Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-03-16

washington, March lU.---CongresS'
man George w. Croft, of the Second
South Carolina District, died here
this morning at 7.20 O'Clock after a
Lingering illness. Some weeks ago
there was, a slight abrasion on his
hand, caused by splinter, and while
not much attention was paid to it at
first, the wound became serious and
there was danger of blood poison.
A few days ago Mr.. Croft's friends
were rejoicing over a report that he
was steadily improving, although
there came relapse and the worst
was feared.
Mr.. Croft has been prominently
identified with Aiken county ever
since it became a county in. 1872.
He has always held the respect and
low of the people of this section be-
cause of what he has done.
There never has been citizen of
Aiken to whom the people have
looked up and upon whom they have
leaned as upon G. w. Croft. Besides
being one of the Oldest lawyers and
most prominent citizens, he has ever
exercised the most careful watch
over the welfare of the town and
county and he always advocated
what was best for his section.
Aiken county has honored him
more than once. He has been q
member of the South Carolina Sem
ate, and served two terms in the
House of Representatives,. He was
also twice elected president of the
South Carolina State Bar Associa-
ton.
Mr.. Croft was elected to the Fifty
eighth Congress from the Second
district in 1902, receiving 5,134 votes,
against 247 for w. S. Dixon, Repub-
lican. That he would have been a
good Representative of his people
all will declare. During his short
period of service he had already in
troduced several measures which
would have been of great benefit to
his district and his State.
Mr.. Croft was married to Miss
Florence Ethel Mcmahon, of Ala.
bama, April II, 1878. His wife and
6 sons survive. His sons are Theo-
dore G. Croft, his law partner; w.
Mcmahon Croft, Randall B. Croft,
now in Providence, r. l.; Laurie and
Edward Croft, students of South
Carolina College at Columbia, and
Mason Croft.
Congressman Croft's remains were
sent to Aiken tonight. The House
adjourned to-day out of respect to
his memory and the Speaker ap
pointed the following members to ac-
company the body and attend the
funeral: Representatives d. E. Fin
lay, Wyatt Aiken, J. T. johnson,
George S. Legare, r. B. Scarborough,
and A. f. Lever, all of South Caro-.
lima; Henry Loudenslager, New
Jersey Geo. r. Patterson, Pennsyl-
vania; William Richardson, Ala
bama; Frank A. McLain, Missis.
sippi; Henry A. Houston, Delaware
Charles II. Weisse, Wisconsin
Amos Fl. Jackson, Ohio, and Joseph
@. Sibley of Pennsylvania. The
funeral train left for Aiken at $50
tonight and will arrive at 1 O'Clock
tomorrow afternoon.
1t will be necessary for Goyerno,
Hayward to order special election
to fill the vacancy and the candidates
who appeared in the last primary
will make the race again.
The news of Congressman Croft'a
death was particularly distressing to
the Greenville colony in Washing
ton, as he spent many years of his
early life in that oity. He was a
brother of the late Col. Edwin Croft.
Congressman George William
Croft was born in Newberry county,
South Carolina, December 20, 1846,
His early education was at the com.
mon schools in Greenvillo, S. c., and
in 1868 he entered the South Caro-.
lima Military Academy at Columbia.
In 1864, when the Confederacy was
forced to supply it's thin ranks of its
army with the youths from college
and plow, Mr., Croft enlisted with
the cadets of the academy and con.
tinued to serve until the close of the
war. In 1866 and 1867 Mr.. Croft
attended the University of Virginia
and subsequently studied law unde,
Governor B. F. Perry at Greenville
and was admitted to the bar in 1869
and 1870 he located at Aiken, where
ne has continuously practiced hit
profession,
In Utah, they call it Mormonism
but in South Carolina it is the plair
old bigamy.
Intense Quantities of carp hav,
literally filled the river at Husting
ford, Wis, causing the saw mills ant
grist mills to shut down for severa
days, the fish getting into the wate