Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-12-02
Death ofIIon. Isaac welsh.

Death OF Hon. Isaac N elsn.
We regret to announce the death of
Hon. Isaac Welsh, Treasurer OF State,
at his home near Armstrong; Mills, on
Monday morning at two and one hall
o'clock.
Our readers no doubt have noted his
declining health for the past year, as
we have made it known from time to
time through our columns, and his
friends as we have foreshadowed did
not wholly unexpect his death. Al
though he suffered from complexity
of diseases, yet the principal one SEEM
ed to be dropsy. During the last six
weeks he was colfineuIto his room. Un-
til within few days of his death he
conversed with his friends freely, and
with his accustomed nationality on bu-
siness matters and general topics, news
and politics. He was aware that his
life hung on a slender thread and that
probably his dissolution was near and
was resigned to his fate expressing a
submissiveness to the will Of his Mas
ter.
On Friday night before his death,
his power of speech left him, and he
was unable to make his desire known.
On Sunday he made great struggle
10 articulate so as to be understood, but
his attendants could catch none of his
utterance save the word Report from
which it was gathered that the prepa-
ton of his Annual Report was upon
his mind. He was given pencil, but
he was unable to WELD it.
About two hours prior to his death,
before which time lie had not appa-
rentIy been suffering acute pain, he
began vomiting blood and corruption,
which is supposed to have been caused
by the bursting of some abscess in the
stomach, and finally he literally stran-
gled to death.
Mr. Welsh, who was a native OF this
county, was born in June, 1910, so that
he was in his 66th year. His father,
Crawford Welsh, was one of the pioneer
settlers of the county. residing near
Glencoe and under the old Constitution
was an Associate Judge.
As his father was farmer, his earli-
er years were spent upon a farm
When quite young, and shortly after
he become of age, he married a dal gh'
ter of Thomas Armstrong, and left of
farming and engaged in Mercantile
pursuits at Bealsville, Monroe county,
engaging at the same.time, as was the
custom with many merchants, in the
purchase and shipping of tobacco. In
the spring of 1854, he retired from mer.
chandising, although he was successful
in it, and purchased and removed tC
the farm on Captina Creek, where he
has since resided and where he died.
la politics Mr.. Welsh in early life
was a Whig, but on the dissolution o
that party in 1854, he united with the
Fillmore party and supported thai
gentleman for the Presidency.
In 1857, he was elected to the OhiC
House of Representatives by the
Americans and Republicans ovel
Alex. Patton, Democrat, of st. Clairs
vile, defeating him l34 votes, and il
1853, he was reelected in the same
way.
He was always opposed to the exten
sion of slavery and when the wal
broke out he was in entire sympathy
with the Republican party. In 1861
he was elected State Senator from the
Belmont and Harrison District and
served in that body in 1923. AS
Legislator, Mr.. Welsh represented hi:
people faithfully and well, and was al
ways at his post, watching with Jealous
care the public interests entrusted Il
him. In the Senate during the trying
times of war, he was q man of com
manding influence, and lent the power
of his earnest, active labor to the sup
port of the Union and measures neces
sary to place Ohio among the from
rank of IFS adherents. As a speake
he made no pretension to oratory, yet
his presentation of a subject under dis
cusiOn, commanded universal attention
for its fairness and practicability.
In 1868, Mr.. Welsh was Presidential
clector for the 10th District and wa.
selected to carry the vote of Ohio t.
Washington.
During his residence. at Beallsville
he wrote series of articles which at
tracted considerable attention and were
published and extensively noticed, ir
defense of the State Bank of Ohio. He
also wrote an essay on the agricultural
and mineral resources of Belmont conn
~, for which prize was awarded him
by the State Agricultural Society.
He was elected Treasurer of State in
1871, and has held the Office for two
terms. His present term would have
expired on the 10th of January next
or exactly six weeks from the day o
his death.
In religious matters, Mr.. Welsh wa;
Methodist and in his death the
Church loses one Of its strongest sup
porters.
As a neighbor he was kind, generou;
and obliging; as citizen he was al
ways alive to the public good; as 8
public man he was never in any sense
an Office seeker, but became identified
with the politics of the times, at the
bid Of the people who knew him to be
man OF the strictest integrity and
unbIemished character. Perfectly up.