Telegram-herald., 1891-04-21

Was Theron W. Ford. He lived al home
on the farm, and attended a country
school until hs was Is years or age At
that age ne enlisted II the United states
navy, and served As powder monkey"
Later, Being gifted with powerful eye
ssght, be w4s pat on the lookout" and
Dy hard service at that. nearly ruined
hls eyes. lie served during the war
and Immediately after be Was ordered
on board the United states snlp Colo
RADIO for a three years cruise IN Euro
pean waters. While at Naples he re-
celsed an appointment from Gov. Aus
tn Blair. To Annapolis He left the
Colorado. and only 10 years OF age,
made The trip TO New York alone. lie
MAS successful IN MS examinations al
Annapolis HIS desire for an education
led him 20 make every effort 10 keep
his defective eyes unnoHced. HIS
memory served him we'll, aud ne sue-
eesstully answered the questions IN re-
gard 10 the eve testing cards. While
III MS cadelshlp he broke his leg. La
the hospital the physicians discovered
the defect IN his eyesight, and soon
after for that cause ne received his dis
charge. He then went TO Newport,
Rhode Island, and worked for the drug
glsts. Caswell & Hazard. At this time
II was that he met Maggie +. Carr, the
lady whom he married in 1878. HIS
habits OF study led him To learn the
pharmacists business, and soon after he
opened store at Charlotte, Mich, and
afterwards became the general State
agent of the Howe Sewing Machine
company. He studied law with Long
year X Segar, OF Lansing, and
was admitted TO the bar III 1879, but
did not commence practice. lie had
become an expert stenographer, and IN
1883 was made olicIal stenographer OF
Mecosta county. He and Charles IL.
Bender became partners IN 1881. At
the termination of their partnership III
1889 they were Official stenographers OF
mne counties. and he had dareputation as
one OF the most expert IN the State. In
1889 he and Thomas +. McGarry. of
Iona, became law partners. which
partnership existed at the time OF his
death.
His Political Career.
1t was IN the wider field of state and
national service, however, that Con-
gresham Ford obtained his national
reputation. He WAS always u Demo-
crat. In 1884 nc was made chairman or
q representative convention. In the
nominating contest for the Legislature
he was dark ho-se," ana after many
ballots was made. the nominee and
his election followed. HIS especial
note In the Legislature was obtained as
the champion of the Capital Punish
ment bill, though in that measure he
was unsuccessful. In 1856 he was the
JOINT nominee for Congress of the
Democrats and the Greenbackers to
succeed Congressman Houseman. He
took the stump himself aud was elected
to the Fiftleth Congress, over his
opponent. George W. Mcbride, of Grand
Haven, by a plurality of less than a
thousand. In Congress he was very
popular, and being especially very act
i've on the question OF immigration
was made Chairman of a SPECIAL com.
mlttee, to collect information and sta.
tlstics on the subject. On that com.
mittee were also General Spinola, whose
death was chronicled but q few days
ago, and Congressman Laird, of Ne.
braska, who died last fall. Their work
led them all over the country, and at.
tracted both national and international
attention. SD thoroughly was the work
done, and SO valuable the information
collected. II 1883 he was candidate
for the Fifty-first Congress, but met
with defeat. He then began the prac-
tice of law. Last November he WAS
elected to Congress again by over 2,00C
plurality. Hsterm OF Office began on the
Fourth of March last, and among bis
cherished aspirations was the continu.
alton OF the work on immigration.
His business and Social Life.
His qualities as gentleman and as a
friend are what make his loss the most
irreparable and deeply felt. S. f. Wat.
son, one of his best friends said yester.
day: Il scarcely know what TO think.
1t is almost impossible for me 20 real.
ize that Mel Is gone. Unless man
has had such friend il IS impossible
for him to realize the numbness that
comes over the heart at such bereave-
ment. / say TO myself, poor Mel is
dead; he is gone, but don't know what
1t means. | dread the hours of realiza-
ton which will come in the next few
weeks" and tears were in his eyes.
Charles ii. Bender. stenographer of
the Superior court was at the house of
the dead congressman almost all day
yesterday. and scarcely seemed HIM self.
Everything seemed to remind him anew
or the lovable qualities of his friend.
said he: AFTER had been in the city
three weeks, almost every one knew
bad been introduced by him. and for
some reason or other we had been taken
for each other. There never was man
who grew right into my heart as he has
done, and never was a friend more
worthy and true. He knew my every
thought and knew him as we'll. lie
was a noble fellow. During his first
campaign he received the cognomeu
Little Giant of the West" but IT was
always distasteful to him. There was
nothing of the egotIst about . single
fibre of his nature
Added Tributes tn His Worth.
Geo. X. Perry, too. was one of the in
tlmate friends of the deceased. Said
he. al never had brother, but If had
had one I couldn't have thought more
OF him than | have of Mr.. Ford. In
both personal and business relations he
WAS generous to q fault, upright and
honorable. IL was owing 10 the activity
of hrs friends that he became the can
didste for congress, and think all adj
NIT be was the best representative we
ever had. After his first term there
was no thought Of nominating anyone
else. and he was the nominee BY accla.
nation. lie never allowed himself 10 he
put in a position where he would
appear "a ring politician or az a 20.
Itical boss. lis nomination 10 the Leg
stature came 20 him unsought. lie
was one OF natures nOblemen."
Thomas +. McGArry, his business
partner. ssid of him. "ffe was IN every
sense a vhole-sonled. reliable. honor
able gentleman, incapable Of dong q