Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-09

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| explanation of his inability to take an
| or social nature. During the past sum-
! mer, while on a visit to Boston, he un-
derwent an examination, when the facts in
| regard to his condition were made known
| to him.
| AS IS we'll known, Mr., Wight was one OF
| the most indefat!gabie workers in his or
| sny ether calling, and when he received the
| caution from the doctor that he must ex-
| ercise more care and refrain especially from
| anything that might cause sudden excite
| ment, he decided to ease somewhat the bur-
| Gen which he had carried for so many years.
Just before the assembling of Congress he
arranged with Mr.. o. p. Austin to act as his
assistant.
Hard Worker.
At the opening day of Congress he went
to the Capitol, bat IS overcome while seat
ed in the press gallery, but. ra p:dly recov-
cred on reaching the open air. That was
tie last visit to the place which has been
the scene of his labors for SO many years.
He. however continued to visit his office
each day, and not only did he spend the
hours of an unusually long working day
there, but he returned again at night and
worked until late bedtime. He continued
this practice with itne change up to last
Saturday, when he did not come to the Of
flee at all.
Since that time he has been confined to
his house, where. owing to the nature of
his trouble. he was unable to lie down. and
he generally sat in an easy chair, where he
could maintain an upright position. He had
the papers brought to him ami looked over
them while in his chair, and only last night
he was talking with his assistant, Mir.
Austin, in regard to the details of the work
and saying that he had come 20 the con-
clusion now that he would have TO plan so
that he would have less to do. He 1e-
manned in his chair, where he was accus-
toned to get few hours sleep each night,
and at G:3O this morning he breathed his
last.
Funeral services, will be held tomorrow
at IL oclocls at his late residence, and the
interment will be in Boston. The deceased
leaves a wife and two sons, the older being
about seventeen years of age.
.- His Career.
E. B. Wight was oorn in Wales, Mass,
on the 9Th of December. 1913. AT an carly
age he removed with his parents TO Illi-
nois, where they resided near Chicago.
He was educated at the University of
many. where he acquired a knowledge of
German, which he cultivated and used all
his life. He was for some time in the law
office of the firm of which the present chief
justice was a member and then subse-
Guently Tlth did some wqrk for the Chicago
1t was during this period of his residence
in Chicago that he gained the acquaintance
with the city which stood him in such
good stead when he, became a Washington
correspondent of ones of Chicago's great
dailies. He came to. Washington about the
year 1870, and was connected with the
| bureau of the New York Times In 1873 a
paper was started In New York in the in
terests of General Grant, and Mr.. Wight
became the Washington correspondent.
Subsequently he became an assistant of
Ben Perley Poore, who was the correspond
ent of the Boston Journal and later on
was placed at the head Of the bureau of the
Chicago Tribune, succeeding the brother
of the editor, Joseph Medll.
He retained his connection with the Bos-
ton Journal, and three or four years ago
he became the correspondent of the Chi
both Of these papers at the time Of his
dea tn. During his career here, which ex-
tended over nearlysa quarter of a century,
Mr. Wight represented number of the
| leading journals of the country. Some
years ago he married a daughter of the
late Mr.. Clapp, who was the editor and
the controlling owner Of the Boston Jour
nal.
L.
gy,with an enormous capacity for work. He
probably labored harder and for a longer
period each day than any other man in the
newspaper profession in this city. He was,
however, more than a newspaper man. AS
has been stated, he was familiar with the
German language and dipped rather deeply
into German literature, At an early age
he had mastered the difficult art of stem
cgraphy, and used 1t successfully In his
business. He was photographer of un-
usual ability, and If he had accepted pay
for his work he could have been ranked
among the best professionals.
Perhaps the chief interest in his life was
the care and the extension Of an exceed
frgly valuable collec tionfof newspaper clip
pings. Mr.. Wight himself had been en-
gagged in collecting cuttings from newspa-
pers for thirty years. In addition he had
purchased the famous collection made by
the late Mr.. kingman. which covered a
period of thirty years prior to the begin
ming of his own collection He had an ex-
cellent card index which made this NAM
| moth array of material easily accessible
and he used 1t constantly in his work. AL
most the last work that he did before
death touched his busy brain was to make
suggestions In regard to clippings that
ought to be made from the newspapers for
his collection, and when he died it was up
to date. ,
Meeting of the Correspondents.
A meeting of the press correspondents
was held in the Senate gallery this after.
noon to take action, on the death of Mr.
Wight. Mr.. E. G. Danncll presided and a
motion was adopted for the appointment of
| committee to draft suitable resolutions to
be forwarded to the family Of Mr.. Wight,
expressing the sympathy of the press cor
respondents. The correspondents were also
invited to attend the funeral The commit
tee to draft resolutions was appointed as
follows: John M. Carson, William E. Cur