The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-06-29
FISH COMMISSIONER
BRACKET DEAD
He and Oldest Druggist of Phillips
Took Ac0nite by Mistake.

TOOK AcOnlte u! MISTAKE.
James Wood Bracket, chairman of
the Maine fish and game commission,
] died at a. M Saturday as the re-
suit of drinking aconite by mistake
at 1890 p. m. Friday in the drug
store of w. A. d. Cragin at Phil
lips. Mr., Cragin, who was with Mr..
Bracket at the time, drank smaller
quantity of the aconite and is still
critically i'll. but the physicians are
hopeful of his recovery.
Mr.. Bracket, as soon as he dis
covered the mistake, rushed TO the
office of DR.. H. o. Hopkins across
the street and told him what he had
done. The doctor administered the
usual remedies and Mr.. Bracket
seemed to be recovering from the eff
feets of the poison until about l a.
M, when he complained of numbness
of the hands and later of the back.
Ether was injected to relieve the
condition and Mrs. Bracket was sum
moned.. He spoke with his wife and
doctor in a joking way of the mistake
and the administration of the ether
and his condition seemed normal un-
til about a. M, when his heart sud
denly ceased Beating and all efforts
to revive him were Intellectual. Mr..
Bracket had suffered from a weak
heart for long time and had an alb
normally rapid circulation.
The body of Mr. Bracket was TAX
en- to his home early Saturday morn
ing The funeral services were held
at 2.30 p. m. Monday.
James Wood Bracket was born
June 80, 1867, at Phillips, Me-, and
had he lived until the 30th of this
month would have been A years of
age. He had long been identified
with the fish and game interests of
the State and but very few men were
as conversant with them as he. He
was preparing at the time of his
death, a paper upon the fish and game
interests of the State, which he was
to have read before the midsummer
Maine Sportsmen's Fish and Game
association.
He was the son of Nathaniel Cook
and Louise (Wood) Bracket and
was educated in the town schools of
Phillips and at the Storer college at
Harper's Ferry, Va, a school which
was established by his father. The
elder Bracket returned to Phillips
! IL, x,lA S,f
age and in 1883 bought the Phillips
Phonograph. The son learned every
/ detail of the business and a few
years later took charge of the pa
per. During his career as editor and
manager the publication acquired a
wide circulation and grew into the
Maine Woods. weekly fish and game
/ paper, publishing two editions. Mr..
| Bracket went to Auburn sometime in
the SOS and was for a time pro-
prietor of the Auburn Daily Gazette.
He returned to Phillips when the
publication was suspended and re-
sumed his connection with the paper
there, which continued until the time
of his death.
He was member of the Maine
House of Representatives in 1901,
served as a member of the committee
on inland fisheries and game and
was instrumental in getting passed a
number of important meaures look
ing to the preservation of inland fish
and game. 1t was in recognition of
these services that he was first ap-
pointed by Governor Cobb in 1904 a
member of the fish and game com
mission. Governor Cobb reappointed
him in 1907 and in 1910 Governor
Fernald appointed him chairman of the
commission, which position he held
at the time of his death. His SER
vices on this commission extending
over a period of seven years, have
been of great value to the State.
He married AT Avon, Me-, August
1889, Lucy Estell Benn. The widow, a
daughter. Miss Marian E. Bracket,
who graduated last week from How
ard seminary, West Bridgewater,
Mass, a son, James Scott Bracket,
now at Hebron. his aged mother and
two sisters, now residing In the South,
and one brother. L. j. Bracket, man
ager of the Boston Office of an adver-
tising agency, survive. His father
died about year ago.
He was president of the J. w. Brack-
EFT Co., printers and publishers, and
treasurer of the Rangeley Cottage Co.
and of the North Franklin Agricultur-
al society. He was also prominent in
fraternal organizations, holding mem
/ bership in the Masons, Odd Fellows