The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-08-17
X-GOY. GEO. E. LOUNSBURY
DIED YESTERDAY AT HIS HOME
 IN RIDGEFIELD.

Features of the Career of the Deceased General Public sOrrOw-A Life of
 Usefulness and Honor.
 RidgeheId, Aug. 16-Hon. George E. Lounsbury, who was governor of Con necticut in 1899 and 1900. and who for many years was one of the most distin- guished men of this state, died at his home, fThe Hickories,' in Farmingville three miles from here, to-day. He died surrounded by the members of his im- mediate family. The ex-governor has been critically i'll for several weeks and for the past three days has been lying in semi-conscious state, his death be- ing expected. -- ..sr.-s .-.-. A sudden sinking spell occurred at 5:30 this morning and pr. R. w. Lowe, the family physician, was hastily sum- moned. He went at once to the home, but soon after his arrival death oc- urred. The deceased had been in poor health for long time.
 The cause of death is given as dia- betes. The ex-governor has been i'll for long period and recently went to the Adirondacks in hopes of improving his health. He was seriously affected while there and returned to his home in Ridgefield. where he had been seri- ously i'll since.
 By MT. Lounsbury's death the whole state shares with Ridgefield in the loss of a citizen whose kindliness and up- rightness had made him shining fig ure in social, civic and private life. He was a native of Pound Ridge, West chester county, N. r., being the fifth child of the late Nathan and Della Scofield Lounsbury. Though born out of the state he was virtually native of Connecticut, as his father and all of his immediate ancestors were natives of Stamford and he, when only a few months old came to Ridgefield to the farm which for over sixty years had been his home. His early education was that of a district school, a thor ough common school English education which has been, and is the lot of many ambitious boys in the Hill districts of the state. At the age of seventeen he began to teach in the public schools, an occupation which he followed for three successive winters while he worked on his fathers farm during the summer Self-prepared, he entered Yale college at the age of twenty and was gradua- ted therefrom in 1863 with the reputa- tion of brilliant scholarship and distin- guished honors Mr. Lounsbury having become an Episcopalian in his religious tendencies, entered the Berkeley school and was graduated in 1868, and for a year had charge of the Episcopal par ishes in Suffield and Thompsonville After taking deacor's orders he de clined to take the vows of the priest hood owing to throat trouble, which at that time threatened to become chronic and which would have prevented the delivery of sermons and public address es.
 He embarked in business with his brother, Phineas c. Lounsbury, who afterwards also became governor, and since that time had manufactured boots and shoes. the firm being that oi Lounsbury, Matthewson & Company, oi South Norwalk For upwards of twen- ty-six years the subject of this sketch devoted his entire time and energy to his business, repeatedly refusing to all low his name to be used for any polit- teal office. Tn 1894 the leisure which came with an acquired competence, he accepted the nomination for senator for the twelfth district and was elected by over 1,s0O majority. In the legislature of 1895 he was chairman of the com nlittee on finance, committee which
 
 both houses of the legislature accepted without dissenting vote it's reports or the finances Of the state. In 1896 he was reelected senator by over 2,700 ma. iority. He was chairman of the com mittee on humane institutions of the legislature of 1897 and again so guided his committee that it's ability and its clearness of comprehension in it's re. ports shone out conspicuousliy; in the fall of 1893 MT. Lounsbury was elected governor on the republican ticket Since the retirement from that office Mir. Lounsbury had lived quietly on hi; farm two miles east of this village, talk ing interest in state affairs only in ar advisory capacity. He was president and director of the Ridgefield Nation al bank and a stockholder in the Sa, wings bank.
 MT. Lounsbury was married in 1894 tt Mrs Francis Josephine Whedon, wht survives him. Late in the spring MT Lounsbury who had then been i'll fo some weeks went to a camp in the Ad irondacks in the hope of receiving ben eft from a change of air. He was ac , companied by his nephew, Georg, Lounsbury Rockwell, who was as a sor