The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-12-25
HE WORKED TOO HARD
SENATOR p. b. PLUMB OF KANSAS
DIES OF APOPLEXY.
Doctor Had Warned Him That He Was
Wearing Out His Constitution, but He
Disregartled the Advice.

Wearing Out His Constitution, but He
| Disregar,led the Advice.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2l.-"Oh my God
my head, my head, my headv' exclaimed
| Senator Preston b. Plumb of Kansas at
Gas o'clock Sunday morning, and few
minutes later he fell unconscious, never to
regain knowledge of what was going on
about him. A little more than five hours
afterward, the broad-framed, powerful
looking Kansas senator was stretched out
dead in his modest apartments on Four
teenth street. His physician, DR.. Philip
S. Wales his clerk, B. W. Flenniken, and
his landlord, Mr.. Jennings, were with
him at the end. His wife and two chill
dren are in Kansas. Death came from
apoplexy, the result of exhaustion of the
brain.
1t was case of overwork and inattention
to the laws of nature. The senator has been
known for years as the most pushing, en-
ergetic, hard-working member of the sen.
ate. A year ago he began to fail, his brain
became affected and throbbing headaches
became more and more frequent His
physicians warned him that continuance
of his labor meant death, but he refused to
heed their warnings He continued to
work with the energy of steam engine
until yesterday, when still apparently in
full vigor and with many years of life be-
fore him, he died.
The deceased senator leaves wife and
five children. Two daughters are now at
Emporia with Mrs. Plumb Two sons are
at school in Pennsylvania, and the third is
confined to hospital in Philadelphia by q
serious ailment.
Funeral Services at the Capitol.
At 10 O'Clock this morning the body of
the senator was taken to the marble room
in the senate wing of the Capitol 1t was
escorted by the Capitol police, in charge
of the sergeant-at-arms. At o'clock the
body was removed to the senate chamber.
where funeral services were held, con-
Quoted by Rev. j. G. Butler, chaplain of
the senate. The following attended the
services: The president, the members of
the cabinet, the chief justice and the asso-
ciate justices Of the supreme court, MEM
bers of the house of representatives, the
liplomauiclcorps, the general commanding I
he army and the senior admiral Of the |
navy. Other friends of the late sepator in
this city were in the gallery of the senate.
The Senator's Career.
Senator HlumD WIS Dorm IN DelaWaro
county, O., Oct. IL, 1887. He left the common
schools for the printers case and, as journey
man printer, went in 1855 to Kansas, where he
plunged into the thick of the political strife
then waging over the slavery question. He at
once went to the front and was chosen q MEM
Der of the Leavenworth constitutional con-
vention in 1859. He was admitted to the bar
in 1861; served in the Kansas legislature in
1865. being chairman of the Judiciary commit
tee and was subsequently reporter of the SUI
preme court. When the war broke out he en-
tered the army as second lieutenant, and was
colonel in 1862 After the war
Mr.. Plumb was elected a member and speaker
of the Kansas house OF representatives, and in
1876 was chosen United States senator to sue
ceed James NJ. Harvey, Republican. He took
his seat in 1877, and has represented his state
as senator ever since. His. term of office
would have expired March 3. 1885,
Undoubtedly Senator Plumb stamped his
strong individuality upon the legislative his
tory of the United States in more permanent
character than have the majority Of his col
leagues. He was a man of most positive
views, but always had keen appreciation of
the line of separation between the impracti-
cable and the expedient. He was devoted to
Republican principles, but he never hesitated
to point out what he regarded as mistakes in
the policy outlined by the party leaders, and
to use his best efforts to correct them. He
was peculiarly fitted to grasp details, and he |
amply exercised that faculty as member of
the senate committee on appropriations. 1t
was generally understood among his brother
senator's that
Senator Plumb Was Unim peachable
in any statement he made concerning the in
tricate machinery of the government service. |
He was chairman of the committee ON public |
lands and member of the committee on ag-
executive departments, meat prod |
ucts and the administrative service Of the SEN |
ate. Mr. Plumb's social qualities were highly |
esteemed in Washington. He was wealthy, |
and in addition to his senatorial duties he |
was actively concerned in railroad and in |
iustrial enterprises. and was widely known |
in financial circles as an indefatigable pro- |