Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-30
A. INSANE EA.sE>Atok
Portland News.

of nreoou's most gifted pioneers
va Nesm!th, but his actions recently
80: that his mobile and most SOW
lDo'0a ,sason" is like sweet bells jan
sielsn ,. of time and harsh" Some time
Mr.. Nesmith had an apoplectio
ssa sn and since then he has shown
slo. svmptoms of a disordered mind.
n'.s as thought that softeninR OF the
- had already set In, bat during last
uI the svmptoms of an active mania
n These manifestations took tue
- of a revival eff old mates, which
sDap snveudered during exciting poiiti-
.o,,:.sts. These old controversies
.s,s revived in recollection, and ths old
e,;t;ciau went on the war path. Dur
foa the prevalence of this active mania
n, NesInith met Attorney w. w. Page
:, supears that MIR. Page and DIR. Nes
I'm always disagreed whenever they
a,. one INTENSELY disiiking the other.
nd neither taking any pains 10 conceal
.ss,r mutual animosity. Ii ex-senator
s.,oaIy attacked the attorney and pun
100 him rather severely. There We're
a,bars in this city that Mr. NesnIIth dc
- IN meet. but fortunately they heard
g hjs hostile intentions and prudently
Saos ont of ms xay. / be old gentleman
ssnnned AT the Hnlton, but rsads matters
a. lively around that hostelrie that his
,~latiyes were compelled to take him to
~ asylun. His trends, from the &C
nve form which the mania has taken,
81 satisfied that Mr.. NesmIth is not
.oTerinp fFom softening of the brain,
md consider that the disease of his
mind il Only Temporary and that ere long
N.smith will be himself again. Ii is TO
bs boped that this most able IN IN will
r.eoger entirely from the attack on his
reason, and that he will live and yet en-
ioy many years of usefulness IN the full
nsse.sion of his hitherto most keen
faculties.
MIR. Nesmith has been prominently
nonaested with tie early history OF Or
eeon, and is known as ready and biting
writer, celebrated wit, an eloquent Or
ator and AN able statesman. Some of
his bon-mots will be long remembered.
A brief biography of the career of this
self made man miy not prove uninter
sstipg. He WAS born III Washington
county, Maine. on July %, 1870, and,
vhsn quite young, removed to New
Hampshire, and In 1898 went to Ohio,
and subsequently, to Missouri, where he
mastered tne c crpenier trade. In lS43
Mr.. Nesmith started ACROSS the plains to
fsr.off Oregon. ] he cause that lmpelied
him to take this step, or 80 many steps.
il est told iii his own words. as said by
him during al Grafton before the Pioneer
Association In 1875:
IL Was poor, homeless youth, desti-
tute alike of friends, money and educa
ton. Actuated by reckless spirit of
adventure, one place was to me the same
OF another. No tie of near kindred or
possession bound me to any sput OF the
eartsi's surface. Thinking my condition
might be bettered and Knowing Il could
not be worse, took leap in the dark"
Mr.. Nesmith located at Oregon City
and resumed work at his trade of car
penter. In 1913 and in 1853 he COM
manded as captain two expeditions
against the Indians. In 1853 he WAS
appointed Uuited States Marshal for
Oregon, which position he resigned. In
1851 he was appointed Superlntendeut
Of Indian Affairs for Oregon and Wash
ing.on Territories. In 1861 he Was elect.
cd United States Senator, serving until
1861, and during this time serving oh
the Committees on Commerce aud Rev
dictionary Claims. During this time he
distinguished himself SO as ts make a
national reputation. In 1866 he was ap
pointed visitor to West Point Acade
my, aud WAS one of the Senators desig-
mated TO attend the funeral of General
Scott. He WAS also a delegate to the
Philadelphia National Uuion ConVen-
ti0n of 1866. He WAS subsequently ap-
pointed Minister to- Austria. but ~as not
confirmed; and, while devotinR himself
to farming III Oregon, was elected t@ the
43d Congress ia place of j. j. Wilson,
deceased.
Mr.. Nesrnith has grown up family.
His three daughters are married, and
his sons aid him in cultivating one of
the finest farms III The State. lie las
lived life of usefuln, IS and has con
siderable property. Ii is, therefore.
20 be hoped that his misfortune may
be only Temporary. and that the latter
part of his life may not be elouded 10y u
loss of reason.
II is said by an old friend of the ex
Senator that he has ~ times spoken OF
his life as failure. OF course the pea
pie who look at his career as a whole
and ask "how2" when the idsa of a
failure i'm life is sugge sied. The old
friend says that Nesmlth foand himself
almost without party when, IN the
Senate as n Democrat, he voted with the
Uaionists in favor of all necessary sup
plies; and SO, of course, received the
anathemas of the Bourbons as he did
the merited commendation OF the Union
men Had he joined the Repa' lican
party at the close of his career. he would
have been in the Senate today. This
would have been his logical course. his
own party never fully forgave him for
his straightforward Uuionism aud 90
operation with the Republican Senators.
though his own CONSCIENCE never trou.
bled him on that score. OF course, this
Is but one mans the 3ry of but one phase
OF Nesmith's .roub'e; yet there ~ n 1lim-
mer OF plausibility in IL, for Nesmith's
impulses were always good, aud no party
could have held him away from his sap
port of the Union at that time.
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