The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-17
ALLEN THoRNpIKE RICE.
Sudden Death Of the New minister to
Russia.

New YORK, May 16.-Allen Thorndike
Rice the newly appointed minister to Russia
died suddenly this morning at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel.
He had been suffering from throat affec-
tion for few days past. but no one supposed
him to be in any danger.
He Intended to sail for Europe yesterday
on the steamer City of Paris but he was com
PEELED to delay his departure by his illness.
DR.. Fuller, mis- physician. says Mr.. Rice
had been III during the entire spring. He
was generally run down from overwork in
preparation to go abroad. The case had not
been considered dangerous. however, even
up to IL o'clock last night.
Mr.. Rice's nurse says that at o'clock this
morning the patient fell asleep. About 2
o'clock an endeavor was made to awake him
but without success. A doctor was sum-
moned but he failed to awaken the patient
and he died in ten minutes after his arri-
val.
The doctor said.the glottis swelled suddenly
and shut off the breath. Such cases are very
rare and In this instance was not looked
for.
On March 26th the important position Of
United States minister to Russia was offered
to Mr.. Rice by President Harrison and it
was at once accepted. His appointment met
with general satisfaction, not only among
the leaders of the Republican party but in
the t country at large. and 1t was thought that
the President had made wise selection for
such an important foreign mission.
Mr.. Rice was best known as the editor and
proprietor of the North American Review
which he purchased from a Boston publish
ing hrm IN 1876 and subsequently transferred
to New York, then Transforming the quar-
terly into monthly and devoting it to the
discussion OF popular subjects. He was the
possessor of large fortune, in great part
inherited from his grandmother. Though
born in Boston, June Is, 1858, he was taken
abroad by his parents when but years of
age, and In foreign countries obtained mis-
early education. He was taught the. Ian
guages Of France ani Germany while living
In those countries and spoke them verv flu
emily. After four years of study at Christ
Church College, Oxford, he graduated with
honors in 1873, and then returning to his ma
the Columbia College Law School.
But being man Of marked literary tastes
and possessing ability that enabled him to
stand well in the field of work that best
pleased him, he turned his attention to writ
ing Tor the magazines and periodicals and to
advance the North American Review to its
present commanding position. Among his
best known works are his introduction to
"Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln, .
which he edited and his contributions to
"Ancient Cities of the New World" 1t was
Mr. Rice who organized and directed the
Chorney expedition of 1879, sent under the
auspices of the United States and France to
investigate the remains of the ancient ciyili-
Zation Of Central America and Mexico, and
this work made him very familiar with the
topic OF the Ancient Cities"
In 1886 Mr.. Rice was nominated for Con-
gress on the Republican ticket in the tenth
New York district to run against Gen. Spin
ola. He was supported by the Henry George
party, but the nomination came so late that
there were only three working.days In which
TO push the canvass. Yet iu spite of these
disadvantages, Mr.. Rice came within 527
votes Of an election in a district which is
normally Democratic by 5000 votes. Tie
attributed his defeat to the treachery of
a party leader, and CAUSED
the expulsion OF that leader
from the county committee, though his ac-
tion in this Mr.. Rice always declared was
dictated not by animosity but from dislike OF
the system which made possible the selling
of votes. Imbued with the latter idea he be-
came an earnest advocate Of the Australian
system of voting, and some two years ago
drafted copy of ballot reform bill which
directed public attention to the subject in
New York and was the beginning Of the
agitation that led to the introduction into
the legislature Of the Saxon bill.