Mesa free press., 1897-12-24
ARTHUR EJkHART.

J
place was the sad message chat came
over the phone from Tempe at about
6 o'clock last Saturday evening. The
message was sad one to all our peo-
pie, both old and yonng, for Arthur
was an exceptionally good boy, a
young man of pleasing manner, with
pleasant smile and kind word for
everybody, He was young, active
! and ambitious, accommodating and
strictly attentive to every duty that
devolved upon him. His employees
trusted him for he was reliable and
faithful; his associates and friends
loved him because he was of sunny
disposition, bright and cheerful.
On Saturday evening at TEMP while
switching some cars on the siding
Arthur is supposed to have BEEN on
the ladder at the end of the car. Mr.
Harris, the conductor. saw Arthur's
lantern fell and he knew something
was wrong. Stopping the ears as
possible, he with others went back
and found Arthur's body lying be-
tween the rails and further on his
head and one arm outside of the rail-
His head and right arm had been
severed from the body and the right
shoulder and top Of the right breast
were horribly crushed.
A coroner's inquest was held and a
verdict of accidental death rendered
Sunday morning the train brought
the remains to Mesa, where they were
met by delegation of Good Templars
of which Order the deceased was a
consistent member, and conveyed to
Odd Fellows hall, whore at 2 o'clock,
a short funeral service was held, Rev.
Guthrie officiating The esteem in
which Arthur was held was attested
by the large number present, the hall
being crowded, and by the further
fact there were few dry eyes among
all those present. The floral offer
ings were abundant and beautiful, /,
contributed by Mesa friends and by
the Express and railroad employees, of
Phoenix, of wslom six of the former
and ten of the latter were present.
a large procession followed the
remains to the grave where the i'm
pressive funeral rites of the Good
Templars were pronounced.
Arthur had been Wells Fargo's
messenger on the Mesa branch since
the first day of its operation and was
to have been promoted to a similar
position on the Southern Pacific main
liue the first of the year.
He was native of Missouri, aged
% years and .ame to Mesa Dec. %,
1898. His parents are both dead,
his father having been killed in a
railroad wreck. He leaves relatives
in Los Angeles and in the east and
| Frauk Miller of Mesa is his ur Gle.
The future seemed bright for Arthur
but the brittle thread was suddenly
broken: The winds of Heaven may
sigh above him; they cannot awake
him. His sleep is peaceful.
"Arthur has coupled his last caS;
He has switched off on another track
He received the signal from one above;
He has gone ahead and will never
come back.
We'll miss the laughing jests he made;
Well miss his smiling face.
He had a smile and word for all;
There's none that can take his place
He was always willing to help friend
His heart was big and his hands were
free.
His many acts of kindness and care.
Will be treasured by you ard by me-
But he has gone now and left his
friends
We give him up with sorrowing tears,
And hope he finds peaceful home,
Where we'll meet him in future years. y
The Treasury Department has au-
thorized the Director of the Bureau