Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-01-22
SAM RUSS IS DEAD.
lTamna Trlbnnel

paper circles Of Florida. Mr.. Russ
was found dead in bed IN a Jackson
willie lodging house Sunday morning
Unattended in his last illness. ne was
unmarked In death for a considerable
period. Those who first found his
body did not know his name and u
was not until a Times-Uniou reporter
gazed upon the corpse that the identi-
ty' OF the deceased became known
The body had been moved TO an un.
dertaAiug 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 in 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 collie
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
cd 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, in the hope that, in a new
cline and among new people. he
might begin life under better au-
spices and rescue his intellect from
the dangers that beset H.
In Florida. Mr. Russ did much
brilliant newspaper work, but he
lacked the inclination to sustained
effort. He worked on The Tribune
a dozen years ago and those who
were familiar with newspaper work
ia Tampa az that time are fond O.
telling some OF the interesting Incl
dents which marked his connection
with this paper. The files OF The
Tribune bear eloquent testimony 20
his ability as "A writer. As a para
-rapher he was inimitalle. LC
wrote verse that was frequently
1uOhod with the real fire of geniG4.
-ftey lc-.iug 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 )GaJ Times. As a ITALIA
hassee correspondent, be was i'm his
element His thorough familiarity
with State questions. with political
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 a
free lance and the power and in
Of his criticisms and com
ments have been felt In more than
one situation in the political history
OF Florida during the past quarter CT
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
OF his brain and pen was
enlisted. could be repaid him now In
death. he would have a eulogy IN
equaled In It's elOquence. IL the kindly
sentiments he expressed IN life could
be converted into flowers for his
grave, be would rest beneath
foral memorial loftier than the tallest
pine OF our forests and broader than
the Peninsula itself Let a. 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,
Let us feel that after the storm and
stress OF the uHpropitiOus voyage. be
has found
a quiet haven, where his shattered
bark
Harbors secure. ul the rouEa storm is