The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-06
GENERAL MERWIN DEAD:
 CITY MOURNS ITS LOSS
HAD HELD 4 LARGE NUMBER OF IMPORTANT PUBLIC AND
 PRIVATE POSITIONS.

"SS HI SANh huE AAHles dnu IOr Many Years Leading Business Man and Bank President--A Record of
 His Long and Useful Career.
 In the death of ex-Lieutenant Cover nor Samuel E. Merwin the city loses one of it's best and foremost citizens and the state man eminently worthy of the many honors bestowed upon him. His death is mourned especially throughout the city, with which he had so long been identified in it's best and most important interests General Merwin died early yesterday morning at his home, 412 Orange street. The announcement of his death did not come as a surprise to his great legion of friends, as it was well known that he had been in failing health for many months.
 | General MerWin had been confined to his bed for the last four months, but had been ill for a longer time, although he had been able to go to the savings bank, where he was president, until some six months ago. He retained con- sciousness up to the time of his death, He was attended by Dr. Frank IT. Whittemore.
 General Merwin was connected with many prominent financial institutions of New Haven.
 For years he was president of the Yale National bank, resigning from that responsibility about four years ago when his health became impaired. He was director in several banks, and was in the days of his greatest activity ] connected with many of our leading financial and eelymosynary institutions
 He was president of the New Haven savings bank at the time of his death He was an official of the new Haven orphan asylum and president of the Connecticut General Hospital society and for many years was pillar oi strength to that institution and did much for it's prosperity,
 He was also for years director in tne New Haven ana Derby railroad and ir the shepaug, Litchfeld and Northern railroad. He was engaged in many ca pacities as trustee of trust funds and was much sought after for handling es. tates to close them up.
 General Merwin was lineal descen. dant of Miles Merwin, one of the early prominent settlers of Milford, whose name is still perpetuated in Merwin's ] Point. When the town of Milford was settled by colonists from Old Milford i the name of Samuel Merwin appeared as one of the proprietors, having a i large allotment of land in that part ot the town, which was subsequently, in corporated as a part of the present town of Brookfeld,
 1 Hn thes eancestral acres Samuel E. Merwin was born, August 23, 1881. His school education was the education off, fered by the Connecticut district school of that day, supplemented by years instruction in a school of a. higher grade in the nearby village of New town. When in his sixteenth year his father removal to New Haven gave him brief opportunity for completing his education under private instruction be- fore he began his business life.
 After serving as clerk for two years he became connected in the year 1856 with his father, the late Samuel E. Merwin, in the wholesale business of a pork packer, which was successfully pursued with headquarters in State street for many years.
 | For two years he was a commissions CT of police and for nine years a mem Der of the board of education. In 1876 he represented the Fourth senatorial district in the legislature a district then ordinarily carried by the democrats | Subsequently, he had been a candidate 1 for mayor and for congress and great. l ly reduced the ordinarily tremendous democratic plurality.
 He was chairman of the town com. mittee to Luild soldiers monument | director in the state hospital, trusted of the orphan asylum, agent to wind uI the Home Insurance company, and tht Scranton bank, director in the Mer. chants bank and has been entrusted with the settlement of many estates | He was also director of the New Ha ven Water company the New Haver Gas Light company, the Southern New England Telephone company
 In his prime General Merwin was a! above indicated conspicuous in politics and rose to the distinction of being thu lieutenant governor of the state, pos which he adorned and dignifed. Sub sequently he was nominated by the re publican party for governor and al there was no choice by the people tn, famous deadlock period ensued with al of it's threatening and serious contro versies. Throughout this trying periot General Merwins attitude was the at titude of patriot. He allowed non of the bickerings or the malignan noises of the time to disturb his equa nimity.
 It was in the state election of 18S that General Merwin was chosen lieu tenant-governor for two years on thC ticket with Morgan G. BuIkeley as gov ernor Mr Bulkeley is now United States senator In 1899 Lieutenant Governor Merwin was unanimously nominated by the republicans for gov ernor. In those days there was thu constitutional provision which required that a successful candidate for state office should oave majority over al other candidates, and where there wa' merely a plurality election the state of ficers should be chosen by the genera assembly.
 There was no election in that year for state officers, but the people hac chosen a democratic senate and a re.