Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
HIS DEMISE UNEXPECTED
His Position Had in Turn Been Held
by Father and Grandfather.
CYCLE OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS
Funeral Arrangements are not Com
plete, but Services to Be Held
Tomorrow.

Hubbard Bowyer Mcdonald, chief clerk
and parliamentarian of the United States
Senate, died at the Bachelor Apartment
House, 18th and H streets northwest, at 9
o'clock last night of cancer of the liver.
Until two months ago he was in apparently
robust health; two weeks ago his condition
became serious. He began to sink yester-
day morning and was unconscious several
hours before death came. His son and
only child, Donald Mcdonald of New York.
was at his bedside.
Although the final arrangements have
not yet been decided upon Donald McDon-
aid stated last night that his father would
be buried from st. Johns Episcopal Church
tomorrow afternoon, interment to be at
Rock Creek cemetery. Mr.. Mcdonald 8
wife is In New York. His sister, Mrs Sin
clair, and his brother, William J. Mcdonald,
both reside In Washington.
Early in January Mr.. Mcdonald COM
planned OF pains in his shoulders and limbs.
which. he stated. were rheumatic in char
acter. They became acute that he OBJ
tanned leave of absence from the Capitol
and went to Hot Springs. Ark. upon the
advice OF friends, to get the benefit of the
baths. He remained at that resort sew
eral weeks, but instead of improving his
condition grew worse: and he returned to
Washington February H. He was then at
Walsh, and his illness was diagnosed as
a cancer of the liver which finally proved
fatal
His Sufe-ings Intense.
According to statement made by his
son last night, Mr.. Mcdonald suffered in
tense agony almost every moment up to
within few hours before death claimed
him. Those last few hours" said Donald
Mcdonald. must have been pleasant ones
to my father. as the expression Of suffering
and pain passed from his face as he lay
unconscious. his life rapidly ebbing away.
When he died there was a slight trace of
a smile about his mouth
Mr.. Mcdonald was regarded as an au-
thority on parliamentary law and on prac-
tees of the Senate and was appointed
March 4. 1873. to the position which he
held at the time of his death. He was born
in Washington in 1854. and after several
years of instruction by a.private tutor was
graduated from Georgetown University.
He was married in 1874
The position of chief clerk and parliament
tartan of the Senate which Mr.. Mcdonald
held was also held by his father and
grandfather. Among some of Mr.. Nc
Donald's most treasured papers were those
containing reG.ests from prominent sena-
tors, including Daniel Webster. Stephen
A. Douglas and Thomas HI. Benton, for the
appointment of his father to the place to
which Mr.. Mcdonald succeeded.
His grandfather. John Gum Mcdonald,
was a prominent man III MS time ana was
in high favor with the national leaders
and prominent senators in the early part of
the nineteenth century. +1,-,. Is -, .,.-
When he died paper was passed around
the Senate requesting the appointment of
his son, Andrew Mcdonald. Hubbard
McDOnald's father, to be position. The
appointment was made upon the earnest
solicitation of twenty-eight senators. being
more than half of the members who COM
posed the Senate at that time. Among his
effects Mr.. Mcdonald has the letter which
was written by Mr.. Benton and signed
by the senators alluded to. with their
various recommendations. urging his
fathers appointment. He looked upon the
paper interesting and valuable. because
of the aggregation Of signatures Of the
most prominent men in public life at that
time. His father died in Office after a
service of nearly forty-two years.
His Own Appointment.
Speaking of his appo'- :ment some time
ago Mr.. Mcdonald said:
MY own position was created at the re-
quest of my father, although was trifie
young, nd I was assigned to duty March
4, 1878. 1 was appointed a journal clerk
in 1878 under polti al change Of admin
istration of the Senate, but was superseded
by my predecessor in 1888, who was re-
appointed to that Office, but died March II,
1898, and l was again appointed journal
clerk"
Mr.. McDonald's mother was a Miss Ann
Johnson, daughter of Thomas johnson,
nephew and secretary of Thomas johnson,
an early colonial governor of Maryland.
She was born at Annapolis in 1877, and died
in 1881.
AS chief clerk and parliamentarien OF the
Senate it was Mr.. McDonald's pleasure and
duty to break in President Roosevelt when
he was Vice President. Referring to this
experience. Mr.. Mcdonald once stated that
Mr.. Roosevelt was one of the most OBJ
durate of all the Vice Presidents that it
had been his fortune to coach Mr.. Roose-
welt was a man. he said, of the most de-
cided opinions, and was at first wont to
pay but little heed to the early precedents
In parliamentary practice
Had Mr.. Mcdonald lived another year he
would have completed the cycle of one CEN
tury during which he, his father and his
grandfather were in the service of the
United States Senate.
Death Unexpected.
The news Of his death came as an espe-
cial shock to his many friends because
until his late illness he was a man of fine
physique and athletic build. At one time
he was great lover of outdoor sports. but
in these he had not INDUCED in recent
years.
Mr.. Mcdonald was member of the
Metropolitan Club and was prominent in
social circles.