Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-01-08
David H. MERCER,
EX-LAW MAKER,
Dies IN HOSPITAL
Representative of This District
for Ten Years and Was
Active in State
Politics.

David II. Mercer, congressman
from this. district for FIVE consecu.
tive terms. from 1892 to 1902, died
at 5;45 o'clock Tuesday morning in
Birchmont hospital, following an
attack of heart disease. He was i'll
two weeks and he passed away be.
! fore his relatives realized the Sc.
robustness OF his condition.
The body is at> Burket's under
taking parlors. Funeral plans will
be announced later.
Mr.. Mercer resided at 2Sll Hick-
DRY street with sister, Mrs c. NJ.
Fowler. His wife, who obtained a
divorce year ago, resides in Wash
ington, D. G., with a daughter,
Born in Iowa.
Mr.. Mercer was born in Benton
City, Iowa, July 9, 1857. His father
was the late Capt. ]. ]. Mercer,
who settled in Brownville. Neb.. in
1866, where he was a blacksmith.
Mr.. Mercer was graduated from the
Brownville High school and from
the University of Nebraska. He
took law course at the Univ ersity
of Michigan and started his legal
work in Brownville, where he was
elected city clerk, which was his
first public service. He was also
police magistrate and justice of the
peace in Brownville.
Mr.. Mercer was elected secretary
of the republican state central COM
mittee during the Blaine campaign.
He then moved to Omaha and be-
came active in Omaha and Douglas
county republican politics. He
served as chairman of the republic
can city and county central commit.
tees. During the first year of his
residence in Omaha he was nominat-
ed for county judge, but was de-
feated. He was assistant United
States marshal for Nebraska during
the Harrison presidential regime,
and then was special master in
chancery of the United States court.
In 1892 he was elected to con-
gress from this district and was re-
elected four consecutive times. At
the time of his defeat for congress
in 1902, he had served longer in
that Office than any other Nebras-
kan.
Was Hard Worker.
While in congress he obtained
recognition and an appropriation
for the Transmissippi exposition at
Omaha, and was active in further
ing the interests of his district. He
introduced the first postal savings
bill in congress. He served a term
as secretary of the republican ma
tional congressional committee.
Mr.. Mercer made a trip around
the world in 1899 and has been to
Europe several times. In recent
years he maintained a law Office in
Washington. D. C., and last year
was engaged in special work in the
national capital for the Omaha
Chamber of Commerce. Last fall
he was one OF the unsuccessful can
didates for nomination as United
States senator from this state.
A singular mistake occurred at
the hospital early yesterday when
an attendant called a telephone
number, intending to summon Mrs.
C. M. Fowler, Mr.. MERGERS sister.
The number which had been given
by Mr.. Mercer was Harvey l446,"
and the number which responded to
1466," the home of Edison Rich, a
lifelong acquaintance of the de-
ceased.
Mr.. Mercer was member of the
Masonic fraternity.
His father, the late Captain Mer-
GER, was connected with the United
States quar- termaster's department
for period of years after his re-
moval from Brownville to Omaha.