The Topeka state journal., 1902-04-28
DEATH CLAIMS
J. S. MORTON.
Great Tree Planter Succumbs
to a Long Illness.
Had Completed His Three Score
and Ten Years.
LEAVES FOUR SONS.
Father of Second Vice President
of Santa Fe.
Served as Secretary of Agricul-
ture in Cleyeland's Cabinet.

Chicago, April 2S.-J. Sterling Morton.
ex-seeretary of agriculture died at 4.30
O'Clock Sunday afternoon at Lake For
est, at the home of his son. Mark Nor
ton. For several weeks Mr. Morton had
been gradually falling The nature of
his sickness had not been determined,
and a week ago he was brought from
his home at Nebraska City. Neb., to
Lake Forest, for medical attention. The
change brought no Improvement. and
he failed gradually until death came.
The arrangements for the funeral are
incomplete, but it has been determined
that services Will be held in Lake Forest
at O'Clock Tuesday afternoon, after
which the body viii be removed to Mr.
Morton's country home at Arbor Lodge,
near Nebraska City, Neb., where ser
vices viii be held Wednesday afternoon
at 2 o'clock
ILL SINCE NOVEMBER.
The illness of Mr. Morton began last
Noven Der, when he contracted COLI
while speaking at the stock show in Chi
cago. The cold ran into an attack of "a
grippe and Mr.. Morton was in hospl-
tai for some time When he was able to
do SO he returned to his home in Ne
braska City, where he suffered a re-
lapse. After a partial recovery he left,
early in March, for the City OF Mexico
expecting To regain ms nedlI0.
He suffered severely on the return
journey and reached his home with his
general health much impaired. Three
weeks go Mr.. Morton returned to Chi
cago in the hope of securing the SER
vices of a specialist. The condition of
his throat became aggravated and q
week go he suffered an attack of apo
plexy. From this last attack he rallied
but little.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Ta11i47S Cfarff1ey kFOvter, was ho1-l1 in
Adams, jefferson county, New York
April p. 1892. His parents removed to
Ann Arbor, Mich, where he attended
the public schools A few years later
and young Morton entered Union col
lege.
Shortly after he was graduated at the
age of % years, Mr.. Morton married
Miss Caroline Jay French The young
couple made a wedding trip to the west,
and when it was finished they settled
down in Bellevue, Neb. They subse-
ouently removed to Nebraska City,
where Mr. Morton assumed the editorship
of the Nebraska City News position
which he held for several years.
Mr.. Morton, in speaking Of his career
in Nebraska once said to a reporter:
Following our marriage my wife and I
began life on the quarter section of land
I call my home. 1 myself pre-empted
Arbor Lodge in April, 1857. Here we
strOVe to establish and make attractive
/ comfortable and comforting human
home for our four sons, Jay, Paul, Mark
and Carl.
I was twice in the territorial legis-
lature: in 1858 I was secretary and act
| ing governor of Nebraska. In 1860 I was
elected to congress by fourteen majority
over sam G. Daily but he contested the
seat and secured it during the second
session of the Thirty-seventh congress
In 1866 I was nominated for governor
| by the Democratic state convention, and
was defeated Mrs. Morton besought me
I e,F+ hn,1 IN
unsuccessful Democratic candidate for
United States senator. I promised her
that 1 would, and so long as she lived I
declined to accept a nominal ton
Mrs. Morton died in 1881 In the
! autumn of 1882 I was nominated for
governor, and ran on tariff reform
platform and received 2SOO0 votes. In
! 1884 I was again nominated as the Dem
ceived 81 600 votes
Mr. Morton, in attacking protection,
/ once said: The protective tariff gives
castles in Scotland to its garnegies, and
bayonets, bullets and jails to their dis
| contented workmen."
Mr. Morton was actively and usefully
/ interested in agricultural and horticul-
tural work, and served as president of
the state board in charge of these in
dustries. He was the originator of
Arbor day.
ular members of President Cleveland's
! cabinet. He was appointed in 1892. One
of his sons. Paul Morton. is second vice
president of the AtchisOn, Topeka &
/ Santa F'e railway
Mr. Morton was a man of steadfast
/ convictions, unswerving honesty and
1 undoubted ability. By nature a contro-
versalist he entered the cabinet with
many fixed ideas about the government
service He was a practical farmer and
ran his department along practical
! lines. but nevertheless, not without
many squabbles. He regarded the dis
tribution of seeds as paternalistic. and
! on that subject found himself in op
! position to congress
As the author of Arbor day his con
stant motto was to plant trees hav-
| ing it stamped in large letters under a
picture of tree on his stationery. He
was an inveterate letter writer. He
found keen enjoyment in answering the
communications from farmers and It
was no unusual occurrence for him to
call newspaper men into his Office 10
read the answers he was writing to
farmers. often giving out portions of
them for publication
The ex-secretary was exactly 20 years
I old. He was of Scotch-English descent.
/ Mr. Morton was connected editorialIy
with the Detroit Free Press and the
Chicago Times, and then located in
Nebraska. He was a stalwart gold
man and had an early falling out with
William J. Bryan, whose political aspi-
rations he vigorously opposed
Temperatures of Large Cities.