Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-09-18
Death Of Hon. W. I. Ferguson.

With deep and unaffected sorrow we re-
-eeired tho sad intelligence of the death Of the
generous social. gifted friend whose name heads
this article. The task ofwriting his culogy We
leave to better, filter, Purcr hands In pref.
crencc to anything we could write just now,
we take the following from the Sacramento
Mercury Of Wednesday. 1t is a just and
generous tribute to the memory Of poor Fc;-
guson
\ grncral gloom was cast over our city. last even
ing utcaSuhcd by the announcement "t the death
of Hon. W. Ferguson, one Of the representatives
Of the people Of this county in the Senate Of the
State. lie died ut San Francisco, Yesterday
evening" at !" minutes 10 . 0elock, in the I'D year
ut his a:,r.
ltwill he rrc"llcctcd that short time since lac
was wounded in an unfortunate affair "t huuur,
with Hon. George Pen Johnston. an,! has ever
since that time been confined Ia his bed III Il very
critical condition.. IL. 10 the last. his friends enter
tanned the irur that his HE wtrfttd he saved tit
Yesterday. however, his ply >iclans determined that
in order 10 his life, aud last resort. nIiio-
iati"n # his leg necessary. The operation was
performed about ! clock, =. NJ. and he com
mcncvd sinking immediately and died about !"
minutes Ia = "cl'ck, L. NJ. W. | Ferguson
born in the State Of Pennsylvania, and rin:gi"trd
with his parcnS when quite young 10 the State Of
Illinois, and settled in the city of Sprin giicl. the
seat Of government Of that State. He studied the
profession of the law, and when quite young. wis
elected by the people of Springfield, ATTORNEY for
that city. lie WAS afterwards nominated hv the
Democracy Of Illinois, AS one Of the PrcSdriial ell
cctorS Of that State. and in that capacity first dis
tingui>hed himself as an orator and politician.
In >ia,, he cmgraed from the State ut Illinois Ia
California and located himself first 1T the city Of
Marvsvillc. In the fall Of that wear, he came this
city and formed partnership with the editor this
pancr in the practice of the law. which partnership
lasted for about twelve months. lie then entered
into partnership with ID. W. Wclty, Esq, GnG they
continued 10 practice their profession together for
SINE time. After their dissolution he connected
himself with Col. Lewis Sanders, Jr. and remained
with him for some time. Since their dissolution.
he has been engeged chiefly in public life, and has
not given much attention to his profession When
he first came to California, he was warm and
thuSiasiic member Of the Democratic party, but in
lS15, like too many others, he was induced I" join
the Know Nothing party, and in the fall of that
wear elected by that party to the State Senate,
beating the editor OF this paper very badly. Dn-
ring that winters session of the Legislature, he
a candidate before the Know Nothing caucus for
the United States Senate, and received very fiat
tcrng vote. Before the session to which he was
elected had expired, however, he quit the Know
Nothing party returned again t0 his first love and
stumpcd the State for the election 81 Mr.. Buchanan
In the fall Of 1857, he was nominated by the De-
mOcracy Ot this county for reelection to the Senate
and was elected by very handsome majority over
his competitor, Gen. brewster. During the last
session Of the Senate however, he left the Admins
traon Democracy and was the leader, in tina; body,
of the so called Douglas party He made gallant
fight against the Administration Democracy at the
primary elections in this county, but was not crown
ed with his usual success. He was elected Chair
man of the Hrodcrick Convention which sat in the
Baptist church in this city, and soon after its ad
j0urnncnt, went to San Francisco and became en-
gagged in the unfortunate affair which has termina
ted, so suddenly, his career in life.
Hon. w. !. Ferguson was q man Of the most sin
gular compound. In politics he was the most I'M
reliable man. yet the most successful one, we ever
knew. As public speaker, he certainly ranked
among the first in our State. AS u legislator he
proved himself to be one OF the most efficient ever
in our Legislature. With the most untiring euer-
gv, understanding i'll most eminent degree the
skill and tactics Of legislative body, fine speak
or and ready debater, 1t was almost equivalent to
the passage Of bill to get him to take it in Charge.
Entwithstandingh his vascillating course i'll politics.
there was no man in the Legislature who could
command more friends or exercise more influence
than Ferguson.
Socially, there was not better fellow in the world
than hini-alwavs in j good humOr; high-minded
and honorable in his intercourse with his friends
he had as many warm and dcvOtedly attached
friends any one who has ever lived IN our com:
munity and no one has ever met q similar fate
who has left behind him larger number OF warm
and true friends to lament his loss.
As a lawyer, we know if he had devoted himself
to the pursuit of his profession, no man in the State
would have cxcclled him. With quick and per-
ccptive mind u thorough knowledge of the science
Of the law; complete knowledge Of human nature
and the common, every day transactions of life
fine speaker, and man of untirlng energy and in
dustrv, he must have made q shining light in has
profession.
Ferguson, it is true, had faults; but in them he
injured himself more than any one else. lie has
been cut off in the midst of his eventful career and
whatever faults he had should be buried and for
gotten in his untimely grave. Let his remainsres
in pepce and let thuse who would blame or SLAM
der him examine their own skirts, and Il there
is no spot or blcnish there. We say, in oil SINGER
iiy, may he rest in peace, and may he meet with
brighter and better fate in that world than has been
awarded him in this.
\ lcputaton Of his friends, we understand, will
20 to Bcncia, to-day, and receive his remains there
and bring them to this city, for interment, In res
pcct to his memory and the position which filled
from our people, we have put our paper in mourn
ing.