The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-23

steadily worse until last Tuesday. Then
he rallied somewhat and the improve
ment gave his family encouragement
in hoping for his recovery. The rally,
however was brief. Meningitis devel-
oped. and since then he has been
rapidly sinking. Since last night h1
had been under the influence Of opiates.
and this morning the family gave up
all hope, and realized that the end was
near. He passed away without regain
ing consciousness. At the death-b bed
were gathered his four children, Mrs.
R. E. Fletcher, w. S. Holman Jr., Mrs
Fred Harvey and Paul Holman, all
Of this city.
The remains. escorted by a delega-
ton of his colleagues in the house and
a committee from the senate, will be
sent to his late home near Aurora,
Ind, leaving this city at 3:45 p. m.
Saturday afternoon via the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad. Funeral services will
be held Sunday at the old homestead,
near Aurora, and interment will be
made in Riverside cemetery.
William Steele Holman would have passed
the three-quarter century mark had he LIVED
until next September and his career Is re-
markable for the large proportion Of his life
that was given up to the service Of the public.
No living man and few dead have a record,
as he did, Of sixteen terms in the house OF
representatives, and, In ALL hfty-four years
of his life were spent in some public capacity,
beginning with judicial position in his native
state and winding up in the house of repre-
sentatives, which he entered in the Thirty
sixth congress. Mr. Holman was a great
force in political affairs, and for many years
and even Of late, when advancing age made
it harder for him to meet the more severe
demands Of his place, he was an honored and
respected counselor in the Democratic party
caucuses where his ripe wisdom and long
political experience were freely availed of in
shaping party policies. AS the watch dog
of the treasury" he was known to the Amer
lean people, and the policy of strict economy
that he consistently pursued when in charge
of the appropriation bills has been followed
so long that it has come to be regarded as
one of the party tenets in all congresses
Mr.. Holman was born in Indiana, in the
country, at a little pioneer homestead, in
Dearborn county, called Verestau, in Septem-
Der, 1922. AS he wrote his autobiography for
the congressional directory, Vt is recorded
that he had common school education, sup
plemented by a two-years course in Franklin
college, Indiana. Then he taught school and
Practiced law until 184S, when, at the age OF
twenty-one years, he entered the public
service as probate judge. He was prosecuting
attorney from 1847 to 1S49, and in 1850 he at
tended the constitutional convention. The
following year he entered the legislature, and
from 1852 to 1856 he was judge Of common
pleas. His congressional career began with
the Thirty-sixth congress, and out Of the
twenty congresses that have elapsed since
that time, he has been absent from only
four, namely, the Thirty ninth, Forty fifth,
Forty-sixth and Fifty-fourth, an almost un-
paralleled record.
Personally, Mr. Holman was Of a most
genial and approachable disposition. He was
entirely willing to listen to any person who
called for his assistance, and, although often
obliged by his sense Of duty to resist the
opportunities of his colleagues In favor of
some measure Of vital interest, he always
did so in such an impersonal manner as to
take away largely the sting OF his refusal.
Mr.. Holman that in his long congressional
career he refrained entirely from personali
ties, and consequently had few personal
enemies.