The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-22
HIS MEMORY LIVES.
beautiful Tribute to the Life of the
Late Dr.. Wells.

LIZ els.
The morning service at Plymouth
Congregational church yesterday was
In the form of a memorial in honor OF
the memory of the late DR. George H.
Wells. The sermon was preached by
Rev. David N. Beach, before a large
concOurSe of sOrrOwing friends Of the
deceased. DR.. Beach had Just returned
from attending the funeral of DR.. Wells.
and began by reciting the facts Of the
illness of DR.. Wells from the time ne
left Minneapolis a year ago to the
hour of his burial The sermon was
affecting, and there was scarcely a dry
eye in the entire congregation at the
conclusion. The text was from Psalm
cXvi., verse Is, Precious in the sight
of the Lord is the death of his saints"
DR.. Beach said:
Death is never an easy thing. By. pain
and travail man comes into the world and
by pain and suffering he goes out Of the
world. But precious in the eyes of the
Father is the death of one of His children,
and precious to Him is the death, however
tragical of one so noble the one we
mourn.
DR.. Wells left Minneapolis a year ago for
the purpose of travel, hoping thus to regain
his impaired health. He visited the Sand
witch islands, then Japan, and it was his in
tention to complete trip around the world.
In Japan, however, he was advised that he
was not able to continue the Journey and
consequently he returned to the United
States, and on his way to his home at Dover
ILL.,, in July last he passed through Mime
apolls, stopping a few days with friends in
TINS city. From July to January he remained
at Dover then went to Missouri for a change
of climate. He came back to Dover and
later went to Clifton Springs, where he re-
manned until two weeks ago. He was then
brought to Milwaukee by mis- brother and
placed in n retreat where he could receive
the best of care. While not in his right
mind, he was still willing to go to the hos
U-nC OF 1,I ~, L.
case was hopeless For fear of making him
think he was being restrained the physician
in charge gave him much liberty as pos
sible. On one of these occasions when the
physician had been away five minutes upon
returning the patient was gone. There was
no trace of him. He, however afterwards
called at three places, asking for a nights
lodging, and next morning his body was
found
The theory advanced by the newspapers
that DR.. Wells was murdered is absurd in the
extreme. When found his watch was upon
him, but his grip which had been presented
| lin by Plymouth church choir was missing.
| 1t was afterwards found. He was not much
| injured by the train but there was no pos
| sible ground for the assumption Of murder
! 1t is much to be regretted that the news
| papers of the country have inflicted this upon
| us. AS to the idea of suicide, there is also
! no reason to believe that. His brother dis
! regards the idea. Everything goes to show
| the entire obliviousness of his mind. He was
! a wanderer, in a binding snow storm, with
| out a InOuSnI Oh nlmSei1 or his whereabouts.
| How easy to meet such a death And how
| merciful was his death, except for the cir
cumstance of his being alone and a wanderer.
| BY it he escaped perhaps years of useless
suffering.
DIR. WELLS HOME.
"A word of his home. Dover is a town
which once contained a population Of LOCO
/ people, but now has about 800. DR.. Wells
was born in New York state but when a
year old was brought by his parents to
/ Dover county. Illinois. At first a log hut
was built, then a small frame house and
later a substantial farm mansion Eleven
! years ago his mother died. She was DON
aldsOn, and from her he received strong
Scotch traits. His father still lives, and has
/ passed the age of ninety years Besides him.
there is one brother and his family, WIFI
are all the near kin he has left. But the
entire town are all his kin. All loved him
ready to do anything he could for them. and
he was honored and admired by ALL
At the funeral. DR.. Beach said the speak
ers were DR.. Tompkins, of the Chicago
! Theological seminary where he received his
education: DIR. Beach, speaking for the Min
neapols church; Rev. Whittlesy, who spoke
for his home life the homo pastor A tele-
gram was read from the Montreal church
from whence he came to MINNEAPOLIS and
/ tie exercises concluded with singing Home
land" by an old gentleman present an at
fecting number. DR.. Wells had expressed a
j wish not to have his body placed in a hearse.
/ and consequently a float of boards covered
with the boughs of the forest was arranged
! and upon this the body was carried from the
! home to the church and from the church to
| the grave
Continuing, DIR. Beach said:
DIR. Wells was a precocious youth. When
/ very young he used to read the newspapers
| which lined the inside of the log cabin, and to
prevent this his mother put them on the wall
| upside down. He received the beginning of
! an education at Dover, also a seminary train
! ing. From there he went to Amherst college.
/ and afterwards to the theological seminary
! at Chicago He meant to become home mis-
! stonary but accepted the charge at Amboy
| From there he went to Montreal where his
work a success. He left Montreal he
| cause he had a feeling that he was becoming
| indolent, and he wanted to get into a COM
munity where he would be obliged to exert
! himself. This the first symptom of the
| approaching ailment. He came to a large
church and difficult charge, just when he
should have sought an easier place He here
received some criticism. but it is the foul
est SANDER to say that his work in Plymouth
! church was not noble and successful one.
or that the church did not stand Loyalty by
him its pastor Had the church ever
known under what burdens he was laboring
perhaps more might have been done for lam
/ buts this idea is the speculation of small
! '-i~da> V'hilA he-A hA lived saif-sacriacing