The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-31
A TYPICAL PIONEER.
Death of Thomas A. Jones at a
Ripe Old Age.
He DELIGHTED IN HARD WORK
still Planning 20 Improve His Farm,
He Was stricken by Paralysis
His industrious Career.

Of the best knoxn ressdenes % the city
and ce IBty. died yesterday afternoon at
his farm. four and half mics norm Of
Green lake. from stroke Of paralysis
that came without warning on lie pre-
vIcus day while ne was talking Hlfh p 3
son OF INTENDED improvements on the farm.
IL Is a pathetic Incident that hls oa1gh-
ter, Mrs. Iva Jones KeDdrick. n san
Francisco, arrived in the city 70 visit Airn
a. 10 O'Clock yesterday morning. s.gl. al
though che hastened 70 his bedside ~ith
ali Tsossible speed. arrived short time
after his death.
About eleven months ago. instsas Mr..
Jones had completed the herculean task
o. clearing his farm and putting u m ire
New England meadow style o. cpl:ivations
surrounded as Il ia with 4 wan {, forest
giants, he was stricken with paralysis. as
life was cespaired OF, but that indorni;akSe
energy which has characterized nis life
from 4 boy came 70 his, ASSISTANCE, and be
managed 10 get arou.1 In few months.
Although rendered Gecrepit by the stroke.
5f< attended 10 his farm last summer.
helped clear land planted acres Of straw
berries, bulk new barns, and began the
construction OF large fish pond Even
when nc could hardly draw his leg after
him. he was Ia the field working with
his me-. OF late he had been feeling
quito well. but Is family ard friends we're
anxious about him.
~ was TIC fNESuf1 o. i Ire commissioner
Jones 10 20 out 70 see his father three or
four times 4 week. Last Tuesday Dir.
Jones found his father SOMEWHAT de-
pressed III spirit. bat simply because he
was physically unable 10 20 outdoors ard
do a full Gay'H work About j. O'Clock
noon the father and son were sitting In The
house talking atsout tho things necess1ry
70 he done on the farm. Suddenly the son
noticed thar his father stopped talking.
and IA a mechanical manner picked up
his left with shis right hand
rs your hand troubling yon. father?'
zrked the son.
There was no response The old ran set
IN his chair az II the power Of speech and
sense Of hearing had gone. which was
found 20 be only too true wien an invest +
cation WAS made. a messenger w1s hur-
Tiedly cent TO the city for Dr. Dawson.
and In tho meantime the stricken man
was carefully moved 10 bod. lie vas nm
conscious. probably so from the moment
the shock came. and passed away yesier-
day afternoon at exactly ? e'cIock, with
out having regained consciousness IN the
slightest degree. One hour later his daugh-
ter arrived 10 nud him gone.
Thomas a. Jones was born Of good par-
entage at Bordeniown. ~. T.. Septemher
q. fs22 When he was a lad his parents
moved 10 Livingston county. H. whore
he lived sixty-one years. and became
Known for miles around as the best farm
er In tho county. Dir. Jones received ? &
good an education as the common schools
or his time afforded. aud I'm after life he
Increased his knowledge by much reading
and wide business experience. His father
having been q farmer. Mr.. Jones did not
follow the usual rule of entering store
but stuck 70 tho farming business In lime
he acquired some OF the finest agricultural
property about Forrest and Fairburg. III
He was tremendous worker. very en-
terpr1sing. and took great pride in his
farms. which were considered the finest
in the country He hranched out and en-
gagged in milling, coal mining. actual grain
buying and general merchandising He
abhorred speculation. and never could I'M
derstand how A person who made money
by schefning could enjoy H. II was his
idea "a work for every cent he obtained.
ana work hard. ON several occasions he
met With severe business reversos hut al
ways went 10 work again and regained
the ground lost, and more too.
IN lN3 he cafnc TO the Coast with his
wife on an excursion and visited Oregon.
who're his broiher Edward lived From
There he came Ia Seattle and visited l.. ".
Fuller an old friend OF the family. who
since then has become his san-in-law MIR
Jones VAS greatly impressed with the nat-
urai advantages az the city Of Twin Har-
hors. and IN the following year he came
here to live, trading his Illinois interests
- Nj Fuller for iargo real estate hold
ings I'm Seattle
Upon settling In Seattle Mr.. Jones went
into business With his son. T L Jones.
the present fire comm sSioner. in difreren,
enterprises. one Of which was ice II he
was not the pioneer ic,> dealer. he came
very near being Father and son pur-
chased considerable propertv. among which
vote two farms I'm raugh state. one on
White river, near Black River Junction.
ana the other on the southeast shore ~
lake Union Eoth Of these farms wero
cleared and pat In a high state Of cuItlva-
tion.
Several years ago Mr.. Jones and his son
engaged IN contracting and bridge build
ms. They have done nearly an the work
for the Oregon Improvement COMPANY.
and have executed large contracts Tor
many ~ the other large corporafioos.
Owing 50 the great interest and prtsie Mr..
Jones took IN his work q was an easy
matter for him 70 get contracts ana in
many instances hts firm dia not have 10
enter into competition About fo,ir years
ago when business commenced 10 sIarkcn
down he Was shreWd cnoHEh 10 see that
dun times were coming. Never hgtnc sat-
fsiief without something TO co. hc went 20
place he had puFchase3. ahout four and
hair nYilea north Of Green Lake t.nnulss-
ing of - acres ~ rich but heavily tim
hercd land Tins M tho ace ~ 70 wears
he commenced clearing 4 home in q dense
forest whore the trees stood closely to.
rether and were from SIX - eight feet IL,
diameter The daV before he di,.,f ne stood
I'm the doorway 81 his pleasant. comfort.
RSlo homo and hooked with satisfaction
uron the 100 acres cf cleared land. walled
about hv a dense growth Of forest ulaf,.s
Gr this land at least ffty acryss were clear
81 OF the smallest root ana the culttva-
tion Was such rs would have made q Nry,
England farmers heart swell With pride
Its harms presented that neat trim, an
rearaers 50 characteristic a. the good tli.
er Of tho eoH and there was not "A break la
hls high straight rnil fences Seven acres
~ this years Strawberries were hefa~a MS
ewes. and tn The sfstavce werN seven a~ra.
moro ready ~ - in the market next year
This immense labor finished Pc ~tlD lab
cred on and died desiring - 30 stiH more.
Mr.. JoBes was 3 man 90 strict Integrity.
great business ah5hty and Of rigid moral
tty. Tie was ftIeAnnr verScwal friend IA
Robert 9 inCerssN. witch Whose Neslrf p,
ccincidei Il WIS Ia = ruNlts ham 0ars q
Nv Nj. Jones ara at meeting Mr. INr,-'
was largely Instrumental fo 1laNsne he1t
that lneersoll made sou,r - tNe e address,.
that have made hira famous. W7,cu In
geFsan VAS N thls city sevnrai yea~z a o..
he vas fhe guest ~ Mr. Jones
Those Who survive Nfr Jones ara Aa
wtsew. Minerva Jones. ag~a about e.
three daughter. Ms Rachos Fuller. NJ
rcd OAK. Ia. formerly 81 thiS city. Nf~s
olive pe Wolf. - Kansas Ctgs. No. Ms
Iva Jones kenAgtsk - ssae Frn ~.-5s.,ss. 4
s7n. T. 2. Jones ~ ,NiE city. ans one IS
/ REST. /.