Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-09
Death OF Samuel ]. Tilden.


/ Y. at $40 a. m. to-day. Mr.. TIlden
had been IN very feeble health for some
time, yet his sudden demise this morn
ing was entirely unexpected. lie was
peaceful and quiet. The immediate
cause of his death was failure of the
heart following an acute attack of diar-
rhea and nausea. There were present
at the time Mr.. Tilden's neice, Miss
Gould, and DIR. Charles Z. Simonds and
Samuel Swift
Paralysis and bodily infrmities incl
dent to old age had reduced Mr.. Tilden
to Il mere skeleton and his last days
were marked by extreme feebleness.
The routine OF daily life for the last
year at his beautiful residence on the
Hudson was as follows: He usually
awoke in the morning about 4:30
O'clock; an electric bell at he head of
his bed summoned his valet who gave
him his medicine, which he took as
regularly as he took his food; afterward
he would lie down about until O'Clock
seemingly DOING, though when his
valet, thinking him asleep, approached
the bed ne found his bright eyes open
and watching him. If he felt well he
was assisted down to o'clock break
fast, which usually consisted of milk
and some rich broth. Owing to para
! lyss Mr. Tilden was unable to close his
lips and his mouth was constantly open.
His right hand, from the same cause,
was entirely useless, trembling all the
time. He had not even the power to
raise it to his mouth. His left hand was
but slightly affected by the stroke of
! paralysis, and he had the partial use of
it. In eating he used his left hand to
hold up his lower jaw. His faithful
companion, Miss Anna Gould, placed
to his mouth every particle of food he
ate. She generally put it in his mouth
j with spoon and he was enabled to
swallow it by raising his lower jaw with
his left hand and putting his head back.
/ While at breakfast the morning papers
were read to him and notes made by
his secretaries, at his direction, of any
important point or move in the political
world. After breakfast he usually went
into his office, on the right side of the
hall. where he saw the different en-
pIoyeS of the place and heard their res
pectlve reports.
His walk was slow and feeble, his
paralyzed right leg moving with a stiff
and uncertain movement. He could
not speak above whisper. HIS thin,
furrowed face and labored movements
evoked sympathetic comments from the
villagers who saw him, leaning on the
arm of his valet or companion. Miss
Gould, as he stepped to or from the
carriage that took him on fine days fer
ride about the country. His mental
faculties, however, were bright and I'M
impaired to the last. He suffered much
from indigestion, and twice during this
week was visited by his physician, who
spoke of his robust intellect. DR.. Sim
onds and Dr. Swift were with him when
ne died His memory was unusually re-
tentive to the last, and he preserved the
most exact method of dealing with tie
concerns of his house and farm. Each
day he talked with his business man
ager and confidential secretary, George
w. Smith, and shared complete ac-
quaintance with the smallest details of
business His medicine was admins
tered with almost mathematical exact
ness. It rarely happened that at night
the doses were missed at the regular
time. 1t was the same with food; every
ounce he ate was calculated and weigh
ed before it was prepared and set before
him. Rich soups in infinitely small guam
titles, supplemented with small draughls
of creamy milk, the latter the yield
of his famous Attorneys and Guern-
seys, together with the tenderest part
of a chicken or mere morsel of meat
minced SO as to be readily masticated,
made up his diet. These viands tempt
ingly cooked and carried to his lips by
his attendant, frequently failed to arouse
his appetite and were returned almost
untasted. 1t was a matter of comment
among his intimates that ne shoud