The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-09-02
GATHERED TO HIS Fathers.

DR.. A. NJ. Belt but owing to lack OF
space we were prevented from giving
full particulars of his life. From the
Statesman we CLEAN the following.
Alfred Metcaffe Belt was born at
Flemingsburg. Fleming county,
Kentucky, on the 2sd of Jaly, 1904
His father Major Joseph Belt, was a
native of Maryland, and was a soldier
in the war of 1872 His mother.
Mary Armstrong, was a native of
Virginia. He received his educa-
ton FROM "a private tutor, and en-
. tered upon the practice OF his chosen
profession in his native State. In
1885, he was married to Nancy Ward,
daughter of Gen. Thompson Ward, at
Greenupsburg, KY, where he resided
until 1910, and he then moved with
his family to Weston. Platte county,
Missouri. In 1850, he with his family
crossed the plains to Oregon with an
OK team, consuming months and 10
days in making the journey. lie
settled down at Salem, where he re-
eided until about 1S months ago,
when he removed to Independence,
where he resided at the time OF his
death. He was a member of the
Oregon State Medical Society and
also of the Medical Society of the
Third Judicial District of Oregon:
and was at one time its president.
During the Indian war of 1856
he held the office of Surgeon General
of Oregon. In 1872 the honorary
degree Of M. D. was conferred upon
him by the medical department OF
Willamette University. He was
actively engaged in the practice of
his profession from 1880 up to the
time of his death. He was for sew
eral years physician in charge of the
Oregon pen1tentlary.
DIR. Belts life of nearly four score
years was one of great activity, and
in no department of life did he honor
more than he did the social and do
mestic. As husband, father, friend,
and neighbor, he was loved, honored
and esteemed. In early life he was
q consistent member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, but for many years
past, he has been an honored and
honoring member of the Protestant
Episcopal church of Salem, in whose
communion he passed from the church
militant to the church triumphant.
In DIR. Belt the Masonic fraterni ty
lost q. true brother and pioneer; he
having assisted in organizing Salem
Lodge, No. 4. He was its first Mas
ter, and the fourth Grand Master ol
the Lodge of Oregon. In the fullness
of time, on the 18th day of August,
1881, after brief illness, DIR. A. M.
Belt was gathered to his fathers, leav
ing the wife of his early manhood
and old age to mourn his loss. Ten
children-seyen sons and three daugh'
ters-liye to mourn father gone.
On Sunday, the 21st of August,
1881, at p M. the church bell of tha
Methodist Episcopal church of this
city sounded the funeral note, and
the solemn tread of the vast funeral
cortege entered the church to pay
the last respects to the departed.
Rev. ]. W. Sellwood offieiated, OBJ
serving the ritual of the Protestant
Episcopal church. The singing by
the choir was very fine, and the SER
mon by the officiating clergyman
was appropriate and impressive.
The large auditorium of the church
was filed to overtiowing by the
many friends Of the family. After
the exercises in the church, the
funeral cortege proceeded to the Odd
Fellows' cemetery. where the last
sad rites were performed with Mason
ic honors, Hon. r. p. Earhart, Past
Grand Master, officiating.
The latest folly of the Irish spatri-
ots' seems to be an attempt to pro
mote the development of Irish manu-
factures by encouraging the people to
nse homemade to the exclusion Of
English-made goods. According to
the latest statistics of textile indus
tries in Ireland, the country possesses
s Of the 2.655 cotton factories in the
United Kingdom, so out of 1890
xoolen factories, outsef 692 worsted