The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-01-16
william IL. Marshall.


who laid the foundations of the state
and of this city has gone to his rest.
William r. Marshall. after a long and
lingering illness at Pasadena, in the
by death from his sutferings on
Wednesday the 9Th. No nobler or more
chivalrOus heart ever beat in human
bosom than his. \ kindly natured,
gh-thoughted man, one Of natures
noblemen, he was force for good in
the community which had been his
home with brief intervals for forty
eight years. He came to Minnesota in
1917, when it was still Wisconsin east
of the Mississippi, fOrecasting the flu
ture that was then daWning on these re.
Gently coded wilds where the Indian
still held sway. He was potent in
fiuence in.the early organization OF the
territory and in the politics of the
territorial and early state period. He
was i'll large degree the founder of
the Republican party of the state and
was its first nominee for congress. He
was too much swayed by his generous
impulses, too willing to sacrifice his
own opportunities in favor of more
aggressive aspirants. to achieve per
sonal success as political leader. He
had not indeed the qualities of a leader,
for his heart was too big for his head
i'll the selfish competitions of politics.
! He was all his life busy man think
ing of many things. trying many things,
treading many experimental ways in
business ventures. He was asurveyOr,
! a merchant. a banker a legislator,
politician in large way. newspaper
publisher. a solder-as brave one
as ever liyed-a general whose con-
spicuous gallantry raised him to high
rank among the heroes of the war:
real estate Spectator, a farmer: ne was
governor of Minnesota for four years.
railroad commissioner. state librarian:
! a half dozen times rich and half a dozen
times reduced to the verge of poverty
!
fortune the same kind and loyal heart
ed, manly man, the same courteous
gentleman and good and patriotic
citizen. He had amassed millions in
his time, and he died poor. He was too
brave and sanguine and resourceful a
man to greatly care for the loss of
wealth: but the loss of his only child, a
few years ago, and later Of his wife,
threw cloud Of sorrow over his last
years. and perhaps was a potent cause
of his loss of health.
We have said that among other
things he was newspaper publisher.
He was associated with the present
editor of the Pioneer Press in founding
the st. Paul Daily Press, the first issue
Of which was on Jan. /, 1861. His con
nection with the paper, though it was
long enough to have assured the per
manent success of the Press, was not a
long one. for when the Sioux war
broke out in August, 1862, he was APP
pointed colonel of one of the regiments
which under Gen. Sibley marched to
; the relief of the beleaguered Fort
: Ridgey and of the defenseless inhabi-
tants of the frontier, and which finally
compelled the surrender of the Indian
. forces. That accomplished he went
, South with his regiment, was placed II
| important command and made a bril-
f liant record in several Of the mos,
: famous battles of the war.
| lie had an Unborn taste for soldiers
career when there was anything wortl
/ fighting for His personal pluck ant
bravery was one of the traditions OF
the early history of Minnesota, and ha:
: enriched it with anecdotes illustrative
t of the danger of provoking the wrath
$ of this sweet tempered and mild man
nered man. But it was not his per
! sonal daring, nor even the spirit of adj
} venture which was a strong element O.
!, his character, which made him wei
g come the opportunity to put on ;
f soldiers uniform during the civil war
L Ii was CIlC pau lOUlC GOIcS1ShCS vi oAi'
e man which awakened his native fight
: ing instincts and made him eager t.
r plunge into the thick of the contest
: 1t was to him the hottest of duties;
e conservation through the baptism o
f blood and fire to the service of hi
s country. The xwar and its memorie
: were to him a religious epic. The LOya
e Legion was to him meeting of kin'
S Arthur's Knights of the Round Table
a himself one of the bravest, the purest
s and gentlest of all the Knights tina
Q have sat periodically at its banquet
S of patriotic "reminiscences Pau
e Pionee Press
n Governor Marshall paid frequent Wis
J. its to this prison, and there are thos