Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-01
WILLIAM H. RARNum DEAD.

The Veteran Democrat Expires at HIS
 Home in Lime Rock Yesterday M orn-
 ing.
 BRIDGEPORT, April 30.-Hon. William H. Barnum died at Lime Rock at 9:45 this nor ming.
 MT, Barnum was & sick man when he up. dertook the management of the Democratic campaign last summer and in few weeks he
 broke down. He was forced to return from
 New York to his home in Connecticut and
 everal times since has been reported in
 dying condition. He was undoubtedly the
 most astute political general the Democracy
 possessed after Samuel J. Tilden, to whose
 election to the presidency he contributed so
 much to secure as chairman of the Democrat
 ic National committes. To his great execu-
 tive ability Grover Cleveland probably also
 owed his election.
 MT. Barnum represented his district in
 Congress for eight years and subsequently
 served two years in the United States Senate,
 filling the vacancy caused by Mr. Ferry's
 death.
 MT. Barnum was a self-made man. He was
 born in Columbia county, New York, Sep tember IT, 1918. He received only com-
 mon school educstion, and began his busi-
 ness life as @ clerk in country store, and
 
 mum, Richardson & Co.,, the proprietors of
 the Salisbury iron mines, ,and which later be-
 came the present Barnum, Richardson Com-
 pany, the widely known manufacturers of
 Salisbury pig iron and car wheels. MT. Bar
 mum was a member of the Connecticut legis-
 lature in 1s51-2. During the war he was first seleotman and town agent of Salis- Mir. Barnum succeeded in filling the towns large quota with volunteers and substitutes. His ability shown in the various minor offices he had held attracted the atten- tion of his friends and when the Democrats were looking in the spring of 1867 for an available candidate to defeat F. T. Barnum, who had been nominated by their opponents to represent the district in Congress, Wm.H H. Barnum was put in the field against him and defeated him. This brought the new member of Congress into national prominence. He was reelected to the 41st, 42d, 43d and 44th Congress, and on the death of Senator Ferry | was transferred from the House to the Senate ! to flI out the unexpired term ending March 8, 1S79 Long before this, however, his won- I derful tact as an organizer and leader had | been recognized and he had been elected g ! delegate to the Democratic national conven. | tions of 1868, 1879 and 1876, and was elected | a member of the National committee in | 1872. He was chairman and manager ot ' the campaign of Tilden in 1876 and has \ been the chairman and recognized leader of \ the Democracy in evey campaign since, in- \ cludine the last. He was also delegate tc \ the national conventions of 1880, 1884 and | 1888. On the advent of the party to power \ in March, 1885, his friends were desirous ' that he should receive the portfolio of the postoffce department, but he refused to ac | cept any office under the administration ! which had come into power largely through his untiring and skillful efforts, and only
 asked of the President that his Democratic friends, who had been true and trusted for g quarter of century, should be remembered in the official changes that would necessarily follow.
 MT. Barnum was a tremendous worker. For many years his business interests were \ widely diversified and extended from Gonnec- \ t1cut to Lake Superior, West Virginia, Chi. \ cago and elsewhere. His life for years has been spent largely in travel from one to an- ! other of these localities, and there are few \ men who could have endured the fatigue and ' irregularities of diet and sleep incident ! thereto.
 MT. Barnum was for some years president \ of the Housatonic railroad, and at one time was president of the Connecticut Western road. Although very busy man, he was g domestic man, and always rejoiced when he could be at his pleasant home with his fam fly. He leaves a devoted wife, married daughter and several sons.
 MT. Barnum had been confined to-his bed but two or three days, but for forty-eight hours his death has been momentarily ex \ pected. He was taken Saturday with very bad spell, most ominous in it's symptoms \ He had been very feeble ever since his illness ! following the campaign. He had been able | to ride out for several weeks past up tc
 last Friday, and although he was very feeble he was thought to be on the road to re. \ coverY