Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-23
JERE RUSK DEAD.
The Late Secretary of Agriculture
Passes Away.
WAS THOUGHT TO Be IMPROVING.
A Convuision seIEes Him In the Early
Morning and the End soon Comes
Was the First Secretary of
Agriculture.
lelp them

ViRoQUA, Wis, Nov. 22.-Ex-Secre-
tary j. NJ. Rusk died suddenly at y
o'clock yesterday morning.
Col Henry Casson, his former private
secretary, left his bedside at Q o'clock
scmbled crowd of Gen. Rusks friends
the most positive assurance that the
crisis was surely passed. Gen. Rusk
himself said to his physicians during
the evening, Boys, I'm better" DR..
Gott and Mrs. Craig, the generals eld-
est daughter, remained with him dur
ing the night. lie took an unusual
amount of milk and other nourishment
and slept good portion Of the night.
One of his attending physicians, DIR.
Colt and the generals oldest daughter,
watched with him during the night.
lie slept a considerable portion of the
time lie was SO cheerful that he
urged the surgeon to go and take u
nap, which he did. At . o'clock the
attendants changed the generals posi-
ton in bed, and he expressed grati6ca-
ton that he was feeling so we'll At
this time Mrs Craig was relieving her
sister Mary, the generals youngest
daughter. At daylight the patient
showed signs Of weakness and very soon
lapsed into CONFUSION. The daugh-
ter called for the physician, who,
on his admission to the sick room
quickly took in the situation, and
caused the whole family to be sum
moned. They were all at his bedside
when the general breathed his last
/ In Ha
was unable to speak a word to anyone,
except to say:
81 am dying; ] am dying"
The funeral will be held in this city
on Friday, and the remains will lie in
state at the Methodist church the day
previous,
BIoGRAPHICAL
| Jeromi h NJ Lain Rusk was born In Morgan
county, o June u, 1881, and was during all
the years OF his life practical
farmer, though called to the highest
ONCE In the gift OF the people OF his adopted
state, Wisconsin His father died when he
was yet boy In lis teens and the future sec
Rotary OF agricul' ure supported his mother and
sisters by driving stage between ,nesv lie
md ewark, o His route led along tn t Of
James A Garfield, then canal boy driving O
mule along the towpath which led finally "a
the White house. The two struggling you iI
men became friends, and the friendship was
kept up when both became oil r and famous
When the war broke out Gen Rusk having
moved 70 Wisconsin enlisted ps mlior OF the
ITWeuty-hfih Wisconsin volunteers and his
record during the entire war Is one OF the
brightest He was breveted a brigadier'gen
era for bravery at the batue Of Salkahatchlo
| After the war no served his state in seyerA
lonices OF trust and In ls7O he was elected I,
co gross by the largest majority ever given Il
| a Wisconsin representative. He was re'electoC
twine and servei with Gen. GARFIELD, his OLD
oyhood friend, and when tho latter lecnm
pr sldent he y 'essed upon Gen. Rusk severa
important Offices but he declined them all
In 1851 Gen Rusk was elected governor o
Wis on,in an vas twi.e reelected During
all this inns he was still q practical farmer
and when Gen. Harrison was elected 70 HI
presidency It d not take very long for him 4
decide upon his secretary OF agriculture, an OF
nee created Just previous TO the Inauguration