River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-05-08
POTTER PALMER DEAD.
Well-Known Chicago millionaire
succumbs to Attack of
Heart Disease.


100 Lake Shore drive, at $3.50 o'clock
Sunday evening. The end of so years
of useful and honorable life in the
financial and social world of Chicago
came almost unexpectedly to the
members of his family. Although
suffering for some three weeks with
a stomach ailment, Mr.. Palmer's con-
dition had not been regarded as eX-
tremely serious, even by the family
physician, DR.. Henry B. Favill. Mr..
Palmer had been confined to his bed
during most of this period, but even
with his 76 years of age DR.. Favill be-
l1eved when he saw him last Sunday
morning that there was no occasion
for alarm.
Sunday afternoon Mrs. Palmer no.
ticed symptoms of sinking in Mr..
Palmer and became much alarmed.
Members of the family were unable
to locate DR.. Favill at his residence,
but as he had left word that in case
OF an emergency DR.. George p. Mar
quls should be called the latter was
immediately summoned. He reached
L
and after a brief examination of the
patient advised Mrs. Palmer he could
hold out no hope. Mr.. Palmer lay in
his own room, his favorite room, stu
ated on the second floor of the resi-
dence, in front and overlooking the
lake, of which he was exceedingly
fond. He had seemed to fall asleep
+ - II IA RI
Inconsistencies, and so he remained
until the end, his face turned toward
the waters to whose shore charms he
had added so much during his years
of greatest activity. All the members
of his family and immediate relatives
were gathered at his bedside with the
exception of Mrs. Palmer's mother,
Mrs H. III. Honore, whose feeble state
of health made it impossible for her
to come.
Just after Mr.. Palmer's death, DR..
Favil arrived at the residence. DR..
Favill was astonished at the sudden
ness of his patients death. After a
brief conference with DR.. Marquis he
announced that death was due to heart
order of the lungs that gave some in
dication of incipient pneumonia, pos
sibly brought on by an attack of grip
suffered several months ago, but not
sufficient to have brought the speedy
end Funeral arrangements will be
made to-day.
AS the owner of the Palmer house,
Do Iolx In
before his wealth placed him in the
front rank of Chicago's citizens. His
fortune is estimated at $10,000,000, in
vested almost entirely in Chicago real
estate, in which he was always firm
believer. In the matter of public i'm
provements, Mr.. Palmer probably left
a greater impress on the Chicago of to-
day than any other man that has called
the city his home. He was gifted with
that foresight which not only enabled
him to forecast with accuracy the trend
of the growth of the town, but per-
mitted him to do a great deal toward
shaping the course it took. The monu-
ments which will stand in his memory
as long as the city shall endure are the
great retail mart in State street, the
Lake Shore drive, and the South Park
system. When Chicago arose from the
ashes of the fire of 1871 and rebuilt
the business portion with celebrity
which made the world marvel, Mr..
Palmer was among the leaders whose
faith and hope never left them.
The present proportions of State
street were forced through by Mr.
Palmer in the face of strong opposi-
ton among his business associates,
who had no favor for the change from
Lake street, which then was the center
of industry, to the ill-built thorough
fare running to the open prairie on the
south. With one stroke he obtained
possession of mile of State street
frontage, put the building line back
many feet, and after the fire succeeded
in getting his line made permanent
The Lake Shore drive was discov-
cred by him amid wilderness of sand
dunes, stunted willows, and pools of
stagnant water. He planned a beauti-
full residence there, then far from any
other inhabited street. By buying up
the lake frontage in large sections and
selling only to men who would assist
him in his aims, the drive, which is
known all over the world, was made
possible. At the present time there
are blocks of large stone residences
standing removed from the thickly set
tied streets which he built to develop
the made lands on the north shore.
Mother and Child Drowned.
West Newton, Pa, May 5.-A skiff
containing four grown people and
child was overturned in the Youghio-
gheny river here Sunday and two were
drowned The dead are: Mrs. Fred
Landsparger and her son, aged four
wears. Besides Mr.. and Mrs. Land
-. 20 moon. n,nd con Mics Ma coia Her7ir o.