The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-03
DEATH OF Polly CARP
MRS. SARAH WGRTHINGTON. WHOSE
PEN NAME WAS ONCE
WIDELY KNOWN
WRITER FOR EARLY PRESS
She Was on the Chicago Times Dur
ing Storey Regime, and the
Globe In Its In
fancy.

After a protracted illness the life his
tory of Mrs Sarah Worthington closed
at her late residence, AL North street,
at IL a. M. yesterday.
Womanly and ladylike in every re-
spect, she at one time attairied a prom
inence in this community through her
brilliant writings, which entities her de-
parture to more than the usual passing
comment on such occasions.
Mrs Worthington came to Minnesota
as Sarah Cahill while it was still ter
ritory. Gen. James Shields, the first
United States senator from Minnesota,
elected in 1858, had established a town
near Faribault, which he named Shields
vile. Gen. Shields son, having married
a sister of Mrs. Worthington, she was
induced to come to the territory and 10
cate at Shieldsville. AS Gen. Shields
was the storm center of Minnesota poll
tics at this place Miss Cahill (who later
became Mrs. Worthington) early became
familiar with Minnesota politics and poll
ticians, and never ceased to continue IA
miliar with that topic until i'll health
precluded her reading newspapers.
After her marriage to Mr.. Worthing
ton she removed to Chicago, where she
became acquainted with Wilbur F.
Story editor and proprietor of the Chica-
go Times. Mr.. Story was a most excel
lent judge of newspaper talent and he
at once recognized Mrs. Worthington as
not only a brilliant writer, but also as
woman who kept thoroughly abreast with
all of the topics of the times The re-
suit was that she became valued writer
upon the Times staff, and the Times at
that time was recognized as the
leading newspaper of Chicago Her mar
ried life was cut short by the death Of
Mr. Worthington, over thirty years ago.
She returned to Minnesota with an in
FAINT son, locating in st. Paul, where she
has ever since resided.
Aside from her talent as a writer,
she was as accomplished a pianist as
any one who ever came to st. Paul 9TH
er than professionals. Her talent as a
musician, her fine conversational powers
and great fund of information, historical,
literary, political, religious and current,
as we'll IS her earnest interest in st.
Mary's church, Of which she was a de-
vout member, brought about her circle
of warm friends who sought her COM
partnership. While there are friends to-
day and enemies tomorrow, her friends
were friends for life, because they rec
ognized her inherent worth, and the cir
Gle was only broken as death called.
The tribute which she many times paid
to those who had departed showed the
bond of friendship which had existed.
Prior to the sale of the Dispatch, in
1876, Mrs Worthington was a writer for
that paper, and when the G o b was
started, in 1878, became one of the staff,
her writings for the Sunday G e be-
coming one of the prominent and at
tractive features. She continued a writ
er on the paper until the G l o b e passed
into other hands in 1885, after which she
did but little, If any, newspaper work.
Perhaps the newspaper work she did
which attracted the most attention Was
a series" of articles she wrote for the
Chicago Times, while also writing for
the G b e, over the signature of POLY
Carp" Hundreds Of copies of the Times
would be sold in st. Paul whenever one
of POLY Carp's'' articles appeared, and
newsdealers frequently exhausted the
home supply by extra calls. The arti-
cles had local applications which were
greatly relished.
Mrs Worthington's mind was a perfect
storehouse of information, indicating eX-
tensive reading, and her gift of Ian
guage was such as but few writer's pos
sess. Her style was strong, but always
graceful and dull line never came
from her pen.
A acknowledgements her. and a
nephew-James Shields-has resided with
her for many years. Nearly three years
ago her son entered the navy for term
of service which has nearly expired,
ana she had Deen Iondly looking forward
to the reunion, which now will never
be. The last years of her life were made
doubly depressing by her own ill-healt
and the death of many friends, so that
when, on yesterday, conscious to the
last, she quietly and painlessly closed
her tired eyes, she was ready for the
change. The esteem and admiration in
which she was held will be best uttered
by the keen sorrow of the friends,
other than kindred, who survive.
The remains will be taken to Fart
bault this morning, where funeral SER
vices will be held today and the inter-
ment will take place at her first Mime
sofa hime-Shieldsville.
For a Cold in the Head