Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-05-28
Maids IN. WIS May d

Madison, Wis, May "A.
The city was astouuded last evening
by the announcement that Gen. Lucius
Fairchild was dead It was known
that he was i'll but there was no popu-
lar realization whatever that his con-
dition was Immediately critical The
old hero's end was painless and peace
full, the patient simply sinking into IN
consciousness which closed in eternal
sleep that came over him so gently as
to be almost unobserved by the sor-
rowing ones about the bedside For
many months Gen Fairchi}d has been
failing. He fell i'll Of La grippe origin
ally and, though coming out frequently
thereafter, he was a changed man,
more. however, in appearance that in
manner. He was ever the same kindly,
gentle and neighborly citizen. For
several weeks past ne was obliged to
resort to the bed more often than was
his inclination, ana within ten days
his failing strength compelled him
to remain there constantly. At times
during this trying epoch he became I'M
conscious, but generally he was aware
OF all that was going Oh about him and
cheerful to the tender wife and child
rem who lowered over him so solicit
0usly. At noon Saturday a change for
the worse was apparent; still even
after that he smiled knowingly upon
his only gran6child, the little Bacon
baby, that was held cut toward him
At 4 o'clock complete Inconsistencies
supervened, and from then til 6:45
the strong life was gradually going
out, There were no evidence of suffer-
ing manifested The breath just grew
from weak to weaker till at last it was
lost in the silence that alone told
OF Deaths presence. The family,
which had been led to hope that partial
if not full recovery was possible and
perhaps probable was overwhelmed at
the grief that had befallen it. All the
members were present, the only child,
Mrs. Seldom Bacon, of New York city,
having arrived Friday-in time to en-
joy a full recognition by her father
Sympathetic friends called in a stream
throughout the evening and tele-
graphic condolences began to come in
from many parts of the country.
His Honorable Career.
Gen. Fairchild's life was an. eqentfuI
one; his services both to the state and
country were of a commanding char
acter. He received as a boy such edu-
cational advantages as were afforded
in a country region, and began his real
struggle as a ''forty-niner" in CaIifor-
MIA, and in which contest he secured
much of the frmness, seIf-EeHance and
determination characteristic of his
after life. Gen. Fairchild was born
Dec. q, 1881, in what is ROW Kent.
Portage county, Ohio. His father was
Jarius Cassius Fairchild,. q native of
the state of New York; his, mother was
S2Ilie (Blair) Fairchild, a New Eng
lander by birth. In 1884 the family
moved to Cleveland and subsequently
to Wisconsin, reaching Madison, June
8, 1916. His education was obtained
in common schools of Cleveland and
in the academy of Twfnsburg. that
state, and also at Carroll college. in .
Waukesha. Wisconsin Less than three
year after he arrived in Madi- I
fs0n he resolved to venture .
a trip across the plains He remained !
IN California six years. Most of the .
time he spent in the mountains. living
the hard, rough life of a miner. In .
1858 Gen, Fairo1ild was elected clerk
Of the Dane county circuit court, on
the democratic ticket He was ad- .
mitted to the bar in the fall of 1860 /
but in the spring Of the following year.
after the firing upon Fort Sumpter, he
left the legal career opening before
him, and went TO the front. He started
der general. In his military career he
was conspicuous for his galIantry and
incessent devotion to his duties; he
was in nearly all of the great battles
IF the earlier years of the war in the
east, and finished his military course
at Gettysburg, where he led a des-
perate charge at Seminary hill, and
where bis left arm was shattered by a
bullet, rendering necessary it's ampu-
tation-
In 1865 he was nominated for secre-
tary Of state with great unanimity by
the union convention of Wisconsin
He was elected secretary of state, and
while holding that office was an ex-
oficio regent Of the University of !
Wisconsin. In 1865 he was nominated ;
without opposition, for governor Of |
Wisconsin, being elected by majority
Of q little less than 10000. He was re- I