Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1902 — FORMER CABINET MINISTER IS DEAD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FORMER CABINET MINISTER IS DEAD

J. Sterling Morton, Ex-Secre-tary of Agriculture Passes Away. ADVOCATE OF TREE PLANTING Was the Founder of Arbor Day, and His Efforts In That Direction Reunited In the Bare We.tern Prairies Being Covered with Forests. J. Sterling Morton, secretary of agriculture under President Cleveland and founder of Arbor day, died at the home of his son, Mark Morton, at Lake Forest, 111. He had just rounded out his seventieth year. At the bedside were his three sons, Paul Morton, second vice president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway company, and Joy and Mark Morton, of Joy Morton & Co., with their families. Mr. Morton had been in poor health for more than a year. The death of his youngest son, Carl Morton, at Waukegan, last January, was a great blow to him, and it is said that he never recovered from it. His serious illness dated from last November, when he contracted a severe cold as he was speaking at the stock show in Chicago. The cold ran into an attack of grip, and Mr. Morton was in a hospital for some time. Aftc a partial recovery he went, early in March, to the City of Mexico. During his stay in the southern country a disease of the bronchial arteries developed, and he returned North. Three weeks ago Mr. Morton

was taken to Lake Forest in the hope of securing the services of a specialist. The condition of his throat again became aggravated and a week ago he suffered an attack of apoplexy. llis death was due, immediately, however, to an inflammation of the bronchial arteries. Since his retirement as secretary of agriculture in 1897 Mr. Morton had remained in private life, but had been a strong influence in both state and national politics. He was a stanch member of the gold wing of the Democratic party and refused to follow the lead of William Jennings Bryan and the Chicago and Kansas City platforms. After returning to his Nebraska home from Washington he established «• weekly paper called the Conservative, in which he discussed the politics of the day and current events. This paper had a wide circulation, and with it Mr. Morton supported. McKinley for president in both his campaigns. The achievement of which Mr. Morton was proudest was his founding of Arbor day, which is observed each year on April 22 throughout the country with the planting of trees. It has converted vast stretches of barren Western prairies into spots of beauty and comfort. Since its start in Nebraska in 1872, it is said that more than 13.000,000 trees have been planted in that state alone. His constant motto wa : , “Plant trees.”

J. STERLING MORTON.