Gunnison news-champion., 1918-02-01
SENATOR PRARsoN DIES
MONDAY IN DENvEn

Word came to Gunnispa people q
Neaday Of tie deata Of Senator Jshn
e. Pearson at St Luke's hospital in
Denver. Senator Pearsoa bod beea.in
poor health for some years, but Of
late bad been reported q slightly bet
ter. He vas well known thrueut ~
county and state, not only ~ . bruad-
minded citizen and . tireless worker
for the public good but as . man It
ahairs and exceptioaal sbility, - .
speaker and . leGislater. 4r. Pear
sons splendid efforts in securing for
Gunnison county The appropriations
which made the State Normal School
success, placed Cunnison under OBJ
legations to him. The following brief
resume Of his life, II sent News Cham
pion BY Miss Elsie Wiley Of Denver,
who is an intimate friendof the fam
ily:
J. F. Pearson was born April eth,
1857, near Charlton, Iowa When nine
years old he began mining coal with
his father, who was killed in opening,
Q mine in 1859. Senator Pearson
came to Colorado in 1879 and engaged
in mining and prospecting for natal
lherous ores in the Leadville district,
tater in Gunnison county. For years
be was Superintendent for the Colo
rado Smelling and Mining Company,
which operated the Gold Links Nine,
. part Of the group Of 500 claims
near PitlEin, in this county. Senator
Pearson's home was here until years
ago when he moved to Denver, Colo
rado. He was one Of the discoverers
Of the famous SacremeQto Mine, on
Gold creek. From 1887 to 1890 he
was a Commissioner Of Gunnison
county. In 1910 he was elected Rep
resentative from Gunnison county,
then elected Senator for two sessions
from the 11th district, also represent
ing Pitkin and Delta counties in the
legislature. Following the creation Of
the Liability and Compensation Com
mission by the Democratic Eighteenth
General Assembly, Senator Pearson,
who had been active in securing the
passage Of the bill as member of the
House that session, was appointed q
member Of the Commission as q rep
resentative of the labor interests.
While in the Senate during the Nine
teenth General Assembly he helped to
place the Coal Mine Inspection Bill on
the statute books. He was also a.
member of the Industrial Relations
Committee which brought out Senate
Bill 90, the original Workmen's Com
pensation Measure.
Mr.. Pearson was married to Mar
garet Alice Mckinley, January 26th,
1882, at Clarinda, Iowa. Five children
were born, two Of whom are living,
Mrs. H. A. Burkhardt, 1884 Williams
Ct .6o M III knl l.sI IL
at the time Of his death, and A. L.
rado. His death was due to Bright's
disease. He died at 2 o'clock Monday
afternoon at st. Luke's hospital, and
was buried Thursday from the 18th
and York streets church in Fairmont
cemetery. He was member Of the
Odd Fellows and Mason and Knight
Templar. He was kind, and thought
ful, husband and loving father, and
was sympathetic to those in need.
J. H. Mckinney came in this week
from Spencer, where he is employed
and spent several days with his
family here.
Henry and Hilda Benson came in |
from the Lake Fork the first Of this |
week TO attend school here for some
months. They will be ut the home Of
Mrs. Steve Day during their stay in
Gunnison.
Among the new students who have
enrolled, since the holidays, are:
Dorice Phenice, Delta; Bertha Lip
pard, Salida; Lila Magnan, Ouray;
Mrs. Eta Nelson, Nucla; Charles
Fairlamb, Delta.
Mr.. and Mrs. r. p. VanTuyi are re-
ported to be seriously III and under
the Doctors care this week. Mr.. Van
Tuyl has . severe case Of congestion Of
the lungs and >Mrs. Van1uyl the
pneumonia. The children ara also re-
ported to be III. Miss Bernice Starks