Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-21


Colonel Christian Febiger died at his
home, No. 1907 Market street. at 9.45
O'clock last Friday night
Colonel Febiger had been ailing for the
past two weeks. Monday last while i'll
very questionable health he attended the
meeting of the stockholders of the p, w.
q IL. railroad of which he is director
The following day his health became
worss. On Thursday his condition caused
alarm, when serious symptoms appeared,
and yesterday morning, as already de-
tailed. he experienced an attack of pa
ralysis from the effects of which he did
not recover.
ously furnished by Colonel William A.
LaMotte, an intimate friend for many
years of the deceased gentleman:
Colonel Febiger's ancestry is of colonial
date. The founder of the family fought
at Bunker Hill, Stony Point and York
town. The first Colonel Febiger was
Dane. who settled in Pennsylvania pre-
vious to the revolutionary war.
After the war he was state treasurer of
that state from 1883 to his death in 1876.
His name has been preserved and trans
mitted to this generation by the children
of his sister, whose welded name was Car
son. Christian Febiger, the first, having
no sons proposed to adopt the first son OF
his sister before the child was born. After
his birth the child was named Christian
Carson Febiger. He married Miss Lea
of Philadelphia, and became the father of
Christian Febiger of this city, and who has
just died. The names, Christian Febiger
and Christian Carson Febiger have been
preserved in the family in alternate gener-
atoms throughout the family history, the
Christian Febigers adding the name of
Carson to that of their son, and the Chris
tian Carson Febigcrs dropping the middle
name to preserve the name in its original
form. Previous to the death of the sub
1ect Of this sketch, and for the first time in
the family history, there were three Chris
tian Febigers living. They were Christian
Febiger, who has just died, Christian Car
son Febiger, his son, and Christian Feb
iger, Jr.., his grandson.
The deceased was born Christmas Day,
1917. He was the eldest of three brothers,
all of whom have been men of marked
ability and public spirit His brothers
were Colonel George Febiger of the United
States army. deceased. and Admiral John
Febiger of the United States navy. The
mother of Christian Fcbiger was after
ward Mrs ii. Febiger Jones, who for
many years lived in the house now occu-
pied by DIR. James A. Draper. at the corner
of Eleventh and Market streets. His wife
was Sarah I. Tatnall, daughter Of Edward
Tatnall & Lea. She was the sister of Mrs.
ellis, widow of Commodore ellis, of the
United States Navy, Mrs. William CANDY
and Mrs. Edward Belts. Her brothers were
Joseph Edward and the late William and
Henry l.. Tatnall. The fruit of this mar
riage, which occurred in 1871, was three
children. two daughters, who died in
youth, and Christian G. Febger. of the
firm of Lea Brothers & Co., Philadelphia,
book publishers.
Colonel Febiger commenced business as
n distiller in Cincinnati. The entire plant
was washed away in one night by the
great flood of 1912 or 1S43
Despairing of even rebuilding it he came
to this city, and was for a number of years
a teller in the Union Bank. lie afterward
became connected with the milling firm of
Tatnall Il Lea,
During the war of the rebellion the
deceased was an organizer and afterward
lieutenant-colonel of the Fifth Regiment,
Delaware Volunteer Infantry. His active
public spirit introduced him widely and
prominently into the municipal affairs of
the community. In everything he under
took he had the respect and the entire CON
fidence of his fellow citizens. He was a
member of the City Council from the
Ninth ward of this city from 1869 to 1873.
During the latter part of this term he was
CHAIRMAN OF the water committee of Coun-
Gil and instrumental in the building of
Cool Spring reservoir and the permanent
improvement of the city water works. He
served two terms in the Levy Court of
New Castle county, having been elected in
1873 and again in 1881 He succeeded
Caesar A. Rodney as a member of the
Board of Water Commissioners in 1883,
and was member of it at the time of his
death. He has bean president of the Del
aware railroad since the death of Samuel
NJ. FELTON,. He was president of the
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of
this city, and also of the Wilmington
Club. lie was also a member of the His
torical Society and of the Sons of the
American Revolution.
Colonel Febiger devoted much of his
leisure time to microscopy. In this he
was greatly aided by special talent for
photography, in which in its application
for scientific purposes he was an enthu-
siast. He was otherwise well read and
widely informed on general matters.
Burial took place last Monday at 2
p. m. The interment was private at the
family vault in the Wilmington and
Brandywine cemetery.
The funeral services over the remains
Of Christian Febiger took place at his
ate residence, No. 1907 Market street.
Vt 2 p. m. last Monday. There was
large attendance. The services were
conducted by the Rev. Charles i.
Murray, rector of st. Andrews Episco-
pal Church. There were many beauti-
ful and appropriate floral tributes
The pall-bearers were; Superintendent
II. f. Kenney, Superintendent j. b..
Hutchinson, Manlove Hayes, L. r.
Warner, William T. Porter, William A.
LaMotte, William Lea, Preston Lea.
Among those present were William
Candy, William M. Candy, John p. All
mond, II. R. Bringhurst, L. C. Vande-
grift, John X. Bradford, Dr. James A.
Draper, Andrew G. Wilson, Judge J.
Frank Ball, Willard Salisbury, Jr,, Ed
ward Tatnall, Henry +. Pickles, James
Carmichael, Thomas Culbert, John H.
Dandy and A. X. Robinson. The body
was laid out in plain black. Interment
was made at the Wilmington and
Rrandywine cemetery.