The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-09-26
.OLO LEADERS
ARE PASSING
MANY OF THE PROMINENT EARLY
POLITICIANS OF WASHING
TON HAVE GONE.

| A. T. Van de Vanters death last
Sunday removed another of the poll
ticians who wele prominent during
/ early statehood days, and leaves COM
paratively few of the prominent party
figures influential 20 years ago, says
the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Van de
Vanter took part in the first statehood
fights and was intimately acquainted
with the big politicians of those days,
a score of more of whom have already
died.
Governor Elisha P. Ferry. who had
the executives office during the first
atehOod days; Lieutenant Governor
Charles E. Laughton, who filled the
/ governors chair during Ferry's nota-
BILE trip to California for his health,
and J. D. Geoghegan, of Vancouver,
speaker of the first house of repre-
sentatives, are all dead. Thomas NJ
Reed, the first state auditor, is dead
and there have been numerous deaths
among the members of the frs legis-
! lature.
The "Fiddlng" Governor.
Lieutenant Governor Laughton
! known as the "Fiddling Governor
dropped dead in Tacoma. He was one
characters of the first Legislative ses-
sions. strong friend of the railroads
and much inclined toward friendship
with the big corporations for whom the
Legislature had a convenient club.
Col. Nick Ownings. the railroad
boss of the earlier sessions, who came
nearer absolute control of a Washing
ton legislature than any other man has
since, died several years ago at his
home in Olympia. D. ]. Crowley.
Northern Pacific attorney, former
judge and a powerful territorial and
statehood politician, died at Tacoma.
w. H. Callins. whom Benjamin Har-
rison defeated for governor of Indiana
and who came out here to be defeat ted
shortly after the end of the most bitter
senatorial fight the state has seen.
Fred Grant, head of what was
known as the Cherry Street Ring
died when the collier. Ivanhoe. sank at
sea, leaving no trace of the disaster.
Grant was a passenger on a pleasure
trip to San Francisco that was never
completed. George Heilborn, who
played a minor part in that organiza
ton, but who succeeded Grant III news
paper work, died suddenly at his home
in Seattle Col j. NJ. Haines, a bril-
liant Seattle attorney in the same or
ganization, was one of the first to die
and was buried with military honors
here.
Patrick Henry Winston, prominent
as a republican in the first days of
statehood, lived to become a populist
and attorney general before he died
in Spokane. George f. Cole, of Spo-
kane. former territorial governor, in
fluential in Spokane politics for years
afterwards, is how dead and so is b.
c. Van HOuten. one time of the DOM
ina, ing faction in the state senate
Senator HOar, pioneer and influential
Thurston county politician, died dur
ing a Legislative session. five or six
years ago and Thad Huston, who was
one of the ablest of the early day
stump speakers, died this year at Ia
coma, while a superior court judge.
All those enumerated were republic
cans, but the republicans were in con-
troll during he first statehood days
and for that reason they had dom
mating influence in the organization
and control Of the state They are the
most prominent of scores of men who
had a voice in state affairs then who
have died since