Col. W.L. Sewell
Announcement of the nomination of Col. W.L. Sewell, of this city, to be consul at Toronto, Canada, made in the telegraphic columns of Wednesday's News, gave great satisfaction to the gentleman's many friends in this city. His legal and business ability eminently qualifies him for the position, while his service to the party makes the appointment one that is deserved in a political way. While the genial and popular gentleman will be missed and his removal from the city will take away an excellent family the good political fortunes that gives to a worthy gentleman and honorable and lucrative position is esteemed a credit to him and the city. The subject of this sketch was born June 11, 1849, and worked on a farm until 20 years of age, attending the district school and subsequently, with a poor boy's ambition, made application to attend Oberlin college and to work for his tuition and board. His proffer was accepted and he took care of the school rooms and did such other work mornings and evenings as a young man with a good, strong constitution could do. He completed his education at college and returned to Mansfield in 1875. He then entered the law office of Judge Manuel May, where he pursued the study of law and was admitted to practice in 1877. He at once opened an office of his own in this city where he diligently pursued the practice of his profession ever since. He is now and for a number of years past engaged in a lucrative law practice, representing many of the largest wholesale merchants and manufacturers in the city. Mr. Sewell is everywhere recognized as a live, active, progressive citizen, with a friendly interest always for Mansfield and its prosperity. He has contributed as liberally as his means would permit to every religious and benevolent organization in the city and has at all times been prominent and conspicuous as a leading citizen. Politically he has been an ardent, active Republican, believing in Republican principles and has taken a conspicuous part for a number of years in the local political campaigns, and at the instance of the state committee he has been called upon to address his fellow citizens in many of the counties in northern and central Ohio, and during the last presidential campaign, he stumped the state of Michigan. As a political speaker he has few superiors. While he has always been steadfast as a Republican, it has been universally said to his credit that he has always treated the opposition with uniform courtesy and the highest consideration. No man in Mansfield has stronger or closer friends than the subject of this sketch has among those who know him best. During all the years he has practiced law he has enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his clients in the very highest measure and has been uniformly successful in the trial of cases, whether in common pleas, circuit or supreme court of the state. Col. Sewell will be required to be at his post within 30 days after the confirmation of his appointment and will therefore go to Toronto some time in August, in all probability. He will remove his family to Toronto in the course of a few months thereafter.
From The Mansfield Semi-Weekly News, July 16, 1897
