The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-14
PERCY D. NORTON DEAD.
FOR MANY YEARS HE WAS LEAD
ING CITIZEN OF TACOMA.
Was President of the City Council,
Treasurer and Manager of st.
Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. and
Active In Business Circles.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer.
TACOMA, April l3.-Percy d. Norton,
president OF the city council, who has
been dangerously I'll for two days, died at
an early hour this morning.
n special meeting Of the council was
called at , o'clock this afternoon and l..
+. sampson chosen president for the re-
matnder OF the term. which expires next
Tuesday. when the new COUNCIL Is organ
lied. This action was deemed necessary
on account OF the absence from the city
OF Mayor Nickeus, thus leaving the gov
eminent without an executive.
a committee was appointed to draft
suitable resolutions Of respect and sor-
row. to report at the meeting Tuesday.
Mr.. Norton was acting treasurer and
principal manager of the ST. Paul e. Ia
coma Lumber Company, to which he de-
voted his energies, though he was also
Interested in many other enterprises in
which he was director. trustee. etc He
was treasurer Of the Wnkeson Coal 4
Coke Company and a director in the Ia
coma Land Il Improvement Company. the
successor Of the old Tacoma Land Com
pany. He had been a member of the
city council for five years and for the
last three years its president. He was
one of the half dozen most prominent
men In Tacoma and was more actively
engaged than any other man In work
for the public good. His duties as coun-
Gilman only added to his labors a mass
of detail work from which he would
gladly have been relieved. His friends
and the business public generally in
sisted that he retain his seat for the pub
lie good. For the same reason he con-
sented TO serve as a director of the re-
organized Tacoma Land Company, a
thankless position, having for it's object
the conservation of the company's prop
erty and it's management to the best in
teregts of the city His zeal for the public
welfare Is understood when II Is known
that he received no compensation from
this company though he devoted many
hours OF hard labor to It's affairs.
Mr. Norton had charge OF Senator Fos-
ter's campaign at Olympia, a year ago
last January. He caught a severe cold at
Olympia, and after Senator Foster was
elected, went to California with his wife
on his first vacation trip in years. He had
only reached there when he was recalled
by a telegram from Col. Griggs request
ing his return 10 manage the company's
defense to a lawsuit. On his return trial
Of the suit was postponed for year, but
fornia TO take his rest. He was literally
a victim of overwork. He did not take
70 his bed until Wednesday. when It was
found he was suffering from diabetes. II
was not until yesterday that his condi-
ton was found to be alarming
Before coming to Tacoma, twelve years
ago. Mr.. Norton was manager of the
Nogales smelter in Arizona. going there
from Kaukauna, Wis. wnere he was
engaged i'm numbering in connection with
his brother-in-law. Henry Hewitt. jr.
moving to Wisconsin with his parents
when a boy. At l6 years OF age he be-
came messenger in the First National
bank of Menosha. and later cashier of
the institution. He was only a years of
age, and supposedly in the prime Of life
He leaves a widow, three daughters and
son.
The funeral will be held from his late
residence Sunday afternoon.