Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-10-13

BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS CAREER
A Resident OF Whatcom County
For Nearly Forty Years
Prominent in Territorial, State and
County Politics Some of the Enter
prises With Which He Was Largely
Interested.

Interested.
The dreaded messenger of death that
for weeks past had been lowering
about the palatial home of Captain
Edward Eidridge entered its portals
at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon and
bore away the spirit of the honored
pioneer, who has been one Of the fore
most figures In the history Of the terri
tory and state Of Washington for
nearly forty years and whose name is
known and honored In almost every
household la the great basin of Puget
sound. He had been in poor health
for nearly year but continued to give
his close personal attention TO the man
agement of his varied business and
property interests until about six
weeks ago, when hc was obliged to
give up all work 10 battle with the
disease which at last resulted ia his
death. He was not an old man and
had reason to hope that he might
enjoy many years Of comfort In the
splendid mansion he 50 recently COM
pleted on the old homestead where fac
had resided for nearly four decades.
But that was not 90 be. All that
medical skill and the loving care Of
wife, children and friends could do
availed nothing more than 10 alleviate
his pain and smooth his journey TO "that
undiscovered country from whose
bourne no traveller returns" His was
AN eventful life though the greater part
Of 1t was passed amid quiet scenes. He
saw the canoes Of the rcd men sue
ceeded by palatial steamers on the wa
ters Of the worlds grandest inland sea I;
he saw the rough trails constructed by
the pioneers give place to many lines Of
railways; ne saw grand cities rise on
the wild hills where the early settlers
hunted savage beasts and were them
selves hunted by savage men he saw
thousands Of acres Of the forest prime
val transformed into fruitful farms; and
he occupied foremost place among the
strudy pioneers who organized the first
territorial government and laid the
foundations Of the grandest state in all
the west 1t seldom falls 10 the lot Of
any man to fill so large place la any
community as Capt. Eldridge has long
filed Ia this. In the midst Of tho new
order of things which the coming Of
the boom inaugurated he evinced a
wonderful readiness TO adapt himself 10
the new conditions and was ever ready
with his money and his influence to
aid any worthy enterprise for the EN-
| ployment Of labor or the development
Of the county's resources. Al the time
Of his election last spring as one Of the
delegates to the Republican National
convention at Minneapolis, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer referred 10 him ~
one Of the most notable of the dele.
gates" and gave the following excel
lent sketch Of his life:
"He was born I'm st. Andrews, Scot
land, IN 1923. When but "A boy OF l3
years Of age he went 10 sea and followed
the life Of a sailor until the discovery Of
gold in California In lS49. Landing In
San Francisco in October OF that year
from the ship Tonquin, he caught the
gold fever and started for Yuba, where
he dug for the shining metal for twelve
months. He next found employment
for a year and half on the Pacific mail
steamer Tennessee. At the end Of that
time, determined 10 settle down, he
married and went 10 Yreka. He was
not, however, satisfied there, nor IN
] California, where he subsequently re-
turned, and IN May, 1853, he removed
TO Puget sound. He came with Captain
Roeder, who was bringing up maehin-
cry 10 establish a saw mill ut BelHng-
ham bay. He located at Whatcom,
whose entire population alb tbpt time
consisted Of twelve men working In the
mill. He also found employment there
for short time, his wife, who was the
| first white female that settled In What
com county, doing the cooking for the
party. He took up a donation claim Of
half a section Of land adjoining that Of
Captain Roeder on the front Of Belling-
ham bay. He arrived on the Sound In
time 10 take part i'm the Indian war,
and served In company n under Cap
tain Peabody, aud In the battalion
commanded by Major Won Bokellen.
He was also himself In command Of a
company that guarded Whatcom and
the newly opened coal mines there. In
] m nublIc canacity he haa scrved aif,ao.f