The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-06-17
MAJOR JOHN n. PICkLER PASSES
AWAY AT HIS HOME AT
FAULkTON
PROMINENT in POLITICS
Was a Pioneer Of State and Repre-
sented South Dakota in Con-
gress for Four Years
--Brief Sketch

John A. Picker, congressman from
South Dakota for four consecutive
and one of the pioneers Of the
territory, died at his home in Faulk-
ton this morning. Funeral services
will be held here Thursday. The fol-
lowing account of the life of Major
Picker is cleaned from Doane Robin
sons history of South Dakota:
Major John A. Picker is a native
of Washington county, Indiana, here
he was born IN the oath day of Janu-
airy, 1874, being the son of George and
Emily (Martin) Picker. Major Picker
passed his boyhood days on the old
Indiana homestead and secured his
preliminary educational discipline in
the district schools, after which he
completed a course of study in the
high school at Bloomfield, Iowa, where
his parents had taken up their abode.
He was later matroculated in the Iowa
state anniversary, where he was gradu-
ated as a member Of the class Of l 70
with the degree of Bachelor of Philoso-
ply. Shortly afterwards, he entered
the law department Of the celebrated
university of Michigan at Ann Arpor,
where he completed the prescribed
course and was graduated in 1872, re-
ceiving the degree of Bachelor OF
Laws. After thus f~ortifying himself
for the work of his exacting profess
sion, he engaged in the practice OF
lave in Kirksville, Mo-, whence In
1875 he removed to Muscatine, Iowa,
where he entered into a professional
alliance as a member of the firm of
Huffman, Picker and Brown, which
held high prestige at the bar of the
Hawkeye state, and he continued to
be thus associated until coming to
South Dakota in 1882 since which year
he has retained his home in Faux
county. He possessed one of the larg-
est and best libraries in the state.
In September, 1882, Major Picker
came from Iowa by rail to Mitchell
and thence by stage to Huron, at
which place he joined a party who
were going to the center of Faux
county to locate a town which they
hoped to make the county seat. Major
Picker settled upon a pre-emption
claim adjoining the town and his
pleasant home is located on this prop
erty, a considerable portion of which
is plated into town lots. He was &C
tive in assisting in the organization
and development Of Faux county, be-
ing n of the pioneers of this part
of the state and one of the most prom
inent members of the bar of this Sec
ton.
In politics he has aver given an
uncompromising allegiance to the re-
publican party and has long been
known as one of it's leaders in the
state. He served as states attorney
of Adair county, Missouri, and while
engaged in practice in Iowa was a
Garfield elector from the second dis
trict of that state. He served Is a
member of the legislature of Iowa and
in 1885 was elected to the territorial
legislature of Dakota. He was ap-
pointed an inspector in the public
land service, in which capacity he
served until his election to congress
in 1889. Upon the admission of South
Dakota to the union, Major Picker
was elected at large as n OF the first
members of congress from the state.
the fifty-first congress. He was re-
elected at large to the fifty-second,
fifty-third and ifty-fourth and was
thus representative of his state in the
lower house Of the federal legislature
for four consecutive congresses, within
which he accomplished much for the
furtherance Of the best interests of
South Dakota. He served as a men,
Der of the committe Of public land,
Indian affairs, invalid pensions, irriga-
ton Of public lands, alcoholic Ii uor
traffic and that Of claims. He was
chairman of the committee on Invalid
pensions in the ~gifty-fourth congress.
He was not a candidate for reelection
to the %fifty-ffth congress, but was a
candidate for nomination for the Unit
ed States senate. He received the re-
publican legislative aucus nomination
and the unanimous vote OF the caucus
for more than thirty days, but the re-
publicans were lacking five votes OF
a majority, and as it was deemed i'm
probable that a republican could be
elected, the representatives OF the
party with one exception voted for
Hon. James Kyle to succeed himself
as senator, and he was duly elected.
After protracted support by the caucus
Major Picker advised the change O.
vote from himself to Kyle who corld
be depended upon to support the tariff
policy of the republican party.
Major Picker was identified win
the Masons, The knights of Pvth'a>.
and the A. O. u. w. He and his wi e
were prominent and valued members
Of the Methodist church in their home
city. He leaves a wife, Alice M. A.
Picker and four children, Lulu A..
Madge E., Dale Alice and Alfred A.
The latter is publisher of the Aberdeen
American.
Mitchell luna 1Q-IacOh Wohl -