Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-01
GE0.W. CURTIS DEAD
a Famous Author and Editor
Gone 70 His Rest.
HIS CLOSING HOURS PAINLESS
Died Early Yesterday Morning Sketch
Of the Career Of This Distinguished
Man OF Letters.

Man OF Letters.
NEW YoRK, Aug. 3l.-George WILL
lam Curtis. the distinguished author
and editor of Harper's Weekly. is dead.
He breathed MS last st 2:30 this morn
ing az his home IN West New Brighton.
Al the time he was seated 10 hls blg
easy chair with hIs son DR.. +. c.. Cur
It's of West Newton. Mass, standing by
his side. Death was painless. Mr..
Curtis WAS conscious up 10 within
few minutes OF the end. Then he sank
into ml-uncOnsclousness. just as ne
died he muttered something unintell-
igble. and his head fell over on his
breast. Mrs. Curtis and his only living
daughter. Elzabsth, were IN the house
At the time, but DR.. Curtis did not sum-
mon them 10 tue side of the dying
man. lie said be believed his father
knew that he was about 10 die.
Was Not Cancer. as Reported.
Mr.. Curtis had not been out of the
chair in which he died for the last SIX
weeks. His illness had all along been
a puzzle 20 the physicians, and IT is not
now known exactly what was the cause
OF death. AS the family have decided
that no post mortem shall be held it
will probably remain mystery always.
Or. Curtis, his son. SAID this morning
that 1t might have been cancer of
the stomach, tuberculosis or chronic
peritOnitis. He has maintained all
along that the disease was not cancer.
Or. Fannie Donovan of New Brighton,
;. l., who was the attending physician
at the time of death, is also of this
opinion. DR.. Walser of Staten Island,
who for time attended Mr.. Curtis
mas SAID that the trouble was cancer of
the stomach. DR.. John Curtis, brother
OF the dead man, and DR.. Janeway of
this city. the famous cancer specialist,
were called INTO consultation not long
ago by DR.. Walser, and, II is alleged,
they were unanimously of the opinion
that a cancer was taking the life OF Or.
Curtis. They wanted him TO submit 10
a surgical operation, saying that the
knife alone would save him, but Mr..
Curtis believed, 1t Ia SAID, that the oper-
alton would kill hlm if the cancer did
not. and he refused. DR.. Frank Curtis
said this morning that observations ne
had made since the death of his father
convinced him more than ever that the
trouble was not cancer.
His Domestic Rsiations.
Ir. Curtis had lived on Staten Island
for more than thirty years. He mar
Tled Miss Anna Shaw, the daughter of
Frank q. Shaw. who owned ct one
time the greater part of the island.
Mr.. and Mrs. Curtis lived with their
daughter Elizabeth, who is about 50
years of age, and their servants. Their
son, DR.. Frank G. Curtis, has been lv-
ing in West Newton, Mass, about five
years. One daughter has been dead
for some years. Mr.. Curtis was
thought to be wealthy by persons living
on the island. He 10 said to have been
worth about 500, 900, and. besides, his
wife inherited one-thIrd of the
large property of her father
when be died several years
ago. The remunerationshe received
for the work ne did for the Harpers Is
said to have been $20, 900 year. Be-
sides tins his other literary productions
brought him in large sum annually.
He Will be buried in Moravian ceme-
terry on Staten island. The funeral
will be private and none of his friends
will bs expected 10 attend unless they
are invited. The family has not yet
decided certainly on what day and
hour the ceremony will take place.
Dr. Curtis SAID he did not want the gen
eral public to know. anyhow, and
would not state where the services
would be held. The news spread rap
idly this morning and there was uni
versal sorrow on the island. Mr.. Cur
It's afiable manners and kind heart
had endeared him to all.
Life sketch of the Deceased.
Mr.. Curtis was native of Rhode
Island, born in Providence in 1921. He
was delegate to the republican ma
tOnal convention of 1860 and 1850, aud
the latter year was an unsuccessful
candidate for congress In the first New
/ York district. In 1857 he was elected
deIegate-at-Iarge TO the constitutional
convention of New York; IN 1868 he
was nominated a republican presiden-
tia elector; IN 1871 ne was appointed
by President Grant .One of a commls-
SION to draw up rules for the regua-
ton OF the civil service; he was a
delegate TO the republican national
convention which nominated Hayes
and he was chairman of
the meetlngof independent republicans
that met IN New York June l6, 1854,
10 take action against the nomination
4 of SIR. Blaine by the Chicago COnycn-
ton. Yet be declined the Office of
consul general IN Egypt offered him 10y
President Lincoln; nc declined the re-
publican nomination for secretary Of
( state IN New York IN 1860. and when
Al the beginning OF his administration
President Hayes asked him To select n
foreign m sslon he failed to 90 80 and
( afterwsrd declined the special offer of
( the mission 20 Germany. lie was a
pioneer OF civil service reform, and
T President Grant recognized his good
work in thi. direction by making him
+ a member Of the commission 20 draw
up rules for the regulation of the civil
seruice. tie Was elected chairman ot
+ the commission and Of the advisory
board into which Il was subsequently
merged.
H~ n~ionEed 80 HFoes Farm
The trend of Mr. Curtis thoughts
toward ideal government was early 500.
E a rated when fn 1872 Al tho age Df Is