Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-04-07
TRIBUTE TO KINDNESS
Death of Ed Root of Medford
Causes Grief in All Ranks
of Life.

| Ahto man Ncllc lOIln III
butes from press and citizen. but
such was the case with Ed Root of
Medford, for years employed as jani-
tor and paper carrier around the
newspaper offices. The Mail Tribune
says editorially:
There is mourning in Medford
over the death of Ed Root, friend to
everyone and especial friend to a
dozen generations of children. For
over forty years he has been a fa-
miliar character in the Rogue River
Valley, with a kindly word of well
come and CHEEKY greeting for all.
In early youth a cyclone de-
stroyed the root home in Comanche.
Iowa, killing the father, injuring Ed
and wrecking the family fortunes.
With his mother Ed came to Oregon,
where for many years she taught
music. Her memory was enshrined
as that of a saint in the heart Of
her son, and the mention of her
name always brought tears to his
eyes.
Whatever there might have been
coarse and vulgar. whatever there
might have been selfish and egotisti-
cal, whatever there might have been
grasping and mean in the nature of
Ed Root was carried away in that
Iowa storm of many years ago. If
! the storm also took the fruit of
knowledge, with its serpent venom
fraught, it was not altogether un-
kind of him. 1t left him the rapid
fire wit that in another age would
have graced the court of a king.
1t is fitting that this friend of
the children should be remembered
by the children as all that is mortal
of him is laid to rest. Every child
in Medford should bring flower to
lay upon his bier as a pleasant recol-
lection of the past, to adorn the film
of memory in after years.
"It is not time for sorrow, for
Ed Root, one of those sons of man
who had not where to lay his head,
has only left world that lily treat
ed him for his Fathers mansion
And have we not the eternal prom
Use: Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see Cod"
The Sun says editorially:
ED Root demonstrated the value
of simple good will. He was not
very wise, nor very accomplished,
nor very capable, but he was kind to
everyone and everything, and he
made a place for himself for that
reason alone. Far greater men will
! be mourned for less.''
It's news columns contain the fol-
lowing reference to his funeral:
"The funeral services of Edwin E.
Root, who died at Sacred Heart hos
pital Friday night, will be held from
the Baptist church this Afternoon at
2:3O O'Clock, the Rev. w. F. Shields
officiating. Interment will be in the
l. o. o. F. cemetery, beside tho
grave of his mother. The Boy Scouts
and scores of children will drop
flower upon the bier of their friend.
The forces of the Mail Tribune and
Morning Sun, from the editor to the
office boy, will attend the funeral,
with the carriers of both papers.
The pallbearers will be members of
the Bible class Of which Ed was a
member.
No death in Medford in years has
caused such a widespread regret as
that of Ed Root. He was one of the
Oldest residents in the valley, and
lived in Jacksonville in the sos. He
was about 20 years old when he came
to southern Oregon with his mother,
whose memory he held sacred
through all the stress of his saddened
years. This mother is still reverent-
ly remembered for her kindly acts
and manner.
I'm his life Ed saw half a dozen
generations of Medford girls and
boys grow into manhood and woman
hood. To children he was always
kind, and was their playmate in his
way, and it is especially urged that
they attend the funeral today"
Ed Root left barely enough to
bury him, of the things seen and
temporal. Of the things unseen and
spiritual he carried with him riches
untold. In mortal life j. Pierpont
Morgan and Ed Root stood at the
extremes. In death perhaps they
stood equally at the extremes, but
with positions reversed. One had
wealth of matter, the other wealth
of spirit and love.