The daily gazette., 1882-07-07
DEATH OF AN Ex-MAYOR.
Joshua y. Valentine, a Well-Known VIII
mingtOnIan, Dies Suddenly.

hhhBbOnAnb, DIGS SuuuenIys
N Joshua Scott Valentine, a well-known
citizen and for several years Mayor of this
city, died last evening at $50 o'clock at his
residence, No. 216 West Tenth street.
Although suffering from neuralgia for some
time his death was sudden. He recently
passed some time in Philadelphia where he
was treated by an electrician for the trouble
which ended his life, but without any per-
manent relief and while attending to bust
ness was at times a great sufferer.
He went to bis Office as usual yesterday
morning, but after dinner complained of
nausea and did not return to his Office Late
In the afternoon he complained of severe
pains in his arms, shoulders and breast, and
in the absence of his wife, who was In Phila-
delphia, his daughter administered remedies
for his relief. He laid upon a sofa in the
sitting-room, and when the family went to
tea In the adjoining room he declined to go,
saying he was mot hungry. In short time
his daughter heard peculiar noise as OF a
person snoring and upon going to her father
found him unconscious. DIR. Stubbs was
summoned and several neighbors responded,
but no efforts were of any avail for he only
breathed once or twice after the doctor
reached him. DIR. Harlan, the family physi-
clan, who had been attending him, came
after he died and thinks the neuralgia
reached the heart and was the cause of the
death.
Joshua S. Valentine was born In East
Marlboro Chester county, Pennsylvania,
July 2S, iSll. lie was one of seven children
Of John and Asenath (Scott) Valentine.
He received his education IN the Friends
school at East Marlboro, and continued on
the farm at home until he married in 1885,
when he removed to Wilmington. In this
city he was clerk for the firm of Pierson Il
'Hollingsworth until 1910, when he became
the principal of public school No. i2. From
1S42 to 1858 he was the agent In this city for
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and
Baltimore Railroad Company. In the
latter year he took his seat in the State
Legislature to which he had been elected as
a Wing the previous fall. He took an active
part in the deliberations of that body and
had charge of the bill for chartering the
Delaware Railroad Company and introduced
the first bill ever introduced into the Della
ware Legislature to give married women the
right to hold and control all the property
they possessed at the time of the marriage.
Captain Valentine afterward became In
tercsLed in pushing the Delaware railroad to
successful issue, and procured large sub
scriptions To its stock and he continued his
efforts In its behalf until it was finished in
1856 From 1857 to 1859 he was city auditor
of Wilmington, and from 1859 to 1861 he
was street commissioner.
In May, 1862, he was commissioned a
captain IN the volunteer service, and re-
cruited Company X, Fourth Delaware Regi-
ment, under command of Col. A. ii. Grim
shaw, ii. d. Ills command was mustered
into service in September, and left Whining
ton for the seat of war November 10. Al
Arlington Heights his regiment was assigned
to brigade under the command of Colonel
Grimshaw, which afterwards became the
Third Brigade of General Cutters division
in the Fifth Army Corps. Captain Nalen-
tine served with his command in the army
of the Potomac throughout the remainder o
the war and proved himself competent
officer. He was in command of his regi
ment in several engagements, land was finally
mustered out of service in June, 1865.
In the fall of 1866 he was elected Mayor o
Wilmington by the Republicans, and wa
| twice reelected for the one year term.
The law was then changed and the tern
of the Mayors Office extended to three year,
and the retiring official made ineligible to i
reelection He was then elected fourtl
time Tor the new three years term. In lS7'
he ran for the same position for the fttl
| time, but was defeated by Colonel Whiteley
| Captain Valentine held many oflieia
positions, having served as a member of tn
Board of Health, Board OF Education ant
the City Council, and was at the time of hi
death United States Commissioner AM
Supervisor of Elections for Delaware. TIL
| deceased had been a Mason and an Od'
| Fellow since 1854 and has passed all tn
chairs in these organizations. When Smytl
Post of the e. A. r. was first organized
soon after the close of the war, he became
member, and was also charter member o
| of General Thomas A. SmYth Post No. !
organized in January, 1880.
Deceased was married in October, 1885, /
Rachel Ann Hollingsworth of Wilmington
who survives him, and he leaves two daugl
tiers, Emma Louisa, wife of George w
Remington, and Sarah Annie, widow {
Archibald ID. O'Meara. At the time of HI
death he was a member of the firm {
Remington " Co., machinists, Nos 4l3 an
415 East Front street.
A special meeting will be held this ever
ing by Smyth Post, G. A. r., to take actio
upon the death of Captain Valentine.
DuPost Post, G. A. r., will turn out in
body at the funeral of the dead ex-Mayor.
|