The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-11-25
EX.PREsIDENT ARTHUR DEAD.

January, prepared 10 acl Wl>t4! l. cast-
ing his vote for this important official.
EXPREsIDENT ARTHUR DEAD.
The dispatches this morning chronicle
the death of Chester Alan Arthur. While
Arthur was not a remarkable man, he
filled the position of president of this
great and free country with honor to him
self. There is no blot on his record sur
viving him to cause his memory to be
execrated. and his death will be incurred
by all. He made many friends while Oc-
cupying the executive chair, and he es-
tablished reputation for honesty while
there. surrounded as he was, by many
temptations to do otherwise. 1t must be
remembered that Garfield and Arthur came
into power just after a most cor
rupt period in our administration,
and while as rule it requires no effort to
be honest, in their case it did, because the
natural course to be pursued by Mr.. Ar
thur was to go on in the path followed by
Hayes. Much to his credit he leaves no
charge of dishonest or corrupt practices
to stain his record while president. He
surrounded himself with wise counsellOrs
and it is all that he could do. A brief
sketch of his life is as follows: He was
bonn IN Fairfield, Vermont, October 9TH,
1880. and was the eldest son of Baptist
minister who emigrated from Ireland at
the age of eighteen. His father
was an educated man aad with
the help of public schools prepared
him to enter Union collge at the age of
fifteen, whence he graduated high in his
class in 1S4S. He helped to educate him
self and study law by teaching. In 1853
he went into the law Office of ex-Judge
Culver, and was admitted to the bar the
same year. He married in 1859, Ellen
Lewis Herndon, of Fredericksburg, Vir.
ginia,a daughter of the heroic Captain W
L. Herndon who went down with his ship
the Central America, III 1857. Mrs. Arthur
died in 1880, leaving two children, CIR
and bog.
His first case was with the Hon. VIM. NJ
Evarts as leading counsel, and it was con
corning the freedom of some slaves. HI
early established a reputation as cham
pion of the colored race.
He was Henry Clay whig, and was on,
of the delegates to the convention at Sar
atoga which founded the republican part,
of New York. During the war he began
with being appointed engineer in chief OIL
the staff of Governor Morgan, of Nev
York; next he became inspector general
and then quartermaster general of tn
forces of the state, and while holding thi
last position, although he had man
chances of acquiring wealth, he left tn
Office poorer than he was when he took i
and he promptly rejected all presents OF
fered him. He was the only one, save COY
ernors, who was present at meeting c
the Loyal Governors He IT
sumed his practice of tn
law in 1868, and had sewers
large collection cases for the govern
= ment. Grant appointed him collector {
customs of the port of New York in 1877
to which ne was re-appointed in 1875, an
was suspended from that Office under a
order from Hayes, for taking an acti'
i part in political management while hol
ing government office. Nothing cou
: be found against him on an examinatiC
OF his accounts after he left the offic
After this he practiced law until he WI
II nominated and elected vice president, al
II by the death of Garfield, September l
/ 1881, he became president, which Office
e filled with credit to himself. At the e
IS piration of his term he commenced Il
II practice of law, but Ill health soon inte
i' fered with his work.
&c Great quantities of fish now glut Il