St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-20
The Park Commission Passes
Feeling Resolutions Of
Respect.
The Last Letter Mr.. Wilson
Ever Wrote to His
Mother.
The Arrangements for the
Funeral on Tuesday Aft
epnOon.

Hon. Eugene Nj. Wilson Will be held III
Minneapolis at 2 O'Clock on Tuesday
afternoon. The place at which the
services will be held has not yet been
fully decided upon, but it is probable
that they will be held in Westminster
church. Seldom has the death Of citi
zen caused such widespread sorrow as
that of E. NJ. Wilson's. Mr.. Wilson had
the happy faculty of adapting himself
to all classes of people and he had
friends everywhere. He was widely
known and had more personal acQuaint-
anccS and friends throughout the
county than any other man in it.
and it was due to this personal ac-
Quaintance, combined with his known
sterling integritieS that made HIM so
successful as a trial lawyer. Hardly
ever was there a jury impaneledin Hen
nepin county but what there was at
least one man upon it who had known
K. NJ. Wilson as man and a lawyer
far above the petty practices so often
reSorted to by attorneys. AS a man he
was respected by everybody: as a law
yer he was honest and just, and as
friend he was loved by rich and poor,
the learned and the ignorant alike. for
Mr.. Wilson was no reSpecte, of per-
sons. There was nothing in his nature
that divided men into classes. He was
friend to all, and all who knew him
were his friends.
Yesterday a meeting OF the board Of
park commissioners, of which Mr.. Will
son was valuable member, was held.
1t was a regular session. and conSidera-
nj q
commissioners, who were to receive Of
fetal notice of the death of the man
whom every one of them had known for
so many years. and whom they had
learned to regard as true and trusted
friend, they were in no mood to discuss
plans and finances for the enjoyment of
the people. Their hearts were too sad,
and there was a huskiness in his voice
and quivering of his lips as President
G. M. Loring, arising from his seat,
said: Never since have been MEM
Der of this board have | been called
upon to perform so sad duty as l am
to-day in announcing the death of Hon.
Eugene NJ. Wilson. Twenty-Five years
ago | met Mr.. Wilson at meeting of
citizens, which was trying to get for
park about twenty acres OF ground near
what is now Grant street. His life was
too well known to need any comment.
BY his death the city has lost one of its
most patriotic citizens, this board
most efficient worker, and a personal
friend.'
Commissioner Folwell introduced the
following resolutions. which were unani-
mously adopted, after which the board
adjourned without tranSacting any bust
ness:
Resolved, That the following minute be
entered upon the records of this boards pro-
ceedings:
Died at Nassau, Bahama Islands, April 10,
1890, the Honorable Eugene NJ. Wilson, of
Minneapolis MINI.
The board of park commissioners hereby
express and record. so far as any language
permits, their deep sense of the loss they i'll
dividually and collectively suffer in the re-
moval by all unexpected and untimely death
of their friend and colleague. Mr.. Wilson
was made commissioner a the first organi.
cation of the board in 1888, and except dur
ing short interval remained in continuous
service. His cultivated tastes, his high
legal attainments and his liberal public
spirit enabled him to discharge most valuable
and varied duties. The personal gifts of Mr..
Wilson, his inbred courtesy of manner, his
frankness and sincerity of speech, and his
absolute and intleXible integrity were such as
to render Intercourse with him delight and
compel admiration and respect.
Resolved, That the president of this board
be requested to present an engrossed copy of
these proceedings to Mrs. Wilson, and that
they be given to the press for publication.
Resolved, That the board through their
president ask leave to attend the funeral
services IN q body.
Resolved, Thatas further mark of respect
this board do now adjourn.
Tomorrow meeting of the bar asso-
citation will be held. at which resolu-
tons of respect will be adopted by the
men whose everyday life brought them
into close business relations with Mr..
Wilson.
A telegram from New York, which
was received In Minneapolis last even
ing, stated that Mrs. Wilson and the
friends who met her in New York had
left for Minneapolis at 8 o'clock in
Thomas Lowry's private car. They
come over the Lake Shore road, and
will arrive in Minneapolis tomorrow
morning.
AS Mr.. Wilson was so widely known,
the last letter which he ever wrote will
be of interest to the people Of Mime
apolis. 1t was to his mother, and the
following is all exact copy:
NASSAU, March 16, 1890. Dear Mother:-
A steamer goes to New York tomorrow, and
as this only occurs twice month everybody
is engaged writing letters, 1t seems curious
to only hear from the rest of the world once
in two weeks. But so it is on this beautiful
island. The inhabitants get used to it and
seem as well satisfied as If a telegraph gave
them daily news. The climate is charming
and the vegetation entirely tropical. The
graceful palm trees are waving their
branches everywhere and are loaded with
cocoanuts The water around the island is
more beautifully coIored than l have ever
seen it elsewhere. The harbor is full of sail
ing craft that ply between the many islands
that form the Bahama group. The
sponge trade There is sponge
market here where they are sold by
wholesale We one morning wanted to buy
some that we fancied. The man in charge
said they could not sell by retail, but we
were welcome to take what we wanted
There is Presbyterian church here which
we attended. 1t is one of the largest in the
town, and has some very nice people in the
congregation whose acquaintance we have
made. The minister is a Mr. Dunlop, who
breaches with a very strong Scotch accent.
The greater portion of the population of the
island are blacks. who are wellbehaved and
about as industrious as their race usually
persistent beggars ever saw. Their hands
are held out everywhere with give US a
small copper, boss" This island, having
been under English control ever since the
negroes were imported, they are not Cath
olics as in most of the other islands that
were under Spanish and French govern
ments. A Catholic priest here told me ne
only had twenty-five or thirty Catholics in
his church, which is the only one here.
With much love, your son, EUGENE.
All of the funeral arrangements will
be made after the arrival of the party
from New York. The interment will
be i'm ak aWOOd