The herald., 1894-10-08
DEATHS SHINING MARKS.
Two Great and Good Men
Gone Hence.
Oliver Wendell Holmes and
Andrew G.. Curtin.
Aut0crat Of the Breakfast Table
Passed Away.
Pennsylvania's Great War Governor Is
No More-Both Died of Old Age
After Long Years OF
Usefulness.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BosroN. Oct. 7.-Oliver Wendell
Holmes, famous as a poet and author,
died at 1915 p. m. today from q COM
plication Of diseases.
DR.. Holmes had been in feeble health
for long time, and although he had an
iron constitution which long baffled dis
ease. 1t was at last shattered. The laut
hours of DR.. Holmes were passed quietly
with his family by hie bedside. DIR.
Holmes returned from Beverly Farm
about 10 days ago and the removal
greatly fatigued him, and il is thought
hnstened the end. The family resi-
dence wss darkened and apparently de-
serted today and few knew he was in
Boston. The news Of his death was
kept quiet until late hour tonight.
Heart failure was theimmediete cause
OF his death, though he has slowly been
failing for the past four or five years.
An asthmatio difficulty also assisted in
the final breaking down of the aged
'autocrat. Ten days ago DR.. Holmes
returned to his Boston residence from
his summer home at Beverly farm. Be-
fore that time slight symphonic of i'm
provemeRt in his condition were noted
and the removal was thought advisable.
1t proved, however, very fatiguing and
the doctor did not regain his former con-
dition.
Last Friday a sudden attack of heart
failure which. with long asthmatic
trouble, prostrated him. but this morn-
ing he had apparently recovered. After
nh o;a IA ba
doctor was seized with severe spasm
he had passed away.
He was unconscious for short TINS
previous to his death. Around his bed
aide were gathered the memb bers of his
family, Judge Oliver Wendell Holmsn,
ir., tho only surviving sen, Mrs. Oliver
Wendell Holmes, jr., and Edward j.
Holmes, nephew OF the poet.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was born at
Cambridge, Msss., August 90, 1909. He
graduated at Harvard college in 1929
and began the study OF law, which he
soon abandoned for that Of medicine.
After taking his degree OF M. D. he
spent some time in hospitals in Paris
and other countries. He returned to
Boston in 1885 and began practicing.
In 1883 he was elected professor OF
anatomy and physiology in Dartmouth
college and in 1847 was appointed to a
similar professorship in the medical
school OF Harvard university from which
he retired in 1882.
But it is chiefly as writer that DIR.
Holmes ia known. AS early as 1881 his
contributions appeared in various period
icals. and his reputation as poet was
established by the delivery OF metri-
cal essay entitled Poetry, which was fol-
lowed by others in rapid succession. In
1867 he began in tbe Atlantic Monthly
a series of articles under the title of The
Autocrat OF the Breakfast Table, which
was followed in 1860 by The Professor
at the Breakfast Table. and in 1872 by
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
AS q writer of songs, lyrics and poems
for festive occasions, he has long occu-
pied the first place.
In 1856 he visited England, where he
waa received with great cordiality.
Editions of his collective poems have
appeared from time to time, the first in
1886. He had contributed largely to
current medical literature, as well as to
literary journals and reviews, and for a
long time held warm place in the
hearts of the people as lecturer. A
seriee of genial papers from his pen,
entitled Over the Teacups, appeared in
the Atlantic Monthly curing 1890.
The latter years of his life have been
Bpent i'll quiet retirement at Beverly
Falls farm, broken occasionally by q
lecture to the Harvard students.