The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-10-02
SENATOR CRANE
PASSES AWAY At
HOME IN DAL TON
Prominent National Figure iii
Several Weeks
FRIEND OF ROOSEvELTs
Three Times Governor OF Massa.
chusetts and Twice United
States Senator.

Dalton, Mass, Oct 2.-Former
United States Senator and Ex-Gcy-
ernor OF Massachusetts w. Murray
Crane, aged 81, who has been serious
ly i'll at his home here for several
weeks died at four o'clock this morn
ing.
An outstanding characteristic Of
Winthrop Murray Crane, was the fact
that he attained eminence in public
life without being an orator Al
though he served eight years in the
Senate it was said OF him that he
never made. what really could be
called a speech in that body The
successor OF Senator Hoar, whose wit
and eloquence rang through the halls
of Congress, Cranes chef claim to
distinction was that OF silent leader
ship and of a party mediator.
Senator Crane on more than one
occasion in the interval frcm 1904 to
1913, when Republican differences
developed and party measures were
endangered, demonstrated his ability
as harmonizer and by using his
persuasive powers in personal inter
views with other senators, 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
earn the probable attitude of this
man. Crane, who had been talking
the matter over with group OF Re
publican senators, remarke. Wait a
minute" He crossed the floor Of the
Senator chamber to the recalcit-
rants desk and conversed with him
in low tones for few moments. Re.
turning to his friends, he announced
with smile: He'll vote for the
b.ll' How did you find out?r was
the astonished inquiry. Il asked
him' was Cranes reply
Born in Dalton, Mass, April 20,
1883, the son of Zenas NJ. Crane, a
paper manufacturer, young Crane
was educated in the public schools
and at Williston Seminary. He never
attended college but, after leaving
the seminary, entered the paper mills
founded by his grandfather at Dalton
and in them he maintained an inter
est throughout his life. For many
years these mills produced the paper
used by the United States govern
ment in engraving its currency, bonds
and notes. Because Of his interest
N tn IS industry and his desire to con
tinue with il. Mr.. Crane, at the be.
ginning of President Roosevelts ad-
ministration, declined an invitation
TO enter his cabinet as Secretary OF
The Treasury
President Roosevelt held the
silent" Massachusetts man in high
esteem Crane had been unusually
successful In averting strikes and
disagreements at the Dalton mills,
In 1902, when he was Governor Of
Massachusetts, he was instrumental
in adjusting by arbitration a serious
strike of teamsters and freight hand
lers In Boston, Later, 1t is said, he
suggested to President Roosevelt the
method by which the strike OF sever
AL hundred thousand coal miners in
the anthracite fields was settled.
Three years as Lieutenant Cover
nor and three years as Governor of
Massachusetts preceded Cranes en-
trance into the Senate to fill the va.
cancy in 1904 caused by the death of
George f. Hoar Appointed to the
Senate on October r. 1904, he was
elected the following January for the
term ending in 1907 and reelected for
the term ending in 1918 At the ex.
piratlon of his second term he de.
clined to seek denomination. Mr..
Crane had been member Of the Re-
publican National Committee from
1892 to 1900 and from 1904 to 1916
had been a delegate at large to five
National conventions.
He was always interested in scien.
t'fic agriculture. By the application
of business methods he developed q.
700 acres of neglected land in Dalton
into successful farm Mr.. Crane
made many important gifts to his
home town and gave largely to Chart
able objects. He was credited with
having saved many individuals and
small companies in the Berkshires
from bankruptcy when they were
overcome by business itiiculties
Williams College bestowed upon him
the honorary degree of Master of
Arts in 1897 and in 1903 Harvard
made him Doctor of Laws.
Mr. Crane married Mary, the daugh
ter of Robert Benner of Astoria /.
l., In 1880. Bereft by the death of
his young wife four years later he
remained a widcwer until 1906 when
he married Josephine Porter, daugh-
ter of William j. Boardman Of Wash
ingtou.