Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-07-28

his daughter Frances sent a message to
Grover Cleveland conveying the sad
news.
The funeral of Mr.. Lamont will be
held on Wednesday at 1870 p. M, at
Altamont, the Lamont home at Mill
interment will be in Woodlawn cemetery,
New York city.
North Sandwich, n. H. July "a
When Informed early today of the death
of former Secretary of War Daniel S.
Lamont, former President Cleveland,
who is spending tie summer at his coun-
try home in this village, was deeply af-
fected. Upon hearing the news Mr.
Cleveland said:
mo death outside the circle of my own
family could have affected me more. In
private, life and in the most affectionate
friendship taught me to know him as an
able true man."
Brief Sketch of D. S. Lamont.
Daniel S. Lamont, who died Sunday
evening, was President Cleveland's first
secretary and was afterwards secretary
of war, was born at Cortlandville, Cort-
land county, n. Y, in 1851. His father
John B. Lamont, and his mother, Eliza
beth Scott, are still living at McGraw-
vile, in Cortland county.
He was appointed by the governor at
the age of IS one of the deputy clerks
of the Assembly. At 20 he was sent as
delegate to the state convention at
Rochester in 1871. That was famous
convention, the one that followed close
upon the exposure of the corruption I'M
der Tweed in New York city. When
Mr.. Lamont was II he was nominated
by the Democrats for county clerk of
Cortland county, and, although opposing
one of the most popular men in that
strongly Republican county, ne came
wit Jy Of
Jorlty that had stood at 1900 on the 9TH
er side. The next year, 1874, found him
running for the Assembly on the Demo
cratic ticket, and again he had the prize
f * IS sa ~ sl his fingers, but lost it
Subsequently he was appointed CHIEF
clerk of the state department, under
John Bigelow. His intimacy with Mr..
IIlden still distinguished him, and he
found himself one of the young men
whom the governor called about him for
assistance in making up his organiza-
ton of the party in the state Others
OF that bodyguard were Senator David
b. Hill, the late Edgar X. ApgaT
Charles S. Fairchild, William A. Beach
4ora..io Seymour. Jr., and William E.
Before Mr.. Cleveand's inauguration
as governor Mr.. Lamont visited him in
Buffalo, apd the post of military secre-
tary on Ills staff was ordered to La
mont. That place carried with it the
title of colonel" which Mr.. Lamont
had not worn before.
When Cleveland was inaugurated gov
ernor. he selected Lamont as his private
secretary. He remained with Cleveland
all the time he was governor, and in
1884 went with him to Washington,
there to continue as his private secre-
tary.
Near the close of Mr.. Lamont's term
as private secretary to the President,
Congress passed an act increasing the
salary of private secretary. and pending
a vote on the bill in the House, an
amendment was incorporated in the bill
making the law retroactive. This would
have given Col. Lamont $1,000 in extra
pay, but he declined to receive it on
the ground that he had accepted the
office with full knowledge of its pay and
that he preferred not to be the benehci-
airy of back-pay legislation.
AT the end of Cleveland's administra-
ton Mr.. Lamont went to New York and
connected himself with a street railway
company: was both director and large
stakeholder.
He became while in New York city a
director in eight companies. Among
them We're the Continental National
bank, the New York Security and Trust
company, the New 1ofk Loan ana I'M
provement company. the New York u
Northern railroad. the Albany & Green
bush Bridge company, and all the street
railroads of the Whitney syndicate, and
held the places of secretary or treasurer
in several of these companies.
When Mr.. Cleveland was elected to
the presidency for his second term he
made Mr.. Lamont secretary of war. and
the latter's administration of the Office
was exact, businesslike and free from
scandal.
He married. in 1874. Miss Julia Kin
ney of Cortland.