St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-01-05
Deaths of Distinguished Men.
VI. GAMBETTA.

NJ. Gambetta died at his residence at
Vile De Auray, Paris, at midnight
Sunday. NJ. Gambetta was quite con-
sciOus to the last. The death struggle
lasted two hours. The physicians who
attended him state that his death was
due to pyamia, caused by supposed
erysipelas. His last words were: 81
am lost. 1t is useless to dissimulate,
for have suffered so much that death
will be deliverance." Gambetta was
the foremost man in France. He was
only 45 years old. The following facts
we gather from the Springfield Repub-
lican:
In blood and descent Gambetta, like
Napoleon, belonged to that nation pro-
life in great men, Italy; his ancestors
were GenOese, and like Columbus,
Gambetta attained vast capacity for
getting things done. He was born as
the son of little shop keeper of Ca
hOrs, April 3, 1888. He rose from the
most humble circumstances to the
highest. His education was obtained
in the little school of his native town,
and i'll the lyceum or high school, and
was not a little stimulated by the fond
care of maiden aunt who saw great
things in the boy. He went to the law
school at Paris, and was admitted to
the bar i'll 1859. His practice did not
give him national fame until 1868,
when he defended Delescluze, the edi
tor of the Reveil, who was prosecuted
for having opened a subscription for a
monument to BaudiA. In 1869 he ran
for the corps legislatif at Paris and
Marseilles Zone of his rivals in the lat
ter district being Lesseps), and was
elected for both and chose to sit for
Marseilles. He went into the Assem-
bly, as an irrecOncilable, but did not
oppose the war with Prussia in 1870.
1t was but few weeks before Sedan
and the 4th of September, when Gam
beta at b faced the first great crisis of
his life. The emperor was a prisoner
III the hands of the Germans, the EN-
press was i'll flight, the imperialists in
fear of their lives, the legislative hall
invaded by soldiers and the mob, the
German armies marching on Paris
some one must grasp the reins of the
tOtterIng government, and while old
Theirs hesitated young Gambetta seiz-
ed the moment, proclaimed the repub-
lie, led the way to the city hall, and in
Il few hours had established, with his
10 associates, the government of the
national defense" They took the avail
able resources of the country, fortified
Paris, rallied the remnants of the beat
en- armies within her gates and PIE
pared to make desperate resistance.
1t was vain and perhaps a foolish eff
fort, but it was patriotic and gallant,
and one who loves his country as
Frenchmen do could scarcely have
been content to succumb without
another effort. OF the government
within the walls of Paris, Gambetta
was the active right arm.
THE HAWAIIAN MINISTER.
Hon. Elisha II. Allen, minister of the
Sandwich Islands, fell dead of heart
disease at the presidents reception in
Washington, New Years, which put
an end to the reception. Mr.. Aliens
age was seventy-eight. He formerly
resided i'll Bangor, served in the state
Legislature in 1910. Mr. Allen fell in
the cloak-roOm at the White House,
just as he was getting on his overcoat,
and, while the throngs were passing
by the president in the next room
and the band was playing, he died
The president was greatly affected
He went to the clOak-rOom as soon as
he heard of Mr.. Aliens death, looked
ON the lifeless body Il moment, burst
into tears, and at once went upstairs
and was seen only by his private sec
rotary for several hours after. The
band was stopped, and the vast crowd
that had gathered in front of the White
House to pay respect to the president
was sent away. Mr.. Allen was strick-
Ell down by an attack of angina pecto-
ris. He was dean of the diplomatic
corps and greatly respected.