The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-17
nEATH OF A PIONEER.
v..eefnl End of Levi r. Comp
ton Yesterday Morning.
/, oss OF An nonosEo CITIZEN.
..-svx Of SISSY sad ussfaf Lsfe-vet-
.rss 81 the asxfean war-A Prom
snens Odd Fellow.

49, street.. His death Was not unsx-
- a be had been faiiing rapidly.
- years ago Re caught the grippe aud
I - fnsiy recovered. For the past two
-. be had been confined 20 the house.
I neae ore trip down sown. against the
I -. al hts physician. IN order TO settle
/ s-<sssxs affair. he also was. Ct his own
i ..r-.xt taken to Chehaiis. in the hops
i 80 change would benefit him, bat tbs
ss-vrsv onIy aggravated his iIlness. The
/ .nnsdssss cause OF his death Was heart
1 kssnre
] Issl +. Compton was born Ia virginia
/ a. Hny q. Is25 His father was planter,
/ .e1 he family Is among the old ones Of
/ tz.t historic essss- Mr.. Compton recsived
/ snoz saueational advantages. bat his bent
| - toxard mechanics and he became .
/ slaurxhs and bridge builder. When he
/ - p years Of age the United States de-
| ssxsa va against Mexico, and young
/ fsmpiou. full Of patriotism. was among
"a Erst 10 enlist Prom yera Cruz 70 the
1 fasx NJ Mexice he followed the victorious
h.aser Of Gen. Scott and saw much hard
/ s.rx5ss. In 1855, after the treaty OF Gaaca-
.oups Hidalgo mss signed. he returned
d kts native state.
Young Compton's army experiences had
ssrmsd In him an unrest and a love Of adj
v-.sure. which the quiet, stald plantation
ssss Of Virginia failed 30 satisfy. During
Il army life be acquired \ distaste for
s.sysry and this ne manifested by assist
M soms Of the bondsnen 70 escape TO the
xsrsh. This be did In spite Of the fact
/ shas his father, and In fact all Of his peo-
~ were slave owners.
AZ California had been ceded TO the
rslted States by the treaty Of Guada-
aaps. Hldaigo, he went thither. lie ar
i rived In California early in 1919. and was
/ .. eatser's fort when Marshall made the
/ hnst discovery of gold in California Then
/ h beloved gold mining for q number Of
I year. with varying success. At one place
I h wouid take out q tortuns, only TO sink Is
/ h tbs next mining venture. When the
/ neh discoveries were made In Nevada in
| TIE early sixties. he went thither aud
/ aimed for silver at Virgins City and other
/ plases Ia the land Of sagebrush and silver.
| lie also superlntended the erection Of sew
/ SRA mills there.
Ia the year 1870 he came to Seattle and
resided here ever since. Here he fol-
Qossd his occupation Of millwright and
| bridge builder and acted IS superintendent
81 construction Of q number of buildings
When Harry White was mayor he was APP
hposnied inspector OF buildings and carried
Dn the affairs Of that office in an able man.
Iber. From the time of the founding of
! the reform school at Chehalis be was
| ono OF the trustees of that institution One
| OF his hobbies vas the science Of phrenci-
| ogy, and he bad Q theory that q perfectly
/ conducted reform school Was Of great bsn-
sht 10 youths. He held that they could
be made grand men by proper training
The inmates of the school loved him as
wei - though he was father. and well
khey might. for be was constantly shower
tng fsyoFs upon them. Mr.. Compton re-
fIrned the place Of trustee only few days
heo when he san that death was inevIta-
bic.
Mf. Compton was an ardent Republican,
khsuKh he was born In the South. and
always stood mp manfnliy for the doc
,f.nss OF that party. lie was sn Odd Fell
low aud was several times elected an
officer OF the Grand Lodge. Is is claimed
that be as the oldest Odd Fellow on the
Pacific coast, having been q member Of
The order for forty-ave years At the time
"
Lodge, No. IS. and Unity Encampment.
10. :, both of this city.
A few days since he sent Maj. w. v.
kiashart 10 Charles Prosoh. the secretary
d the Pioneer Society. with hiss dues. Ii
sas his desire that hs should die without
beng ia arrears TO that or any other soei-
ETY. This was in keeping with his actions
through long and usefui life.
Mr. Compton left wife and two grown
~ sons 30 mourn his departure. one Of
his sons. II. r. Compton, Is alderman
hem the seventh ward.
The funeral services will be held tomor-
fox afternoon At O'Clock at the North
| Seattle Baptist church. under the auspices
ofths Odd Fellows, Rev. John +. Damon
eshclatlng. The intarment will take place
Ia he Odd Fellows cemetery.
Wy Rlnehart. one Of Mr.. Compton's
Intimate friends aud one who knew the
Eeoa nan thoroughly. was asked yester-
aAy BY rosr-IErELIgaKNcxR reporter for
review Of his life and So estimate Of his
character. lie said:
when he was but 8 years old his
pasents vent 10 East Tennessee, then
meved 30 Jefferson county. Ky, where
shsy lived on farm for time, settling
permanently In Louisville. where Levi
ssaFnea the trade Of boat builder, working
| "a ohsa river boats In lSk5. when he
vas Just past q, lie enlisted in Company
I. iAird Kentucky infantry, for i've years.
e during the Mexican war. His company
eaAesrs we're: Capt Lawrsncs Robinson,
tssst Lieut. Dodge, Second Lieut. MorEi-
ia and Third Lieut.. Lee. Col Thomas
eoananaed the regiment: lieatenaat coli
nHs, CFifte0deR: major, j. g. brecSen-
ridge; saiataat, Shaeklsfora. The brigade
Va under command Of Thomas Marshall,
sad al nnder Gen. winneid scott. from
ssfa Cfar 80 the City Of Mexico
The battles they fought ara now beacon
lgAss in the History of American FAlor
Ias names Of Cerro Gordo. jalapa, Pueblo.
Soasreras. CagraeHsco, Mcsino del Key
sa8 Chapulsspec form the coronet wisa
Easch history has crowned the name and
iaaas Of Winfield scott and has volunteer
Gay. In March. 1879 Mr.. Compton
Started segoss the plains 10 California IN :
eempauy 81 eighty. all In OK teams. and
ss<apyihg ia days on the journey. lie
esFaa mlninK a, suffers mil. on tue
ssasA FORK og the American river. htty-nve
Nz.es from Sacramento tsty. and followed
sas Hines 81 various places fer ten yeArs
= $50 10 voted az Co3oma Tor delegate 70
- state constitutional convention; IL
- Be began bridge building and eaiit
- Frat railroad bridge ever cunt IN All
tsfaiA He Nsnt % Nevada IN the boetl
sSft q the ComSgock mine. and IN lsos
ssssssa ey his vote IN creating TIE hes
s4ser state 81 Nevada
Having spent tNenty-one years 10 Sali-
sfala Ana Nevada. 10 ISL Mr.. compton
sassSsc The service Il the Northern racine
ha.isoa4 Nompany as master mccall ans,
sad A. sucA supeEsntsnded the eonstrae
Ava Q, TIE eyidges On the lsne Of their read
sson KalauaA % Tacoma. lie ieit their
sssssce ia 1874, AID in 1875 settled IN seat
-. naere. sKcenE four NeArs spent co