The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-05

again by his physicians and friends that
 he was subjecting himself to too great
 a burden, but he refused to heed their counsel
 Intended to Retire.
 Having concluded the pressing work of the department and carried the in quiry to a. point where 1t passed from the hands of the department officials to the courts, it was his intention in a few
 months almost to yield to the admoni- tions of his friends and relinquish finally the cares and responsibilities of official life. Whether, If he had lived he would have remained at the head of the post office department to the end of the ad- ministration had not been determined definitely. It is understood the probabil- I'ities were that he would have resigned to take effect about the first of January. Mr Payne possessed ample wealth. He hoped that on leaving the department he could so arrange his business affairs as to be able to devote the remainder of his hitherto very active life to rest and recreation. He had promised his family and friends never again to undertake any work which might imperil his health. which for many years had not been good. Will Assume Duties Soon. It is the understanding now that MT. Cortelyou will assume the duties of post master general as soon as he can conyen- iently, after the close of the pending cam paign. It Is probable that he will enter the office about the first of December. although no date for the assumption of , his new responsibilities has been deter : : mined upon, even tentatively. since after the election 1t will take him some time to wind up the affairs of the campaign. and he may also desire to take at least brief rest
 l. In the interim the responsibilities of 1 directing the affairs of the postoffice de- I partment will devolve on Mir. Wynne, who has just returned with Mrs. Wynne and | their two young daughters from an ex- l tended trip to Europe. He will continue 1 as acting postmaster general until such
 time as the president may designate for | mally the successor of MT. Payne. 1t
 will be unnecessary, 1t is stated, to for
 mally designate MT. Wynne as the act 1 ing head of the department as by req 1 son of the position of first assistant post 1 ma ster general. he becomes actually the J chief of the postal service in the ab- 1 sence of or on the death of the postmaster
 general.
 News Received in Milwaukee. 1 Milwaukee, october 4.-News of the ], death of Postmaster General Payne, while l not unexpected. came as a shock to thou I sands of friends and acqualntances in Milwaukee. which had been his home I city for the past forty years
 | The news was flashed throughout the | city in extra papers which were eagerly bought and scanned by thousands who ! had eagerly watched the course of the l, postmaster generals condition, and were ] anxious to find how the final hours had [ been spent. Many were the expressions of | regret heard on every side. MT. Payne I spent most of his vacation in Milwaukee
 a few weeks ago, and during his short visit met many of his friends. At that time many thought he was not looking as we'll as they had been in the habit of l seeing him In the past, but none enter 1 tained the idea that he was then paying his last visit