The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-03-21
Ex-PRESlDENT
HARRISON
PASSES AWAY AT HIS HONE
IN INDIANAPOLIS-A
VICTIM OF PNEU-
MONIA.


IIvSV n kUWb ANU uUNVhHokE ONn6eu
He Served HE Country Well In War and
In Peace Born . Farmer hoy lie Rose
to be President- Wa sixty-Eixht Years
Of Ago.
Ex-President Benjamin Harrison
died at his home In indianapolis,
Ind, March 18th, surrounded by
the immediate members Of the fam
lily and his physicians. General
Harrison's illness dated back only q
week from his demise A severe
cold developed into . virulent at
tack of pneumonia, which caused
his death. 1t is said that his last
thoughts were of the Boer war, and
it is evident that the struggle Of the
South African people for liberty
had made deep impression upon
his mind and had awakened his
sympathies. The ex-President was
In his sixty-ninth year, and had
lived a long and honorable career.
The Associated Press correspondent
gives the following information
concerning his life:
"Benjamin Harrison's citizenship
has always been identified with In-
diana, but he was born in North
Wind, Ohio, on August 20, 1888,
and spent the fret twenty years of
his life in that State. His grandta-
ther, the President, died poor
man. His father was farmer who
passed as well-to-do. General Lew
Wallace, in his biography Of Benja-
min Harrison, says that the farm
was good one and properly kept
up. John Scott Harrison was in
dustrious and generous. He made
his limited means suffice to furnish
his children with no inconsiderab BILE
education. His wife was, General
Wallace says, "a most devout Chris
tian women, of remarkable sweet
ness Of temper and spirit pervaded
the house, The excellent quality
of Benjamin Harrison's home train
ing may he inferred from that.
What his early days were like in
general has been told by the late ca
Congressman Butterworth who wri-
ting to friend on The subject said:
"Young Harrison learned enough
at the country school to enter Farm
ers' College at College Hill near Gin
cinnati going from there to Miami
University at Oxford, Ohio, from
which he was graduated when Is
years old. w. p. Fi-hback, law
partner of Benjamin Harrison for
seven years, is authority for the
statement that young Harrison lett
Farmers College because he had be
come senamored of an interesting
young lady whose father, DIR. Scott,
had established school for young
ladies at Oxford Miss Caroline w.
Scott became Mrs. Harrison less than
three years later.
"Young Harrison's school days
ended with a brief law course in
Cincinnati. He married Miss Scott
and went to Indianapolis, where he
put out his 'shingle' in 1854 and
where his home was thereafter to be
Politics and the law went hanG
in hand for most young lawyers In
the West in those days, and Harrison
plunged into the thick Of the figh
which the new born Republican par
ty was waging. His abilities as I
speaker caused demand for his scr
vices, and it was only a matter o.
time, party managers saw, when h
would himself be a candidate TO
office. The opportunity came il
1869, the year of Lincoln's cam
paign, when Harrison Was nominatet
for Reporter Of the Supreme Court
Harrison was elected to the Office O
Reporter for four years, but tw'
years afterward he lost the place b,
accepting commission in the army
When he returned from the war
it was to take up the duties of Re
porter of the Supreme Court. HI
declined denomination in 1868
and devoted himself to the prsctic
of. his profession for eight years
without politi al diversion.
4 General Harri> on returned to pol
itics in 1876, when he became tn
Republican candidates for Governor
but was defeated. In the following
year President Hayes appointed hin
to the Missississippi River Commil
sion, and the knowledge that h
gained as result of the appoint
ment was helpful to him later In tn
Senate.
General Harrison entered the Ser
ate In 1881, and was a useful men
Der. During the 47th and 48t
Congresses he entered into variou
> discussions of civil service reforI
. and made several speeches agains
the Blair Educational bill.
He announced himself an advt
: cate Of civil service reform. He sal
in a campaign speech while he WI
} Senator that his experience at Wash
3 ington had led him to wish that b
| "might forever be relieved Of an
i. connection with the distribution {
public patronage"
: General Harrison's election to tt
e Presidency over Grover Clevelan
!, In 1888, and the events of his sal
sequent career are well known
!. the reading public.
The Planters' Warehouse, togetl
), ier with 900 bales of cotton, at Bi
mingham, Ala.,. burned Thursda.
=