Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-16
NOTED DIPLOMAT
NEAR DEATH At
PASADENA HOME
B. II. Conger May Die
at Any Time
Family Retlcent in Regard to Patients
Condition, but End Is Thought
to Be Only Question of
Time

E. H. Conger, formerly minister to
China and who during the Boxer up
rising went through the siege or Peklng
with the members of the United States
legation, is dying at his home in Pasa-
dena, 105 South Ell Molino avenue. Inc
family was reticent In regard 70 tne
condition of the distinguished patient
last night but DR.. q. L. Conger, pastor
emeritus Of the Universalist church
and president of the Pasadena humane
society, stated to a friend that the
death of his brother is regarded as
only matter of few hours or days
days at most.
Minister. Conger is said to be suffer-
ing from a disease contracted while IN
the service of the Union during the
Civil War. His advanced age is max
ing his case more serious.
Probably no man now in California
has more distinguished record than
has the man now so near his deatn;
In addition to service in the United
States army during the Civil war,
Mr.. Conger has been ambassador to
Mexico and minister to China and is
at present president of the Occidental
Life Insurance company OF Los
Angeles.
He came into the greatest publicity
during the Boxer uprising in China,
when for many days he and the
members of the legation were besieged
in the consulate at Peking He was
one of the strong men of that trying
period and did wonders in sustaining
the courage of the Americans there
until the allied forces came to the
relief of the foreigners who were hour
ly in danger of their lives.
Friend of chaffee
For years Gen. Adna R. Chaffee and
Mr.. Conger have been intimate friends
81 - L f1x.y Jaxy ca
a sort of informal reunion to talk over
incidents in connection with the Pc
king siege, In which both were promi-
nent.
While and since being minister to
China Mr.. Conger has always had the
personal friendship and esteem of the
dowager empress of the flowery king
dom the real power behind the throne
1t Is but few weeks ago that rare
Chinese variety of canine, worth
great sum, was sent to Mr.. Conger by
the empress as a personal token OF
her regard. This dog, which is tall
less, has been one of the curiosities OF
Pasadena since its arrival in the
Crown City.
The Conger home on South FL Molino
avenue is a veritable treasure house
of Chinese wonders. Temple bells
worth enormous sums If purchasable
at any price, curios never seen outside
of China and hundreds of articles
which have been the envy of the col
lectors are found at every hand in this
handsome home.
About a year ago Mr.. Conger de-
termjned to become a resident OF
Pasadena and at that time he secured
O. fine house in the fashionable section
of the city. His desire was to live in
the same city as his brother and dur
ing his stay in Southern California he
has taken an unusually active part in
civic affairs. AS a speaker he has
been much in demand since he came
to this section of the state.
General chaffee Grieves
Gen. Adna r. Chaffee and his talented
to learn of the former minister's dan
gerous illness.
II didn't even know he was i'll or 1
would have called on him." said the
general regretfully. 'I haven't seen
him since January" His wife likewise
expressed great regret at the illness of
their mutual friend and comrade.
1.-THE first time I met Mr.. Conger."
said Gen. Chaffee meditatively, was
when we marched into Peking. There
were $500 American boys at my back,
every man with blood ON his bayonet
and blood in his eye. We marched to
the legation, and 1 met Minister Conger'
as would have any other man. Yes,
suppose the meeting was trifie more
cordial than under ordinary circum-
stances, but there wasn't anything par
ticularly interesting about it.
''Were they glad to see US? Well.
about as glad as any one else shut up
in prison would be to an army that
let them out of their captivity. At the
same time met Mrs. Conger and their