BENTON B. JONES
Died Suddenly Sunday Evening as a Result of Bright’s
Disease.
Benton B. Jones, editor and
proprietor of the Cortland Democrat and postmaster of Cortland, died very suddenly Sunday evening at 9:30 o'clock of apoplexy proceeding from Bright’s disease. Though he had been afflicted with this disease for a number of years he had been in usual health until Friday afternoon when he went home with a severe cold. Saturday he remained in the house hoping to throw off the cold and apprehending nothing more serious than that. Sunday afternoon at about 4 o'clock he had a shock and lost consciousness, almost immediately. He lingered until 9:30 that night when the end came.
Mr.
Jones was born March 20, 1840, upon a farm about two miles north of Homer. He
was educated at Homer academy and at Claverack college, Claverack, Columbia
Co., N. Y., from which latter institution he was graduated at the age of
eighteen years. He studied law with Oliver Porter of Homer and was admitted to
the bar early in the sixties. He practiced law in Cortland until 1868 when
he bought the Cortland Democrat of L. S. Crandall, and has since been its editor
and proprietor. For three years before assuming the proprietorship of that paper
he had assisted in its editorial labors, furnishing nearly all of its political
editorials. Mr. Jones was appointed by President Cleveland postmaster of
Cortland during the winter of 1894 and entered upon his duties upon April 1 of
that year.
Upon
Oct. 9, 1867, Mr. Jones was married to Miss Virginia C. Gurley of Cortland, who
survives him, as well as two children, Mrs. Fay C. Parsons and Mr. Seymour S.
Jones, both of Cortland, and the latter being the deputy postmaster. He is also
survived by three brothers and one sister, George B. Jones of Cortland, Walter
and William Jones of Homer and Mrs. Julia Staats of Homer. Mr.
Jones was a member of Cortlandville lodge, No. 470, F. and A. M.
The
funeral will be held at the family residence, 141 Main-st., Wednesday afternoon
at 2:30 o'clock.
The
sudden death of Benton B. Jones has given a shock to the entire community. Born
and reared in the town of Homer and a resident of that town and of Cortland all
his life, it can safely be said that there is not a citizen of this village who
is acquainted with more people throughout the county than was he, or who has
more personal friends than he had. Unaggressive, quiet and somewhat retiring in
his ways, he was, at the same time, kindly, warm hearted, generous and
sympathetic. His abilities, which in many directions were remarkable, were
little understood except by those who knew him best. He possessed an excellent
legal mind and a memory which was phenomenal. He was a walking cyclopedia of
political, historical and general information. He had the valuable gift, too,
of remembering names and faces. He said to us once that a man very rarely came
into his office whose name and face he could not afterwards instantly recall.
As a
local and editorial writer he had few superiors on the country press of the state.
His English was pure, and his style clear, simple, direct and forcible. He had
a keen sense of humor and a ready wit. As a writer of paragraphs he was a
model, condensing into a few words what many editors would require ten times
the space to express, and then not express half so well. Some of the campaign
issues of the Cortland Democrat, when Mr. Jones was at his best, in point and
effectiveness have challenged the admiration even of his political opponents. He
enjoyed editorial work, besides doing it well, and if circumstances had
permitted him to shift the burden of business and routine upon some one else
and devote his entire time to his paper, his editorial ability would have shown
itself much more conspicuously and been more generally recognized even than it
was.
Though
he never learned the printers' trade as an apprentice, he was a master of the
business, knew good work and how to get it, and could go into his job rooms and
set up tasty work himself or show his subordinates how it should be done. He had
a large measure of mechanical genius also, understood machinery well and could
tell instantly when anything was out of order, where the trouble was and what
should be done to make it right. To all these qualifications for his work as
editor and manager he added practical expertness and accuracy as a bookkeeper
and beautiful penmanship.
In
all his personal and social relations he showed his honorable, kindly and generous
characteristics. He was a faithful, affectionate and devoted husband and father,
a loyal friend, a liberal and public spirited citizen. During the twenty years
and more that we have published a paper in Cortland of opposite politics to The
Democrat, and in spite of the hot firing which has sometimes passed between the
two, it is a pleasure to remember that neither office has ever asked a favor of
the other which was not cheerfully granted, and that no unkind or discourteous words
were ever spoken and no personal differences ever occurred.
