The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-10-02
MURRAY CRANE,
G. 0. P. LEADER
DIES AT HOME
End Comes Quietly After Four
Days of Heavy Sleeping in
Family. Residence
KNOWN AS 'HARMONIZER'
Fl e Id Power in Organization
Without Exercising Powers
sos as. Orator

Dalton, Mass, Oct. 2.-W. Murray
Crane, former United States senator
and for years power in the Repub-
lican party died early today at Sugar
Hill, the family home
The end came quietly, after four
days of heavy sleeping, almost of
conconsciousness. The sleeping sick
ness had set in after an illness of
several months and it was this which
Immediately preceded death.
An outstanding characteristic of Mr..
Crane, former Goveror Of Massachu-
sets and for two terms a United
States Senator from that state, was
the fact that he attained eminence in
public life without being an orator.
Although he served eight years in
the Senate it was said of him that he
never made what really could be call
ed speech in that body. The sue /
cessor Of Senator Hoar, whose wit and
'eIOquence rang through the halls Of
Congress, Cranes chief claim to dis
tinction was that of silent leadership
and OF party mediator.
49,. A IIarmonizer
Senator Crane on more than one
occasion in the interval from 1904 to
1913, when Republican differences de-
yeloped and party measures were en-
dangered, demonstrated his ability as
a harmonizer and by using his persua-
Sive powers in personal interviews
with other senator's, with whom he
was popular, restored peace. On one
occasion the fate Of an important bill
appeared to depend upon the vote of
one senator. His colleagues had tried
in vain, by many methods, to learn
the probable attitude of this man.
Crane, who had been talking the mat,
ter over with group of Republican
senator's, remarked wait minute"
He crossed the floor OF the Senate
chamber to the recalcitrant's desk and
conversed with him in low tones for a
few moments. Returning to his
friends, he announced with smile:
He'll vote for the bill" "How did
you find out?' was the astonished in
quiry. Il asked him." was Cranes
reply. "
Born in Dalton, Mass, April 90,
1853, the son of Zenas M. Crane, a pa
per manufacturer, youEg Crane was,
educated in the public schools and at
Wi1liston Seminary. He never attend
ed college, but after leaving the semi
nary, entered the paper mills founded
by his grandfather at Dalton and in
them he maintained an interest
throughout his life. For many years
these mills produced the paper used
by the United States government in
engraving it's currency, bonds and
notes. Because of his interest in this
industry and his desire to continue
with it, Mr.. Crane, at the beginning of
President Roosevelt's administration,
declined an invitation to enter his cab
met as Secretary Of the Treasury.
In Il. RS Esteem
President Roosevelt held the Isl
lent Massachusetts man in high es-
teen. Crane had been unusually sue
cessful in averting strikes and dis
agreements at the Dalton mills. In
1902, when he was Governor of Massa-
chusetts, he was instrumental in ad-
justing by arbitration serious strike
of teamsters and freight handlers in
Boston. Later, it is said, he suggest
ed to President Roosevelt the method
by which the strike Of fgseveral hun
dred thousand coal miners in the
anthracite fields was settled
He was always interested in scien-
tifc agriculture. BY the application
of business methods he developed 200
acres of neglected land in Dalton into
d successful farm. Mr.. Crane made
many important gifts to his home
town and gave largely to charitable
objects. He was credited with having
saved many individuals and small
in the Berkshires from
when they were overcome
by business difficulties. William Col
lege bestowed upon him the honorary
degree of Master of Arts in 1897 and
in 1903 Harvard made him Doctor of
Laws.