Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-02-20
RALPH STRONG
PASSED AWAY
Untimely Death Of a Most
Brilliant Writer.
HE DIES OF MENINGITIS
A Promising Career in His Chosen ProfeS
sion is Cut Short by Death.

the Los Angeles Herald, passed away
Feb'y 7th at the California Hospital,
Los Angeles. His death was due to
meningitis, produced by a matoid alb
scess that had originated in the mid
die ear. An operation was performed
January 28th, but he did not recover
as the surgeons hoped. TO relieve
the intense pain a second operation
was undertaken from which he never
regained consciousness.
The final services were complete in
detail, the work of loving friends and
associates. Around and upon the
casket were nine beautiful and elab-
crate floral pieces, tributes from all
the daily papers in Pasadena and Los
Angeles, besides remembrances from
personal friends. The beauty and
significance of the Episcopal ritual
was brought out with peculiar force
and meaning.
Nh, Joseph Scott, a lawyer and in
innate friend, delivered a touching
eulogy on Ralph's life and character;
the example he set in steadfast ad-
herence to duty and principle; a fit
ting tribute, lovingly given.
His ~favorlte hymns, ''Abide with
Me- ''How gentle Gods Commands"
and ''Crossing the Barr were sung.
The remains were cremated at Rose
dale cemetery.
Few newspaper writer's in Califor-
MIA possessed a wider circle of friends
and acquaintances than did Ralph
West Strong. His range of work ex-
tended to San Francisco and Sacra-
mento, as we'll as in every city of the
south. In four years he won for him
self all enviable and deserved reputa-
ton as a picturesque and forceful
writer.
He possessed the keenest insight
into human nature. He believed that
every seamy phase of life had its
bright spot, and this he searched for
and gave expression to with unfailing
intuition. Perhaps the best work he
ever did was during an eleven weeks
trip to Honolulu undertaken at the
Instance of the Scripps-McRae COM
bination of newspapers; yet there
was no newspaper work which he
could not undertake and perform
cleverly and thoroughly.
The young man come to California
in search of health, which he surely
gained, for Nature blessed him with
the physique of an ideal athlete. His
first work in. the southland was at
Pasadena as City Editor on the News.
Later, he conducted a weekly paper
of his own, but gave this up to &C
quire more experience as an itinerant
correspondent, and represented Cali
fornia journals at the State legisla-
ture. Ha was called to Los Angeles
four years ago by the Record, and
later he became a member of the
Herald staff, being called upon at diff
ferent times to perform the work of
all the various editorial departments.
He had the confidence and esteem of
every one of his associates.
He was extraordinarily versatile,
having worked in all departments of
newspapers, but excelled as a writer,
producing epigrams and metaphors
that are yet paraphrased throughout
the United States. His style was
quaint and inviting, developing sun
shine out of misery, being an optimis-
tic philosopher, strlck down in the
flower of his manhood to be mourned
by hundreds.
Ralph belonged to an old and we'll
connected family. His father and
three uncles we're naval officers and
one, Edward L. Strong, holds the
rank of Rear-Admiral retired. His
parents reside at Lancaster, Wis, and
his sister, Miss Helen Strong, lives in
Chicago.
One who had known him long and
we'll said of him:
''People say it takes nobility of
character to be a good loser-I say
the test is to be a good winner, and
Ralph was that. | have never known
of another case where the death Of a
young mar was so universally
mourned, not only by the most prom
inent men in the community, but by
detectives and newsboys-they all
knew him to be a loveable fellow.
Had he lived, Ralph would have had
a brilliant career, but after all, |
think the greatest success is to have