The STANDARD, in
common with the entire community, deeply deplores the sudden death which has at
once deprived Cortland of one of its most conspicuous and useful citizens and
his family of a husband and father, respected and loved; and our sincerest
sympathy goes out to the wife and children upon whom the blow has fallen with so
little warning and such crushing weight.
Christmas Tree in a Window.
In
the north window of the bakery of T. M. Marks is a handsome Christmas tree tastily
decorated with many small articles to please the children. It makes a very
pretty appearance.
A Frog Orchestra.
Dec. 18.--In the window of the
drug store of George I. Watson may be seen a full frog orchestra, also a frog
singing class. All are on the banks of a pond surrounded by moss and trees. The
window makes a very pretty appearance.
Cortland
Evening Standard, Tuesday, December
22, 1896.
BAR
ASSOCIATION
Adopts
Fitting Resolution Upon the Death of Benton B. Jones.
A
meeting of the members of the Cortland County Bar association was held this afternoon
at 2 o'clock at the office of Smith & Dickinson to take action upon the death
of Benton B. Jones, who was a member of the association and who, before becoming
the editor and proprietor of the Cortland Democrat, practiced his profession.
John
Courtney, Jr., was elected chairman and Wm. D. Tuttle secretary. Mr. Courtney
in taking the chair made some eulogistic remarks concerning the deceased, and
was followed by A. P. Smith, 0. U. Kellogg, James Dougherty, David W.
VanHoesen, Judge J. E. Eggleston, E. E. Mellon and others.
On
motion, A. P. Smith, O. U. Kellogg,
I. H. Palmer, James Dougherty and B. A. Benedict were appointed a committee to
draft resolutions. The committee reported as follows, and the report was unanimously
adopted.
WHEREAS,
It has pleased the Supreme Judge to remove from our midst Benton B. Jones, a member of the Cortland County Bar,
and
WHEREAS,
The standing and character of our deceased brother was such as to demand more
than a passing notice, therefore
Resolved, That while the
deceased had to a certain extent ceased to practice the profession of law and
had entered the responsible occupation of editor of a leading newspaper in our
county; yet we remember with pleasure, his uniform courtesy while in the
practice of the law as well as in the chosen profession of his later years.
Endowed with ability, and a judicial mind, he would have taken a front rank at
the bar, as he has honored the editor's chair. His sense of right and justice
never permitted him to willingly or knowingly do injustice to an antagonist
whether an individual or a party, and, his sense of propriety never permitted
him to condescend to a personal attack to gratify personal malice, or redress
imaginary personal grievances. He was an open and fearless political
antagonist, and spoke his sentiments in no uncertain language, but in it all,
whether right or wrong, the person or party attacked never had reason to charge
that he or it had been attacked from malice or revenge, but in the interest of
principles believed by the editor to be important and correct.
Resolved, That in the death of
Benton B. Jones this community has met an irreparable loss, and one which will be
felt more and more as time shall pass away.
Resolved, That the bar of
Cortland county extend heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved wife and children of
the deceased. We know full well that no words can relieve the pangs of this
supreme hour of distress, over the loss of the indulgent husband and father, but
such consolation as comes from human sympathy we extend to the family and friends,
and we feel assured that it will meet a hearty response from the entire community
that knew him so well.
Resolved, That the secretary be
directed to furnish a copy of these resolutions to the various newspapers of the
county for publication, and a copy to the family of the deceased.
Resolved, That as a mark of
respect the Bar of Cortland county will attend the funeral in a body.
A. P. SMITH,
O. U. KELLOGG,
JAMES DOUGHERTY,
I. H. PALMER,
B. A. BENEDICT,
Committee.
NEW ROUTE FROM ELMIRA.
It is
announced that a new route is possible from Elmira to Ithaca for the E., C.
& N. branch of the Lehigh R. R. It is from Horseheads to Odessa up the new
double track and across to VanEtten. It is to avoid the high grade between
VanEtten and Horseheads. It would doubtless be a good change. But this road is
a good one now, fast and safe, with a popular set of train crews and convenient
cars and schedules.—Ithaca News.
The Cortland Democrat: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83009185/
Bright’s Disease: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright's_disease
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