Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-01-21
CHAIRMAN DINGLEY
DIED LAST NIGHT
-
Republican House Leader Succumbs
When 1t Was Thought the
Crisis Was Over.
HEART FAILURE IMMEDIATE CAUSE
The Strongest Cardiac Stimulants
Administered in Vain---Was
Ill About Two Weeks
His Public Career.

LIE "phhS
Washington, Jan. 16.-Hon. Nelson
Dingley, of Maine, ace of the repub-
lican side on the floor of the house OF
representatives and representing the
Second congressional district of Maine
in hat body, died here last night at
TO- so o'clock of heart failure resulting
from weakness due to pneumonia. lie
was unconscious during most of the
day and death came quietly while he
slept. To within a few hours OF his
death the family firmly believed, as IL
has throughout his illness, that Mr..
Dingley would recover and it was only
when 1t became apparent that he was
dying that its members gathered at his
bedside. While the past few days have
given great hope of recovery, the pro-
gress of the disease had made the
patient dangerously weak and had
seriously affected his heart. Late
Thursday night and again yesterday
morning Mr.. Dingley had a bad sink
ing spell, from which he slightly
rallied. There were further evidences
of heart failure as the day progressed
and the strongest stimulants were ad-
ministered, but without effect. lie
failed p~erceptibly during the after
noon and as night came hope was
abandoned. Mrs. Dingley is pros
trated.
There were many heartfelt express
sions of sympathy when it became
known that the Maine congressman
was dead.
All during his illness, which he
struggled against so vigorously, there
had been constant inquiries at the
hotel at which he resided as to his con-
dition. The Hamilton house, where
Mr.. Dingley resided, has been the re-
sort for q number of years for most OF
the congressional contingent from
Maine and il wal here that Mr.. Dingley
spent all of the past sixteen years OF
his life when his congressional duties
called him to Washington. lie occu-
pied rooms on the second floor and had
with him his wife and daughter, the
sons being here but little.
Sergeant Mt Arms Russell, OF the
house of representatives, was notified
Of the death, which will be announced
in both houses of congress today, and
committees will be appointed to at
tend the funeral, after which adjourn
meut for the day will be had.
The funeral will be conducted In
the house of representatives on Mon
day 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 4:20 in the aft
ernoo the funeral party viii leave
for Lewiston, Me-, arriving there at
Q o'clock Tuesday afternoon, where
services will be held at the family
residence at Lewiston on Wednesday.
Interment win be in that city.
The services in the house OF repre-
sentatives probably will be conducted
by Rev. S. NJ. Newman, pastor OF
the First Congregational church.
Representative Dingley's illness be-
gan December %. Physicians dag
nosed his case as one of grip, then
prevailing here, and cautioned the pa
tient to keep to his The fol
lowing Saturday pneumonia devel,
oped in the left lung, complicated
with great ~irregularity of the heart.
Skillful treatment brought good re-
suits, and on Thursday there were
signs hat the lung was beginning to
clear. The next day, however, the
disease took an alarming turn and
the two sons in Michigan were tele-
graYhed for.
Nelson Dingley, jr.. governor OF Maine,
1S74-75, and a member OF congress from me
Second congressional district Of Maine
| since 1881, was born in Durham, Andros-
| coggin county, Me, in his grandfather.s
farm house on the banks OF the AndTos-
a-v A. 1000 n n1
son and ane Nambero Dingley. Inc
year following his birth his parents moved
to Unity, Waldo county, and thence IN
1854, TO Auburn, Androscoggin county. AZ
II he taught q winter school in the town
of China fourteen miles from home, ana
no continued to teach winters whlle httlns
for college. In 1850, at the age of is. he en-
tered Waterville, Me- academy, of which
the well known Professor j. H.. Hanson
was principal, and there completed his
preparation for college, Entering Water,
1851, he remained there a year and a half
and then became a student at Dartmouth
college, from which institution he was
graduated in 1855, with high rank as a
scholar. debater and writer. After leav-
Ing college Dingley studied law in lS05-56
with Merritt and Fessenden in Auburn;
while he was in college, and the latter
year he was admitted to the bar. Instead
Of entering upo the practice OF law he
decided to become a journalist, for which
| DIOlCSSlOl TIC > {" N1'AHN
taste. In September, 1886, he. purchased
the Lewiston Journal, of which he had
been practically tho editor while studying
law, and to which in 1861 he added a daily
edition. The paper rapidly increased in
circulation and influence under his man
agement.
His first vote was cast In 1854 for Hon.
Arson p. Morrill,, the anti-slavery and
temperance candidate for governor, a po-
litical combination from which arose the
republican party of Maine during the fol-
lowing winter. He threw himself into the
Fremont campaign In 1856 with all the ar
dor OF youth and ability of age
In 1861, at the age of 20, 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 ses-
sion of 1868. In 1863 he removed to Lewis
ton, 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 1864 he was
elected TO the house q fourth time and
with the session of 1865 was again ten
dered the position of speaker, which he
declined. preferring to take his place on
the floor. He was also a representative to
the legislature from Lewiston In 1868 and
1873.
In 1873 Dingley was nominated as the
republican candidate for governor of
Maine by a vote of two TO one against two
popular opponents. and was elected by
elected by over II, 900 majority, declining
Z third nomination In 1875. He was one of
the delegates at large from Maine to the
republican national convention in 1876 and
Gerved on the committee on resolutions
and was one Of the subcommittee Of five