Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-28
HENRY RUSTIN PASSES AWAY
Native Son of Omaha Dies in Zenith
Of Bright Career.
sUccUsBS TO CONSUMPTION AT HON.
Man who Installed Electrical Dispin y
at TrRnsmississippi. Buffalo aud
worlds Fair at st. Louis
Dies In Florence.

Dies In Florence.
Henry Rustin. chief engineer of the
Omaha Water compapy's plant. died at his
residence in Florence about $50 a. m
Tuesday of consumption. His wife and
two little children a daughter and son,
his aged mother and brother and sister.
DR.. Frederick Rustln and Mrs. ]. II. Nc
1ntosh, were at the bedside at the last.
Mrs. Mcintosh had arrived from the east
the previous day.
The burial will be in Omaha, where Mr.
Rustin was born and reared, and where he
leaves extensive circle of admring
friends
Mr.. Rustn had been AFFLICTED with the
fatal disease for long time. But he had
rallied some months ago and up to six
weeks since his family and friends be-
lieved he had got the better of the malady.
Suddenly his digestion became bad and
from that time his decline was rapid. Still
he was at his work as late as two weeks
ago.
Life of Advancement
Henry Rustin was born on Harvey street
between Sixteenth and Seventeenth His
life was one continuous series of advance
ments. The acme OF his achievements was
the installation of the wonderful electrical
display at the st. Louis Worlds fair, "A
fitting triumph of his science for the great
est OF all public eNpositions His strength
barely held out until he had completed
this gigantic plan of illuminat ton and then
he took to his bed He did not rise to
view the marvel of his genius until at
the very close of that six-months panorama
of wonders.
This great work thrust Henry Rustin
into the forefront in his profession and
his friends believed he was just standing
upon the threshold OF a career OF unusual
distinction, when the final summons pro-
nounced his temporal work finished.
He was the son of Captain c. y. Rustin,
who came to Omaha in 1854, Henry being
born in September, 1866. He went through
the public schools of Omaha. He did not
remain for graduation from the high school,
but went TO Phillips Andover, in Massa-
chusetts. where he studied several years
graduating in the chemical and electrical
departments in 1853. He then went to Yale
and was graduated from the Sheffield
Scientific school. devoting his time prin-
cipally to electricity, mechanics and chem.
les.
Takes Up Chosen Work.
After two years of work i'm a bank in
Iowa he became weary of that vocation
and secured the position of superintendent
Of the power department of the Portland
(Ore) street railway. which he transformed
/ from horse car into an electrical system
Mr.. Rustin spent FIVE years there, wiring
the city, placing the power. building three
| or four power houses. and accomplished
really a great work. increasing the thret
miles of electric lines to over fifty and one
]
After five years in Portland he wen
to Hazleton. Pa, TO assume the manage
ment of the power department of tn,
Hazleton Manufacturing company's nam
moth enterprise That company wa,
changing from steam to electricity.
At the Transmississippi exposition il
Omaha he was made assistant superin
| tendent in charge of the installation o
the lights. His success with the adaptation
of incandescent circuits to the open al
lighting brought him into general notice
Commissioners from the Paris exposition
were sent to look over the work, and MIR
Rustin's idea was adopted for the grea
fair at Paris. Without solicitation on T.!
part he was chosen superintendent of tn
electrical department of the Greater Amer
lea exposition. and this surpassed the frs
exposition in the matter of lights Me-
Of science so spoke in the highest prais
of the work of the exposition, and non
found fault.
At Buffalo and 81. Louis
When the citizens of Buffalo decided I
hold an exposition, they sent a DELEGATION
to Omaha and the first thing this delega
ton did after viewing the grounds wa
TO decide upon securing the services O
Mr.. Rustin for the Pan-American exposi
ton II was the most natural thing in tn
world that when a leader and a geniu
was needed at the head of the electrics
department at the great Worlds fair a
ST. Louis, Henry Rustin could be chose
for the work Ill-health compelled him
give up this work before II was put
operation, but he remained long enough I
plan and outline all of the beautiful effect
which were the wonder and admlratio
Of thousands of critical eyes from all owe
the world. He did not get to view III
great illumination until near the close {
the fair He went to the Adirondack mour
tains for his health and when he had som,
what regained his strength, he returno
70 Omaha and upon the death of Capital
Reynolds was elected chief engineer of Il
Omaha Water Works company, and +,
sided at the Florence plant
Mr. Rustin was married in 1894 to Mi
Lola Goodwin, a daughter of Captain v
p. Goodw'-. of the Fourteenth infantr
the wedding taking place at Vancouve
b. c.. where the captain and his fami
then lived. He leaves widow and ~
children, to whom he leaves property
~. % oaI 70 V,A 70 fpCt