The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-14
DEATH OF
Mr.. NELSON
WiChita'slVenerable Merchant
Passes Away
BURNING Of HIS HORSE
Contributed Largely TO His
Fatal Sickness.
FOR HALF A CENTURY
He Had Been a Member of
Odd Fellows Lodge.
BURNING Of HIS HORSE
FOR HALF A CENTURY

During the din of excitement caused
BY the Occidental livery stable fire two
weeks ago, a voice was heard saying:
Inside of a month. III bet S. Il. Nelsaa
will be dead"
This prediction has proven fearfully
accurate, for at 7:45 last evening Mr..
Nelson's spirit departed. His pet horse
was burning in that barn and the prophet
knew what it meant.
Mr.. Nelson owned the horse for years
ana never did animal and man so wen
understand each other.
Mr.. Nelson took sick Saturday night.
For ten days be had worried over the
fate Of his poor old horse-worried until
he became sick. His attending physician
says he died of "old age" and worry.
Mr.. Nelson was horn in Yorkshire,
England, on September 3, 1898. He came
to America forty-nve years ago and set
tied In Quincy. H.. where he opened 2
grocery store and built up in business
until he was one Of the strongest mer-
chants in the city. In 1861. he married
Miss Carrie Rowe, and for forty years
they have lived together.
Sixteen years ago they moved to Wich-
tia and Mr.. Nelson engaged in the queens
ware business. Three years ago he moved
back to Quincy, but he returned, saying
that town was too slow for a Wichita
man and reentered business here.
More than half a century ago Mr.. Mel
son joined the Cdd Fellows in England,
- A q
month ago, he became the oldest Odd
Fellow in Kansas. Members Of the order
were at his bedside when he died He
belonged to AIarquett lodge No. IS, Of
Quincy H.. but attended lodge meetings
here. frequently. on his visiting card
Funeral services win be held Thursday.
at the residence. AS North Lawrence
avenue The body viii be taken to
Quincy for final rest. but VIII probably
be placed in a vault here for some weeks.
Wichita viii mourn for the venera BILE
Mr.. Nelson. He loved the whole world
and everyone who knew him loved him.
His heart was always fun Of kindness
and his soul was perpetual sunshine. He
was the type CT man that Dickens. the
great delineator of human character,
would select and immortalize. He was
fun to overlooking with good humor and
his wit was the wit Of an Englishman.
lie was a good business man-safe, con-
serrative, polite, popular and honest.
He belonged to the cid school. He did
not wear out his life with the cares
which so often kill modern business men.
He was satisfied with reasonable share
of the trade in his line. He. like all bust
ness men of the old school. reduced bus
iness TO practically n fixed moderate in
come. with his methods he could not
become enormously rich, nor could he
fail His life was simple and his wants
were reasonable.
For years he could be seen riding dur
ing the summer evenings, with his wife,
behind that old favorite horse whose
tragic death FASTENED his journey to the
grave He smiled upon everybody His
was not the smile of polite Formally.
but the smile Of overlooking good nature
A few years ago one of the local photo
graphers took his picture with fishing
parapheaalia beside him. 1t was practi-
cally duplicate of the painting wait
ing for the Fishing Party" and it took
the first prize at the state exhibit. The
natural expression of the face was so
representative of the honest. kindly,
sturdy old man that even strangers
strove TO secure one of them.
Mr. Nelson was man or remarkably
liberal views He loved his native land
less than ne loved his adopted country
lie liked the liberal Institutions Of Amer
Tea He believed in the fatherhood Of
God and the brotherhood of man. Like
au kind men he was both charitable
and benevolent. He gave freely to every
worthy cause. He was modest about
his own good works and sought not ap-
plause. He was not only a Christian
in belief but he was "a Christian in spirit
His nature can best be understood by the
fact that the burning of his favorite
old horse hastened, if not actually caused
his death