The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-01
GEORGE SWAN is DEAD
The Sudden Demise of the City
Auditor.
IND CAME LAST NIGHT
HAD BEEN ILL ONLY SINCE
THURSDAY.
Malady, Which Was Intercostal
Neuralgia, Was Not Considered
As At All Serious-Was Better
Early Last Evening, But Little
After 1890 He Suddenly Expired.

AFTER lS;oo He Suddenly Expired.
With shocking suddenness City Audi
tor George Swan received his final
summons last night to cross the dark
river. His death was SO unexpected
! that there was barely time to summon
his wife, who was in an adjoining
room. BY the time she arrived Mr..
Swan had become unconscious and a
moment later he expired.
The news. of Auditor Swans passing
away will be felt with all the shock of
| q personal bereavement by thousands
of Salt Lakers who knew and loved
this kindly old man. Very few of his
friends even knew he was i'll, and those
who had learned of it thought as did
his family, that the indisposition was
trivial in character.
Taken Sick Thursday.
Mr.. Swan went home from his office
in the joint building Thursday after
noon in apparently his usual health
He retired early to bed and shortly
afterward complained of pains in his
intercostal region. DR.. Richards was
called in and the trouble was pro-
nounced intereostal neuralgia. The
| remedies ordinarily used in such cases
were applied and Mr.. Swans condition
seemed to improve.
He was not able to go to his office on
Friday or yesterday but the improve
ment, to all appearances, was steady.
Last night his supper was sent up to
| him and he ate what his family con-
sidered a hearty meal, for he was not
a large eater. About o'clock he was
seized with another attack.
Physician Again Called.
DR.. Richards was again called, and
so was Mr.. Swans Oldest son, David A.
Swan. The physician said he thought
the sick man would be all right after he
had had a nights rest The pains
shortly subsidized and Mr.. Swan dropped
off to sleep. About 1890 o'clock he
Weakened and asked his son, who was in
the room, to give him something to
drink.
The younger man gave his father a
glass of iced tea, part of which he
swallowed. Then he laid down again
to compose himself for sleep. In a min
ute, however, he stirred and requested
d. A. Swan to lift him up. The son
complied with his request, and imme-
diately saw that his father was dying.
He laid him back on the pillow and
hurried into the next room to call Mrs.
Swa2.
At His Last Gasp.
She came at once, but her husband
was then at his last gasp. He died
without recognizing her. The end was,
to all appearances, absolutely painless.
The old man sighed like a tired child
and fell into the sleep that knows no
waking. So was written the closing
chapter in a quiet, but busy life.
George Swan made many friends and
few enemies. His was kindly, genial,
lovable nature, that to know was to
respect and admire. The dead auditor
was born July %, 1926 in Edinburgh,
Scotland. In 1864 he was converted to
Mormonism and with his young wife,
who was Miss Agnes Mcdonald and
whom he had married in 1S4S, he came
to Utah.
A Weary Trip.
The trip was long and weary one,
but the dauntless spirit of the pioneers
was in Mr.. Swan. He drove team
from Omaha to Salt Lake, arriving
here in the fall of 1864. His first occu-
patton after reaching this city was as
assistant postmaster under T. B. H.
Stenhouse. Later he acted in the same
capacity with Nathan Stein and A. w.
Sheet. On leaving the postoffice Mr..
Swan engaged with Godbe & Mitchell
III NllS AllSi CdliliiS OQSlAcSS
When the Utah Central railroad was
organized Mr.. Swan was elected secre-
tary of the corporation, a position that
he held with conspicuous credit for
twenty years. On the absorption of
the Central by the Oregon Short Line,
Mr.. Swan was retained to look after
the estate of Bishop James Sharp He
was engaged in this position when
Mayor Glendinning appointed him city
auditor m 1896.
Served People Faithfully.
To this position Mr. Swan gave all |
of his time and talent So faithfully |
did he serve that when, in 1897, the |
office having been made elective, he |
was refused nomination by the Re |
publican party, he ran as non-parti- |
san and the people voted him into the |
position His faithfulness to the trust |
imposed in him has been SO manifest |
and so recent that it is not necessary
to mention it here.
1t is sufficient to say that all who
know anything about his career will |
join in pronouncing him one of the most |
competent of city officials. In 1S4S, as
stated, Mr.. Swan married Jiss Agnes
Mcdonald. BY her he ~ five chill
dren, four being boys and one girl. |
They are d. A, Mrs. Maggie c. Howe.
George w. of Kaysville, Alexander and
David of Kaysville. Many years ago
the first Mrs Swan died. On july IS.
1879, Mr.. Swan pleasantly surprised his
friends by wedding Mrs. Catherine T.
Whittemore, who survives him.
Arrangements for the funeral have
not been completed, nor will they be
until the KaySville relatives have been
heard from. 1t was stated, however,
that the services would probably be
at some hour on Monday