The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-13
COL. NELSON DIES.
tcontinued from page one.l


tContinued from Page one.]
these conferences he would dictate
editorials and outline ideas for car
-toons and feature stories.
Although his physicians constantly
advised against the part he was talk
ing, during the last few months.Sin the
management of the paper, he refused
to obey them, reminding them that II
was in the building of the Star ne
had been happiest and that he would
not be content without it to occupy his
mind.
During the last month Mr.. Nelson
has been conscious only at intervals.
At such periods his mind was clear
and he constantly asked questions
about his newspaper, and the mem
bers of its staff
For many years Mr. Nelson was a
director of the Associated Press. He
was recognized as one of the leading
newspaper editors of the united
States and his friends were many.
Immediately following his death a
large number of his former friends
were notified by telegraph. Among
them were widely known men in al
most every walk of life: They incfud-
ed Theodore Roosevelt. George w.
Perkins of New York; Henry Waiter
son of Louisville. Ky: General Charles
II. Taylor. Boston,: Josephus Daniels
secretary of the navy: Victor F. Law
SON. Chicago; Melville E. Stone, gen
eral manager of the Associated Press,
New York; H. H. Kohlsaat, Chicago,
and Medill Mccormick, Chicago.
At Mr.. Nelson's bedside were. Mrs
Nelson. Mrs. 1. r. Kirkwood, his only
child, and Mr.. Kirkwood. Other.reia-
tives are Mr.. Nelson's sisters, Miss
Eva Nelson and Mrs III. w: Bond OF
Fort Wayne, Ind, and niece, Miss
Laura McCurdy of Bloomington, Ill.
sketch of His Life.
Mr.. Nelson was born in Fort Wayne.
Indiana, March {, 1S41. HE came OF
two centuries of American ancestors.
His maternal grandfather WllI IAN
Rockhill, settled in Indiana when that
state was a wilderness in 1873, ana
was the first farmer in America 10
plant a thousand acres OF corn nis
father Isaac DeGroff Nelson, was
identified with the upbuildlng OF the
state and took an active hand in Its
political life.
Gated at Notre Dame university. After
a short experience as a youngster In
cotton growing in Georgia Just after
the war, he returned to lndlana anu
became a general contractor. he en-
gagged in the building of roads, pave
ments and bridges, and was associated
in a contract for the construction OF
the southern Illinois state pen1tentlary
Intense admiration for the reform
him into contact with that great
Democrat and when only "a years old,
he became Tilden'S Indiana cam pa1Sn
manager His interest in political
leadership made him turn to newspa-
per work as the best way to Influence
men in the mass. He bought an inter-
est in the Fort Wayne Sentinel and a
business reverse determined him to
devote all his time to journalism.
He soon became convinced that the
opportunities in Fort Wayne were too
small, and after looking the field over,
he decided on Kansas City as the most
promising city of the country. He
persuaded his Fort Wayne partner,
Samuel E. Morss, to make the venture
with him. They. sold their Fort
WAYNE interests, went to Kansas City
and started the Evening Star a lit
tie, four page afternoon newspaper,
on September IS, 1880. Mr.. Morss
withdrew from the enterprise after a
few months on account of ill health,
and Mr.. Nelson continued as sole own
er and editOr-in chief.
Always a Builder.
Essentially builder, he took an in
tense interest in the development of
the city. Almost from the first issue
the Star urged the necessity of paw
ing the streets, of getting a park sys-
tenn, of building attractive houses, of
planti- g shrubbery and trees. Mr.. Mel
son himself had the trees set along
the first Kansas City boulevard. He
was constantly instigating movements
for city betterment
One of his achievements was the
residence district which he laid out
near his home as an example of what
ton. He built nearly hundred mod 4
est houses along roads which he lined
with stone walls covered with honey
suckleS and crimson ramblerS. He
was intensely interested in fine pic
lures and he made a collection of re
productions of European masterpieces
done by the best artists who could be
found, which he gave to Kansas City. /
In politics he was, as he often said,
independent but never neutral" But /
he would never consider any elective /
or appointive position. Early in Presi- 1
dent Taft'S administration the suggeS- /
ton was made in newspaper reports I
that he might be appointed ambassa-
dor to France. He commented editori-
ally as follows: THE editor of the .
Star is amply occupied, sustained and (
satisfied with his present job. He re-
CARDS himself as holding a place of .
greater responsibility and usefulness
than any within the gift of the presi- |
dent or the electorate. Not only has
he never been a candidate, active or
receptive, for any office. but he never
has asked for the appointment of any
one else"
In 1881 Mr.. Nelson married Miss Ida /
Their one child, a daughter, /
Mrs. Irwin r. Kirkwood, lives in Kan |
sas City.
nklNAAIN m FMFFM AAgAn