The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-08-27
George H. Dern, Secretary
OF War, Dies. In Washington
Had Attained Age Of "a
Years; End Came After
Long Illness Following
Attack Of Influenza
ny Associated Pre..l

Cny Associated press)
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. ~.
Secretary of War, George H.
Dern, died this morning in Walter
Reed general hospital after a long
illness of influenza, aggravated by
heart and kidney complications.
His immediate family was at his
bedside when the end came. The
deceased secretary of war was 81
years of age.
Secretary Dern, twice governor
of Utah before President-elect
Roosevelt called him to Washing
ton to head the war department,
was born in Dodge County, Ne
braska, September 8. 1872. After
his public school education he be-
came a student at the University
of Nebraska. He took an active
interest in athletics and captained
the varsity football team IN 1898
when it won the Missouri Valley
Conference championships. lie
married Lottie Brown of Fremont,
Nebraska. They had seven chill
dren.
Cutting short his education to
accompany his parents when they
moved from Nebraska to Utah,
Governor bern began his business
career as bOokkeeper for the Mer-
cur Gold Mining and Milling Com
pany. He devoted himself to a
study of the technical an. en-
gineering aspects of the indus
try.
Sixteen years later, when the
concern by amalgamatiOn became
the Consolidated Mercur Gold
Mining Company, Dern was made
assistant general manager and
treasurer, and a year later gem
eral manager of the company. He
remained with the company until
its mines were closed in 1913.
Governor Dern put his knOwl-
edge of mining to good advantage
in association with George Moore.
inventor OF the vacuum slime
filtration, aiding in the develop
ment of that process and putting
it on a commercial basis. He also
assisted in the invention and de-
velopment Of the Holt-Dern roast
er, another mining appliance.
At various times he engaged in
banking. dairying and canning and
was one of the organizers o. the
Tintic Milling Company, which
erected a milling plant at Silver
City, Utah, for the treatment OF
ore.
George II. Dern rose to a place
of prominence in the western
part of the country through his
public service.
He began to attract attention "a
a state senator in Utah by spon-
soring the wOrkmen's cOmpensa-
ton act, the corrupt practices act
and several other measures Of
progressive character.
Through his long connection
with the mining business. Mr.
Dern was recognized as peculiarly
fitted to go before the people o.
the state "a a candidate for gov
ernor since mining is the most i'm
pOrtant industry Of the state. He
was elected pn fusion ticket OF
Democrats and progressives ia
1924.
As governor he took an active
part in the interstate cOntrOver /,
involving the construction OF the
Boulder Canyon dam. He was
one OF the organizers of the Seven
States Conference on the Colorado
River. formed in an effort to set
tie the controversy. He was made
chairman Of the conference III
1927.
The Boulder Canyon dam prof.
eet was the subject Of much d.
bate in Congress, but il was Gov
ernor Dern's contention that tn
river belonged TO the various
states through which it flowei
rather than to the federal govern
ment. He also insisted that the
future needs of the upper bas.n
states should be cared for in d--
Gliding the river dispute. at the
same time acknowledging the jus
tice of CALIFORNIA; plea that tn'
dam be built TO protect live and
property in the Imperial Valley.