Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-05-09
LEGISLATIVE DOINGS.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MMMMMM@MMM

1ne past week mas been q BUSY
one at the capitol and consider
able work has been done. Every
thing seems now to indicate that
the legislature will adjourn the
l 1th of this month.
When the Senate was called to
order last Tuesday morning all in
the room were surprised and sad
dened by the following telegram
dated at Coloma and read by Sen
ator Riordan: ~Senator Fearne
died last night.
Senator Fearne had not been
very well for some time past and
he complained of illness when he
started home on Friday of last
week, yet no one had any idea
that he was seriously sick. But
grew worse rapidly and died
Monday evening.
After the reading of the tele-
gram appropriate resolutions
were adopted by both houses and
a committee Of five from each
| house was appointed to attend his
funeral on Wednesday afternoon.
The Senate, out of respect to the
memory of the deceased member
then adjourned for the day. In
the meantime the vacant chair
and desk lately occupied by Sen
otor Fearne we're draped in the
emblems of mourning.
The next day a special train
was chartered and nearly all the
state officers including Gov. La
Toilette almost every member
of the Senate and a large number
of the Assemblymen, with most
of the employees of both houses,
left Madison at 1890 O'Clock tC
90 to Coloma and show their re-
aspects for the dead Senator by
attending his funeral. Assem-
blyman Charles Barker, of Mil
waukee, former Methodist min
lister at Coloma, conducted the
services at the church and Sena
tor McGillivary: president pro
tenn of the Senate, took charge OF
the Masonic exercises at the
grave. The address given by
the Senator on that occasion will
long be remembered for the elo-
quence of it's exalted thought and
expression. The train arrived in
Madison that evening at 10
o'clock. The day was a perfect
one-an ideal May day-and
everything connected with the
sad event passed off in a manner
we'll befitting the occasion.
This funeral is said to have
been the only one of its kind in
the history of Wisconsin. | am
glad all this honor was paid to a
comparatively poor man. We
are apt to think that such special
regard is paid only to the rich.
It is not always SO.
When the Legislators started
from Madison big-hearted ''Char-
lie' Pettibone, Sergeant-at-arms
of the Senate, said that Senator
Fearne's chair trimmed with
crape-should 60. too; and so it
was carried in the procession at
Coloma to the little church and
set down by his coffin and near
Governor La Follette's seat.
This vacant chair beside the dead
Senator's coffin--the chair where
in though suffering, he had sat in
his appointed place of duty up to
almost the hour of his death-was
a most impressive object during
the funeral services. The next
day joint resolution passed both
houses presenting the chair, on
behalf of the state, to the family
of the late Senator.
| Last week, on Thursday morn
ing, the Senate, by a vote of II
to -, defeated the assembly
amendment to the Hagemeister
substitute for 73S Senator Mil
ler's primary election bill. On
the following day the assembly
after three hours of parliamentary
ssscrapping'' succeeding in pass
ing the Hagemeister substitute ;
and so that will 60 to the Govern.
or for his signature. The vote