Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-09-07

Mr.. Curtis became i'll about two months
ago, when he began to complain of
pains in the abdomen. DR.. Janeway
was called, and he. in consultation with
Dr..McBurnie and DR.. Walser, of Staten
Island, made careful examination.
There had been talk of cancer of the
stomach. These physicians announced
that it was impossible to determine the
exact nature of the trouble until it made
further progress. They were Of the
opinion, however, that there was
tendency to dropsv, with other COM
phcations not then denotable. At that
time Mr.. Curtis suffered good deal of
pain and spent much time walking up
and down his room. He was told that
opium would give him relief, but he de-
clined to take the drug. At the request
Of Mrs. Curtis it was decided early last
week to adopt homeopathic treatment,
and DR.. Resig was called. From
that time Mr.. Curtis suffered
little or no pain, and during the
last days he seemed perfectly
comfortable. The swelling did not
diminish, but his family were hopeful,
being much encouraged by the cessation
thought to be by any means critical.
But three days ago Mr.. Curtis began to
sink rapidly. The pain did not recur.
however, and until the end he seemed
able to recognize those at his bedside.
Mr.. Curtis, aside from his work with
the pen, always took an active interest
i'll political affairs. He made his first
appearance AS campaign speaker IN
the presidential contest of 1856, advo-
eating the interests of the Republican
candidates. He was a delegate to the
national Republican convention of 1860
at Chicago, when Lincoln was named as
the standard-bearer of the party, and
during that spirited campain he was an
earnest supporter from the rostrum of
the nominees Of that convention. In 1864
he was again candidate to the Repub-
ican national convention, and in the
same year was candidate for Congress
In the First New York District, but was
defeated. In 1862 President Lincoln
rendered Mr.. Curtis the appointment of
consul general in Egypt, but the Office
was declined. In 1867 Mr.. Curtis was
chosen egate-at-large to the constitu-
tional convention of New York. In 1868
he was nominated Republican presi-
dentia. elector, and in 1869 he declined
the Republican nomination of secretary
of state Of New York
Mr.. Curtis was always an earnest adj
vocate of civil service reform, and in
1871 was appointed by President Grant
one of the commission to draw up the
rules for the regulation of the civil Ser
vice. He was elected chairman of the
commission and of the advisory board
in which it was subsequently, merged,
but resigned in March. 1873, on account
of difference of views between him and
the President in regard to the enforce
ment of the rules. He was a delegate
to the convention in 1876 that nomi-
mated Hayes for the presidency, and at
the beginning of the administration he
was asked to select a foreign mission,
which he declined, as he also did the
special offer of the German mission.
When James G. Blaine was nominated
for the presidency by the Republican
convention Of 1884, Mr.. Curtis joined the
ranks Of the Mugwumps who bolted the
nomination, becoming one of the bit
terest opponents the Blaine ticket had.
He was chairman of the meeting Of "In-
dependent Republicans" held in this
city on June l6, 1884, to protest against
the nomination Of Blaine and at that
time his voice was raised against the
Maine man and therefore his pen was
welded to prevent his election. Since
that campaign Mr.. Curtis remained
arrayed against the Republican party,
although for some months be has been
an invalid and unable to take an active
part IN the campaign work.
AS an author and Journalist Mr.. Cur
it's name has been household word
for years. Early in the SOS he became
one of the editors of the New York
Tribune, and was one Of the editors of
the first series of Putnam's Monthly
from it's appearance in 1852 until it
ceased to exist About three years
after the magazine was established it
passed into the hands of Dix, Edwards
q Co., III which Mr.. Curtis was special
partner, pecumarly responsible, but
taking no part in it's commercial man
agement. In the spring of 1857 the
house, which had also undertaken to
publish books, was found to be insolvent,
ana although every dollar of Mr.. Curtis
fortune was sunk to protect the credi-
tors, the last dollar Of Indebtedness was
not paid until 1873. In 1858 Mr.. Curtis
began in Harper's Monthly the series
of papers entitled "Tbe Editors Easy
Chair" and IN the same year entered
the lecture field, meeting with great
success. Soon after the establishment
of Harper's Weekly in 1857 he be-
came the leading editorial writer,
WI, Which +i,,p place he held ED, up ITO to
series of papers "Ma1 Upon the
Road" published in Farper's Bazaar in
1867 attracted great attention, as did
scores of other department writings.
He has published several books, among
them nile Notes of Howadjp Q85D;
"Howadji in Syria" Q852); Lotus Eat
ing" Q852); "Pothipar Papers 1883;
'Prue and u Q656); "Trumps." novel
originally printed in Harper's Weekly
in 1858 and 1859 1852.
Mr.. Curtis was born in Providence,
R. l.. February q, 1924; attended school
in Jamaica Plain, Mass. removed to
New York in 1899; clerked one year IN
store; spent three years IN farm work.
In 1916 Mr.. Curtis went abroad, spend
ing four years n travel in Italy, Ger