The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-17

death a signal personal bereavement.
Mr.. Porter went 10 the Coast fer his
health in June of last year Under the
| strain of close attention to business and
| Of overwork he had broken down some
time before. After rest or an illness
CT few days he returned to his books
at the Spreckels & Co.'S banking house.
| Under instructions from physicians he
! took up driving and for two or three
hours every afternoon was on the
streets and roads in and about Homo
| lulu with Mrs. Porter and their child.
! He still complained of lassitude and
WEAKNESS and was advised TO try a
complete change of scenery and elm
ate
For the first few weeks on the Coast
| Mr.. Porter was much improved in
| health and during the fall Of last year,
| intended at one time to return Homo
lulu. Even while preparations were
being made for the home trip his ma
| lady of nervousness and insomnia came
on again with renewed vengeance.
Shortly after that the attempt at sui
| eide in Golden Gate Park was made.
| The physicians then said that Mr.. Por-
| ter was affiited with a suicidal ma
MIA as a result of his breakdown. 1t
was ordered that he should be watched
and it was considered best that he
| take residence in the sanitarium at
| lLivermore. He remained at that place
up to the time of his death
| Some four months ago there was
| published in this paper an item to the
effect that Mr.. Porter was on the road
to recovery and would soon return to
| the Islands a we'll man again. This
statement was based upon facts given
| in letter penned by himself In that
note he said that he felt better in ev-
cry way and was able to have more
and more restful sleep than in years.
| 1t has not been mentioned here before
| but only a short time after this letter
was written, Mr.. Porter made another
effort to end his life. He did this by
| taking a knife from the pocket of a
| brother who was sleeping with him and
| trying to cut his throat.
| Since the second attempt those
about Mr.. Porter had been inclined to
the EXTREMIST vigilance on his behalf,
but often and for considerable periods
were thrown off guard by his demean-
or. He was sane and right in all mat
ters and seemed to be entirely clear
! of mind, but there always lurked the
intention, fixed and settled and immov-
able, to kill himself. All will deplore
deeply such a fate for so strong, cap
able and worthy a man.
Theo. G.. Porter was born in DuX-
bury, Mass, near Boston. He at a
very early age came to the Coast with
his brothers. In 1881, he arrived in the
Islands to take a position with VIM.
G. Irwin e Co., when that firms es-
tablishment was in the cid Masonic
Queen street. In the new house on
Fort street he was first in charge OF
the mercantile department and then
head bookkeeper. He gave entire sat
isfaction in all these positions and was
promoted to have charge of the ac-
counts of the banking house of Claus
Spreckels e Co. In the early days OF
the Provisional Government, when P
G. Jones was compelled to retire from
the Cabinet ON account of his health
Mr.. Porter was offered the portfolio
of Finance and being much urged con-
sented to become the Minister. He
found the combined strain of his bank
work and the Ministerial billet toe
much and resigned from the Cabinet
much to the regret of his colleagues
and the people at large, regardless OF
politics. He had the fullest confidence
Of all in public as we'll as private
affairs.
1t was about thirteen years ago
that Mary Savidge of this city became
Mrs. T. G. Porter. Her mother anG
brothers are in the city. Four brothers
survive the late T. c. Porter. Geo. K.
is the head of a big shoe manufacture
ing firm in San Francisco and is in.
terested in mines, orchards and ranch
es. F. F. Porter Of this city is a wei
known business man. Chas. and Johr
Porter are lumber mill owners in San
ia Cruz county, Cal. Kirk Porter o
Ordway & Porter here, is a nephew o
TheO. c. Porter.
Mr.. Porter will leave his family il
comfortable circumstances, as he hac
; considerable property and carried lif
insurance He was a devoted Mas0l
and stood high in the esteem and coun
sells of the fraternity here. He wa
for many years one of the most activ
members Of Hawaiian Lodge No. p
being its secretary for term afte
term.