Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1893 — MOURNING FOR HAYES [ARTICLE]

MOURNING FOR HAYES

THE EX-PRESIDENT EAS LEFT THIS EARTH. His lUness, Neuralgia of the Heart, ol but a Few Days’ Duration—Sketch of a Life Remarkable for Diverse Experiences. At Rest with Hl* Loved Wife. Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes died at his home, Fremont, Ohio, at 11 o’clook Tuesday night. He returned lrom a trip the prior Saturday night and was then ill. He grew worse, and Monday it was announced that he was serlouslyosick. He bad been seized at Cleveland with neuralgia of the heart, while on his way home from an Eastern trip. During Monday night he rested well, and Tuesday his friends were hopeful. As the day wore away his symptoms became aggravated. In the evening the family sent for Dr. Hlrbish, physician. The doctor soon announced that his patient was growing rapidly Worse and that the end could be expected any moment. Shortly thereafter the ex-President died. There were present at his bedside his daughter, Miss Frances Hayes, and his sons Scott of Cincinnati, Birchard of Toledo, and Webb and Rutherford H. Hayes. A personal triend of the family gives this statement of the sickness and death of the ex-President: “Gen. Hayes was in Cleveland with his son Webb, Friday, and loft there Saturday afternoon for Fremont. He was driven in a closed carriage to the Union depot, where his son joined him, and immediately after entering the oar complained of cold and asked for stimulants. He finally consented to leave the car, and went into the waiting-room, where stimulants were given him. These so revived him that he insisted on returning to tha train, saying that he must go home. ’I would rather die in Speigel Grove,’ ho said, ‘than live anywhere else.’ After his return to the oar he was seized with violent pains in the chest, which lasted until after his return home. He was treated for angina pectoris, but while relieved of distress his heart never recovered its vigor and life was suddenly terminated by paralysis of 'the heart while lying in his own room. He frequently referred to a visit made to his wife’s grave the preceding Sunday and spoke of the quiet beauty of the snow-covered scene. He said that he almost wished he was lying there by the side of his wife. ‘lt was all so peaceful, and yet,’ he said, ‘I am not unhappy. My life is an exceptionally happy one.’ His last words were: ‘I know that I am going where Lucy is.’ This was spoken to his family physician with the utmost earnestness early in the evening. There was every reason to suppose that the patient would pass a comfortable night, and the family retired to rest. He passed quietly and painlessly away. ’’

Sketch of His Career. Rutherford Birohard Hayes was bom Oct. 4, 182*2. He had been known principally as an Ohio Governor prior to.his nomination for the Presidency, although he made a record in the war. He was educated at Kenyon College and studied law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, at Columbus. Ir. 1849 he moved to Cincinnati, where he built up a good practice and gained considerable reputation in several sensational murder trials. In 1869 he was made City Solicitor. He entered the army as Major of the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry June 7, 1861. A few months later he was Lieutenant Colonel, and he came out of the army with the rank of Brevet Major General of Volunteers, a rank conferred upon him “for gallant and distinguished servioes during the campaign! of 1864 in West Virginia, and particularly at the battle of Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek, Va.” Aug. 6,1804, while Hayes was In the fleM, he was elected to Congress, and took his seat Dec. 4,1863. He was elected to the next Congress, but resigned to make a race for the Governorship, to which he was elected in 1867. In 1869 he was renominated by acclamation, and was elected by about the usual Ohio majority. In 1872 he accepted a nomination to Congress, but was defeated by Gen. H. B. Banning. The Republican State Convention in 1876 nominated Hayes a third time for the offloe of Governor. After a campaign that excited the attention of the entire country on account of the financial heresies involved he was elected, defeating “Old Bill" Allen about 5.000 votes. It was this important canvass that suggested Hayes as a possible dark horse in 1876. Hi* nomination was brought about by the fight against Blaine. The nomination of the latter was seen to be impossible. The Pennsylvania delegation led in a break for Hayee, and his nomination followed. The suspense and anxiety of the country during the months following the election is well remembered. It is not necessary to dwell long npon the causes. His administration was not a brilliant, but a respectable one, and Washington society declared his wife to be a most refined and charming woman. Mrs. Hayes died at Fremont, 0., June 2i, 1889. Since his retirement from the Presidency Rutherford B. Hayes had lived quietly at his old home in Fremont 0., devoting himself assiduously to poultry farming and the promotion of prison reform. Mr. Hayee was attacked by an illness which caused him to lose his voice, and he was much depressed in consequence. R will be remembered that ex-President Hayes had been an intelligent and systematic worker for the education of the Southern treedmen and for prison reform: He was a trustee of the Ohio State University and was sn earnest and effective laborer for the prosperity of that institution. He gave special attention and work to the subject of industrial education, in which he was a great believer, and of which he was an earnest advocate. 4 In these and other fields of practical usefulness hje employed what might have been the idle leisure of his retirement. The Birchard library was presented to the town of Fremont by ex-President Hayes. It contains a large collection of books and a museum of historical records. The life of Rutherford B. Hayes since his retirement from the Presidency has been one ot peculiar unostentatiousness. During the recent Grand Army encampment at Washington the ex-President marched through the broiling sun. with the rank and file of his aommand. Upon recognizing him, the assemblage of patriotic thousands accorded him a perfect ovation all along the line of march. In speaking a few days before his death of his dally pursuits, the ex-President said: “I rise with the sun both winter and summer and seldom use the gas to dress by. This makes me get up very early in the long days of the year, but in the winter I sometimes lie abed as late as 7 o'clock, though C usually try to get out by 6. I dress and come down to my library and work from that time until breakfast. I do all my disagreeable work before breakfast, and I solve my most knotty problems at that time. I think one’s brain is clearer in the morning, and I find this to be my best working period. My correspondence is quite large and It covers all shrts of subjects. Ido all my work myself and pen answers to all my letters with my own hand.”