OBITUARY: Welborn Beeson, Talent, Jackson County, Oregon *************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *************************************************************************** Transcribed and formatted for use in USGenWeb Archives by Elizabeth Corethers 2 May 2003 *************************************************************************** Medford (Oregon) Mail, Friday, 5 May 1893, Supplement, p. 1 WELBORN BEESON'S SUDDEN DEATH The news of the sudden death of Mr. Welborn Beeson, of Talent, was received with much regret by his many Medford friends last Saturday evening. The cause of Mr. Beeson's sudden demise was heart trouble. He had been affected with this trouble for sometime, and an incident which may perhaps have hastened the end was that of unusual excitement brought about by an altercation had with a Mr. Duval, of Talent, about noon of the day of his death. The rumor of foul play worked so strong upon the minds of his relatives that Coroner Pickel was called and an inquest was held Sunday morning resulting in clearing up the before suspicious surroundings and exonerating, criminally, all parties about whom there might have lingered a suspicion. The evidence he gathered at the inquest and from the eye witnesses was that while an altercation occurred no blows were administered upon the person of Mr. Beeson. The jury's verdict was that "deceased came to his death by heart failure brought on by excitement." Dr. Pryce was also called and made a thorough examination of the body but found no evidence of foul play. Funeral services were held at the residence Sunday afternoon and were very largely attended by friends from all parts of the county. Mr. Beeson was one of the pioneers of the Rogue river valley and by judicious, careful attended to business had acquired a considerable amount of wealth. He had a large circle of acquaintances both in Jackson and surrounding counties and all were counted as his friends. He was about sixty years of age. Medford (Oregon) Mail, Friday, 5 May 1893, Talent Talk, Supplement, p. 1 We have the sad intelligence to communicate to your readers that your recent worthy reporter who has written over the nom de plume "Vox," or properly, Mr. Welborn Beeson, is dead and buried. I would not presume to attempt to don his mantle as the Talent contributor to the press, neither to write a lengthy obituary of the deceased, as there are others chosen, and more competent to perform that duty, but will only remark that perhaps there was no citizen in Jackson County more extensively or more favorably known than was Welborn Beeson. We can say, after an intimate acquaintance of fifteen years, as a neighbor and business man we have proven him upright, and as a philanthropist he led the column. In matters of public interest, he was willing to make sacrifices, as all his acquaintances know, but as Prof. W. J. Dean has been selected to write the biography, I acquiesce. - S. Sherman. Talent (Oregon) News, 1 May 1893, p. 4 DEATH OF WELBORN BEESON. Welborn Beeson died suddenly of heart-failure at 10:30 o'clock A. M. on Saturday last. He was about a quarter of a mile back of his house measuring wood when without warning he was seized with a severe pain near the heart and sank away, but under the effect of stimulants soon rallied and attempted to reach the house. He had gone but a part of the way when he was again prostrated and died in a few minutes. O. A. Stearns, F. M. Jordan and E. M. Dauvaul who had been cutting wood for Mr. Beeson were with him and as Mr. Beeson and Mr. Dauvaul had just been engaged in a dispute about the payment for the wood cutting, the circumstances were such as to require a corner's inquest, which was held yesterday. The jury quickly rendered the verdict: "Death caused by heart failure brought on by excitement." The burial took place yesterday at the Talent cemetery. An extended obituary will appear in our next. Talent (Oregon) News, 15 May 1893, pp. 2-3 OBITUARY. Welborn Beeson, a brief account of whose untimely death on April 29th, was given in last issue of the News, was born in La Salle county, Illinois, July 22nd, 1836. His parents were natives of England but had resided many years in the United States and were thoroughly imbued with the spirit of American institutions. In 1853, Welborn, with his parents crossed the plains to Oregon, arriving at what was then known as Fort Wagner in August of that year. Soon after, his father purchased Mr. Walton's claim on Wagner creek, including the crops, paying therefore $1500 and moved onto the same on the 6th of September following. On this farm the subject of this memoir lived the remainder of his life. In 1866 he married Mary C. Brophy. Four sons and four daughters survive him, as follows in the order of their ages: Emmette, Welborn Jr., Jessie E., John D., Fannie E., Annie W., Kate and Carl R.; the eldest being 26 and the youngest 4 years of age. Mr. Beeson was a self-taught surveyor and did considerable local work in that line. He took an active part in politics, more particularly in that of his own county, never adhering very closely to old parties but casting his influence on the side of reform movements, being at the time of his death an enthusiastic Populist. He was remarkably plain and unassuming in his manners and was wont to use vigorous terms in denunciation of "style" and display as indicative of weak minds and a lack of decent regard for the feelings of others. It is said of him that when a boy in school he could not be induced to wear better clothing than that worn by his less favored school fellows, nor would he permit dainties to be placed in his dinner pail for he could relish them while so many of his school mates were obliged to partake of plainer fare. He took an active part in the Rogue river Indian troubles, but always counseled moderation and insisted that the conduct of the whites should be tempered with the spirit of humanity in the treatment of the Indians, although such "Quaker sentiments" were dangerously unpopular with the majority of the early pioneers. During the War of the Rebellion he was appointed 2nd lieutenant in a company of Oregon volunteers but his regiment was never called out of the county. He was a member of the Southern Oregon Pioneer Society and was closely identified with the early history of Jackson County, taking much pride in its growth and development. He kept a daily memorandum of important local events from 1851 to the day of his death, and in addition to this, being possessed of a wonderful memory there is little doubt that he could have given more accurate and reliable information concerning the pioneer history of Rogue river valley than could be furnished by any other individual. I am told that his diary has been on several occasions produced in court to supply evidence relating to important dates and incidents. It is very voluminous and, if printed, which its importance would warrant, would make a book of hundreds of pages of reading matter which could not fail to interest every resident of Jackson County. To hear him relate, in his off- hand, animated manner, reminiscences of pioneer times was an enjoyable treat. Names, dates, places and incidents were ever fresh in his memory and he could hold the rapt attention of a group of listeners for hours. For several years past he suffered much from ill health. His heart was seriously affected, requiring the giving up of all hard work and anxious care. At times during the past winter he seemed to have premonitions that his life was drawing to a close. A few months ago he intimated such fears to the writer, and, being fully impressed that the latter would survive him, exacted a promise that he would make the address at his grave. In response to such request the writer paid the follow faint tribute to his memory:-- "How true it is that in the midst of life we are in death. And, to, how fortunate for our mental peace that our vision cannot penetrate the veil that hangs between us and the future. Who could wish it possible to behold the terrible specter, Death, as he comes to claim his victim? The future is unfolded fast enough. Indeed the future merges into the present and glides into the past too rapidly for most of us. A few hours ago, our friend, who now lies before us in the cold embrace of death, was unusually cheerful, buoyant in spirit and was even planning pleasure excursions for the summer months. Having given his working oar into hands more able for the stroke, he was preparing to enjoy as well as his indifferent health would permit, the few remaining years that might be left him. [The remainder of the obituary continues in a similar vein and does not contain genealogical information. If desired a photocopy of the obituary can be obtained from the transcriber.]