Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-08-22
IN SILENT LAND.
"Gail Ha aInilto on" Passes Away at Her
Home, Stricken With Pa ralysis.

SALEM, Mass, Aug. 21-Miss Abigail
Dodge, better known to the world as "Ga1l
Hamilton died at her home in Hamilton at
Q o'clock Monday evening Of paralysis. Her
illness dated from Sunday morning, when,
seated at the breakfast table In her quiet
home, she suffered stroke of paralysis,
which was at once declared by her physician,
DR.. Thayer, to be probably fatal.
Miss Dodge was possessed OF remarkable
vitality. which alone enabled her to recover
from the serious stroke OF paralysis with
which she was attacked while staying with
The Baines in Washington in May, '95. At
this time it was given out that her recovery
was impossible. For days Miss Dodge
lowered between life and death and no one
dreamed that she could recover.
Mary Abigail Dodge (Gail Hamilton) was
born in Hamilton, Mass, in 1880. In her
oirlho I'd days she was known in the pretty
little New England town OF Hamilton as
Abby Dodge.
She was the daughter Of James B. and
Hannah Stanwood Dodge. Her mother was
a native of Ipswich. She received her edu-
cation in the public schools Of her native
town and at the female seminary In Ipswich
When she began writing for the public she
selected for her nom de plume the last sylla-
hIe of her Christian name and the name of
her birth place. Afterward she was known
TO the American public as "Gail Hamilton. >"
She was cousin of Mrs. James G. Blaine,
and through that relationship she became
familiar with the public and private life OF
Mr.. Blaine She went to Washington In 20
from her home In Hamilton, and was taken
suddenly i'll soon after her arrival. The
Blaine family physician, DR.. w. w. johnson,
said she was suffering from a mild stroke OF
paralysis.
countenance. She was not good-looking
woman for she had too much care and hard
work to preserve the features that compose
GOOD looks, but she was brainy woman,
and looked like one. Her eyes were sharp
and penetrating, and, framed In pure white
hair. her face possessed remarkably i'm
pressive expression. She looked as II she
was bright, broadminded woman, one
whom one would expect to talk entertain
ingly and sensibly on topics past and pres
emit. Her life has been one OF constant work
and worry.
As far back as 1851, when she was but q
wears of age she was instructor in the high
school in Hartford, CT. This lasted sew
eral wears Then she came to Washington
as governess in the family OF DIR. Gamaliel
Bailey, and DIR. Bailey being an editor, y
was the most natural thing in the worid
that this intellectual governess snouid drii'
into print, and she did.
Miss Dodge first came into public notice
nv her little book entitled 1.-The Wool
Gatherers." 1t was printed perhaps 25 years
ago. Having been induced to invest some
money in a sheep farm in one OF the western
states, and having lost all her investment
through bad management or misrepresenta-
tions, or both she made an investigation
of the wool business and wrote book about
Il. That book had an enormous circulation
and attracted attention all over the country
II was the first evidence OF remarkable
power, and from that time forward every
thing from her pen was eagerly read.