Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-18

Fred Gordon Plummer. seographer Of
the forest service. was found dead in
bed at his residence at 1900 Scott cir
Gle. where he was living by himself
during the summer months Mr.. Plum
mer is supposed to have died Friday
night.
The fact that he was dead was dis
covered about $3.50 o'clock this morning
by Fred Bradford. q fellow employe OF
the forest service, who went to the
house to ascertain whether he was i'll
Mr.. Plummer appeared to be in the
best OF health when he left his ONCE
Friday afternoon. When he failed to
put in his appearance Saturday his fell
low employees thought he had decided
to take a holiday. although he had said
nothing about doing 50 when he left
the evening before.
When Mr.. Plummer failed to show up
this morning employees OF his ONCE be-
came worried. They knew he was living
alone in a residence at Scott Circle which
during the winter months. Mr.. Plum
mer was we'll acquainted with the princi-
pal Of the school and was living there
during tho summer months at his re-
quest
Coroner Investigates.
When Mr.. Bradford arrived at the
house he found the door locked. He
gained entrance, however. by means Of =
window and then made a search Of the
house. He found Mr.. P1ummer dead in
bed in q room on one Of the upper floors.
The police were notified and Coroner
hewitt went to the house and made an
investigation. DR.. hewitt issued GER
tifcate Of death from natural causes.
+ n arannnaaA that Mr. p1rVnrnarSa tn
was due to heart disease. Mr.. Bradford
immediately notified the offlcials Of the
forest service, who telegraphed to Mrs.
Plummer at Point Iona, near San Diego,
ployes Of the forest service, composed
Of b. D. Bronson. C. M. Ballard and r.
L. Harvey, went to tho house and took
charge of the body pending the arrival
dition Of the body It L. not likely It will
be sent to Mr.. Plummer's home In Cali
fornia for interment- Omcials OF the
forest service said burial probably will b
in this city.
vived by five children. one Of whom.
daughter, il now In Europe. Mrs. Plum
mer and her children have spent most
th sa ts IN ad as
lived in this city alone. In order that
he might have the freedom Of an entire
house during the heated months, MT.
residence following the close Of the
school term.
Fred Gordon Plummer was born in
New York city October Z 1854: His
was employed by the War Department
az rodman and levelman on special
work in connection with levee CON-
struction on the lower Mississippi
spector. In 1884 he worked on Z city
survey at Tacoma. WASH, and left this
to complete his engineering education
in New York, Brooklyn and Boston,
after which he went back to the state
of Washington as assistant curator Of
the Agassiz Museum a. Olympia.
For two years after this he was in
structor in chemistry. physics and as
tronomy at Washington College, Ia
cheering and surveying. Hs occupied
successfully the position Of chief en-
gtneer for the State University land
and building commission, the Tacoma
waterworks commission and Puget Sound
University, and was special engineer for
Pierce county.
He was later employed BY the North
ern Pacific railway compiling timber
statistics and mapping and preparing ir-
rigation plans.
From 1893 to 1903 he was special field
assistant Of the geological survey. de-
tailed to the examination Of the ma
tional forests, and in 1903 he passed
the civil service examination for fri
cation engineer and photographer and
in the Same year was appointed engi-
neer In the geological survey. In July.
1905, he was transferred al civil On.
gineer to the forest service.
Wrote First Descriptions.
Mr.. Plummer was a voluminous writer
on subjects connected with geology,
geography ana forestry. and wrote the
first descriptions Of forest conditions in
many Of the national forests Of WASH
ington. Oregon. Arizona, New Mexico
and California His chief work for
the forest service was done a. Its
geographer. and his compilation Of sta
tistical and map data 10 one Of the
most notable in this country. II not
He was member Of several tech.
nical societies. including the washing
ton Academy Of Sciences. tho Society OF
american Foresters. the Geological So
ciety and the United States Board OF
Geographic Names.