Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-09
A NOTABLE DEATH ROLL.
The Country Loses Some of Its Best Men This
Week From Various Spheres of Usefulness


Week From Various Spheres of Usefulness
Potter Palmer, one of Chicago's mos
prominent business men, died Sunda,
of heart failure. In the great fire o
1871, 32 buildings owned by him were
destroyed at loss of S3,000,000 in
Guiding the Palmer house, which ht
afterward rebuilt at cost of g, 900, 600
His fortune, mostly in real estate hold
ings, is estimated today at S25, 600. 900.
The Palmer home, ON the Lake Shore
drive, is the most costly and luXur-
ious in Chicago. His widow was for
merly Bertha Honore, since world S
fair commissioner and the social lead
er of Chicago. He leaves two sons,
Honore and Potter Palmer, Jr,
Francis Bret Harte, the famous
American author, died in London Mon
/ day night of hemorrhage due to a
throat affection. He had lived Sc
cluded life in England for years. He
was born in Albany, N. Y, in 1882 and
in his youth went to the California
gold mines. Later he engaged in news
paper work on the Golden Era, as a
typo and later as an editor. He was
afterward editor of the San Francisco
Californian and the Overland Monthly.
1t was for the latter publication that
he wrote 1.-THE Luck of Roaring Camp"
which established his reputation.
Stories and poems have since flowed
rapidly from his pen. He has contrib
uted to the Atlantic Monthly and to
several New York journals, making his
home in New York from 1871 to 1878
when he was appointed consul to Gre
field, Germany, by Pres. Hayes and in
1880 he was transferred to Glasgow.
This position he held till 1885. Since
then he has lived for the most part in
London. Bret Harte has been called
the originator of short stories. Among
his famous creations are: 1.-The Out
casts of Poker Flat, an Hiss, ""Ten-
nessee's Pardner' and THE Heather
Chinee. ~
Congressman Amos j. Cummings of
New York died at the Church Home in
Baltimore, Md. Friday night, of pneu
monia following an operation for kid
ney trouble. Mr.. Cummings began life
as printer, was afterward editor on
several papers and from 1869 to 1872
managing editor of the New York Sun.
From 1872 to 1876 his Florida letters to
the Sun reached a world wide circula-
ton. He had charge later of the Even
ing Express, and in 1889 was elected to
Congress. On March II following he
became the editor of the Evening Sun.
Here he remained until the opening of
Congress in December. 1t was Mr.. .
Cummings who got out the first sport
ing edition of the evening newspaper. (
He declined a denomination for Con /
gress in 1883, but in the fall of 1889
was elected to fill the vacancy caused /
by the death of Sunset Cox, and he .
was reelected and had served continu-
ously since then. In Congress Mr.. /
Cummings was an active supporter of .
all measures brought before the House .
in the interest of labor He was mem
Der Of the New York Typographical .
Union No. for more than 40 years
Mr.. Cummings was an ardent support
er of the Mills bill and a determined
opponent of the Mckinley bill and the
Force bill.
Rear-Admiral William n Sampson,
'etired died at his Washington home
Tuesday of cerebral hemorrhage. He
lad been an invalid since the close of
he Spanish war, had been in semi
conscious condition for several days
md was unconscious when he died.
William Thomas Sampson was born in
Palmyra, n. Y, February ., 1910, of
scotch Irish stock, and was a poor
10Y. Only his own great energy and
persistence carried him to the high po-
iton he held in the service of his t
ountry. His rank in mathematics in I
be public schools gave him the APP I
ointment to the naval academy at An I
apolis which he received in 1857. He c
raduated at the head of his class and t
18th, it is said, the highest scholarly 5
ever attained by any student |
4 the history of the academy. He adj a
anced rapidly from master to lieuten C
nj and first attracted attention by his t
ravery as executive officer on the Pa t
ipsco, when that vessel was blown up n
Y a torpedo in Charleston harbor in t
565. He made mark for himself in n
avail science and torpedo work. He n
as made a lieutenant commander in W
'66, and was instructor at the naval s
,ademy from 1865 to 1871. He served o
4 the Congress in 1872 and 1873, and u
1874 was made a commander and as Il
gned to the Alert From 1876 to 1873 s.
= was again at the naval academy, W
I'd in 1856 was made superintendent a
the naval academy while still com a
ander. He received his captains com a
ission in 1889 and in 1893 became II
lief of the bureau of ordnance. When CO
lie Maine was blown up in Havana h
arbor Capt. Sampson was chosen to a.
, president of the court of inquiry IL
e returned to Washington with the IL
port and was almost Immediately te
aced in command of the North At c
ntic fleet. He was in command dur al
G all the operations in West Indian W
iters. After his return to Washing Ii
Il he was placed in charge of the Bos- to
n navy yard where he remained until tt
s health failed. He was made rear fe
miral in September, 1898, given de- in
ee of LII. ID. by Harvard in 1899, was
lieved of duty owing to poor health, If
:tober l, 1901, and retired for age s,
sbruary 8, 1902. He was twice mar m
I'd and had two sons and four daugh- W.
RS. His wife, who was Miss Susan M
lrling, has broken down under the h.
rvous strain of his long illness. th
Michael Augustine Cor mi
ran, who was supposed to be recOy- TO