture factory. Mr. Hold gives a lively sketch of his first acquaintance with the future successful paper manufacturer. The story is related in Cunning- ham^s ^^History of Neenah'^: ^^This old government sawmill was also the scene of C. B. Clark's introduction to business in Neenah, being first employed by Hold to work in this mill at the munificent salary of $7 a month. Air. Hold gives an amusing account of his first inter¬ view with Clark, and, inasmuch as the latter is now one of the most prominent and wealthy business men and manufacturers, it will not be amiss to give it herewith. On the morning of Clark^s arrival in Neenah he applied to Mr. Hold for a job, but was told that no more help was wanted. This was discouraging, and the boy, looking around among the men and boys at work, said that ^he should think- among so many he might find something to do.^ Mr. Hold, as he expresses it, seeing that there was considerable ^git up and git^ about the boy, consulted with the foreman, and it was discovered that one of the boys was about to quit work, and that a place might be made for the applicant. Therefore Air. Hold returned and informed the waiting lad that he might commence work next morning. ^But,^ said Charley, T want to commence now.^ This was a poser, but it was finally decided that he should go to work at once, which he did, his first employment being bending chair backs.^^
When he was seventeen years old the Civil War broke out, and he enlisted as a private in Company I of 21st Regiment, August, 1862. He was very soon promoted to lieutenant. He was long connected with the volunteer fire department as chief, and elected alderman, and three times elected mayor of Neenah. Tom AVall beat him for the state senate by walking all over the district shaking hands and tell¬ ing the people ^^he was poor and that was the best he could do, while he supposed Clark would beat him, as he is rich and spending lots of money.^^ The story had its effect, and Air. Clark went to the as¬ sembly, 1885, and when Wall went to bed with a bad case of fever, Clark nursed him back to his place in the senate again. In a few years Mr. Clark was nominated for Congress and elected by ten thou¬ sand majority in 1886, After his term was completed he was renom¬ inated and again elected by a large majority in 1888. The third time he was renominated the red schoolhouse issue was sprung in the state by the Democrats, and the entire Republican party was de¬ feated, and Clark with the rest.