Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-28
Illness Dates Back Several Months aud
Decline Unchecked from First,
EATH is DUE TO CEREBRAL THRoMBUs
Stroke of Apoplexy Last Week HsstCnsd
End Of Noted Nebraskan.
WILL BE BURIED At HIS OLD HOME
Remains Leave Lake Forrest Tuesday
Afternoon for Family Residence,
Arbor Lodge, Near Me-
braska city.

| CHICAGO, April 27.-Hon. ]. Sterling Nor
| ton, former secretary Of agriculture. died
at 4:30 this afternoon at Lake Forest, at
| the home of his son, Mark Morton.
For several weeks Mr.. Morton had been
| gradually failing.
The interment will be at Nebraska City.
special train bearing the remains of Mr..
Morton and members of his family and
| friends will leave Lake Forest at o'clock
! Tuesday afternoon for Nebraska City.
Death was due to cerebral thrombus. Mr..
Merton began ailing several months ago and
| in hopes that a change OF climate would re-
store his health ne went to the City OF Mex
| leo, accompanied by his son, Paul Morton,
vice president Of the Santa Fe road. MIR.
Morton continued to grow worse in the
southern country and six weeks ago he re-
turned to his old home in Nebraska. He
then returned to Chicao, where It was be-
! lieved he would have better medical atten-
| tion. After he arrived here he improved
somewhat, and 1t was thought he would en-
| tirely recover. Last week he suffered a
stroke of apoplexy. from which he never re-
covered. He suffered a second stroke today
and, as he had become so weak from his
| long sickness, 1t proved fatal. His three
sons, Paul Morton. Joy Morton and Mark
| Morton, were at the bedside when the end
| came.
Wife Credited with ArbOr Day.
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., April 81
! Especial Telegram WORD was received
here this afternoon that Hon. ]. Sterling
Morton, ex-secretary OF agriculture, had
died at the home OF his third son, Mark,
| in Lake Forest ILL.,, this afternoon at
4:30 o'clock, after on illness Of several
months. Last Tuesday was his SEVENTEEN
birthday and the usual celebration was
omitted here out of respect to Mr.. Morton's
| condition. The fact that he was in a
dangerous condition was not generally
known here, as the reports from his bed
side were to the effect that he was doing
nicely and the specialists who had charge
Of the case reported that they expected to
have him out and about In short time.
The news OF his death came as shock to
every one and tonight groups OF men may
be seen standing about the streets with
sorrowful faces talking in subdued tones
| of the friend that had gone.
| He came to Nebraska in 1854 and settled
! with his wife on the farm that has been
his home ever since and which, by the
| force OF the man, has become known
throughout the country. The first Arbor
Day celebrated at this home by the
family long before 1t became a world holl-
day. The conception of Arbor Day was
one Of the flashes of genius which Eir.
Morton always attributed to his wife. n
was to her also that Arbor Lodge owes
| It's name, but to Mr.. Morton belongs the
fame that has been shed from its hospita.
| BILE doors. On this farm the four sons
! Joy, Paul, Mark and Carl were born and
grew up to carry the name of Morton out
into the world. Joy Morton is now one OF
the powerful figures in Chicago finance.
| Paul Morton is vice president of the Santa
Fe railroad and Mark is at the head OF
several Of the great Morton industries.
Carl the youngest and best loved, Is dead.
| having passed away at Waukeegan, ILL.,, a
year ago last January.
Ever since his coming to Nebraska J.
Sterling Morton has been a mighty factor
| in the development OF the state. A man
Of powerful physique and more powerful
mentally, he has brought his whole
strength to bear on the problem OF con-
verting the trackess plain into a garden
of plenty. How we'll he has wrought can
be seen by a glance at the highly culti-
| waited acres at Arbor Lodge. How thor
| oughly he is loved can be seen tonight IN
the sorrowful faces OF the men and women
who walk quietly through the streets.
Helpful TO Young Men.
The young men Of Nebraska are more
particularly indebted TO Mr.. Morton. To
them he has ever been resource upon
which they might draw for help
in getting a start in the world
and all over the United States are
young men and women who are winning
for themselves golden honors, aud who,
were they asked for the keynote to their
success would say that to J. Sterling Nor
ton they owed their start and the incentive
| to go on and win. He has said to them ali
the secret Of all successes was work, work.
work
His own life was an example Of the value
Of this maxim that was constantly before
them. A man OF the most catholic lasts
and the widest scholarship, he welcomed
all men, and particularly young men, to
come to him for advice and help. The
strength OF his convictions were such that
when he had settled in his own mind the
right and wrong of a matter 1t was almost
impossible to change him and no amount
OF abuse could swerve him an inch from
the course he had laid down.
Upon his retirement from public life he
organized and started the Conservative. and
about one year ago he purchased the Tri-
bune. an evening paper The Overland
theater. one OF the neatest and most COM
plete playhouses in the west was erected
by him that the people Of Nebraska City
might have the educational advantage Of
such an institution. He was interested In
a number OF other industries that are now
in course OF construction or only being cor
templated. among them being q cremstore
which was one OF his pet ideas.
The news Of his death was snnou.LNS
from the pulpits OF the various chHce. }
ttis evening. And ra
The remains will be brought BIZ rE.f Y
burial. and the funeral will taked TO 5,
Wednesday afternoon. when all
business in the city will be cloSa, nSv9Y, stslg,
respect TO our greatest eitizensps Of m0n
more. hlaAder Dis
He had been ailing ever sirtc1Sss. San-
OF his son Carl, who had bee a. Rox 7ss
companion since the deaths batWoSn Far
| as0hfaan vaara hagora IaaA1A- AEH