The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-04
DEAD
Ex-Governor LeWeIIing Died
Suddenly Last Night
AT ARKANSAS CITY
Had Been at Geuda Springs
for a Rest.
DUE TO HEART FAILURE
Body Will Probably be Brought
Here Tonight.

Ex-Governor L D. Lewelling died at
Arkansas City at ten o'clock last night
of heart disease. Upon recommendation
Of DR.. shultz he left here last Friday
for Geuda Springs. He went to the home
Of his brother-in-law, G. A Miller, in
Arkansas City, where he remained I'M
til Saturday evening and then went to
Geuda Springs. Sunday he came back
to Arkansas City and intended to return
here Sunday night but got worse and
was persuaded by Mrs Lewelling and
Mr. Miller to stay aver. Yesterday he
seemed to be improving but was still
unable to come home on the evening
train. The family retired at an early
hour Half past nine Mr. LewelIing grew
suddenly worse and called Mrs. Lewelling
who called Mr.. Miller and sent for ply
sician. Before he arrived the governor
was dead.
Nobody in Wichita knew the governor
was troubled with heart disease for to
everyone here he appeared in excellent
plain. Probably not a person in Wichita
outside of the family and DR. Shultz
knew he was i'll. AS soon as he told his
physician the trouble DR.. Shultz realized
the seriousness and advised the governor
to go to Geuda. take an absolute rest,
and refrain from engaging in any form
Of active labor or exercise that would
greatly increase the action Of the heart
Governor Lewelling being impatient in in
activity, went under protest He was
more seriously i'll than he knew and far
worse than his family suspected He
has been on the road for several weeks
for the Modern Tonties, travelling
through the heat and DIST, spending
great deal Of his time on the railway
trains and nearly all Of it in struggling
with exigencies of travel and a hard
life away from home. He Travelled over
a great part of Kansas, parts of Missouri
Oklahoma, Indian Territory and Texas.
He was always at work Nobody has
ever seen L. D. Lewelling idle. Before
he quit his little store away out on
East Douglas TO become governor OF
kansas, he put in longer hours and har-
der ticks than anybody he employed.
Few aw him 60 to his work for he
passed in the gray dawn. There are
hundreds who saw him bending over bar
rels and boxes and over a set Of accounts
when the lights had gone out in all the
buildings on either side.
The tide of a great political change IN
Kansas in 1892 swept him out of the lit
tie store. removed him from selling the
dozens Of eggs and pounds Of butter and
produce to debating great civic questions
and when the storm had passed left him
sitting in the highest place Of honor in
the gift Of Kansas people, in the gov
ernor' .chair. He was diligent here. The
ebb of the tide in 1894 took him back
again to private life and he took up his
work a his store. He pushed it to larger
scope and in a few years he had built up
an important dairy business with a line
Of creameries extending over Sedgwick
and Butler counties. was elected state |
senator from Sedgwick county in 1896 and
gave up his private business to serve the I
fifty days legislative term for finch Kan
sas pays no more than the bare expenses !
of living.
But he was always diligent here. He |
spent more hours in his committee room |
as ehairma nof the ways and means /
committee of the senate than any two /
other members Of the committee He lis |
tenede 10 requests of applicants for place, /
he heard the lobbyist for his pet meas /
ure after the regular work OF his com /
mjttee had been attended TO. He was the /
last man to leave the state house and /
going To his hotel at midnight or later
he was always ready To consult with /
party leaders upon some, party measure.
When the Populist special session Of
1898 was called Senator Lewelung worked
Increasingly for what Sle thought was a
wise railroad bill. Much as has been said /
OF the political theories of I.eweIlnE. he
was the balance wheel Of the PopuIist
senate Of 1896 and the extra session If I
1885. More than once on the railroad
question. on senate contests and on vari-
GUS pet party measures4 he prevented /
his brother Populist senator's from doing
radical things that would have brought
on them indignant public ridlcule and
greater party defeat.
He never grew impatient at the foolish
demands Of party associates and seldom
fretted under the censure Of political fol-
lowers. He worked for his partv's sue
tt+.N- fE''n t.t- AA44C4li4A engaged 20
strengthen his party's prestige He as
pired 70 be the nominee for governor in
1895. but when he was beaten hv John
W Leedy he took the field and divided
time between his business and the cam
paisn.
Rs Two years ago he disposed Of nearly
al his creamery business and sneDt
year at manual labor. putting OUT or 4
chards and vineyards and building i'm
provements on his farm. He got IL in
good shape and then moved TO the city.
and from here he has supervised its Gull
tivation
He became interested in the Ton-ies
and Tor several months has devoted near
ly al his time To work for the order. His
unremitting activity. his long hours in
the oloseness of a store. his late hours
at caucus and committee worw. his vro-l.
on the road have encroached on his re--a
life He was an inveterate smoker. b,,t
temperate IN every ether habit II life
save that q work. He came n wichita
In 1887 from Salem. Iowa. where he was
born fty-five years aso. He settled or
farm west % the city and later engaged