Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1908-02-13
Death OF MAJOR EDWARDS
The We'll Known Fargo Publisher,
War Veteran and Poll.
tician.

Fargo, Feb. 10 saturday afternoon
after a long and painful illness, Oc-
Cured the death Of Major Alanson
W. Edwards at his home on ,7th street
south. Death was not unexpected as
he had been failing rapidly for sever
al months. His faithful wife and
members of his family were present
at his demise.
The funeral was held Monday af-
ternooD at the residence under the
auspices of the John F. Reynolds
post OF the G. A. R., of which he
was a..member. The interment was
at Riverside cemetery.
In recognition of the fact that he
was at one time mayor OF Fargo, the
flag over the city hall was ordered
placed at half mast Saturday after
noon by Mayor Elliott.
Major A. W. Edwards was born in
Lorain county, Ohio, Aug. q, l84o,
moevd to. Macoupin county, Illinois,
in l848. Mayor Edwards attended
the county schools and McKendree
college, Lebanon,..I Later he be-
came an express agent and Telegraph
operator in the railroad service,
which position he held when the
war of the rebellion broke out. He
attempted to enlist April Is, 1861,
but on account of his weighing over
300 pounds he was rejected. He con-
tinued with the railroad company
till 1862, when he enlisted at Carlin-
vile, LII. He sci we'd during the en-
tire remainder of the war In the
western army and marched to the
sea with General Sherman. In 1864
he was; adjutant general on General
Vandeveer' staff. In 1868 the First
Alabama cavalry was organized by
General Dodoe, and Edwards was
appointed lieutenant adjutant, and
later promoted to captain of L troop
and on the ma rch to the sea COM
manded Company M. He was brew
cited major March Is, 1865, "for gal
liant and meritorious service on the
feld;" took part in the grand re-
view at Washington, and was NUS
tered out July IL, 1865. He joined
one of the first &. A. R. posts organ
ized, A pril Is. 1866.
After the war he returned to Car
linville, Ill.,, and started the Union
Gazette at Bunker Hill, ILL.,, and la
ter the Carlinville Free Democrat
was in his charge. He was warden
of the Illinois state penitentiary in
1912. After the big Chicago fire in
1871..he engaged in business in that
city and vas member of the Chica-
go Board Of Trade from 1875 to 1878.
He vent to the Black Hills via Far
60 in 1876, and returned to this city
in 1878 starting the Fargo Republi
can with DR.. J. B. Hall as associate.
He sold the Republican and started
the Daily Argus in 1879. In 1891,
with II. c. Plumley, h s'arted the
Fargo Forum and in 1894 the Repub-
lican was purchased and consolidated
with the Forum of which paper he
was editor. in-chief at his death.
Major Edwards took an active part
In politics. In 1885 he was superin-
tendent of the semi-decennial census
of Dakota territory, and in 1896 he
was elected mayor of Fargo. He
helped organize the Dakota..Southern
Railway company and build the 122
miles to Ortonville, Minn., which
was afterwards purchased by the
Milwaukee. He WAS member of the
state legislature in 1895, and in
March, 1902, was appointed United
States consul general at Montreal,
resigning july l, 1906, on account
of i'll health, when he returned to
Fargo.
Major Edwards was married In 1870
at Carliuville, ILL.,, to Elizabeth Rob-
erston, who, with six sons and one
daughter, Survive him. The sons are
Harry g., stenographer Of the dis
trict court, Fargo; William R., ad-
vertising manager of the Forum;
Alonson g., New York city; George
w., musical instructor at Danville,
KY, Female seminary; Richard H.,
collector, Fargo; Mrs. Marie r. Belk-
napp, the only daughter, -also resides
at Fargo.