The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-05-02
Senator Nelson
Dies Suddenly
UNITED STATES SENATOR STRI-
CKEN ON TRAIN SATURDAY
EVENING.
BURIAL SERVICE WEDNESDAY.
CONGRESSMAN FRANK CLAGUE
GOES TO ALEXANDRIA WITH
FUNERAL PARTY.

knute Nelson, United States Sena-
tor from Minnesota, died suddenly at
eight-fifteen last Saturday evening
while on train travelling from Wash
ington to Chicago, death occurring
near Harrisburg, Pa. The Senator
was on his way from Washington to
his summer home at Alexandria and
was accompanied by his neice Mrs.
Edith Truscott, and by G. j. Wells
and w. w. Belford of the State In
surance Commission.
The body of Senator Nelson was
brought to Saint Paul where it laid in
state in the rotunda of the capital
between the hours of ten o'clock Tues
day morning and four o'clock Tues
day afternoon. 1t was then taken
to Alexandria for burial, special
train from ST. Paul carrying the stat
esmen and other friends of Senator
Nelson. Congressman Frank Clague
left for st. Paul Monday night to be
with the other members of the Mime
sofa delegation in attendance at the
burial service to be held at Alexandria
at two-thirty o'clock Wednesday after
noon.
Senator Nelson was eighty years
III Tic SSNOiiu VI last FcDTudTy. koltlCc
the death of his wife he had been
very depressed and, added to his men-
tai depression, was physical weakness
caused by a succession of severe colds.
The trip homeward was started
against the advice of his Washington
physician. However his condition was
not considered in any sense critical
and his sudden death came as a terri
BILE shock to those accompanying
home.
! Born in Norway, a son of peasant
parents, Senator Nelson's life was full
of ruggedness, of hardship, of OBJ
stacles to be overcome, and of ulti-
mate success denoted by the fact that
/ he served twenty-eight years in the
Senate. In the time between his COM
! ing to American and his death at the
end of his long and useful service, his
career lies as a brilliant example of
what it is possible to attain from life
/ in America. Immigrant, orphan, pen
niless newsboy. backwoods student,
Civil war soldier, lawyer, pioneer,
| United States representative, governor
and senator are the steps by which he
\ proceeded to achievement. For fifty
two years be held public office and he
died in his fifth term as United States
senator, the oldest member of the up
per branch of Congress. President
Harding since the Senator's death, has
referred to his work as record Of
great accomplishment"
Mr.. Clague, in speaking of Senator
I Nelson said, Minnesota has lost the
biggest man she had and the biggest
man she has had in many many years,
Anyone who watched the Senator'S
work in Washington realized his big
ness and his steadfastness to serving
the Nation and the State he repre-
sented. His ability for hard work
and continuous work was very mark
ed-probably no other man in Wash
ington put in so many hours each day,
or took so few receses from his
work. He was seldom seen in Wash
ington society but it was always easy
to find him-he was in his office at
work from early in the morning until
late in the evening. His death closes
a brilliant career of craftsmanship
and long life of useful service"