The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-10-17
REUBEN ERWIN
PASSES AWAY.
Death Came to Him at Two
O'clock This Morning.
WAS SEVENTY SIX YEARS OLD
Long and Successful Career of q Man with
A Purpose In Life He
Was Great Advocate
of Reform.

At 2 o'clock Friday morning Mr.. Reu-
ben Erwin, of 1920 North Market street,
passed from the experiences of earth
into the realms of immortality. For
several years he has been subject to
attacks of cardiac asthma. The trou-
BILE just began to be serious last winter
and from that time on he has not had
the rugged health that always before
had distinguished his life. About two
months ago he went to the Battle Creek
sanitarium in hope of finding relief.
While there he had very serious at
tack and at the end of five weeks came
home. He stood the trip well but grad
ually began to sink. For two weeks his
life has been hanging by a slender
thread. The thread snapped this morn
ing and the life of nearly 76 years was
over.
Mr. Erwin was born on a farm in Co.
lumbjana county, near Columbiana,
November 2, 1923, and would have been
76 years old in about two weeks. His
father, Mahlon Erwin, was one of the
prosperous and sturdy farmers of that
IQuaker section; a man imbued with
strong convictions on moral questions,
and was from his father that Mr.. Err
win as boy and young man learned
the first lessons that in after years made
him so aggressive in advocating moral
and political reform. Mr.. Erwin's father
was one of the station agents of the old
Underground railway and naturally the
boy Rueben became enthused in the
cause of opposition to human slavery
AS he grew older he too took an active
part in the anti-slavery agitation and
was known as one of the pioneers in
that movement. He was not only ar
acquaintance but an affirmed friend
of William Lloyd Garrison, Parker
Pillsbury, Stephen and Abbey Kelly
Foster, and Lucretia Mott, and others
the great anti-slavery agitators. Hi.
first vote was cast for the anti-slavery
ticket. With the settlement of the
slave question the liquor problem came
, up and Mr.. Erwin was one of the lead
ers in that movement. He helped t
organize the Prohibition party in Ohi'
and voted with 1t for more than {
quarter of a century In it's apparentl.
$ hopeless struggle.
: AS a young man Mr.. Erwin earl!
' evinced an aptitude for not only hare
: work but for business and he was sue
cessful in life. Before he was married
the idea of communities got a stronj
. hold upon the people and a socialisti
Y commonwealth was organized at Mari
/ boro. He was one Of about 70 members
4 lrThaU 10
4 and ran for couple of years. Mr.. Err
L win left at the end of one year and wen
. back to his fathers farm in Colum
= biana county About 81 years ago h
. married Martha Rockhill, then of ALI
r ance. They began housekeeping on
a small scale in Columbiana but sool
y moved up to Marlboro township il
= Stark county upon a small farm. b,
hard work and careful management
3 they prospered, and moved across tn
line into Portage county. Here h
. worked until he had one of the fines
= farms in the county and was very com
! fortably situated.
e Eighteen years ago he came to Cantor
= and engaged in the furniture business
= For the past eight years he has beel
living retired. He leaves Mrs. Erwil
1 and two daughters, Mrs. ]. A. Rice, O
this city, and Mrs. e. Barrie, of Wash
ington. Both have been with him dur
ing the last few weeks of his life. Tw,
brothers, Samuel Erwin, of Alliance
and Mahlon Erwin, of Salem. and on
, sister, Mrs. Margaret Whitacre, of AL
[ lance, survive him.
Mr.. Erwin had made hosts of friends
2 in Canton during his residence here
For the past few years he has been TAX
ing great interest in the economic re
forms before the country and has man
ifested the same lofty purpose on tn,
same zeal and energy in advocating
these principles as he did in the ques
tions that occupied his thoughts IL
younger days. He prided himself upor
not being subject to the frivalties of tn,
time and upon the whole he was mos
: estimable citizen.