Amador ledger., 1907-02-08

illness with cheerfulness, and his
mind was clear and memory reten-
tive almost to the last
Deceased was known to every one ID
the county, particularly throughout
the eastern section, above sVolcano,
where the bulk of his days we're
passed in the lumber trade, in which
business he had much experience long
before he came to California. His
ancestors were lumber men before
him.
His father, Col. Enoch Whitmore.
as the senior member of the firm of
Whitmore Il Jones, was one of the
pioneers of the business of making
thresd spools from white birch. This
was in the little town of Ashburn
ham, in the northeast corner of
Worcester county, Massachusetts. For
nearly 80 years this firm held a
practical monopoly of this business,
owing to the greatly improved mach
inery which they employed, the In
vention of the junior partner. When
the railroads opened up the county,
Whitmore & Jones started mills in
New Hampshire and Vermont, saving
out the rough material on the
grounds. apd shipping the same to
the factory in Ashburnham. In the
early 50's they started branch spool
factory in Watervale, Maine. the first
concern of the kind In that state,
where it is now an important in
dustry. Col. Whitmore was accident
ly killed il his mill by circular saw
in September 1860, at the age of 81
years. lie was man of moral cour
age and stalwart supporter of the
antislavery and temperance move
ments, traits of character which we're
also prominently developed in the
subject OF this sketch. Colonel Whit
more left seven daughters and six
sons. Only three sisters and two
brothers of this family now remain in
the land of the living. One brother,
Silas, died in Amador county in 1879,
and was buried in Volcano. Five
out of the six sons we're more or less
engaged in the lumber business. One
was a Iumberman IN Kentucky for
long time. One died near the old
spool mill IN Massachusetts over 20
years ago. The only one of the sous
not lum herman, DR.. l.. l.. Whit
more. was living in Massachusetts up
to few years back.
Il. M. Whitmore was born in Ash
burnham, Massachusetts, December
%, 1922. He lived in his native state
until he was % years of age, when he
moved to Baltimore. Maryland, re-
naming there until 1S49, when he
went to Boston, Massachusetts, for
the purpose of making arrangements
to emigrate to California. He came
by way of lsthmus, reaching San
Francisco in June, 1850. and arrived
in Volcano, in Novem ber of that year.
He made his home in this county
ever since. He engaged IN mining,
both placer and quartz, with only
moderate results, never striking it
rich after the manner of some in
those days of gold. In 1862 he pur-
chased saw mill and timber lands
on Antelope creek, and has been
in hn I'm,
steadily from that time. WhItmore's
saw mills-the lower and the upper
mill-were the Industrial life of that
region every summer season for over
20 years.
For the last few years these saw
mills have been idle, as the increas-
ing cost of securing logs, and hauling
the manufactured product to the
markets along the mining belt, left
no margin of profit in competition
with imported lumber from outside
of the county. He therefore con-
fined his attention in this line to his
lumbe yard in jackson, bringing the
lumber mostly from outside. He
also engaged in cattle raising and
farming on his large tracts of land In
Antelope district. He leaves an estate
variously estimated at from $40, 600
to $50, 600. His relatives in this
county are two neIces, Mrs W. X.
Webster, who with her husband has
looked after the home place, and Mrs
W. Q. Mason, also of Pioneer district.
+. NJ. Whitmore was man of high
moral character-a sturdy descendent
of Puritan stock. He was never
married. Like all men of strong
convictions and aggressive character,
he possessed his peculiarlties, but he
never faltered in the path that he
believed to be right. In politics, he
was warmly attached to the principles
of the republican party. In 1856 he
was one of the few men who took part
in the organization of the republican
party in this county. In those days
being a republican was looked upon
as disgrace, and only men of sterI-
ing worth possessed courage sufficient
to run the gauntlet of opprobrium
with which advocates of the anti-sla-