Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-05-15
In Memeriam- Samuel Addison Hand
Why didst thou dies
Ere yet life's morn had passed
Our sky is all o'efcast
Affections deepest taken
Is lost fore'er and broken
The last kind word - ennl..r
80 y " Vt u y !" TTV1EN
Why didst thou die?

1
Ere yet life's morn had passe
Our sky is all o'efcast.
/ Affections deepest taken
IL lost fore'er and broken
The last kind word is spoken
Why didst thou dies
In Offering this obituary notice, as a
tribute to the memory of a special
friend and pupil, a repetition of partic-
ulars, In regard to his death, will. in the
main, be avoided. because UNNECESSARY
as announcements of these; made nv
other friends, have already found place
in the columns of our newspapers
However, for the benefit of those. that
have as yet heard by rumor only. and
have seen no copy of the letter that was
left, it may be well to state, briefly.
some OF the attending circumstances
Near the close of the winter term az
school, which he had been attending. he
had sicktless for couple of weeks. a
continued and violent headache being a
prominent feature, but recovering from
this, he performed bis outdoor work as
usual. This was nearly two months
ago. About week before his death he
began to complain of this again Hard
physical labor, which he was ALWAYS
willing to do, seemed TO make him
worse. He refused, downright to have
any medical attendance, although urged
repeatedly by the family, stating that.
None OF the doctors could do him any
good. He appeared worse on FRIDAY
evening, May End a little better on
Saturday went to Lancaster and back
on Sunday, and on Monday appeared
much worse, finally consenting to 90
with his mother TO see a physician, after
an early dinner. He insisted on all
sitting down to the dinner table at one
time. In few minutes he arose.
passed into an adjoining bedroom, clos
ing the doors after him, and within
quarter of minute. perhaps, the crash
was heard and it was found that a rifle
ball had penetrated his brain, causing
instant death. Upon the table near
him was found the following letter,
which his parents had noticed him writ
ing an hour before:
"Dedr Father and M0ther:-I am fully
convinced that | would rather be dead
than suffer as have for some time back.
SO | will put myself out of the wav. II
know it is hard for me to leave in this
way, but | must go. Iwculd have done
this some time ago if yit had not been
that wanted to work and to earn
enough money to pay my debts But
since l cannot work, may as well 90
now as any time. | have settled no
with everybody but Zimmerman and
Frank Greer. lowe Greer Sc. so, please
pay that if you can, and if you would
let Zimmerman have the buggy back
than to pay for it, you can do so as that
will save you $45. | have S33 80, which
you will find in your little drawer. 1t
is hard for me to leave you Pa, Ma,
Harley. Rosa and Robert, but | am
ready TO go. Hope you will all be kind
to each other. Father my horse and
everything that have is yours; you can
do as, you please with them. 1t will not
pay you to keep the horse, so you had
better sell her. Well | must close, for
l am feeling SO bad, can write no
more. Goodbye to all of you.
YOUR Son SAM
Not once again he. spoke to mortal
ears, but peacefully resting in his sleep
of death, he slept and smiled, and slept
and smiled, until the final resting place
was found, and mother Earth received
again her own.
this?n is universally the question asked
We can only offer the following views:
The apparent check, for some reason,
to his scholarly ambition was noticed
and the resulting depression; bis inabil-
ity to perform physical labor on account
of long continued and violent head |
aches; his lack of money, without work
ing, to sustain himself at school, until
his object, educationally, could be ac-
complished, and, also, with this not /
having ready money to purchase all tie !
requirements that contribute to proper
and legitimate recreations for HIMSELF
and the enjoyment of his many friends;
the unsettled situation of things az to
what form of manual labor could be
best accomplished, if it were possible
that any might be, all taken together,
seemed to form combination, shaping
towards dependency. There may have
been predisposing, or exciting cause,
to us. as yet, mystery, that created
mental depression and united with the
above mentioned influences, prepared
the way for this temporary alteration
of mind, that allowed or prompted
sequel so terribly tragieal. We saw
| ht ScHtlt udWnluS Oh u uhy Vi stOFiDS
That fell, ere noontde, into rayless night
The funeral services, were held at the
Methodist church on "Wednesday, May
Z, under the auspices of the Mt. Hope
Lodge of Good Templars, of which he
was a valued member and also Wor-
| thy Chief Templar Rev. j. Sims pro-
| vided a very excellent funeral discourse,
quite consoling in its nature, from the
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and xiv.--'sFor we must needs die, and
are as water split on the ground, which
cannot be gathered up again; neither
doth God respect any person.; yet doth
he devise means, that his banished. be
not expelled from him. The pupils
of the high school room sang first Sc
lection that they had prepared few
days before, that s'they might be ready
with at least one piece for funeral oc-
casion,' little dreaming that the person
would be one of their own number, or
that any demand for its use would fol-
low so soon. Two other selections also
were sung by them, both being his
especial favorites, one called "Kind-
ness, from National School Singer, and
the other Scatter Seeds of Kindness"
from Gospel Hymns, and the beautiful
words of each must have found an echo
in every heart, as being so eminently
appropriate, as well as illustrating the
generous, kind heartedness of Sam
There are no words too beautiful to say
OF one who goes forevermore. away
Across that ebbing tide which was to flow.
All friends before the listening ear lay low.
While yet it may be heard and felt bestow
The gentle treatment and fond love we owe.
Samuel Addison Handy. son of jeff
erson and Margaret Handy would have
reached the close of his 23d year on the
30th of the present month. His noble.
earnest, generous nature seemed TO be
appreciated by all his acquaintance,
as everybody liked Sam Handy,
and his fine. hearty, social disposition
made him to be in every circle a gen
eral favorite Strictly honest and ap-
right in every particular he enjoyed the
confidence of all that knew him, and in
all respects he gave plenteous promise
of prosperous position in life as we'll rs
being an honest member of society.
To his teachers no pupil was more kind
and considerable than he, and they as
well as his schoolmates never hesitated
to ask his aid in any laudable enterprise,
This disposition may be said to be true,
also, of almost all the pupils in the
school, but it makes it. none the less so
that he was always ready, and the little
girls this spring term had only to say:
60. Ill. n