Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-14
.D|NGLEY HAS
PASSED AWAY
Heart Failure Was the Cause
of His Death.
WAS REPUBLICAN LEADER
His Political Career Has Been a Most
Notable One--Held Many
Public Positions
WAS REPUBLICAN LEADER

Washington, Jan. 13.-Hon. Nelson
Dingley of Maine, leader of the repuo-
lican side on the floor of the house OF
REPRESENTATIVES, died here tonight at
half-past 10 o'clock. of heart failure, re-
sulting from extreme weakness due to
pneumonia. he was unconscious during
most of the DAY, and death came quietly
and without consciousness being re-
gained. All the members of his family
were at his bedside. To within a Few
hours before his death the family firmly
Believed, as it had throughout his illness,
that Mr.. Dingley would recover. While
the past few days have given hope OF re-
covery, the progress Of the disease had
made the patient dangerously weak and
had seriously affected his heart. Late
last night and again this morning Mr..
Dingley had a bad sinking spell, from
which he slightly rallied. There were
further evidences of heart failure as the
day progressed and the strongest stimu-
lants were administered but without eff
| feet. He failed perceptibly during the
afternoon and as night came hope was
abandoned. Mrs. Dingley is very much
Frustrated by her husbands death and
is now under the care of physicians.
Mr.. Dingley had spent all Of the past
Is years Of his life, when his congress
! sional duties called him to Washington,
at the Hamilton house. He occupied
rooms on the second floor, and had with
him his wife and daughter, the sons be-
ing here but little. Representative Ding
ley's illness dated back to December 20.
The physicians diagnosed his case as one
Of grip, SO commonly prevalent here, and
cautioned the patient to keep to his room.
The following Saturday pneumonia de-
veloped in the left lung, complicated with
great irregularity of the heart.
The funeral will be conducted in the
house of representatives on Monday next.
The body will be taken to the house at
10 o'clock and there lie in state until
noon, when services will be conducted in
the presence of the house and senate.
At APO in the afternoon the funeral party
will leave for Lewiston, Me-, arriving
there at 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon.
Nelson Dingley, Jr., governor Of Maine,
~1S74-'75. and member of congress from the
Second congressional district of Maine
since 1881. was born in Durham, Me-, in his
grandfather's farm house on the banks of
the Androscoggin river, on February Is,
1892, son of Nelson and lane G,amberti
Dingley. The year following his birth his
parents removed to Parkman Piscatauuis
county, where they lived on a farm for
a short time and then took charge of the
village tavern, with which a store was
connected. In 1894 the family removed to
Unity, Waldo county, and thence, in 1854,
to Auburn, Androscoggin county. AT II he
taught q winter school in the town Of
China. IA miles from home, and he contin-
ued to teach winters while fitting for col
lege. In 1850. at the age of Is, he entered
Wateryille (Me.) academy, of which the
yVa11 knnUvn nrnfnccHr Lonr0, xv,n
principal, and there completed his prepara-
ton for college. Entering Waterville col
lege, now Colby university, in 1851, he re-
manned there a year and a half and then
became a student at Dartmouth college,
from which institute he was graduated in
1855. with high rank as a scholar, debater
and writer.
After leaving college, Mr. Dingley stud
led law in 1866 with Morrill, & Fessenden,
in Auburn, to which city his parents had
removed while he was in college, and in the
latter year he was admitted to the bar.
Instead of entering upon the practice of
law, he decided to become a journalist, for
which profession he always manifested a
decided taste. In September. 1856, he pur-
chased the Lewiston Journal, of which he
had been practically the editor while study
ing law. and to which, in 1861, he added a
daily edition. The paper rapidly increased
in circulation under his management.
His first vote was cast in 1854 for Hon.
Arson p. Morrill,, the a~nti-slavery and
temperance candidate for governor, a po-
Illcdl cOI1DiDdllOn lEOIH WHICH TOSe Lno
republican party of Maine during the fol-
lowing winter. He threw himself into the
Fremont campaign in 1856 with all the ardor
Of youth and ability of age: In 1861. at the
age of 80. he was elected representative
from Auburn to the state legislature, in
which body he at once took high rank. was
reelected in 1862, and chosen speaker of
the house at the session Of 1863. In 1863 he
removed to Lewiston, where a few months
after he was elected to the legislature, and
with the opening of the legislative session
of 1864 was unanimously reelected speaker.
At the state election of 1894 he was elected
to the house a fourth time, and with the
session of 1861 was again rendered the posi-
ton of speaker. which he declined. pre-
ferring to take his place on the floor. He
was also a representative to the Legislature
from Lewiston in 1872 and 1873.
In 1873 Mr.. Dingley was nominated as the
republican candidate for governor of Maine
by a vote of 2 to 1 against two popular OPP
ponentS and was elected by about 1000
majority. In 1874 he was reelected by over
1000 majority, declining a third nomination
in 17s5. He was one Of the delegates-at-
large from Maine to the republican national
convention of 1876. and served on the com
mittee on resolutions and was one of the
subcommittee Of five who drafted the plat
form. He actively participated in the pres
idential campaign of 1876 and in the state
conventions of 187-7S-79. In 1880 he was
chairman Of the republican executive com.
mittee. In 1881 Mr.. Dingley was nominated
by the republicans of the Second congress
sional district of Maine to fill the vacancy
in congress caused by the resignation OF
Hon. William p. Frye. He was elected by
a majority of over 5000, nearly twice as
large as ever before given to any candidate
in that district. He served on the commit
tee on banking and currency and as a mem
Der OF the select committee on alcoholic
liquor traffic and during the session he pre-,
sided several times over the house in com.
mittee of the whole.
Mr.. Dingley's first speech in congress
was made on April 25 1882, on Protection
to American Shipping" the house being In