Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-01-25
SAM RUss IS DEAD.
CTampa TribuneD

IaCkkOnhlIIe llmes-N mon convey = inc
intelligence Of the death OF Samuel b..
Russ. for years a figure In the news
paper circles Of Florida. Mr.. Russ
was found dead In bed In a Jackson
Vile lodging house Sunday morning.
Unattended I'm his last illness. he was
unmarked In death for a considerable
period. Those who first found his
body did not know his name and Il
was not until n Times-Union reporter
gazed upon the corpse that the identi-
" Of the deceased became known.
The body had been moved TO an un-
dertaklng establishment as 'un-
known" by the peculiar irony OF
fate, a man who knew personally. per-
haps. more public men in Florida than
any other man In the State, met death
alone i'm the silence OF the night and
his body, unidentified. lay for hours
before it was recognized.
Samuel b. Russ was a native OF BOs-
ton. he received a thorough cole
giate education and did his first news
paper work as dramatic critic on the
Boston dailies. In that field, he had
few equals. A brilliant future open
ed its alluring vista before him.
But the curse Of drink, which follow.
ed him relentlessly from his young
manhood TO his squalid, unattended
death-bed led him TO forsake the
bright pathway which his genius
might have blazed and he came 70
Florida, i'm the hope that, I'm a new
cline and among new people, he
might begin life under better au-
spices and rescue his intellect from
the dangers that beset IL.
In Florida. Mr.. Russ did much
brilliant newspaper work, but he
lacked the inclination 20 sustained
effort He worked on The Tribune
a dozen years ago and those who
were familiar with newspaper work
In Tampa at that time are fond OF
telling some Of the interesting Incl
dents which marked his connection
with this paper. The files Of The
Tribune bear eloquent testimony to
his ability as a writer AS a para
grapher, he was inimitable lie
wrote verse that was frequently
touched with the real fire of genius.
After leaving the service of The
Tribune he worked on several other
papers Of the State and, for a brief
interval. was editorial writer on The
Brunswick (Ga) Times. As a ITALIA
hassee correspondent, he was in his
element. His thorough familiarity
with State questions. with political
alignments. and his wonderful wide
personal acquaintance with the lead
ing men of Florida, made him a val
liable representative at the sessions
OF the Legislature. When not con-
nected with a newspaper, he was
free lance" and the power and In
cisiveness OF his criticisms and com
ments have been felt In more than
one situation in the political history
of Florida during the past quarter Of
a century.
In his last days, Mr.. Russ was out
OF employment, subsisting on the
kindness OF friends-the sOmbre, clos
ing scenes OF a life Of brilliant. brok-
en- plans, OF blasted. high ambitions"
II all the cheering. encouraging words
OF sincere praise he wrote about the
men In whose behalf the powerful
combination OF his brain and pen was
enlisted. could be repaid him now In
death. he would have a eulOgy un-
equaled In It's eloquence. II the kindly
sentiments he expressed I'm life could
be converted into flowers for his
grave, he would rest beneath
floral memorial loftier than the tallest
pine OF our forests and broader than
the Peninsula itself. Let as hope that,
after his day Of sorrow and OF strife
The weary sun hath made a golden
set.
And. by the bright track Of his fiery
car,
Gives signal OF a goodly day TO-
morrow"
1t ,,s f.oI that after the storm and