The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-08-01
THE LATE GEO. MORRIS.

AT an early hour this morning, o
little past midnight, Mr.. Geo. Nor
ris breathed his last. He had been
several weeks confined to his bed,
and death was expected daily during
the past two weeks. The deceased
was nearly 50 years of age. The
remains were inferred in the Nuu-
anu cemetery at 4 O'Clock this after
noon.
Tue late Geo. Morris was
Scotchman by birth. His father was
a silk mercer, and having the means
gave the son good grammar school
education.
After leaving school he was for
some time engaged as commercial
traveller for his fathers business,
and made two or three trips to Ire
land in that capacity. On his last
trip to the Emerald Isle he made
large sales on short credits, but he
had scarcely returned home when
news arrived of general financial
crash in Irish commercial circles,
resulting in an almost total loss of
the amounts owing. This was the
cause of the father reading the son
a sharp lecture, and the son, with
out intimating his intention, packed
up and started for the United States.
He was then about 20 years of age,
and never afterwards went home.
Arriving in the United States and
anxious to see as much of the coun-
try as possible with the limited funds
in his pockets, he started inland on
foot. After travelling many hundred
miles and seeing much of the then
inhabited parts of the land, he ar
rived back to the Atlantic seaboard
with his small capital all exhausted.
He then went to sea, and contn-
ued sea life for many years. He
made one adventurous whaling
voyage, and several trips to
various European ports. He work.
ed his way up from before the mast
to the position of command. Be-
fore he left the sea, he was owner Of
vessel, which he commanded him
self.
During this period of his life he
married sister of Colonel Stinson,
of New York. This lady died at
Honolulu little less than a year
ago.
Retiring from the sea, Mr.. Morris
went into the timber trade in
Canada. There and in that trade
he acquired wealth, until a season OF
reverses came to the entire trade,
and he retired worse off than when
he commenced.
A portion of his reduced fortune
he invested in a small farm, which
he left in charge of Mrs. Morris,
and started for the newly discovered
goldtields of California, via Panama
Between Panama and San Francisco
the ship on which he and three OF
four hundred others were passen
gers, was wrecked, not far from
land. Some got ashore in boats
some on pieces of the wreck, anC
some by swimming, but large pro
portion of the whole lost their lives il
the attempt. Morris, along with tn,
captain, stuck to the vessel to the
last. When the wreck had become
pretty clear of floating timber anc
dead bodies, the captain essayed tc
swim ashore, but never reached i
alive. His companion, however
being powerful swimmer, succeed
ed. The survivors of the wrecl
were ultimately picked up, and takel
to San Francisco.
Mr.. Morris worked for goot
part of year in the gold mines
but was not fortunate. Abandon
ing gold-digger's life, he embarked
at San Francisco for the Hawaiian
Islands, arriving here in 1858
and was joined seven years later b,
his wife. He purchased piece o
land in Kalihi Valley, and com
menced farming operations. b,
hard work and frugality he acquire,
q competence. Three or four year
ago he leased his farm, and came t
reside at Palama. For some month
before his death, Mr.. Morris live
with his neice, Mrs. Wilkinson, OF
Liliha street, from whom he receive
the best of care and the closest O
attention.
The late Mr.. Morris was q re
markable man, physically and men
tally. His powers of enduranc
were wonderful. He passed throug
what would have killed a doze
ordinary men, and exceeded the az
of four score. He was man {
indomitable will, and was never d
copcerted by difficulties or r.
verses. His honesty was unique