The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-07
GOODNESS OF HEART
SHOWN BY GOVERNOR
asst Act of w. S. Hammond One
OF Great Kindness
rom Mondays Daily.

n Louisiana was one OF the last acts
If Governor Hammond before he
lied.
The place was owned by Mrs.
Woodward near Clinton, La. 1t COM
lrised about 900 acres. She was left
widow in 1860 with q son and
laughter to support.
The son died about fifteen years
lgo of tuberculosis AFTER his mother
had spent practically all the money
eft her providing medical care for
him
Mrs. Woodward is now eighty
'eyen years old. A few years ago
Governor Hammond was visiting
friends at Clinton and heard of her
destitute circumstances. He imme-
lately offered to loan her money and
ook mortgage on the plantation
She has been unable to meet even
he interest payments. The after
noon of the day before the governor
lied he called on the aged widow
The thought he had come to fore
lose the mortgage and Immediately
made a plea, that he permit her to
spend the rest Of her life en- the
plantation, which had been her home
or more than half a century.
Widow Keeps Her Horne.
Dent worry" said the governor,
I'll not fcraclo5e the mortgage and
YOU shall not lose your home.
But won't you take the title to the
and and just let nc. I've here the
est OF my life?" she asked
no" answered the governor,
never mind about the tile. You
eep your home"
The following recital of the gov
rnCr's last journey was given by J.
\. NOVEL;, who accompanied him to
ouisiana and was with him when he
led:
First | want. to correct a nlisstate-
rent that has gained circulation. The
governor had no land pass ssions in
Louisiana and he was Nc a business
partner OF mine. He had l~aned
money and taken mortgages on some
and near Clinton and it was to
ransact business connected with
.hese' loans that he made the trip
I'VE went to Chicago over the Bur
ington road, travelling the same route
that his body was brought back over
:oday. We reached ChicGgo about
1880 o'clcck on Friday morning, q
week before the day his Eody came
back there to be brought TO St Paul.
Complained of Illness.
"The governor complained CT feel
ing i'll. We went straight from the
union station to the Illinois Central
station in Chicago and waited there
IN hour and a half. | get rocking
chair for the governor and brought
aim some coffee. aa 4!#t
!" 4 feel very sick he SAID; I have
4 pain in my chest, jim ~
"When the train arrived he retired
to a compartment. I brought him
some tea and poached eggs. At the
Illinois Central derot l met DR.. ]. f.
Moore, Minneapolis, and he attended
the governor, saying he thought
the governor was suffering from pto-
maine poisoning. ya.-, ....a
He slept most CT the day on the
train / placed a hot water bottle
on his chest. Dir Moore had gone
to Memphis, and when we reached
New Orleans | wired him that the
governor was feeling much better.
I'VE arrived at New Orleans about
ten O'Clock Christmas morning Be
fore leaving St. Paul the governor
had written number Of Christmas
cards to his friends. He mailed
these when we got to Clinton In
New Orleans he ate a hearty break
fast and rested during the morning
at his room in the Grunewald hotel
About two o'clock in the afternoon
we took walk and got lunch. Later
we got an automobile and drove to
the cemetery.
Meets ST. Paul Men.
"All bodies there are placed in
mausoleums. There are no under
ground burials The governor no.
ticed that the bodies OF beth Catholics
and Professionals were in the cemetery
and remarked about this being pc
culiar.
Later in the day we met Rev.
O'Neill, Catholic missionary from
Minneapolis, and T. l.. Quinn, St.
Paul. That night they came to the
governors room and he asked Father
O'Neill why Catholics and Protes-
tants were in the same cemetery.
Father O'Neill explained that each
Catholic mausoleum was consecrated.
"The governor went to bed about
nine O'Clock that night, saying he
was not feeling very well. He also
complained about the heat He got
out of bed about nine o'clock Sun
day morning and went for walk and
had breakfast. The governor gen.
orally went to church Sunday, but he
said he did not feel well and so we
went to the hotel
We had planned to leave New Or
leans that afternoon, but changed our
plans when the governor felt so weak
He had spoken often Of the pain in
his chest.
1 think the pain is pretty near my
heart, jim he said as he. held his
hand over his breast.
During the day the pain disap-
peared though, and he only COM
planned of feeling weak.
eve left New Orleans last Monday
morning and got to Clinton about
1870 p. m. It was about a $50 mile
ride. Clinton is an old fashioned
southern village with about $50 popu-
lation. II is located en- the oldest
raj,roo6 II, ti,o TIpitod Statoc